Today’s Youth

* On June 21 I attended the awards assembly at Venice High School for the 500 students of the Class of ’93. Student after student marched on stage to accept awards for scholastic achievement, community service, involvement in school activities and athletic performance. Thirty different local community groups made presentations of scholarships. A total of 237 awards were given.

I looked around the packed 1,200-seat auditorium at the Latino, African-American, Asian and Anglo families. The gangbangers may get the media attention, but there are plenty of kids who not only show up and do their work, but do it in a way to make many of us hopeful about the future.

STEPHANIE WAXMAN

Venice