CHATSWORTH : Youth Summit Takes Aim at the Schools

Their mission was to discuss the problems of teen-agers, but for more than 200 high school students at the first West Valley Summit at Chatsworth High School on Friday, the topic quickly shifted to what’s wrong with schools.

“We want to change the whole system around; right now, it’s doing nothing for us,” said Marquis Moody, a senior at Granada Hills High School. Asked to address the gathering on drug and alcohol abuse, Moody was one of many students at the summit who related such problems among youth to a lack of support from adults.

“Everyone is aiming at the students, but you’ve got to start at the top. A lot of these teachers just come to earn a paycheck,” said another senior, Raul Sanchez.

The summit, which brought together students from seven area high schools and three junior high schools, was organized by coordinators of the federally funded drug intervention program IMPACT. The students, many considered at risk for dropping out or joining gangs, talked in small groups about relationships, racial tensions, drugs and violence in schools between assemblies.

Connie Dunn, IMPACT coordinator for Chatsworth High School, said she was satisfied with the session.

Race relations was the top subject of the day. Although the students at the summit appeared about evenly divided between black, Latino and Asian students--with a smaller number of Anglo students--many said that ethnic groups tend not to mix on their campuses.

“I knew nothing about Asian culture until I met Jennifer here,” said 17-year-old Sadiqa Baseer, an African-American student at Pacific Palisades High School, giving a gentle shove to companion Jennifer Choi during a lunch break.

Students floated ideas for promoting racial harmony on campuses, such as mixing rap and rock ‘n’ roll at school dances. And again and again, they appealed to adult administrators and teachers to provide more multicultural activities, leadership and support for students.