>> you're watching "teen kids news." and here's what's coming up. >> i'll tell you about a teen who owes her life to medical science and the kindness of strangers. >> it's the oldest continuously occupied military post in the united states. we'll get a special tour of west point. >> in the 1960s, four very brave college students made history by sitting down. >> i'll tell you how your mood can effect your decision-making. >> something you probably do just about every day may be hazardous to your health. >> that and lots more right now on "teen kids news."

>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm siena. here's our top story for this week. >> we've all seen those cute paper balloons in stores. you fill one out when you donate money. but you may wonder, who does your dollar help? nicole has the story. >> ♪ a little bit longer, hey >> musician nick jonas, american idol david archuleta, and teen dream justin bieber -- they're just some of the celebs who support the children's miracle network hospitals. but 13-year-old alena, and millions of kids like her, are the real stars of the charity. alena gets a special present delivered to her house once a week. it's not clothes, jewelry, or games. alena's gift is medicine that helps keep her alive. >> so i have a rare genetic disorder called maroteaux-lamy,

or also known as mps vi, and i take an enzyme replacement once a week to help me live and grow. it's my naglazyme. >> she has to go through a long procedure called an infusion, that pumps the medicine into her veins. >> it's 4 hours and 10 minutes on a pump. oh, she's beyond brave. she's very brave. and it's because she knows the importance of getting her medicine. so she knows she has to do it. >> health professionals like pearl are able to help kids like alena deal with their medical conditions, in part thanks to donations to children's miracle network hospitals. >> well, i think it's great that people in our community has contributed to my care because then i know that there's people out there who actually care and that want to help. >> you might be at a costco or a walmart and see our children's miracle network hospitals balloon. and you can pay a dollar and that donation will go to your local children's miracle network hospital -- whichever one is in

your community. >> alena regularly visits the children's hospital at montefiore. >> what our program does is it teaches children about their illness and about the procedures that they'll have while they're in the hospital and how to cope with any pain and anxiety they might encounter while they're here. and without the support of children's miracle network hospitals, we wouldn't be able to maintain that program. >> alena's been part of the hospital's child life program since she was 3. that's when her family realized she was sick. >> you don't expect that you're gonna hear news that this little thriving little kid probably wouldn't make it through her 25th birthday. >> the disease affected alena's ability to grow and move around. >> when i was little, when i didn't get the enzyme treatment, i wasn't able to reach my arms high. but now i can make my arms go high. and i couldn't run as fast. but it hasn't affected me anyway. i could just do what any normal

child could do. >> and that's given her something to sing about. >> ♪ raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ♪ ♪ bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens ♪ >> alena's vocal about her illness because she wants people to know they can help other kids like her. >> ♪ of my favorite things >> she also practices what she preaches. alena helps raise money for children's miracle network hospitals as their poster child. >> stay with us. there's a lot more coming up on "teen kids news." >> we'll be right back. >> rescue teams search through rubble for people trapped under collapsed buildings after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes eastern turkey, the quake flattening multistory buildings and killing hundreds. over 100 aftershocks were recorded within 10 hours of the

quake. libya's interim leaders declare freedom after eight months of fighting and the death of longtime ruler muammar gaddafi. the transitional government's leader calling on libyans to show patience, honesty, and tolerance as they move forward and rebuild. [ indistinct shouting ] leaders also announcing that islamic sharia law will be the basic source of legislation in the country. cheering crowds packing the central square in benghazi, the same place uprisings against gaddafi's regime began in february. president obama also expressing support. >> the dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted, and with this enormous promise, the libyan people now have a great responsibility. >> president obama says all of our troops will be out of iraq by the end of december. >> after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. >> there are currently more than 40,000 u.s. troops in iraq. president obama says the u.s.

