Some Gifts That’ll Fit Any Student Body
Selecting just the right present for just the right person can be a formidable task, but let’s say you wanted to get something that everyone at your school could share. . . . Hot Topics wonders: “If you could give the student body of your school a single gift, what would it be and why?”
“Real cool teachers, so no one would have any homework.”
Staci Hays, 16,
junior, Cypress
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that they would rather have stayed at the old school than come here (new school) because the warm atmosphere has now disappeared. The greatest gift would be for the student body to work with the administration and for the administration to work with the students to bring some of the warmth from the old school to the new one.”
Madhu Anvekar, 17,
senior, Brea-Olinda
“Intelligence. They’re not really dumb, but they’re not really smart.”
Anne Nguyen, 14,
freshman, Marina
“I’d give the student body a pat on the back, because everybody deserves some support and encouragement.”
Amir J. Yates, 17,
senior, Los Alamitos
“More stress on academic performance, because I think there’s too much stress on sports.”
Brandon Heinz, 15,
sophomore, Santa Margarita
“Pride and spirit in our school. We shouldn’t just sit back and accept others’ stereotypes of Costa Mesa High School. This school has great potential.”
Katy Eklof, 15,
sophomore, Costa Mesa
“A jackhammer so we can smash those stupid planters in the middle of the walkways.”
Chris Rowe, 17,
senior, Woodbridge
“Lockers. We need lockers to put our books in but also to have a place--a place to be with our friends, to know where to meet before lunch, a special place. The lockers serve as a special hangout where all high schoolers feel secure.”
Shelby Mallett, 16,
junior, Brea-Olinda
“Perseverance, because after catching senioritis, we’ll need it.”
Nancy Ko, 17,
senior, Connelly
“The gift of love. It’s too easy for us to get wrapped up in ourselves and our feelings. If the student body as a whole put out a little effort into being more unified, then the school would be a little better all around.”
Naomi Stevens, 16,
junior, Costa Mesa
“The best gift would be more social activities for the whole student body. If we had more dances, sports events and other things to go to, then it would give us a better chance to meet people we might like.”
Becky Swanson, 16,
junior, Brea-Olinda
“A longer lunch, because I never finish my food.”
Eric Hamme, 15,
sophomore, Cypress
“A student body president with a real sense of humor.”
Ryan Murphy, 17,
senior, Los Alamitos
“More free dress days for everyone in the school, because students have better attitudes when they can dress the way they want.”
Matt Deller, 16,
junior, Santa Margarita
“I’d give the athletic department money so that all the sports teams could have new uniforms.”
Chad Hirshey, 14,
freshman, Woodbridge
“A gum scraper, because there’s so much gum everywhere, especially on the bottoms of desks.”
Tanya Kam, 17,
senior, Marina
“Redoing the parking lot by making bigger and assigned spaces.”
Julie Vogt, 17,
senior, Connelly
“A huge replica of a cow for everyone to admire. The cow is a supreme creature that every person should devote their high school years to praising.”
Jay Coffman, 17,
senior, Los Alamitos
“A heated lunch shelter, because it’s really cold in the mornings.”
Ryan Mummert, 16,
junior, Santa Margarita
“My time. I would help out with student body projects to make the school better in every way. Time is not a gift which our materialistic tendencies has influenced. Time is a rare gift.”
John Lee, 17,
senior, Brea-Olinda
“A chicken soup/coffee vending machine.”
Shawna McCartney, 17,
senior, Connelly
“I’d give them the advice that whatever you do now in high school counts for everything when you apply to colleges. The more you succeed, the better off you are.”
Stephanie Anson, 17,
senior, Los Alamitos
“A month off, because everyone is too stressed.”
Tanya Barrett, 16,
junior, Woodbridge
“Some school spirit, because nobody has any.”
Micah Stoball, 15,
sophomore, Cypress
“I would give the student body the understanding and respect it deserves, so the students will never forget that they are the future.”
Wendy Parra, 15,
sophomore, Costa Mesa
“Sea gull repellent, because of the sea gulls at lunch.”
Karen Houston, 16,
junior, Cypress
“More power in student activities. For example, we (the students) had planned to have a prom at the Queen Mary, but our activities director changed it to a local mall even though the majority of juniors and seniors do not want to attend now.”
Shannon Floyd, 17,
senior, Brea-Olinda
“Off-campus privileges, because it would teach us more responsibility.”
Heather Blackinton, 15,
sophomore, Santa Margarita
“The realization that the success or failure of your life depends solely on you, because too many people just let their lives happen to them.”
Dai Cham, 17,
senior, Costa Mesa
“An indoor school, so we wouldn’t have to worry about the weather.”
Russ Lane, 17,
senior, Cypress
“The gift of time. After you spend seven hours in school and you hear that final bell ring, you may think you’re done for the day. But in reality, you still have four hours of homework and two college essays to complete.”
Allyson Grimes, 17,
senior, Los Alamitos
“Music, because it’s one of the most important things and it makes people happy.”
Darcie Green, 17,
junior, Santa Margarita
“I would give the student body the ability to have pride and confidence in our school, and, most importantly, I would encourage school spirit.”
Tina Sugiyama, 17,
senior, Costa Mesa
“More athletic facilities--pool, gym, bigger fields.”
Marisa Schuber, 17,
senior, Connelly
Next Week’s Hot Topic:
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Hot Topic responses gathered by Joo young Lee (Brea-Olinda), Jennifer Chen (Connelly), Cindy Nguyen (Costa Mesa), Blythe Latimer (Cypress), Jennifer Vineyard (Los Alamitos), Jenny Henderson (Marina), Suzanne Zomoyski (Santa Margarita) and Tomarra Wilds (Woodbridge).
DR, JORGE AYALA