ON CAMPUS

Last week we talked with elementary school students about big issues

facing them in the 1990s. They talked about helping the environment,

removing nicotine from cigarettes and Y2K-related computer problems.

This week we asked Ensign Intermediate students in Newport Beach what big

issues concern them.Here’s what they had to say:

“Grades. Because I’ll get in trouble if I don’t do well. For example, my

parents won’t let me go to Edwards Big Newport movie theater with my

friends. I pretty much get Cs right now but I know that I can get A’s. I

get C’s because I’m usually watching MTV instead of studying.”

-- Blake Prested, 13, eighth-grader, Newport Beach

“Friends. Because your parents don’t always understand who you are

hanging out with. My parents are supportive of my friends. My parents

want me to have a variety of friends, so that not everyone is from the

same group. On a scale of one to 10, their opinion means about a seven to

me.”

-- Terin Cottam, 14, eighth-grader, Costa Mesa

“The people you hang out with is a big deal. Some groups do different

things. Some kids are dirty, like they smoke and do drugs. There are some

kids who are even having sex. The majority of people at this school look

down on that kind of behavior, though.”

-- Garrett Guiney, 14, eighth-grader, Newport Beach

“Grades. I worry about doing well in school. I want to go to UCSB. I want

to be a therapist or psychiatrist. I already help my friends if they are

having problems with other friends. My parents are also very interactive

in my education.”

-- Hannah Lindquist, 13, eighth-grader, Newport Beach

“Grades. I get A’s and Bs. I want to go to college and be a teacher. It’s

really important to my parents and I don’t want to let them down. It’s

important to them that I get a good career. My parents started pressuring

me in academics in sixth grade. I feel that they should wait until I am

at least a sophomore in high school. I think that eighth grade is the

last year that you can do what you want. But I think their efforts will

probably help me in the long run.”

-- Sarah Mutt, 13, eighth-grader, Costa Mesa

“Race is a big issue. Last year all of the white kids hung out together

and all of the Latinos hung out together. There were a lot of fights

between them. But the main groups graduated last year and went to Newport

Harbor High School. I think it’s sad that people act like that. It’s sad

to think how they will grow up.”-- Kyle Garnier, 14, eighth-grader, Costa

Mesa

“Popularity. People change a lot from sixth grade to seventh grade. A lot

of people change their personality and the way they look in order to fit

in. I want to fit in and be popular. But I worry when I go to school that

someone is going to make fun of what I am wearing or how I did my hair.

Sometimes people say mean things to me. It makes me feel really bad. You

have to be mean to be popular. Also, if people ask to look at your

homework and cheat you have to let them. That makes you popular. You also

have to get new clothes every month.”-- Rhiannon Duncan, 12,

seventh-grader, Newport Beach