Opinion
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March 19 - April 2, 2016
35
Community Commentaries
Big Brothers Big Sisters committed to recruiting male mentors
Fans of sci-fi, comic books, manga: Get ready for Libcon Forbidden Kingdom Seamstry and The Chandler Public Library is many more. hosting the sixth annual Libcon Participants are encouraged to on Saturday, March 26. Teenagers dress in costume as their favorite are invited to experience a unique character. This is a fun way to break convention specifically designed for the ice and meet some amazing fans of sci-fi, comic people. books and manga. It’s I had the pleasure a celebration just for of speaking with the them as adults won’t event coordinator, be allowed past the Elisia Simmons, registration desk. Sunset Library I’m excited assistant, during my Chandler is able to recent Chandler In offer the Libcon series Focus show. Growing in our community. up, she was never My family and I are able to attend this huge fans, and plan type of convention some of our vacations because the cost around the San Diego was too high or the Comic-Con. We’ve event was too far also attended the away. She felt this New York Comic Con was a great way to events. involve the Chandler René Lopez. Submitted photo Various panels are Library by providing scheduled throughout a venue where the day, including button making, youth can experience the world of candy sushi and a special Dr. Who pop culture, but also learn about craft. Plan on attending the zombie the resources available through the panel discussion where I’ll be talking library. It’s another opportunity to about the zombie apocalypse and promote reading and the importance plans of survival with other panelists. of literacy. Teens also will engage in Libcon 2016 is a free event for storytelling, all-day video gaming, teens only and will be held from 11 card and table-top gaming, panels for a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 26, role-playing games and cosplay. They at the Boys and Girls Club, 300 E. also can test their knowledge of all Chandler Blvd. There is still time to things anime by participating in the be involved as an attendee, vendor or “Anime Family Feud.” volunteer. For more information, visit Libcon 2016 allows youth, ages chandlerlibrary.org/libcon and watch 12 to 18, to express themselves my Chandler in Focus show at www. creatively, while learning about chandleraz.gov/newsroom. the world of conventions in a safe I look forward to participating environment. This event is organized and engaging with the teens as they as a mini-con and will include a explore the world of Comic-Con. vendor hall and gaming area. Artists and organizers will include Phoenix Comicon, Christine Jepsen Fine Art, BY COUNCILMAN RENÉ LOPEZ
BY LAURA CAPELLO, CEO & PRESIDENT OF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL ARIZONA, LAURA PASTOR, PHOENIX COUNCILWOMAN KATE GALLEGO, PHOENIX COUNCILWOMAN
The U.S. Education Department reports that 19 percent of high school students didn’t graduate in 2012-2013. Alarmingly, Arizona is above the national average with 25 percent of adolescents not graduating. Reports show children who spend time with a mentor are less likely to engage in risky behavior and 52 percent less likely to skip school. In hopes of raising awareness about the essential benefits of mentorship, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (BBBSAZ) and My Brother’s Keeper Phoenix have joined together and forged a yearlong commitment to recruit 300 new male mentors. BBBSAZ matches underage children, who are referred to as “Littles,” with adult role models or “Bigs.” The My Brother’s Keeper Initiative came to Phoenix when Mayor Greg Stanton accepted President Obama’s call to empower young men of color from the classroom to the workplace. Two of us, Councilwomen Laura Pastor and Kate Gallego, have the privilege of chairing the implementation. There are more than 300 “Littles” waiting for a mentor in the Phoenixmetro area. Seventy percent are young boys, but only three out of every 10 volunteer inquiries are from men, according to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Eighty-three percent of the children on the BBBSAZ waiting list are minority males. Studies show that pairing adult males with young boys leads to a stronger bond, uniting the individuals and allowing them to relate to genderspecific challenges. It is for that very reason that we implore all males in the Phoenix-metro area to step up, help to shape a young man’s life and become a mentor today. Oftentimes, young men enter our
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organizations afraid, lost and in need of encouragement. But in a matter of months and just a few consistent hours spent with a male mentor, their dispositions change for the better and they begin to hope again, aspire for more and see beyond their current circumstances. Being a mentor is easy, and contrary to popular belief, doesn’t take much time. A mentor only needs to devote a few hours a month to having fun with a young person. It can be as simple as sharing a quiet conversation over a warm meal or attending an action-packed football game. Additionally, mentorship is a prevention measure that helps deter a life of crime and financial burdens on taxpayers. According to a 2014 study by Justice Policy Institute, it costs Arizona taxpayers a staggering $106,098 a year to confine one young person in the juvenile court system. The long-term cost of confinement is even greater as many of the juveniles will suffer long-lasting negative effects on their mental health and self-esteem. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found that children who have a mentor relationship are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs and 52 percent less likely to skip school. For the sake of our young men, we implore males, particularly males of color, to do more than just think about making a difference in 2016, but to instead, actually make a difference by signing up to be a mentor with one of the great mentoring organizations in the community. Help get our young men on track. Help our young men thrive. Help our young men have a prosperous future. Learn more about the volunteer process and mentorship programs at www.bbbsaz.org/volunteer or www. phoenix.gov/mbk.
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