Issue of December 10, 1999:
Volume 83, Number Three
Click on a story title to see the text of the story
NewsArmy Journalists visit class
Blood Drive nets pints
Cheerleaders off to theOlympics
Christmas parade preview
Columbine Sheriff touches us
I Remember Mama review
Key Club makes waves
Scholarships announced
Senior deadlines
Tobacco speaker visitsOpinions
Clase need to be harder!!
Classes are hard enough!!
Congrats to the football team
Letter to the Editor,No Fences
Our Poor aching backs
Peircing the Veil ColumnFeatures
Bullying
Christmas gifts under $10
Christmas Memories
Gap between classes
Hot spots for New Year's
Hottest guys and girls
New Dance Club
Survey- what you want for X-mas
True Meaning of Christmas
When is the millenium
Who will drink on New Year's
Will the world end
Will Y2K bite usDiversions
Blink 182 Concert Review
Dr. Dre CD Review
End of Days review
Family Values Tour Review
Korn/Manson Cd Review
Rage Cd Review
Sleepy Hollow Movie Review
Los Detalles
2000 vs 2001/en Español
Faya el espirito navideno/en Español
Latin Boom/en Español
Que opinas?/en Español
Temblores/en Español
Sports
Boys Basketball
Boys Soccer
Fall Sports Review
Football rewind
Girls Basketball
Girls Soccer
Girls Water Polo
Wrestling
Army Journalists visit classroom
April Valenti
December 10, 1999
Two journalists from the United States Army visited Mr. Rainey’s second, third, and fourth period journalism classes on October 26. Sgt. Montigo White and Specialist Rob Couture talked to students about army life and opportunities in the army for journalists. Sgt. White produces the Sports section for the Tiefort Telegraph, the weekly newspaper for Fort Irwin, near Barstow, where both men are stationed.
Sgt. White went to a ten week class to learn journalism. He said it was basically an English class. The schooling was equivalent to a two year college education. The first newspaper he participated in was the one the students put out at the end of the ten weeks. “I loved the training, I got to meet people from all over the states,” White commented.
Deadline times on the post newspaper are no different than on a big city paper, White stressed. “Everyone runs around. We get kind of messy at that time. Everyone gets stressed out and starts having mixed feelings. We yell at each other, but by Thursday we are all friends again.” What is the key to being a journalist? That’s easy, he said. “Dedication is the key for journalism.”
Specialist Couture is a broadcast journalist. He attended a twelve week course where he learned how to put on radio shows, radio news stories, commercials, and sports broadcasting. “I had more homework during the twelve weeks then I had during my one year in college.” His class was equal to two years of collage.
His first job was in Korea were he put on a radio show on the only American radio station for the English-speaking soldiers. His show was called Take Ten and encouraged them to get off the base and learn about the Korean culture.
He currently writes, produces, and acts in commercials about public services. “It takes three hours to make a sixty second commercial.”
Blood Drive nets many pints
by Megan Reiter
December 10, 1999
Does giving blood help the community? VICA (the club led by Mr. Reedy) thinks so; VICA ran the yearly blood drive on November 30 which was a success. Many students gathered around to help support VICA in their blood giving. It was a long process to get every thing ready, but it paid off. With punch and cookies to license plate holders and stickers, the students made it look so easy. Many of the students went in scared and terrified but left with a positive feeling. “I hope my blood can help people who are less fortunte than I am,” said senior Alicia O’Keefe.
Cheerleaders go to 2000 Olympics
by Kathy Croy
December 10,1999
Colton HIgh School’s 1999-2000 cheerleading squad has recently had the opportunity to become part of the Sydney 2000 Summer games. No, they won’t be figure skating, these All-star cheerleaders will be part of an elite group of forty dancers which will represent the inland empire in Australia next summer. The audition for this trip required the girls to perform their own two minute dance routine from music selected by judges that was to be made up at the spur of the moment. The girls auditioned in early July and were chosen based on skill, talent, and dance performance. Five talented cheerleaders from Colton High were selected for this event: Kira Holmes, Nancy Estrada, Laurianne Serrano, Rena Ramirez, and Jessica Garica, and three will be representing the Inland Empire during the nine day tour event. During their stay, Holmes, Estrada, and Serrano will have performances at the Olympic Park, the City of Sydney Olympic Performance Venue, Wonderland Sydney and Wildlife Park, and the Sydney Opera House just to name a few. These cheerleaders are currently seeking sponsors to help raise money for the trip which will cost a grand total of $3,100. The girls are very excited to be part of such a prestigious event.
This summer Colton High cheerleaders also had the option of auditioning for the USA (United Spirit Association) All Star Cheerleading squad who will be going to Paris, France to be part of a New Year’s Day parade. Cheerleaders auditioned at cheerleading camp this year and were asked to perform a short cheer which was created by the USA Squad.
Cheerleaders were selected based on excellence in a number of categories. Approximintly 30 out of 80 cheerleaders were chosen at this individual camp, three of which were from Colton High School’s very own cheerleading squad: Aubriane Negrete, Amber Angular, and Kathy Croy. These three All Star cheerleaders were given the opportunity to fly to Paris, France for a seven day trip which will depart the day after Christmas this year. This trip, which will cost close to $2,300, provides many interesting tours including Paris’s very own Ifle Tower. Senior Kathy Croy will be representing Colton High as girls from all over the United States will be cheering their hearts during a New Years Day celebrating the new millennium. All cheerleaders have excelled in many areas to have been recognized and invited to be part of these once in a lifetime events. So be sure to check your listings to catch these cheerleaders performing on TV, for they will be representing your school half way across the world.
Christmas Parade
by Maya Minwary
December 10, 1999
The eleventh annual Colton Christmas parade will be tomorrow. Many local clubs and groups, such as Colton’s Little League, various dance clubs, seniors, the Motorcycle Club, cheerleaders, and drill teams will participate. But the parade is not just a showcase of community groups, there are also fun things especially for young kids; Santa, clowns and horseback riders will be there to entertain the people, they even throw candies at you. Mayor Gaytan says that during his first year he bought $50 worth of candies, not knowing how long the parade last, “...ran out of candy half way through the parade.” But don’t worry, this year he’s going to spend a lot more for candies so you can be sure it won’t run out. The parade will start at 1:00 p.m. on Oat Street in La Cadena. Junior Deanna Hernandez says, “there was a huge crowd, and I saw lots of kids smiling.” So if you’re bored and got a little bro or sis, why not take them there? Even though you (teens) may think that it’s not as fun as, the homecoming parade, your little bro or sis will be happy, your parents grateful, and hey, you’ll get free candies!
Columbine Sheriff relates horror of shooting to rapt assembly audience
by Napa Utrapiromsuk
December 10, 1999
“Making the Right Choices” was the subject of a special guest speaker assembly held last month. Colorado Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Smoker, who was the second deputy on scene at the Columbine High School school massacre in April, came to Hubbs Gymnasium on November 17 to talk about his experience.
There were two assemblies held; unfortunately, Smoker could not attend the second assembly, and so a video recording was set up and shown to the second group in the Whitmer Auditorium. Sound problems marred the video presentation for the second group, which was unfortunate. For the people who went to the second assembly, they are unaware of what they missed in the first—a riveting memoir of the chaos and courage that ensued when two misguided teens decided to turn a high school campus into a graveyard.
The Hubbs gym filled with students for the first assembly, anxiously anticipating the moment. Dignitaries from the school board and the community took their places in seats set up on the gym floor. The room fell silent as Deputy Smoker started to talk. Dressed in his Jefferson County, Colorado, Sheriff’s uniform, he began to retell his perspective of the massacre at Columbine High School on April 20, when students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at school with guns and explosives and began their killing rampage. They would eventually claim 13 victims: 12 students and one teacher. The bizarre attack ended in the suicide deaths of the two killers.
“I was writing a ticket when the call came over the radio. Officer needs help, Columbine High. I was right next to the school so I responded. I peeked around a big athletic box and booms are going off,” recounted Smoker. “I see kids, some walking, some running, Some laying on the ground, some bleeding. It appeared to be a totally random act. We just couldn’t believe it. It seemed fake.”
