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
Building the community
By Times Staff Writer
Published January 19, 2004
Andrew Shue
Orlando Bloom
Don't ever say that former TV stars don't go on to do great things. Consider Andrew Shue, best known for his role as Billy on guilty-pleasure nighttime soap opera Melrose Place. In 1993 Shue founded "Do Something," an organization dedicated to encouraging students to explore community service and volunteerism. Shue also felt that exceptional volunteers deserved to be recognized for their work, so he created the Do Something BRICK Awards, dubbed by CNN as "the Oscars of youth service awards." How do you grab a coveted golden statuette? Check out www.dosomething.org for an application. Nominations are due by Jan. 31. Winners can claim their prize at a gala awards ceremony in New York in April. Winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship, a $5,000 grant and pro bono services for continued community work. Now, get busy!
Happy New Year!
No, that greeting isn't late if you are celebrating the Chinese New Year, which begins Thursday. This is the Year of the Monkey, a good year to take some chances because the monkey is thought to be a lucky creature, according to Chinatown Online, a Web site (http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk) that provides information on Chinese culture. If you are born in the year of the monkey, the last time being in 1992-93, this is a good year to build relationships. It's good to get that information before Valentine's Day.
Newsy knowledge
Think you're up on current events? Well, test your news knowledge with a new online trivia game. The quiz picks your brain on topics from politics to sports to entertainment. And, as an added component, there's a time limit. Choose your skill level - from intern to editor - and questions get more difficult as you shift levels. Grand prize winners - those with 70 points - can print out their own press pass. The game can be found at www.newseum.org/newsmania
Xpress quote
"When I was 4 years old, I played a monkey in a monkey suit. It was really hot onstage. I itched my (bottom) and the entire audience laughed at me."
- Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom, discussing his worst acting job in the February issue of Teen People
