HIGH LIFE : Top Status Symbols: Cars, Clothes, Cuteness
One bumper sticker reads: “He Who Has the Most Toys, Wins.”
The other: “She Who Dates the Most Boys, Wins.”
Either way, they’re talking about accumulating. . . . Piling up as much as you can as high as you can so you may take your place atop the heap, head and shoulders above your peers.
The composition of the piles will vary, as do the symbols that represent success in today’s society.
Here are some responses to this week’s hot topic: “What is the ‘ultimate’ status symbol among students at your high school?”
“Cars are a big center of attention here and hold the highest level of status.”
--Jason Neubert, 17, junior, Canyon
“Definitely a student’s car or truck. I always remember a nice car when I see one, and if a friend’s driving it, that’s even better.”
--Barrett Marson, 17, junior, Canyon
“Try this on for size. To a 5-1 guy like me, I’d definitely have to say that being tall is a status symbol. I can seriously look up to a guy with height.”
--Eric Antebi, 16, junior, Corona del Mar
“It has to be the kind of car you drive. It reflects your character as well as your purchasing power.”
--Jim Hsu, 16, senior, Corona del Mar
“A letterman’s jacket. Girls look up to guys with letterman’s jackets.”
--Kristi Austin, 17, senior, Cypress
“Having a bottom locker is the ultimate status symbol here at Cypress.”
--Anna Choe, 17, senior, Cypress
“Something totally out of reach like a Ferrari convertible. More realistically, a white Volkswagen Cabriolet.”
--Julie Coontz, 17, junior, Dana Hills
“Attitude at Dana Hills: You’re not cool if you don’t have a car.”
--Chris Oprson, 17, junior, Dana Hills
“The expensive automobile.”
--Ed Seibold, 17, junior, Dana Hills
“For girls, it’s a tan. Everyone wants one.”
--Paige Lauby, 16, sophomore, El Toro
“A letterman’s jacket with a CIF football championship patch on it.”
--Sara Bone, 15, sophomore, El Toro
“A Porsche.”
--Emily Norman, 17, senior, El Toro
“If if you’re involved in sports, the many benefits, such as the letterman’s jacket and school recognition in the form of medals and awards, are widely recognized.”
--Michael Daniels, 17, junior, Kennedy
“Adidas, man, white with black stripes.”
--Bryan Ito, 17, junior, Kennedy
“Becoming a senior. That seems to be every high school student’s goal.”
--Beth Blouch, 17, junior, Laguna Hills
“Unfortunately, the ultimate status symbol for a student at Laguna Hills is the type of car he drives.”
--David Hall, 17, senior, Laguna Hills
“Clothes. After all, clothes make the man. And, unfortunately, we are not referring to those clothes found on your typical K mart shopper.”
--Kelly Lanners, 16, junior, Laguna Hills
“Guys are always comparing cars and trying to top each other with the cars they drive.”
--Mat Holm, 16, junior, Liberty Christian
“Jewelry, definitely jewelry. Accessories can make or break an outfit and if you don’t look good, your status, or what was your status, immediately drops to zero.”
--Amy Sebilius, 17, junior, Liberty Christian
“Clothes--you can always tell a lot about a person by what they’re wearing.”
--Jennifer Richardson, 16, junior, Liberty Christian
“The ultimate status symbol at our school is a pink Scirocco.”
--Mark-Erak Molnar, 17, senior, Los Alamitos
“I think it’s a cool disco outfit.”
--Carolina Cerneka, 17, senior, Los Alamitos
“A psychedelic hair bow.”
--Eric Happoldt, 18, senior, Los Alamitos
“A complete collection of the Garbage Pail Kids collector series No. 2 and also if you own a 1982 Chevrolet station wagon.”
--Brian Keegan, 18, senior, Mater Dei
“Definitely what kind of car you drive.”
--Nikol Brenner, 17, junior, Mater Dei
“New shoes because we have to wear uniforms and it’s the only way we can be us.”
--Erin Cormie, 16, sophomore, Mater Dei
“Power.”
--Lynnette Morris, 17, junior, Rosary
“A really cute guy, that people will talk about for weeks, on your arm.”
--Linda Chu, 16, junior, Rosary
“One of the houses down at the beach like a million-dollar home. But if you have enough money where you don’t have to buy things just to impress people, you know you have it.”
--Linda Turnley, 17, senior, Rosary
“We have no real status symbol at St. Michael’s, but one object of pride is our class ring. Sophomores through seniors are allowed to wear the ring, and all of us are proud of what it stands for.”
--Carlos Sosa, 18, senior, St. Michael’s Prep
“To be on the state champion surf team and be intelligent at the same time.”
--Ewan Morrison, 17, junior, San Clemente
“To be on the water polo team and gorgeous at the same time.”
--Wendy Shean, 18, senior San Clemente
“The ultimate status symbol at our school is being popular.”
--Gina Costello, 16, junior, Santa Ana
“Being good in sports and maintaining a good grade point average.”
--Mark De La Riva, 16, junior, Santa Ana
“To belong in some group, to be able to get along.”
--Chandra Ricksecker, 17, junior, Santa Ana
“Having a good, clean appearance is a status symbol.”
--Raul Lievanos, 17, junior, Santa Ana
“What kind of car people drive, and how they dress.”
--Kacy Temple, 16, sophomore, Sonora
“A rad-looking girlfriend!”
--Mike Bostrom, 17, junior, Sonora
“A cool leather jacket, a girlfriend and a nice car. Nothing has really changed since the ‘50s.”
--Jason Kaller, 17, senior, Troy
“A car alarm key chain that hangs out of your front pocket.”
--MaryAnn Snyder, 18, senior, Troy
“It must be clothes because the freshmen don’t have cars but everyone has to have clothes. Also, there are plenty of popular people who don’t have nice cars at all. And one sophomore guy has a 944 (Porsche) and nobody even knows who he is.”
--Kelly Flanagan, 17, senior, Troy
“A nice car and a varsity letter.”
--Bruce Mitchell, 18, senior, University
“Having a girlfriend or boyfriend.”
--Tessa Weber, 17, junior, Woodbridge
“The people you know. If you know the popular people, you’re popular, if you don’t you’re not.”
--Scott Greenlaw, 15, sophomore, Woodbridge
“Varsity sports and cheerleading.”
--Doug Pryor, 17, senior, Woodbridge
Next Week’s Hot Topic:
“What is your perception of ‘Straight-A’ students?”
Hot Topic responses gathered by Craig Campanaro (Canyon), Patrick Yoon (Corona del Mar), Lynda Kim (Cypress), Chris Bergerud (Dana Hills), Dawn Stone (El Toro), Soojin Kang (Kennedy), Maureen McFadden (Laguna Hills), Kathy Hills (Liberty Christian), Laurene Harding (Los Alamitos), Tanya Diaz (Mater Dei), Amy Burke (Rosary), Carlos Sosa (St. Michael’s Prep), Kim Denyer (San Clemente), Gabriel Saldivar (Santa Ana), Craig Arbour (Sonora), Margaret Suchan (Troy), Rebecca Leung (University), Rebecca Evans and Jennifer Yao (Woodbridge)