As Smoker continued, the audience sat in rapt attention. It was one of the quietest audiences anyone had ever seen at a Colton High assembly. The crowd seemed completely mesmerized by the Deputy. “Smoke filled the area. It was hard to tell what was going on. We began to return fire. Sprinkler systems had come on, soaking the rooms. The glass in the library windows flexed with each explosion. After that, it was kinda like it’s all over. We were just 12 minutes into it. It happened so fast.”
Smoker pointed out that during this time no one know how many actual gunman there were. Some kids who were able to escape the massacre before others claimed that they saw six or more. “The worst thought I had as I was engaging the gunmen with fire was . . . I’m gonna hit another kid,” Smoker said. Fortunately, he noted with relief that no students were hit by friendly fire that day, which he deemed “a miracle.” The audience responded with applause and cheers.
As he wrapped up his story, he asked for questions. Wireless mikes were passed among the crowd, who asked the deputy thoughtful questions about his actions that day.
“What was going through your head when this was happening?” one student asked. Smoker replied by saying, “I thought it was unreal. It just seemed to be fake. I couldn’t believe this was really happening.” Then subject shifted to questions about the rumors that people have been hearing on the news, as well as reading it in the newspapers. One
rumor that was Harris and Klebold would single out the jocks and the popular people, or minorites. Smoker pointed out that the two kids were on a killing spee and didn’t seem to care; it was like they were randomly shooting at anyone in sight, trying to get as many victims as possible.
A poignant moment occured when several students rose from the crowd to ask about Cassie Bernal, the Christian student who was reported to have been killed after professing her faith in God to one of the gunmen. Several of the students held up signs that said “Christian Martyr” and “Cassie died for you.” The students noted that Cassie was an inspiration to many of the Christian students on campus and Deputy Smoker acknowledged that it was such a tragedy, again stressing that the attack seemed to be extremely random: “Those two guys were shooting at anything that moved.”
Another touching moment came when a student in the audience noted that Colton High had itself experienced a tragedy at the start of the school year, and that the death of the students in the car accident had brought the campus closer together. Smoker agreed that while it was horrible that tragedies had to happen, it was important that we all support each other in times of sadness. He also stressed that the massacre might have been avoided. “Someone knew it was going to happen. These killers had friends. But no one talked. No one told. If you hear about something, it’s important to tell someone,” he noted. Taking the attention off himself, Smoker gave credit to the students who took charge to help others in the shooing rampage, calling them “Heroes.” He encouraged others to do the same.
After the assembly, students were surprised on how well every student and teachers paid close attention to what Smoker was saying. His speech that day has a special place in everyone’s heart. “It was so quiet in the first assembly you could hear a pin drop,” Assistant Principal Doug Newton said.
"I Remember Mama" Play Review
by Joanne Flores
December 10, 1999
I recently saw the play I Remember Mama, a story about a turn of the century San Francisco family with some money problems. Although this is a famous Broadway play, I didn’t have to go all the way to New York City to see it—it was featured in our very own Whitmer Auditorium put on by the Colton High’s Troupers club and ASB on Nov. 18-20 under the direction of Joey Mercado.
Practices for the play were obviously hard. Memorizing their lines, some re-casting problems, and getting used to new parts had put a strain on the actors. “All together it was a fun experience,” said Diane Keeling (Katrin).
The cast obviously put a lot of hard work into this production and the actors proved that because the performances of Megan Moran (Mama), Diane Keeling (Katrin), and Federico Zamora (Uncle Chris) alone made it worth watching.
The first act got off to a pretty slow start but after a while the actors got into the humor of the play. There were a few parts where Uncle Chris just made you jump from your seat yelling an unexpected yell.
More than a few observers thought the play was just great. “It was a great play with very good acting,” said parent Lori Wheatley. Some of the actors had to play a few other roles besides their main one. Zamora alone played a male and a female. His talents alone made it a performance no one will ever forget. “We couldn’t have done it without the hard working cast and crew,” was the consensus of the cast. “Mrs. Mercado, Mrs. Jay, Tony and all the dedicated parents, we thank you.”
So all in all the performances in I Remember Mama were great. All the actors gave it their best and it proved that hard work does pay off, and that good acting can make up for a less than blockbuster storyline.
What is Key Club?
by Steve Aguilar
December 10, 1999
Originally started in 1924 by the Kiwanis club to combat gang problems in Sacramento, California, the Key Club has become an international orginization dedicated to serving communities world wide.
This service driven club became apart of this campus during the 1980’s and is currently being run by Mr. Miller, who since 1986 has been in charge off and on for a total of about seven years.
The current club president is David Vasques along with vice president Angel Orta; other officers include Jennifer Logan, Jae Chae, and Jacob Gabaldon.
Along with the officers the club can currently boast 22 members who frquently attend meetings witch are held on Mondays in room 552 from around 2:20 to about 3:00.
One current plan for this club is Operation Christmas Child whose goal is to give the needy children reasons to smile and be happy on what otherwise would be a joyless holidy for them. Another is a blood drive scheduled for the 28th of January, it’s goal is to provide local blood banks with much needed blood utilized to save lives.
Why join this particular club, though? What’s so special about the Key Club, and why should you participate?
Well when asked this Mr. Miller said: “We’re a service oriented club, dedicated to serve the school and the community, we have participated in many blood drvies, and countless other programs to help either our school or our community.
If anyone has even the slightest bit of interest in this club they should come by and see what we are all about.”
Gomez/Bjornstad families announce Scholarships
by Julie Connor
December 10, 1999
The families of Matthew Lopez and Sharon Bjornstad, two of the Colton High students involved in the August tragedy, have established scholarships in their memory.
The Matthew Paul Lopez Scholarship is open to any senior with at least a 2.0 GPA planning to attend any junior college or university. There will be two scholarships awarded by the Lopez family for $500 to the people with the most influential essays on the following subjects:
1. Who has been the greatest influence in your life today and why?
2. What impression would you like to leave on this world?
3. Matthew Lopez spread a message of peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR). How will you continue this in your daily life?
4. What gift do you have that would make a difference in the society that you are a part of?
If interested students should submit a 2 page, double spaced, typed paper by February 4 to Mrs. Halter-Day in the counseling office. “Matthew was going to go to college...the family was going to support him...this way his memory lives on and hopefully we can do this every year, “ commented Zina Lopez, Matt’s sister-in law. The Lopez family will also give this opportunity to two students at Aquinas High, the school that Matt previously attended.
In addition, Joy Bjornstad, mother of Sharon Bjornstad, has established a scholarship in Sharon’s name for a senior student who is interested in writing. She is particularly interested in students from the Pepper Bough or Academic Competition applying. (Sharon was a member of both.) Seniors wishing to apply for this scholarship must have at least a 3.0 GPA and will be required to write a 2 page double-spaced paper about friendship. A writing prompt is available from the counseling office.
Senior Deadlines loom
by Celeste Escobedo
December 10, 1999
Attention Seniors: Deadlines are coming sooner than you may think. Some very important deadlines that could impact your college career are coming soon.
College applications should have already been sent to colleges and if you are applying for scholarships, you should be aware of the different headlines.
Colleges started accepting applications November 1. You can still apply if you have not yet done so. There is a better chance of getting accepted to your college of choice if you apply early, though.
The deadlines for various scholarships vary. There are many scholarships offered to high school students. There are different eligibility requirements and deadlines for each scholarship. You should go to the career guidance center if you want to know about the different scholarships offered and their deadlines. These are some web sites that you can go to for information on scholarships: www.fastweb.com, www.ed.gov/prog_info, www.ftc.com, www.salliemae.com, and www.cashe.com.
On Wednesday January 6 Financial Aid night will be held in the Whitmer Auditorium.. That workshop will provide important information about financial aid. Students who want or need financial help for college (and isn’t that just about all of us?) should plan on attending.
Guest Speaker promotes non smoking
by Karen Venegas
December 10, 1999
“Stop smoking for a more healthy future” was the focus on Friday, October 22 in room 404. Avelina Villa’s ELD class heard Sara Rubalcava, Community Health Educator for the “United in Action” Tobacco prevention Program, speak about the importance of restraining from smoking and quitting if you’ve already started. The lecture was given in Spanish.
Rubalcava brought along pamphlets entitled “Stop smoking for one day, you can do it”. The pamphlets contained information regarding the hazards of smoking, frequently asked questions and answers, and helpful hotlines to assist those who would like to quit smoking or would like more information about smoking.
