A Japanese exchange student by the name of Rikka Murakami came to Friendship Blow Pierce to help our class of 5th grade girls. Rikka came all the way from Nagoya, Japan. She traveled 12 hours on the plane to get to Washington, DC. Rikka is a very intelligent, cooperative and independent sophomore college student from Aichi Shukutoku University.

Video by Tsion Cummings. 

Fake nails are fabulous and they help your real nails grow. Fake nails also known as “Tips” come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes. Some familiar colors that always trend are blue, pink, purple and gray.

Hairstyles make us look pretty and unique. Cornrows and braids are very famous hairstyles that last for a long time because they can be big or small. Braids come in many ways, shapes, and sizes. Braids can be in many different designs.

After 146 years, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is taking down its tent for good. Known as “The Greatest Show On Earth” the circus will hold its final performance this May. Why? That’s a good question.

Have you ever eaten Lays Potato Chips? Well if you have, did you know you’re eating too much grease which is not good for our bodies. Eating too much grease slows our bodies down and makes us lazy.

During Donald Trump’s campaign, he made a lot of insulting comments towards many people, groups of people, companies, organizations and nations. I felt a personal attack when Trump attacked women and the black community with his offensive remarks. Trump’s disrespect for women was something I took personally because I am a female. I worry about him as president.

Barack Obama was an awesome President who helped all of our people, blacks and whites. I love Barack Obama because he did not care about what race you were. Obama treated everyone like their culture was equal and he treated us the same.

At my school lunches are so unpleasant to me. They look so unlikable at times I think,”Do they care about the student”?.

On February 28th, 2017, the 3rd graders at Friendship Chamberlain Academy dressed up as historic wax figures. Ms.Jenkin’s classroom was transformed into a wax museum. The kids made exhibits in Ms. Jenkin’s class to celebrate the lives of normal people who did great things.

Video by Nyani Harris. 

For the month of February, our school Friendship Southeast Academy rocked our amazing Black History Month. Pre-school through 5th grade performed in different programs to celebrate. Each class in the school participated in the Black History Month Showcase. The overall theme of the school program was “We Are ROYALTY”.

his winter, Chamberlain Champions warmed up in the gym with a Jump Rope for Heart Program. The purpose of Jump Rope For Heart was to raise some money for the American Heart Association and have fun. It also raised awareness around school about the importance of being heart healthy.

Rogues Rebellion, the graphic novel I read was amazing. It’s a DC comic. It is about a group of criminals called the Rogues: Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, Golden Glider, Weather Wizard, and Trickster. They’re trying to save their city from the “Crime Syndicate” (the evil earth-tree counterpart of the Justice League) but also trying not to get found.

On Friday, March 10, 2017, Friendship Tech Prep hosted a Male-Female Forum on responsibility and respect which are two of Friendship’s core values. We had many guests from places such as Sasha Bruce and the Metropolitan Police Department. These people spoke about the importance of safety, respecting parents, and respecting yourself.

In America, today fear, anger, and gun culture have mixed into a dangerous combination. This has led to the rise of more militia groups in the U.S who claim they want to “defend the homeland” from terrorists. These militias are mainly made up of former veterans from both Vietnam and Afghanistan, as well as civilian recruits who feel betrayed by the government. Recruits cite issues like the Flint Water Crisis as a reason that they feel the government doesn’t work.

I`m a young boxer who loves the sport of boxing. My current record is 13 wins, 3 losses 0 draws and 1 KO. I box on the Untouchables Boxing Team in Marlow Heights Maryland. We are “unattached” which means that we don't have our own gym so we go to other gyms to work out but we mainly box at Keystone boxing gym.

The Cry Baby album follows the story of Cry Baby, a fictional version of a younger Melanie Martinez. The songs in the album reflect experiences in Cry Baby’s life. Songs such as “Alphabet Boy” and “Carousel” are some strong examples.

I utterly love HBCUs and what they stand for: the unity of black people. They show that young black scholars from different backgrounds can succeed and break stereotypes. They also provide a space for black people to fight for civil rights, equality, and black liberation.

A lot of people don’t like rap music. Why? Some people feel that the lyrics are gritty, not positive, about violence, living in the projects, and use profanity. There is also the rough beat that can be too much for a lot of people's ears. Nevertheless, some rappers are making a name for themselves.