Goin' Under Cover
For Ashley and Joanna, buying cigarettes is serious business. Both girls are part of an undercover operation that's cracking down on vendors who sell cigarettes to minors. While working for the Arizona Department of Health Services, the two 17-year-olds (and about 100 other teenage volunteers) were asked to try to score smokes at various convenience stores, newsstands, and grocery stores. Because the girls are under 18, it's illegal to sell cigarettes to them, and anyone who does is breaking the law. The girls use their real names, IDs, and tell the truth when vendors ask their age. But according to Ashley, plenty of places sold her cigarettes anyway. Those places will soon learn a lesson: They'll have to pay a hefty fine, get trained on how to properly sell tobacco and, in some areas of Arizona, have their store's name printed in the local paper under the heading "Bad Dogs," which is what agents call the naughty vendors. The negative press is often enough to stop the stores from selling to teens again. In the last 15 years, the number of high school students who smoke has gone down, and Ashley and Joanna feel that they are helping to make an even bigger difference. In case you're wondering about those illegally sold cigs: No one smokes them; they're filed as evidence and used to crack down on those "Bad dogs."
Hip-Hop Reality
MTV is taking us inside someone else's house for a reality show. Who's House? Run's House! Reverend Run of the '80s rap duo Run-DMC, his wife, Justine, and their five kids will be the latest celebrities to have their own reality show on MTV. Following in the footsteps of the Osbournes, Britney Spears, and Bobby Brown, "Run's House" will follow Rev Run (Joey Simmons) as he records his first solo album. Music isn't the only focus, however: With five kids between the ages of 9 and 21, sibling rivalry and teenage drama will surely be a part of the show. Asked how his family thrives, Reverend Run replies, "My family is my ministry. I'm gonna raise it up with or without cameras. But I'm excited to do it on MTV." The show was pitched to MTV by Run's brother, Phat Farm mogul and creator Russell Simmons, and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Look for "Run's House" to premiere on MTV this October.
We're Lovin' This!
Some McDonald's restaurants in Michigan are giving student employees an opportunity to get their schoolwork done while on the job. Franchise owners Kathy and Jerry Olinik decided to let their employees do their homework either an hour before or after their shifts — and pay them for the time. Kathy came up with the idea as a solution to staffing problems. It was hard to find students who could work the 4 to 9 p.m. shift because parents didn't want their kids to compromise schoolwork with a job. Now they don't have to. Most of the Oliniks' student-employees take advantage of the program, which has helped them keep up with their studies. Managers monitor the employees while they are doing their homework to be sure they are using the time appropriately. And while Kathy says her franchise spends an extra $300 a month on the program, she thinks it's worth it. Every student, whether they have to work or not, should be able to have time for homework, and getting paid to do it, well that's a tasty deal.
