Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sun Youth Forum:

Margin note says it all: ‘I am not afraid for our future’

Editor’s note: Today and for the next two Sundays, Brian Greenspun is turning over his Where I Stand column to participants in the Sun Youth Forum. The annual event, staged Nov. 29 this year, brings together high-achieving students from area high schools to discuss a range of important topics affecting Nevadans. The Sun will be publishing essays from participants through Jan. 6.

As I look back over notes I took during the Sun Youth Forum, one stands out to me. It’s an 11-word phrase scrawled in a margin, crammed amid dozens of other comments that caught my attention during our discussion.

These are the words: “I believe in us. I am not afraid for our future.”

Student representative Gabrielle Shiozawa, of Moapa Valley High School, poses during the 62nd annual Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday Nov. 29, 2018.

Student representative Gabrielle Shiozawa, of Moapa Valley High School, poses during the 62nd annual Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum at the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday Nov. 29, 2018.

We discussed a wide range of topics, from the ramifications of celebrities as influencers to the ways we can decrease partisanship in U.S. politics.

Three especially significant topics discussed during our time together were the morality of kneeling for the national anthem, the proper approach to American gun violence, and our fears for the future.

As we began to discuss the national anthem protests, I wasn’t sure if my peers would remain affable as we confronted this controversial issue. I was pleasantly surprised.

One student explained that he thought it showed disrespect to America’s history to do anything but stand during the anthem. Others brought up their experiences with racial inequality; they argued that it was important to make a statement in any way they could.

Some speakers used the First Amendment in defense of kneeling, while others said that just because we can protest does not mean it is always respectful to do so. While the topic was never actually brought to a resolution, something just as important occurred: We agreed to disagree. We learned to respect each other’s opinions and beliefs; we recognized that, essentially, we all have the same values and hopes. It was a great testament to me of our generation’s respect for each other.

As we transitioned into a debate on gun control, students initially came from all directions but eventually arrived at a general conclusion: Things aren’t perfect the way they are right now, but drastic measures won’t solve anything, either. We agreed that education and gun training are imperative and ought to be required for every gun owner. We lamented that there was no perfect solution, but we agreed that safety tactics and an improved look at mental health and violence in American culture could bring about substantial improvements.

The question about our fears and anxieties about becoming adults yielded a wide variety of responses.

While some students raised concerns about the world at large, most worries were personal: failing at parenthood, burning out young, not meeting our own expectations and suffering from financial troubles. Some participants offered solutions and support, which included finding a balance in day-to-day life, learning as much as we can right now as young people, and finding mentors to guide the way.

My fear is that our generation will become apathetic. I fear that we will forget what it is like to be young, that we will make the same mistakes that generations before us have made.

I have to remember this, though: what we discussed at the Sun Youth Forum, how we sustained each other, how we listened to each other.

We are the most well-informed generation our world has ever seen. We are caring. We are bright. We are earnestly dedicated to a future that we can believe in.

I am not afraid of our future. If anyone can change the world, it’s us.

Gabrielle Shiozawa is a senior at Moapa Valley High School.