Determined Nation

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CONTENTS

MIDTERM TIME!

WHAT’S IT SAY ABOUT YOU

COVER STORY

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Midterms are coming up, and we have tips for the best ways to help you take them head on

A simple handshake tells people more about you than you think

Make sure you are informed and prepared to make the right vote because every vote counts

Get informed so that you can be better equipped in the fight against the disease

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

ME, MYSELF, AND I Determined Nation’s ulti-

mate goal is to inspire our readers and followers

to strive to be better than they were yesterday. So when we say we’re not just a magazine, we’re a movement, we mean that we are a movement set on uplifting the people in our communities in hopes that they’ll turn around and do the same for someone else and the inspiration becomes a domino effect.This effect can only take place though if we recognize that we are all connected and every individuals success or failure is connected to someone else’s. Therefore, when we have a men-tality that is “Me, myself, and I and only the things I care about” there comes the not leaving the world a better place for future generations. For these reasons, this issues color is brown to represent neutrality. A neutral stance on politics and between your beliefs and mine, because as the cliche goes, united we stand, and divid-ed we fall. We may be strong as individuals, but when we inspire one another, put aside our dif-ferences and come together as one, we are UNSTOPPABLE.

Make It Happen,Garrett HayesEditor-In-Chief

STAFFBusiness Analyst and Event Planning: Perez Ansah-Men-sah, Justin Fraizer, Niyankor Ajuaj

Marketing and Advertising: Keenan Bender, Josh Bond, and Sesugh Tor-Agbidye

Writers: Danielle McConnell, Susanne “Zuzu” Wheeler, Karen Eichel, Tyreesa Reeves, L.A. Harden, Moonier Said, Raquel Robinson

Editing: Zuzu Wheeler

Photography: Karen Eichel, Perez Ansah-Mensah, Dani-elle McConnell, Jasmine Whitaker, Garrett Hayes

Video Production: Amana Ammishaddai

Wanna help with writing, graphics, photos or events? Have art, poetry, or music you want featured? Feel free to e-mail us.Submissions/Contact Us:[email protected]‘Like’ Usfacebook.com/determinednationmagazineFollow [email protected] Info:determinednationmagazine.com

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Have you ever shaken some-one’s hand and in the same instant, felt every bone in

your fingers and palm shatter? Or, even worse, felt like you were shaking the fin on a dead fish?

Handshakes have been around since the birth of civilization. In fact, they were originally a way to prove you had no weapons in your hand when meeting someone new (given to-day’s state of affairs, that might not be a bad idea). Nowadays, we use handshakes in meetings, greetings,

offering congratulations, closing a business deal or sometimes just to say, “How’s it goin’?”

No matter the basis of your hand-shake, it should become part of your repertoire. Handshakes are a sign of trust and help build strong rela-tionships. Imagine meeting a well-groomed, well-dressed expert for the first time – but when you shake his/her hand, you feel like you’re grab-bing an infant’s finger.

Prospective employers said they’re

What Does Your Handshake Say About You?10 Worst GripsRachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer Copyright [24/09/2007] CareerBuilder, LLC - Reprinted with permission.

Opinion

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more likely to overlook visible body piercings and tattoos than an ineffec-tive handshake, according to a 2001 survey of human resources profes-sionals. Plus, when you shake hands with people upon meeting, they’re two times more likely to remember you than if you didn’t shake hands, according to a study by the Incomm Center for Trade Show Research.

The time has come to find out if your grip is powerful, pathetic or just plain bad. Pamela J. Holland and Marjo-rie Brody, workplace/career experts and co-authors of “Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?” say it’s time to practice.

10 NIGHTMARISH HANDSHAKES TO AVOIDTo evade making a bad first impres-sion, losing a business deal or simply embarrassing yourself, take heed of Holland and Brody’s 10 terrible grips to avoid:

The “MACHO COWBOY”… is the almost bone-crunching clasp many businessmen use to shake hands. What are they trying to prove, anyway? There’s no need to demon-strate your physical strength when shaking another person’s hand.