The lecture began with an informative video that touched on the after effects of smoking. Doctors on the video gave interesting statistics and hard facts about the realities of smoking as well as visual examples of the effects of smoking on the human organs. After the video Rubalcava gave the students a chance to win some of the items she had brought with her such as T- shirts. She asked questions regarding the video, questions like which chemicals can be found in cigarettes.
“Cigarettes contain chemicals that have poison,” said Rubalcava, “They are like a drug, drug abusers start out by smoking cigarettes and when cigarettes don’t satisfy them anymore, they start using drugs.”
Freshman Juan Limas earned a T- shirt by answering one of the questions correctly. Rubalcava went on to talk about the internal and external affects of smoking.
“As a result of smoking your hands and teeth stain,” commented Rubalcava.
Smoking causes emphysema and lung disease, Rubalcava gave the class an example of these outcome by showing them a plastic model of a lung that had been damaged by the disease emphysema and a model of a pair of teeth that had been badly stained by the use of cigarettes
“When someone offers you a cigarette, remember this, “ Rubalcava warned referring to the lung.
During the lecture a form was passed around, mainly for the purpose of knowing how many people attended the lecture. It asked for information such as the student’s name, age, ethnic background, and whether or not they smoked. At the end of the lecture Rubalcava gave a second T-shirt to sophomore Salvador Saavedra for having helped her during the lecture by carrying her belongings and passing out information. The lecture was very informative and the entire school would benefit from hearing what Rubalcava had to say.
Counterpoint Yes
by Napa Utrapiromuk
Dec. 10,1999Basic English, like knowing the difference between a noun and a verb, is what a high school student should have learned in Elementary school. If students are just going to repeat what they have learned in Elementary and Middle school, then why don’t they just start school in the ninth grade? It wastes the students, teachers and parents’ time when students go to school to learn new things but instead review on what they have learned last year or five years ago.
The purpose of going to school is to learn, but that idea has been buried by all the socializing. A long time ago when school was a place for learning, there was always a few that never did do their work. Throughout the years, the numbers multiplied and teachers expectations of a student’s capabilities decreases and thus, fly by classes were established. Easy courses set up for students who are too indolent, should be taken out of the curriculum. Tutoring is available after school for students who need help in classes. Yet many of our students do not take advantage of these opportunities; and still complain that classes are too hard and that they just don’t understand. The class’ standards should not be lowered. If we are lowering them then we’re just promoting laziness. They should just get their act together and do their work. Even though some students are just naturally smarter than others, there is no exuse for failure. There are classes on campus that do challenge the smartest of students, yet many people do not take these classes. Honors classes should be more advertised by teachers as well as the school.
When it all comes down to it, it is your decision on what classes you’ll take. Once Colton High students graduate and enter the real world, competing with others who are a lot more intelligent at their school, even the smartest classes would be tough for some teachers on campus. There are some high schools that do not offer Honors classes or AP classes because the regular classes are already too hard to handle. The impression of Colton High School is that less education is given here, but is that really true? The amount of education someone can receive is not completely up to the school, but also to the student. Yet the school needs to take part in increasing the level of education in our classes, and students should not have to take Honors, or AP classes to be challenged. Some even avoid having to do a lot of work by taking easier classes. However, if you really think about it, choosing easier classes to accommodate your own laziness is not helping anyone, including yourself.
Counterpoint
by Karen Venegaas
Dec.10,1999It’s ridiculous to want classes to be harder. Classes are already hard enough as it is. If a person wants a hard class they can take Advanced Placement classes and if those are still too easy, ( in which case they must have the mentality of Einstein as well as the time on their hands that would allow them to rule a small country), then take some college courses which will not only challenge your (a) brain(iac), but also allow you to start earning some college credit that can be transferable when you begin college.
A person who takes regular A level courses is taking the classes that they feel are best suited for them. It’s not that they’re easier it’s just that they’re less complicated and less demanding of a person’s time. Not all A level classes are easy, in fact, most of them can be equally as stressful as an AP level course.If classes are made harder, what happens to that person in the A level course that can barely pass the class at its regular difficulty level? There is a good chance that person will fail more miserably than they would have in the class at regular level. Some AP classes are even easier than regular level classes; make those harder but leave the rest of us in A level classes alone.The amount of work both levels give can be different, a person in an AP class may find themselves having over two hours of homework, whereas a person in a regular class might have two hours or less. Personally I’d rather have two hours or LESS! I have to have some free time or I go nuts.
You can never satisfy everyone all the time, so even if you were to make the classes harder some students will be complaining that they have too much homework or that all their classes are too hard. It wouldn’t be fair to just make A level classes harder, AP classes would have to be harder too, and maybe it’s just me, but aren’t they hard enough already ? The counselors would have lots more work, with all the students coming in everyday with problems concerning their grades and personal sanity. The school district would lose money because some students may find it too difficult to make it to school everyday. Some might drop out all together.No matter what kind of courses you take, you’re bound to be stressed at some point or another. Why add to that by making all classes harder? Doing that will only add to the amount of super seniors that attend Colton High School and the ones that make it to graduation will be able to invite their entire extended family to the momentous occasion.
Congrats to football
by Staff
Dec. 10,1999We at the Pepper Bough would like to congratulate the 1999 Varsity Football team. The Jackets have shown, among other things, a seemingly indestructible will to win.
A roller coaster off-season, which climaxed with the firing of head coach Richard Shelko, led many people to believe that the upcoming season would be a joke. Every newspaper in the Inland Empire predicted the Jackets to finish last in San Andreas League play-offs.
Something weird happened, however. The Jackets came out and crushed their first two opponents and have since played with a type of ferocity not seen since the days of former head coach Don Markham.
While many people seem to believe the team’s vitality is because of new head coach Karl Gaytan, to us it seems to be more than that. Four times this season the Jackets have gone into the fourth quarter either tied, or losing. Three times they have come back and pulled out the victory. In one game, the Jackets went into the fourth quarter down by ten to the Yucaipa Thunderbirds, but came back on the strength of senior running back Robert Huckelby’s three touchdowns.
This seems to be the big difference between this year’s team and last year’s team, who lost every close game. That difference is heart. This year’s team has had loads of it, and our hats are off to them all. WAY TO GO JACKETS!!!
Letter to the Editor
by Kristiana Segura
Dec. 10,1999Dear Editor,
I noticed it when I was going to the girls locker to get changed for tennis practice. I walked through metal poles and I knew immediately what was to come next. Today I saw it. The fence that now surrounds girls P.E.- there’s also one around the Ken Hubbs Gym parking lot, and the school has also taken the liberty of making the fences around boys P.E. a little higher. When I saw the soon to be fences last Wednesday I became infuriated. The sence of pride I had been developing for Colton over the pat couple years vanished, in one swoop of a chain link fencing. I’m a junior, an upper classman, I get two ra’s at the end of the Alma Mater, I play tennis, am in A.P. classes, am involved in speech and Decathalon, and am treated like a caged animal.
Anyone I’ve mentioned this to is just as baffled as I am at these new restrictions that our administrators feel we need. I personally don’t understand. I know that there has been no justifacation for these ramifications. Have our administrators overlooked the very students of Colton High they are supposed to be serving?
I have a few questoins; Why? Why are we being punished and locked into sections of our dear Colton High? Is it ditching, perhaps leaving class two minutes early for lunch? If that be the case, why is punishing the masses the solution? The ones that will abide to these fences won’t be the ones that they were meant to contain. If students want to ditch, they will. No fence or bars or truancy note will stop them. Shouldn’t there be rewards for students with good behavior instead of punishment for our peer’s misbehavoir? And my second question I think is a valid question. Where did the money come from for these new chain link fences? An on-line hardware store charges roughly $32 for 8" mesh of 60" by 50' chain link fencing, not to include the price of the metal tubing along the tops, the poles, the gates, teh hinges, etc. Am I to be told that this money has been spent on fences and not something that would acually benefit the students? The tennis team plays at a club because the courts at school are in awful need of repair, the Troopers club and donations is what keeps the the drama department afloat, the computers are old, books are ruined and scarce in ome of the departments , and classes are overbooked because there are not enough teachers, or classrooms for that matter, and we have new fences.
