OC HIGH / STUDENT NEWS & VIEWS : OC High asks: What is the best thing you have ever done to help a friend?

Responses gathered by Joe Sherbanee, Mater Dei; Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Judy Tsai, Huntington Beach; Luke Fenchell, University; Leeza Duong, Santiago; Rachel Odom, Century; Alison Koodrich, Ocean View; Amanda Garcia, El Modena; Eve Winnick, Loara; Lisa Okikawa, Cypress; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley; Michelle Pham, Trabuco Hills; Michael Moore, Saddleback; Dana Lenetz, Foothill; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park

“I kept my mouth shut.”

Anna Girardi, 17 senior, Mater Dei

“One of my friends was having boyfriend problems, so I listened and talked to both her and her boyfriend and gave them advice and helped them to get back together.”

Sarah Kimmel, 15 sophomore, Irvine

“Tolerated their whining.”

Cherie Yu, 17 senior, Foothill

“I helped my friend handle a difficult situation by talking to her and helping her through it. She was on the brink of destruction, and I told her it was OK to cry, and she let all her sorrows out.”

Jennifer Ho Chen, 16 junior, Huntington Beach

“When a friend’s problem got to be too much for her at home, I invited her to live with me.”

Jolene Rustin, 17 senior, Ocean View

“I bent the truth so they wouldn’t get in trouble.”

Joe Fuste, 15 sophomore, Mater Dei

“After my friend broke up with her boyfriend of two years, I cheered her up by talking to her and treating her to a rocky road ice cream.”

Cindy Sanciangco, 17 junior, Villa Park

“It would probably be sticking up for two of my African American friends when people are making racist comments to them. I got in about four fights that day.”

Chris Stumps, 16 junior, El Modena

“One of my friends was really bummed out about a low test score, so I helped talk him through it. I gave him mental advice like, ‘Take it easy, don’t worry about anything; you’ll be OK if you study.’ ”

Sanjeev Sriram, 14 sophomore, Irvine

“Played the middle-man when he’s trying to get a girl.”

David Metzger, 17 junior, Foothill

“I stopped my friend from getting into a fight. He would have been busted by his friends and the school if it had happened.”

Thomas Stewart, 15 sophomore, Century

“The one that I’ll never forget is when my friend had problems with peer pressure--when she was around her gang. She really made a change.”

Rosa Anguiano, 15 freshman, Sonora

“I helped two friends get together when I knew about their mutual attraction.”

Riki Flint, 17 junior, Huntington Beach

“I took a friend to an alcohol center to get help for her alcohol problem.”

Jenny La Ruffa, 15 freshman, Fountain Valley

“Just the other day I brought sweats to one of my good friends who ripped her shorts badly when jumping over a fence to go to basketball practice.”

Sadaf Ahmed, 15 sophomore, Loara

“I shared my house with a friend when he got kicked out of his.”

Austin Kirk, 16 junior, Saddleback

“I helped a friend when he got in a fight with a bigger guy.”

Ali Kashani, 16 junior, Trabuco Hills

“Simply listening to them. Whether their problem was big or small, my friends count on me to listen to them. I don’t usually give advice, but I always listen.”

John Digrado, 18 senior, Villa Park

“I picked up my friend when she walked to a yogurt store after a fight with her parents. Then we talked.”

Hannah Riley, 16 junior, Foothill

“When one of my friends forgot to bring her lunch money, I lied and said I wasn’t hungry and gave her my money.”

April Adams, 14 freshman, Sonora

“I helped a friend stop cheating in school.”

Mike Masserman, 16 junior, Woodridge

“My grandma, she has cancer, and every week I go to her house and take care of her.”

Jennell Francis, 17 senior, Century

“I talked to a friend and convinced him that even though he was bisexual, he still has a place in society.”

Stephen Rush, 15 sophomore, Fountain Valley

“The best thing I’ve done for my friend is help her with her schoolwork. She didn’t understand anything, so I would tutor her after school. I was so happy to find out that she improved her grade from a D+ to a B+.”

Yvonne Vu, 16 senior, Santiago

“I got her a date for the homecoming dance.”

Sloane Richardson, 17 senior, Mater Dei

“The best thing that I have done for a friend is help her with some problems that she had about boys. She felt a lot better after I talked to her and I was happy for her.”

My Lan Vu, 15 freshman, Santiago

“It was my mom--she was going through a rough patch. I took care of her.”

Martin Gunning, 15 freshman, Sonora

“One time a friend was having a lot of problems with her relationships, parents, boyfriend and school. I spent seven hours on the phone with her, trying to give her advice and comfort her.”

Matt Carr, 18 senior, Century

“Well, I don’t really know if I have ever done anything to help a friend. Usually when I try to help, it turns out bad! For example, one time my friend was feeling bad because her boyfriend had broken up with her. So I encouraged her to go talk with this guy and she did. She stayed at his house really late, and her parents got worried and went out to look for her. And when they found her, she got in big trouble.”

Renee Noda, 16 junior, Cypress

“I convinced my older brother to give one of my friends a ride home for an entire year. I always saw the guy walking home, and I felt sorry for him.”

Edzel Ignacio, 16 junior, El Modena

“I talked to a friend about not running away from home and not killing herself. It felt good knowing that she did not run away or kill herself because of the long talk that we had.”

Bushra Alwakza, 15 sophomore, Fountain Valley

“I’ve given them advice, helped them break into their house when they’re locked out and covered work for them when they have somewhere else they have to be.”

Jenny Lindemann, 16 junior, Trabuco Hills

“I supported my friend when she had emotional problems after she broke up with her boyfriend.”

Sarah Gurkin, 15 sophomore, Saddleback

“I think the nicest thing I did for a friend was try to reason with his mom so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. I have also helped many of my friends with their homework that they didn’t understand.”

Mark Reasinger, 14 freshman, Trabuco Hills

NEXT WEEK

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