THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 16, 1996 TAG: 9606150091
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 133 lines
MOST GRADUATING seniors are eager to march to the melody of ``Pomp and Circumstance'' and leave high school behind. But 54 percent of today's Virginia Beach seniors are not ready to bid Hampton Roads farewell: they plan to stay.
This is according to The Virginian-Pilot's fifth annual survey of high school seniors. The Virginian-Pilot surveyed 777 students in Hampton Roads, including 194 in Virginia Beach. The 1996 senior class of Virginia Beach may be ready to leave high school, but not without being satisfied with the education they received. Those surveyed rated their educational quality as good-to-outstanding.
However, they are concerned. They know friends who carry guns to school. Some have experimented with drugs. But in an era of ``Martin'' and ``Melrose Place,'' the Internet and NASCAR, these respondents claim they have enough information to keep them focused.
Eighty-three percent of Virginia Beach teens reported they know enough about AIDS to protect themselves. One-third of seniors, or 33 percent, favor president Clinton's work and would vote him in as a second-term president in November. A surprising two-thirds would vote for Colin Powell, 18 percent would vote for Bob Dole.
Here's what Virginia Beach seniors had to say.
Quality of education.
These seniors are optimistic - Seventy-seven percent claim they are satisfied with their educational quality. More than 59 percent of those surveyed have plans to advance their education by attending a four-year college or university.
``I'm just keeping my goals high,'' said Kelly Engel, 18, who graduated last weekend from Cox High School. ``I'm pretty happy with myself. There are no real problems. I want to live life to the fullest.''
Race relations
In schools, some teens have found that race relations have improved while others say they have remained unchanged. More than three-quarters of Virginia Beach teens reported having close friends of another race.
Sixty-two Beach seniors - out of 194 - said they think race relations have improved since they entered school.
``It's been really easy for me to adjust to other races,'' said Justin Vance, 19, who is white. ``I have a couple of mixed cousins. My entire life I have had black friends, it makes no difference to me.''
The other two-thirds said they have stayed the same.
Jamie Hicks, a recent graduate of Bayside High who is also white, said the race relationships at her school have not changed.
``I see a lot of tension,'' she said. ``I wish they could get beyond the skin color and everything would be OK.''
Drugs and alcohol
Two major problems plague the minds of today's teens. They see drugs and alcohol in some neighborhoods, and, even in the schools.
Seven out of 10 graduating seniors indicated that the use of drugs and alcohol by their peers has increased since they started school.
However, the upward trend of today's drug culture appears to have declined, Virginia Beach seniors said.
In 1995, 79 percent of Virginia Beach teens said there was an increase of drug use in the schools.
This year, the figure has dropped a bit with a reported 70.1 percent of Virginia Beach seniors saying they have seen an increase of drug and alcohol use among their peers. The last time the result was that low in the five-year-old survey was in 1993 when 68 percent of seniors reported an increase.
Still, 43 percent reported experimenting with marijuana. Others say their cohorts test drugs because they're accessible.
``When I first started high school, it was easier to get marijuana than it was to get beer,'' said Vance, who graduated last weekend from Cox High. ``People ask people for weed like they're asking for cigarettes.''
Drinking has become a major problem among teens. However, 42 percent of the students claim they never drink alcohol. A recent Norfolk Academy graduate said she has never done drugs, nor does she drink alcohol.
``I'm not interested in getting drunk or getting embarrassed,'' said 18-year old Annie Lahren, who lives in Virginia Beach.
Natalie Levy, 18, also a recent Norfolk Academy graduate, wished she hadn't experimented with drugs or alcohol because it hindered her at school.
``Experimenting with drugs and alcohol has eliminated a lot of my abilities and caused me not to be able to achieve to my potential,'' she said.
AIDS and abortion
Although 82 percent of respondents say they know enough about AIDS to protect themselves, many argue that more could be done to educate students.
``They (teachers) didn't really explain a lot of stuff in school,'' Levy said.
``I saw a movie (about AIDS) and I said, `Oh my God, that could happen to anybody.' ''
And on the issue of abortion, Kelly Engel was among 45 percent of the Virginia Beach teens who said that abortion should not be banned under any circumstances. Twenty-four percent said it should be restricted for minors, while others were unsure.
``Women are going to have abortions anyway, it would keep the death rate down (if kept legal),'' Engel said. ``They should keep government out; it's a personal choice.''
With peer pressure and other factors that could possibly hinder a student's scholastic achievement, The Virginian-Pilot asked seniors if anything stood in their way of doing the most they could in school. If so, what.
Lori Blackmon, who just graduated from Cox High School, said she used to allow her peers' opinions to dictate her actions.
``I have learned that friends come and go - only I am constant. So I trust myself and make good decisions for me,'' she said. MEMO: [For a complete list of Virginia Beach area graduates and
valedictorians' profiles, both private schools and public schools, see
microfilm for this date.] ILLUSTRATION: [Cover, Color photo]
ON THE COVER
Cover illustration of graduation memorabilia is by staff
photographer STEVE EARLEY.
Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
The Bayside High School Class of '96 walked down the aisles at the
Pavilion on June 7. Out of 777 Hampton Roads students, 194 Beach
seniors were surveyed. They rated their educational quality as
good-to-outstanding.
THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 1996 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SURVEY
The Virginian-Pilot surveyed 777 graduating seniors in South Hampton
Roads in the Fifth Annual Survey of High School Seniors. Today's
graduates shared their opinions on a variety of issues including the
quality of the education they received, alcohol and drug use by
their peers, politics, religion, race relations, AIDS, abortion,
violence and religion.
[For a copy of the sample of questions and responses, see microfilm
for this date.]
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS GRADUATION '96 by CNB