OC HIGH: Student News & Views
OC High asks: What’s the biggest misconception about teens?
Responses gathered by Presida Brasov, Garden Grove; Michele Pham, Trabuco Hills; Mona Hanouni, Loara; Christine Monette, Rosary; Leeza Duong, Santiago; Joslin Gemsch, Capistrano Valley; Amber Pierce, Los Alamitos; Luke Fenchel, University; Sharon Maher, Westminster; Judy Tsai, Huntington Beach; Dana Lenetz, Foothill; Kai Wang, Anaheim; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley; Tina Toochinda, Dana Hills; Audrey Rosenberg, Laguna Hills; Hallie Kim, Brea Olinda; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park; Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Linda Dao, Los Amigos, Alison Koodrich, Ocean View. “That all we do is sit around and party, and we don’t work hard in school.”
John Lukin, 16
junior, Trabuco Hills
“(That) all of us are gangsters and hoodlums just because we wear baggy clothes.”
Hai T. Huynh, 16
junior, Santiago
“Many adults believe that most teen-agers are sex-hungry, alcohol-drinking, fun-loving kids that have no responsibilities. It’s not true, of course. Only some of us are. There are many teen-agers who are exactly the opposite.”
Mike Kim, 16
junior, Loara
“That they like being called teens. Second, that they need overprotection. What we need is a chance to figure out who we are and what we (want to) do, and then the opportunity to be that and do that. We need support, not protection. Well, maybe a bullet-proof vest, but . . . .”
Jeff Garvin, 17
senior, Brea Olinda
“(That) teens naturally are rebels and can’t think for themselves.”
Kim Nguien, 17
senior, Garden Grove
“Most adults believe ‘smart’ teens are innocent--bah, humbug!”
Jeff Button, 18
junior, Huntington Beach
“(That) we’re all stoners and drink alcohol.”
Amish Shah, 16
junior, Capistrano Valley
“There are too many stereotypes presented by TV showing that teen-age girls are only interested in the phone, makeup, shopping and guys.”
Marcy Churgel, 14
freshman, Fountain valley
“(That) the only thing we are good for is getting into trouble.”
Janet Tintle, 17
senior, Laguna Hills
“Adults commonly make the mistake of assuming that their children--especially their teen-agers --are objects of property to be controlled and displayed. This is not to say that teen-agers do not owe a certain level of respect and obedience to their parents, but most parents today have come to take that respect and obedience for granted.”
John Paul Gaunt
junior, University
“People think we can’t drive.”
Veronica Porter, 16
junior, Foothill
“That we don’t think we can learn anything from authority figures.”
Elene Macias, 17
junior, Rosary
“That they don’t care about anything outside their own world.”
William Korthof, 15
sophomore, Los Alamitos
“That we’re all into sex and drugs.”
Diana Carreno, 15
junior, Dana Hills
“Personally, I feel adults judge us by our age and nothing else. Adults seem to automatically assume we are delinquents and always up to no good. I admit that we are not perfect and we are still learning, but they need to give us a chance.”
Sarah Uber, 17
junior, Villa Park
“That all teens are concerned with college or, for that matter, the future. I see hundreds of teens who live only for today--a soulless, dreamless crowd . . . badly in need of a clue.”
Thomas Sitch, 17
senior, Westminster
“That our lives are easy and that we don’t understand what it means to work. I know plenty of teens who go to school, play sports and work. If people think that kind of life is easy, they’re crazy.”
Tim Walsh, 17
senior, Ocean View
“That we are too young to know what’s going on in the world.”
Noel Tran, 16
sophomore, Los Amigos
“Teens today are severely underestimated. We don’t get enough credit for things we do and usually get blamed for a lot of things that are usually adults’ fault.”
Nick Borer, 16
sophomore, Anaheim
“That we are lazy and never do any work.”
Michael Trerotola, 14
freshman, Sonora
“That we are somehow not as disciplined as the previous generations. Which generation fed its own people plutonium and didn’t tell them what it was, all in the name of government defense? Certainly not us.”
Darci Elgen, 16
junior, Westminster
“(That) we are careless and lazy and we don’t care for authority.”
Nick Cerciello, 18
senior, Laguna Hills
“That they party all of the time and that they don’t care about anything.”
Michelle Alverez, 16
junior, Irvine
“I believe that any conception or misconception of teens has to be based on the idea that teens are all similar--which is to me a more ridiculous notion than all African-Americans are the same or all Mexican-Americans are the same. So I believe that the greatest misconception about teens is the belief that they can all be treated as equals.”
Ron Katzir
junior, University
“(That) we think we know everything.”
Tricia McShea, 16
senior, Foothill
“That we’re all bad, naive and all alike. That we live only for the day and we don’t care about our futures.”
Carmen Costescue, 14
freshman, Garden Grove
“That we’re reckless and irresponsible, which we’re usually not. Most teen-agers can be more responsible than the older generation thinks we are.”
Mehrack Safai, 16
junior, Dana Hills
“Teen-agers are not just slack-offs; some of us care.”
Greg Firestone, 17
junior, Capistrano Valley
“People think all teen-agers are troublemakers. Many of us volunteer in the community and try to put our best foot forward. People often don’t give teens a fair chance.”
Eve Winnick, 15
sophomore, Loara
“(That) teen-agers are lazy and cannot relate to adults.”
Vanessa Borroto, 17
senior, Rosary
“When people say that the kids do not care about what’s going on in their school.”
Hon Mack, 17
senior, Santiago
“That they are all stupid and wild all the time, that they don’t take responsibility for things.”
Robyn Miles, 16
junior, Los Alamitos
“That all teen-agers, while outside of school, stare continuously at the television, completely oblivious to what is actually on, and have never read one word of literature and can therefore make not one mature decision on their own without crashing a car or getting someone pregnant.”
Ben Rojas, 16
junior, Huntington Beach
“People think we can’t be trusted.”
Mike Lindstrom, 17
junior, Foothill
“Everyone thinks that teen-agers have a bad attitude toward adults and school, and that they disrespect the environment. Many think teens have a selfish attitude of ‘I don’t care.’ But not all teen-agers are like this. Everyone should take some time, maybe only an hour, and really try to understand the challenges teens are facing.”
Chela Nield, 17
junior, Fountain Valley
“People don’t expect us to learn as fast as we do. They don’t understand that we learn faster now than our parents did when they were our age.”
Craig Breverman, 17
senior, Dana Hills
“That teens are individualistic rebels. People do drugs or follow trends because everyone else is doing it, and what’s so rebellious about that, I ask you?”
Tina Lee, 17
senior, Brea Olinda
“That we are not responsible. Most teens are just as responsible as adults, although sometimes teens do tend to procrastinate a little more than adults.”
Philip Choi, 15
sophomore, Villa Park
“That they are hooligans that are always in mischief, and they are always doing wrong when (in fact) they’re trying to have fun and be good.”
Lisa Clark, 17
junior, Irvine
“That they are not serious about school.”
Jimmy Landry, 15
freshman, Sonora
“That all teen-agers are selfish, reckless and inconsiderate, but that’s because the media only focus on the negative actions of some teens instead of the positive things teen-agers have done.”
Stephanie Pollaro, 17
senior, Ocean View
