As Pique's sports and arts reporter, one of the most enjoyable parts of my job is shining light on the exploits of local youth.
Naturally, I get to do so whenever a teenage athlete wins a notable competition or reaches a milestone in his or her career. Indeed, how cool is it for Pemberton Secondary School (PSS) to build a provincial mountain biking dynasty?
But not everyone gets to land on a podium. Some kids genuinely grow from their extracurricular pursuits without collecting accolades. These individuals are often overlooked in bigger media markets, which are chock-full of traditionally newsworthy headlines.
Whistler is a small-enough community for people still to care about grassroots happenings, which means I get to learn about them. And I love it.
Two events come to mind for the purposes of this column, both affiliated with Whistler Secondary School (WSS): the Sea to Sky Students Film Festival (S2SFF) in mid-April and the drama department's May performance of Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition.
My main takeaway from covering both is as follows: youth are the most valuable natural resource our town possesses, and we could all be doing a little more to invest in them.
Take the initiative
Sadly, most high schools from coast to coast are rife with sociocultural problems. Bullying, drug abuse, generational trauma, mental illness, you name it... far too many kids are exposed to the dark side of life far too early. Some of them, broken and lost, will inevitably hurt others and continue the cycle of toxicity.
It is a sobering reality we must acknowledge, but not a single one of us should be OK with it.
That's why I find it so gratifying to celebrate the successes of teenagers. It is proof of their innate abilities and the fact somebody is empowering them to think beyond themselves.
S2SFF co-founder Sho Brooks once told me that it's easy to go through school without taking initiative on anything. It's admirable that he did take initiative with his friends Kenta Tanaka and Jayden Inniss, giving their peers a chance to flex their filmmaking muscles.
And while I've never met WSS vice-principal John Hall, he deserves props for helping the boys execute their plan rather than hindering them with bureaucratic red tape as some administrators might have done.
Regarding Heathers: I couldn't attend any of the shows because I was on vacation that week, but WSS drama teacher Conor Niwinski invited me to a dress rehearsal. Afterwards, he even asked if I had anything to say to his class.
I was very grateful to be allowed into that space and used my time on the mic to let the students know how inspired I was by their performance. I also exhorted them to keep working hard.
Cast members Fiona Campbell, Solomon Denessen and Kiara Felice were optimistic that audiences could look past the more salacious elements of Heathers to reflect upon its themes of teen angst, relationship dysfunction and the importance of positive role models. Such ideas are exceptionally relevant to many adolescents today, and I hope the show's viewers were able to recognize that.
As for Mr. Niwinski, well, I respect the heck out of him for pouring sweat, tears and long hours into mentoring both his theatre group and the banner-winning WSS boys' volleyball team.
Everyone needs a role model
As a man who spent parts of 10 years working at a Bible camp in southern Alberta, I've had the privilege of facilitating healthy social and outdoor experiences for countless young people. I still try to do my part by volunteering at youth programs through Whistler Community Church, and I wish that even more adults would do the same.
Maybe teaching or coaching a sports team isn't your strength. No problem. What if your niece, nephew or cousin needs someone to look up to? What if there's an understaffed nonprofit organization in your area that could use more hands? Working with youth isn't easy, but it's one of the most impactful things a person can do.
Lastly, I have a message for the WSS and PSS graduating classes of 2024—as well as any other teen who happens to read this article.
While I don't know most of you, please go out there and surround yourself with individuals of character. Find mature men and women who can teach you how to navigate life, make wise decisions and seize opportunities. You've all got potential. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Us old-timers will be rooting for you.
