Sisters talk Girl Scouts

As the Girl Scouts moves into their next 100 years, Houston hosted the Girl Scout Leadership Institute or GSLI. My sister Brittney, also a Scholastic News Kid Reporter, sat down with me to give me an insight into what it means to be part of " Renewing The Promise" and what the Girl Scouts offers girls besides camping and selling cookies. 

Erin: What is GSLI and why is leadership an important skill? 

Brittney: GSLI stands for Girl Scout Leadership Institute. GSLI is a convention that is part of the 52nd National Girl Scout Convention where Girl Scouts come together from across the country and the world to find out more about leadership and what it means to make a difference in your community. Here girls were able to learn lifelong skills and take these skills back to their hometowns.

Erin: How did you get chosen to be on the planning board, and how long have you been planning this event? 

Brittney: In the spring of 2010, I saw an advertisement though the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council for becoming part of the national convention planning board. So I applied, just like you have to apply to be a Scholastic News reporter. I thought that it would be a great experience and it has been life changing. I was one of just 23 girls selected to plan and implement programming in this historic convention. Our team started planning in September 2010. We met in person, conference calls, and via emails. It took a lot of time and effort into making this a successful event, but I learned a lot of valuable skills.  

Erin: Why is this convention so important? 

Brittney: This convention gave girls the opportunity to interact with Girl Scouts from all over the US and the world. The girls were able to participate in the largest leadership conference designed for and by girls. Girls had access to leaders in their fields as well as fellow scouts that have made an impact in their community. Scouts were also able to attend parts of the national convention, such as the opening and closing ceremonies, and hear from speakers such as the new CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Girl Scouts Anna Chavez and news reporters Katie Couric and Robin Roberts. 

Erin: What did girls learn at GSLI?

Brittney: Girls learned about a multitude of topics ranging from science and technology, to business and marketing, and global initiatives. Talks known as "Conversations of Consequences" allowed girls to hear from national speakers, such as Soledad O'Brien, as they discussed topics such as diversity and inclusion. Girls were able to learn how to market themselves as they prepare for college and a future job. Doctors from the medical center educated them about the future of medicine and robotic surgery. 

Erin: How many girls came to GSLI and where did they coming from? 

Brittney: Over 1,200 girls came from around the world. I met girls from all over, including Alaska, California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, and Maine. I also met girls from Japan, Thailand, and Poland. It was a chance to learn about other customs and cultures and swap little items such as patches or homemade pins as a way to remember new friendships that were made. 

Erin: What kind of sessions did you plan? 

Brittney: My committee was the science and technology planning team. We developed programming that allowed girls to explore their passion for science. In the sessions that we planned, girls were able to build robots, discover the wonders of the human mind and learn about space exploration and NASA. One of the highlights for me was meeting astronaut and mission specialist Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger. Every woman who has been a NASA astronaut was a Girl Scout in her youth. 

Erin: What about the 100th anniversary birthday party? 

Brittney: When we planned the party with food, fashion, and fun, we knew it had to be great since everything is bigger in Texas. We had hats from all over the world — cowboy hats, sombreros, and berets. The food was also from all over the world with a huge birthday cake and cupcakes. Justine magazine hosted a fashion show and Mindless Behavior entertained the crowd. At the end of the evening, we all sat in Discover Green singing together as the event was capped off with a fireworks display.  

Erin: What are some opportunities those that did not attend the convention?
 
Brittney: The 100th anniversary marks a turning point as we look to the past and see how Girl Scouts has become a huge movement that plays a major role in our society. There are many opportunities to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace in Savannah, Georgia, is open not only for scouts but for any one to visit. Special events, such as Rock the Mall in Washington, D.C., are happening throughout the country. Check out the local or national Girl Scout website for more details.

—Kid Reporter Erin Sheena

Photo: Kid Reporter Erin Sheena in her Girl Scouts uniform at the 52nd National Girl Scout Convention in Houston, Texas. (Courtesy Erin Sheena)

A family of Kid Reporters

Three sisters.  Six years. A presidential election. Award-winning Newberry and Caldecott authors and illustrators...and the Houston Livestock and Rodeo.

This week, my sisters, Michelle and Brittney, and I were honored by the Mayor and City Council of Bellaire, Texas, with a Proclamation in recognition of our achievements as Kid Reporters for Scholastic News at a City Council meeting.

