Issue of Nov. 7, 2003
Volume 87, Number Three
Click on a story link to view the story
News
Wildfires shut down school for three days
Competencies eliminated for classes of '04, '05
How safe is safe?
CHS prepares for changeOpinions
Government shuts down ex-reporter's website
Should a gay pride club be allowed? NO
Should a gay pride club be allowed? YES
Sherlock Holmes play a hit!
Overloaded busses: recipe for disaster
Wannabe a wannabe?
Sara's Sentiment (column)
Features
Do I sound Fat?
Jitter jitter...the truth about caffiene
Smoking...it's not cool
Don't stess about stress
When friends let friends drive drunk
Who's the wierdest celebrity? (Poll)
Shayne's World (column)
When does a school uniform go too far?
Horoscopes
Movie review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Sports
Wright brothers fly over CHS
Football headed for league title and CIF run
Tennis
Wildfires
Elysa Arroyo
Last week fires began erupting throughout Southern California and destroying most everything in their paths. Smoke filled the air and even within the confines of still-safe Colton, ash rained from the sky, lining the ground like a layer of snow.
The fires and the terrible air conditions closed Colton Joint Unified School District, as well as a few others, for three days and forced a changed in the end-of-quarter agenda. Mid-terms were given this week, a week late, and quarter grades are due out early next week, but the exact cost to us is unknown at the moment.
A meeting of the highest authorities in the district is being held to decide whether or not we will have to make up the three days we missed from October 27-29. "Technically, on paper", says Jerry Almendarez "The quarter ended the 31st but we are extending it a week".
One of the main concerns of the students is the well being of their teachers and fellow students. "It was scary to think that people's homes were burning up and I felt bad, nut I was relieved when it wasn't my house" says sophomore Janet Monterrosa.
Many teachers had very scary experiences. According to Almendarez, science teacher Larwence Pierce and Spanish teacher Karla Huesca, for example, nearly had their houses burned down. It is understood that many houses around them burned and yet they still came to work. The morale of some of these teachers is absolutely amazing. Many other teachers had similar experiences. "Our prayers are with them" says Almendarez "They know that if they need anything, we will do what we can to help them".
School Board eliminates competencies
by Ilka HernandoNovember 7, 2003
The Classes of 2004 and 2005 will not be required to take the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) or the [writing] competency, according to the State Senate Bill II law that was recently passed. "The State Board of Education decided to delay the implementation of the CAHSEE for two years," according to Garry Schneider, District Director of Curriculum. Before, students were marked by the point system, needing 20 points in both math and reading. The writing competency was met by the essays that students would complete in their English classes. Students will still be turning in essays, but they will not be graded as competency anymore.
"The class of 2006 will be the first that has to pass it [CAHSEE] to graduate," said Schneider, as will future sophomore classes after them as a requirement to graduate. The set date for CAHSEE is on February 3 and 4, 2004. It will be separated into two parts: English, first day. Math, second day. According to Schneider, everyone will have the chance to take it next year if they did not pass the first try. You will be able to keep the areas you passed, in a rollover effect. The minimum score is 350, as a perfect score is 800.
There are many that favor this law for the minimum competency, but others do not, as they feel it unfair to those that learn differently or to those that are not familiar with the English language, and are expected to pass to receive a diploma despite that. Monica Alvarez, sophomore, thinks its "unfair that they left it [CAHSEE] for the class of 2006...they said not for 2003,2004, 2005, let's just leave it for 2006." Sophomore Jesse Terry couldn't agree more. Art Martinez, senior, thinks that "they just want us to graduate," but adds with a shrug and smile, "Rock on!" As the people argue these points, the law has passed and will stay in play until another takes over.
How safe is safe?
Victor Valdez
November 7, 2003Fights, drugs, and ditching, are just some of things that are going on at this school. But what is our school doing to make sure that students that come to Colton High can feel safe when they walk through one of those gates? With over 3,000 students attending this school and more to come in the future, it's a very big job to handle.
Safety at Colton High has been improving in the last couple of years. With the student population increasing there has been a need for more security measures. The district has allowed Colton to add another person to the security staff. They are even hopes of adding another one. The different campus supervisors have different jobs. For instance, one could be responsible for tagging. So, he would be in charge of trying to locate the person who did it. Surveillance cameras have been added to the campus in the last couple years, in various places. They are several hidden cameras on campus. The cameras have been the eyes of security when they can't be there to see what is really going on. We have an on campus police officer. We even have our own police golf cart. We all know about the Drug Dog that pops up every once and a while to see if students having illegal substances on them.
Assistant Principal Lynne Sheffield said that she had noticed that the teachers on campus have been more responsible for their students, and that the students have been behaving better. She also noted that the safety on our school campus is a team effort and it will take everyone to make our school a safer place for everybody. So students who say that Colton is not a safe place need to realize that it really is. The one who cause and can stop all the problems on campus are the students themselves. Even though everyone likes to watch students fight, which in it self can get you in trouble
Dramatic changes
Cassie Orona
November 7, 2003New tennis courts, new locker rooms, no more hurrying over the bridge to get to boys PE....these are just some of the changes in store for Colton HIgh. Principal Jerry Almendarez says, "The Planning Committee put these new ideas together last year. They took a look at the campus and looked for any improvements that could be made." So here are just a few things that they came up with.
