Needless to say, when Ypulse Youth Advisory Board member Meg Reid let us know that she wasn't writing off Kanye just yet for the stunt, we wanted her to share with Ypulse readers. I'll let her take it from here..

To contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com… or leave a comment below.

True Confessions From Kanye?

Kanye West ended his Twitter confessional this weekend with two short tweets, the significance of which would be completely clear to anyone who’s kept even the barest of tabs on pop culture in the last twelve months: “It starts with this… I’m sorry Taylor.”

And guess what? I kind of believe him.

I won’t pretend that I wasn’t shocked at his actions at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards that spawned a thousand blog posts, t-shirts, YouTube spinoffs, and Internet memes. Even dedicated fans spoke out against the musician’s actions and recognized the insincerity of West’s later blog apology.

As of July 28, Twitter has become West’s new platform of choice for sharing the things he loves—and a much more socially acceptable one that interrupting virginal country singers onstage at major award shows. I think it’s totally fascinating. I found a definition of intimacy recently that seems to apply here—according to this author, it all hinges on self-disclosure: “attempts to move toward more complete communications on all levels. In deeply intimate relationships, friends and lovers feel free to reveal far more facets of themselves…histories, values, strengths and weaknesses, idiosyncrasies, hopes, and fears.”

To put it plainly, Kanye’s getting REALLY intimate with 998,571 followers on a pretty darn regular basis. He’s not only encouraging intimacy through his frequent disclosures of minutia from his daily life (thoughts about his mother who died in 2007, insecurities about becoming “predictable,” joy at being able to try on 11 Yves Saint-Laurent suits), but also through the use of rhetoric that is actually related to love. As Hortense Smith, a blogger from Jezebel.com, noted when she analyzed his Twitter feed, “the line between arrogance and confidence is often a bit tricky: in some ways, we're taught not to celebrate the things we love, especially if we love ourselves.” And no one has ever accused Kanye of being overly modest, as his braggadocio musical persona attests.

I did a little nerdy analytical breakdown of his Twitter myself. The word “love” itself appears twenty-six times in West’s Twitter history. Typical tweets include lists of things that make him happy: “Man I can’t lie yo…I love @LadyGaga like everyone else”; “I love everybody…only thing I don’t like is taxes.. me and taxes gone fight”; “Damn this is a good ass day!!! Got the window’s open!!! I love my life!” He also attempts to give advice (“keep good friends around”), share his passions (“sometimes I get emotional over fonts”; Vintage Hermes bags are tight, yo!”), and give compliments (“Yo @jimmyfallon you been killin the suits man Good Job, thats the new movement”): intimacy-inducing actions that are familiar to celebrities and ordinary people alike [sic throughout, obviously].

West’s Twitter followers have become used to believing the rapper’s entertainingly passionate, heartfelt statements of the last month. There’s no reason to doubt his over-the-top excitement about fashion, home décor, or music. Why, then, would readers mistrust the sincerity of his apology? By first establishing a feeling of intimacy between himself and his followers, West is then able to play upon it incredibly effectively in his September fourth apology. His tweets seem spontaneous, true-to-persona, and authentic. He’s a clever rhetorician, if nothing else.

Whether Taylor accepts the apology is yet to be seen: though, for prime media and PR impact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the duo decide to reconcile at this year’s VMAs in a couple of weeks. And just to put another conspiracy theory out there, might it be possible that @kanyewest was created for the SOLE PURPOSE of reconciling with @taylorswift13?! Too soon to say. But in terms of his rant’s other goals—“I wish they all knew how much I really cared about music and pop culture and art and peoples feelings…I want to win there hearts back”—well, bravo, Kanye. After all, #ITSAPROCESS.

About Megan

Megan began writing fashion articles for her local newspaper at age 15, and her work has since appeared in publications like Boston magazine, Mountain Living and CosmoGirl. A former art history and theater student, Meg loves traveling, writing postcards, YA lit, learning to bake, and planning adventures. When she isn’t studying, she's probably dragging someone along on a late-night ice cream/Starbucks run. Meg has lived in four countries and six states, and is completing her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University. This is her second year as a Youth Advisory Board member.

As always, you can contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com… or leave a comment below.

Did New Blood Bring Teen Appeal To The Emmys?

