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Sunnyvale's Newspaper

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Sunnyvale Middle School students Jeremey Easts and Jamie Kimure say there's not much to do after school if you aren't in sports.

Nothing Doing

City studies the need for a teen center

By Katherine Petersen

"There's nothing to do."

Most parents have heard the refrain often enough by the time their kids are teenagers.

Several Sunnyvale parents and teens seem to agree that, aside from athletics, there aren't many after-school options for teens.

"Mostly I think we just need somewhere we can go because so many parents work," said Frank Park, last year's student body president at Sunnyvale Middle School. "A lot of parents don't get home until after 5 p.m., and kids hang out with friends outside the school." Other students go across the street to De Anza Park, some to smoke cigarettes, others to simply gather together until dinner time.

Park and some parents at the middle school say the time may have come in Sunnyvale for a teen center--or at least a room on campus to play board games, watch videos and work on after-school projects.

While school and city officials are aware of the possible need for a center, studies and plans for such a project have barely begun.

The city is studying the possibility of a teen center and exploring where such a center might be located if the need exists, said Nancy Steward, the city's superintendent for arts and youth services.

"This is just the first step in the process," Steward said.

The City Council will ultimately decide if a teen center is a possible undertaking for the city, and then give direction to how plans should proceed.

While Sunnyvale Middle School is interested in the possibility of offering more after-school activities for its students in some form, the school will be undergoing construction for the next year and a half, and there is no space for a center at this time, assistant principal Freddie Bagley said.

"Down the line, we absolutely do want to look at something, but it's very premature," Bagley said. The school might want to use the Columbia Neighborhood Center, a pilot partnership project between the school district and the city, as a model, she added.

Sherry Fang, a Sunnyvale Middle School parent, applauded the after-school programs at Columbia Middle School and wished that her eighth-grade daughter had transportation to get to these activities.

However, the Columbia Neighborhood Center offers many more services than after-school activities and is not considered a teen center.

"There are wonderful programs in place at Columbia," Fang said. "I'd like to see a similar set-up at our school."

While Columbia has introduced after-school enrichment programs into its program, Sunnyvale Middle School already has similar sports and tutorial programs for its students, Bagley said.

In addition to these activities, the city offers a youth-employment program, a youth-volunteer program and a day-trip excursion program on teachers' in-service days, Steward said.

"We're trying to develop strategies to improve getting the word out," Steward said. "There are a lot of things happening in Sunnyvale provided by the city and other organizations. I don't think people are aware of all that happens here."

Fang's daughter, Jennifer Poon, would like to see some kind of teen center at her school. Except for Monday afternoon clarinet lessons, she said, she is often bored at home after school. Although she doesn't care for competitive sports, she's considering joining the school's volleyball team "just so I'll have something to do besides clean the house."

"My friends and I think it would be neat to have a place to go where we could play video games, watch movies, finish homework and hang out," Poon said. "The place should have food and snacks, too."

While Poon might not attend a teen center every day, she would definitely use such a facility, she said.

Park stressed that students should be a part of the development of any teen center and suggested surveying students to find out what they'd like to do after school, a project the city has already undertaken in its study.

Fang has gathered a few interested parents, but so far there isn't enough evidence that this is what the kids want, said Diana Cascone, president of Sunnyvale Middle School's Parent-Teacher-Student Association.

"We're interested in investigating it," she said. "It's a wonderful idea, and I do see a few kids hanging around after school, apparently with no place to go."

Terry Yordan, a Sunnyvale Middle School parent, wants her son to have a clean, safe place to go after school. "He's a latchkey kid every week, and it distresses me," she said. "A place where he could have fun or do homework would be wonderful for both of us."

Yordan's son, Tim, would like to be able to play basketball in the school gym after school or participate in pick-up soccer games.

"I do get kinda bored and watch a lot of television," the sixth-grader said.

The city's Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a public hearing on the teen center report Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The City Council will hold its public hearing on the report at 8 p.m. Nov. 11. The Council Chambers are at 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 22, 1997.
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