ea difference now

New Karen Magnussen Teen Centre open for ideas

IMAGINE IT! Running your own club where you make
the rules and decide what goes on. Imagine having your
own ice rink and wave pool available to you at your re-

quest.

Here comes the best part. The
adults are only there to see that
you get what you want! This is
what the North Vancouver Recre-
ation Commission is offering to
any teenager who wants to run
such a club for their teen centre
programs.

How did the teen programs
start! The idea began in the form
of a pre-teen centre in Lynn.
Valley which opened last April.
The purpose of this centre was to
provide a safe and social en-
vironment for youth.

The pre-teen centre opened as a
huge success. The next step seem-

- ed only natural. The Karen

Magnussen Teen Centre was born
out of the idea to provide a place
where people cared about what
teens want to do.

The centre’s close location to a
school made it an ideal place for a
teen lounge. Also, the room to be
used as the lounge was away from
the main public part of the com-
plex (ie., you don’t have anybody
complaining about loud music!).

This centre had its trouble
opening but after a massive adver~
tising campaign, membership
enrolment climbed. There are cur~

_rently 60-70 members.

The teen centre provides a safe
and social environment through -
the strong leadership of a commit-,
tee made up of teenagers who
make decisions regarding all
aspects of the teen centre. .

' ‘However, this is also where the
centre’s current problem lies. The
centre needs a committee of in-
novative individuals who want to
get involved and use the services
available to them. Otherwise, the
centre will become another

- Last week we asked .for your
reaction’.to an’. article. we
published on date rape (Friday,
May 14, page 28),-and asked if

. ittis:a ‘problem on the North
Shore. :

’

“Why is there a whole ante

on how women should act. to
avoid it? Why dot you have
an article on how ‘mea should
act_on a date? Women sren’t
instigating rape, it’s the men.

I'm sick’ of hearing what’

girls should do. Girls should be
able to go anywhere they want
and wear anything they want

whenever they want and that, iis
it.

No. doubt about it it’s

definitely. a problem. 1 don’t’

know if it is so rauch a prob-
fem on the North Shore,
though. It’s definitely not the

‘girl’s fauit, but if a girl chooses:

‘to go out with a guy and she
, Sets into a situation where she
can’t get out,. there are so.
many resources: ‘now for: teens
\ to deal with problemis tike that.
“Guys have to kuow that. they
can’t do that. Gays should not
be: allowed fo «touch . women -
whcn they don’t want it. But if”
you are going to say.that for
girls and guys, you have to say
it for adults, too.: The rule has
to be the same for everyone
straight across. f ‘
Other recent questions were:
® Are - teens responsible for

vandalism or are they, just gel- :

-ting the blame? uf

Bf

I definitely think, that teers

are responsible for some of it.

Jason is 17 years Old, cand a
Grade 12 student at Carson
Graham. secondary school. He is
interested in theatre and humor.

; VV.

reminder of the past. ;

The teen centre’s current format
leaves a lot of room for expansion
and ideas. A $20 membership,
valid for a year, goes to pay for
sports equipment, TV, arcade
games (yup, Street Fighter Il:
Champion Edition is there, too!),
and food. ;

Through the teen centre, you
have access to anything that you

“want, from counselling to job

finding services. If the recCentre
doesn’t have it, they’ll put you
through to someone who does.

In addition to all these services,
the normal recreation services are
available as well. The recCentre. ©
would gladly open up the wave
pool and the ice rink to a ‘teen
club members only*’ event if the
committee wanted it.

But I think that: most of the.”
vandalism is done by other cit-
izens, snd the teens are just
getting blamed for it because
they have done it once. or
twice. I think it has to do with
ali of the violence in our socie-,

ty. Stop blaming the teens, it’s

not our fault.

@ What are your greatest
health concerns?

My greatest health concern is’
gangs, and yes, gangs are a
health concern because if peo-
ple keep getting beaten up by —
gangs, they won’t live'to be 18
or, 19 (years old), I'm 18 and -
I’ve seen friends getting besten —
up. They should do something
about the violence instead of

“just writing about it.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Teachers are taking strike ac-
tion across the province and
some Grade 12' students are
getting worried that they won't

’ graduate. Are the teachers be-

ing fair? Are the schoo! boards
being: fair? How. are you af-.~
fected by the job action? Do -
you think teachers should be.

: legistated back to, work? ;

nf

Donna Mathis, an administrator
for the Karen Magnussen and
Lynn Valley teen centres, feels the
need for a dynamic group to take
control of the program and run it
is greater than ever. After being
with the recCentre for 17 years,
Mathis feels that the time for all
teens to act is now.

“*T would love to be approached
by the committee and have them
say, ‘we want to go back-pack-

.ing,’ or ‘we want the teen centre
to be open on more days.’ So
many teens are saying that they
don’t have anything to do. Well
now, for the first time, adults are
sitting down and saying, ‘What do
you want?’

“It’s frustrating to have all this
. stuff with no one wanting to do
‘anything with it. We want
everyone to know that we’re here
and listening,’’ she said.

The Lynn Valley pre-teen centre
is open every day after school,
Friday evenings and Saturday.

You can get in touch with them at

983-6575.

You can contact the Karen
Magnussen teen centre at 983-
6559 and it’s open in the evening
on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday.

You can also get information
about the programs through the
recCentre’s hotline, 987-PLAY.
Punch in code 888 and you’re set.

Free fares
offered to

class of 93

BC TRANSIT is offering . the
_popular GradPass program again

; this spring.

. GradPass is an’ awareness and

free fare’ program that is a coop-

- erative effort involving BC Tran-

- sit, the Vancouver Regional Tran-

sit Commission, CounterAttack,
- police, schools and the media,

This is the fifth year of the
program.

The program promotes - ‘alter-
natives to driving with someone
who has been drinking and offers
a safe, accessible option — public
; transit. .

This year, nearly 18,000 free
GradPasses have been distributed
to Grade 12 students in, the Van-

couver Regional Transit ° System |

service area.

The passes ‘are valid for travel
on any two: days from May 15 to
June.30 — grad season. Students

using the pass can travel on bus,

' Sea Bus or SkyTrain.

RANDY BARRINGTON-FOOTE has ,
been appointed Manager at Hongkong’
Bank of Canada’s Bank of British’
Columbia Division branch at.

1578 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
Randy has held various management:
positions during his'12 years in the
Canadian banking industry and has
extensive experience in both Personal
and Commercial Credit. Hongkong
Bank of Canada, a member of the.

HSBC Group, has 108 offices across if

Canada. With over 3,000 offices
worldwide and headquartered in
London, the HSBC Group ranks among
; the largest bariking and financial
» Services org anizations in the v world.

Hongkong Bankof Canada

pers

oe

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Monday

(Victoria Day) |

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ay 24th |

Net proceeds raised donated to Lions Gate
Hospital - Emergency Ward and
Evergreen House Extended Care Unit

Registration forms at all recCentres.
_For more information call:
Ron Andrews recCentre.° -
983-6543 ext.360

Race Sponsors:

Horth Vancouver. ,
fA Recreetion Commission

Additional Sponsors:

2. ACTA

SAFEWAY EWAY:

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IMPERIAL
PRINTING ING.|

ARDAGH HUNTER’ TURNER

* Barristers && Solute