Local youth participates in Youth Summit

BY CHUCK TUCK | JOURNAL REPORTER On Oct. 25, the “Voices of Youth Summit” was held at the Public Utilities Department (PUD) Auditorium in Everett.

The purpose of the summit was to give youth in local communities the chance to put forth opinions and issues that concern them.

Highlighted by Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon and Everett Silvertips Head Coach, John Becanic, and other community leaders and members, the forum gave them the opportunity to listen and ask questions that concern today’s youth.

The evening also hosted Seattle’s top hip-hop dance crew Kontagious Movement.

With 16 youth panelists from Snohomish County including: Sultan, Goldbar, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Mukilteo, Everett, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek and Monroe the panel gave voice to concerns of the youth in our communities the evening was in gear and set for a youth take-over.

Andre Smith of Lake Stevens was a panel member voicing his concerns for what he and other youth see in the media as glorifying tragic events.
“We brought up topics about our local environment, and the trash that needs to be cleaned up. We also talked about media justice and having more positive things being reported,” Smith said. “It’s mainly dealing with the big media like down in Seattle, and television stations.”
He says the local papers do pretty well, so it was mostly about the big television stations.

Smith adds that a lot of the youth now grow tired of hearing the same event over and over again, and wish for some positive news in the media.

“It’s always about shootings and other bad stuff so I turn it off, and so do a lot of other kids,” he said.

He adds that they are not looking for a continuous happy, feel good story all of the time, but more than just once a week.

“I’m just saying they should report more good things than once a week, because nobody would notice that,” Smith said.

However, he does agree that some repeated information is helpful like the information provided on the fires in California.

“Sometimes I think they over report things, but I can see the need for reporting things like the fires down in California,” Smith said.

Transportation was another topic of concern for two of his fellow panelists.

Smith says he got involved with “Voices of Youth” due to his brother Anthony’s involvement.

“It all started last year with Anthony when he somehow found out about it, then I had to go and support him because that’s the way it is,” Smith commented.

He says from attending and listening to his brother, he just had to be involved because of the topics and issues brought up by other youths, and he wanted his voice to be heard.

“I had stuff to say, because that’s the way I am,” Smith said.

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