The students poured in from Los Gatos, Leigh, Archbishop Mitty, Saratoga and Westmont high schools to participate in an event sponsored by the Under 21 Club. The club emerged out of the "Alive ... and Loving Life" movement. The ALL program was formed after the tragic death of 18-year-old Los Gatos High School senior Eric Quesada in a drunken-driving accident in November of 2002. The 15-member club's focus is to provide late-night alternatives for teens besides drinking and drugs.

For their first official event, club members including Jacqui Kemp, a Los Gatos High School sophomore, and Negin Saei, a Leigh senior, organized a nightclub for teens. For a $5 admission and with valid high school identification, students entered the Los Gatos Bar & Grill for an evening of dancing, pool, big-screen televisions, 12-inch pizzas, french fries and soda.

Negin said the mature, positive environment and off-school campus location helped students feel like they were being treated as adults.

"The music was great, the dance floor was always full, and the pool tables were a hit. It was the perfect scenario, because the people who didn't want to dance were able to talk and relax at the couches and pool tables," Jacqui said. "So far, we've had nothing but good feedback. Everyone wants it to happen again."

Jacqui, 16, said members are already planning the club's next event, such as a concert with local teenage bands, a coffee house or sports night or even a movie outing.

"They want to have fun. They want to party, and we as adults need to make sure they have a safe environment to do that," said Marsha Palitz-Elliott, one of the parent volunteers with the Under 21 Club.

Before Jacqui got her driver's license, she spent Friday and Saturday nights at home or asking her parents to drive her places. But the biggest problem for teens, she said, is there's not much for them to do, plus teens have a 10 p.m. town curfew.

"High schoolers are often insecure, and they feel a need to fit in by drinking," she said. "They need something to look forward to."

That's when Billy Ayer came into the picture. Ayer, the manager of the Los Gatos Bar & Grill at 15^1/2 N. Santa Cruz Ave., supported the Under 21 Club's idea and donated his services, venue and staff to make the event happen.

In cooperation with the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department and Los Gatos town officials, Ayer said, the event ran smoothly. Visitors at the nightclub included Los Gatos Mayor Steve Glickman, Councilwoman Sandy Decker and Councilman Mike Wasserman. Ayer said it also helped that the event chaperones were not parents of students in attendance.

"It's tough for students around their parents at that age. You're nervous. It's an awkward age," Ayer said. "We're bringing them into an adult establishment and showing them that you can act as an adult even in high school."

The club members hope that other restaurants and businesses will want to follow in Ayer's footsteps—setting a model for teen-community partnership.

"Our goal is that this will be so huge that other businesses will want to do it, too," Jacqui said.

Ayer added it's a good step in the right direction that he hopes will continue at his business and others.

"As kids, you can find so many things to do wrong," Ayer said. "And we've got to show them things to do right."

For more information about the Under 21 Club, email under21club@comcast.net.