The WIMP… is usually delivered by men who are afraid to “hurt the

little lady” when shaking women’s hands. Modern female professionals

expect their male coun-terparts to convey the same respect they’d show their male col-leagues.

The “DEAD FISH”… conveys no power. While there’s no need to revert to the macho cowboy death grip, a firm clasp is more powerful than one that barely grabs the hand.

The “FOUR FINGER”… is when the person’s hand never meets your palm, and instead clasps all four fingers, crushing them to-gether.

The COLD AND CLAMMY… feels like you’re shaking hands with a snake. Warm up

your hand first before grabbing someone else’s.

The SWEATY PALM… is

pretty self-explanatory, and pretty gross. Tal-cum powder to the rescue.

The “I’VE GOT YOU COVERED” grip… hap-pens when the other person covers your hand with his or her left hand as if your shake is secretive.

The “I WON’T LET GO”… seems to go on for eternity because the other person won’t drop his

A “Macho Cowboy” handshake may get you in hot water

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or her hand. After two or three pumps, it’s time to let go. “It’s a lot like a kiss – you know when it’s over,” Brody says.

The “SOUTHPAW”… happens when the person uses the left hand to shake because the right hand has food or a drink. Always carry your drink and plate with your left hand to keep your right one free for meet and greets.

The “RINGED TORTURE”… occurs when the person’s rings hurt your hand. Try to limit the number of rings you wear on the right hand to only one or two and be mindful of any that have large stones.

Three steps to a proper handshakeSome other things to keep in mind:

As you’re approaching someone, extend your right arm when you’re about three feet away. Slightly angle your arm across your chest, with your thumb pointing up. Lock hands, thumb joint to thumb joint. Then, firmly clasp the other person’s hand – without any bone

crushing or macho posturing.

Pump the other person’s hand two to three times and let go.

SIX TIPS TO AN EFFECTIVE MEET ‘N GREET• Stand up• Step or lean forward• Make eye contact• Have a pleasant or ani-

mated face• Shake hands• Greet the other person

and repeat his or her name

article coutesy of CareerBuilder.com

It’s completely unnecessary to have a grip like this, it doesn’t make you appear stronger, it’s just annoying and no one wants to end up like this

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Testing season is around the corner, and even though it’s a universally dreaded time

of the year, we all have to put aside everything and buckle down to finish on top. The best way to conquer any as-pect of life is to BE PREPARED so for your sake, I hope you at least paid attention in class and did the work that was on the syllabus thus far. If so, you’re on pace, and if not, don’t worry – there is a way to get there.There are only a few ways to fail your mid-terms, such as not car-ing, procrastinating, or going out with friends instead of studying. Pay attention to these tips and know that if you fail after this, well, know that it wasn’t my fault.Brain: This is the most important muscle to train in the wake of this mind-numbing week, so here are some tips to make it a little more bearable.

1. First and foremost, LOOK OVER YOUR SYLLABUS

and find out what important info you have and or don’t have. If you’re missing anything Earth-shatteringly important, ask some-one in your class for them.

2. Office hours, office hours and oh don’t forget OFFICE HOURS! Teachers have them for a reason which is for YOU! Yes, they actu-ally do want you to perform well. If I got a dollar every time I saw a teacher or TA’s doing nothing during their office hours, I would be filthy rich, so GO and get the info you’re missing or don’t un-derstand. Who knows? You could get a piece of info that no one else has.

3. DON’T CRAM THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TEST. You think your mind can retain the information, but it won’t stay in your mind as well as when you prepare in the week or two ahead.

By Moonier Said

Pass or FailHow to beat MidTerms

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But, when you consistent-ly study during the day and go over that same info before going to sleep, your mind will re-tain it better.

4. GO OVER YOUR NOTES with friends who can get down to business, understand the materi-al, and who will quiz you. It’s one thing to just read all the info you scribbled down while half asleep in class and another thing to un-derstand the material and be able to answer questions about the subject.

By Moonier Said

Pass or FailHow to beat MidTerms

Educationdeterm

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4. I highly recommend Study-Blue.Com. It’s a great web-site where you can write your notes online, create flashcards out of them, and best of all, you and your classmates can review each other’s notes on their data-base, making it a lot faster than sifting through everyone’s hand written notes.

