Wise Monkey News is here to provide young people an opportunity to discuss the issues that affect their lives. We hope that, through your participation, this website serves as a forum for the development, exchange, and expression of ideas that will prepare us to assume our positions as the leaders of tomorrow's world. Have something to say?
When life on the streets meets the yellowbrick road
by: Erin Goodling - printed on 02-27-2002
What began as a mild interest in the homeless issues of Portland (thanks to my morning bike commute past Dignity Village, Portland's tent city), soon became a logistical understanding of homeless youth services in Portland (thanks to a term paper for Br. Stabrowski's Urban Politics class at the University of Portland). Shortly thereafter, I found out that my friend, Scott, works at Yellow Brick Road, the street outreach component of Willamette Bridge Youth Services.
No time like the present
by: Ryan O'Connor - printed on 04-10-2002
"Former Senator George Mitchell said in a speech today at the University of Michigan that the only way to halt suicide bombings in Israel was to offer Palestinians improved economic opportunity."
Stem Cells: Just the basic facts
by: Heather Thibodeau - printed on 09-12-2001
Stem cells. Two seemingly simple words that have incorporated themselves into common conversations with everyday people. These words however, bring one of the hottest controversies to the table.
Most people now know what they are and to some extent how they work. The controversy though, lies from where the stem cells originate. There are many places that stem cells are found. For example (if you had x-ray vision) look inside your own bone marrow, or look inside a petri dish filled with frozen babies (or the scientific word, embryos) and my personal favorite, umbilical cord blood of newborn babies.
The Giant of Africa Comes Up Short
by: Anu and Tomi Oladele - printed on 01-31-2001
After 40 years of independence under alternating military and civilian regimes, where does Nigeria stand today? Wonder with me…
A great oil boom in the 1970’s exposed Nigeria’s abundance of natural resources, especially hydrocarbons. She was the top oil producing country in Africa and among the top five oil producers in the world. Because of this, the Nigerian economy was completely dependent on its oil sector, which continuously supplied 95% of its foreign exchange for two decades.
Illegal immigrants gain priority admissions to California universities
by: Jaime Denning - printed on 03-06-2002
You live in New York. Your dad, his dad and his grandfather all attended the University of California at Berkeley. Family tradition and desire push you to apply to the university. You harass the mailman daily, waiting for your acceptance letter. Finally it comes and you run triumphantly with it into the kitchen where your step-mom is making cookies. You tear open the creamy cardstock envelope and find "Dear Joe, We regretfully inform you.
Defining the Environmental Goal
by: Meghan Molenda - printed on 01-23-2002
As I passed the curb and saw the rejected bins of recycling that sat in front of my house, I had to think for a moment about what it actually means for me to be an environmentalist.
I get the label all the time especially on trips back to my hometown, but it is one of those labels that has harsh connotations.
Most people are kind of weary using the word "environmentalist" because it has a particular stigma based on an entire set of beliefs, values, and political stances that go along with that word.