"Michelle, Brittney and Erin Sheena have become a unique family of young reporters for Scholastic News, with Michelle starting as a reporter in 2006 and Brittney and Erin joining in 2008 and 2009, respectively,"  proclaimed Bellaire Mayor Cynthia Siegel. "It is appropriate and desirable to recognize the Sheena sisters for their dedication as Kid Reporters, a role which has benefited many children and allowed children globally to learn about many newsworthy events."

Michelle applied as a sixth grader, and her first interview was with author Noah McCullough. She went on to write about Alexandra Pintus, a Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key recipient, as well as the people affected by Hurricane Ike (which hit Texas in 2008) and its devastating aftermath.

"I met inspiring people my age, with captivating stories of their own,” Michelle remembered. “Meeting people with such prestigious qualifications so early in their lives was an honor, and being able to tell their story to the world was an even greater privilege."

She also covered other local and national stories — like the Houston Livestock and Rodeo. “After one of the rodeo shows, I was able to go behind the scenes and have a one on one interview with the Cheetah Girls. It was interesting to go behind the scenes and see what goes on to bring such a large event to life," Michelle explained.

The following year, Michelle covered the 2008 presidential campaigns. She stood next to news reporters such as Candy Crowley and  Carl Cameron who gave her tips on how to develop future stories. And Michelle was able to pass this knowledge on to her sister Brittney when became a Kid Reporter during the election.

"Whenever we went to cover the Presidential campaign events, security always told our parents that they were not allowed to bring in their children for the interviews and our parents always had to tell security that we were the actual reporters,” Brittney recalled. "I was able to interview Michelle Obama at one of the rallies. Later, I used the picture for a report for school. My friend thought I had been to the wax museum and could not believe that I actually had been able to interview her.  It is really a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

I started reporting last year, when I was in fifth grade. Over the past year, I have interviewed authors, reported on tar balls in Texas, stood on the court at the Final Four, and made a YouTube video on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. One of my favorite interviews was Gary Paulsen, Newberry award winning author and Iditarod competitor.

Reporting for Scholastic News has really been an amazing journey for my family.  I would highly recommend anyone who loves to read and write to apply.

Applications for the 2011-2012 Scholastic News Kids Press Corps will be accepted starting in August. But you can start working on your application now! Visit the How to Apply page to download the application.

And if you have questions for the Kid Reporters about what it takes to be a Kid Reporter, post them in the comments below!

—Kid Reporter Erin Sheena

Photo: L to R Mayor Siegel, Michelle, Erin , and Brittney Sheena (Photo courtesy Erin Sheena)
 

Final Final 4 Tonight!

Behind the scenes at the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

A lot of preparations go into making the Final Four NCAA championships seem flawless. At Media Day on the Friday before Saturday’s semi-finals, I got a behind-the-scenes look at just what it takes to host a major sporting event.

Reliant Stadium, which hosted the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo two weeks ago, had been transformed into a basketball arena. The floor had been changed from a rodeo arena good for calf scrambling and barrel racing to the hardwood needed for slam dunks and three point plays.

Because of the massive venue, the court set up is different than for standard games. The NCAA games are being played on a platform raised 30 inches off the ground.

"In most games, the court sits flat,” said David Worlock from the NCAA. “By elevating the floor, it improves the sight lines and allows more seating for the fans." Worlock is expecting a record-breaking crowd of more than 76,000 people for each game.

Not all the work of preparing for the tournament is done by employees. The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council help "Seat Up" Reliant Stadium as part of their upcoming centennial celebration. Girl Scouts helped place more than 70,000 seat cushions on stadium seats.

“It was a lot of work, but I liked the fact that I could help set up an event like the Final Four,” said Ambassador Girl Scout Charlotte Campbell.

On Thursday night alone, Girl Scouts placed 14,447 seat cushions in under three hours. That translates to over 50 seat cushions per hour per girl!

"It was fun working with girls from other troops and seeing all the different preparations for the big game,” said Girl Scout Sharmistha Maity. “I also really appreciated the organization for the event as everything went very smoothly.”

Final Four Friday gave me an insiders view as I personally met the coaches and players. I watched team practices and the All Star game from courtside. Attending the AP player and Coach of the Year press conferences was quite exciting.