Students of Colton High get a lot of grief. Who are we kidding, teachers of Colton High get a lot of grief. Colton has an incredibly BAD reputation(if you don’t know). At speechtournaments when asked where I go, when my reply is Colton, the look on their face says it all. I have to prove myelf at every tournament because of Colton High School’s ghetto reputation. And yet for some reason I have- or perhaps had- school pride. But I am to be proud of the fact that I am to finih my high school career under more and more restrictions and kept behind more and more and more fences. Students of Colton High, are we willing to let the administrators continue the trend of walking all over us? I know what my response is. What’s yours? I’m a junior, an upperclassmen, I get two ra’s at the end of the Alma Mater, i play tennis, am in A.P. classes, I am involved in speech and decatholon, and I am being treated like a caged animal. uprise Colton High students, so are you.Kristiana Segura, Junior
No lockers, need of backpacks
by Amy Carrillo
Dec 10, 1999It’s ridiculous to want classes to be harder. Classes are already hard enough as it is. If a person wants a hard class they can take Advanced Placement classes and if those are still too easy, ( in which case they must have the mentality of Einstein as well as the time on their hands that would allow them to rule a small country), then take some college courses which will not only challenge your (a) brain(iac), but also allow you to start earning some college credit that can be transferable when you begin college.
A person who takes regular A level courses is taking the classes that they feel are best suited for them. It’s not that they’re easier it’s just that they’re less complicated and less demanding of a person’s time. Not all A level classes are easy, in fact, most of them can be equally as stressful as an AP level course.If classes are made harder, what happens to that person in the A level course that can barely pass the class at its regular difficulty level? There is a good chance that person will fail more miserably than they would have in the class at regular level. Some AP classes are even easier than regular level classes; make those harder but leave the rest of us in A level classes alone.The amount of work both levels give can be different, a person in an AP class may find themselves having over two hours of homework, whereas a person in a regular class might have two hours or less. Personally I’d rather have two hours or LESS! I have to have some free time or I go nuts.
You can never satisfy everyone all the time, so even if you were to make the classes harder some students will be complaining that they have too much homework or that all their classes are too hard. It wouldn’t be fair to just make A level classes harder, AP classes would have to be harder too, and maybe it’s just me, but aren’t they hard enough already ? The counselors would have lots more work, with all the students coming in everyday with problems concerning their grades and personal sanity. The school district would lose money because some students may find it too difficult to make it to school everyday. Some might drop out all together.No matter what kind of courses you take, you’re bound to be stressed at some point or another. Why add to that by making all classes harder? Doing that will only add to the amount of super seniors that attend Colton High School and the ones that make it to graduation will be able to invite their entire extended family to the momentous occasion.
Peircing the veil
by Jason Valenzuela
Dec. 10,19999Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all, well maybe not you, no not you the one behind you, on your right, your other right... yeah him. Christmas approaches and so does the New Year, the new Millennium. You’ll find the Pepper Bough full of Christmas and Millennium stories, so I will generally refrain from doing what they are.
Okay I said I wouldn’t do their stories, but there is a certain story about whether the Millennium starts in 2000 or 2001. Now it so happens that the author is arguing that it starts in 2001, (yeah, and pigs fly.) Sorry to say this is a rather appalling attempt to steal glory away from the class of 2000. Now maybe I may not be the best person to argue this issue, being that I am a Senior, but then a Junior is arguing the other side, so it is just evening the score.
Where does the idea that the Millennium starts in 2001 come from? As far as I can tell the best argument is that you don’t start counting at zero. No maybe not but zero is technically before you even start counting. It took mathematicians hundreds of years to understand the concept of zero and now it seems it is to be ignored when convenient.
Sorry Class of 2001 but the millennium starts on January 1 2000, at midnight. How many stories in this paper alone are based upon that principle? I am willing to bet that the issue of this paper that comes out this same time next year will have Millennium stories in it. Now it may just be me but I don’t see any solid basis for arguing that the Millennium starts in 2001. And the only basis at all that I can see is a blatant attempt at leeching of the Millennium to pump up some members of the Class of 2001.
Now you can believe whatever you want, because this is just my opinion and I could be wrong. But, if you happen to believe that the Millennium starts in 2001, forget going to any of the parties this year. Try and find a Millennium party in the year 2001, or see if anyone worries about a Millennium bug that year. Now I leave it to you the readers to decided, but be logical: the Millennium starts in 2000.
Bullying
by Lisa Humphrey
December 10, 1999With the rise of teen violence today, we begin to wonder where all this hostility is coming from. This question leads us to bullying. The term ‘bully’ is most commonly linked to grade school, that’s where it all starts. Bullying comes in many forms and if not taken seriously can continue into adulthood.
What is bullying? It can be a number of things. Some ways it has been described are: being called names, being teased, being pushed, hit, or attacked, your personal possessions being taken or thrown around, having rumors spread about you, and being ignored. In school bullying can take place in all sorts of places, such as: in class, at lunch, or in restrooms. Some say “bullying is just a phase” or “bullying is just part of growing up”. But it isn’t natural to choose one person to pick on for reasons that a bully probably doesn’t even understand.
Hate and violence are learned behaviors, not natural instincts. Often times it occurs because these “bullies” have their own problems, or are angry because of something that happened to them. Maybe they are unhappy with themselves, or are just trying to act tough. Whatever the case, it isn’t right, and you should make sure that it doesn’t happen to you or anyone you know. If it is happening, there are ways to stop it. Talk to a teacher or officials at school. Make sure that they don’t let bullying go unnoticed. Find out about programs that discuss bullying and ways to deal with violence.
Christmas gifts for under $10
by Renee Negrete
December 10, 1999Are you broke this time of year? I know I am! If you need a great gift, but don’t have enough cash, then you should spend your money wisely. If you’re looking for the right gift at the right price, then you should read the rest of this article for some great ideas for under $10.
I went to a local store to see what I could buy for a gift to give. Right now at Wal-Mart they have this big (and I mean BIG) selection of gifts for that special person. If you act now they have a shower gel set including bubble bath, shower gel, and sponge, for the low, low, pirce of $5.50. They also have something for that special somebody, a body spray for girls, a three piece set at $6.26, and for that certain guy you can buy a cologne set for $9.99.
If you are buying for your sister then just head over to the makeup section. You can fill a little bag up with two or three nail polishes at 99 cents each, then add a couple of lipsticks at 99 cents each, and a small eyeshadow or any other little thing that you can find at $1.99, and still save to buy for the rest of the people in your life.
For your brother, right now the hot new thing is POK’EMON!! You can buy him 3 boOster packs for $7.50. Or if you wanted you could buy the boOster packs individually at $2.50 each.
For your mom, if she’a like mine, she would love anything soft and cuddly, you know what I’m talking about, a teddy bear for $9.96. And for your dad you can buy a wool pull over sweater for $9.99.
So if you are broke, then you need to rush over and pick up your stuff today. Cause this sale won’t last much longer.
Christmas memories
by Stephanie Farrior and Lisa Humphrey
December 10, 1999
Hey boys and girls guess what? Christmas is coming, a time for joy and togetherness; and as the last Christmas of this century, a time to reminisce in memories of Christmas’ past. Here are some favorite Christmas memories from members of Colton High’s staff and students.
Heather Turner (12th grade)
“On Christmas morning I woke up and found my first two-wheeler. It was the coolest: it was a Huffy: pink, white, and gray with a fanny pack on the front of the handlebars. Well, I was riding it to show off in front of my family. As I was looking behind me to see if they were still watching, I hit the curb, and flipped into the bushes! I cried that Christmas day, but now when I tell my story I laugh!”Ms. Julie Printz ( Ceramics teacher)
“I was five years old and my parents didn’t believe in babysitters so they took my two sisters and I everywhere with them when they went shopping. The favorite store was the Pic N Save in Victorville. It was a great store. They brought some toys and things—dolls, coloring books, comic books. At the check out line I asked “Are those for us?” My parents said, “No. they’re for your cousins.” It made me feel bad to think my parents were buying presents for someone else. On Christmas day my sisters and I opened the packages and discovered the same presents, except they had tags that said they were from Santa Claus. I didn’t believe in Santa Claus anymore. It was kind of sad at the time, but I’m not sad when I think about it now. It’s actually kind of funny!”Kalin Nix and Hannah Marks (11th grade)
“Our favorite Christmas memory was when we played tag at the Christmas tree farm, and Hannah ran into a tree,” said Nix. Marks response? “Yeah, that was cool.”Terry Brown (campus supervisor)
“My brothers and sisters all live in different places now. About three years ago I went back to Ohio so that the seven of us and their families could all be together for Christamas for the first time since ’78. I stayed for two weeks and it was really nice because we all got along great.”Olivier Qualo (12th grade)
“I remember in 1990 I got my first Nintendo with Super Mario Bros. I from Santa Claus. Oh my gosh, I remember that. I felt great. I wouldn’t stop smiling. I called all my friends over and we played for twelve hours straight.”Chris Martinez (12th grade)
“When I was twelve my life changed when I woke up and saw my first guitar. It was blue with sparkles. I played it everyday and started taking lessons. All my friends came over to watch me play. It made me really happy because I wanted one for a long time.”Joey Jouen (12th grade)
“One year my aunt wasn’t going to be able to afford Christmas for her children because of financial diffculties. So my whole family pitched in and got presents for them. On Christmas day we set the presents on their door step and left. It made me feel like a giver. From that day on I would rather give than receive.”
