Irvine High School - Citadel Yearbook (Irvine, CA)

Page 25 text:

FUTURE EDITOR? Checking for errors, Thu Dao scrutinizes yearboott stories with the utmost care. Feature 21

Page 24 text:

Startinsi ever aaain For most students at Irvine High School, the four years in their lives denoted as high school con- sist of classes, Friday night football games, pep rallies, dances, friends, homework, parties, and otherwise becoming a lasting part of IHS. Yet for some, these high school years seem torn apart, and in some cases even destroyed. Faced with new social habits, different values, and often radical cultural changes, new students must adjust their entire lives and lifestyles. They are the victims of family location changes. Some move across town, some across the country, and others make trans-global moves. There were several reasons why families made these big moves. One of the most common was a military transfer . We moved from the USA to Japan three years ago. Then, just before my senior year we were transferred back to the states, said Mary Babitz, senior. Other families moved because they wanted a change in lifestyle and new surroundings. My parents moved us from France to the United States last year because they wanted a dif- ferent lifestyle, and to meet new people, said Veronique Plantier, senior. Melissa Curtis, a senior, and her family felt that a move was necessary in their case. My dad moved us from Santa Ana to Irvine because it had a more healthy atmosphere, and it was closer to both my parents ' jobs, said Curtis. Many changes had to be accepted by these new students and often times they found the assimila- tion process a difficult and frightening experience. Students that come here from other countries are not only faced with a language barrier, but also cultural and value differences that, in some cases become barriers in themselves, said Rudy Her- rera, who teaches the E.S.L. (English as a Second Language) class at IHS. At times these dif- ferences are so extreme that the new students find themselves completely deserting their own cultures and adopting American ways. Often times, the motives for Americanizing are not part of the normal assimilation process. They change because of the ridicule they receive from other students who have not been exposed to the ways of other cultures. These pressures were felt and dealt with by many students. Sometimes I didn ' t feel as if I belonged. I was so different; they were so different. Eventually I ac- cepted that to enable them to accept me, I would have to accept them, said Thu Dao, a senior who moved to the U.S. from Vietnam. Other differences were easier and even happily a ccepted by the new students. One such discovery was in the level of difficulty of education. The general consensus was that IHS was less difficult than the other schools they had attended. In France I went to school from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. then from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There was no time for a job and barely enough time for homework, said Plantier. The hardest part of moving, most students agreed, was leaving friends behind. And coming to a new school in the middle of one ' s high school career, making new friends and becoming involv- ed also presented some problems. I put three years of time and dedication into my high school so I could have a rad senior year. Then at the end of my junior year, it was all taken away by our moving. It doesn ' t seem fair because now there ' s no time for me to get involved, said Babitz. Differences in student ' s attitudes were also noted by the students, and sometimes took some getting used to. People in New Jersey are much more cliquish than here at IHS. Everyone here is really friendly, said Leo Hicics a senior, who moved to IHS from New Jersey during his junior year. Claudia Villegas, a senior who moved to the USA from Peru just before her sophomore year, felt differently. People in the states are much colder and harder to get to know than my classmates in Peru. Sometimes it seems that the whole society is this way, said Villegas. Several different sentiments were expressed when the memories of these major moves were stirred up. Most tended to view the experience in a positive light. A move is a difficult thing to accept; it ' s like starting all over. But sometimes these kinds of transitions can be a challenge. A new, exciting obstacle to conquer, said Curtis. — by Kathie Kieran MY FAVORITE MENTOR: Mary Babitz listens patiently to words of wisdom from Tammie Montgomery. HITTING THE BOOKS: Working hard to keep up their class work are Effrain Becerra and Peppo Manzana. Gary Ferrato 20 Feature

Page 26 text:

uurINu with stepfamilies David and Linda are in their fifth year of mar- riage to each other. It Is the second one for both of them. David had two children from his first mar- riage, while Linda had three. They, along with millions of other Americans, have been through a divorce and remarried, thus forming a stepfamily for themselves and their children. According to a 1982 issue of Current Lifestudies, adjustment to a step family is not easy for the children involved. It has been proven that younger children have an easier time adjusting than do teenagers. I was three years old when my parents were divorced, so I don ' t remember that much. It ' s been harder to adjust since I ' ve gotten older, because a lot of questions pop in my mind about why they got divorced, said one IHS junior. According to Dr. Clifford J. Sager, director of the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services in New York City, kids have a hard time accepting the loss of their natural parents ' undivided atten- tion, as well as being placed into a new family ar- rangement that they had no part in choosing. It was hard for me, said a senior boy, because I had to get used to a whole new and dif- ferent home life. At first, I felt a lot of resentment towards my stepdad. Children seem to feel a great loss when a parent remarries, but open communication is the first step in the right direction to overcome this feeling. I had a hard time accepting my stepmother, but we started talking to each other about our feel- ings. From then on we got along great, an Irvine sophomore girl said. Much has changed, though, since the once- upon-a-time days of Cinderella, when step- mothers were considered foes rather than friends. My stepmother and I are close. I have my real mother, and my stepmother is my friend, a freshmen girl commented. But what does divorce and remarriage in a fami- ly teach the kids about the institution of marriage? Seeing my mother divorced three times had made me think that nothing will last, a junior girl commented. A stepfamily, however, is not only formed by a divorce. When a widow with children remarries, they become members of a stepfamily. Sophomore LoriSmolln was in this situation. It was so much easier to adjust than I thought it was going to be, she said, all of our friends real- ly helped us with the death of our mom, so it made it easy to adjust to a new family. At first my step- mom was more like a good friend, but now I think of here as a sister. Despite some of the problems involved in form- ing and dealing with a step family, many psychological experts point out that this situation has a positive side. Unlike the nuclear family, in which children have two parents, kids in a step- family have more adults to turn to for role models and support. They may also find a stepparent one to confide in. Throughout my parent ' s divorce, a senior male concluded, and becoming part of a step- family, I ' ve learned how important communication is. I ' ve also learned that there ' s a lot of love and caring in stepfamilies as well as regular ones. — by Liz Marrujo SHARING A LAUGH: Junior Matt Otto tdkes time out of his day to converse witli his stepfather, Bruce Baron. OPEN COMMUNICATION: Junior Lori Cramar and her mother Sue Graham, discuss being members of a stepfamily with para-counselor Chris Gober. 22 Feature