and iraq are now moving into a new phase that will be a normal relationship between sovereign nations. the president says withdrawing troops from iraq allows the u.s. to focus on afghanistan, where troops are also starting to draw down. the president says ending both wars allows the u.s. to focus more on strengthening the economy and creating more jobs. for "teen kids news," i'm laura ingle, fox news channel in the classroom. >> it's considered one of our country's best colleges, and it has several names. "the academy." "the point." "west point." tyler tells us about the history of the u.s. military academy at west point. >> west point traces its roots back to the american revolution. general washington considered this the most important military location in america. he called it "the key to the continent." >> both the british and the americans knew that whoever

controlled the hudson river would probably win the war. the best way to move a lot of people -- men, soldiers, supplies, provisions -- was by water, using ships and boats. so controlling the river networks in america was an important aspect in the war. >> massive fortifications were built and crammed with continental soldiers. >> show us your bayonets! >> all: huzzah! bayonets! >> to keep the british from traveling upriver and dividing the colonies, a giant, 100-ton chain was stretched across the hudson. these here are links from the original chain. each link weighs about 200 pounds each. >> yes, it did work. even though there was no attempts to get past the chain or to come up the river with british ships. it was deterrent to the british.

>> in 1779, washington moved his headquarters to west point. it was here that america's most famous traitor tried to betray his country. his name has become the symbol of treason. >> i think that was benedict arnold. >> benedict arnold. >> that was benedict arnold. >> benedict arnold. >> benedict arnold. >> in 1780, he wanted to be the commander here. he'd been wounded grievously a couple years earlier. and he felt that he wasn't being treated properly. so his wife and he had conspired with the british to turn over west point for 30,000 pounds sterling. in today's money, that'd be several million dollars. so he sought this command. he gained this command. and then he tried to turn it over to the british, but it was foiled, and he escaped. and he became the most famous traitor in american history. >> arnold fled to safety with the british. after the war, the young country recognized it needed a military

college. >> what our founding fathers realized -- with the size of our country, we need a strong military. we also needed a professional, military class of officers that were educated and trained in the art and science of war. >> in 1802, president jefferson made it official. the united states military academy was born. >> this is the entrance to west point. it's called thayer gate. it's named after the man known as the father of the military academy, colonel thayer. >> he is known as the father -- not the founder, but the father of the military academy. his contribution is immense. he established what we call the thayer method, where students were tested every day, discipline was rigid, and "duty, honor, country," those words, though not codified in law -- they were the standard. >> 1st division barracks was

built in 1851. over the years, some of our nation's greatest military leaders slept and studied here. names like world war i's general pershing, world war ii's general douglas macarthur, and desert storm's general norman schwartzkopf. >> two of the three astronauts on apollo 11 were west point graduates -- michael collins and buzz aldrin. you think of all our great generals and officers -- most of them were educated at west point. we've had two u.s. presidents that gained their education here. we've had all kinds of incredible personalities come through here and serve. >> when we return, we'll learn what it takes to attend west point. >> ♪ screaming eagles

>> ♪ screaming eagles >> ♪ pick up your ropes and follow me ♪ >> ♪ pick up your ropes and follow me ♪ >> the u.s. military academy at west point doesn't look like your typical college. and it's not. students here are called cadets. in all, some 4,000 attend the academy. >> and the author describes it as, it's basically the mechanical efficiency of that pump/motor combination. >> the education here at west point is outstanding. in 2009, we were chosen by forbmagazine as the best college in america. >> it is equal to 210 degrees. >> and it has just what you'd expect at a top college, from state-of-the-art educational facilities to all kinds of extracurriculars. [ indistinct shouting ] [ cheers and applause ] but it also has this... and this. [ indistinct shouting ]

cadets go through rigorous physical training... and learn combat skills. >> one up! >> two up! >> three up! >> room cleared! >> to apply for admission, you need to be a u.s. citizen between 17 and 23 years old. you must meet high standards for academics, leadership, and physical ability. and you need to be nominated, usually by a member of congress. >> just to get into the academy is quite an achievement for young people who apply. and we have some of the finest military and civilian professors and instructors in the nation. >> it's a west point tradition that the lowest-ranking person of the class is known as the "goat." this man was the goat of his class. he's george patton.

despite being the goat, he became one of our most brilliant and effective generals in world war ii. the academy's motto is "duty, honor, country." and it's taken very seriously here. cadets live by an honor code that states, "a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." >> integrity, honor -- those things are critical because we're developing leaders of character. >> graduates earn a bachelor of science degree, along with a commission in the army as a second lieutenant. >> do you solemnly swear? >> all: i solemnly swear... >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> all: ...that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states.