Instead of having to go over the bridge for P.E, they suggested moving the boys locker room over to the girls side, and they want to have a two or three story P.E building, where the coaches room would be on the top floor along with the P.E teachers room next and then possibly the locker rooms. The boy's locker room is going to be an extra storage building. They said that moving the boys over to the girls side would be better so there isn't as much student traffic, and so it's more convenient for the students. The softball field is going to be redone and around the perimeter of it is going to be a 1/3-mile track. The tennis courts and the basketball courts are also going to be redone.
They are also thinking of reconstructing the cafeteria and auditorium and hopefully make it into a 50s style. The library is going to be re-built and made into a three story building, complete with a computer lab. A new administration office is going to be re-modeled as well. Assistant Prinicpal Lynne Sheffield says, "They want to re-new the office and make it more accessible for students and more modernized." She also would like to see a student store to sell jackets, t-shirts, P.E clothes, purchase yearbooks and different items like these.
The old science building will be rebuilt to make the new science and math classrooms. The McIntosh building is going to be renewed and they're going to put new art classes in as well. There is also going to be a new entrance to Colton High. It's going to be on Fifth Street and the bus-loading zone is going to be moved as well. This will upgrade student parking to 250 spaces and administration parking to 88 spaces.
Of course with all this new construction on the drawing board, it's not going to happen immediately. Almendarez estimates a time frame from five to ten years from now. Sheffield says, "I would have liked it to be done sooner than the time frame that we have right now, but you have to work with what you've got. Other than this, I'm really looking forward to the new improvements that are going to be made."
Government shuts down website
Sara Robbin
November 7, 2003A few weeks ago former student Paul Lopez formed a web site containing articles critical of President George W. Bush and the government. Most of these articles implied an understanding (not sympathy, but understanding) of the motives of the 9/11 terrorists. Unfortunately, the government didn't quite see it his way, and shut down his website.
One day while Lopez was logging on to a school computer at Riverside Community College to check his e-mails, he noticed a message from the company of the site marked "update." As Lopez opened the e-mail another site popped up. This site directed him to a different website from The office of Homeland Security stating that they had shut his site down because the "USA Patriotic Act" was in affect. After logging off, and later logging back in he noticed that the message that was sent to him had deleted itself, Mission Impossible-style.
So, what is the Patriotic Act, you ask? It is an act during time of war that censors what is said against the government and the cause for war. It also allows the government to invade, among other things, a student's records, directory information, and private e-mail communications. Furthermore, the schools that receive these demands from the government are not allowed to tell the affected students that their filed have been compromised (which leaves them clueless, so they can't even stop or protest the governments actions).
The Patriot Act's censorship rules would seem to go against many areas of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For example, this act violated Paul Lopez's 1st Amendment Right to express himself freely, and because of this oppression of his 1st Amendment right, he opened a new site: www.xanga.com/comrade_red. On this site, he takes further aim at the Bush administration: "Comrades, let me just say that the American Senate went through procedures to impeach former President Bill Clinton for the whole 'blue dress' incident, but not for a president that lies to the nation in public stating that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, and who also endangered the lives of military personal and many innocent Iraqi civilians. If the president is the defender of our nations interest, and if American interest in Iraq has died, then why is it that there are still American troops inside the borders of Iraq? With the months that we have been there we haven't found a single WMD. Sure we might have come up with assorted small arms but where are these biological weapons that American people have invested so much money into to prevent any use of them. And did it ever get out that Vice-President Dick Chaney is actually a large part of an oil company? A big investor if you ask me. So if Iraq is no longer an interest to the regular American, then who is interested in it? The CIA came out saying that they told Mister President that the reports that Iraq has WMD were false and that he should use that as a point to start his war. Sure we got rid of a brutal regime, but in Middle East history has it that any American intervention leads to a brutal dictatorship. They were quick with Clinton, but with Bush I guess that it is because they won't endanger the image as one of their own."
Since his new website opened, all has been quiet...for now. But that doesn't mean Lopez isn't looking over his shoulder for the Men in Black with the walkie talkies.
"They're still keeping an eye on me," Lopez states. "As I am a communist, they keep track of my every move."
Overloaded busses
Samantha Boscia
November 7, 2003How would you like to ride home on a bus and have to share a sit with two to three other people? I know that I wouldn't want to. I think that is ridiculous that the buses are over filled with kids. This year the freshmen class was bigger and now there are lots of students riding the bus. There should only be two people to a seat. I could understand once in a while when they need to put three to a seat, but not all the time. I know last year when I had to ride the bus home, it sucked because the bus was always full. I would hate to be cramped up and to share a seat with two other people.
They need to get more buses. I know at least three routes that need at least another bus. I think if the parents were to complain to the school about how they don't want there kids sitting three to four people to a seat, they maybe be able to do something. I have even heard that kids have sat on the floor of the bus because it was so over loaded. I know of two busses that they have gotten for other routes---but not for all the others that need them. They need at least two buses per route. It is stupid that kids have to ride home and be cramped up. In the summer when it's hot, it must really suck. In winter it would be so bad, but that's not the point.
So you wanna be a wannabe?
Elysa Arroyo
November 7, 2003High school is all about appearances. Well, at least the non-academic part is. If you are pretty, a jock, a cheerleader or something like that, you are thrust towards the top of the social chain. If you are pretty much anything else, you are shoved to the bottom. This harsh fact of high school life leaves people who absolutely hate and want to change their social position. Those people are called 'posers' or 'wannabees'.
Everybody talks about them. It's that cheerleader who turned Goth or the punk-ish baseball star or maybe it's the bookworm obsessed with Ozzy Osbourne. It is the person you first pegged as something who turns out to be something else. That is the person you call a 'poser'.