Gap between AP and regular classes
by Amber Arakaki and Maya MInwary
December 10, 1999Ever hear about the story of how Einstein failed his math class? Yes, Einstein, who came up with the famous theory of relativity (E= mc2), actually flunked out of a class. Why? Because he was bored! Does that sound familiar to you or to anyone you know? Many students say that today’s regular classes are “dumbed down,” leaving a big gap between regular classes and Advanced Placement/Honors classes.
Many students in Colton High are just like Einstein (believe it or not). They leave their Honors or AP classes because of such reasons as it being too hard or too much work, but sometimes they go into regular classes still having a hard time because they feel that it’s not challenging enough. “It’s two very opposite extremes,” says junior Ramy Abouelsood, “In AP Honors English we focused on analyzing the text. In Regular English we’re learning more about the author of the book than about the literature itself. We’re basically learning nothing relevant or beneficial.”
Years ago Colton High had four levels of English classes: A, B, C, and Honors level. By having more levels, students were able to learn at a level appropriate to their ability. The B and C levels however, caused a lot of discipline problems so much that it became frustrating and too hard for the teachers to handle. Several years ago it was decided that boosting former B level students to A level would not only help with discipline, but also inspire more students to do better in their classes. The theory is that by raising the expectations, lower level students put in college prep classes would do better. However, this resolution caused the gap we have today, but, of course, what school wouldn’t want the honor of saying that ALL their students were in a college preperatory level?
Despite the inconsistencies of the regular classes, there is also much dispute over the AP system as well. “I don’t think that the books that the students read in our Honors program have been selected because they are ‘The Great Books’ or are necessarily interesting or useful,” says English teacher Steve Goodyear. “They aren’t particularly the best books to help the twenty or so graduates (or 80 AP dropouts who graduate each year) do well in college. They seem to have been chosen mostly because of the frequency that they have appeared on the AP test over the years.” Goodyear says that students who pass the test often miss the most interesting classes in college because they skip great classes such as Freshman English.
AP English IV teacher Mitzi Abbott disagrees with Goodyear, saying that taking AP classes can save you a lot of money: “I had a student who passed many AP exams, which allowed her to skip her freshman year, saving her $30,000.”
Some people also say that the problem lies beyond the school curriculum. “Students walk away from things too challenging for them,” says Head of the AP Board, Ed Monroe. “They wind up in classes too easyfor them. No one should be bored, instead, they should be challenged.”
AP English III teacher, Kristen Tornero, believes that the problem lies in the lack of motivation. “I wish that all of my regular English students would do the work. If they don’t read, then how are they going to do anything?” Many students also prefer to compromise their classes, taking both AP and A level classes. “I take some AP classes and some regular A level classes. This balances my schedule out and gives me time for myself,” says senior Karen Venegas.
Understandably, there IS much pressure today, with colleges being so competitive, to take as many AP classes as possible. Since colleges demand higher GPAs, students may feel pressured into taking numerous AP classes rather than taking classes that actually involves their interests.
“It’s not that we can’t do the work, it’s just that it’s too much,” says junior Jason Jones, “I already have one AP class to handle.”
Due such reasons, about 100 to 120 students go into the Honors program their freshman year, but, only about 20 actually complete the system. However, Abbot explains that it’s always been like this. “We’ve always hovered around 20, but I think we’re increasing as each year progresses.”
Dr. John FIsher, who teaches AP and regular US History, believes that Colton High makes it easier for students to enter the AP program. “Many schools are being penalized by not having the AP system,” says Fisher. “There may be a gap in work and achievement, but there isn’t a gap in opportunity.”
So why are the students who drop out of advanced classes so bored? Could it be that instead of taking 45 minutes on a single essay, they are taking five days? Or instead of reading the book on their own time, they spend three to five weeks on it in class? Or that they spend their time working on crossword puzzles and answering difficult questions such as “Who is the author of the book?”
Maybe the problem does lie in the students’ motivation, yet it doesn’t explain the enormous gap between the two levels. Einstein may have brilliantly discovered many theories and explanations, so why didn’t his mentors recognize his ability?
Where to be for the millenium
by Marisa Gutierrez
December 10, 1999It’s coming... and there’s no way to stop it. The days are slipping away and the long anticipated year 2000 is upon us. But, the real question is: How are you going to welcome the new millennium?
While the avid followers of the Y2K theory sit around in their Y2K bomb shelters; paranoid of the end of the world, many others are going to finish of 1999 with the big bang that it’s worthy of receiving.
One major New Year’s hotspot is most definately Las Vegas because of its glitzy and glamourous appeal to fun-loving tourists. Unfortunately for all those people that decided to go to Las Vegas at the last minute, literally all of the resorts have been booked to capacity since last January. However, there were some people that were able to get reservations in the midst of all the Las Vegas frenzy. Like, for instance, sophomore Harmony McMillian has her airline ticket ready for a one-way trip to Vegas. “ Man, I’m just glad I’m not stuck at home this year, even though staying in Las Vegas might be extremely expensive, I’m just grateful that I’ll be able to brag about spending New Year’s Eve there.”
Well, expensive is right. Due to the fact that New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated holidays plus all the excitement surrounding the new millennium, resort prices have actually sky-rocketed. Perhaps the most expensive resort to stay at on New Year’s Eve would most likely be Caesars at a whooping $3000 smackers just for that evening alone. Second to Caesars is the Desert Inn at a cool $2000 for that special evening. Then the runner-ups, with price tags ranging from $1,500 and below are famous resorts such as Mandalay Bay, New York, and the Hard Rock.
For those of you who just can’t seem to reserve a spot in Vegas, but you still want to party ‘till you drop, then you can always crash in on the local party scene. Senior Sean Hammer is pretty stoked about the New Year’s party he’ll be attending in San Diego. This party/concert known as Somaliv will include performances by Dance Hall Crashers and other major ska bands.
If you can’t find a ride to a major concert, then there’s always the traditional alternative of staying at home and partying your brains out. Just like most other teenagers at Colton High, junior Travis Coplin would rather party with his friends. “Things might be a little crazier this year because it’s the last day of ’99, but partying with my friends is a cool way to ring in the new millennium.”
