www.vitac.com >> coming up on this week's edition of "teen kids news" -- >> unhealthy relationships can do you a lot of harm. >> coming up on this week's edition of "teen kids news" -- >> unhealthy relationships can do you a lot of harm. we'll tell you what to look for. >> the u.s. fought another war between wwii and vietnam, and our troops are still there. >> it's a learning experience that teaches a surprising lesson. how to become a dreamer. i'll explain. >> the news you need to know. next on "teen kids news."

>> hi, i'm mwanzaa > and i'm jessica. >> hello everybody! >> president obama addressed students across the country in a special back-to-school speech. he spoke about the importance of staying in school and working hard. >> i'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and do everything to meet them. you cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. you've got to train for and work for and learn for it. >> the president's plan to speak directly to students had drawn criticism from some people. they feared the president would use the speech to further his personal political agenda. but the president's message seemed pretty clear to the kids. >> well the president said that if you're quitting on yourself than you're quitting on your

country and i thought that that was very important. >> no clear winner yet in afghanistan's presidential election. complaints of voter fraud have officials ordering a recount of some ballots. >> a big surprise at the us open. although melanie oudin was only ranked 70th in the world, she ended up beating some the top female players. the 17-year-old is from marietta, georgia. >> like today there are no tears because i, i believed that i could it and it's like -- now i know i do belong here and this is what i want to do and i can compete with these girls no matter who i'm playing. >> for "teen kids news," i'm lara. >> there's a new twist on "survival of the fittest." hunters wanting trophies to hang on the wall go after the biggest animals. their less impressive brothers and sisters tend to get ignored by the hunters. which means it's safer to be smaller. the result is called "reverse

evolution." >> thanks lauren. we think of dating as something romantic. but sometimes it can turn very ugly. even dangerous. the department of justice helped us prepare a report on what it calls "relationship abuse." felipe has the story. >> rich or poor, your race or religion -- it doesn't make a difference. an abusive relationship can happen to anyone. anywhere. >> the very first day of school was the first time i had ever been hit by a guy in my whole whole life. like just full fist -- punched me and and i just stood there in shock. >> he would slap me. he would punch me in my back. >> you might not think you'd put up with that. but it doesn't always start that way. >> it may start off with someone who may want to control what you wear, how you dress, who your friends are taking you away from a group of friends that they told you they didn't want you to see.

>> does that sound familiar? research says 57 % of teens know someone who has been abusive in a dating relationship. and it isn't always physical. there's verbal, even emotional abuse.. >> what are you doing talking to christine? i told you i don't like her. >> groups like this one raise awareness with re-enactments. but for too many teens, it's not theater. it's very real. a relationship where they slowly lose control of their own lives. >> so he started putting me down so i would feel that nobody could want me, just only him. >> i had no clue on how to deal with it, and how to make it go away. >> there is help available for teens in bad relationships. we talked to ms. schofield while she was an assistant attorney general at the u.s. department of justice. her advice --don't be afraid to seek out an adult you know and trust. talk to your mom or your dad or your aunt, or if you have a favorite uncle, your gym teacher, your teacher and say

"johnny did this to me. is this something i should be accepting of? and what should i do about it in the future?" with help from her parents, rae transferred schools to get away from her abusive boyfriend. that might have saved her life. >> less than a year later he murdered his girlfriend in front of a lot of kids. >> dating abuse can happen to boys as well as girls. and she'd you know say things like "i don't like your friends." >> so everyone needs to know the early wawarning signs of an unhealthy relationship. if your boy or girl friend seems to be following you around, checking up on you. if you're being told what to wear. how to behave. who to be friends with. if you feel you're being isolated from your family and friends. don't make the mistake of thinking it's sweet and caring. >> it's not love, it's not affection, it's just a sense of control and someone manipulating you so that they structure your lifehe way that t they want it to be.

take back your life! >> if you want more information about how to stop dating violence, follow the link at our website. for "teen kids news," i'm felipe. >> an experiment at oxford university found a popular computer game has a surprising effect. volunteers were exposed to shocking images. then some of them played the game "tetris." the people who played the game were less likely to have those images pop into their heads later on. fewer "flashbacks." it's thought this information might prove useful, in treating people who have been exposed to traumas like violence and disaster. ♪

>> unless you watch reruns of "mash," or have a grandparent who served there, you don't hear much about the korean war. in her series, "washington m&ms," lauren reports on the memorial to what's often called "the forgotten war." >> on the washington mall, near the lincoln memorial and the vietnam war memorial, there's another memorial.

this one honors our veterans of the korean war. after world war ii, korea was after world war ii, korea was divided into two countries: north korea and south korea. in 1950, communist north koreans invaded their southern neighbors. u.s. president harry truman immediately sent troops to help south korea. now its remembered as a war, back then it was called a police action. >> best and more accurate to call it a korean conflict. congress never declared it a war. technically we are still in an armistice and technically that conflict is still underway. >> whatever you choose to call it, the fighting raged for three long years. much of it in the bitter cold.

