Students perform neighborly deed

Anyone who thinks teenagers don’t care about anything but surfing and

iPods should check out the Student Political Action Committee at

Newport Harbor High School.

Having taken on such weighty issues as academic honesty, a

zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy and the right to free speech,

the student committee has jumped into the heart of public debate over

neighboring St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church’s proposal to expand one

of the school’s parking lots.

The action committee initially supported the church’s plan to add

80 sorely needed spaces to a student lot in exchange for shared use

of the high school lots for church parking for at least 30 years. But

after hearing from nearby residents who oppose the church’s

expansion, the students paused and asked for more information.

That’s being a good neighbor.

While it would appear to be in their interest to expand parking,

the students first wanted to hear all sides of the issue. Tuesday

night, the student committee invited residents and church members to

a town meeting where they could voice their opinions for and against

the proposed expansion.

That’s being a very good neighbor.

Some of the adults squaring off on the issue would do well to

follow these students’ example.

In a recent interview, one of the action committee’s officers said

she didn’t think her group’s influence or power equaled that of, say,

a district official but that the students wanted their voices to be

heard.

Time will tell the measure of their influence and power, but they

are off to a remarkable start. These students are not shy about

taking part in the democratic process, and their voices are coming

through loud and clear.