When school was scary

An angry mob shouts at Elizabeth Eckford on September 4, 1957. She was just trying to go to school. The girl directly behind Elizabeth is Hazel Bryan.

From Scholastic News:

For many teens, the first day of school means a new outfit. For Elizabeth Eckford, it meant threats, violence, and a photograph that made history. It was September 4, 1957. A crowd of people followed 15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford, shouting at her.

“We don’t want you here!” “Don’t let her in!”

The African-American teenager looked straight ahead and kept walking. A group of girls came up behind her. They were so close they could grab her. One girl’s face twisted into pure hatred. “Go back to Africa!” she screamed.

UNFAIR TIMES
That was supposed to be Elizabeth’s first day at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas (USA). But huge crowds showed up to make sure she wouldn’t get in.

For a long time, Central High had been for white students only. Many people wanted it to stay that way. In the 1950s, segregation was common, especially in the South. Laws said that black people and white people had to use separate restaurants, bathrooms, and even schools.

Then, in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that segregation in public schools was illegal. Schools would have to integrate.

THE LITTLE ROCK NINE
Segregation didn’t end right away. The laws had changed, but people didn’t want to change their ways. Little Rock finally started to integrate in 1957. Elizabeth and eight other black students were chosen to go to Central High School. People called them the “Little Rock Nine.”

In addition to an angry mob, Arkansas National Guard troops were at Central High on the first day of school. They blocked the black students from entering. The Little Rock Nine had to leave. They stayed home for three weeks.

U.S. Army soldiers protecting black students in Little Rock in 1957

ATTACKS AT SCHOOL
At last, the President sent U.S. Army soldiers to Little Rock. On September 25, these soldiers drove the nine black students to school and walked them inside.

The soldiers remained at the school all year. Each of the black students had a soldier as a bodyguard. The bodyguards walked the students to and from class to protect them, but they couldn’t be everywhere.

White students were mean to the Little Rock Nine every day. They threw ink, books, and rocks at them. Elizabeth got some of the worst abuse. People pushed her down the stairs. They put broken glass in her gym shower. They lit balls of paper on fire and threw them at her.

Elizabeth stayed calm on the outside, but the attacks scared her. “I knew it was going to be rough,” Elizabeth told a reporter, “but knowing it and experiencing it are different things.”

A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH
Why was Elizabeth such a target? She was the most famous of the Little Rock Nine. On the morning of September 4, a photographer had taken a picture of the girl screaming at Elizabeth. It appeared in newspapers all over the country.

Americans were shocked. They couldn’t believe that people could be so cruel to such a young girl. The photo brought a lot of attention to the struggles that many African-Americans faced. Elizabeth received hundreds of letters of support.

NINE BRAVE TEENS
As the years passed, more and more schools around the country began to integrate. But no one ever forgot about Little Rock. In 1999, the members of the Little Rock Nine got the Congressional Gold Medal. It is the highest honor civilians can receive.

Elizabeth and her classmates were just nine teenagers trying to go to school. But they will always be remembered for their bravery.

VOCABULARY

segregation:
separating people based on race
illegal:
against the law
integrate:
to bring people of different races together
abuse:
cruel treatment, harm
civilians:
people who are not in the military

Are you a screen addict?

From Scholastic News:

Imagine this: You wake up one beautiful sunny morning and your cell phone is broken. You can’t text. You can’t make a call. Horror of horrors, it is TOTALLY busted.

Do you:
a. demand that your little sister give you HER phone until you get a replacement?
b. break out into hives worrying about all the text messages you’re missing?
c. bawl your eyes out? It’s like you’ve lost your right arm.
d. feel so lonely that you start trying to text with your pillow?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of those options, there’s a good chance that technology is taking over your life. You’re not alone.

A NORMAL PART OF LIFE
The average teenager spends more than 53 hours a week in front of a screen—nearly eight hours every day. That’s more time than you spend at school—maybe even more time than you sleep.

Teenagers today consume monumental amounts of information. It’s now a normal part of life. You have Facebook for chatting and sharing photos. You have your cell phone for games and texts. You have your computer and your iPod for browsing, streaming movies, and listening to music. Maybe you have an Xbox or a PS3.

And don’t forget your TV. If you happen to miss an episode of Family Guy because you’re mesmerized by cat videos on YouTube, no problem. You can catch it later on Hulu.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
The things technology enables you to do—stay busy, be informed, connect with friends—these are good things. Right?

Hundreds of researchers in America’s top universities are hard at work trying to answer that question. Some are even devoting their careers to studying what all of this means.

One of the biggest questions they are asking is, when does spending hours and hours watching TV or playing World of Warcraft stop being fun and normal—and become dangerous?

And what does the answer mean for you?

A Delicate Balance
Studies show that screen time does have its advantages. It can make you a good multitasker. Certain types of video games can build your reflexes and even improve your vision.

But there is a dark side. Studies also show that teens who spend excessive time—more than 16 hours a day—in front of a screen are much more likely to get lower grades. They are also more likely to feel depressed and become obese (very fat).

Part of the problem is that devices have a way of gaining power over kids. Some kids can’t seem to turn them off, even when they have other things to do.  Does that describe you?

Consider this: Does it take you three hours to do three math problems because you are video chatting, playing Angry Birds, and downloading new Drake songs at the same time?

How about your chores? Do you forget to feed the dog because you just have to watch one more rerun of The Office?

And what about the people you care about? Technology allows you to stay in constant touch with friends and family—even those who live far away. On the other hand, you might be missing out on the relationships in your own home. Maybe your parents are always begging you not to use your cell phone at the dinner table. Or perhaps you’ve stopped shooting hoops with your little brother because you are spending every waking minute playing Call of Duty.

If any of this sounds familiar, you might have a problem.

Instead of enhancing your life, technology might be getting in the way. It’s a delicate balance, and ultimately, it’s up to you to achieve it. Here’s one way to prove that YOU are in charge of your technology: The next time your phone buzzes, turn it off.

Then go for a nice stroll in the sunshine.