What some described as chaos \u2014 and others called a riot \u2014 erupted Monday at Bay Plaza, ending with several teenagers arrested as police worked to restore order.<\/p>\n
\tThe disturbance broke out on the first day of mid-winter vacation for New York City public school students at Bay Plaza, where large crowds of teens were seen running through the mall, throwing shopping carts at glass windows and damaging storefronts. The gathering was promoted on social media as a \u201cteen takeover,\u201d according to posts reviewed by News 12.<\/p>\n
\tSome teens said boredom fueled the behavior.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cCause everybody was bored. We outside. We was bored,\u201d one student said.<\/p>\n
\tYouth advocates say boredom is not an excuse for violence.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou don\u2019t go in and commit violence against people and businesses just because you\u2019re bored,\u201d said Sasha Holguin, a youth adviser with New Settlement.<\/p>\n
\tWhile the chaos unfolded at the mall, dozens of other young people were spending the day in structured activities at New Settlement, participating in team-building exercises designed to foster collaboration and critical thinking.<\/p>\n
\tHolguin is a product of the program herself and now helps guide participants away from the streets.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTrying to get them to think critically and collaboratively with their team to accomplish the task,\u201d she said. \u201cA little bit of competition is always fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tNew Settlement\u2019s after-school programs begin as early as kindergarten, but one initiative specifically targets at-risk young adults ages 17 to 24. The program offers mentorship, life-skills training and a biweekly paycheck for participation.<\/p>\n
\tRaul Rivera Jr., a high school senior in his first weeks of the program, said the financial incentive helps, but it is not the main draw.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI enjoy the money, but that\u2019s not the only reason I\u2019m here,\u201d Rivera said.<\/p>\n
\tRivera said he has already built a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and learned budgeting and other skills not typically taught in the classroom.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThey\u2019re taking this step by step, putting us on our budget, showing us how to manage growing up as an adult,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tAnother participant, Raymond Delarosa, said the program has helped him refocus on earning his GED and finding work.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI was lost,\u201d Delarosa said. \u201cNow all I\u2019m doing is following my goals, aspirations, becoming a better person day by day.\u201d<\/p>\n