Week after week, TV audiences take time out of their busy schedules to check in on the lives of their extended fictional families. Whether it’s "Mad Men", "Gossip Girl", or "Dora the Explorer" these viewers invite a show into their household to be shared with their friends and family.

My point being that the Emmys have a big job to do in honoring the greatest of the great on the small screen, celebrating the “crazy serial killer uncles” and “favorite wacky choir nieces” we've come to love and reminding us why we tune in. And while in some ways the Emmys got that right this year, the show still lacked a certain something. Here's what stuck out to me..

The Glee-inspired number. At the very start of the show, the Emmys kicked off with a bang. The opening number incorporated a good variety of actors from different shows making it fun for viewers regardless of what kind of TV they watch… but especially for "Glee" fans.

Jimmy Fallon. It also helped that the host this year was the ever perky and musically talented Jimmy Fallon. He warmed hearts with cute little singing bits, and while some of his jokes fell flat, it was all in good taste. So good job, Jimmy!

More pre-taped segments, please! I enjoyed the show's second pre-recorded piece on the other standout comedy from this year "Modern Family". It featured George Clooney and was very funny. Honestly, I wished there could have been more pre-taped segments like these because they were the best part of the show. I felt like watching stars make fun of themselves truly showed how much TV characters can feel like family.

No upsets. I get really emotional when watching TV and tend to scream and shout whenever someone is about to be murdered or make some terrible mistake. During the Emmys though, there wasn’t much screaming or crying because all of the people (except Chris Colfer who plays Kurt Hummel on "Glee") received the awards they deserved. Nothing is more memorable or scandalous than an unexpected win or upset.

Overall, the 2010 Emmys were just “eh”. Nothing exciting happened, but nothing bad happened either. So while it was still enjoyable to watch, my friends and I were skipping channels back and forth between the awards and other shows. All in all, TV today was portrayed fairly and the right actors were recognized, but personally I like a little more flair and spice to my award show. Then again, what am I expecting—the VMAs?

About Alyx

Alyx Steadman is a junior in high school in Montana, and loves every minute of it. He loves reading, writing, acting, singing, and being a social butterfly. In the past, people have accused him of being a YouTube addict and a pop culture junkie (and sadly Alyx cannot deny these accusations). His love for teen culture has led him to many hours slaving on the computer soaking up every piece of drama Hollywood has to offer. In the future he hopes to pursue a writing career as some type of journalist. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover how he’s feeling to be in the Ypulse Advisory Board.

As always, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment below.

Please note that the following review contains plot spoilers, and references key plot points from the previous books.

YAB Review: 'Mockingjay' By Suzanne Collins

First Impressions

I have been a longtime fan of the Hunger Games franchise, and was expecting quite a lot from the last installment in the trilogy. The second novel ended on a cliff-hanger; the Capitol government takes its most drastic action yet and destroys the home of reluctant revolutionary Katniss. After being rescued from the Games by the mysterious rebels from District 13, Katniss finds herself once again being used for propaganda, but this time by the cause supposedly more righteous than the oppressive capital government. Although predictable at first, the novel quickly becomes darker than the previous two.

When were you hooked?

The pace is fantastic, and I couldn’t put Mockingjay down until I finished it, just like its predecessors. The key difference between Mockingjay and the first two books is that Collins’s attitude becomes far more cynical than it was previously. In the first two books, Katniss doesn’t bear as much resentment towards the Capitol as she might, and of course remains hopeful and committed to justice, and is a somewhat stereotypical revolutionary heroine. Because the novels are as well pulled off as they are, I don’t particularly mind the stereotype, even if it makes Katniss fairly easy to predict. This changes in Mockingjay. Katniss evolves from a propaganda tool of the Capitol’s, into a propaganda tool of the rebellion. She complains about accepting this responsibility, and being used, but after some bargaining, she accepts her duties and becomes relatively apathetic to the rebellion. This irked me, not because the heroine becomes somewhat removed, but because it is very out of character for Katniss, compared to the first two novels, where she relentlessly pursued justice. Collins may have made this change in order to emphasize a point that wars don’t always produce good guys and that we all are subject to our own prejudice. One of Mockingjay’s strengths is that it is filled with numerous shades of grey, something I don’t feel like it happens enough in most teen novels, which typically involve clear good guys and bad guys. District 13 is just as morally flawed as the Capitol and has its own secrets.

Sum It Up [Editor note: this section contains spoilers, skip to the jump Julia's conclusion.]

