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Youth commission members are busy, and their plan is to get even busier

By Shannon Burkey

It's been a busy year for the Saratoga Youth Commission, which is already planning for a busier one next year.

At its April 18 meeting, the Saratoga City Council met with commission members to hear an update on their accomplishments over the past year and to find out their plans.

Each year, the youth commission sponsors activities in the community to bring the youth in the area together. This year, its activities included monthly middle school dances at the community center, a lecture on the genocide taking place in Darfur as part of the Teen Inspiration Lecture Series and a video game tournament at the Warner Hutton House.

"Overall, our events this year went very well, and we're just going to build on them next year," said Commissioner Michael Byrne, a senior at Saratoga High School.

Although events such as the dances and lecture series have been ongoing for a few years, the commission decided to try some new ways to get Saratoga's teens out to its events.

In the past, the lecture series has featured speakers with interesting jobs to talk to the teens, but this year commissioners wanted the series to have more of a global feel; they believed Darfur was an important and relevant topic.

"A large population is in the dark about the events taking place over there," said Commissioner Corey Rateau, a sophomore at Saratoga High. "We hope to raise awareness and expand on the question, 'What is the next step?' "

This year, the commission also held its first video game tournament at the Warner Hutton House that brought teens together on a Friday night for a little friendly competition. Next year, the commission plans to change the event a bit and make it more of a "hang out" night for teens where they can not only play video games, but also play pool and foosball and just mingle and relax.

Commissioners also briefed the council on their recent joint meeting with the Los Gatos Youth Commission. Although the Los Gatos commission runs differently, the two plan to work together in the future to create opportunities for teens in both areas to come together. The Los Gatos commission is more policy-based and is run through the town's police department, while the Saratoga commission is more events-based and run through the city's recreation department.

"Previously, they have tried to hold events but have not been successful," said Commissioner Shireen Gupta, a junior at Saratoga High. "We want to collaborate with them on events. If we can do that, we should experience more success in the future."

Commissioner Steven Shephard, a senior at Saratoga High, said having an events-based commission seems to be a more influential thing in the community.

"It does a lot more to have a place for teens to go and things for them to do," he said.

Commissioners Kia Fariba, an eighth-grader at Redwood Middle School, and Pratik Pramanik, a senior at Lynbrook High School, told the council about the commission's upcoming involvement with the SHIFT Coalition. The commission plans to create a subcommittee to work with the organization on curbing teen drinking.

"They are a well-intentioned group that wants to help the community," Pramanik said. "We believe this could be a perfect symbiotic relationship."

One issue the council said the commission should look at is global warming and how to combat it in the community.

"You're the ones who are going to be affected, so you might want to do something about it," Councilwoman Jill Hunter said.

The council also expressed concern about teens hanging out by the Heritage Orchard after school and asked the commission to look into it.

Overall, council members said they were impressed with the commission and all its accomplishments.

"I am so pleased to see you all getting involved," Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith said. "This is a great training ground for leadership in the future."

And though the commission will lose five members this year to college, the council and commission feel it is on the right track.

"We have set a strong foundation for the current commission to step into leadership roles," said Commissioner Tammi Maltiel, a senior at Lynbrook.