When focusing on activities in St. Mary’s County, an underlying question arises that some may not think to ask. That question is this – what does the community have for the teenage generation?
The county has a movie theater in Lexington Park and a bowling alley in the same area. There is also a skateboard and recreation facility in Great Mills along with a couple of recreational parks around the county like Chancellor’s Run Regional Park and Dorsey Park.
Still, many adolescents feel there has been a weak attempt at providing enough venues for entertainment for local teens.
“The counties’ list of things for local young adults to do is neither an extensive nor an intriguing one,” Caleb Breckon, incoming Leonardtown High School senior, said. “Young adults are looking for fun, casual places to go that don’t require a lot of money and have all of their friends there. There simply aren’t many places in the area that meet this criteria.”
There are a number of teen centers in the area like the Chancellor’s Run Teen Center and the Hollywood Recreation Center. Many young adults fail to inquire about these places when considering the different activities available.
Each of these centers holds events through the year that encourage youth to come and participate. Many of these centers offer dances, concerts and environments that are designed specifically for teens.
The St. Mary’s County Recreation, Parks and Community Services website promotes the teen center saying, “The teen center is designed to provide healthy activities for young people at one location, free of alcohol and drugs, to improve the quality of life for teenagers.” There is no fee, but participants must sign in when entering.
“I’ve heard of these [teen centers] and I think they are making an effort in adding places for teens, but they are not exactly what teens want to do,” Kevin McEligot, Leonardtown graduate and upcoming sophomore at Hampden-Sydney College, said. “They have offered concerts and dances but I do not believe they live up to the image teens want them to.”
Some teens recognize a need for certain things around the county that are not already in place or are in poor condition. According to Matt Conner, incoming freshman at University of Maryland Baltimore County, many young adults rely on the naval base for activities but those who don’t have base access often turn to the underage party scene as an alternative.
“The county has turned down previous attempts to build a new theater in Hollywood and the community is clearly for it,” Connor said. “A larger shopping mall would also be convenient and economically beneficial, but let’s start with a theatre.”