Paula White
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 25/99) - There aren't many people who would envy the job of Marnie Hilash.

She is the co-ordinator of the Inuvik Youth Centre. It's her job to make sure it runs smoothly while, at the same time, keeping a watchful eye on as many as 50 teens who visit the centre each day. It opens at 3:30 p.m., a few minutes after school lets out, but Hilash said kids are often waiting on the steps before that.

"They're getting used to the idea that the Youth Centre opens exactly when it's supposed to and closes exactly when it's supposed to."

Hilash's day starts well before 3:30 p.m. She goes in at 1 p.m. to get a start on the cleaning and administrative duties which are also a part of her job description.

"I used to be chronically late and now I'm chronically early," she laughed.

When the doors open, Hilash said usually about six or seven kids come tearing in, eager to get at the pool tables and the computer. While the pool tables are the most popular feature in the place, the computer, and the Internet, gets its fair share of attention.

Hilash said the teens enjoy using the chat rooms, e-mailing, playing games and simply surfing. She added she was impressed because most of the teens tend to stay away from visiting X-rated sites. To make sure they do, she keeps a close eye on the computer from the canteen area, where she spends a majority of her time while the centre is open.

Closing time comes at 10 p.m. on school nights and 1 a.m. on weekends.

"If the kids had their way, it would be open later than that."

Hilash said while she enjoys many aspects of her job, it is "incredibly" difficult at times.

"It's a bizarre time of life (for teens) and most of them are changing every day," she commented. "You just think you've got a handle on them and they change right before your eyes."

Hilash said that having no children of her own makes her perfect for the job.

"I went from having no kids to having 50 of them all at that awkward age," she said with a laugh, but then added, "I can see the centre is needed. When kids are at a certain age, they have to get away from their parents to develop a personality of their own. They need a forum, some place to go.

"At least I understand why they want to turn the music up loud...I don't know why...but as much as I can I grit my teeth and bear it."

Hilash was born in Winnipeg. She moved North five years ago, to Tuktoyaktuk, to be with her husband, Bill McLeod. The two met nine years ago while attending the University of Victoria in British Columbia, where Hilash attained a master of arts degree in Visual Arts. She spent five years in Tuk, a little more than one of those as youth activities co-ordinator for the John Jacobson Youth Centre. She moved to Inuvik only recently to take on the job of co-ordinator of the local youth centre.

The teens are still getting used to her way of doing things. She said there is a lot of hostility towards her because she began enforcing certain rules, such as removing shoes upon entry and no smoking.

"It's a whole lot easier to ignore the rules and let them do what they want," Hilash said. But that, she added, isn't in their best interest, or hers.

"I hope by the end of the summer they'll be used to it," she said.