Body: Your body is quite impor-tant in acing your tests, so don’t expect to pull all nighters or eat a bunch of junk food and expect to be at 100%. Here are some things to keep up with.

1. SLEEP at least seven to eight hours a night, but make sure to be consistent with your sleep sched-ule or your body will feel tired even if you think you got a good amount of sleep.

2. EAT enough and eat healthy; fruit can help your brain power, such as blueberries, which have been linked to increased learn-ing capacities, and strawberries, which have been linked to bet-ter memory recall. Don’t forget whole wheat and grains such as cereal and bread, which help to increase blood flow to the brain. If you aren’t a big fan of whole grains or fruits, then go with dark chocolate, which is said to im-prove memory, clarity and alert-ness.

3. Lastly, DON’T STRESS your body out too much. Too much stress can take away all the effort you put into preparing, so make sure you take adequate breaks in between studying and do some of your favorite hobbies so you don’t drive yourself crazy.

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It is midnight on the Sunday before finals week. You are still at the li-brary studying for the five tests

that occur this week, but somehow, your brain can no longer concentrate. Your eyes start to droop and your head starts to spin, yearning for just a little drop of sleep. All the coffee and Red Bull in the world could nev-er keep you awake at this point. You become desperate for something to save you from this unavoidable

crash.

Then you remember that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Your acquaintance in your biology class has the hook-up to an itty-bitty pill that can solve all your woes and help you finish studying.

Adderall is the prescription drug commonly prescribed to peo-ple afflicted with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and patients who suffer from inat-tentiveness and impulsivity. Illicit

use – or non-prescribed use – of it has been on the recent, and

quite dramatic, rise among college students, according

to an undergraduate re-search article titles “How Jimmy Aced His Exam: Theoretical Explana-tions for Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use on College Campuses,” by Sarah Malone. And a decrease is not in the cards for the near fu-ture.

ADDERALL: THE WAY TO A STUDENT’S SUCCESSBy: Zuzu Wheeler

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Colorado State University is one of the many college campuses that has seen its fair share of illicit Adderall use by its students, espe-cially while cramming for tests. Get-ting their hands on a pill is a piece of cake – you just have to know the right people.

A recent zoology graduate at CSU, who wishes to remain un-named, is no stranger to such use, and admits to have used it two to three times per semester while she was enrolled.

“I used Adderall to stay up all night if I know that I’m going to have a big test the next day,” she said.

“The girl I bought them from only charged me a couple bucks, and one pill is all I really needed.”

Taking the pill to concentrate is one thing, but would this illicit use actually be considered cheating when used to boost test scores?

In an article in the Stanford Journal of Neuroscience titled, “Pop-ping Pills to Study: Neuroethics in Education,” author Vivian Chau says that yes, using these drugs to help with studies is considered cheating, much like steroids are for sports.

On top of superior attentive-ness when used, Chau points out

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that the popping of the pill causes a “high potential for abuse and pro-duces many of the same effects as cocaine,” thus garnering its other name – speed. Use of it for socializing and experimenting, Malone says, is also popular for its feel-good effects.

Although there are no indica-tions that Adderall causes long-term health effects, Chau says, there are still ethical concerns surrounding the illicit use of it.

First, the person was not initially prescribed the Adderall, be-cause he or she did not have ADHD to begin with. Use of any drug when not prescribed by a physician is ques-

tionable in all circumstances.

And sec-ond, many who have been prescribed Ad-derall sell their pills to those looking for that concentration that they have been after. This causes a loss in money from the Food and Drug Admin-istration, and could qualify as illegal selling of drugs.

Chau suggests actions that campuses can take to decrease the ethical questions surrounding illicit Adderall use.

“Teachers can require stu-dents to write disclaimers at the end of papers, disclosing use of neuroen-hancing drugs, and could grade stu-dents differently based on their us-age or not,” she says.

She also suggests an all-out ban on use of Adderall as an aca-demic aide to those who do not have ADHD.

