We have spent quite a bit of time talking with people at the school and learning about the curriculum and the students. James Baumann, the producer of the Tumaini Junior School video, has developed a vision for the video that will be presented to Mr. Bayo on Monday.

Doing a treatment for the other video – on the Lake Eyasi Girls Vocational School – is more difficult because the village of Lake Eyasi is at a distance and we have not been able to visit it yet. For that reason, Kimberlee and Betsy spent several hours talking with Lightness Bayo, the founder of the school, both to get to know her better and to talk about the subject of teenage pregnancy in a women-only environment due to the sensitivity of the subject matter. Based on that conversation, Kimberlee Walker, the producer of the Lake Eyasi video, will develop a treatment to be given to Lightness on Monday, as well.

Lightness started the Lake Eyasi Girls Vocational School to provide vocational training and a place to go for young women who have become pregnant and had to drop out of school. Culturally, there is great shame for girls who have become pregnant out of wedlock and their families, and the girls have limited opportunities to continue their education. The school provides the girls with vocational training and the chance to start businesses or to be hired for the skills they have developed.

We were able to talk with the Bayos about the two videos we will make for them – the purpose, the audience, and logistics – in our first meeting. We are enthusiastic about moving ahead!

At about 7:30 PM Bay Area time on Tuesday, the 4th, we peered at the sunrise over East Africa from the plane window. It was the morning of Wednesday, the 5th, and the plane approached Addis Ababa, the major hub for our carrier, Ethiopian Airlines. Rolling hills of farmland came up to the edges of a city with mosques visible among the buildings as we landed. The layover there gave us a chance to sample injera, the spongy Ethiopian bread, eaten with a spicy stew, before we boarded the flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. Two hours later, after a total of 20 hours in the air, we landed in Tanzania! The plane passed Mt. Kilimanjaro on its descent, but to our disappointment, the mountain was fogged in, so we weren’t able to see it. Drivers Freddy and Eric and the two “Noahs” – jeep-like vans – met us outside the luggage area, and we rode the nearly four-hour drive to Karatu.

What a beautiful country! The area near Arusha and the airport is green, with fields of corn and sunflowers. Then we began to see banana plants and coffee plantations in the lush, muggy terrain. Market days in villages and people carrying grass to feed cattle, on their backs or on bicycles, gave way to a large area with nothing growing but low lying shrubs. The Masai had built huts here, and we saw a few people walking. The road is under construction through this area, not having been rebuilt since the German settlement after WW II. We were grateful that Freddy and Eric were driving, because of the traffic, the bumpy road, and our sleepiness. Eventually, the land became lush again, and we saw baboons in the trees and along the road. Finally, we arrived in Karatu, and our lodging at the Lutheran Hostel.

If you’re a 90’s baby, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that kids have it so much easier in today’s society. Not that the material that they are learning has changed, but that everything is so accessible and “fun.” For example, children read textbooks on iPads, with moving pictures and fun games to play to learn long division. We had a big textbook that was used for the last 10 years, and a piece of paper to learn long division.

iPads are taking over the American school system. As of July 24^th, 2012, Apple announced that it sold 1 million iPads to high schools and colleges, verses only 500,000 lap tops.

Additionally, AT&T is currently testing a new program to bring 4G tablet devices, Wi-Fi, and device management to select schools for a low cost — more than 100 schools across the United States from K- 12^th grade.

According to iPadinschools.com, 10% of children from ages 0-1, 39% of children 2-4, and 52% of children 5-8 years old have used an iPad or video iPod.

Although iPads are beneficial in the sense that they are generally environmentally friendly, they give the option of interactive textbooks, and medical schools and making iPads standard equipment, so all of the files will be accessible online.

Growing up in the time where we still had technology, but we didn’t rely on it, it’s hard to understand the concept of a child having an iPad at the age of four. But as technology becomes more and more of our daily lives, it will get harder and harder to escape the reality that at a young age, kids will need to learn how to work a computer, just like they learn to walk and talk.

• http://www.ipadinschools.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/kid-tech-infographic.jpg
• http://edudemic.com/2012/09/9-surprising-ways-schools-ipads-world/
• http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/08/03/tablets-trump-laptops-in-high-school-classrooms
• http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/best-practices-for-deploying-ipads-in-schools/

Alexandra Donati is a senior at San Francisco State University, expected to graduate in May of 2013.

By Guangshen “Steven” Si

On March 13^th, 2013, 115 cardinals from all around the world came together in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to choose the 266^th  Pope. Pope Francis, previously known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina, will now be the spiritual and moral leader for more than 1.2 million Catholics across the world.

The day after new Pope was chosen, the new president of China was picked and became the leader of the big country with 1.4 billion people. And, similar to the Pope’s Election, there were only 2,963 voters in the huge country who decided the new leader for 1.4 billion people.

Comparing the Papal and presidential elections in the different countries, there is one big difference. A cardinal from Chile said of the Papal election. “the election will spend much more time, because there is no term work, no compromise, and no alliance. Each of us just votes for the best one in our own conscience.”

This situation is totally different with the presidential election in China. That does not mean the 2,963 representatives in China don’t vote with their conscience; that means the 2,963 representatives come from the same country and have the same desire. Even if someone thinks differently , the result is already decided and those “different thinkers” have no power to say no. Jinping Xi was picked as the new president in China on a vote of 2,961:1.

