If Santa Fe is going to celebrate another 400 years, it's up to youth of this community to author their own stories — and to take the responsibility that comes with that.

That was one of the points made during Monday's youth symposium, "Santa Fe, Beyond 400," held at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. Hosted by Santa Fe's 400th anniversary committee, the gathering drew about 450 high school students for a day of presentations, entertainment, pep talks and lunch.

"This is a way to empower them to realize they are the future," Beyond 400 organizer Ana Pacheco said.

Mayor David Coss, who gave the opening remarks, agreed.

"We've been looking at where we've been, but what better way to look forward than through the eyes of high school students?" he said after his speech.

The student attendees are juniors and seniors from various schools in the region, including Capital and Santa Fe High schools, St. Michael's High School, SER/Career Academy and Pojoaque Valley High School.

Speakers included Estevan Rael Gálvez, director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, and Alvin H. Warren, secretary of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs.

Most speakers reflected on their teen years and how — as Gálvez put it — they had no idea how or where they would end up 20 years after graduation day.

Bioneers representatives Kaelyn Ramsden and Shana Rappaport gave a passionate demonstration that called for a youth-led revolution to protect the environment and ensure ecologically smart practices in the state.

Monday's event also included practical advice. Lazaro Cardenas, University of New Mexico student body president, kept the audience's attention as he spoke about the adverse ramifications of using social media.

"Whatever you post... it's out there for the world to see," he warned. "Think before you act."

Cardenas told a story of a young man seeking work who posted a series of photos showing how he and his friends were getting progressively drunk at a party. The man in question didn't even land a job interview.

Cardenas suggested teens set a security feature on their social-media postings to limit access and asked them to consider whether they want Grandma to read all that they're dishing out online.

That presentation left an impression on 17-year-old Joseph Glock of Pojoaque. "That was a little creepy," he said. "I wouldn't want anybody looking at my pictures online."

Glock said he'd never been to a youth conference before, and thought this one was "pretty good."

Nykee Pryor, 17, of Santa Fe High, agreed. "This is amazing, it's very inspirational," she said. "A lot of young people don't do this sort of thing — we don't organize, we don't express ourselves. I think it demonstrates that it's important for us to express who we are."

Kate Vadurro, a 17-year-old senior at St. Michael's, said she liked how the event drew together different crowds from different schools. "It's integrated us all into one community," she said.

Pacheco and her crew incorporated performance art into the event, alternating speakers with entertainers and artists, including Santa Fe Indian School's Spoken Word Team, the Harambe Dance Company and Wise Fool New Mexico.

Harambe members continued to mix it up during lunch, dancing with nonmembers of the troupe around lunch tables to music by DJ Luna.

Several speakers urged the young people to work to maintain artistic and cultural traditions. Pacheco, who writes a weekly tribute to community elders published in The New Mexican, said she wanted students to leave the symposium ready to share ideas and passion for playing their part in Santa Fe's future.

"Our history includes arts, language and culture," Pacheco said, "and they have to work to keep it alive and pass it on so that, at our 500th, Santa Fe is still a special place."

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.


On the Web

To see a webcast of Monday's event, visit www.santafenm.gov.