Youth In Charge

Written by Keng Thao.

I decided to title it as Black and White because in the image you can see is a shape filled with black, with a white background and the opposite of the other shape is filled with white and a black background. I moved the lines around because I wanted it to make it seem like one was speaking from side to other and where yin and yang are separated to create that balance. The shape represents people. I wanted to use the picture and explain that in a person, we all are filled with darkness and light, but it’s our choice on how much we are willing to be consumed by good and evil. Together with having another color of gray, I found there could be a balance. With balance one will help lift up the other. Just as in evil there’s good and in good there’s evil. I found this to be meaningful because I felt like in times when we think bad about ourselves, we don’t seem to realize how much good we have inside of us. What I found surprising was how much I was able to use the colors of black and white to portray it in a person. I had a hard time thinking about what I could use it for, but reflecting back on myself, I noticed I am also a person who struggles to balance. With the line “In the split of time, one will be consumed” means that eventually one will take over and it will be something that you don’t want to be either inside or outside of you.  With the last line, I wanted to end it with  a good message and in the sense of saying we are given the choice to make use of something and with the colors black and white, it’s the same of either having it dark the whole time or find a way to turn it up brighter. 

I hope you all take away something from this and continue to stay positive.

Hello My name is Keng and I will be posting up posts for the next few months!

During this Pandemic, I have find more things about myself. Things that I never had the chance to sit back and really have a talk with my own conscious. Being in quarantine I found it to be a good and a bad thing, for most they look it as a negative way, but for others it’s also a way of helping them. As this pandemic still going on, In a time like this, it really shows the true colors of people out in the world. Many has been hurt, killed and hospitalized. Emotionally, physically and emotionally. Instead of helping each other in a time like this, we tend to hurt, blame and accused. To have furthermore situations like this, I think we should all educate ourselves and others who doesn’t know much and give them them the most knowledge and resources provided as much as possible.

Here is a website I checked and read about Covid- 19. Great tips here that may help you, so check them out!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

During quarantine I try to reach out and help others as much as I can. Once, I was sick for about 4 weeks and had a sore throat. I took every medicine I could think of, but nothing had really helped. I stayed calm and decided to wait of for a bit and just continue taking my meds. Even when I wasn’t in a good condition, I sometimes message my friends and family to see how they’re doing. I would do my best to avoid distance when I go outside to buy groceries. Being stuck here at school has been tough, but I’m glad I have upper class mans who is willing to help students like me get to places or if we need help with anything. They were like heroes. Heroes who doesn’t wear capes, but with a good heart.

Stay safe, be aware and make sure to wash your hands! Remember to reach out for help and check up on your love ones!

[ Part 1 ]

Story told by Nancy Thor. 

(A Hmong American womxn in the Twin Cities)

Growing up, not knowing what Mental Health was nor knowing how the way I feel means something. I tend to always listen to my parents and think that I’m just “overthinking” or that I am just “crazy.”

At one point in my life, during my depression around the age of 14, I was told that “a ghost has got into me” so I should seek, “shaman help.” When really, I was depressed because my parents got divorced during that time and I wasn’t able to accept that, yet. 

But then, did I mention that to my parents? No. I wasn’t able to. The 14 years old me, was so afraid of being misjudged or let my situation be spread around my families and relatives. So, as simple as it sounds, I end up shutting myself away and ignoring my feelings after that. 

–

(2019)

“Project Tshav Ntuj is focused now on preventing suicide among youth, Xyooj said he wants to see them grow “deep and wide” in promoting mental health as a whole.” – Sanhan Journal

You can check out “Project Tshav Ntuj” on Facebook below on this link: https://m.facebook.com/ProjectTshavNtuj/ 

You can check out a story about Mental Health within Hmong youth on this link: https://www.mprnews.org/amp/story/2020/01/22/new-generation-pushes-hmong-mental-health-concerns-into-the-light

Hi, my name is Lucy.

For a short while, I’ll be posting some things onto this blog!

When news of the COVID-19 first become common knowledge to me, many people were saying that the symptoms were similar of the Flu: fever, sore throat, tiredness and that, “It’s not that serious”. This was mid-February. (Around the time I got sick too).

More information here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Then as little as a month that goes by, numbers grew all over the world and well, that “It’s not that serious” turned into, “Stay at home!” “Wash your hands!” “Social Distancing!” that people still don’t take too seriously, because numbers are still growing tremendously in America.

As soon as COVID-19 spread, another type of virus did too. This virus has been around much longer than COVID-19, and just like the current virus, it can be mild, severe, and a bit different for everyone and can affect anyone.

Main symptoms are: irrational fear, hatred, and aggression towards Asian Americans. Calling anyone of Asian decent, Chinese-even calling the virus itself, “the Chinese virus”.

What should you do when you are confronted with racial discrimination?

In January of this year, relating to the current pandemic, coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the will to keep learning music alive for Northside Minneapolis, Hopewell Music School raised $50,000 to stay open. Hopewell Music’s mission is to connect and empower the North Minneapolis community through high-quality music programming that is accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, background, or circumstance. Being one of the only music schools in Northside, dealing with a change in leadership whilst looking at their finances, the school asked for help. Thankfully, and with help from the community the school was able to keep its doors open. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Hopewell has kept engagement on preventing the spread of the virus. They are currently keeping a close eye on any new updates or news about the virus to continue to stay informed and to uphold a safe and supportive environment.

With that, everyone should make sure to keep up healthy habits and an open mind. Staying updated with any news about the virus, keeping themselves clean. When you wash your hands then wash them thoroughly, wearing face masks and gloves as a precaution, and maintaining your health. As COVID-19 takes advantage of weak immune systems. Be wary but do not let a virus define a group of people or race and definitely do not let a virus be a reason to commit crimes or hate towards a certain group of people or race.

https://www.hopewellmusic.com/

North Minneapolis Music School Raised $50,000 To Stay Open

A couple weeks ago, firefighters were called on by a bystander that reported smoke coming from a storage dome. The location was at the 3700th block of Washington Ave and just after 4:00 a.m. on that Friday morning. The building was located in the Upper Harbor Terminal and didn’t have electricity or lighting. The absence of electricity and lighting proved to make things difficult for the firefighters and that led to having them stay on the scene for quite some time. Adding on to these problems was all the smoke that streamed out of the dome building. But finally, at 11 a.m., the firefighter crew completed the job and left. The dome was operated by the company called OTI, who accepts frozen or packaged food, then separates the cardboard and plastic to send the food stored inside to composting sites. The property was owned by The City of Minneapolis, but the stored food was not theirs. The site manager for OTI, Max Milinkovich said that the company started using the location as a food transfer station five months ago. But the question still wanders off to how the fire could have started, and fortunately, no one got hurt. As claimed by Milinkovich that, “ … no one was in there or around there when it started,” (WCCO | CBS Minnesota, 2020, Crews Battled Flames For Hours At Industrial Areas In North Minneapolis).

Many thanks to the firefighters and the bystander that aided in ceasing the flames. If not for the bystander then the fire could have gotten worse that morning, and of course the brave firefighters that helped resolve the issue. As a friendly note to everyone, let’s all help to be more aware of the situations happening around us and to help prevent accidents and life threatening events from occurring. So don’t hesitate to make the call for help.

Crews Battled Flames For Hours At Industrial Area In North Minneapolis

Today was good, we finished filming! Yay!

Today was kind of stressful. The time limit made it difficult for me and my actors to make mistakes or tweak things/camera angles. I’m glad we get an extra hour tomorrow for editing so we can really clean up all the clips we got today. I hope this turns out good because we put a lot of effort into this final project.