I don't believe in 'posers' or 'wannabees', per se. I believe that people can want to be something different or better, but how can they be something they're not? If they're not, then they just aren't. If you've got a total band geek in black clothes and spikes, they're still a band geek, aren't they? I think that everyone is who they are despite whatever it is they happen to be wearing that day.
Clothes definitely do not make a person. It doesn't matter what clothes you wear, you are still you on the inside. You like who you like and what you like simply because you like them. There shouldn't be any 'types' or labels at all. How can they label what's inside you? How can they decide who you are or what you want for you? And for that matter, why would you let them?
So you want to be a wannabee? Why? Why would you want to support a concept as ludicrous as that one? People consider wannabees to be even more un-cool than the regular un-cool people. How could you even think about empowering them like that? The social hieracrchy belongs to anyone to direct, it just so happens that we've left it in the 'cool' kids' hands for too long. It could, quite possibly, be time for a social revolution and the overthrowing and destruction of the concepts that make some people better than others. Maybe it is time to say good-bye to the social aristocracy.
Sara's Sentiment
Sara Robbin
November 7, 2003The definition of regret is: to feel sorry about. It is also a sense of distress over a past event or deed. Having regrets is something that all of us carry. Everybody must regret doing something that they are not proud of, but there is one important thing that everyone should know, and that is; life goes on.
There have been many times in my life where I just wanted to go back in time and not do the awful things that I did, but that can never happen so the only that I can do is learn from my mistakes. You live life, you make mistakes, and you learn from them. Even though there are a lot of things you would want to take back, you can't.
I consider myself a very lucky girl because I have friends that care about me enough to tell me the things I need to know, when I need to know. They have taught me that you don't live life to regret, you just move on and hope you are smart enough to notice your faults. So, basically, don't stress over something that you can't take back or have any control over. I am the type of person who has to make the same mistake twice or more to actually learn from it and it is hard because it makes me feel bad about who I am, but I am very grateful for the things that I am able to learn.
There are times when I get help from my friends, if I don't see anything wrong with what I am doing, then they will be sure to point it out for me. That is what's so great about them. They are always honest with me. It feels good knowing that somebody's got your back. They will love you no matter how stupid you are or how many times you make the same mistake.
There is a very popular regret that many of us have in common, and it is doing better in school. I know that if I could go back to my freshman year, I would try a lot harder and not mess around as much. Actually, there is more than one thing that I regret about that year, but I won't get into that.
The point is that if you do something and you regret it, it's okay because you learned your lesson and you know what you did was wrong. Like I said before, one must make mistakes (or in this case regrets) in order to learn.
If you are like me and don't learn the first time, well, just work on it because bad things will just spring up out of nowhere. Try to make the best decision under each circumstance.
Against Gay club
Shyane Robinson
November 7, 2003The GSA is a bad idea, because of the controversy it will start (and has already started.) People have even gone as far as trying to start an anti-GSA club; it failed horribly do to poor representation, and the fact that the term "anti" cannot be used in the name of any club. I have nothing against the club or the people in it. I also think they as people have the right to express their beliefs and sexuality any way they want. But is it all really worth it? It would be great if we lived in a perfect world where people are not prosecuted for their beliefs, color or sexual orientation (However, I don't see that happing…ever).
There are other problems with the GSA. One of the biggest is that people might be persecuted for going to it. There are people out there that, simply put, are homophobic, and it is simply logical to say that some of the students here are homophobic. It's hard to believe that there are hateful people here, I know. With all the riots and pot smoking going on it's hard to believe that people would have time to hate gays. I mean seriously, what the hell is our fascination with the "other choice"? I mean most gay guys only date gay guys. Duh!!! Due to the fact that they're gay.
The GSA club seems really pointless; people know you're gay. Do you really have to get together for an hour after school? I mean what could you really do in an hour; you can't even bake cookies in an hour.
The one thing you have to ask your self is, getting together for one hour with 20 complete strangers really worth all the controversy?
Pro Gay club
Robert Campos
November 7, 2003I, personally think that it's beneficiary to the school to have a club like GSA (Gay Student Alliance) on campus and I don't really understand all of the controversy surrounding it. In fact there's so much controversy to it that some people have tried to start "Anti-GSA" clubs. You know who you are and shame on you.
The only thing that GSA is doing is helping people express their opinions and beliefs. I think the reason that there's so much opposition to the idea of having a club like GSA is the ignorance that some people have inside. Unfortunately, somehow these poor ignorant fools infect the last of the "pure" students that we have. Come now, fellas, not every gay guy in the world wants to do unnatural things to you; and ladies, not every lesbian is a hard-core, body building lady who could beat the living crap out of you.
Going back to that whole "Anti-GSA" thing, I think that everyone has a right to express him or herself and can exercise that right at any time. The only setback is that if you want to start any club on campus, and please notice that I said any club, it can't have "Anti" in the name. So sorry people but you can't have an Anti-GSA Club on the campus because it would be considered hateful, discrimination and a promotion of intolerance.
And by the way, you don't have to be gay to join GSA. Most people have been to busy settling on the "gay" part of the club. There are straight people in the club too. So why don't people ever notice this? Your guess is as good as mine, but I personally think that it's because people like the controversy surrounding something as innocent as an after school club. Sometimes people can be so stupid.
Do I sound fat?