The beginning I enjoyed immensely, when Katniss is unable to rescue Peeta and instead is made to bear the physiological anguish of having a loved one brutally tortured. Once rescued, Peeta is completely changed by torture and hallucinogenic drugs to the point where he hates Katniss. Katniss’s romance with new rebel leader Gale is as complicated as ever. Although this, along with the cause of District 13, could have brought out a second life for Katniss, she fails to pick up the pieces, and exhibits symptoms of PTSD. Realistically this could perhaps happen. Loved ones killed, one’s home being destroyed, and all the other hardships Katniss has suffered, might well bring on such a personality change, but it doesn’t work in the context of the series.

Although the first two books were dark for teen novels, I didn’t find them truly depressing, because the characters retain morality and hope. Mockingjay is written like a teen novel, but it doesn’t read like one. District 13 ruthlessly bombs civilians, children, wounded patients, and the doctors who rush to their aid. Katniss does not react by taking up arms, and establishing a new, just government, or at least dying a martyr for the cause, like a revolutionary character in a teen novel normally would, but by shooting the leader of the rebellion, and then living in exile with Peeta. She makes no attempt to change this final situation, and  this doesn’t work. It’s too out of character, and out of context. I’m all for making a political statement in a teen sci-fi novel (Little Brother does a great job with this, and is also fairly gritty), but not for doing this in contrast to other books in a series.

The moment that truly gave me chills happens at the very end when Katniss votes to hold another Hunger Games with the children of the leaders of the Capitol, subjecting them to the same horrors she had to face, and the whole rebellion was fighting against. Katniss is now bitter. An eye for an eye doesn’t make a good conclusion to the series, although it may well be a realistic one.

Ultimately, Katniss never completes her emotional journey. One of the main themes of the previous two books was Katniss’s fight for her freedom, despite being controlled in every way possible, from her ability to love and to live. The natural end to such an arc would be for Katniss to finally gain her freedom. But now, even living with Peeta, her fate is brought on by someone else. She is no longer the brave, protective character with a strong sense of justice, but a pawn.

Read more…

Final Verdict

Although there were positive aspects to Katniss’s final attitude, and perhaps it was justly brought on by various traumas, but I found she generally lacked autonomy, or just doesn’t care about the suffering of others anymore, which seems out of character. Katniss in the first two books was a very independent, always seeking out her own destiny, like when she first volunteers to take her younger sister’s place as a tribute. In Mockingjay there is a drastic change in her personality. Perhaps if this were better explained it could work in the novel, but it just isn’t that compelling to read about. This is especially true for a character like Katniss who was unable to live by others’ rules, or take orders. She fought against the odds for freedom over repression, and while the end might be the realistic, she never really emotionally matures as a result. I don’t think many teen readers, especially the Twilight crowd, will be satisfied with the conclusion.

About Julia

Julia is a sophomore in high school in Claremont California. A self proclaimed Otaku (anime obsessive person) she strives to complete her immersion into the world of Japanese pop culture. In between school and homework she watches the latest Japanese anime on the internet, reads manga, plays video games, and practices Japanese. Though she is not a fabulous writer by nature, Julia does enjoy writing fan fiction related to said interests and occasionally immersing herself in online role-play sessions. In addition, she loves mashing up anime and game clips into anime music videos which she posts on YouTube, participating in her school’s debate team in novice LD, and of course reading. Julia is incredibly excited to be on the Youth Advisory Board, and able to express her opinions, which she has plenty of.

For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books & Print Channel sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, publishers of Ghost Hunt.

An educational game that benefits from access to National Geographic’s content, Animal Jam allows players to turn into their favorite animals and explore the land of Jamaa — stopping to click on items that contain multi-player games and quick, interactive science and natural history lessons. YAB member Chase Straight sat down with the team to hear the story behind Animal Jam and where it might be headed. (Ed. note: Joi Podgorny is on the advisory board of an online community management company for which Chase works.)

As always, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment below.

YAB Interview: Smart Bomb Interactive on National Geographic Animal Jam

The first thing I notice from this group is how excited they are — almost kid-like in their discussions of the product. It’s easy to see how their personalities and passions have infiltrated the core of Animal Jam, a world ultimately designed for fun and play.

“Everyone is very passionate about the mission of the game,” says Podgorny, the director of community engagement, when I comment on their near-giddyness. “It’s a love fest.”