>> class dismissed! [ cheers and applause ] >> this excellent education is tuition-free, but graduates are expected to serve in the military for five years.point's traditions have stood the test of time. in 1980, andrea lee hollen became the first woman to graduate the academy. west point is open to visitors, though you have to be part of a scheduled tour. >> i believe anytime throughout the year is a wonderful time to visit west point. when the cadets are here in session -- when they're marching on the plain, football games -- it's wonderful. [ drums playing ] we have a world-class museum. we really do. and the scenes around west point -- the vistas, the scenery -- is just majestic.

we have the proud heritage of the american revolution. [ drums playing ] >> when you see the cadets marching on the parade ground, it's easy to understand why present and past cadets are proudly called "the long gray line." a favorite saying here is, "much of the history we teach was made by the people we taught." at west point, i'm tyler for "teen kids news." >> we all need some help when it comes to handling stress. here's scott with some expert advice. >> as teens, we know about mood swings, but what you may not realize is how much the mood you're in can affect the decisions you make. dr. sian beilock is a professor of psychology and the author of "choke," a new book that looks at the hidden ways our brain controls our behavior. dr. beilock, what can you tell us about moods? >> well, interestingly enough, moods not only affect how we feel. they can also affect how we think. a recent study found that people who were in a good mood were better able to perform in

problem-solving situations. researchers actually came to this conclusion after asking two groups of people to watch two different videos. one group watched a comedy show. we'll call them the "good" mood group. the other group watched news stories about natural disasters. this was the "sad" mood group. both groups then were given the same problems to solve. what the researchers found was that the good mood group actually did better by coming up with more creative ways to solve the problems. >> so how can we apply that in everyday life? >> well, putting yourself in a good mood before you have to tackle a challenging problem can help. think of something funny, or a situation where you were challenged and actually succeeded in the past. anything to up your spirits and give you a dose of confidence can help. >> thanks so much, dr. beilock. we'll see you next time. >> looking forward to it.

>> on "speak of the week," we find out what you think. >> we're being called the social-media generation. so, what do you think? are websites like facebook good or bad? >> i think mostly good if you don't, like, put stuff on there that you know you shouldn't. >> i personally have caught up with a lot of friends from elementary school and stuff like that that i probably wouldn't have been able to keep in touch with. >> are websites like facebook good or bad? >> i think they're pretty good, you know. keep in touch with your friends and stuff. >> it's kind of bad for our generation to, like, not be used to, like, social interaction. like, when everyone's just, you know, facebook, i.m.'ed, or, like, texted and stuff, like, when you meet someone face to face, it's so, like, awkward, and, like, you don't know what to say to them. and i think it's making our whole generation socially awkward. so, i think facebook is kind of a bad thing, personally. >> although it might come as a

distraction to people like me, for the most part, it's really revolutionized a lot of things. >> the easy answer would be that, like most things, social media has both pros and cons and depends on the individual. but listen to this. as part of a study, 200 college students were asked to give up online media for a few days. many found that difficult to do. they experienced emotional stress, anxiety, and even the jitters. these are symptoms similar to withdrawing from alcohol of drug addiction. now, that's pretty scary. we'll keep you posted as new research comes in. for "teen kids news," i'm monika. >> it's time to play "word." find out if you can find the true definition among the false ones. let's do some d's. "debacle." is it... [ alarm rings ] debacle is a complete defeat.

what a debacle. she got only 2% of the vote. >> [ laughs ] >> how about this? "dilate." does it mean... [ alarm rings ] dilate is to make wider or larger, expand. darkness makes the pupils in the center of your eyes dilate. how about "dire"? [ alarm rings ] dire means terrible or awful. failure at "word" has dire implications for your performance in school. ha, just kidding. [ children cheer ] let's review.

and that's "word" for this week on "teen kids news." >> you might have already suspected this, but now researchers have confirmed it. moms of teens girls are taking their fashion cues from their daughters. here's something else that's not surprising. the girls are not happy about this trend. >> making change happen is not easy, especially when it comes to the struggle for equal rights. carina reports on a place where people remember the pain of the past. >> it happened in greensboro, north carolina, at a woolworth store. now that store is an international civil rights center & museum. inside, the actual lunch counter where the freshmen from a nearby all-black college sat down on

february 1, 1960. they knew they would be refused service because of the color of their skin. their act of nonviolent protest sparked a nationwide movement called "sit-ins." the new museum shows how segregation in the south affected everyday life for african-americans -- separate drinking fountains, separate sections in theaters, even separate cars on trains. other exhibits honor those who faced arrest and even deadly attacks while working peacefully for equal rights. their photographs are combined to create an image of our nation's first black president, showing just how much progress has been made over the years of struggle. you can find out more about the international civil rights center & museum by following the link at teenkidsnews.com. >> this report is brought to you by disney interactive studios.