But there is also the issue of over-prescribing the drug to begin with. At any given college campus, access to the drug is easy, since so many students are diagnosed with ADHD. Doctors need to be more par-ticular in who they write prescrip-tions for.

As schools demand more and more of their students, stress increases and more students look for methods to cope and possibly solve their issues. But the real issue at hand here is whether they are receiving an honest and enjoyable education. Chau notes, “Students may think they gain time by taking ‘study pills,’ but what they may lose is something far more precious than time – the love of learning.”

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WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?When abnormal cells in the breast are not destroyed, but grow, di-vide and reproduce new cells that neither function normally nor are needed by the body. The growth or mass of cells form what is called a tumor. In some cases, the growth is “benign” meaning it is not cancer-ous. If it is benign the tumor will stay in one spot in the breast and will not cause any major health problems. If a tumor is considered “malignant” then it is cancerous. When the tumor is malignant it can grow and spread throughout the body causing issues in a person’s health. Sometimes the cancer starts out relatively small and undetect-able, as it grows it can spread throughout the breast and the body.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER?Symptoms, in most cases depend on the person. Everyone has different warning signs for breast cancer. Ac-cording to the Illinois Department of Public Health, “Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. A person may find out they have breast cancer after a routine mam-mogram.

SOME WARNING SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER ARE—• New lump in or near the breast

or under the arm• Thickening or swelling of part

of the breast• Irritation or dimpling of breast

skin• Redness or flaky skin in the

nipple area or the breast• Pulling in of the nipple or pain

in the nipple area• Nipple discharge other than

breast milk that occurs without squeezing

• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast

• Pain in any area of the breast

Keep in mind that some of these warning signs can happen with oth-er conditions that are not cancer.

What are the risk factors for devel-oping breast cancer?• Being female• Increasing age• Having a family history of

breast cancer• Being older at the birth of your

first child or never having a child

• Not breast feeding• Beginning menstruation before

age 12 or completing meno-pause after age 55

• Drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day)

• Not getting regular exercise

Breast Cancer wareness

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• Being overweight• Having a personal history of

breast cancer or some non-can-cerous breast diseases

• Having radiation therapy to the breast/chest

• Using hormone replacement therapy for a long time

• Using birth control pills

Breast cancer can occur in women without any risk factors, so everyone should be checked regularly.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED?Genes that are passed down from a parent to a child contain hereditary information that decides features and character-istics of a person. One of those features can be breast cancer as the mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes contain muta-tions that are passed down from parents. If a person has inherit-ed this gene, their risk of getting breast cancer in their lifetime is high.

CAN BREAST CANCER BE PREVENTED?No certain method or cure of preventing breast cancer has been found, but women can do things to reduce their risk of getting breast cancer and increase the chance of being

treated should cancer be found. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends that you limit alcohol consump-tion, exercise, and remain at a healthy weight in order to decrease your risk.

Heathdeterm


Information courtesy of http://www.idph.state.il.us

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There are many important times we experience throughout our lives. The first job we ever have, graduating high school or col-lege, turning 18, better yet, 21 – these are some important mo-ments that exist on my list. However, there is one important time that is often overlooked -- that time in November when we should head to the voting polls. For many of us, this will be the first or second time we have ever voted, and for others, this is an event

that is well prepared for.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance

and conscientious stupidity. It’s the hope that through this article individuals will turn the page, being just a little more informed about the issues and the way presidential candidates are planning to handle those is-sues. It is important to keep yourself up-dated on the legisla-tion circulating, as well as who is actu-ally running for presi-dent. Make sure you are informed and prepared to make the right vote be-cause EVERY VOTE COUNTS.

ELECTION ISSUES:ECONOMY- It is no shock that our world is in a little bit of a cri-sis when it comes to our economy. We have trillions of dollars in debt,

COVER STORY

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Will Obama be waving hello again or goodbye come November?

After Obama inherited the recession, the state of the economy has been a big issue as many people still feel the effects and others are either making their recovery

or are continuing to prosper

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and there is also a constant battle for jobs.