Michelle Choiselat
November 7, 2003
It's hard not to watch TV these days and wish you had the body of a celebrity. The pressure is on for the teenagers of America to be slim and trim (thanks a lot, Britney), because the media puts forth an unnatural body type. This is true especially for girls. The fact of the matter is, about 8 million teenagers are struggling from eating disorders because of the pressure to have the best body. Out of those 8 million, 50,000 kids will die; I don't know about you but I find this to be extremely disturbing.
This weight loss anxiety is especially evident in teenage girls. Sophomore Nataley Romo states, "When you like a guy that's with a girl that's skinny, it makes you wonder if you were that skinny, could you have him." Jessica Avila, a junior, agrees: "Girls just want to feel attractive to boys." The average woman is 5'4"and weighs 140 pounds; 98% of models are thinner than the average woman. Many teenage girls see these models, and believe that they're supposed to look like models. Many teenage girls have this warped idea that being "skinny" is healthy and being "fat" is out of the question. Being healthy of course depends on your weight, but it's only a problem when you're morbidly obese. While many girls believe that boys want to date the "skinny girls" and fear that they won't have a love life if they're "fat" it is actually quite the contrary. Junior Manuel Ramirez says, "Well personally, weight doesn't matter to me. As long as they're cool and I can talk to about anything I know I'm going to have a good time with them no matter what. I know girls that are not exactly the skinniest people in the world, but that doesn't make them unattractive." Junior Joe Venegas states, "Fat chicks are hot!" Maybe a lie, or maybe not, the point is that to most guys, a girl with "a little meat on her bones" is very beautiful.
Being that all this stress is forced upon teenagers, many look to dieting. The Atkins Diet and, believe it or not, the Subway Diet have become extremely popular amongst adolescents. The Atkins Diet has many pros. For one, it gives the dieter a variety of foods. While that being fine and dandy, the loss of carbohydrates can result in kidney problems. "The Zone" diet is another fad diet, which is based on a 40/30/30 ratio; 40% of your food is carbohydrates, 30% being protein, and another 30% being "good" fats (fats found in nuts or dairy products). In this diet, one is trying to create a balance between insulin and glycogen (both sugar) levels. Sounds easy enough, but because the caloric intake is based on your protein intake, you could only be allowed to eat very little a day and who wants to deal with ratios? The Slim-Fast Diet is good as it's easy to follow, quickly prepared, and the food that is offered is tasty. However, it doesn't teach good eating habits, and one is only allowed a "real" meal of food once a day. And last, but not least, the infamous Subway diet (way to go, Jared). For those of you living under a rock, Jared Fogle started the Subway trend when he lost about 200 lbs eating two Subway sandwiches a day and walking a lot. The great thing is that you lose weight fast, but it can become tedious. The bottom line is this: weight is only a number, however if it's getting to you that badly eat a little more healthier and do a little more exercise. Even if you think you have a little extra pounds here and there it's better to be fit rather then underweight.
Truth about caffeine
Liliana Aguilar
November 7, 2003Caffeine at first glance can be seen as a harmless little thing that we use to stay up, or simply wake us up. Yet when you think about it caffeine is recognized as a drug. It is a substance that is extracted from plants or can be produced synthetically as an additive to certain food products. It is a natural stimulant to the central nervous system and acts as a diuretic (flushes water out of your system).. It is found naturally in leaves, seeds, fruits, and more than 60 different plant varieties. In addition to making its way into coffee it is a common ingredient in tea, chocolate, cocoa, and many dark types of cola. It may also be found in over-the-counter medications, such as pain relievers, appetite suppressants, and certain cold medicines.
Caffeine may seem undamaging but the most common effects of caffeine or a caffeine overdose are jitters, anxiety, panic attacks, loss of appetite, queasiness, diarrhea, and, frequent urination. Prolonged use of the drug may cause palpitations of the heart, tachycardia (rapid heart beat), or insomnia.
According to Steven Cherniske, a renowned health educator from Columbia Pacific University, the companies producing soft drinks, coffee, etc, are actually working overtime to make sure that the consumer does not learn of the effects listed above. One of the most common misconceptions is that caffeine boosts your energy, and livens you up, when in fact it does the exact opposite. It actually makes you uncomfortable and tense. It elevates stress levels, and since it is a drug is highly addictive (just ask all those coffee drinkers) and therefore you can go through withdrawals.
Caffeine is especially damaging to women, teens, and children. Women who have high intake of caffeine are most likely to suffer from early menopause, PMS, miscarriages, depression, infertility, and complications with their pregnancies and in addition, women who have high levels of caffeine intake are more likely to suffer premature bone loss. Unfortunately osteoporosis is not just considered a disease that effects elderly people, it is now considered a pediatric disease. It is found that when children drink soft drinks the amount of calcium that is excreted from the body increases by 25%. They also found that sodium, chloride, and potassium loss also increased with caffeine intake. Phosphorus found in most colas also increases calcium loss, and when sugar is added, the effects can be even more damaging.
These are probably not even half of the effects that caffeine can cause, but just consider the facts next time you roll into Starbucks and want to buy a drink. You may be doing more damage than you realize.
Stress
Cassie Orona
November 7, 2003Stress…hmm what can we say about that? Stress is the basic " wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our constant changing environment. Stress usually comes to affect us in many different areas in our lives. Such as our schoolwork, our social lives with friends, our family life can get chaotic and sometimes, our relationships with a spouse. For the majority of teens, it affects our emotional side. We could totally be happy one day and then out of nowhere, we could turn into this person who hates the world.