>> whoa! >> ♪ it's a whole new world >> this isn't just a new world of video gaming. it's a new universe. gamers can suit up in one of 40 different disney and disney pixar costumes. >> ♪ suit up ♪ suit up ♪ suit up ♪ suit up >> try on tim burton's "alice in wonderland" costume with beautiful blond curls. prowl the jungle in "the lion king" world. or rocket into the future in a "wall-e" costume. >> ♪ lights flashing >> solve puzzles and toss other players into trouble all as you travel through story lines inspired by disney and disney pixar movies. crush the competition by opening doors and unlocking level after level of challenges. your costume of choice comes with a special tool that gets upgraded as you move forward. >> ♪ get passion with smashing >> huh? >> ♪ no one will imagine >> oh! yeah! ohh!

>> ♪ all your chips 'cause the universe is crashing ♪ >> have a blast competing with up to three friends at a time. "disney universe" is flying into stores now. for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> pbht! >> that wraps up our show, but we'll be back soon with more "teen kids news." >> thanks for joining us, and have a great week.

>> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square, new york city. of the best of europe.

venice seems to be every italy connoisseur's... prague has always been beautiful... germany... the irish civilization... the eiffel tower was built...

hope you've enjoyed the magic of... the irish really do enjoy the gift of gab, and for travelers, that means excellent guides, like don herlihy in kinsale, are available in any historic town. in the 15th, 16th, 17th centuries, this harbor here, kinsale, was the most important natural harbor on the whole coastline of ireland, by far the most perfect in an age of sailing ships, and sails ruled the waves. countries with great fleets were great powers in their own right. and this was a time when the sun never set on the spanish empire. in 1601, the fourth, the very last spanish armada ever to sail, sailed into this harbor here with the idea of linking up with clans in the northern part of ireland, that by allying, they could drive the english out of ireland and take liberty for themselves. the spaniards sail in here unopposed, 1601. about 5,000 camp within the town.

the english surprise them with 10,000 forces on the high ground here. approximately 6,000 irish clansmen come downstream to link with the spanish. they can't link up. the english have the high ground. they dominate the spanish completely, releasing most of their forces to turn on the clans. it's a rout. bad day for ireland. dreadful. it led to the decline of the old gaelic order in ireland, the flight of the earls, no resistance in ulster. so the english could go ahead with what was called the plantation of ulster -- irish people driven off their lands, those lands planted then with settlers from england and from scotland. when people ask me, "how can that part of ireland be still part of england?" i tell them "1601, kinsale." that was a huge shock for the english. they suddenly realized the significance of this perfect harbor of kinsale on their doorstep. to rule the waves, they had to secure the harbor, and they invested in this enormous fort, charles fort. star fort, state-of-the-art, 17th century, huge.

for 400 years, this fort was one of the principal strongholds of britain in controlling ireland. 1,000 troops were based here until 1922. ireland became independent of britain, and britain finally gave it back to us. the fort itself is designed as a star fort, it's called, because it has points like points on a star, and the idea of the star fort, its construction, was that from within your own walls, like here, you could always fire on your own outer walls, over there, for example. if they were attacking us here, they could be fired upon from within the fort from that wall. yeah, so it's a crossfire idea. whether i'm leading tours, researching my guidebooks, or just having fun on my own, i grab every opportunity to get local advice on good places to eat. in ireland, people make time to join you

for a drink and a chat. don's taking me to his favorite spot. the bulman pub, strewn with fun decor and sporting a big inviting fireplace, is a great place for a beer after your visit to the fort. like in britain, irish pubs are a communal living room. these people have a history here. they can tell the stories the old photos on the wall recall. many of these customers are regulars whose parents were also regulars. unlike bars in america, children are welcome. and you can take your beer and conversation outside. join the local gang to enjoy the fresh air and the view.