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Ears to you, kids
By LOGAN D. MABE, Times Staff Writer
CITRUS PARK -- When Sickles High School sophomores Emily Belz and Danielle Melendy decided to start writing an advice column for the school newspaper, the Gryphon Scroll, they figured it would be better received if their fellow students assumed there was age behind their wisdom. "We wanted to do an advice column but didn't want to use our names," Melendy said. "So we came up with old people names because old people are always giving advice." That's how Belz and Melendy struck on "Wilma and Winnie Advise." For the record, Melendy is Wilma and Belz is Winnie. Wilma and Winnie hit the stands for the first time in December with this bit of advice: Dear Winnie and Wilma -- I really like this guy, but he has a girlfriend. This guy and I are really good friends and all he ever does is say he doesn't like his girlfriend, leading me to believe that there might be a chance for us. I am sure that both him and his girlfriend know I like him. Should I wait around for them to break up, or find a new guy? -- In a Crushing Crunch.The duo were a hit from the start, said Bernie Lamping, the school's newspaper adviser. "My ninth-graders really eat it up," Lamping said. "That's all they read, because they see themselves in those articles. I told (Belz and Melendy) they sound like the Dr. Phil of Sickles High School." Belz and Melendy draw their questions from the problems their teenage friends face every day. "There are a million problems with dating," Belz said. Added Melendy, "We have some school-related questions, but mostly it's about relationships." Problems also revolve around grades, school, work, teachers and time management, Melendy said. Independence, Belz said, is a major sticking point. "Freedom," Belz said, "as in getting it from parents." Walking the halls and talking to friends, Winnie and Wilma always have their antennae up for column material. "Whenever we hear somebody complaining, we just take a mental note," Belz said. The fact that Winnie and Wilma dispense advice does not mean their own lives are without problems. "Well, I have my license now and my mom's pretty protective of her car and, I guess, of me," Belz said. "How do I let my mom know that I think I'm prepared to take on the risks of driving?" "I think mine would be time management," Melendy said. "We have school and we both have sports after school. Then, there's like 10 hours of homework. And I think the social part of high school is important. So trying to fit everything in without falling behind is hard." Belz said she might pursue a career as a psychiatrist or perhaps work on a magazine someday. Melendy is heading for journalism, which has held her interest since the seventh grade. In the meantime, Winnie and Wilma want their classmates to keep the letters coming. "We're pretty good at advice," Melendy said. "I used to read Dear Abby and Ann Landers, but I quit reading Ann when she gave some really bad advice once." -- Logan D. Mabe can be reached at 269-5304 or at mabe@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