“Our first goal was fun and having an immersive world and engaging environment,” says Roche, Smart Bomb's creative director. “We had access to so much [from National Geographic] so we started with the fun.”

So far, that approach seems to be working: Roche reports that over half of their daily visits are from returning players. It’s true that a large part of what makes the game stand out from other virtual worlds for kids is the richness of information and content provided by National Geographic — the first online property to ever acquire it — which in turn allowed the development team to focus on just creating a fun, open-ended story for players. The result is the world itself is fantastical – filled with beautiful landscapes and colorful animal avatars. “We gave just enough of the story for [players] to use their imagination and build on it,” Roche said.

The community has almost immediately began to see the “guild effect,” with kids forming their own groups within the world. Kids who play as wolves — arguably the most popular avatar thus far — are forming “wolf packs” and holding official meetings. Puckett, the community facilitation manager, says once while playing the game, she was approached by another wolf who asked her to join the pack and come to a meeting. During the meeting, the other wolf declared their first mission was to go out and seek more to join, and the members of the pack left to recruit new friends.

As is necessary for any virtual kids’ game, Animal Jam has a number of features designed to keep players safe. Along with a team of behind-the-scenes moderators who monitor chat and a healthy offering of parental controls, the virtual community includes “guides” — visible staff in the game’s world who Podgorny likens to camp counselors — to safeguard the action and provide a friendly engaging, presence. “Guides are there to maintain and promote the culture we want them to have,” she said.

The team at Animal Jam says they’re as focused on keeping kids safe and parents comfortable as they are about having fun. Both Podgorny and Puckett have backgrounds working with kids, and said see their involvement with children on the site as part of the “village” of raising a kid. Podgorny says that Animal Jam will be working very closely with parents through social media, e-mail marketing and customer support — creating a level of communication that is just as critical to the brand as anything found in-world.

Podgorny describes the launch of Animal Jam as a “perfect storm,” launched in a market filled with brand new IPs that have no brand recognition, alongside highly recognizable products that are too tied to a specific brand umbrella. Although the team admits that advertising the world is easy with the backing of National Geographic, and the game has benefited from an excellent PR campaign, they say their hands are not tied creatively — and that is where retention comes from. “Because this is a new world with an entirely unknown brand, we can do anything we want,” says Puckett. “We have no big name behind us that says ‘You have to do this.’ It’s all brand new, and everyone wants to do it for the kids.”

It will be exciting to see what the team at Smart Bomb Interactive has in store for the future. Podgorny promises much more content including new avatars, landscapes and games. Animal Jam is free to play, though the game will be releasing optional paid memberships in September that will grant players lots of extra goodies. And Roche says the possibilities for Animal Jam are almost endless — he sees a creative place that could eventually feature art studios, fan fiction and more.

“We want the players to build out the mythology themselves,” he said. “It’s about laying a foundation the players can run with, it’s their world. If we build them a world they can have fun with and give them playgrounds and sandboxes they can run with, they will keep coming back.”

Keep an eye on Animal Jam as it grows to see what kind of niche it carves out in the virtual worlds market. You can follow the latest on their Twitter account @NGAnimalJam.

About Chase

Chase works for a online community management and moderation company. He recently moved to Dallas, TX and serves as Head of Community for an online virtual world for kids. A former journalism major at the University of Utah, he wrote feature articles and album reviews for a music and art magazine. He is fascinated and constantly amazed with how children create and interact online. Aside from his work, Chase is an avid gamer, blogger, live music lover and audiophile who is obsessed with discovering new music and building his already extensive collection. Oh, and he really likes pandas. (You can also find him blogging about virtual worlds on his company's blog at metaversemodsquad.com/blog)

For the 2010/2011 term we're opening up 10 slots to youth between the ages of 13 and 24. We're looking for diversity in age, race, geography and experience, but most importantly strong opinions about youth culture that will inform and challenge the ongoing discussion around media and marketing here on Ypulse.

We offer the YAB quarterly incentives, along with, of course, the opportunity to publish on Ypulse (building a body of published work and having your photo/bio on the site), network with other advisory board members, and the potential for college or career references and recommendations. There may also be opportunities to attend conferences or other events as "press."