>> at the korean war veterans memorial, 19 bronze statues represent the different military services that took part in the conflict. >> they're slightly larger than life-size. to show and to depict the hazards the tough conditions that american soldiers experienced during the korean conflict. >> the memorial has another striking feature --a massive wall of black granite. look closely and you'll see etched images. you'll also see your reflection in its polished surface. so there's a dual focus there with the idea that you can see yourself in this situation. see yourself in this conflict -- so as to bring the visitor much closer to what's going on. >> the effect definitely draws visitors in. ' >> the wall that had all of the people etched in. it was really, really cool. >> the korean war was the first military action undertaken by a young united nations. 21 countries fought alongside

the u.s. they're honored on stone slabs that border the pathway. the war ended in a standoff. to preserve the truce, the u.s. maintains a force in south korea. tensions with north korea remain to this day. the memorial is a guarantee that the forgotten war will always be remembered. at the korean war memoal f "teen kids news," i'm lauren. >> coming up -- using a little disney magic to help change lives. i'll tell you how, when "teen kids news" continues.

we turned these moments into pure disney magic. join in at the place where dreams come true. all you need to do is decide, what will you celebrate? >> think of disney world, and you probably think of --

and of course -- not to mention -- but sometimes the real magic of disney is not what most of us ever see. it's the magic to give teens a little extra help. >> dreamers, welcome to the academy! >> i just knew that when i came here it was going to be a very exciting experience. but i never thought that it was going to be like this >> dream on! >> 100 teens from across america took part in the second annual disney's dreamers academy, hosted by radio star steve harvey. these 9th through 12th graders were chosen from more than 4000 applicants. many of them live with daily difficulties. a single parent home, economic hardship, or even physical challenges. >> and we believe that the one common thing that they all have is the fact that they can dream and we truly believe that they can go out and achieve these

dreams. >> and that's the point of the dreamers academy. to show these students that there's a whole world of career opportunities open to them. >> we are here to help you achieve your potential, be good at something and find your welcome at the table. >> during their four day visit, the teens rode rides. had front row seats for the new american idol experience. >> please join me in welcoming steve harvey and all the disney dreamers to our world premiere tonight. why don't you stand up? where are you? here they are. >> and of course, they got to enjoy the different theme parks. but they were really here to learn. they went on job site visits, took part in interactive workshops, and listened to inspirational speakers. >> "no" makes you stronger.

anytime there's some kind of adversity or an obstacle, you find your way around it or through it. >> they really made it fun entertaining i mean even when they were telling us stuff or like almost giving us a lecture it didn't seem like that. it seems like they were talking to us personally made it feel like it was to me directly. so over all this weekend we'll help them figure out what is their dream? and how do you go about perusing that dream? and here at disney were very proud to serve as the catalyst to give that extra encouragement many of these kids need to go out and live to the fullest of their potential. >> the guest speakers all had their own personal messages they wanted the teens to take home with them. >> to know that they can achieve their dream, you know, if they dedicate their time effort and surround themselves with positive people. >> do not let anybody tell you "no." don't you ever say "no" to yourself. if you believe you can do it,

that's all that matters because the world will say to no to you. but if you believe in it, that's all that matters. >> dream to be great, to be different. >> and one of the things that i think the dreamers academy is doing that i love is its encouraging kids to forget the limitations. don't think about the fact that you don't have the money. don't think that you don't have the education or the connections because change starts here. it's a heart issue it's a mind issue. if you can change your thought process then you can change everything else. >> it's not about dreaming, it's about making your dream come true. >> when we return -- true. >> when we return -- graduation! my name's brandon. in 9 years, i'll be an alcoholic. all: hi, brandon. i'll start drinking with the older kids, and whatever they do... i'll do. announcer: kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. so start talking before they start drinking.

i know it'll start with alcohol. i'm just not sure how it's gonna end. the graduating class of '09 of the dreamers academy, standup and give yourself a hand. the class of '09! 1as in the past, disney's dreamers academy teamed up with radio personality steve harvey.

