Editor’s note: Today’s letters to the editor are from Southwest Junior High students learning about persuasive writing.

To the editor:

What activities are there for teenagers to do after school or on weekends if their parents aren’t around? I will answer that in a few words: go to Juice Stop, play football, video games, or chores which no one wants to do. I think we should have more things around locally where kids can ride their bikes. Depending on what my friends and I like to do, I have heard a lot that we should have a new bowling alley. I have also heard people like miniature golf and go carting. In the winter we could have an ice skating rink.

Space might be an issue but there is space over by Wakarusa and Sixth Street by the new Wal-Mart or Free State High School. Kids would be able to ride bikes or walk. We don’t have to use all these ideas but it would be nice to have some more places to go to have fun. The main bowling alleys are too far for people living along the Wakarusa area to go to without driving in a car. We don’t have go-carts or mini-golf, or ice skating; people have to go too far to get to some fun events, so we should have more entertainment on the west side of town. More activities will help kids stay out of trouble and have fun too.

Briggs Fish,

Southwest Junior High