A challenging day for students

Paul Clinton

CORONA DEL MAR -- Meera Shekla’s worldview tilted off its axis

Saturday, after the Corona del Mar High junior attended Challenge Day.

The 17-year-old was clearly inspired by what she experienced.

The all-day event, organized by concerned parents and teachers in the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District, taught Shekla the power of

tolerance, honesty and caring in interactions with others.

“It was so emotional,” Shekla said. “It was really like a therapy

session. We all came together.”

More than 100 parents, teachers, and high school students gathered at

Oasis Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to participate in the event,

which was split into a morning and afternoon session.

The event was dedicated to Brian Campbell, the Corona del Mar High

senior who died in January of a cerebral hemorrhage after he bumped his

head on a curb while getting out of a car.

The majority of the teens who attended the event attend Corona del Mar

High, though some came from as far as San Clemente High School.

Those who participated -- a diverse group ranging in ages, races and

temperaments -- joined in with organizers in a series of exercises to

build confidence and teach positive values.

In one exercise, participants played a game of “Hug Tag,” where they

needed to embrace someone for three seconds or they’d get handed a roll

of masking tape.

Later, they split up into 14 groups, each with an animal assigned to

it. Yelling out their barnyard sounds, the participants tried to locate

other members of their group with their eyes closed.

Organizers of the forum said they hoped to inspire the teens to

communicate with each other, their parents and teachers. By teaching them

to think more positively about themselves, the teens would treat others

with respect and dignity, organizers said.

“What we’re doing is creating a sense of family,” said Donna Stevens,

a self-described challenge associate. “This is a good day to change the

way you think about yourself. This day is about ending the hurt.”

Cyndie Borcoman, the lead organizer of the event, said it was a

rousing success. Borcoman urged other schools in the district to adopt

it.

“It’s really great,” Borcoman said. “There’s a lot of interaction.”

Shekla wasn’t the only teen to compare the event with a therapy

session.

Adnan Azrak, a 16-year-old junior at Corona del Mar High, said he was

relieved to get some things off his chest.

“I think it’s really great being here and that they’re teaching us,”

Azrak said. “It’s better than going to a psychiatrist. You share your

feelings.”