‘Harmony’ forum gives teens a safe place to voice issues

LYNN – More than 250 Lynn teens spent their Saturday evening dancing, eating pizza and discussing issues in their lives at a teen event meant to help them find a voice in their community.Harmony Amongst Lynn Teens, an event put on by various community organizations and non-profits in Lynn, is a safe place for teens to explore topics like relationships, sex and careers with other teens, said Cathy Rowe, the youth services coordinator for the Lynn Housing Authority.”We want them to know there’s a healthy alternative and lifestyle and you can turn people,” she said.At the event, held at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, teens mingled over pizza before splitting up into pre-chosen workshops led by their peers ranging from sex education, dating violence, teen-pregnancy prevention and volunteer opportunities.The fact that other teens led the workshops makes HALT different than sex education class in school or a birds-and-the-bees talk with their parents, Rowe said.”They can ask questions and we’ll give them the correct answers,” she said.Lynn Classical freshman Micha Dublin and his friends came Saturday night to support their friends and make new ones. Dublin said he enjoyed the opportunity to ask what’s on his mind about issues affecting him.”In school you can’t say all that you want, and just here you can say whatever,” he said.Esther Dora led a workshop on how to apply for college or a job. The senior at Lynn Classical is in the process of doing just that ï¿? she was accepted to Simmons College last week ï¿? and hoped to give some advice to her peers, mainly that college is an important step in growing up.Dora said she knows applying for college is a lot of work ï¿? for some of her friends who have dropped out of high school already, it’s a faraway dream ï¿? but she hopes other teens put in the effort.”College is not gonna come to you,” she said. ” ï¿? It’s a process and I hope people take that process seriously.”No matter the topic of discussion, HALT is an event to educate and empower teens to make a difference in their world, Rowe said.”Our goal is to really get the teens to be more positive, do more positive things in Lynn and know that they have a say; they can speak up,” Rowe said.That last point is key for Nykeva Patterson, a junior at Lynn Tech. Patterson said she thinks if teens learn how to speak up, they’ll also be proactive about taking action.”I want to get more people to help out more often in the community,” she said.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].