The board meets on a virtual platform once a month and regularly corresponds over email to discuss editorial ideas, multimedia projects and other contributions. To qualify as a full member and receive those aforementioned incentives, we ask members meet a few eligibility requirements (5 editorial and/or multimedia contributions per year-long term and a maximum of 3 missed meetings, unless there are extenuating circumstances). Nothing too unreasonable since we know most are students and/or working.

If you are between the ages of 13 and 24, apply here now. Or, if you know a great candidate (especially younger teens as we're looking to balance out the under 18s with the over 18s), please send them this post, and have them fill out this short application.

Deadline for the 2010/11 Youth Advisory Board applications is Friday, September 17 by 5 p.m. PST

What was the biggest draw for you going into this movie?

I love Scott Pilgrim. I have the books, and I have this little bookmark that says “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Coming 2010” that I treasure just because it’s Scott Pilgrim. I have been super jazzed for this since I saw the first trailer — no, the first shots of the characters.

Did it live up to your high expectations? What made it entertaining?

I can say for a fact that this movie will not let you down. ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ is about Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, who finds the girl of his dreams (in his dreams) and in order to date her, one Ramona Flowers, he must defeat her seven evil exes. This is the fastest movie I have ever watched. Seriously. It is so extremely rapid-fire in the pacing, timing and dialogue that it might be a bit much for some people. It’s also a testament to director Edgar Wright’s ability to capture the entire series (which is six books) in 112 or so minutes.

The fights are one after another, which makes this one of the few movies with more than one major climax. There are at least six high points to the film, one for each fight. Each fight could have been the big finale to any other movie: one involves a Bollywood-style dance number, one is a musical duel, and one is the big “Final Boss” that doesn’t end how you think.

Were you surprised by changes that were made in adapting the books for a film?

The characters are all unique, well-crafted and surprisingly uncompromised in their move to the big screen. Wallace Wells, Scott’s gay roommate, is played straight (pardon the pun) by Kieran Culkin in a performance that I thought at first would be a big effeminate stereotype, but was very accurate to the source character. Matthew Patel, Ramona’s first evil ex, was another character I thought they would have toned down or cast badly, looked just like he did in the book, a look that I figured would get changed down the line. Michael Cera’s Scott Pilgrim was different from the Scott in the books, but in a good way. In the comic books, Scott is a bit sillier and naïve and less confident, while Michael Cera plays him with more self-confidence, but just as much naivety. When Scott grabs a 1-up and says he’s “getting a life,” you know he’s got it together.

Also, the atmosphere in this film is huge. There’s a huge Seinfeld reference, there’s what I believe could be the first time Nintendo had to license its music for a film, which excited me, there’s Beck, Metric and Broken Social Scene doing the music for the bands in the film, there’s the old school 8-bit video game noises, everything in this movie is just over-the-top and excessively nerdy. From the music and sound to the look and feel of just the first thirty seconds of the film, you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Any disclaimers? This movie has been marketed heavily to indie-ish kids, comic book-readers, and teens who — like you — were already fans going in.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an excellent movie, but it’s not the most accessible movie. As I said before, it’s very fast-paced, and those who are out of the target demo may not find the appeal of so many colors and video game references. Those who can’t stand Michael Cera could be on the fence with this one: while it’s not the gawky ‘Juno’-era Cera, it’s still Michael Cera. The dialogue isn’t the most complex, but that’s largely irrelevant in a movie like this. Overall, Scott Pilgrim is a great movie in a summer of stinkers like ‘Killers’ and ‘Prince of Persia.’ It’s got heart, is well-cast, is accurate to the source material and thankfully isn’t in 3-D. What more could you ask for?

About Michael

Michael lives a simple life in Allen Park, MI. When he is not attending Henry Ford Community College for his Associates, he can be seen chatting and socializing around campus and the local coffee shop. He enjoys a good iced caramel cappuccino, or a regular coca-cola. Michael loves what he calls “The Blog Music," and he was and still is raised on a steady diet of electronic music and old-school hip hop.

As always, you can contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…. or leave a comment below.

Will Millennials Get The Message About Texting While Driving?

According to a recent study, nearly 9 out of 10 Gen Y'ers have driven while distracted by text messaging or talking on the phone. Statistics like this show how important being connected to the world is to Millennials. Growing up in an age of multi-tasking and convenience, we look to texting as one of the best ways to communicate with others while busy. Beyond just catching up with friends, we've embraced the idea that this platform offers the ability to impact our world in positive ways (i.e., the recent Red Cross campaign, which raised over $30 million by sending a simple text message of HAITI to 90999). What many don't grasp, however, is the possible negative impact of our daily habit.

