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,

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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