How can you eliminate stress from your life? You really can't. All you can do is know how to manage it better. Experts say that insufficient stress acts as a depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected, but on the other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling "tied up in knots." They say to basically find the optimal level of stress, which will individually motivate but not overwhelm us.
How does stress affect us and how do we deal with it? Sophomore Mario Orozco states," It makes me not concentrate on what I need to do. It's distracting." How Orozco deals with it is that he tries not to think about it by keeping himself busy with more interesting things. Sophomore Jessica Isgett seems to agree with him too. "Stress affects my life personally because when I get stressed out, I tend to be grouchy and everything seems to go wrong that day." How she deals with it is that she tries to say much because she doesn't want to jump at people due to her bad mood.
It's very complicating to know how to deal with stress. We all deal with it in many different ways and it affects us in different ways. So as the saying goes, take a chill pill. Life's too short to be stressed out about stuff that won't matter in the next ten years.
Smoking
Samantha Boscia
November 7, 2003Do you want a hit of my smoke? For many years' teens have been have been smoking or trying it for the first time. The kids, who usually start to smoke, are in their early childhood, like around 12 years of age. That seems really young to begin smoking. They do it because they want to fit in or be "cool". Well let me tell you something, smoking isn't going to make you cool. It's only going to make you dumb and stupid. People who began smoking at an early age are most likely to develop severe levels of nicotine addiction than those who start at a later age. Teens who smoke for the first time usually continue to smoke. It seems once you start you can't stop. Teens who smoke can also be associated with a range of health-compromising behaviors, including being involved in fights, carrying weapons, engaging in high-risk of sexual behavior, and using alcohol and other drugs. Teens who may smoke usually smoke cigarettes or cigars. Cigars have a higher risk of lung cancer or other related disease than cigarettes do. Cigar smokers may spend up to hours smoking a single cigar that contains as much tobacco as one pack of cigarettes do. Either way those who smoke, either one of these cigarettes or cigar can get lung cancer or other related disease and event usually die form smoking. Teens today know the health risk of smoking. But, the teens don't seem to listen or care much about their lives. Yet every day over 3,000 teens try cigarettes or cigars for the first time. 2,000 of them will continue on to become a regular smoker.
Did you know that about 25 years ago Colton High School had a place on campus for teens to go and smoke? The only requirement you needed was to be 16 years of age and have a parents sign a piece of paper saying it was o.k. It seems as if they were encouraging teens to smoke. They were pretty much saying it was o.k.
Why do kids smoke, given all the negative press we hear about the risks? Most teens are more concerned about the present, than about the risk of developing lung cancer or emphysema in the future; for instance, being accepted into the "in" crowd, fitting into a prom dress or tuxedo, and feeling some reprieve from daily stress. One of the most common reasons for teen smoking is STRESS. Teens stress over a lot of things and sometimes they are stupid things. They think because they have problems in their life and can't seem to solve them, so then they stress over them. Then because they stress, they want to smoke, cause they think it will take away their problems. But, they don't know it, its only going to make their problems worse. It will just give them other problems, like lung cancer and other related disease once again. Kids may also smoke because one of their parents smoke. So the parent's job is to stop smoking and then maybe, just maybe it will be a start for teens to stop smoking.
Some people think that smoking can help you lose weight. Well it may, but it may also help you gain weight. I know many kids here at Colton High who are concerned about their weight or what they look like. Especially the girls here, they are really self conscious about their selves. They may also think smoking is the answer to help them lose weight too. But it is not, because you may also gain weight. If you stop smoking, you will be able to lose weight, but there is a much bigger chance of you gaining weight. You can gain up to 30 pounds while smoking. You can only lose up to about 5 to 7 pounds while smoking.
Smoking and drinking seem to go together. Smokers' drink and drinkers smoke. I know many people who smoke and every day; I try to convince them to stop. Some listen and some, it goes in one ear and out the other. I personally think that smoking is dumb and stupid, and a very bad habit. People who smoke are stupid; they're going to end up killing them selves or getting really sick. It's really pointless people!
I have a friend who smokes, he does it because he said his friends are doing and so is everyone else. "Its the thing to do!" he says. He continues to do it because he said it makes him feel good, and like every thing is o.k. Now, today he has stopped. He realized how bad smoking was and that he could get sick from it. He was probably doing it because of peer pressure. That is an example of how kids will smoke or drink just because their friends are doing. They don't think about what it can cause them in the future. Kids need to stop and think about stuff. Like just because your friend is smoking you don't need to, too. So stop and think before you do any thing.
Don't do something cause someone else is or because you want to fit in. Let people accept you for who you are and not what you are trying to be. Smoking is a very bad habit. You can die for it. So don't smoke, cause if you do your the one who is going to have to end your life short because you smoked. You'll have to deal with lung cancer or other related disease. So don't smoke and stop if you do smoke.
When friends let friends drive drunk
Elysa Arroyo
November 7, 2003Wasn't that party fun? You bet! Now that it's over, you have to drive home. It's 3 a.m. and you've had a few beers, or maybe a few shots…you don't really remember. You're driving fine, though. Inside the lines and everything. At least that's what you think. That's when you hear the sirens. Busted.
Nobody wins when someone drives drunk. Did you know that in the last decade, four times as many people died in alcohol related automobile accidents than in the Vietnam War? Or what about the fact that half of all teenage fatalities are due to drunk driving? Did you know that for drivers that are not of legal age to drink there is a 'zero tolerance' policy in California? That means that if you have a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of even .01 you can get into more trouble than a driver over the age of 21 with a BAC of .10. Still willing to drive home from that party?