I discussed the issue with Paul Atchley, a professor in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Kansas, who has been conducting studies about cell phone and texting behavior with undergrads for over 3 years now. What have they found? "We looked at when people used phones while driving. We find that even if it's a dangerous activity, they will still do it if they think it's important. We've been recently working with texting behavior, risk doesn't really predict when people are going to use the phone while driving. About 95% of college students read texts while driving, and 85% reply to a text while driving." And how dangerous is this behavior really? Recent studies conducted by Atchley and others have shown that drunk driving increases accident risk by approximately 400%, while texting while driving increases it by 2600%.

I asked Dr. Atchley if mobile companies are doing things to prevent regulations from being levied in a similar fashion to how tobacco countries delayed government restrictions. He saw similarities, saying, "This is very similar to tobacco companies. They knew every year they could delay regulations they could make more profit. The telecommunications industry is a 120 billion dollar a year industry (data is a few years old), and about 60-80% of their phone minutes are spent in vehicles. So what they do is go around with “Government Affairs Representatives”, trying to delay anything from going into place. Numerous settlements have occurred out of court, they are small compared to their profits. People have been on the phone, gotten in an accident and then sued companies, and won."

Of course, legal or not, the real question is whether Millennials (and all drivers) can accept the reasoning behind these restrictions. Research has shown that people will still text if they think it is important despite it being dangerous, so how do you effectively prevent Gen Y'ers from texting while driving? Many brands and nonprofits see the answer in launching a celebrity endorsed social cause (a Gen Y favorite) to stop texting while driving (another Gen Y favorite). One of the most high-profile of those efforts is from Oprah.

"I pledge to make my car a No Phone Zone. Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by committing to drive as responsibly as I can". Since May 2010, 383,350 people have signed up for Oprah's "No Phone Zone" pledge, taking a vow to no longer text and drive. The effectiveness of this campaign, while no doubt tied largely to Oprah's own star power, is also from the endorsements of other celebrities including teen-friendly names like Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Sandra Bullock, Tina Fey, Shaun White, Morgan Freeman, Sir Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld, the cast of TV's Glee, Lady Antebellum and Queen Rania of Jordan to sign on to her "No Phone Zone" pledge. The list has a significant crossover with last night's the Teen Choice Awards (Bieber, Glee, et al.), that hopes to influence the Millennial segment.

Will it? The outlook is promising. Although it only scratches the surface of the millions of Millennials who text and drive on a daily basis, the campaign has already reached almost 400,000 people in three months time. With repetition, the ripple effect and star powered messaging, the danger that teens already admit to knowing could sink in. I know thinking more consciously about the impact of distracted driving has affected my own habits. So, while "Government Affairs Representatives" will do their best to sweep Dr. Atchley's findings under the rug, hopefully Bieber & co.'s endorsements will get Millennials to share the "No Phone Zone" pledge with one another (On Facebook of course, not texting, especially not while they are in a moving vehicle).

About Bryan

Bryan is a lost soul. Not in a bad way, as it keeps things interesting in life. When he is not studying Marketing at the University of Kansas, Bryan is busy maneuvering his recently started fraternity, mentoring high school student's from his alma mater, and too often texting. While he tends to spread his talents to many fields, his forte may be in his ability to hold a conversation with just about anyone about the finer aspects of cuisine, both cooking and consuming. He does not hold quite as much writing experience as others on the board, having never taken an English class at the collegiate level. However, he still finds himself too opinionated to not express his thoughts on paper.

For more campus coverage, visit the Ypulse Collegians Channel, sponsored by Campus Media Group.

Below Ypulse Youth Advisory Board member Amanda shares her early take on the upcoming film "It's Kind of a Funny Story" based on the dramedic YA novel by Ned Vizzini. Note the importance of credibility in details as small as who produces the score.

As always, you can contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…. or leave a comment below.

Page to Screen: A Teen's Hope For 'It's Kind Of A Funny Story'

As an avid reader, I have a long list of favorite novels. But only a few of those have been successfully adapted into movies. Of course, in general, there seem to be only a handful of adaptations that win in both the box office and in critical acclaim (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc.). Many are neither and some are just one or the other (guess which category Twilight falls into?).

