Rebecca Gudzy, 12 years old. Fundraiser. As if seventh grade weren’t bad enough, Rebecca Gudzy has fashioned her year to include speaking regularly about sanitary pads. Gudzy has decided she wants to make a difference in the lives of women, and her chosen focus is to help equip young women in Africa with sanitary products—a construct we not only take for granted here in the first world, but which often remains taboo in other parts of the world. Over the summer, Gudzy was chosen to be a youth delegate at the Culmination Celebration at the United Nations for the International Year of Youth …

“I don’t mind playing in the rain or the cold. If it was thundering out, I would still probably play, but the coaches call it.” Cameron Greene, 9 years old, Soccer Player  Cameron Greene is not all soccer all the time, but he’s close. He attends two 90-minute practices a week, one optional scrimmage, one game and, now, an RDS training session.  RDS stands for Regional Development School, a part of the Red Bulls Academy that Cameron was invited to join that offers advanced, technical training for young soccer players. When he’s not training, learning, or competing in his regular soccer teams, …

Dominik Halas is into music, in general; the indie band The Drums, specifically; Russian literature; men’s fashion; vintage clothing; how music influences fashion; how music influences self esteem; raw denim and photography. But mostly he’s into Hedi Slimane.  Hedi Slimane is a designer of men’s fashion and (among other artful things) a photographer. Halas was first introduced to Slimane’s photography in middle school—in a piece in the New York Times’ Men’s Style magazine.  Something about that article struck a chord for Halas and he had to learn more. “His whole vision was beyond anything I’…

“People say that the movie Black Swan was over-dramatized, but to me, it was spot on regarding the ballet world.” Marin Day, age 16: Dancer Marin Day began dance lessons at three and started studying ballet at five. “A ballet dancer needs to start young,” says Day. “The early years are a really crucial time, growth wise.” She was well on her way to becoming a ballerina, until something started to break down. “I was taking several classes a week for years,” Day explains. “I had done a summer intensive at Walnut Hill which was three-and-a-half weeks of dancing 6-8 hours a day. After that, I …

“We all have jobs to do. Set the table. Clean the dishes. My thing is taking care of the chickens.”  Ella McDonald, age 12: Chicken Whisperer Ella McDonald can barely remember where or when her first batch of chickens came from. For her, it’s like they’ve been there forever. “I think there were nine or maybe 12 chicks that we brought home from a school project. We were going to find homes for them or give them back to a farm,” she says.  In fact, a raccoon got into the coop through the egg door one night and by morning those chickens were gone. The next batch was ordered online. “You have to …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile about kids.  About what they’ve done.  Or do. Or are about to do.  Because when a kid puts his mind to it, he can do some pretty interesting things. Derek Balsamini, age 10: Yu-Gi-Oh dueler “One time I had my Exodia out on the field and my opponent did his move to summon his Blues Eyes White Dragon and I said, ‘Not so fast.’  He didn’t know that Exodia doesn’t have to attack to send a monster to the graveyard, so I sent an Exodia to the graveyard, giving him another 1,000 attack points, meaning he was stronger than the Blue Eyes…

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile about kids.  About what they’ve done.  Or do. Or are about to do.  Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things. Emma Taylor, age 17: Tennis Player "My parents accidentally got us all tickets to a Muse concert on a day that conflicted with a tournament.  They assumed I would pull out of the match to join them, but I really wanted to play." Emma Taylor claims to like competition, but it’s almost hard to believe.  There’s nothing about this low-key high school senior that seems cutthroat or …

Lucas Della Bella, age 15: Magic Player His mother says that when Lucas is playing Magic with his friends, it’s as if they’re speaking another language.  His father is proud that Lucas has built a community around Magic, the members of which often look to Lucas for leadership and guidance. Lucas says that he’d rather play Magic than do anything else, and that it has actually helped him to improve in fencing by learning the importance of watching his opponents carefully and anticipating their moves.  Magic: The Gathering is an intense strategy game in which players collect, design, and build …

Meet Noah Farjani, age 9: Hip-Hop Dancer Noah Farjani plays travel soccer, tennis, and basketball.  He also swims and draws.  But he says he’d give them all up, just to dance.  “I feel happy when I’m dancing,” he says.  “It’s my favorite thing.  I would give up anything to dance.  I like everything about it.”    Noah has been practicing hip-hop for three years now, and it’s clearly the activity he is most passionate about.  He dances in school during classes, at home hanging out, at the mall when a good song comes on, in New York walking down the High Line, during parties, and in talent shows…

