By Cass Rains, Staff Writer

Their ideas ranged from beautifying Enid with trees and fountains to bringing a Panera Bread to town.

The ideas of 11 students were heard Thursday night during the first Youth Speak Out by a panel of area leaders and politicians. The forum was designed to give youths a chance to speak to adults about issues important to them.

“It went really well,” said Shay Sheppard-Aman, Alpha Assessment and Counseling owner and executive director. “They were a very exceptional group, well spoken and obviously well researched.”

She said the plan is for the event to be held in the first week of October every year.

Members of the panel included state Sen. Patrick Anderson; state Rep. Mike Jackson; Marcie Mack, assistant Autry Tech superintendent; Cheryl Evans, Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid dean; Ashley Ewbank, of Enid Community Foundation; Ed Vineyard, vice president of Northern Oklahoma College Enid; and Dr. Dwight A. Olsen.

Students presented their ideas to the panel and afterward answered questions the panel had, most often about how to best implement the students’ ideas. Throughout the night, the panel often recommended ways the students could further the ideas they presented.

“I thought it was pretty good opportunity for young people to tell old people about what to do in town,” said Kelsey Glazier, an Oklahoma Bible Academy student.

Glazier spoke out about the need for better recycling opportunities in Enid. Knowing recycling was sometimes not cost effective, she suggested supplementing the program by collecting aluminum and other metals to make up for paper and plastics.

She told the panel recycling needed to be “made more available to citizens.”

Ana Zander suggested to the panel to recycle buildings, rather than always constructing to suit a businesses needs.

“It saddens me to see lots of native grasses and farmland covered by concrete,” Zander said.

She suggested incentives be offered to businesses for recycling existing buildings and making lots more expensive for those wanting to construct.

Olsen asked Zander if she had any buildings in mind, and she said the former Homeland building and old Wal-Mart.

She said she has to drive by the old Homeland store every day on her way to school.

“It doesn’t look too great,” she said. “It’s kind of gross looking.”

Evans asked the student if there was a business she would like to see come to Enid and recycle a building.

Zander replied, “Well ... a Target,” but was interrupted by laughs from everyone in attendance.

Other ideas presented Thursday night included a program to encourage further education, bike paths and sidewalks throughout Enid, a mentoring program for students, making more city parks handicapped accessible and bringing more businesses to the east side of Enid.

Alpha Assessment and Counseling held the event as a project for Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.