While only a few miles separates Helensview and Grant High Schools, some differences between the schools are immediately apparent. Helensview has no football or soccer fields, no playground equipment, and no tennis courts, but rather an expansive field that appears to simply take up space and a lone, cracked basketball court. Students entering Helensview are met by a security guard holding a metal-detecting wand. The only entrance to the school is kept locked at all times; principal Kris Persson wants to keep all violence away from her school.

Playful banter fills the air as pairs of students battle over each other's kings in the classic strategy game of chess. Another group of students plea their case for why their noun works best with the adjective in a laughter-filled game of Apples to Apples. This is not a study hall class, but a class full of students who tested in the 99th percentile in order to be accepted to the ACCESS program, which is part of the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program. Fridays in the ACCESS class are know as "Game day Fridays," when the students get a chance to relax and have some fun after a week full of accelerated, honors, and AP courses.

It all started when she was 5 years old. She was introduced to tee-ball, and fell in love. By age 6 she was playing little league baseball with all the boys, and by 7 she had joined her first softball team--, the Misfits. From ages 10-13 she played for Aphis in Washington, then moved on to the Bulldogs at 14. Now senior Jessie Minch plays club softball for Glacier, a competitive team from Tualatin that travels often to participate in a number of college showcases.

"Who says you can't?" is the theme of this year's fourth annual African American Student conference hosted by Reaching and Empowering All People (REAP) on March 14. Starting at 8 a.m., with a performance by the Grant Gospel Choir and the Step team, this event is going to address issues about race, class, and the "black experience" at Grant and in the Portland Public School system.