HEALTH CARE- There is two sides to every issue, including how politicians go about caring for the people’s health. Many oppose the idea of mandated health care, while others see it as a benefit that was long overdue.

FOREIGN POLICY- Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and peace plans in places like Israel and Palestine (sworn adversaries) have been the main domain of focus within the White House, and there is no sign of that disappearing.

IMMIGRATION- There is a constant fight for “securing the borders”. Undocumented immi-grants and fear of violence cur-rently plague the White House. Is enough being done to secure these so-called borders?

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE- A

considerably higher level of what many would call tolerance for this topic has come into existence. Is this something that will continue to be fought against, or more widely accepted?

ABORTION- The tug of war be-tween pro-life or pro-choice con-tinues to escalate. At CSU we know all too well what that 10 -foot billboard fight looks like. But this constant uproar doesn’t only ex-ist within the protesters on CSU’s campus, but also in the running for the next president of the Unit-ed States. There are several other topics like education, gun control, terrorism, global warming and social securi-ty; however, the above issues are currently taking center stage.

For years the immigration has been a hot topic for politics and citizens all over the nation, this years election is sure raise

questions once again

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At this point there are two can-didates fighting for presidency, the first of which is Barack

Obama. Obama currently stands as the 44th president of the United States and is fighting to hold his position as elections approach once again. As far as the issues are concerned, Obama’s position has been one of both scrutiny and accolade. In regards to the economy, Obama is seen by Re-publicans and some Americans as leading us down an irrevers-ible path in what is currently be-ing called the “Great Recession.” Obama has spent his time in office attempting to boost the economy with his efforts to create some more strict guidelines around Wall Street and also implement pro-

gramming that can assist in rebuilding and growing small business around the country. He has also i n -troduced practices that have slightly empowered the j o b market. Although he has made great effort, it can easily be said the fight is far from over in regards to this economy. The question stands as to whether Obama is properly equipped for the battle. Health care and for-eign policy seem to be Barack Obama’s strongest arenas. He has created an open door for more accessible health care, called Af-fordable Health Care Act, which was passed in March, and also increasing the number of Ameri-cans that are given the opportu-nity to receive health care and be insured. The downside of this health care reform is that the jury is still determining whether requir-ing individuals to have insurance is truly constitutional. As far as for-eign policy is concerned, Obama has dominated over the devas-tation that exists with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama has taken a seemingly respect-able approach at handling these wars and has directed his steps responsibly.

BARACK OBAMA

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Obama has had a split audience when it comes to the choices in immigration. He has stayed true to what has been put in place as far as laws, but has also acknowledged that he has many things he still wants to ac-complish. He faces current scru-tiny as Americans begin to take notice that his promises in the 2008 election haven’t held up like they needed to. His goals were to support a system that allowed for undocumented immigrants to pay a fine, learn English, and fol-low the rules like everyone else in this country. This was supposed to be a top priority, as he stated in the 2008 campaign, but now as we enter another election, Obama has lost his luster in this depart-ment and especially with those that immigration laws hit close to home with. Same-sex marriage is constantly being thrown in the spotlight of society. People present their religious views, their hatred and sometimes disgust for the way of life that some choose to live by. Obama, however, has taken the stance of having an “evolving state of mind” in regards to this topic. Although he believes that mar-riage is defined as the union between a man

and a woman, he has opened the door to accepting the way that our world stands. In his time as presi-dent, he has backed laws that support the recognition of same-sex marriages federally and also stood against the unconstitutional laws of certain states that are at-tempting to hinder an individual’s right to choose. Obama holds a strong stance in regards to the topic of abortion. It is no secret that there is an intense battle when it comes to women’s rights. Talk of over-turning Roe v. Wade, placing bans on funding to institutions that pro-vide family planning and informa-tion about abortion and counsel-ing toward those services have been circulating. While Obama has been in office, those attempts have fallen short. He has no inten-tion, thus far, of entertaining these ideas.

