Xpress, the Coolest Section of the St. Petersburg Times, is the home for features, news and views of interest to young readers. Most of the work in Xpress, which appears on Mondays in Floridian, is produced by the Times' X-Team. The team of journalists ages 9-17 from around the Tampa Bay area is selected every year at the end of the school year to serve during the following school term. The current team of 12 was chosen out of 150 applicants. Watch for X-Team application forms in Xpress during the month of May.
Read the reviews by Xpress Film Critic Billy Norris
X-files
By BRIAN ORLOFF
Published November 17, 2003
Hilary Duff
So you wanna be a rock 'n' roll star
Listen up: The next teen pop sensation could be closer than you think. On Saturday and Dec. 6, Radio Disney (WWMI-AM 1380) will hold Pop Star 2 competitions at Dillard's stores in the bay area. Already, performances have been staged at Dillard's in Brandon and St. Petersburg to find finalists for the competition, which searches for talented kids. The contests are held in Jacksonville, Orlando and the Tampa Bay area. The first 50 kids ages 8-14 to sign up at the store then have three minutes each to wow a a panel of judges with their musical talent. The winner will get a professional recording session to produce his or her song, and Radio Disney will play it for a year. The next competition will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the International Plaza Dillard's. On Dec. 6, kids at the Westfield Shoppingtown Countryside Dillard's in Clearwater will get their shot. Alexia Colon of Tampa was the first Pop Star bay area winner in September. You could be next.
Telling real stories
The PBS documentary series P.O.V. wants to give teens the real deal by telling real stories. Last weekend, teens convened in New York for a workshop titled "Youth Views," meant to provide teens with the skills to promote storytelling and documentary filmmaking to help the community. But you didn't have to attend the workshop to get started. Just pick up a camera, or, better yet, a pen. Ask questions and tell the stories of people in your life. That's all it takes.
Xpress quote
"My character's name is Lorraine, and she's 16. She's into hair and makeup and clothes, kind of like Lizzie McGuire." - Hilary Duff, on the similarities between her former character and her new big-screen role in Cheaper by the Dozen, in the November/December issue of American Girl magazine.
