Beach youth have a clue in planning lock-in

VIRGINIA BEACH

Teens are helping clue in the adults organizing a lock-in next month at Kempsville Recreation Center. 

Nicole Friss, president of the Mayor’s Youth Leaders in Action, said the group of teens work together to create, plan and initiate an event geared for sixth- through eighth-grade students.

The 11th annual Youth Doing Awesome Things (YDAT) Lock-In will start at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and conclude at 7 a.m. Dec. 10.

This year’s theme – Got a Clue? – is based on the popular board game Clue. Teens came up with the idea to make this year’s lock-in a mystery type of event with each participant acting as a detective.

Nicole, a senior in Salem High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Academy, said a skit, “The Haunted Truth,” will depict a party that is followed by a drunken-driving accident.

From there, Nicole explained, the students will be divided into task forces and will try to uncover the mystery of who the criminal is.

“They will be split into rooms where they will hear stories and search for clues,” the 17-year-old said. “All of the characters are related to a different weapon such as drugs and alcohol.”

The lock-in is coordinated by the Mayor’s Youth Leaders in Action in partnership with the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and the Virginia Beach Youth Opportunities Office.

The lock-in puts an interactive spin on the chance to positively affect the lives of youths who will be in attendance.

“It’s all about the prevention of alcohol and drug use and positive decision-making,” said Nicky Vasquez, recreation specialist.

While there will be team-building exercises throughout the evening, it will be two participants – one male and one female – who will correctly solve the mystery and win the raffles’ grand prizes.

The lock-in includes time for swimming, basketball and gym activities, along with food and snacks.

But, mainly, the lifelong lessons are what Nicole hopes and believes the attendees will remember the most.

“It’s important because teens are very impressionable, and there is a lot of peer pressure they have to deal with,” she said. “But, if it’s positive messages they hear, then that’s what will rub off on them and their friends.”