A unique opportunity to focus on the issues and lives of girls brought groups of students from the Ellison and Northtown campuses together as part of the Girls in the Game program. Meeting at Northtown, 77 girls from both schools were welcomed at Northtown by trainers from Girls in the Game, a non-profit organization that teaches girls how to lead healthy lives and develop leadership skills.

Rachel Owens, a Northtown junior, says she enjoyed the two-hour session in which she learned to kickbox, create an exercise routine and talk about and listen to issues facing her and her classmates. Rachel says the group discussed their conflicts with friends, boyfriends and family members. "You should talk it out and not react first," she says.

Jill Campbell, the social worker at Northtown, says she was referred to the organization through a parent last year. Through talks with Girls in the Game trainers, they saw the appeal of bringing students from both campuses together.

Campbell says many girls need be taught how to voice their opinions and care for themselves. It is a difficult message to hear over the din of recent news stories, such as the alleged physical abuse of popular singer Rhianna by her boyfriend. "Girls are getting mixed messages from the media about what is right in a relationship," Campbell says. "They need to realize what respect is, and how to respect themselves."

The program was sponsored by ATI Physical Therapy and Joyful Dental Care. Exercise routines in kickboxing and yoga address another major issue facing girls: unhealthy diets and poor physical conditioning.

Owens says she has committed herself to exercising and will use tips she learned. But the main message she carries from the experience: "Love yourself. If you don't respect yourself, no one else will."