Hottest guys and girls of the millenium
by Charissa Six, Amy Yarnall and Jason Jones
December 10, 1999Dear Reader:
We want you to realize that these people were chosen because they are or were, at some point, hotties. Some you may not even know who they are, and some may have seemed to dissapear off the face of the Earth, however, they’re still hot and we salute them! Just to make it fair, we will let you vote for the hottest guy and girl. Send votes to “Room 103.”Hottest Girls-
Cindy Crawford
Calista Flockhart
Claudia Schiffer
Neve Campbell
Marilyn Monroe
Gwyneth Paltrow
Kate Moss
Katie Holmes
Tyra Banks
Brandy
Sara Michelle Gellar,
Jennifer Aniston
Drew Barrymore
Princess Diana
Leah Feldhaus
Sharon Bjornstad
Carissa Casteneda
Nicole Martell
Jennifer Love-Hewitt
Jewel
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Jenna Elfman
Salma Hayek
Elizabeth Taylor
Carrie Fisher
Ingrid Bergman
Olivia-Newton John
Mae West
Alicia Silverstone
Ginger Rogers
Lucille Ball
Jayne Mansfield
Natalie Wood
Tiffany-Amber Thiesson
Julia Roberts
Sandra Bullock
Brittney Spears
Pamela-Anderson Lee
Madonna
Judy Garland
Kathy Ireland
Jennifer Jones
Grace Kelly
Cyndi Lauper
Carole Lombard
Jennifer Lopez
Lauren Bacall
Kim Basinger
Halle Berry
Carmen Electra
Vivica Fox
Kristina Agulerra
Mariah Carey
Katherine Zena Jones
Laetitia Casta
Claire ForlaniHottest Guys-
Beatles
Rob Thomas
Paul Walker IV
Leonardo DiCaprio
Matthew Fox
Scott Wolf
Brad Pitt
Jospeh Fiennes
Harisson Ford
Nickolas Cage
Kevin Costner
Matt Damon
Ben Afleck
Elvis
Densel Washington
Christian Bale
Matthew McConaughey
David Schwimmer
Tom Cruise
Hanson
Joey Lawrence
Will Smith
Backstreet Boys
98 Degrees
N’ SYNC
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Mark McGrath
New Kids on the Block
Keanau Revees
Johnathan Taylor Thomas
James Van Der Beek
Ryan Phillippe
James Marsden
Andrew Keegan
Brendan Fraiser
Chris O’ Donnell
Michael Jackson
Chalrleton Heston
Humphrey Bogart
John Travolta
Gary Cooper
Tom Seleck
Matt Lopez
James Dean
Bobby Vinton
Jimmy Stewart
John Wayne
Clark Gable
Bob Hope
Bing Crosby
Mel Gibson
Fabion
Fabio
Michael J. Fox
Bruce Springstein
Johnathan Brandis
Frank Sinatra
Sylvester Stalone
John-Paul Gosslar
Jason Priestly
Spencer Tracy
Frankie Avalon
Richard Gere
Hugh Grant
Al Jolson
Val Kilmer
Allen Ladd
Jack Lemmon
Dean Martin
Mario Lopez
Fred Astaire
Antonio Banderas
Warren Beatty
George Clooney
John Cusack
Johnny Depp
Robert Downey Jr.
Luke Perry
Steven Dwarf
Ethan Embry
Ricky Martin
Oscar De La Hoya
New Dance club on campus
by Renee Negrete
December 10, 1999Step 1, 2, 3, and 4! Go girls, go girls, that’s it, you’re doing great!
Have you ever wanted to join the dance team, well, if have or wanted to here is your chance. There is a new after school activity called the Dance Club, even if you have or haven’t heard about this club, here is a little information about this hot new team. This team or club meets on Tuesdays, advance team practices from 2:15 - 3:30 p.m., and if you are new to this club then you would be dancing with the beginner’s team from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. This club is instructed by the lovely and talented Janina Garraway. One of the dancers, sophomore Judy Curiel said, “Since I saw last year’s dance team come out and perform in front of the entire school, I’ve always wanted to join. Now that this year’s dance club is here, I can’t wait to dance in front of my peers and strut my stuff.” Curiel also says, “The instructor shows you step by step, to help you catch on easier.” For this dance club you don’t have to buy certain shoes or certain clothes to dance in, all you have to wear is something comfortable so you are able to move around, and, of course, your tennies. This dance team has been going on for over one month, it’s never to late to join, and it’s just up to you to learn the dance steps that you may have missed. If more students join Colton High’s Dance Club, then most likely they will perform in up-coming events held at school. Practice makes perfect. There are some students that haven’t wasted any time in joining this club, like Olga Casillas, Amanda Renteria, and Nicloe Toth. So, if you still want to join, all you have to have is a love for dancing and happy-feet.
Survey- what do you want for X-mas
by Amy Carrillo
December 10, 1999Christmas...a time for giving and of course receiving.
But if you are buying for Junior Alberto Lopez, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Even though he is a guy, his Christmas wish is for the Backstreet Boys to come to his party. Why, you ask? Because he wants all the guys to come to his party.
Alberto isn’t the only one who wants a Christmas gift that has to do with the Backstreet Boys. TJ Valenti wants a clean pair of underwear with the Backstreet Boys faces on the backside.
But Monica Salinas doesn’t want the Backstreet Boys this Christmas. She claims that she doesn’t ask for much, “All I want is Ricky Martin in a thong saying ‘I Love You’, that’s not too much to ask.”
But what does the majority of Colton High students want this Christmas? Cold hard cash, mucho dinero, lots of moola. Along with this endless cash flow, students want a fly ride (also known as a car). Any moving vehicle ranging from Candice Carter’s dream Dodge Ram Truck, to Breeann Farrar’s dream Honda Civic.
But not all Colton High Students want a flashy extravagant gift or money to buy extravagant stuff this Christmas. Senior Joanne Flores just wants a little puppy.
Regardless of what people say they want this Christmas...you know that everyone is dying for that two weeks off for Christmas break, and hoping it will snow to get an even longer break.
True meaning of Christmas
by Kelly Wheatley
December 10, 1999If you could have one wish in the whole world what would it be? World peace, food and shelter for the homeless, or would you fall into the increasingly large amount of NONE OF THE ABOVE? If you did choose one of the above, I applaud you.
Too many times we get caught up in all the hype created by Christmas, and lose sight of what it’s all about. Everyone falls victim to it one time or another. The wide spread epidemic of the “I want’s...” and the “Get me’s...” infect one and all. Every year comes December, as the lights start showing up, and that cheerful music that can only be heard once a year begins; we know its coming, Christmas break. School is out and the count down begins as each week passes, day by day, we wait in anticipation for the morning where we all wake up to a living room overflowing with presents. But is it the scenario that began Christmas long ago? No, that room was a manger, and the present was Jesus Christ. Christmas is the celebration of the day He was brought into the world. However by putting the religious portion aside, the years roll on and the technology in the world around us advances, that the “Christmas Spirit” that is so encouraged somehow seems to get lost in all this built-up excitement. There are many different opinions as to what the exact meaning of Christmas is, but the gist of it is portrayed in books and movies as far back as A Christmas Carol and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The bottom line is that Christmas is a time for togetherness with friends and family, it’s a time for giving, and most of all Christmas is a time for loving. Nothing, whatever it may be, should get in the way of that.
Advertising is the biggest contributor to this chaos. All the Christmas stories, made up and true, fall on the deaf ears of the children; what will take the place of last year’s hot toy, and who can get it first. With companies competing back and forth one can’t help but notice the oversized ad campaigns put out to catch your eye. However, advertising isn’t the sole contributor. Anyone is bound to get a little side tracked at the thought of receiving presents. Don’t let them get in the way of why we really celebrate Christmas.
When is the millenium?
by Steve Aguiular
December 10, 1999As we approach the year 2000 one begins to wonder weather or not the new millennuim starts on January 1st 2000 or one year after that on January 1st 2001. The answer to that is a simple, but first a little backround. The USA and just about the rest of the nations in the world use the Gregorian calendar, it’s worldy accepted and extreamly accurate. The only error it contains is corrected every leap year when a day is added to the month of Febuary. This calander is devided into two parts: B.C. whitch ends 1 B.C. and A.D. whitch begins on 1 A.D., thus skiping the year zero. Why does it skip the year zero? The Answer is simple, the concept of “zero” is a Mayan “disocvery” therefore it was not brought to the Eastern wolrd until the disocvery of the “New World.” One way of thinking about tihs division is by imagining a timeline, without the zero in between or the negative sign (-) in front of the numbers to the left. So according to the way our calendar works the New Millennuim does not start on January 1st 2000 it starts on January 1st 2001, because of the lacking “zero year.”
However one might use the “decade theory,” to argue that the New Millennuim starts on the 1st of January 2000, not 2001. This way of thinking is simple, when a new decade approches doesn’t it start when one see’s the new number? (ie the 90’s started January 1st 1990 not 1991) Therefore the New Millenuim starts on 200 not 2001, according to that way of thinking anyway. Unfortunatly this “decade theroy” is only based on what people percive the new decade to be, because as was mentioned above there is no zero year, whitch means that new decades, centurys, AND millennuims start with a one. (91, 1901, 2001, etc.)If the New Millennuim doesn’t start for another year then why all the hype? Why are those VISA posters up “counting down to the New Millennuim?” The Answer to that is a simple one; peple like to party and any excuse will do. The bigger the party the better, who cares if the logic used as an excuse to throw it is is faulty?