I bet you are. If you're like me, you aren't really scared by statistics. If you're like the majority of high school students, you need a lot of convincing, because you think it can't happen to you. NEWSFLASH! It can. Every 33 seconds, someone is killed in an alcohol related crash. I know that some people out there probably drove home from a party or a friend's house just last weekend, and they were trashed. You probably didn't get in an accident or get caught or anything. It's bound to happen if you keep doing this. You're going to get caught.
So what happens if you do get caught? You think because you're a minor you can't get in too much trouble, right? WRONG! You will get into more trouble than you can imagine. And as for all you people out there who think you're clever, driving without a license. You get caught and you may not get you're license until you're 21. Or if you have a fake one, you get all driving privelages suspended for a year...at the least. I bet you feel really smart now, don't you?
This is what happens if you're under 18:Ø Mandatory 30 consecutive days in jail;
Ø Mandatory payment of at least $250 fine;
Ø Mandatory additional assessment of at least $250;
Ø Possible additional community service requirements;
Ø Mandatory application of a certified ignition interlock device to any motor vehicle you operate. The judge may also order that you have a certified ignition interlock device applied to any motor vehicle you operate for more than 12 months beginning on the conclusion of the license suspension or revocation or on the date of conviction, whichever occurs later.
So if you're still willing to take the risks after knowing all of this, I have nothing to say to you. Wait, yes I do. Don't do it! Just say NO! I know you're smarter than that. Driving drunk is just plain stupid no matter how old you are. Next time, call a cab!
Shayne's World
Shayne Robinson
November 7, 2003"Shayne's world, Shayne's world, party time, excellent." Hey readers (insert awkward silence here). That's ok, I've got you covered this time readers. Hello, you big sexy hunk of a man. All right, that's enough of that. Now this issue of Shayne's World is about one of the greatest things about school; school sprit. Now in the past ten seconds that I've spent thinking about school spirit. I have come to the conclusion that I have no idea what school sprit is. Ok, don't worry, I have an idea. I simply have to look it up on the Internet. So, like, hold on, I'll back in a minute…(ten days later). Wow, hey, I completely forgot about you guys, sorry to keep you waiting. So what were we talking about, oh yeah, school spirit, well, I didn't find any thing on the Internet about it, but I did buy these cool oven mitts. Readers, I'm afraid I have let you down, because I have no idea what school spirit is. What I mean is maybe its people running around half naked with CHS painted on their face screaming until you want to kill them. This school sprit thing is tighter then the CIA (hahahahahaha). All right, I have to tell you the truth now. School sprit is a lie. It's part of a government conspiracy, they're trying to brainwash you. They're trying to make you into killing machines. You must fight the system! Don't listen to them! Rebel against the system! Kill me please. Ok I have to wrap this up… so now the dedications:
I would like to thank God, Elvis, Rain Dog, KFC, Cameron, Jason, the Beastie Boys, Leather face, Michael Jackson, the tree, Robert (for correcting my column), the token gay guy, the CIA, and most of all school spirit sprit. (and Kyle) . Ok it has recently (just now) been brought to my attention that I need to actually need to write some thing interesting, well... too bad! Its my hot column; I'll do what I want. All right, so this is taking a lot longer then I thought so like, yeah you should all go paint balling because it's cool and go see Jason Frick for the hook up. And if you would like me to write about any thing in the future come see me at any time. Have a nice day. :)
Who's weirder?
Robert Campos
November 7, 2003
"I heard that Marilyn Manson had his ribs removed so he could orally "pleasure" himself." "I heard Dennis Rodman wears a wedding dress in his spare time." "Well I heard that Michael Jackson sleeps with little boys, eww."
If asked who would you choose as the weirdest celebrity? All three of the aforementioned celebrities have their good and bad days.
Marilyn Manson, for example, was recently sued for supposedly having put his crotch on the head of a security guard at one of his concerts. This rumor is a total lie, come now, not even Marilyn Manson would feel very comfortable exposing his genitals to, say, over 2000 complete strangers. On the other hand he recently gave a very articulate interview in Michael Moore's Bowling For Columbine where he expresses his opinion on guns and the such.
Dennis Rodman, I really have nothing against him but he was married to Carmen Electra, and divorced her. What was he thinking? He also did a movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme. What the heck was he thinking?! Anyone ought to know by now that any movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme is going to be a bust.
Michael Jackson, on the other hand, don't get me started on him. He went from being a highly successful black man to a disgustingly frightening white alien woman. Then there's his nose, oh yes it's perfectly normal for one's nose to fall off during the course of the day. Now I'm not trying to sound negative but there really isn't anything good to come out of Michael Jackson because his weirdness is contagious. He and Macaulay Culkin used to sleep in the same bed and look how screwed up he is.
We asked 100 people around the school who they thought was the weirdest of the three and the results are as follows:
1. Michael Jackson 60 %
2. Dennis Rodman 30%
3. Marilyn Manson 10%
Cheerleading uniforms
Liliana Aguilar
November 7, 2003A girl who protested against the skimpiness of her cheerleading outfit by taping the school dress code to her uniform was suspended from cheering at one game.
Now that I have your attention, no, it didn't happen here. It happened at Norco High School to varsity cheerleader Lynsey Stanfield who was suspended from a Friday game.
