 |
IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Protecting Texas Teens
by Jim Trzaska, 05.16.03
"Ask questions, make contacts and involve your friends. Remember that persistence pays." |
|
Probably one of the last places you would expect to find an MTV news reporter and camera crew is Lubbock, a dusty farming community in northwest Texas. But last fall, the music network came to town to sponsor a community forum on safer sex. The forum was organized by the Lubbock Youth Commission, a group of students aged 14-to-18 that was created to give the city's young people a voice in local government.
Getting to the Table
Corey Nichols, a 17-year-old high school senior, is the commission's current mayor. He became involved when a friend in his speech and debate class invited him to attend a meeting. After beating out at least 60 others for a coveted spot on the commission, he was accepted and now, two years later, is the group's leader. His many duties include setting up the commission's agenda, running meetings, and acting as a spokesperson.
Corey describes his experience with the youth commission as extremely rewarding and enjoyable. "I have gotten a real sense of how leaders come to make a decision," he says, "as well as witness youth at work when they are fired up to do something."
Making Progress
For example, in 1999, when the youth commission was formed, Lubbock's sexually transmitted infection rates were more than double the state's average. Many blamed Texas' abstinence-only sex education curriculum, which they felt didn't provide teenagers with the information they needed to stay healthy and avoid unwanted pregnancies. Because the purpose of the commission is to protect the interests of the youth of Lubbock, its first administration decided to work on the issue of sexuality education, which continues to be a priority today.
Although the abstinence-only policy remains, the reported cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia in Lubbock fell by half in 2001, a feat partly attributed to the work of the youth commission, which organized and hosted its own comprehensive, medically accurate sex ed classes, threw a party at which they distributed material about safer sex and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and held a press conference on the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
"Both sides want healthier, safer students," Corey explains, "and that's what we're here for."
Keeping the Momentum Going
A top member of his school's winning debate team and founder of the only teenage Republican group in Lubbock, Corey plans to attend law school after college and possibly continue his career in public service.
His advice to other teens who want to work for change in their community or government is to first identify the issue, find allies, and then tackle the issue and stick to it. "Start generating ideas and forming coalitions," he says. "Ask questions, make contacts and involve your friends. Remember that persistence pays."
That last statement has certainly rung true for the Lubbock Youth Commission. Their work to broaden Texas' sex education policy has been reported in several national newspapers, and after the MTV forum, Corey went to New York City to be interviewed on CBS' The Early Show. It all goes to show that a little involvement can go a long way in bringing attention to an important issue. As Corey puts it, "Changing something can be hard, but getting involved is easy!"
Update: The city of Lubbock is cutting funding for the youth commission. Planned Parenthood Association of Lubbock will continue to work with its members and look for other sources of funding. |
|
|
|
Printable Version
Email this page