THEY SAY they want to
know what is going on in
the minds of youth today.

» By Teya Mathias «
od ZAP! Contributor «<

What are our ideas, goals and
dreams? Do we really want to
make a difference and help others
like we say we do?

If we were given the chance,
would we succeed? That is some-
thing

that most young people

44 Out of 10
finalists, four
were chosen and
granted a $1,000

grant... .99

spend a great amount of time try-
ing to prove:

Trying to make people listen
and understand our thoughts and
ideas on. how to make the world
or their community a better place.

Last week we asked if the new
gang hotlines for anonymous
tips will help curb youth vio-
Jence on the North Shore.

vs reatly good that. they
now have a hotline because a
lot of stuff goes around about
gangs. I know a lot of stuff se-

. cond hand, but J wouldn't go
to the police with it, | wovld
call a hotline. The media
doesn’t really make too much
of youth violence because there
is a lot of it going on, maybe
they hype it up a bit.

A lot of false claims will be
made. £ don’t know anyone
’ who would want to be a rat,
but 1 wouldn't want to be a
rat; there’s no point. .

I would definitely phone in
to one and so should anyone
else who is being harassed or
abused by any gang. There's
not much you can do when
\you're being picked on, and it
would be great to talk to
someone about it who doesn’t
know you. It doesn’t  reaily
help, though, because a lot of
people are seared to call. Hf the
gangs find out, they will be
abused and harassed even
more, H's good and bad,
because it’s great that they can
talk to someone about the
harassment.

Violence between teens is
really scaring everyone, but |
don’t know what a talkline will
do. 1 don't think it's going to
do much, it's just a waste: of
money. Other tactics need to
be used, like going to schools
and talking to kids. But it’s
good for someone who has
no-one to turn to,

ph pau

The North Shore Credit Union
has done just that; they have or-
ganized a program called
YouthPOWER.

This program was developed as
a legacy to commemorate the
credit union’s 50th anniversary in
1991,

YouthPOWER focuses on
young people for a number of
reasons. We are young, willing
and eager to learn new and inter-
esting possibilities of improving
ourselves.

Our opinions are valid and
worth listening to.

The credit union’s marketing
vice-president Doug Smith said,
“As an active member of the
communities we serve, we want to
initiate a program that would
provide students with the oppor-
tunity to develop leadership skills
while proactively helping to im-
prove the quality of life in their
communities.’’

When { hear that, | give a sigh
of relief. Just knowing that one
person wants to hear what we
have to say excites me and makes
me want to do more to help.

In the past, funding has been
holding teens back from organiz-
ing groups like this. The credit
union has recognized the lack of
school funding and is willing to
support us.

The credit union organized the

_ Legacy Task Force to collect ap-

plications from youth that state
what they would like to do to
benefit their community.

Out of 10 finalists, four were
chosen and granted a $1,000 prant

It’s preat they have teen
hotlines now. Millions of kids
are being beat every day, and
it’s great that they can phone
in. I would definitely phone in,
because it’s not fair.

Recently we asked if young of-
fenders should be punished as
harshly as adults, and if their
names should be made public.
Here: are more comments on
that subject.

I don’t, because they are
younger than everyone else.

They should beeause if a
teenager is going around
molesting ids, then parents
have a right to know about it.
When I do something wrong,
my sister and my parents find

_ out about it.

Yes, 1 do think that young
offenders should be punished
as long as the punishment is
really fair, { also think it’s fair
io keep their names from
public.

Yes. [think they should be.

Ae?

econ rep

He NEWS

Taene ps

plans to make a ci

to pay for the expenses that may
be necessary to make the projects

a Success.

@ A team at St. Thomas Aquinas

school will produce a book tracing

the history of their school;

© Sutherland secondary school
peer counsellors will hold a con-
ference for Grade 8 students, on
March 24, to help prepare them
for their social and academic years
to come;

@® A student from Seycove sec-
ondary school plans to hold an
environmental conference at the
school to encourage all students to
become actively involved in en-
vironmental issues;

TWO LOWER Mainland high school stu-
dents have died this year after accidents
during school-sponsored ski trips. An inci-
dent last week at Cypress Bowl is being in-

vestigated,

Do you think schools should

have ski trips? [s there enough supervision?

@ A Windsor secondary school
student plans to produce a video
about peer counselling services
available to students.

These are ideas that we all
thought about for a long time, but
never thought we would be able to
do something about.

We know the schools sometimes
have a hard time finding funding
for extra issues like these.

“The YouthPOWER slogan is
‘Make a difference’ and we want
our young people to know that
they have the power to do just
that,’’ Smith said.

I am a student at Sutherland
school as well as a _ peer

erence

counsellor, 1 think all of these
youth ideas are wonderful and
there are a lot more where they
came from,

I know that I speak for all the
students when 1 thank the North
Shore Credit Union for their faith
and support in us.

They have given us a great sense
of responsibility, trust, and en-
couragement which is all we ever
really wanted from anyone.

Teya Mathias is a 16-year-old
Grade {1 student from Sutherland
secondary school. She's interested
in drawing and painting, as well
as cowboy boots and feather
jackets.

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

Protecting the rainforests

THROUGH RAFFLES, bake sales, and other fundraising events, Grade 6 students like these
have raised $450 to purchase 20 acres of the Brazilian rain forest. Some of the raffle prizes are
shown here by some of the students who were involved in the fundraising project: (left to right) '
Lena Wilson, Raj Grewal, Rosatina Calla, Mitena Chiang, James Lau, and Lars Jungciaus.

HERE WE GO! MY FAMOUS
VEGETABLE CASSEROLE!

ITS TO REMIND ME
TO TIEASTRING ON
MY FINGER...

DAD'S MEALS
DO TEND To
HAVE BIZARRE
SIDE EFFECTS.

© 1907 Unto Ventas Syttale Int

TO REMIND ME TO
TAKE THE TAPE OFF