Stanfield said she felt uncomfortable wearing the revealing skirt in class on game days, since there is two slits in the blue-and-white skirt that expose the thigh up to a brief-like garment. Stanfield has been giving many interviews to many different local newspapers. As shown in NBCSandiego.com, "It's like sitting in class with your underwear showing," Stanfield commented. She also said that by suspending her the school violated her right to free speech. The board members could not publicly respond to this since it involves a student discipline issue.
Now this brings up another question. Do they cheerleaders at our own Colton High violate the school dress code? The dress code clearly states that:
Attire, which is sexually suggestive or extremely brief, IS NOT ALLOWED. EXAMPLES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: low-cut garments, strapless or off the shoulder tops, bare midriffs, undershirts, fishnet tops, SHORTS OR SKIRTS WHICH EXPOSE POSTERIORS, BLOUSES THAT SHOW CLEAVAGE OR ANY CLOTHING that DOES not cover undergarments.
Vice Principal Claudia Harris commented that the cheerleading uniforms do not violate the dress code since the skirts do not expose posteriors, or in any way show cleavage. They don't violate it, and surprisingly there have never been any complaints from parents. Clearly some students would disagree with this, since many who are "anti-school spirit" speak openly about their feelings, but aren't considered appropriate. Harris also added that if a parent were to ever call and complain about the uniforms she would refer them to the school dress code and see if they violated the dress code.
Varsity cheerleading captain Monique Martinez was unavailable for interview.
Horoscopes
Liliana Aguilar, Edward Ramirez, Victor Valdez
November 7, 2003Aries (March 20- April 19)- Don't take your friends advice because you will find your self in a worse position than you were before.
Taurus (April 20 -May21) You have an excellent talent that will come into great use. You are going to be on Jeopardy and lose it all to one question in the final round.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Broken hearts and broken dreams are headed your way, but don't worry someone will be there with super glue to help you with the pieces, but don't get too big headed.
Cancer (June 21- July 21)- Watch for that purple car on Wednesday an unexpected event will but don't worry it could be good to you.
Leo (July 23- Aug. 22) The lion inside you comes out. Don't be so mean to people, it might come back to haunt you.
Virgo (Aug 23- Sept. 21)- You have done something bad and no one knows that you have done it, but don't worry it will haunt you back in a worse way.
Libra (Sept. 22- Oct-22) Today will be the day you will show the real you, the person that has been hiding inside of you for the longest or you will live with the misery of being timid your entire life.
Scorpio (Oct.24- Nov.21) You will find yourself in an awkward predicament, in which you lose control and turn into a pumpkin till you learn your lesson.
Sagittarius (Nov.22-Dec.21) Your birthday is almost here, so ask for what you desire. Someone will give you exactly what you want.
Capricorn (Dec.22-Jan.19) You will receive great praise and reward when you do that thing with that stuff with that person that you were supposed to do at that time.
Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 17) A friend will find yourselves in an argument. Just say sorry and make up. Losing friends over a stupid thing isn't worth it.
Pisces (Feb.19- March 20) Some one has been watching you, be sure to pay extra attention to friends. The perfect person just may be right under your nose.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Victor Valdez
November 7, 2003
It was a Sunday night and I had a movie review due the next day. I had tried to see the remake of the classic horror film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" the day before but had failed. Here is a tip just in case they don't want to let you buy tickets. Have someone go into different lines and buy tickets from different people. Now, lets get down to what is really important, the movie.
The movie stars Jessica Biel, who plays Erin. She and her friends are on the way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, when they pick up a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker mumbles something about "don't make me go back," then she shoots herself with a concealed weapon. Then the whole mess starts. Then Erin and her boyfriend Kemper, played by Eric Balfour, go to look for a phone to call the sheriff after they are sent to a deserted mill. When the two are gone, a foul-mouthed sheriff shows up at the mill. Erin and Kemper find an old house with an old man who has no legs. Erin uses the phone while Kemper stays outside of the old man wont let him in. Erin screams or something to cause Kemper to come inside. He gets in a confrontation with the old man; Leather Face makes his first appearance and then that's when all the real trouble starts. People die, people run, chainsaws, hooks and all sorts of other devices ( including salt) are used to inflict pain, suffering and death.
The movie exceeded my expectations. Usually a remake is not that good. I do not remember the original too well but what I do remember what was changed in the remake. I do admit that at times some of the actors in this movie I myself wanted to take a chainsaw to, but when it came to the pain and suffering part, they were fine. The movie was not so much a gore fest as it was a suspense film, with plenty of parts to make you jump. The only real problem I saw with this movie was the end, which is almost the only thing I remember, but loved. They changed an ending that had nothing wrong with it at all. So when you go, if you go, don't be expecting a total remake. I recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of horror and suspense. Just don't expect blood and guts to be flying everwhere.
Sherlock Holmes Play
Michelle Choiselat
November 7, 2003Colton High School's rendition of "Sherlock Holmes" gets rave reviews from me. It had an ideal blend of comedy and mystery and the cast had excellent chemistry. Josh Lomeli as Sherlock Holmes, did a great job especially his "Sherlock" accent. Lexi Romano (Alice Faulkner), was fit for the part. The two had fantastic chemistry. Tom Marcelino, who played the jittery and well-educated Dr. Watson, added some comedy into the mix. Lori Rodriguez, (Professor Moriarty) was the perfect bad guy. In general, the entire play was a huge success in terms of performance.