BYU senior Jimmer Fredette earned the 2010-2011 Oscar Robertson Trophy. I asked him how he was able to balance work and school.

"While on the road, they bring an academic advisor and we have study hall,” he said. “We may have one or two hours a day while we are on the road to study."

His had some good advice for aspiring student athletes.

“Learn to manage your time,” he said.

Notre Dame's Coach Mike Brey, this year's Coach of the Year, shared his insight into a winning formula.

"Look for players who play with a passion and want a competitive academic atmosphere,” he said. “When you look for students with a great attitude, great work ethic, and great teammates, you build a great team."

The cutest mascot is definitely Blue II, Butler's English bulldog mascot who made the trip to Houston with the team. He traveled on a chartered Southwest airlines flight. He even had a front-row seat, though he mostly spent his time sitting on the floor. Once inside the stadium, though, he was a definite media magnet.

In the next few days, I will be covering other events that Final Four brings to town, such as Bracket Town and Final Four Dribble—almost as exciting as the big games themselves!

Don’t forget: tonight is the final championship game between the Butler Bulldogs (also known as the Under Dawgs!) and the Connecticut Huskies.

—Erin Sheena

PHOTOS: (Top)Erin's Girl Scout troop, including Charlotte Campbell (dark shirt) and Sharmista Maity (white shirt). (BOTTOM). Kid Reporter Erin Sheena with the Butler Bulldog mascot Blue II. (Photos Courtesy Erin Sheena)
 

The Battle for the Texas State House

State elections also slated for November 2

Two strong women, two survivors, two campaigns, one Texas State Representative seat to fill. Democratic incumbent Ellen Cohen and Republican challenger Sarah Davis have many similarities and many differences as they work to convince voters they would be the best Representatives for Houston in the Texas State House.

Neither candidate considered herself a politician as she grew up. Both candidates are concerned with similar issues, such as access to health care, education and safety, but the approaches to addressing these issues are in many ways different.

  In an interview with Representative Cohen, she discussed the democratic and election process.

"Democracy is really about standing up and defending your right to talk,” she said. “When you don't have a real discourse, you get two sides pointing fingers and not listening. In a democracy, even if I disagree, I need to pause and really listen to what you're saying."

Representative Cohen is a 40-year survivor of breast cancer. She was President and CEO of the Houston Areas Women's Center and founder of Reach to Recovery, a foundation to help women who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Davis, also a breast cancer survivor, first considered running for public office last year. As she was receiving chemotherapy, she followed the health care legislation that President Barack Obama and Congress were proposing. That is when she decided to enter the political arena.

"Battling and beating breast cancer at the age of 33 steeled my determination to fight the federal takeover of health care in America," Davis explained.

When it comes to taking care of the health care needs of children, both candidates realize that many children in Texas qualify for CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Plan. However, many families either do not realize that they qualify or do not know how to apply. Both candidates say there needs to be easier access to the health care than is currently offered in Texas.

Safety for children is another priority for both candidates, yet the approaches differ.

Representative Cohen co-authored child safety seat legislation.

“In car crashes where children are restrained by only an adult seat, they are more likely to suffer severe head, spinal cord and internal injuries,” she said. “It's just that one moment that can change a person's entire life.”

Davis addresses the issue of safety in the schools, which she says should be handled by local school districts and not federal government.

Unlike on the federal level where the Democrats hold a majority of the legislative seats, in Texas Republicans are the party in power. The Texas state house currently consists of 77 Republicans and 73 Democrats. With such a close count, the two parties must compromise to get any legislation passed.

"That's one of the reasons, when I'm looking to author a bill, I often look for a Republican colleague to joint author the bill with me," Cohen said. "Getting things done in the Texas legislature is not about pointing fingers or making people afraid. It's about being true to your word, respecting those who may not agree with you, and working through those differences."

Which could be another area where these two very different candidates agree.

—Erin Sheena

PHOTOS: Kid Reporter Erin Sheena in the campaign offices of candidates Ellen Cohen (top) and Sarah Davis (bottom). (Photos Courtesy Erin Sheena)

How to Build Schools in Afghanistan

One penny at a time, says Greg Mortenson.

