Relationships

Teens are more than possible risk factors and test scores. In an effort to create a well-rounded picture of Minnesota teens today – what they think about, hope for, and how they communicate – ThreeSixty Journalism and the Minnesota Historical Society are calling teens to fill out an online survey.

By Jeffrey Cartwright, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Here are some hard lessons that no one told me when I went off to college. These are the biggest challenges I’ve faced since leaving home that pushed me to grow up and truly embrace independence.

By Gina Van Thomme, 16, of Faribault High School

Gina’s blind date started out the night by seeming to be more romantically interested in his phone than in her, and the night just got more awkward and hilarious from there, from moments involving a corn dog to wondering if her date could actually hear her to playing a dog-free game of fetch.

By Edwin Flowers and David Gustafson

Check out the new video of the Q & A by IFP Minnesota teens.

Weak role models, more distractions and less pressure to excel are among the reasons guys say they fall behind girls in school.

By Twin Cities teens

Support from friends, family and music helped YourTurn winners do the right thing.

By Lisa Fan

A new book by a Chinese-American mother about her “extreme” parenting — threatening to burn stuffed animals of a daughter who doesn’t want to practice piano and rejecting hand-made birthday cards because they weren’t good enough — caused a storm of controversy. Lisa Fan, daughter of first-generation Chinese immigrant parents with high expectations, reacts to “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.”

By Minnesota teens

One surprise in ThreeSixty Journalism’s essay contest about bullying is how common it is, particularly among middle-school students. In most cases, the bullying is not via cyberspace but in the gym, the cafeteria, the school hallway.

By Pa Houa Thao of Edison High School

My mom stayed home and learned that, as a Hmong daughter, you are to keep the house clean and practice cooking to become a wife. So my mom has no clue what an after-school club is, what you do there, and why I like be there.

By Mary Meehan

When Norma Jimenez’s mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the second time, Norma realized that a life can end at any moment.

By Rebecca Xu of St. Paul Academy

On your mark. Get set. Ready? Go!

Two teens tear off the plastic wrappers containing the latex condoms. They quickly pull the wet, slippery material over two wooden sticks that resemble penises.

By Your Turn winners

Tied for 1st place: Life is too hard

Ahmednur Abdi Hudle, 17, Ubah Medical Academy, Hopkins

My boys came over to my house Monday the week before school started.

By Samantha Timmerman

Emma Olson, a junior at St. Louis Park Senior High, broke up with her boyfriend after reading the “Twilight” series, a vampire romance that has become one of the most popular young-adult stories of the past few years.

“After reading the book I just felt that I deserved better than what I was getting from my boyfriend. I know what I want in a guy, now I just have to find him,” Olson said.

By Sadie Anderson of East Range Academy of Technology and Science

I’m a loser … but I embrace it because the thing with being a loser is you have loser friends and they’ll love you no matter what.