Who will drink on New Year's
by Daniel Ilgenfritz
December 10, 1999
Here’s a hypothetical situation for you: let’s assume that it’s the last day of the millennium. That’s 2000 years, folks, the date that some believe Christ will return to Earth and the final Judgment will begin, nuclear missiles will destroy humanity as we know it, and all our PC’s, bank accounts, and computer networks will crash. Millenniums take a long time coming around, and unless we suddenly make great advances in age-prolonging techniques, this will be the only millennium any of us will be around to see and experience.
So I come to my question, and the crux of the problem: will you drink on New Year’s Eve 1999? Now I’m not here to persuade anyone to do anything, but let me present my argument, part of which just appeared above. This is the last year of the millennium. This is the only millennium we’ll ever be here for. This is going to be, without a doubt, one of the biggest freaking party days in the history of humankind. People are saying that you should have been buying champagne and stupid hats three weeks ago, it’s gonna be so big. And, although I personally don’t prescribe to any millennium doomsday theories, I won’t deny that I’m still a little leery, if not for theological reasons then because of what we could do, rioting and the like.
I think part of that fear resides in all of us. We can’t help it. And if any part of you is afraid that existence as we know it is going to end at the stroke of midnight, then doesn’t it make at least the tiniest modicum of sense to at least down a glass of bubbly? It does in my mind.
In fact, I won’t deny that I plan on downing a little more than that. Of course, I don’t advocate getting wasted and then driving or operating heavy machinery (stay away from that backhoe!), but I think if you’re gonna stay home, click on MTV’s inevitable “Crappy Music From ’99 Countdown” or whatever other station’s clock-watching show, I see no problem in drinking. I honestly believe that it is possible to drink responsibly, as stupid as that sounds. However, my opinion is, naturally, not the only one. Take a look for yourself. Junior Justin Hofman thinks “It’s fine if you don’t drive after drinking,” but doesn’t plan on drinking. Sophomore Christina Zamora thinks “everyone does it, mostly teenagers, and if you’re responsible with it, not driving, it’s okay.”
Junior Amanda Boon is of the opinion that “people are gonna do it no matter what they’re told. It’s fine, it’s a way of having fun.” She says she will “definitely” drink on New Year’s Eve.
Finally, English teacher Kristen Tornero, has this to say: “Someone of legal age who chooses to drink should be responsible enough to make arrangements ahead of time for transportation so they’re not endangering anyone else. I fear some students are drawn to alcohol for the way it makes them feel.” She says she will “probably toast at New Year’s.”
So there you have it, folks. Some agree with me, some disagree. Now, I hate to get preachy, but I think I’m kind of obligated to leave you with this message: If you do drink on New Year’s Eve, just don’t do anything stupid. If you do, you may not see another millennium, even if we do get those age-prolonging techniques right.
Will the world end
by Jason Valenzuela
December 10, 1999AHHHH! We’re all going to DIE! Fire and brimstone will consume us! The world is coming to an end! Hey...wait...isn’t that the Easter bunny? I’ve got one thing to say to people who think the world will end when the year 2000 comes: wake up! The world is not going to end just because another thousand years has passed.
Think about it logically... is doomsday going to follow our calendar? Our calendar is actually off by a few years. Which would mean that we should have been dead for about four years now. No matter what is said the world will not end in the year 2000, the human race will survive for a little longer than that.
Now the Bible propheseys the Apocalypse, revealing that the world will end in a Battle of Armageddon between Jesus and the Antichrist. The Christian prophet John (author of the Book of Revelations) fortold this Apocalypse and that after the Battle of Armageddon Jesus would establish a millennial kingdom on earth for the just. Then after a final clash with Satan, Christ passes judgment over the living and the dead. Then for the just, there would be a new heaven and a new earth.
Now many will take this as a literal interpretation but then many more will take this differently; the word apocalypse doesn’t mean the end, it means “unveiling.” So is the Apocalypse an awakening? A new begining? And still it can be believed that the Apocalypse was meant to be taken symbolically. Some saw the Apocalypse as a fight between factions in the Church, again others saw it as symbolic that the prophecy was nothing more than John’s anti-Roman sentiments.
To further show that John’s Revelation doesn’t necessarily predict the time of the Apocolypse, or even actually make it sure there will be an end like the Bible says, is the Antichrist. There have been so many interrpretations of the Antichrist that it has become a joke—from the mad emperor Nero who persecuted Christians, to Pope Innocent IV, to a couple of recent ones, like Marilyn Manson, or George Bush. Yes, George Bush: his comment about creating a “new world order” sent some Christian fundamentalists into a fit.
Okay, so will the world end in 2000? Don’t think so. Just because millennium is mentioned as the time of the Apocalypse doesn’t mean anything either; millenium can be interpreted as a undetermined length of time, but that it is a long time. And sorry for those of you who are Christian, but the Bible isn’t the only authority on religion: approximately two-thirds of the world isn’t Christian, and very few of those are going crazy over the milleninum.
The world isn’t going to end when the year 2000 rolls around; oh, it will end, but not right now. The Bible itself says that no one will know when the Apocolypse is coming (you never hear the one that gets you.) Also the world won’t necessarily end in a battle bettween Jesus and the Antichrist, that can quite simply be dramatic effect and actually wishful thinking.
Sorry to say it, but humans will kill themselves. We don’t need the Antichrist to do it.
Will Y2K bite us
by Celeste Escobedo
December 10, 1999As we near the end of the millennium, the question if whether the Y2K bug will actually bite us becomes more important. Y2K is a computer flaw that could keep computer systems from recognizing “00” as 2000 and mistake it for 1900.
It is said that our computers are not equipped to handle the number 2000 and that systems will fail. Records may also be lost. The government recently assured the public that its computers were Y2K ready. Last month, President Bill Clinton had this to say about the Y2K issue, “If we work together and use this time well, we can insure that this Y2K, a computer problem will be remembered as the last headache of the 20th century, not the crisis of the 21st.”The federal government so far has spent $8.6 billion to prepare for Y2K. Yet, when you log on to the White House’s web site at www.whitehouse.gov, you do not get Y2K information. Some still believe that some thing could still go wrong. Senior Clariza Morales disagrees with those that say that something could still go wrong, she says. ‘It’s taken care of. I don’t think there’s nothing to worry about.” There are other students at Colton High that feel the way she does. Senior Josh Hughes had this to say on the Y2K issue, “I think it’s taken too seriously”.The National Association of State Information Resource Executives Inc. (NASIRE) released a survey that said that the state of California was 98 percent Y2K compliant (last updated October 1, 1999). For more information visit http://www.nasire.org/hotisssues/y2k/survey/results/.cfm. With so much controversy on the Y2K bug issue, it is hard to know what to believe. We should just find out what is going to happen.
Blink 182 Concert Review
by Lexie Castell
December 10, 1999It’s those three dudes who are best known for streaking across town in their birthday suits. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s Mark, Tom, and Travis, that really cool three piece punk band, Blink-182.
On October 29 Blink -182 headlined a sold out show at the Bren Events Center in Irvine along with Unwritten Law and Fenix Tx. The “Loser kids tour” is what its called, and Blink-182 have set dates to play many southern California shows, being that they are a San Diego-based band that got their start in 1994. Opening up for Blink-182 was Fenix Tx...(the band formally known as River Fenix). This was a band that Blink-182 discovered and helped them get there start and gave them lots of exposure.
Blink 182’s new-but-not-so-new album Enema of the State came out on June 1 and they have been on the road ever since. The past summer the hard working band co- headlined Van’s annual Warped Tour with Pennywise that lasted all summer. They toured in Europe, Germany, Italy, and all across the US. The group had done a special cameo for the very popular summer hit movie American Pie, and just recently made a special apperance on Shake, Rattle, and Roll, a made for TV movie. They have also apperared on shows such as The Tonight Show andThe Donnie and Marie show.
Blink-182 has taken punk music to a whole new level, and even though the huge response of fans that follow them and the total exposeure, Blink-182 have still managed to avoid being considered “main stream” and have remained to keep it real with their punk rock roots.
The first band to open at the sold out show was Fenix TX (TX standing for Texas, the band’s hometown). They played a short set but got the crowd movin’ and loud. They played cool tunes as heard on KROQ such as “Speechless” and “No Lie.” Fenix TX closed their set by ending with a punk rock version cover of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World.”
