I’m responding to “Greater Game Boy? It’s a date!” [Feb. 27 Cover]. I admit that I like the world of video games. I play the simple Game Boy games to the higher advanced PlayStation games. I know that some games are helpful to kids’ puzzle skills, but ask yourself: How much is too much? Video games are a large area of entertainment, and it seems that the players are paying for it. New game systems are coming out left and right, and new games are always hitting the stores. Games should be fun, but is it hurting us more than it’s helping us?
— Anne Q., 12
I agree with Jamie M. [Feb. 27 Backtalk]. If we get rid of Sega Dreamcast, kids would get more out of life. If they spend all day playing video games, they could grow up and have bad eyes and not be able to see without glasses. I have PlayStation, and I don’t play it very much because I spend my time outside enjoying the good weather and enjoying life. I also spend time with my friends. You could have all different kinds of video games and still only play one of them. I think we should get rid of Dreamcast because we have enough electric games, so it wouldn’t hurt if we got rid of one.
— Stephanie J., 13
I am writing back about your preview on the new Mario game for Nintendo 64 [“Mario fall flat? Nope!,” Feb. 27 Fun & Games]. What’s up with all these Mario games for Nintendo 64? First, there was just a Super Mario for a while and like five other games came out. I mean, there is Mario Tennis, Mario Party, Mario Party 2, Mario Racing, and now there is Paper Mario. How many Marios do we need? I’m getting sick of all those boring commercials for the lame Mario games. Every time I go to Blockbuster about two-fourths of the shelves in the Nintendo area of video games are filled with five different Mario games. There are only about eight rented out of all of them. I have to admit that I thought Super Mario was fun when it first came out, but now, just like the other Mario games, Super Mario is old and boring. What are they going to come out with next?
— Sani I., 13
Picked on or prodded?
In response to Kara, Ashley and Matthew [Feb. 13 and March 6 Backtalk], I do agree that sometimes teachers label unfairly, but sometimes that’s not true. I know a teacher who works with one kid who needs help, but he refuses to do anything. He won’t come in for study hall and refuses to do any homework. Also, sometimes teachers “pick on” students because they can do better but won’t. I used to be “picked on” until I did better. Now I’m a straight-A student. They get frustrated when kids refuse to do something that will help them. You should not criticize teachers unless you know the situation. Plus, you don’t know what it’s like being a teacher and dealing with different kids.
— Lynn J., 11
Promised land
I am writing in response to Lizzo [Feb. 6 Backtalk]. I agree with Michelle [Feb. 20 Backtalk] about Palestinians being kicked out of their homeland. I am Jewish and think the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. The Palestinians claim that they were there first. That may be so, before Israel became a state, but the Jews were there thousands of years back. They were kicked out. Plus, God promised the Jews this land. Palestinians were the ones who started this war by throwing rocks at people who were praying, minding their own business and/or not harming anyone. They have been offered pieces of land after pieces of land and still they refuse. They will not be satisfied until they have the whole state. Jews have been criticized and discriminated against, even killed because of what they believe in. Now they have a state of their own and think they should keep it. Israel has only been a state for 50 years. I think that if the Palestinians don’t want peace, then the Jews should have Israel.
— Elena S., 10
Make your scene green
We have a problem. Lots of trees are being cut down and not being replaced. Two big beautiful trees at our school were cut down. We need people in our cities to plant more trees to make shady places in the summer. Birds and squirrels have lost their homes. So let’s start to replant trees all across the country, and let’s do the same here.
— Jay C., 9
`Dance’ moves
I think that the movie “Save the Last Dance” is really great. Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas make a good screen couple.
It was a great idea to make this movie because it relates to issues that we deal with today, such as peer pressure and racism. The racism is that the kids in school thought that Derek, a black teen, and Sara, a white teen, shouldn’t go out. But Derek and Sara’s love for each other is stronger than all the problems they face. That’s why it is a great movie.
— Nancy D., 13
Keep it personal
I think freedom of religion is one of our country’s best rights. I understand having prayers in Catholic or other religiously based schools, but not in public schools. That’s just wrong. A person’s religion is their personal relationship with God. It should not be violated by the school just because they are not of the same faith. Plus, freedom of religion is a right protected by the Constitution. The school I go to has people of many religions and races. I would be offended if my school said prayers that were not of my faith. I’m appalled by the thought of prayers in school.
— Christina W., 14
Predictable ending
I’m writing in response to the article “Hi, hi, hi to the big screen” by Maggie Welter [Feb. 13 Fun & Games]. I think that ‘N Sync singers Lance Bass and Joey Fatone are rather stupid for making movies. To me, it seems like whenever a person gets popular, they do something new, like make a movie. They usually can’t act very well, and the movie turns out really bad. Plus, it shows how they are always trying to make more money. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that singers should sing and actors should act.
— Andy S., 13
— News 4 U?
KidNews is OK, for little babies. But I’m a teenager. I need something a lot more exciting. I thought the article “Stiles leaps into hip-hop role” [Jan. 9 Cover] needed to be longer, have more details and make it teenage-style. Anyway, Julia Stiles is one of my favorite actresses. The article inspired me to go see “The Last Dance.” I hope you will take my advice for consideration.
Ashley H., 13
This is in response to Danny K.’s letter [Feb. 20 Backtalk]. He said that he wanted to see more articles on “real” news, like major disasters, politics and stock quotes in the KidNews. He said that the Backstreet Boys and movie openings aren’t the most important things in the world. Danny, I wholeheartedly agree with you that pop groups are not as important as an earthquake in California. However, this is KidNews. If you want to read about stocks and “real” news, there are about five other sections of the Tribune devoted to that. KidNews is for entertainment, not for hard news. If you want to know what’s going on in the world, read the rest of the Tribune. That’s what it’s there for.
— Frances S., 14