Don’t get me wrong. It's not that I hate it when books are made into movies, I just get concerned. So it came as a surprise when I heard that It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini was heading into production and I actually felt excited. It just seemed like one of the novels that could do well as a movie. That is, if handled the right way. The book follows a suicidal teen during his time spent in a psych ward and touches on some dark topics including depression, recreational drug use and sexuality. I knew I wouldn't want to see Justin Bieber, a Jonas Brother or any other tween star in a censored, Disney-fied version. Still, I was cautiously optimistic.

I became more hopeful for this movie when I heard indie band Broken Social Scene was going to produce the score and that independent film company Focus Features was going to produce and distribute the film. Both made me think that it was going to be less mainstream, but still accessible to teens outside of big cities. It also didn’t hurt that the absurd and hilarious Zack Galifianakis from "The Hangover" was attached to the project. And after hearing that Keir Gilchrist of Showtime series "The United Stated of Tara" landed the lead role as the angsty Craig Gilner? I can officially say that I am stoked for this movie and not concerned about getting stuck in the theater with a bunch of Twi-hards or Bieber fans.

When the trailer premiered on the internet about a week ago, I immediately went on YouTube and had my eyes glued to the screen anxiously waiting to see if my hopes would hold up. I can honestly say from beginning to end, it was remarkable. Judging from the song by Ida Maria in the background, I can’t wait to hear what the soundtrack will sound like. I was slightly concerned with some plot changes and extra storylines I saw, but maybe those changes will fit well with how plot will get adapted into a movie? Overall, it seems like it's in good hands and will probably be “kind of a funny movie.” See what I did there?

About Amanda

Being a true believer in the Socratic Method (no, seriously) and a 16 year-old high school junior living in London, Ontario, Canada, Amanda believes that asking questions might just get her somewhere. Even when it comes to finding her way out of the superficial labyrinth that is known as school, she is not one who refrains from a challenge. Reading novels and asking questions are what satisfies her need to learn, and to get insight on different cultures (and pop culture!), languages (she hopes to be fluent in seven… good luck with that) to International Law/Social Justice and trends. Though she has many interests, she insists that music, hiding in the library at lunch time, volunteering, being a member of Junior Achievement, making insanely bad jokes, and wishing at 11:11 to be the "few" staples she can always rely on. Another passion of hers? Writing- whether it is songs, poetry or stories, which is why Amanda is so excited to be a member of the YAB for Ypulse. Maybe asking questions might just get her somewhere after all?

As always, to contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…. or leave a comment below.

'Don't Call It Chick Lit' & Other Life Lessons From Cecily Von Ziegesar

When I visited New York this summer to tour college campuses and see family, I had already decided to fit in as many things as possible (concerts, museums, etc). Then I saw that Cecily Von Ziegesar was doing a book signing at Barnes & Noble and absolutely had to go. But since it’s New York, it wasn’t just Cecily Von Ziegesar, best-selling author of the hit series "Gossip Girl", it was also Candace Bushnell, the creator of Sex and The City and J. Courtney Sullivan, a new, hip author with a debut novel.

As a teen I've read books like "Gossip Girl" and "Sex and the City" pretty religiously. The characters are glamorous, beautiful and exciting and their elite lives take place in the greatest city in the world (I envy this living in a small, European town)! And yet, in the "Gossip Girl" books especially, the teens still act like teens. The characters are exaggerated and their lives are outrageous, but there’s also a relatable side. I was curious if I would feel the same way about the writers.

I arrived at Barnes & Noble around 5 p.m. for the panel that started at 7. A lot of chairs were full, but there seemed to be only a few people specifically there for the signing. I went to browse, but noticed more and more people, mostly teen girls and older women, coming in and by 7 there were quite a few holding one or two of the books the writers were promoting: Cum Laude by Ziegesar, The Carrie Diaries by Bushnell and Commencement by Sullivan. I had already bought the first two and was waiting to see what the new writer was all about.

At the beginning of the panel, the moderator said it would be a free-form discussion. She started things off though, asking why the three authors kept coming back to the same theme of coming of age (each of their new books takes place in either high school or college). The answer was unanimous: coming of age will always be important since we all experience it and might even still be going through the process. Von Ziegesar explained that even as an adult, you are still ‘coming of age’ –- you learn throughout your entire life what forms you and who you are.

