About Millie Cripe

A 10-year-old girl and her mother were browsing in a library's children's section. The little girl began to read "It's Perfectly Normal," a sex-education book written by Robie H. Harris and published by Candlewick Press. After reading the chapter on child abuse, the girl looked at her mother, pointed to the book and said: "That's me." The girl's abuser, her father, is now serving a 60-year prison term.

Onstage, the intense lights glared and the five seconds seemed like an eternity. My body tingled. I was nervous and perspir- ing from the hot lights. Glancing to my left and right, I saw the girls I had practiced with for the past week. I was anxious, and wondered, "Will I remember the dance?" When I heard the first note of the song -- "Musicology," by Prince -- all my nervousness evaporated, and

Former President George H.W. Bush was in Indianapolis earlier this month to speak at Butler University. Six Y-Press members attended the speech and also were able to ask him a few questions beforehand. While a few approached this "brush with celebrity" with awe, others had braced themselves to hear what they thought would be some stock political talk. By the end, however, they all agreed the forme

In the hit movie "Legally Blonde," Elle Woods, a preppy, blond sorority girl, gets accepted to the prestigious Harvard Law School because she submits a quirky video starring herself -- adorned in a bikini. Applying for college wasn't nearly so simple for Ryan Gates, a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.

Chris Woods used to be a below-average student; now he makes the honor roll. He says he used to have a "ghetto mentality," but now he's sympathetic and compassionate. The 18-year-old once fought in the streets for neighborhood pride; now he mentors younger kids. How was Woods, once a struggling student and now a sophomore at Herron High School, able to turn his life around? He credits the Christian youth organization Young Life.

Youth today often have unlimited access to multiple forms of communication and have been called the most connected generation. It is not uncommon, for example, for a kid to spend several hours each night instant messaging friends, creating and posting videos on YouTube or inputting information on Facebook or MySpace for (almost) all the world to see. These communications venues are also playing a key role in the 2008 election. As the conventions near, presidential candidates are trying to get all the votes and funding that they can, and the Internet has become a gold mine for generating support, particularly from youth.

In DeKalb County, Democratic incumbent Harold Bobo was going unchallenged in the 2008 school board primary. Sterlin Pendergrass stepped up to make sure everyone’s voice was heard.

Anyone who knew Heidi Bentley wouldn’t have guessed that she could play a significant role in a campaign to elect Tom Parker to the Alabama Supreme Court. Even the twins, Alex and Brett Harris, who delegated the tasks to her didn’t know exactly who Heidi was. They thought she was her 24-year-old sister.

Considering how important young people have been to this election cycle, it's not surprising that their journalistic peers have the same enthusiasm for covering it.

Keith Ellison started his journey as a political activist at age 18. On Detroit's Wayne State University campus, he protested and petitioned to end South African apartheid in the 1980s.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said that the city, United Way of Central Indiana and a local foundation will launch a major educational reform program early in 2009. The program, which will be piloted in two schools at first, will track students in grades 1-8 to discover what extra help each one personally needs. “There’s literally dozens upon dozens of programs in the schools right now,” said Ballard, pointing to nonprofit agencies like the Boys and Girls Clubs.