THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 23, 1994 TAG: 9412220075
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TEENSPEAK
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
THEY AREN'T THE movie stars of Hollywood, the millionaires of Wall Street, the power brokers of Washington or even the rap kings of New York and L.A.
They're the mothers and fathers who sacrifice for their families. The grandmothers and uncles who instill religious values and a strong work ethic. The teachers who tell students to keep striving.
Heroes, a group of I.C. Norcom High School students said, are really those who show teens - day in and day out - how goals can be reached. They are the people who prove that being a decent person is honorable.
The teens said they often admire famous people for their achievements. But achievements and notoriety, they explained, don't automatically add up to hero status.
``I think a hero is on a more personal level, someone you see every day for encouragement,'' said Janeen Perry, a 17-year-old senior.
Matthew Baker, a 15-year-old sophomore, agreed.
``The people in the spotlight today, you don't really know what they do when they're not in the spotlight,'' he said. ``It's easier to look up to people you really know.''
Senior Nikki Andrews, 17, argued that many teens have ``good'' heroes. Those who don't, she said, get most of the attention, though.
``There are a considerable number of us with our priorities straight, and our heroes are good heroes,'' Nikki said. ``I just don't think we're portrayed as much as those whose heroes are wrong.''
For Kevin Mapp, naming heroes was easy.
``My mother and father, they're my heroes,'' said Kevin, a 17-year-old senior. ``I see my parents struggle. They go to work every day and they instill in us an appreciation for hard work and say that education will get you where you want to be.''
So what makes a hero, anyway?
They come in all flavors, the students said, but they still share several characteristics. For one thing, heroes are those who inspire people and sacrifice for others. They're not phony.
Many teenagers, Janeen said, ``look at who has the biggest car, the nicest clothes, the nicest rings and whatnot - and then look up to those people as heroes. But they don't know about that person in detail. They may make money, but not give back to their community.''
Young people of the '90s, the group said, are also pickier when it comes to selecting heroes.
``When our parents were growing up, mass communication was kind of new,'' Janeen said. ``They looked at celebrities as though they were God or immortal. Now in the '90s, we're used to the technology and we've seen all of the controversies that have been going on and we realize . . . (celebrities) are real people, too. They make mistakes.''
``There are fewer people with the qualities of a hero,'' Matthew added. ``You see more people doing the wrong things as opposed to doing the right things. That can make you wonder. And people who do have heroic qualities don't get as much attention.''
Still, heroes are in demand, Kevin said.
``I think kids have a tougher time growing up now than they had back then,'' he said. ``They need more that they can look up to, and they need all the help they can get to stay on the right path.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Her grandmother Elsie Groves. ``She can take a stand . . . and she
always tries to give us religious values.''
Margaret Groves, 16, junior
My mother. She's very ladylike, very professional. She's a very
godly woman. Besides religion, her family is her No. 1 priority.
Nikki Andrews, 17, senior
My biggest heroes are my parents.
Kevin Mapp, 17, senior
(Her mom.) For every step, she's always there.
Kim Jackson, 15, sophomore
by CNB