Every summer since 1982, The Roanoke Times has hosted a Minority Journalism Workshop to introduce area high school students to the field of journalism.

The goal is not only to educate the teenagers about what it takes to produce a newspaper, but hopefully to produce future journalists as well.

While the word “minority” did initially refer to the newspaper’s interest in recruiting a diverse staff based on ethnicity, the definition has been expanded in recent years. We have learned there are many experiences that can make a person a minority. This year, for instance, we had a student who was born prematurely — at 24 weeks — and defied medical predictions to grow up to be a healthy, intelligent youth.

Each year, the workshop is made possible by Roanoke Times employees who volunteer to be guest speakers, mentors, group leaders and committee members. The workshop is also the legacy of recently retired reporter JoAnne Poindexter, who helped start the first one more than two decades ago.

This year’s workshop took place from June 22-27. The students spent the first two days at Washington and Lee University, where they got hands-on training in the journalism department from the school’s professors. W&L has partnered with The Roanoke Times since 2004 on the workshop.

We wanted to take this opportunity to show you what the students did this year. If you, or someone you know, is interested in applying next year, please contact Kathy Lu at kathy.lu@roanoke.com or 981-3224. Also, you can check out the Web site at www.roanoke.com/mjw.

— Kathy Lu, Minority Journalism Workshop coordinator

This year, the workshop participants were given a project to finish during the week. The topic: How to keep youths in Roanoke.

The group of eight was divided into four small reporting teams, each with its own story to report and write. Here are excerpts from their projects:

Shomari Pasley and Tateona Henderson
Topic: What happened to Star City Skate and Play?

In March 2005, a disturbing brawl took place at the Star City Skate and Play on Hershberger and Plantation roads in Roanoke County. The violence of students and both county and city police was out of control, according to witnesses.

“They put the dogs out on the kids, they beat them with sticks, they maced them,” said parent Sarita Cunningham in a March 22 Roanoke Times story.

This incident was a significant turning point for teens because their hangout was closed. L.B. Kitts, who was the manager at the time, told The Roanoke Times that he would never host a dance for high-schoolers again. Parents feared for their children’s safety, and teens said they believed there was no where else for them to go.

Today, young people believe Roanoke is a one-way town with no opportunities or activities to live up to.

“We need to protect and be more of a user-friendly city,” said city council member Sherman Lea.

Three years after the brawl, rink owner Raymond Setchel said, “I don’t mind letting the teenagers come back in.” He’s run the rink for 29 years and is very strict on how the kids act when they try to come to have fun.

“I wouldn’t do anything to those kids that I wouldn’t do to my own,” he said.

Hope Ammen and Adrian Joyce
Topic: So what is there to do for fun?

Summer is here and you’re already sick of just going to the mall and the movies? So are you wondering what else there is there to do? A pair of minority journalism workshop students from The Roanoke Times hit the streets to find a solution to your boredom. They found unique activities from ice cream parlors to haunted mansions, from the Grandin Theatre to Natural Bridge. We’ve got you covered!

Grandin area

The Grandin Theatre is a remodeled theater that plays movies in a fun, old-fashioned environment.

Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar. Just around the corner from the theater, Brandon Davis and his wife, Anna Robertson, own Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar.

Bright colors, a disco ball, and tons of ice cream are just a few things that draw customers in to this old-fashioned soda fountain. Pop’s has an intimate atmosphere where you can grab a game of Battleship or Candy Land from the cabinet in the corner and enjoy ice cream or lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich and smiling fries.

Natural Bridge area

Professor Cline’s Haunted Monster Museum and Dinosaur Kingdom. The haunted Victorian mansion is a creepy way to have some fun. For $8, you can take a bizarre and scary tour with Professor Cline and roam through the surrounding woods filled with dinosaurs. Both activities are located at 15 Appledore Lane in Natural Bridge. Call (800) 533-1410 for more information .

Natural Bridge Zoo. Take a walk on the wild side. The zoo is home to hundreds of exotic and endangered animals and offers many different experiences, from elephant rides to a petting zoo. Visitors can even get their picture taken with a baby tiger on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $10. Go to naturalbridgezoo.com or call (540) 291-2420.

Zack Irby and Shanikwa “Nikki” Wright
Topic: The Valley View Mall curfew

The policy that caused controversy among teenagers is coming up on its one-year anniversary. Valley View Mall implemented a rule that requires everyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult after 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

A year later, it is difficult to determine whether or not the policy has accomplished what it was meant to. Valley View Mall declined to comment. Some teenagers have said that it has affected their outings to the mall.

On the other side of town, Tanglewood Mall officials say they have seen an increase in attendance within the past two years, possibly because of new stores and lack of an escort policy.

“We don’t foresee the need to implement an escort plan at our mall, because our slogan is, 'Everyone is welcome at Tanglewood Mall,’ ” said Rebecca Spaid, marketing manager for Tanglewood Mall.

Aaron Colston and Kendra Washington
Topic: How do you attract youth back to Roanoke?

Twenty percent of Roanoke natives who graduated from Virginia colleges in 2003-04 returned to Roanoke.

Stuart Mease wants that figure to grow.

Mease, the special projects coordinator for the city, specializes in attracting youths and keeping young adults in Roanoke.

“If you’re not growing, you’re declining,” Mease said. But there are programs available to encourage youths to come back. Mease created a database called Roanoke Connect (www.roanokeva.gov/youngadults) to connect employees with employers. It’s a pool of resumes that businesses can explore. Mease said the site has collected 3,000 resumes in two years. Out of that 3,000, about 20 percent originate from 45 states outside Virginia.

Two years ago, the city began using winter breaks to attract college students from Roanoke back to their hometown. The Holiday Career and Lifestyle Fair happens every year in December, usually after Christmas.

Newly elected Councilman Court Rosen said this week, “It’s important to keep our city young.”

The city is not alone in working to keep Roanoke young.

Virginia Western Community College is also striving for the same goal. The school offers programs, such as the Work Force program, that teach life skills and help students toward specific career paths. The programs are “able to fill employment opportunities by giving them the training and confidence needed,” said Margaret Boyes, VWCC’s spokeswoman.

So when will we know that the programs are successful? That same question was posed to Mease. “When I am out of a job,” he said.