During each of the four funerals she attended in 1999, Julie La Belle had a recurring thought: "I can't believe I'm sitting at a service for a teenager."
La Belle was a youth minister brought to Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., to counsel students in the aftermath of the shootings there. Initially, there was shock and disbelief that hate and violence could occur at such a nice school in such a nice suburb.
It is years later, but La Belle hasn't forgotten the lesson. She is director of student activities at Chaminade College Preparatory, a Roman Catholic school in West Hills whose gated campus is sprinkled with flowers, greenery and sunlight. La Belle knows looks can be deceiving, which is why she devoted a recent week to "Breaking Down the Walls."
Used in schools nationwide and created by a Meadow Vista, Calif., company, the program included assemblies and workshops in which students did team-building exercises and answered questions in small groups. The idea is that it's hard to hate someone you've gotten to know.
Administrators at Chaminade took it one step further recently, conducting its own icebreaker activity. Colored wristbands were distributed to the 1,200 high schoolers during first period with instructions to sit according to color at lunchtime.
Lucky for freshman Jake Speyer, he got orange.
The 14-year-old redhead with braces enjoyed his turkey sandwich in the company of students he had never spoken with before: seven senior girls.
"I definitely feel comfortable," he said as he looked around his table, which was marked by a cluster of orange helium balloons. "It's all beautiful women, they're experienced seniors, and they make me smile."
The experienced seniors' response? "Awwww!"
"I can ask them questions," Jake said, grinning at his table mates. "Sometimes you feel judged by people in your own grade."
"That's so true," replied Sydney Bossert, 17, who later said she would definitely talk to Jake in the hallways. "I think it's so cool how open he is as a freshman, because if I were a freshman I would have totally walked away."
Making new acquaintances was the theme in the noisy cafeteria decorated with posters spray-painted with slogans such as "Dare 2 B Different" and "Be the Change You Want to See in the World."
Approaching a table with silver balloons, junior Greg King asked, "Do you mind if I sit with you guys?"