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Mitt Romney is the republican candidate attempting to take over the White House in the

coming election. This will be his second attempt at presidency. It has been publicized as well that Romney is extremely wealthy with assets estimated in the hundreds of millions between himself and his wife. This leads into his econo-my stance: it’s all about money, of course. Romney wants to imple-ment the cut, cap, and balance ideology. His plan would be to cut federal spending, cap federal spending and balance the budget amendments currently in place. Health care and foreign policy for Mitt Romney seems to be going down the wrong path when looking at Obama’s choices.

His objective would be to give a waiver out to all fifty states allow-ing them to choose to not accept the cur-rently adopted requirement of having heal th care. He also wants to retract the bill itself completely. Foreign policy needs to be moved from the path of apology to strength according to Romney. He wants to lead the pack and stand as a power house for the forward movement of the nation. He seems to see apology as leading America down a path that is irreversible. As far as immigration is

concerned Romney thinks there needs to be more security along our borders and also a more strict enforcement to stop employers from hiring undocumented work-ers. He also plans to back giving green cards to educated workers to assist in the employment pro-cess. It is still in the air as to what the best route is for handling and controlling immigration for him.

Same-sex marriage for Romney is seemingly out of the question. Like Obama, he de-fines marriage as the union be-tween a man and a woman. How-ever, where the two candidates differ, Romney fully supports leg-

MITT ROMNEY

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islation that upholds his defini-tion of marriage and believes it should exist within the Constitu-tion. He stands next to the idea that a child should be raised in a traditional household with a mother and a father. Romney’s position on the abortion debate is also strongly on one side. He is adamantly pro-life. However, it seems he is walking the line, standing against some anti-abortion proposals, and really looking at the benefits and the consequences for America b e f o r e p l a c i n g h i s power b e -h i n d it. It i s

hopeful that this mentality will remain if he becomes the next president of the United States.

Voting is one of the most important rights that Ameri-cans possess, but we often take it for granted. Opting out of voting because the lines are too long, we ne-glect to re-register, or

we feel like we won’t make a difference. It must be said that the above reasons are nonsense, and there should be nothing that stops you from making sure your opinion is heard, whether you be-lieve it is impor-tant or not. This is a valuable op-portunity, don’t let it pass you by.

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The Artist: “I go to work thinking, ‘Really? I get paid to do this?’”

Kayla Casteel is in the stage of her ap-prenticeship where she gets to work on per-

f e c t i n g her craft and begin her career as a tattoo artist on Saturday S e p t e m -

ber 1, 2012. She looks forward to a career that she loves to do, and the fact that she can share

her passion with a va-riety people.

Meet a determined dreamer, who has paid her dues, sur-passed the difficul-ties in the process

of apprenticeship, and is now fulfilling

a lifelong destination; becoming a tattoo artist. Kayla Casteel is one of the

most beautifully creative, strong minded and tal-ented artists here in Fort Collins, CO. With her positive attitude and yearning to always better herself, she con-siders herself to be an ongoing learner of her

talent, striving to always improve. She looks for-

ward to the many people she will meet and the personal life stories she’ll listen to. She appreci-ates the trust that people put into her to put something permanent and important on their body. On becom-

Art With HeartInterview by Valerie Rammes

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ing a tattoo artist, Kayla has revealed that it is not an easy road but a fulfill-ing one, especially to someone that considers art to be an inseparable part of their life.

Background:

Kayla states, “I’ve always had a pas-sion for art, I’m pretty sure I was born to tattoo.” Kayla was adopted when she was very young and although it crosses her mind that she may have inherited this talent, her mother who raised her allowed her to be expres-sive with her creativity. When asked when she first became interested in art, with a shrug, her immediate re-sponse was, “my mother’s womb.” No doubt her enthu-siasm to do art has literally been running through her veins since she was a child. Her mother allowed her to draw not only on herself, but also design murals on her bedroom walls. The free-dom to express her visions through art led her to want

share her art with oth-ers. Throughout grade school she was the “go to” girl to get pictures drawn, by students and teachers. Cur-rently, she paints for family and friends and her favorite me-dium is acrylic. She enjoys and has an equally great talent for face painting. Kayla looks for-ward to do some work with fu-ture events such as the Zombie Crawl and Pride.