What Is UP With These Kids? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile about kids.  About what they’ve done.  Or do. Or are about to do.  Because when kids put their minds to it, they can do some pretty interesting things.  Max Menken and Jonathan Segal, age 16: Entrepreneurs “My dad came up with the name.  He came up with the idea.  He came up with everything.” It’s true, Max Menken’s dad came up with the name and idea, but he and Jonathan Segal have handled everything else.  Their summer business, High School Handymen, was borne of necessity.  Both had been looking for a summer job since April …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each week we’ll be running a profile about kids.  About what they’ve done.  Or do. Or are about to do.  Because when a kid puts his mind to it, he can do some pretty interesting things. Dylan Lewis, age 15: Co-Founder, Asian Club “My friend Axel [Hellman] wanted to start a club at the high school and we were brainstorming what kind of club it should be.  I suggested starting an Asian Club.  Why? Because Asians are cool.”  It didn’t take the Asian Club long to go from a seed of an idea to a couple dozen regular members.  “When we started promoting the club we would …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things. Selah Kendall: age 12, Cook “I like chopping.  And flipping.  And assembling.  But really my favorite part is eating.”  Selah Kendal is the type of cook that many of us aspire to be.  Relaxed, intuitive, eager, natural.  She has turned out a grilled lamb chops entrée with an appetizer of crab cakes and a fruit tart for dessert.  All by herself.  Oh, and she’s 12. “When I was four or …

The MHS Award recognizes a student who has shown exceptional all-around achievement over his or her time at the high school.  The recipient of  this annual award is chosen from an already distinct group of students who have attained the Owl Pin – a prestigious award in and of itself that recognizes, among other things, community service, enthusiastic participation in school activities, good citizenship, and devotion to the welfare of the school.  This year’s MHS Award was presented to Emily Gurniak earlier this month.  Emily describes herself as having gotten a lot out of the programs …

My conversation with Ben started out casually. He was in my kitchen with my son and I asked him to describe his process of getting rid of clothes or shoes that he no longer wears. “I put them in the box in my room,” he said. You keep a box in your room for outgoing garments? Like a hamper? “No, it’s a trunk that sits under my mirror. Whenever I have a shirt or something that doesn’t fit me anymore, I put it in the trunk and every once in a while my mom and I go through it and decide what to throw out and what to give away. My hampers are in my closet.” Hampers? How many hampers? “I have one …

“Pitcher is a thinking man’s position. You dictate how the game goes. I like that responsibility.” Sam Ackerman has taken on that responsibility for Montclair High School Varsity Baseball where, as a sophomore, he’s just completed his second year as their number one pitcher. Sam started playing baseball (actually T-Ball) as a 4- or 5-year-old but didn’t really start pitching until he was 11 or 12. “I like being in control of the game,” he says, “and pitching is where you’re always in control.” According to Sam, pitching is a combination of talent, composure and hard work. “Being a good …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things. Violetta Norrie, age 14: Harpist “Sometimes I’ll want to talk to my friends about how much I love a certain piece of music and they’re reaction is usually, what are you talking about?” Violetta says she has a completely different life than most of her friends do. Most teenagers don’t really get excited about classical music, she explains. “They don’t want to talk about harp things.” …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids.  And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts his mind to it, he can do some pretty interesting things. Sam Reimnitz, age 16: Winner—Stickley Design Invitational “I like being able to start with nothing and create something that’s both intricate and understandable. Something that’s easy on the eyes and easy on the brain.” That’s on of the ways Sam describes the process of architectural design.  “It’s like a fun math equation. Getting to a goal—to an end product—but having a good time …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile. About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things.Walker Walls-Tarver, age 15: Artist “I felt like I had no artistic outlet, no way to communicate. This project saved me.” The project Walker is talking about is her zine.  If you’re not familiar with the term, “zine” is short for fanzine, which is typically a self-published, small circulation magazine that covers one very specific topic.  Zines often focus on a particular band or …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts his mind to it, he can do some pretty interesting things. Paolo Federico-O’Murchu, age 13: Founder: School of Fish “When you watch young kids catch their first fish, they’re so happy. The light goes up in their eyes. They can’t wait to do it again.” Paolo thinks every kid should learn how to fish. He didn’t start out with the goal of being a fishing instructor, only to learn how to fish himself.  Last summer Paolo received a fishing rod for …

What Is UP With This Kid? Each Monday we’ll be running a profile.  About kids. And what they’ve done. Or do. Or are about to do. Because when a kid puts her mind to it, she can do some pretty interesting things. Brianna Zimmerman, age 14: Equestrian and 4H Club President “The good parts of me become more prominent. The bad parts get pushed to the background. There’s something about riding that brings out the best in everyone.” Brianna Zimmerman has been riding horses since she was in third grade, but started taking it more seriously two years ago when she started riding at Oxbow Stables in …