www.teensunderground.com In a darkened room, surrounded by half a dozen friends cheering him on, Nic Raimi maneuvers the course from a front-row seat in the theater room. The hum of the Game Cube is overshadowed by excited screams from his friends and words of encouragement for moving on to the next level of play. The scene is interrupted by more friends entering the theater room and greeting each other with loud howls, high fives and a jab to the shoulder.
It's another typical day at the Howell Area Teen Center.Raimi, 14, is a student at the Howell High School Freshman Campus and one of many who come regularly to the teen center at 415 N. Barnard St. Catering to students between the ages of 11 and 17, the center is open 3-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, courtesy of an $8,600 grant by the Livingston County United Way. Kids can come to hang out with friends, get a jump on homework, play ping-pong or billiards, or just to have somewhere safe to go.
"My mom doesn't want me to stay home by myself," says 11-year-old Danielle Glass. After school, she rides a LETS bus from Highlander Way Middle School to the teen center, where Danielle stays until her mom can get her after work.
On a recent Monday afternoon, Danielle was one of two girls in the center surrounded by about 10 boys. "My friends do come here too," she says."It used to be all dudes," interrupts Tristan Pape, 16. He is there "gaming" with his friend John Barbara, also 16.
"I come because the only one that lives near me (in Oceola Township) is him (Tristan,) and he games here," says Barbara.According to Kyle Aulette, teen center director, video game stations are a favorite among the kids. The center offers play in XBOX, PS2, Dance Dance Revolution, Game Cube, Guitar Hero and Wii. "We try to keep updated on the current stuff," he says. But the center is more than somewhere safe to hang out or game with friends, it's also a place to think, to learn and to grow. A symbol of that process is reflected on one of the center's 10-foot by 30-foot walls, and represents the traditional values held by center regulars.
"It's the wall of good and bad," Raimi explains, feeling at home sitting on top of the pool table with legs crossed. The mural reflects the thoughts and feelings of the students, and pictures opposite identities. The first image depicts happy people traveling the happy road of life, while the second image shows lost people driving down the road of despair, loneliness and jail time. It's a constant reminder that good decisions yield happiness and bad decisions carry consequences.
Tristan Pape did some of the concept art for the mural and likes the final product. His brother, Chandler Pape, 17, helped with the painting. A total of 15-20 students put their creative energies into the project, which was made possible by a $500 grant from the Livingston County Community Alliance.
Debbie Mikula, director of the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority, which operates the teen center, is thrilled about the way area students have responded. Participation has doubled this year, bringing up to 40 kids through the doors daily. Matching the rise in participation is a rise in community awareness and generosity. Most recently, Howell-based Citizens Insurance has committed up to $7,500 to create a 500-square-foot Cyber Cafe area at the center.
Our goal is to put together a project team including Citizens Insurance employees and the teens to create a vision for this space," says Becky Best, the company's community relations manager. Citizens will supply the manpower, the tools and furnishings once the room has been built. The teens are responsible for the dream.
The Howell project is intended to loosely parallel a upcoming segment from the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which will feature a family from Holt, Mich. Citizens Insurance is underwriting that Michigan project and wanted to celebrate by helping a local agency.
"Given our youth and education focus, we thought this would be a logical fit for us," says Best, "and it will provide a fun environment for (the kids.)" She expects work to begin soon with completion expected in December.