there were, Now 1 have a better
understanding, though | am still
not too sure about the yellow
ones.

Mike showed me how to work
this ‘really neat labelling device.

“It’s so much fun to use. Last but

not least, lan. showed me how to
transfer old home movie film to
VHS video tape.

It was really cool the way they
taught me things by letting me try

things out so that I could sce how |

things worked for myself. I'd ask,

» “What happens if: 1 were to do

‘I REALLY don’t think kids ,
realize how hard it is once:
‘you’ are out of high school
and into the real world.

lot of teens think that aiken
praduation it’s smooth sail-
ing.

; In. my mind,’ !. would like to
think, “party, party, with no
responsibilities.” Once in a while -
is OK, but for the rest of my Fife?
That’s not for me! ":

‘1 didn’t “always think ‘this way.
Recently I have been involved in a
work experience program offered
through :Sutherland’s career
- preparation “ ‘video production
course. 1 was. placed at Mr. Edit .
- Video: Services, a local production
~ house * located '. in: -North. Van-
“couver. :
©. The: people 1 am’ working with
are a blast. They" tea Breat bunch.
‘of guys.

’ When I first started, Phil made '
“me familiar with all the equipment

~ Yavould soon be using for dubbing
and editing ' as: well. as; foreign
transfers, Q se

"Mehdi showed B “how to hook
-up:the “various. pieces of equip-,

“ment j ~~" T couldn't’ believe how’

“many . different wires and, cords:

‘ was. able. to . work

: perly..

this?’’ They would say, ‘Do it,
find out.”’

I think cvery student shouid
have the chance to engage in work
experience through the school. 1
‘spoke with other teens who par-
ticipated in a work experience
program and these were some of
- the responses: :

“4 is. fun working in areal
working environment. It shows
you what the real working world
is all about. I enjoyed it because |
in’ an’ at-
mosphere that would normally. be
out of reach to me.”

“Work experience is definitely .

.the real thing, and.is'a hundred
times better than learning about it
in school. It is a much ‘faster,
more interesting, and’more effec-

‘tive way of learning.

“When -you read about it in
books or someone tells you, you
never.. really know how. hard or
how easy it is to do. You've got
to do it yourself to know it pro-

“There's no book that.
‘describe and teach you better than

‘your: own. hands. At ‘the end you a

can. be proud of, what ° you" ve
done.” A

Just because 1 learned a. lot:

about . video praduction doesn’t
mean. that this is.going to be; my
career: for the rest of my -life.: It
has shown me that I have choices, .°

that I can do anything I want to if ‘

will |

1 try and put my heart to it.

It showed me that. 1 have a
sense of responsibility and when
people give you a job to be done
you have a responsibility to live
up to your commitment.

I live up to my _ responsibilities .

because these are people whom |
like and enjoy working with. They
treat me like a person, not a child.
‘A lot of students in school feel
that they are being looked down
on. It can be very discouraging if
there is a constant power trip be-
tween student and
everyone treats everyone as a per-
son, as an individual, as an equal,
chances are there would be much

less questioning as to whether or.

not someone is being treated fair-
ty.

I never thought that I would -
have made my own production at.
the age of 16. I mean, it’ wasn't
the greatest, buz.it was-a first. It ©
was the very first time Thad used
a video camera.

- Just think, 1 may never have

. gotten the chance to explore this

kind of work. I found it a fittle
hard at first juggling my part-time
job, working at Mr. Edit, going to
the gym, and spending time with
my family and friends, not ‘to
mention my other school work.

‘| have never’ been a top-mark

student in the academic. area. -}:,

sincerely try my hardest. The ca-
reer preparation video production |
course has given me a boost ahead
of everyone else.

Now I know that
stupid.

Well, 1 knew 1 wasn’t stupid. 1

rm not

just felt, that’ way when I would

receive’a low mark or have trou-
ble understanding something.

