NEW MAGAZINE A WELCOME SOURCE FOR REAL-WORLD GIRLS

First of all, thanks to Mead High junior Shasta Hill for the new name for this column.

Hey, Girl. If you're tired of magazines chock full of super skinny models and features like "Find your Celebrity Soul Mate," then you may want to check out a new magazine called "Girl," a quarterly publication that appeals to teenagers of every race, dress size and background.

The first issue features ads for size 14 fashions and clothes that sell for less than $20. According to the editor Cara Kagan (who used to cover trends for YM) "every girl should be able to see herself and her friends in the pages of this magazine." Sounds like a nice idea, we'll see if it pans out. Teen lingo. There's a list being circulated by iVillage.com called Teenspeak 101 that's supposed to help adults learn "teen lingo." I have two things to say: first, parents should never try to talk like they are 16, and they should never try to learn teen slang by reading a "dictionary" compiled by other adults with definitions like this: "I'm out = I'm not `cool' with that. It's not fine with me." The only rule of slang is if you have to ask what it means you shouldn't be saying it. Parent lingo a.k.a. The Hot Poop. OK, so we agree parents wouldn't have the faintest idea how to use "jiggy" in a sentence, but can you define the words "schmutter" or "moxie?" No? I bet your parents could. The Deer Park High School newspaper, The Stag, recently ran a list of hot buzzwords such as za (pizza) and wog gut (upset stomach) used by teenagers in the '50s and '60s. After reading the list, I realized I can't speak "parent" any more than they can speak "teen." But I did find a favorite new term: hot poop (yes, poop), meaning "the very latest, up-to-date info" as in "Our Gen has the best hot poop of any teen section around." Let's see that on a billboard! Self help-less. There's a company called Free Spirit Publishing (sounds like some sort of hippie group) that puts out a series of self-help books designed for teenagers. They have cheesy titles such as "Get off my Brain: A Survival Guide for Lazy Students." First, teenagers don't read self-help books. Second, I take offense at being called lazy. And third, I can't imagine any teenager sitting around thinking, "Gee, I'm feeling lazy, I think I'll go read a book written for slackers." Build skills, get jobs. The Spokane Skills Center is looking for more students to take advantage of its programs and many of their students get paying jobs. Take Jason Drake. After one year in the construction program at the Skills Center, West Valley's Drake saw an ad in the paper for a construction job requiring one year of experience. He applied, got the job based on his experience with the Skills Center, and is still working there today. For more information about the Skills Center's programs, call (509) 354-7440. College 411. Did you know that more than $60 billion in financial aid is available to help you pay for college? That's the kind of info you'll find in a new series of handbooks created by The College Board. Among the topics is finding scholarships and financial aid (learn how to tap into some of that dough!) Check out their Web site at www.collegeboard.com Footnote: Last year more than 6,300 teenagers were killed in car crashes. Drive carefully this holiday season.

Copyright 1998 Cowles Publishing Company
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