THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 22, 1995 TAG: 9505220036
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Boredom brought Harold Hollingsworth to the Hampton Roads Youth Vigil yesterday.
``I didn't have anything else to do,'' the Granby senior said earlier in the day.
But by the end of the evening, Hollingsworth took the microphone to give his thanks.
``This is good, what y'all are doing here,'' he said, ``Y'all are making a difference. Even though it might be small, we will make a difference.''
At least with Hollingsworth, the second annual Hampton Roads Youth Vigil achieved one of its goals - to motivate students to develop solutions to problems that are crippling today's youth.
The vigil, held at Norview High School's Chittum Field, attracted about 130 people who discussed several issues, including AIDS, teenage violence, respect, staying in school, and drinking and driving.
Student organizers developed the themes after polling 300 Norfolk juniors about the subjects that are most important to them.
``Staying in school was the major concern,'' said Tommy Smigiel, the 16-year-old co-chairman. ``Many are concerned about their future.''
The three-hour vigil offered words of encouragement from various speakers in a variety of forms - a Norfolk nurse discussed the disadvantages of driving under the influence and a student read the faxed letter of a 15-year-old AIDS patient who couldn't attend.
``He was healthy last year . . . but his doctor wouldn't release him to come this year,'' explained Marty Fentress, another co-chairman. ``But that's what AIDS is like. You don't know what might happen.''
Fentress said Sunday's event was important to give people an arena in which to talk about these issues, as well as to dispel the myths that many people hold about teenagers.
``We're labeled Generation X . . . lazy, not caring, we don't care about what happens around us,'' said the Granby senior.
``But we want to make a difference. We want people to know that we do care. We're not the ones causing all the problems, we're the ones fighting to get solutions for them.'' ILLUSTRATION: TAMARA VONINSKI
Staff
Chelsea Perry, 2, watches the candle-lighting vigil at dusk Sunday
at the Hampton Roads Youth Vigil. About 130 people went to Norview
High School in Norfolk to help students develop solutions to
problems that are crippling young people today.
by CNB