High Life A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : The Company You Choose to Keep Says a Lot About You

Two or more teen-agers hanging out together can be enough to cause some adults to panic.

Will they let me pass without harassing me? Will they talk through the entire movie? Am I going to get caught in the middle of a food fight? Why are they all dressed alike . . . are they in a gang?

Hot Topics asks, “What can people learn about you by looking at your friends?”

“That I’m a wild and crazy kind of a guy.”

Brad Archer, 15,

sophomore, Esperanza

“That I’m a good person because I have such good friends.”

Amy O’Donnell, 17,

senior, Woodbridge

“They can learn a lot about me--my tastes, my personality and my socioeconomic background.”

Sandra Au, 18,

senior, Marina

“If I can get along with them, I can get along with anybody.”

Wendy Palk, 16,

junior, Los Alamitos

“We like to have fun.”

Tina Ghattas, 15,

sophomore, Santa Margarita

“That I have no taste.”

Jennifer Herold, 17,

senior, Marina

“They can see what qualities and characteristics I look for in a friend.”

Eric Diaz, 18,

senior, Esperanza

“I don’t feel like I reflect my friends. We are all original. We are similar but have conflicting interests.”

Stacy Washington, 17,

senior, Woodbridge

“Attitude.”

Manuel Vertara, 17,

junior, Los Alamitos

“In your friends you see who you are, what you want to be and the things you’ve always wanted to try.”

Geoff Poer, 16,

junior, Santa Margarita

“That I’m lots of fun to be with.”

Julie Rayhanabad, 15,

sophomore, Marina

“Just because friends may act funny doesn’t mean you do.”

Amy Hollyman, 14,

freshman, Bolsa Grande

“That I like to have fun.”

Eddie Collins, 15,

sophomore, Esperanza

“What qualities and values I have. If I am a good person and outgoing, they will share those qualities. We all dress the same and talk the same and share the same interests.”

Christine Phan, 17,

senior, Woodbridge

“Your morals, standards and your conduct.”

Donna Reed, 16,

junior, Los Alamitos

“My friends reflect the way I feel about life in a happy way.”

Tara Orr, 14,

freshman, Santa Margarita

“People can see that I have good judgment and what kind of person I am.”

Allan Manio, 17,

senior, Esperanza

“A lot of time people think the people you hang around are the people you’re trying to be like.”

Angie Garcia, 17,

junior, Bolsa Grande

“The closest things to yourself are your friends. You can see a lot of your values and your character in them because they’re who you choose to be with.”

Nicole Tran, 18,

senior, Woodbridge

“Your friends reflect your personality.”

Lacey Martz, 16,

junior, Los Alamitos

“That I’m always happy.”

Jill Heneghan, 15,

junior, Santa Margarita

“I’m weird.”

Kevin Chu, 16,

junior, Marina

“What interests I have.”

Mary Collins, 17,

senior, Esperanza

“That I’ll always have something to do and I’ll always be accepted by them.”

Alan Karalian, 15,

sophomore, Santa Margarita

“They will probably think that I am weird because when my friends get together, they act crazy.”

Jaimee Ellis, 15,

freshman, Woodbridge

“Nothing.”

Jhamara French, 17,

senior, Los Alamitos

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

If you were guaranteed an honest response to any question, whom would you ask and what would be the question?

Responses gathered by Kelly Maakestad (Bolsa Grande), Jennifer Leuer (Esperanza), Trisha Ginsburg (Los Alamitos), Gail Altman (Marina), Kate Elftmann (Santa Margarita) and Carolyn Bates (Woodbridge).