Although I wasn’t expecting them to read books excerpts, I did wonder if they would talk about how their own high school experiences compared to their work. That didn't really happen. Instead, we heard a few more recent, personal stories (Bushnell shared stories from her twenties) and bits of writing advice (find a good editor, be patient and follow your passion) from each of the authors.

After hearing funny stories, empathetic advice and Von Ziegesar's strong opinions about people in general, the authors took questions and I was able to ask what they saw happening to the future of the so-called clique lit spin on chick lit. The answer was: don’t call it chick lit, because guys do read their books. While it’s true that some books might attract more female readers than male, some writers take chick lit as a derogatory term (though I didn’t mean it like that, of course!). They said that "dude lit" doesn’t exist, and that a writer writes for himself or herself, not necessarily only for the public.

I was actually wondering more about the future of books like ‘Gossip Girl’ that concern teenage mean girls and fashion (and a lot of other things) and if high school clique stories would always be in. Since I would love to write YA in the future, I plan to continue to follow high school stories and return to a few of my current favorites (these as well as Catcher in the Rye, the "Harry Potter" series and others.) But as far as the future of clique lit, I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.

About Caroline

Caroline is an American student in eleventh grade in Geneva, Switzerland and enjoys it a lot. This year will be her second year serving on the Youth Advisory Board, which she loves because she’s currently an international student and she likes keeping up with the numerous U.S. trends in various departments. Between YAB, sports, school (as well as traveling, trying to master several languages, spending a lot of time on the computer, writing long papers, music and watching American TV), she doesn’t have a lot of time on her hands, but always finds time for the two passions she’s always had: reading and writing.

Remember, to contact our Youth Advisory Board directly, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…. or leave a comment below.

YAB Review: 'Ramona and Beezus'

What was the biggest draw for you to see this movie?

I’m always excited to see movie versions of books I like (See my reviews for "Eclipse" and "The Princess and the Frog"), but Beverly Cleary’s works are such classics that I had serious doubts about this adaptation. The Ramona series is not only iconic; it actually informed a lot of my schemes in elementary school (requesting hard-boiled eggs for lunch and breaking them on my head, making tin-can stilts, telling people that my sister’s pajamas were a sheep costume…). In fact, I was so skeptical that I wasn’t planning on seeing “Ramona and Beezus” in theaters at all, until a friend invited me to a press screening.

What were your expectations based on the movie's marketing?

I wasn’t pleased by the marketing for this movie, which seemed to focus more on Beezus (Disney star Selena Gomez), than newcomer Joey King, who plays Ramona. Though I don’t really mind Selena herself, the casting seemed like a ploy to attract teen interest to a movie that focuses on elementary-schoolers. Plus, trailers for the movie didn’t align with any scenes I recognized from the books. Instead, they showed sweet, heartwarming dialogue between the sisters—the mischievousness and fun of the series (in which Beezus and Ramona have a pretty fraught love/hate relationship) wasn’t as present as I’d hoped.

What did you walk out of the theater thinking?

I walked into the theater petrified that the books would be ruined with unnecessary plot updates and pop-culture references, and walked out a complete supporter. I think the filmmakers captured the sweetness, whimsy and timelessness of the Beverly Cleary stories in a really lovely way. Like in the novels, there’s no huge plot climax or major plot twists: I was unsure how that would translate to the big screen, but it definitely didn’t feel slow. Joey King was a great casting choice (genuinely funny, likeable, not too precocious), and her “grown-up” support, including John Corbett, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel and Sandra Oh, were good picks to draw in older viewers.

I’ve been recommending this movie to most of my friends. But I’m realistic. It’s rated G. It’s about a nine-year-old. It’s not “Inception.” So, aside from the nostalgia factor, I doubt teens and twenty-something’s will be turning in droves to see “Ramona and Beezus.” Still, especially compared to a lot of other insipid kid-movie fare, I think they could do worse.

About Megan

Megan began writing fashion articles for her local newspaper at age 15, and her work has since appeared in publications like Boston magazine, Mountain Living and CosmoGirl. A former art history and theater student, Meg loves traveling, writing postcards, YA lit, learning to bake, and planning adventures. When she isn’t studying, she's probably dragging someone along on a late-night ice cream/Starbucks run. Meg has lived in four countries and six states, and is completing her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University. This is her second year as a Youth Advisory Board member.

For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books & Print Channel sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, publishers of ghostgirl: Lovesick.