1 know now. that there are
things ‘that I can do ‘that: most
people .:wouldn’t have. a: clue

’ about. ye

Everything ‘that we learn will
‘come in handy ‘soorier or later.

We are receiving so much input.

teacher, If ..

“ have to pay for it..-They are mak- °

TEENS INVOLVED in work experience
say it gives them a taste ‘of the real
world and what it will be tike after
graduation. Do. you think you would
benefit from the chance to work for a
local business as part of your school

A PEEK ‘at the real wor'd was ‘offered to Sutherland. secondary
schoo! student Teya (Mathias when, through her school, she went
to work at Mr. Edit Video. Services in North: Vancouver tast
mont. Here Myr. Edit: ‘Production ‘manager, tan. Gray’ shows

Mathias the Foes,

if the schools ‘ ‘can grab. the :stu-
dents’ attention like. they did: mine
‘ by offering | ‘opportunities °' Tike’
‘work ‘experience, . this “will: en
courage’ kids: to. stay. in’ school
‘rather than ‘skipping and hanging |
- out at the malls. 23.7".
: 1 would reaily- like to'give’ a big
“hug and thanks’ to everyone. who’
made this: video production: class
~ possible, It has done.a lot for: me

every day but we tend to zone out
much of the information. We only ; .
hear what we want to hear,

My advice is to keep an open
mind. Don't. be afraid .to’ ask
questions.’ Find out what. you are’.
good at and:.what you enjoy ‘do-
ing: Who" wants ‘to work 40-50/
years at a job they hate and have
no interest in whatsoever?

There is a lot being. offered to
the youth of today — we are get- -
ting our schooling paid ‘for. It’s -

. free, so, why not take alf-you can?

students: thins is” one of
Sutherland .. secondary ::

_ video: production : career: ‘prépara-
“tion course. ‘Youth Vit
"ten by these students

When we face college, universi-
ty ‘or upgrading weiare going to

sing it, easy on us by supplying
school for free. -

“Last week we asked you to talk, ‘the ‘bad adults: ‘Look at. the
about the good things teens do, .- people. like, David : “Snow;
they’re terrible. We; hay te
look at: violence as a big prob-

- I'm a “youth: worker | at
Jem, not a tiny problem. Fclaced ;

Capilanc Youth | Centre. We:
- have 2 lot’ of ‘teens coming: to ‘teens. alone. We’ have. -te

“down here, und teens are. often “ clean Up our society: For teens,
viewed as. being, troublemakers. ‘we meed something to do. ‘Rec
There ‘are a jot of good things — centres are closing up their teen’

‘happening at (his centre ‘and 2 .swims,'so I can’t go to a teen”:
jot of positive things are being . swim anymore and Vm-out in

~ organized, oe the streets.: he rs A

“T do think there are some...
good teens out there as weil as;
the bad, but the good -ones
don't ‘get\-any recoguition.

_ More responsibility and more
appreciation ‘should be put on
teens. We're ihe people who
are going to have to lead this,

Most major manuifacturers offer co-operative advertising

’ plans. This means your purchases may have earned .-
dollars with which: can” pay all’ or some of your:.

. Newspaper. ad costs. =

because it’s the media that por-:
‘trays teenagers as the bad ones..
If you look ‘enough, you. will:
find kids that ore e doing good. :

country. . The: teens have to
have some kind «of support.
behind them. it’s really impor-
tant that our parents’ genera-
dion and our ’- grandparents’.

»ficosts nothing but a ‘phone call to find out about all. generation show that they are -
behind us. so we can feel

available co-op advertising dollars S you qualify for. < “stronger and strive for more..

: ; “You don’t want to end up like | |

Vo ; Brian Mulroney, do you?

: “Ws - ironic “that whenever
something bad happens with a
teenager, the question gets ask-"

ed: -what do‘ we do ‘with these
kids? There’s' a. fot of | good |

' teenagers .out there. The. per-

* ‘centage -of: bad. kids ‘is: pretty
‘small,. especially, compared “to-

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980-0511