Denim donations

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

February 14, 2013

From Jan. 28 to Feb. 8, students and staff members of Downey High donate jeans to help aid homeless teens in America. Their goal was to beat last year’s record of collecting 2,055 jeans.

Jeans for Teens, headed up by the Do Something organization, has come to Downey High and captured the attention of students around campus for the second year in a row.

Jeans for Teens, sponsored by Aeropostale, collects jeans from students who are willing to give away old or unused jeans to give to homeless teenagers. The organization pays attention to the approximate 1.7 million homeless teens in the U.S.

Alexiz Hernandez, 10, from the Do Something club admires not only what Jeans for Teens does, but also what it stands for.

“I think it’s going to be very helpful,” Hernandez said. “I once saw a group of homeless people who were shivering because they didn’t have the appropriate clothing.”

Classes around school have put up flyers that have caught students’ eyes around campus. Many people have been bringing multiple jeans to donate, either because they believe in the cause or because they simply had extra pairs to give away.

Nichole Rosales, 10, wanted to help out as soon as she heard about Jeans for Teens.

“I have extra pairs of jeans that I don’t wear,” Rosales said, “and if someone else is need of them I don’t mind giving them away.

The club was only started this year but Jeans for Teens was established at Downey High by ASB last year. Do Something club, started this year by junior Marjan Abubo, took over leadership of Jeans for Teens.

Marjan Abubo wanted other teens to know about how their peers are affected in today’s society and what they can do to help. He and Do Something club spent time going around to classes and making others aware of what Jeans for Teens does.

“I feel like the student body isn’t exposed enough to the news,” Abubo said. “Young adults are affected by what’s going on today in the world and others should know that.”

With the amount of teens in unhealthy or unsafe situations in the U.S., Jeans for Teens does all it can do to make their lives easier. The donating has been consistent with almost 500 pairs of jeans being brought in and more are to be brought in throughout the two weeks that Jeans for Teens will last.

About the Contributors

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, stepped into the world of journalism 3 years ago as a sophomore. After a great deal of persuasion from her two best friends, who were on staff at the time, Dixon-Slaughter submitted her application at the semester and was welcomed shortly after. “I love writing and always have,” Slaughter said, “but I’ve always stuck strictly to literature so branching out into a different style and type of writing has helped me develop as a writer.” Although writing essays and covering stories can be polar opposites, the writer adjusted without much trouble. During her time at The Downey Legend, she has covered numerous stories, fiddled with the camera, and established the newspaper’s credibility on social media. She is competent enough to know what it takes to have efficient deadlines; all Slaughter has to do now is to guide her staff in that direction. If the writer is not covering stories happening around school, she is still somehow always somewhere on campus. Juggling AP classes, an ASB position, and her role in newspaper, Slaughter often finds herself with a hectic schedule. This being said, when genuine free time presents itself, she takes full advantage of it. “I love getting lost or ending up in places spontaneously because it feels so great to not have an agenda sometimes,” Dixon-Slaughter said. While the senior is busy getting ready for college and balancing out the rest of her responsibilities, she hopes to provide the staff with an exemplary example of the amount of greatness that can rise from commitment.

Amanda Lira, Photographer/Photo Editor

Among the returning members of The Downey Legend is Amanda Lira, who had personal motives to join the online newspaper. Lira who currently holds the position of Photo Editor was in junior high when she began to take an interest in photography and decided her dream was to work for a magazine. However, as time passed her gears began to shift toward medicine; but in spite of that, she never lost her passion for photography. “I joined ROP for sports medicine; my goal is to be in Skills USA this year,” Lira said. “I also decided to return to newspaper to meet new people and to feel like a part of something; we are like a little family.” Lira’s current dream is to attend San Francisco State and major in physical therapy. Aside from photography and medicine, Lira enjoys going to the beach with her cousin Lupe and watching Johnny Depp and Bradley Cooper movies. Lira’s aspirations have guided her decisions, from choosing to apply for newspaper, and taking ROP sports medicine. “I think it’s a big achievement¾becoming Photo Editor, and this year I plan on giving it everything,” Lira said. “It’s my senior year and the first step to getting where I want to be.”