The Process:

A tattoo ap-p r e n t i c e -ship is no joke. Kayla has been tattooing for about 6 months now. She found her home at Millen-nium and decided this would the place for her apprentice-ship. She states, “Out of all the plac-es I looked at, Mil-lennium was the cleanest, had the

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brightest colors, and talked to me like I was a human being.” Prior to her apprenticeship she worked 2 ½ years at the front desk to learn how a tattoo shop operates and about the business. Thus begins her long wait and hard work, and build up her an-ticipation while NOT tattooing. The breakdown of the apprenticeship basically consist of doing all the things a tattoo artist does (clean-ing, setting up, pouring ink, etc.), everything except tattoo. Every-one in the shop is required to take a 6 hour blood borne pathogens course annually, which comes out of pocket. You must learn the original way of transferring tattoos to the skin. Although difficult, it gives everyone a certain respect for the art. After this long process of waiting and being broke you then get to tattoo yourself. The first 2 tattoos are required to be on your own body. This is so you know how deep you are going and as Kayla mentions, “Because if you don’t trust yourself, how do you

trust yourself to tattoo anyone else.” Then you tattoo friends and family and hope they stick around. Finally you get to tattoo walk-ins in hope to gain clients and rid of any fears of tat-tooing people. If you have been tat-tooing for less than 3 years you are considered to be an apprentice.

Oh yeah and did I mention that this whole apprenticeship thing is un-paid?! So it really isn’t a joke; sac-rifices, patience, and hard work are inevitable.

If there were any doubts or struggles that Kayla had, it would be question-ing herself about these challenges. Kayla says that “There is no eraser, and I want it to be the best experi-ence.” At times she wondered if she was going to be capable of doing this. But her incomparable self-motivation pushed her through the trials and errors. Her love of seeing the face on people that are happy with their tattoo overcomes any doubt and re-mains her sole gratification.

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Attending a predomi-nately white college, where there are mainly

“wealthy” individuals, this quote helps to digest a whole differ-ent meaning of WEALTH. I am wealthy, even without money. Knowing that I will have an education and be considered wealthier than those who are not receiving higher education gives me motivation to continue my journey. For all of you who are not considered “wealthy” be-cause you lack the money aspect of it, there is more to wealth, as Hassan has made clear. Do not let society describe your wealth. You

are the only one that can, even if it’s through the different aspects of how you live. These features are intangible. Hassan says “they are not yet transformed into their monetary equivalent,” but when they do, actions in life will have a whole new importance. You’ll have to work harder to show that these features make you wealthier, but it is not impossible. You are capable of success even without money, a “by-product of wealth.”

-Raquel Robertson

what is“WEALTH”

Inspirationdeterm


“I am wealthy; wealth is not the physical cash, money is just a by-product of wealth, wealth is intangible. My divine purpose, my po-tentials, my education, my advancing knowledge, my faith mentality and my ethical values are my wealth; it’s just that they are not yet

transformed into their monetary equivalent.”-Sheye Hassan

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Last Laugh

determined nation m


5). Sorry officer, I didn’t realize my radar detector wasn’t plugged in.

4). I was going to be a cop, but I decided to finish high school instead.

3). I pay your salary.

2). You’re not going to check the trunk are you?

1). No, YOU assume the position.

Top Five Things to NEVER

Say to a Police Officer

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I don’t know what I’m more angry with, the use of “horsepower” or the fact that

they decided to put rims on a carriage.

I know it seems like this picture is from the 70’s but it’s not, just the wardrobe. It’s quite possible that the car he’s driving is a time machine, because the hair cut, clothes and porn mustache are clearly not from this century.

DEFINITION OF DETERMINED!

Weird moments of people in Colorado caught on camera

Yes that is duct tape holding a pick up truck together and if there was a

picture next to ‘determined’ in the dictionary, it would be this one.

DETERMINED TO SAVE GAS, AND INCREASE HORSE POWER

DETERMINED TO BE “COOL”

DETERMINED TO PICK UP

Send pictures you get to [email protected]

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Documents

Determined Nation