“Hey, what’s your name?”

Briana Chang

I had never seen so many people smiling before.  Everytime I passed a set of teachers or students there it was, plastered on their faces.  It encouraged me to meet everyone who attended my school.  At first I tried the standard method of approaching saying, “Hey, what’s your name?” but with language, race, culture, and other barriers, it was hard for me to move forward with a strong positive connection to most people.

I decided to play the infamous sport on campus: basketball. I had never played before but realized that the team was a family.  I found myself at home on the court with the ball, practicing for try-outs.  Everyday one of the current players on the team was willing to show me the tricks and tools for the best way to play, building my relationship with others at school.  In the end I had lots of friends and made the team.

If you want to make new friends, go ahead; try walking up to them hoping a conversation will bloom into a friendship.  But if that doesn’t work, pick a sport, club, or group that interests you and you just my make some friends for a lifetime.