High Life A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : How Far Do You Have to Go to Hide Out From the World?

We lead hectic lives.

And when the pressures, distractions or expectations get to be too much, it’s nice to get away for a while. Everybody needs a place to call his own.

Hot Topics wonders, “When you want to be alone, where do you go?”

“I first go to the refrigerator, grab all the food, then go in the den, shut the door and turn on the radio and TV to the maximum volume.”

Chantal Dreis, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“I go to my favorite bookstore and plop myself down on the floor in the classic-literature section for a couple of hours and read, read, read.”

Jean Selden, 17,

senior, Connelly

“I go to the beach and watch the surfers. They do look mighty fine in their wet suits.”

Charity Dailey, 17, senior,

Southern California Christian

“I get into my car and drive. I try to get out of El Toro and drive to the beach or somewhere scenic like that. Being in my car listening to the radio calms me down if I’m upset or stressed.”

Shannon Vedomske, 17,

senior, El Toro

“I go in my bedroom closet because it’s dark and confining.”

Meridith Schaeffer, 16,

sophomore, Troy

“I go outside and play basketball against my garage. It helps me take my mind off things when I’m doing something I enjoy.”

Ian Hanigan, 16,

junior, Saddleback

“I go beddy-bye. When I wake, my troubles have faded like an old pair of Levis.”

Mike Hallock, 17,

senior, Cypress

“I’ll just find a corner somewhere.”

Scott Yi, 17,

senior, Villa Park

“I usually go to the batting cages and practice my batting.”

Lupe Trujillo, 16,

sophomore, Bolsa Grande

“I try to go to the tide pools. I take a folding chair and just sit and watch--sometimes for hours. This is the time when I feel closest to God--like he’s right there and we’re hanging out.”

Sarah Decker, 17, senior,

Southern California Christian

“Probably the bathroom because it’s the only place that I can close the door and have some peace.”

Sunny Winkler, 17,

senior, Connelly

“I walk down the side of a railroad track and think.”

Michelle Hinkle, 18,

senior, Bolsa Grande

“I go jogging because I can let everything out and get away.”

Carey Biermann, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“I sit in my back yard underneath my tree.”

Mindy Davis, 18,

senior, Cypress

“I go to the Marine base. I sit on the Tarmac between buildings and there are no people around--just hundreds of ducks. I can’t really explain why I go there. I can’t explain what I feel. But it’s more peaceful and glorious than anything else I’ve experienced.”

David Berke, 17,

senior, El Toro

“I go in the middle of my room, turn off the lights and meditate.”

Samantha Sangana, 16,

sophomore, Troy

“My room; it’s the only place that’s mine.”

Cindy Nguyen, 15,

freshman, Villa Park

“I grab the book I’m reading, sit down and withdraw from reality for a while, until I’m ready to come back.”

Thom Lancaster, 18, senior,

Southern California Christian

“I go fishing. This enables me to gather up my thoughts and also gives me time to do something about them.”

Gabe Regalado, 16,

sophomore, Bolsa Grande

“I bike over to a nearby park and sit and I feed the ducks.”

Sarah Jans, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“I air out my pent-up feelings during a walk in the neighborhood.”

Thich Hong, 18,

senior, Saddleback

“I go on my roof because I like being outside and nobody will find me.”

Eric Douglass, 16,

sophomore, El Toro

“I go to my room and put the chair against the door because I have no lock.”

Patty Tsai, 17,

senior, Connelly

“I retreat into a hiding place deep within my mind. It is a place where I can go to be at peace with myself or with the world, a place to solve my problems, a place to be with God.”

Chris Kahau, 18, senior,

Southern California Christian

“The Back Bay in Newport Beach to watch the sun set and enjoy the natural surroundings.”

Tim Murphy, 18,

senior, Bolsa Grande

“I go into the bathroom with a People magazine.”

Jean-Michel Florent, 15,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“I usually take refuge in my room for a couple of hours or take a long walk and listen to music.”

Ilyse Sanford, 16,

sophomore, Saddleback

“I often go running. It loosens me up and relieves tension.”

Linda Taboy, 16,

sophomore, El Toro

“Sometimes I take a long walk.”

Mary Beth Maiden, 15, sophomore,

Southern California Christian

“I go to my room; if my sister is in there, I go sit in a tree.”

Kristy Roak, 16,

junior, Bolsa Grande

“I regress into my mind.”

Amanda Cobb, 17,

junior, Santa Margarita

“I spend time going to places, riding my bike and just basically getting out into the open.”

Tommy Simonovski, 14,

freshman, Saddleback

“I used to go upstairs into my bonus room because most of my family stays downstairs. This room is good because it has many things to entertain me.”

Brad Milby, 17,

senior, El Toro

“I go to the beach, because it helps me to relax and have fun.”

Tanya Britton, 16,

junior, Villa Park

“My bedroom. I turn up the stereo real loud and sit in my bean-bag chair.”

Jake Landmesser, 16,

sophomore, Villa Park

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

Do you have any enemies and, if so, what did you do to upset them?

Responses gathered by Brandi Winemiller (Bolsa Grande), Jennifer Chen (Connelly), Blythe Latimer (Cypress), Dawn Stone (El Toro), Nguyen-Hong Hoang (Saddleback), Suzanne Zamoyski (Santa Margarita), Stacey Kimsey (Southern California Christian), Layne Mosler (Troy) and Heather Lee (Villa Park).