Dr. Greg Mortenson went on a journey to climb K2, the second highest mountain peak in the world. Instead he climbed a much bigger mountain—illiteracy.

Known as Dr. Greg, this Nobel Peace Prize Nominee is also author of several books, including Three Cups of Tea and One Man's Journey to Change the World...One Child at a Time.

Recently he met with more than 600 Girls Scouts—including me—from San Jacinto Council in Houston, Texas. We gathered in the gymnasium at the AWTY International School to learn about Dr. Greg’s fight to build schools for girls in Afghanistan.

In 1993, during his trip to climb K2, Dr. Greg got lost and ended up in the village of Korphe. After breakfast one day, he saw 82 children—78 boy and 4 girls—writing with sticks on the ground. They did not have a teacher. The village couldn’t afford the $1 a day salary.

"Can you imagine a fourth grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting quietly and working on their lessons?" Dr. Greg asked.

Over the next 17 years, Dr. Greg built 131 schools in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His program runs more than 200 schools in the area.

“I realized that education is the top global priority in the world, especially educating girls,” he said. “I also realize that anybody, no matter who you are, can make a difference."

Dr. Greg and his organizations, Pennies for Peace and Central Asia Institute, have made a difference for thousands of children. “We have found that the best support that we get is from the kids,” Dr. Greg said.

Currently some 4,000 schools are helping by just collecting pennies. Pennies for Peace is a service-learning program which started with children from Westside Elementary School in River Falls, Wisconsin. They collected 62,345 pennies for Dr. Greg’s first school.

What can a penny buy? In Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny can buy a pencil, two pennies an eraser, and 60,000 pennies is a teacher's salary for an entire year!

At the end of the talk, Dr. Greg challenged each of us to make a difference. I know I can. What about you?

—Erin Sheena

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Erin Sheena with Dr. Greg Mortenson in Houston, Texas. (Photo Courtesy Erin Sheena)

Happy Hanukkah!

Eight days of Hanukkah now under way!

Our family just celebrated the first night of Hanukkah on Friday. The origins of Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, are an event that happened over 2,000 years ago. A king named Antiochus attempted to have all Jewish people under his reign follow the Greek religion. Under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, there was a rebellion.

After three years of fighting, the Maccabees drove the Greek soldiers away. The Maccabees wanted to rededicate the temple, but were only able to find enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight days; long enough to make new oil. That's the miracle celebrated each year during Hanukkah.

On the first night of Hanukkah, I went to the synagogue with my family including my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents to celebrate. We sang songs like " O Hanukkah, O Hanukkah" and "I have a Little Dreidel." These songs are good because they have been passed down from generation to generation and everyone knows them.

Afterward, we all went home to light the menorah. A menorah is an important part of the Hanukkah celebration. This is a candleholder with eight candles and a shammash, or servant candle. One candle is lit by the shammash for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. On the first night, only one candle is lighted. One the second night, two are lighted. Each night, the candles are allowed to burn all the way down until they go out.

In my home, each family member lights his or her own menorah. I made my menorah in preschool. The ceremony of lighting the menorah candles helps us remember the miracle of the oil in the old temple.

After the lighting of the candles, people give gifts to one another. We also usually adopt a needy family during the holidays, so that we can give to others that may not be able to celebrate at this time of the year.

Since my family is from both eastern Europe and from the Mediterranean, we have foods from two parts of the world. A popular food for Hanukkah is potato pancakes, or latkes, cooked in oil in honor of the miracle. We also eat suvganiyot, deep fried, jam-filled donuts, that are popular in Israel.

I love to play the dreidel game with my cousins. This is a spinning top game played with gold-covered chocolate coins, known as gelt. There are four letters on the four sided top which stand for nun, gimmel, hay, and shin. The Hebrew letters give the directions for what to give or take during the game. The letters also stand for "nes gadol hayah sham" or "a great miracle happened there," which helps us to remember the story of Hanukkah.

I love Hanukkah. It is a special time to celebrate with your family and friends and thank them for what you have.

—Erin Sheena

PHOTO: Lighting their Hanukkah menorahs in Houston, Texas, are (from left) Sarah Cohen, Mitchell Meyers, Brandon Meyers, Brittney Sheena, Michelle Sheena, and Erin Sheena. (Photo Courtesy Erin Sheena)