Teens choose YMCA

John Taylor, a 14-year-old eighth grader at Mt. Nittany Middle School, hung out with his friends Saturday night -- swapping stories in the far corner of the gymnasium at the State College Area Family YMCA, 677 W. Whitehall Road.

It is also preferable to spend Saturday nights at the YMCA because the downtown area is developing a bad reputation, Taylor said. Parents could get a bad image of students who decide to spend time there.

"It's just a better alternative in coming here," he said about the YMCA.

As Taylor walked into the building and paid his fee to enjoy the company of his peers, Cindy Price, school-age care and youth supervisor at the YMCA, welcomed him, exclaiming that he had not been there for awhile.

Taylor attributed his absences to the opportunity to go to other events, such as basketball games.

Joining the approximately 20 students Saturday night were four University students, volunteering with the "Into the Streets" program, operated in the Office of Volunteer Programs in the AT&T Center for Service Leadership.

Amy Ostrasky (senior-secondary education and chemistry), Christina Saras (freshman-special education), Melanie Byers (junior-art) and team leader Shannon Wood (sophomore-environmental resource management) gave up some of their free time to supervise and interact with the teen-agers.

Some volunteered to complete service hours for the teaching program, but they all said chaperoning is good experience and they like the school-age children.

"I guess because they're so like little sponges, they're so eager to learn," Byers said.

"Teen Scene" is largely unstructured, Price said. Students pretty much have freedom to socialize, play basketball games or participate in other activities, as long as they stay inside the YMCA. There was even a game of Bingo in the multipurpose room, with numbers called out by Ostrasky and Saras, while Wood and Byers facilitated a free-throw contest in the gymnasium in which the winners received free T-shirts with the YMCA insignia.

Other students just sat around and talked with each other.

One student who strolled around the building, talking with others, was Megan Morath, a tall 13-year-old eighth grader at Park Forest Middle School. She revealed her motives for coming.

"It's a way to see my boyfriend," she said.

The students generally interacted with each other, and the University volunteers made sure everything ran smoothly. And when it came time to dish out the pizza volunteers were able to chow down with the students after the students were given their slices.

"It's fun to watch (the middle school students)," Byers said. She observed that some of the middle-school students look, and probably act, older than she does.

When she was growing up, Byers said, she never had any program like "Teen Scene" in her hometown.

"It lets them get out, but then they're not by themselves," she said. "Someone's watching them."