>> i just want each kid to walk away with a spark, a little flame lit up on 'em, you know, to make them push a little bit harder. that's really what i want out of this weekend. >> and i think that's what disney dreamers academy is really trying to say to us is just keep on dreaming and don't let anyone tell you that you can't be what you want to be. >> i think that they are trying to teach us how to go after our dreams and not be afraid of what people think and to just like strive for your best and be above average. like be extraordinary. >> this is the place where dreams come true and for us, there is not a better program than dreamers academy to really bring that to life. >> we'd like your parents or chaperones to present you with your class ring from the academy. >> the goal of the dreamers

academy is for these teens to return home inspired. inspired not just to dream, but inspired to achieve those dreams. >> and when i do go home i do think that i'll take a lot of this stuff that i've learned. i'll take it with me and apply it to my life as i continue to grow. >> before i came i never really worked hard it just kind of came to me but now that i'm here when i come back i'll probably work harder in sports, and school just to get better. >> like when i came out here i wasn't really expecting too much but now when i go back i have like a list of things in my head right now that i'm planning on doing like going online and just researching what i wanted to do. >> and i just feel so blessed to just be given this opportunity and i just hope that when i leave here i'm a different person and you know, just, i, i'm just lost for words right now so you know i'm just really having a good time.

>> i guess you can say that the goal of the dreamers academy is to show that the future shouldn't be a "tower of terror." with a bit of inspiration, you can spread your wings and go soaring. because life's not "a small world after all." i'm nicole for "teen kids news." >> to save money, a town in germany is turning off streetlights after nine o'clock at night. but people won't be left to walk the streets in the dark. they'll have a phone number to call whenever they need the lights back on for a few minutes. of course it'd be a lot cooler if dumbledore could give them all reverse de-luminators. >> deep in the pacific ocean, there's a kind of fish that people have known about for years. but only now has a live one been caught. the brown snout spook fish has mirrors in its eyes. they help it see in the dark waters.

>> you might have noticed this

if you have a baby in the family. that wide-eyed stare? it's for real. scientists say babies blink much less often than the rest of us. we blink at least ten times a minute, while the average baby blinks only twice. >> when it comes to pop-rock, this band from chicago is considered one of the most creative on the touring circuit. sandhya tells us more. >> we're here to meet with the band the academy is so we can pick their brains about touring, making music, and maybe even getting advice for new musicians. ♪ one song about a girl can't breathe when i'm around her. ♪ the academy is spends a lot of time on the road, performing for loyal fans all around the world. what's your most memorable performance? >> there's so many of them. i think maybe the first time we played in japan, just being on

the other side of the world and playing music for people that were, seemed to be loving it, and singing words in a different language. music, it truly is a universal language. >> the band's latest album is named after the school two of the members attended. "fast times at barrington high" is getting rave reviews. the guys say it's a blend of styles old and new. >> we wanted the record musically to sound very new and fresh and current. so i think that relationship between a nostalgic lyric and you know, a very fresh, new, fun, exciting music sound is what makes the album what it is. ♪ i'm not gonna waste these words about a girl ♪

>> tell us a little bit more about the inspiration behind your newest album. >> when we're in the studio, i think our biggest influence tends to be each other. i think that we really feed off one another's energy. when he's writing great lyrics, it makes it that much easier to put great music behind it. and i think that's part of the fun of making albums. one thing we want to promote to our fans is to get outside and have some fun, play some catch or build a fort, you know. do all those fun things when you're a kid, because you know, people try to tell you later on in life try to tell you that you're not allowed to use your pogo stick, or ride a unicycle and all these things. and you've got to take advantage of it. once you're done watching this, you should get outside and and grab a unicycle and go for a ride, and never look back.

>> and that's what this band has been doing -- making choices and not looking back. some of those choices have been pretty difficult. >> this did you want make my parents too happy at the time, but, you know, it was the right choice for me and my life with where my heart was. and where my talent is. >> that decision has worked out well for william. but the band has some other, equally important advice for aspiring musicians. >> never put anything out unless you're really passionate about it. when you have the right songs you'll know and you'll definitely feel it. >> don't try and sound like somebody else or try and write

like anybody else. what's going to make your songs yours, is you. there's a lot of young people who want to be a songwriter, want to be in a band because they want to be famous. and that's not, that should never be, a reason why, because it's not easy. writing your own songs and being a creative songwriter and feeling fulfilled from that alone. that's how you know that songwriting is something for you. it's not about being famous. >> that's all for this edition for "teen kids news," i'm sandhya. goodbye >> that's all for this edition of "teen kids news." we'll be back next week. >> have a good one!

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