Oklahoma Institute for Duty to Journalism

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OIDJ Editor - page 27

OIDJ Editor has 309 articles published.

Mindy Johnson

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At age 16, Melinda “Mindy” Johnson is among the oldest of 17 siblings ranging in age from 23 years old to 3 months old. Although her family if comprised of biological, step- and adopted siblings, Johnson said, “I consider them all biological brothers and sisters.” Zach, 23, is the oldest, followed by Catherine, 21; Steven, 18; Alicia, 17; Mindy and Dillon, 14; Blake, 13; Madison, 12; Breanna, 12; Lance, 12; Lexi, 11; Eric, 8; Jade, 8; Xander, 5; Tractor, 4; Aiden, 3; and Kayge, 3 months. All 17 members of the family do not live in the same house. Lance,…

Destyni Williams

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Destyni Williams came to realize her love for traveling after growing up hearing the many stories from her grandmother on her own traveling experiences. Hearing her grandmother’s adventures in a variety of places, including New York and Mexico, Williams began to feel wanderlust to explore new places. Over time, she had friends who added in their stories from traveling, which sparked her interest further. Williams also loved seeing movies that featured a unique location setting and had an interesting background to them. She grew up watching the “Cheetah Girls” movies, and has wanted to visit Barcelona ever since. She always…

Katherine Livingston

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Katherine Livingston sat in the chair, almost incapable of containing the excitement she had, adrenaline pumping through as she stared out the window. In front of her was a clear sky with a clash of beautiful patchy colors forming odd-shaped fields of the landscape below. Her eyes widened at the sight of a crystal sea stretching as far as the eye could see as the aircraft rode the coastline of Oaxaca, Mexico. As the plane’s nose tipped towards the destination, she tried to locate her Christian mission’s base camp. Livingston’s stomach rose upward as the wheels connected with the pavement,…

Ravyn Whitebird

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Twelve-year-old Ravyn Whitebird stared across the empty classroom in shock. She could hear the snickers of girls filing in behind her as they came in from recess. The room was littered with loose-leaf paper torn from her sketchbook. She began to pick up the pages, each one revealing a new insult scribbled in red ink over her artwork. Face red with embarrassment, Whitebird stuffed them in the trash and ran to the restroom crying. Despite being humiliated by the event, she knew nothing could deter her from drawing. It was then that Whitebird realized how deep her dedication to art…

Isabelle Ruiz

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Throughout her life, Isabelle Ruiz, 17, a senior at Del City High School, has fought adversity head-on and stayed calm under pressure. She remains positive despite many life-changing experiences. When Ruiz was 7, Aaron Brooks, her 1-year-old half-brother, was hit on the back of the head as he crawled under a car that started moving. “Luckily, he was still young so he bounced back and made a full recovery,” Ruiz said. “Now, he’s one of the smartest kids I know.” That year, Ruiz also dealt with the death of a relative for the first time. One night, her uncle George’s…

Moore’s tornado recovery steady but slow

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by Destiny Washington Thirteen months after a tornado blasted a mile-wide, five-mile-long path through Moore, Okla., the city is still recovering. “We lost so much out of all of this, but it’s home,” said Catherine Troy, a resident since November 2012. “Dear God, keep us safe. Those were my last words,” she said. “And then it started. I heard this giant roar.” Troy was inside a storm shelter under her garage with two dogs, her sister and mother-in-law. In pitch black, she said she heard wood cracking, glass breaking and debris falling above. Suddenly, everything fell quiet. “I opened my…

Teen moms struggle with conflicting roles of mother and student

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by Destiny Smith Because she is pregnant and 15, the future may be different for Reyna Rodriguez. In September, she is expecting a girl. Unlike many pregnant teens, Reyna said she and her boyfriend, 16, had planned to have a baby, though not necessarily so soon. She said her parents were disappointed. Her birth father suggested she have an abortion. Her stepfather and her mother offered to keep the child if Reyna did not. Reyna is an upcoming sophomore at U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City. At nearby Capitol Hill High, Alex Souza, principal for five years, has witnessed…

LGBT Oklahomans celebrate their pride

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by Destiny Smith When folks celebrated the Pride 2014 Block Party in Oklahoma City, same-sex marriage was legal in 19 states, eight more than a year ago. “Oklahoma needs to get with the times,” said Dawn Evans, who was at the party with Sheri Bott, her wife of 11 years. The couple was married outside Oklahoma where such weddings remain illegal, pending a court appeal. “What’s the difference? We raised three respectful kids,” Evans said, referring to her same-sex marriage. The block party on June 20 kicked off the 2014 Pride Weekend, a celebration featuring the lesbian, gay, bisexual and…

Does music improve academic development?

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by Micah Roberts Think of a world without music. Think of all the lifeless faces walking the streets with apathetic expressions. The days would seem longer. Without music, the world might even become shrouded in a despair that wouldn’t be able to be repaired. That is how important music is. Music allows people to express their creativity through something that can be extremely simple or complex. It has also been shown to help students succeed in other academic areas. That has been my experience. Like any hobby, there is always something to learn with music. Through my experiences in bands,…

College recruitment puts pressure on high school athletes

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by Ronnie Rhodes College coaches recruit fewer than 7 percent of high school athletes each year, according to the NCAA, Some athletes go to well-known schools with large sports programs. They succeed in the spotlight and have a better chance of making it in professional sports. The rest go to smaller schools. They get less recognition but might be as talented as those who go to big-name institutions. All this fight for recognition comes with a price, however. More and more athletes are competing for the top spot at a school. The competition has increased over the years with the…

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