I still think about elections in the United States. Each citizen has one vote for their president. Why can’t China do elections like that? As a developing on-party autocracy, China has SIX TIMES the people than the U.S., and the gap of education level is too large. In a one-party autocracy, no matter who is nominated, the purpose will not be changed.

Guangshen “Steven” Si is an International senior student at San Francisco State University in the BECA Department.

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When you are young, people always ask you what you want to be when you grow up. When you are young, many answer, “An astronuaght, rocket scientist, a doctor, the President.” Yet a very small percent of people grow up and become what they envisioned themselves as in elementary school.

We grow up trying to figure out where we fit in this world. We picture ourselves in an array of job positions before we really determine what we want, then set goals to achieve those dreams.

Mickale Jones, 21, is one of the lucky ones, who knew what he was passionate about and skilled in at a very young age. By the age of 10, Jones, was re-writing popular songs and putting his own spin on music. And hasn’t stopped writing, recording and producing music since.

When some one says “rap music” many people expect foul language, songs that degrade women, stories of drugs, sex, guns & violence. But that is not the kind of rap that Jones wanted to write.

Jones, more famously known as Tru Lyric, obtained his rap name from the truth of his lyrics. And let me tell you, this is not your typical rapper.

Growing up in Roseland, Cali., Jones knew at a young age that he could go down the easy path and fall into a lifestyle that would be hard to get out of. But Tru Lyric is not the type of man to take the easy road. With his strong Christian beliefs, Tru Lyric, used his positive outlook on life and translated that into his music.

This Christian rapper, doesn’t need nor want cursing, drugs, sex, and violence in his music, rather, stories of everyday life that people can relate to. And they do.

“I found a different way to reach people through rap but with a non-traditional message,” says Tru Lyric who takes pride in his Christian beliefs and rapping skills. “A lot of times I’ll refer to my music as ‘positive rap’ because even when I’m not talking about my beliefs, I’m talking about everyday things that the whole world can relate to.”

In the last few years, Tru Lyric has spent a lot of time finding his own unique individual sound. “The hardest part for me was realizing I wasn’t close to my full potential as an artist, yet,” Tru Lyric said.

With multiple videos on YouTube with thousands of views, like “I Need A Dollar,” and “Not Today,” Tru Lyric is tasting success, but like any entruepenture, wants more.

Not only is Tru Lyric, spending his days, writing, producing, recording, editing, shooting music videos but he is also a student at Santa Rosa Junior College, pursuing a degree in business, so one day he can own his own record label. Tru Lyric takes his education seriously at SRJC. “I want to set the bar higher for rappers,” says Tru Lyric and vows to never be a “drop out rapper.”

At SRJC, Tru Lyric has met and collaborate with producer Brandon Lowe of BLP, who makes beats and have starred in music videos with Tru Lyric. Throughout the years I’ve been “blessed to meet and work with great artists from al over the country including Young Fiyah, Benny Fuego, Last April, BLP, Luv K, and Grizzly who will all be on my new album, Speak Up,” says Tru Lyric.

Tru Lyric says his next plans are to release an album this summer (July 16). This album release will be followed by his first tour. Check out this inspiring short video that Tru Lyric and his crew created about their movement Speak Up.

When asked what is his favorite personal masterpiece, Tru Lyric replied, “My favorite song of mine is actually my newest one that I will be releasing as a single called “Dream Big”. It really shows how long I’ve come as an artist and an individual in my journey to success.”

If you or anyone you know is interested in studio time, Tru Lyric has some of the best rates around; $20 per hour, $10 per song for mixing, and now has beats to sell to other artists if needed.

His music can best be found on YouTube @ youtube.com/trulyricmusic or on Facebook @ facebook.com/trulyricmusic

You can personally contact him @ trulyricmusic@yahoo.com

Remember, in this journey we call life, it is up to yourself to make the best of everyday. Set personal goals and not only achieve them, but exceed them. You only get one life to live your dreams. Don’t sell yourself short.

Leah Phillips is a junior at SFSU in the BECA department.

The group will fly out of SFO on Monday evening, June 3rd, bound for Karatu, Arusha, Tanzania, where they will spend most of the month of June. BECA 582 – Electronic Media and Social Justice II is a service-learning class in which students produce a video for a non-governmental organization (NGO) in another country. This year, the group will work with two organizations – the Tumaini Junior School in Karatu, and the Lake Eyasi Girls Vocation Training Centre. The Tumaini School educates children from the area of Karatu through the 7th grade. The Lake Eyasi School provides vocational skills to girls who have been raped and impregnated, and must support themselves and their children.

The group will stay at a hostel in Karatu, within walking distance of the Tumaini School. Once arrived in Karatu, they will work with Modest and Lightness Bayo, the couple who founded the schools and serve as the respective directors of each school. But right now, the students have to GET there! They are rushing around this weekend, preparing to leave the country. Bon voyage!

In the spring of 2013, BECA 581 students worked with the Edgewood Center for Children and Families. Edgewood began as an orphanage during the California Gold Rush, and has evolved into an organization that works with children, youth and their families, addressing mental health and behavioral issues that often result from trauma. Levels of care range from after-school programs and support for the family as a whole to in-patient care for youth with more severe problems. A neighbor of SFSU, Edgewood is located on Vicente Street a few blocks from campus. The organization also has a branch in San Mateo County.

This year’s class, taught by Professor Betsy Blosser and Production Coordinator Brian Favorite, was divided into two teams. One team produced an orientation video for parents whose children are new to Edgewood. The other team developed a marketing vi