High Life A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Friday the 13th Rears Its Star-Crossed Head

If ever there was a day to stay in bed and pull the covers up over your head . . . today’s that day.

It’s Friday the 13th, and if anything bad is going to happen to you, legend says it will happen today.

Hot Topics wonders, “What are you superstitious about?”

“Stepping on a crack, because as a child I was always told, ‘If you step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back.’ ”

Laura Greco, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“I’m superstitious about the moon, especially its effects on me--and there are quite a few.”

Michelle Marinescu, 16,

junior, El Toro

“I pick up each penny I find only if it is on heads, so I can have good luck. Then I give it away.”

Jeannie Sanabrais, 15,

sophomore, Cypress

“When I’m in the car driving over railroad tracks, I cross my fingers, close my eyes, hold my breath, lift my feet off the floor and touch metal. It brings good luck.”

Kris Shepos, 18,

senior, Connelly

“When I wake up in the morning and see bad weather, I think that I’m going to have a bad day.”

Tim Bostrom, 15,

sophomore, Brea-Olinda

“Walking under ladders, because once I tried it and hit my head.”

Kristina Ruiz, 14,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“If you’re too confident you did well on a test, you did bad. So you should think you did bad and then you’ll do well.”

Dayna Sherman, 14,

freshman, El Toro

“Friday the 13th. Something always goes wrong when I go out on that day.”

Tracy Lane, 16,

junior, Cypress

“I’m scared to look in the mirror in the dark because Bloody Mary might come out.”

Sue Lee, 17,

senior, Connelly

“Receiving surprise or unexpected income. It makes me think that I am going to need it for some big emergency.”

Doug Beaver, 17,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“Opening an umbrella indoors, because something bad will happen to someone you love.”

Kim Maloof, 14,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“When I study, I have a certain hat that I wear. It’s my good-luck hat.”

Nicole Stack, 17,

junior, El Toro

“When I was in soccer I used to always have No. 7 on my jersey, or whenever picking numbers I picked No. 7. I never call phone numbers with three consecutive sixes.”

Melissa Ramirez, 17,

senior, Cypress

“Making a wish, then keeping it a secret.”

Christi Fanning, 14,

freshman, Brea-Olinda

“Sometimes I don’t walk under ladders, and if I’m paying attention to the ground, I won’t walk on cracks.”

Amy Kaufman, 17,

senior, Connelly

“I’m superstitious of black cats, because something bad seems to happen when they are around.”

Chanda Malk, 14,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“Breaking glass.”

Mike Sarabosing, 15,

sophomore, El Toro

“Going under ladders, I knock on wood. If I spill salt, I throw it over my left shoulder.”

Sunny Winkler, 17,

senior, Connelly

“Doing the same type of warm-ups and preparation before a soccer game.”

John Ebersberger, 18,

senior, Brea-Olinda

“Friday the 13th, because of the movie and to me it’s just a bad day.”

Nick Ravlich, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“The number 13 and black crows.”

Shirley Mao, 18,

senior, El Toro

“I can’t use a different bat when I hit.”

Brandon Caldarella, 16,

junior, Cypress

“I’m scared when a black cat crosses my path or when a mirror breaks. I’m scared of going under ladders, also. When my friends and I think of a bad thought, we yell: ‘Knock on wood!’ ”

Aarti Hansji, 17,

senior, Connelly

“I am most superstitious of stepping on cracks.”

Matt Wilsey, 14,

freshman, Brea-Olinda

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

If you could relive a moment or experience from your life, what would it be?

Hot Topic responses gathered by Jooyoung Lee (Brea-Olinda), Jennifer Chen (Connelly), Blythe Latimer (Cypress), Dawn Stone (El Toro) and Suzanne Zamoyski (Santa Margarita).