TribLive-
Not all teen takeovers have to be bad, said 14-year-old Mekhai Smalls.
Case in point, the Morningside teen says, is “Friday Nights at Da Club” — a new event held at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania’s Estelle S. Campbell Clubhouse in Lawrenceville.
“We don’t just gather and fight. We actually have fun in public places,” said Mekhai, a freshman at Environmental Charter School. “We don’t just cause disruptions, we actually have fun doing what we do.”
The first “teen takeover” at the Lawrenceville center, held Oct. 2, drew more than 60 teens from across the city. The event featured music, basketball, video games, food and other activities.
The idea for Friday Nights at Da Club grew out of seeing large teen gatherings in Pittsburgh and across the nation, said Rasheena Staton, the Boys & Girls Club staff member who led the event.
Teen takeovers are a national, viral trend where hundreds of teenagers coordinate to meet in a public location. While they may start as harmless, some escalate to turning violent, disruptive or out-of-control.
“There is something powerful about 200 or 300 young people wanting to come together,” Staton said. “I saw an opportunity to build on that desire for connection by creating a safe, welcoming space where they could have fun and feel supported.”
Staton said comments from teenagers inspired her when planning for the event.
“They pointed out that media often highlight the negative moments — the fights or teens being pepper-sprayed — but don’t always show the times when young people are simply hanging out, shooting hoops and enjoying each other’s company,” Staton said. “I wanted to shine a light on the positive, and give our teens an opportunity to have their experiences represented in a fuller way.”
Mekhai said the attraction of teen takeovers — both good and bad — stems from teenagers not wanting to miss out.
“People know teen takeovers are going to be fun,” he said. “People post them and that goes through every teen’s mind, ‘Everyone’s going, so I should go?’ ”
Lailah Blackwell, a sophomore at Westinghouse High School, agrees. Often, she said, teen takeovers become out of control through “female drama,” fights and arguments.
“Kids nowadays will do anything to get out of the house, but not always the positive stuff,” said Lailah, 15, of Lincoln-Lemington. “I actually enjoy coming (to the Boys & Girls Club) for the fun of it. I don’t like going straight home after school. Once others see how it is, they’ll want more people to come.”
Friday Nights at Da Club had security, Staton said, and staff members interacted with teens during the event. But the teens noted that for events to grow and be successful, it’s on themselves.
“It only takes one person, or a few people, to get everyone on board to do something like this,” Mekhai said. “No adults can get kids to come here … but if it were one of my friends who said, ‘We should come here, it’s fun,’ then I’d take their word for it.”
Getting their peers on board, however, can be a tricky task, Lailah said.
“They want to be with their friends and be on their phones. Not a lot of people our age are open to community stuff,” she said.
Still, there’s room for adults to build trust, Staton said.
“If it’s reciprocated, and they trust you, they believe you and can spread the word,” she said. “It depends on a particular situation. If they tell their friends, ‘come, and it’s fun because I experienced it,’ it’s worth more coming from a trusted friend.”
Staton plans future Friday Night at Da Club events, yet to be scheduled. Lailah said the mentorship between trusted adults and teens can go a long way.
“I see a lot of people who want what’s best for us. I know for a fact no one here will steer me the wrong way,” she said. “If I had problems, these are the best people I can talk to, to get the best advice I can get.”
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