People say that life starts at 20. Many begin a new chapter in their life, like starting college and paying their own way. Some start their first part-time or full-time job, which they use to pay actual bills. Others move out of their parents’ house and are now on their own in what grownups call reality. When we were adolescents, we thought that being in our 20s was going to be the greatest time of our lives. We had dreams of endless partying, staying up all hours of the night, eating whatever we wanted and doing whatever we wanted because we were adults. Life was going to be like a Gatsby party. In reality, some of us are worn out, tired, overworked, starving, lost young people trying to keep above water and wishing we were teenagers again. A lot of us are insecure and not really sure who we are. What are we going to do with our lives and where is our next meal coming from? An article, “The Real World: Recognizing Mental Illness in Young Adults” by Vikram Tarugu, explains how young adults are prone to mental illnesses. “They find that their independence involves many new responsibilities and stresses, as well as freedoms,” Tarugu wrote. “This period of transition has a cruel twist as it may coincide with the emergence of a mental illness.” The first episodes of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder tend to appear in the late teens and early 20s, according to Tarugu. All that stress packed into one person makes it hard for 20-somethings to handle life at times. Sometimes we don’t even want to get out of bed because facing the world is too much. The grip of responsibilities and pressures to be successful is choking us. As young adults in our 20s, we must realize that we don’t have to be what society dictates. We also need to realize that things will get better. Eventually, our insecurities will just be a distant memory. http://aztecpressonline.com/2015/04/life-in-your-20s-isnt-all-that-great/

“It is my hope that the legacy we leave behind is an organization that has dealt with this epidemic head on,” he says. “We have fostered a loving family environment of acceptance and tolerance.”

http://aztecpressonline.com/2015/02/equality-demands-a-much-needed-end-to-wage-gaps/

Stewart, 23, wants the continuous shaming of blameless victims to stop and wishes society would start blaming the perpetrators.

http://aztecpressonline.com/2014/08/lets-be-cops-offers-new-roles-for-acting-duo/ By KATIE STEWART A new feature film, “Let’s Be Cops” starring actors Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. from Fox’s hit show “New Girl” will be released on Aug 13. The movie is about two cop friends except for one thing: they’re not cops. When the two friends start impersonating the law they become popular with the people around them. Soon these two “cops” start to get into trouble with real-life crime and must put their fake badges on the line. Johnson who has also starred in movies such as “21 Jump Street,” “Safety Not Guaranteed,” and “Drinking Buddies” and Wayans, the son of famed actor Damon Wayans, has also starred in movies such as “The Other Guys” and “Marmaduke”. I had the outstanding opportunity to meet both Johnson and Wayans for their meet/greet and private viewing of their up incoming movie “Let’s Be Cops” at Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix campus where they took pictures with the fans. They also set aside time for me to ask them a few questions about their film, their acting aspirations and future projects. During the interview, both were very easy to talk to and very descriptive in their answers. “It’s about two guys who are unhappy with where their life is going, so they dress up as cops and then start to get the attention and affection that they wanted,” said Johnson. “Then they keep doing it and soon they get themselves into trouble.” Both Johnson and Wayans want their movie to have a positive reaction, and that they want the audience to feel like they didn’t waste their time. They also want the audience to leave the movie feeling satisfied with what they were watching. In “New Girl,” Johnson stars as Nick Miller and Wayans stars as the character Coach. Johnson said that the transition from their show “New Girl” to this movie was very different, stating that this movie is rated R and there’s action in this film. “The characters are also completely different from Coach and Nick,” said Wayans. Johnson also added that with filming TV, the scheduling is way longer and the tone is very different, because the TV show is essentially rated PG-13. “It’s also shorter time scheduling wise too. Television is like, you shoot from August to March; and the movie we shot in 42 days from May to July,” said Wayans. Both actors agrees that their chemistry helps make the film more entertaining. “Definitely, we kind of know each other’s sense of humor and know how to act around each other,” said Wayans. They both have the same acting inspirations, which include Will Ferrell, Chris Farley and Bill Murray. After filming “Let’s Be Cops,” they both got more roles in other movies that they’ll soon be promoting. “Just got done doing a movie called ‘Digging for Fire,’ directed by Joe Swanberg, that I’m really excited about,” said Johnson. Wayans said that he was doing a Disney movie from the makers of “Frozen” and “Tangled” that is coming out in November.

By KATIE STEWART People have a tendency to blame an inanimate object for tragic killings such as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings or the 2011 Tucson massacre in by Jared Loughner. We are taught that guns are dangerous to us and everybody around. Some government officials are fighting to get guns under control. But we as a society must understand that the person pulling the trigger is the real danger. Human beings are born with a sinful nature. It doesn’t matter what weapon they use when they harm others. Knife attacks Guns aren’t even used in many cases of violence. Instead, weapons like knifes cause the harm. A 16-year-old went on a knifing rampage April 9 at a high school in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. He hurt 21 students and a security guard. “The rampage came after decades in which U.S. schools geared much of their emergency planning toward mass shootings, not stabbings,” KWY-TV said. The station said the Murrysville school was prepared for attacks with firearms but not weapons like knifes. Gun enthusiasts My sisters and I grew up in a house full of guns, with a father who is a gun enthusiast. Each of us shot our first rifle at age 8 and our first handgun at age 11. Our father taught us to use them recreationally for hunting and target practice only. With close guidance, we learned to handle firearms properly. Our lessons included how to control weapons, what not to aim at and what not to do. We were taught to respect the weapons, but also to fear them because they are dangerous in the wrong hands. Once we learned how to handle shotguns and semi-automatic handguns, we lost the fear we had when we were introduced to the weapons. Mental illness In some cases, the person who commits violent attacks against people is dealing with mental issues. People with a mental illness may act in irrational ways, which can lead to heinous crimes. Shooters who suffered from mental illness include Mark David Chapman, who killed John Lennon; John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan, and Robert John Bardo, who killed actress Rebecca Schaeffer. Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to foresee an attack on others when mental illness consumes the mind of the gun holder. Some researchers argue that mentally ill people are not at high risk for violence. Shannon Frattaroli, Ph.D., says people with mental illness are responsible for only about 4 percent of the violence in society. In an article, “Guns, Public Health and Mental Illness: An Evidence Based Approach for State Policy,” Frattaroli outlines steps states can take to keep guns out of the hands of people who are at an elevated risk for violence and suicide. She says her plan also respects the rights of people with mental illness. Instead of banning guns, we must make sure that people can safely handle weapons. This would keep mentally ill people safe from themselves and help protect everyone else. Banning guns Strict gun laws have not prevented high gun violence crime rates in some cities across America. Examples include Chicago and Washington D.C. James D. Agresti argues on his website “Just Facts: Gun Control” that a ban on handguns increases the murder rate. “During the years in which the D.C. handgun ban and trigger lock law was in effect, the Washington D.C. murder rate averaged 73 percent higher than it was at the outset of the law,” Agresti writes. The same thing happened in the Windy City. “Since the outset of the Chicago handgun ban, the percentage of Chicago murders committed with handguns has averaged about 40 percent higher than it was before the law took effect,” Agresti said. Constitution The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly protects the right of individuals to keep and bear arms. We have a right to protect ourselves from criminals who don’t follow the law. In the end, the most dangerous element in our society is people themselves, not the weapons we make to hunt or protect ourselves. We as a society must understand that people are unpredictable. Blaming an inanimate object will not prevent violent crimes. Remember that old saying, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” http://aztecpressonline.com/2014/05/blame-the-shooter-not-weapon/