Our story begins at the house of the Larrabies, where the lovely Alice Faulkner is being held captive. Our main man, the "brilliant" Sherlock Holmes, arrives and inquires about some love letters written to With these letters the Larrabies can blackmail the prince and make a mockery of the royal family. Unfortunately, Sherlock intervenes and is able to stop them…for the time being.
The Larrabies decide to meet up with a friend of a friend. Sydney Prince, a master lock pick, introduces them to the evil Professor Moriarty, "the napoleon of crime." Moriarty comes up with a scheme, with the help of her "suffragettes," to wipe Sherlock off the face of the planet and to steal the letters from Faulkner. Naturally, the "brilliant" Sherlock sees that her suffragettes are thieves and he's able to see through her evil ploy. So all in all, Sherlock saves the day, but as fate would have it, he couldn't get the girl, as someone else was in need of his genius in "remarkable deduction."
For those of you who saw it, you can agree that this play was well performed and a lot of hard work went into the sets, costumes, props, etc. Kudos for Stacy Jay and Theatre Arts!
Wright Brothers
Ilka Hernando
November 7, 2003Move over Ricky Williams and Priest Holmes--the NFL stars have nothing on Colton's resident gridiron greats, brothers Shareece and Shamon Wright . The brothers"both bring a lot of charisma" to the team according to their football coach, Harold Strauss. Good friends and teammates on and off the field, they've grown to become mature young men of this world. Both of them play for varsity football, their "will to win, speed, [and] intensity are very important" to the game. Sophomore Shareece, the younger of the two, has always liked football since he was a "little kid." To be on the team with his brother "feels good, just like the old days, " he mentions just "talk[ing] about the game," then adds, "We're really close." About the football team itself he "like[s] the people and the coaches."
Shareece (at below left; his brother Shamon is made up for the Halloween assembly) seems to eat, drink, and sleep sports because even in his free time he's either watching football or another sport, he smiles as he confesses to being an ESPN junkie. His all time favorite football player and idol is Emmitt Smith, who I'm sure would be glad to have the respect of one Shareece Wright. Shareece would like to especially thank Coach Telly for teaching him everything, having a good heart, and treating him like a son.
Senior Shamon also has someone to thank, and that person is none other than Coach Strauss, "He listens, understands, [he has] helped me out a lot." Which may explain his 3-year dedication to the game, but then it may be the "adrenalin rush" he gets from it. Over the years here at Colton, he played JV basketball his junior year and will probably play varsity this year. He simply plans going to college and getting a job after he graduates, he isn't going for a football scholarship but smiles and says it "would be nice."
Having his younger brother on the team is "helping us out", but as far as who the better player is Shamon would have to say he is, with a laid back attitude, and his focus on the game, according to him, Shareece has a cocky attitude, but then again he may have reason to be since he also claims to be the better player with the skills to back him up. About the publicity that is being directed towards the both of them, Shamon feels like he's being noticed, "known," but he doesn't let that get to his head, he tells says again that, "Not one person makes us win, not one person makes us lose."
Football team still undefeated
Edward Ramirez, Ilka Hernando
November 7, 2003The football team hasn't skipped a beat so far this year. It seems the only thing that can halt this cascading juggernaut is a forest fire.
The team remains undefeated, with a 7-0 record, despite having last week's game postponed due to the local fires. But other than that slight hiccup, it's all good.
The team beat Redands East Valley in their most recent game, blowing them out 46-29. Tory Kennard ran for 209 yards and two touchdowns over a crowd of 4,500 people at University of Redlands. The Yellow Jackets got 457 yards and 381 rushing yards and Shamon Wright ran a kick off return for 98 yards and Allen Bradford scored for two touchdowns and ran for 107 yards. This game was impressive. They blew out Cajon 72-27. Asking coach Strauss when was the last time they scored 72 points, "was in 1978 against San Bernardino" says coach Strauss. Also the last time they went unbeaten for six weeks was in 1973-83 era. They also took no prisoners in the Yucaipa game, taking them out 26-19. They are now 6-0 and getting ready to take out San Bernardino tomorrow here at 7:00 pm.
Tory Kennard, senior, is one of the standouts on a team full of standouts; In his third year playing football, he is ecstatic about their accomplishments, their first time with a 7-0 record since 1994. "I think [we have] the potential to win C.I.F. (California Interscholastic Federation). We have six great coaches that show the same stuff, are all equal, and have faith in us. They are always there for us, they are like our best friends." They really are like a family, they would go everywhere with each other on their own time, and are very close. He would like to tell people to come and support them because it really does "help them play a better game."
Tennis
Ilka Hernando
November 7, 2003A figure whips the raquette in the air, cutting through it like a knife, another ace! Game, set, match! Tennis Coach Marlon Benegas has high hopes for this years Girls Tennis team. His strategy is simply for the players to get better and learn the fundamentals so "we can be a better team next year." According to Banegas, Christine Macias is their number one key player, alongside Monica Garcia and Dulce Aguilara, having a good winning record.
Guillermo Oller a.k.a Pikman, assistant coach for the Girl'S JV Tennis team, says "the girls are doing well, even if we haven't won that many games so far, the girls are persistent in their efforts to succeed." They are working on their strategy and game play and are very ambitious in excelling.
Monica Alvarez, sophomore, her first year on the team says, "I enjoy the game, my teammates, our coach, [but] the best part is when we get to go to different schools and play games."
Of course their is always work involved, and work they do with practices almost everday, working on their game. From the practices and games, aces to volleys, it doesn't get any more intense.
Game, set, match.