The second band to take the stage was San Diego’s Unwritten Law. They played a very long, very upbeat high energy set. They played mostly songs off their most recent self titled album. They ripped through songs such as “California Sky,” “Lonesome,” “Teenage Suicide,” and their very popular “Cailin.” During the middle of Unwritten Law’s set, Scott ,the band’s lead singer, brought out his little girl . . . and the crowd went wild. He told the audience...”Everyone say hi to Cailin!!!” Then he began serenading his little daughter with the song wrote for her and about her; it was so beautiful. (The song “Cailin” personally means a lot to me, being it was the song I sang for my best friend Sharon at her funeral, so it brought so much more meaning to the song when the band sang it live.)
Now for the moment that almost everyone in the crowd had been waiting for. Girls tried to play the “groupie role” and wore homemade shirts that said stuff like “Blink me”, “Travis, I’m pregnant”, and “182°”.
Senior Danielle DeMone agreed.”This was my third time seeing Blink and I noticed a change in the kind of people that attended the concert. This summer they got a lot of new fans. Everyone went crazy for them, it was a great show.” The lights went dim, the crowd began chanting...”Blink, Blink...” then all you could hear was the voice of Samuel L. Jackson reciting the verse Ezekial 25:17 from the movie Pulp Fiction. Then Blink 182 came out one by one and took their place and began singing “Pathetic.” The crowd went into madness.
Blink-182 kept a variety of tunes going on throughout the night and didn’t just keep playing songs off their new album but also played songs from their first and second albums, Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch. They performed songs like “Waistiing time”, “Peggy Sue”, “Going away to College”, “All the small things”, “Whats my age again?”, “Apple Shampoo”, and “Mutt”. The highlight of Blink’s performance was when Mark tryed to do a cool trick with his bass guitar and swing it around himself and ended up cutting his forehead pretty bad but that didnt keep Mark from singing his heart out bleeding and all. Blink-182 ended their very long very entertaining set by singing the song they are most famous for, “Dammit.” I had never seen a mosh pit get so big and so crazy before. If Blink didn’t crowd please enough for therir fans they came back and did an encore. With that confetti shot out from all sides of the stage as they beagn singing “Carosel.” The concert overall was festive and so totally wild. Between sets Blink band members joked around with each other and their R-rated humor shined though. Although there was no nudity at this concet Blink -182 still maneged to put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. “I had alot of fun at the Blink concert, and this was only my second concert and quite an experience. I deffinetly reccomend you go see them, they put on a great show!” Said Sophmore Lauren Bjornstad. I give the Blink-182 concert two “rock on’s up” and one “Oh hellll yeahhh!!!” Job well done Mark, Tom, and Travis. See you at the next show.
Dr. Dre Cd Review
by Steven Ramirez
December 10, 1999“A yo, y’all got the new Dre?” would be the question of the day. “No, we all sold out, but you can reserve it for when we get our new shipment.” Next store: “Excuse me, where’s the new Dre CD?” “Oh, we don’t have it, we’re all sold out, sorry.” “Damn, sold out . . . Dre. . . Dre!? Sold out . . . wow, I guess Dre is for real.”
Those were the words of late customers on November 16 who were very surprised to see Dr. Dre sell out on the first day his new album titled 2001 hit the stores. The much anticipated second album of Dre since he left Death Row records is labeled his comeback because he hasn’t made a solo album for about three years.
The 22 track album features artists such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, comedian Eddie Griffin, porno star Jake Steed, and Thomas Chong. What Dre was known for was his very good beats and that is what he perfected on this CD because he is arguably the king of beats and the best producer in the rap game, with his own record label; Aftermath Entertainment.
2001 is the straight west coast, “Cali4nya style” of hip hop with good rapping and head bobbing beats.What Dre and others rap about of course is none other than weed smoke, sex, and violence. Of course that style is labeled “Gangsta rap” even though Dre is not a gangster because he is dead done with those days.
You see what Dre is really doing on this album is keeping it real. As seen in the video “Still Dre” he’s still rolling in the lowrider Impala bouncing up and down and he said it himself: “Not a damn thang changed.” Really a lot of the things Dre says on the album is real (especially the last song) therefore no one can mess with Dre right now because he “gots all things going for him” right now.
The bottom line is, if you like banging beats, clowning lyrics, and CD booklets filled with pictures of chronic, alcoholic beverages, and huge smoking utensils than this is the CD for you.
End of Days Movie Review
by Andrew Herrera
Dec. 10, 1999Well, he said he’d be back and sure enough he is in End of Days.
This is the first movie Arnold Schwartzenegger has been in for two years, but there have been reasons why the 52-year old action star has been out of comission with a recent heart surgery just to name one. But he’s back and ready to stay, claims Arnold in a recent interview.
End of days opens in the Vatican City, Rome, on the night the “chosen woman” to carry Satan’s baby is born. This is when the Pope decides that a non-violent course of action should be taken to save the child from the devil by seeking her out.
Then the movie jumps 20 years into the future when Satan makes an unexpected visit in New York City just days before the Millennium. Satan, in need of a body, takes the one of an unsuspecting man (Gabrile Byrne). Needing protection, he hires Jericho Cane (Arnold Scwartzenegger) a drunk security specialist who is suicidal over the loss of wife and daughter.
After an attempted assassinaton of Satan, Arnold begins a quest to find out the reson why the man he is pretecting was the target of a hit with the answers leading to Christine York (Robin Tunney), the chosen woman. The movie comes down to whether Jericho can pretect Christine from the devil or not.
Over all this movie has plenty of action with a classic Arnold style but has a very disturbing plot that was enough to make a branch of the Catholic church want to ban it. But if you’re looking for a good action flick see this film.
Just remember to pray afterwards.
Family Values Review
by Ashley Jay
December 10, 1999Live bands, metal detectors, and screaming until your ears bleed. Now thats what I call good old American fun. The Family Values Tour held October 23, was an anticipated event for many teens, as well as for others who attended. John Lovett and Katie Wiening were just two of Colton High students who were lucky enough to score tickets to one of the best shows around.
Opening for the tour was Staind, with Mudshovel. Special guest Primus was next including their song, “Big Brown Beaver” in their line up. Methond Man and Redman gave thier usual great perfrormance. Redman interacted with the audience by telling them to scream “&%)@!$ you Redman” as loud as they could about ten to twelve times. Then he quieted the crowd, paused for a few seconds then yelled, “No, $%@&*) you!”. It was hilarious, the stadium full of screaming fans loved the abuse.
Filter played next with a great applause following a great performance. Limp Bizkit’s performance was supposed to top them all. Turns out Limp’s bass player Sam Rivers decided to ditch the band before they stared the first song. Fred Durst was so mad, the crowd waited for about twenty minutes while Durst tried to get the bass back. The very popular Wes Borland (guitarist) saved the day by playing Metallica. Just before the band got thier act together Durst apoligized for the mix up and told the crownd “If I was you I’d be raising some hell right now!” He then told the audience to demand thier money back. After that little mess Limp gave a perfect performance including an apperance from Pauly Shore and Method Man.
The only negatives were the absence of Crystal Method, Limp Bizkit’s little bass problem, and the run for the door on the way out. Compared to the overall show, those were just minor details.
Korn/Manson Cd Review
by Daniel Ilgenfritz
December 10, 1999I’ll admit right of the bat that when I went to Musicland to pick up my reserved copies of koRn’s new Issues album and the Marilyn Manson live album, Last Tour On Earth, I wasn’t really expecting much. I figured the koRn album would sound like their last three, and a live album from Manson would just be the same songs I already have, but with over-loud drums and vocals that weren’t quite as great as the originals. I was more than a little surprised, however, when I listened to them both.
First off, The Last Tour On Earth. The album contains fourteen tracks, all recorded from Manson shows, and includes one new track left off the Antichrist Superstar album, “Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes.” We all know that at live shows, the drums tend to be a little too loud, guitar lost in the din, and vocals not as trained as they sound on albums. Whoever tweaked Last Tour On Earth in the studio did a good job of balancing these problems out, so the songs come out as harsher, quicker-beat versions of their earlier selves. Surprisingly enough, I also found that I enjoyed tracks like “Lunchbox” and “Get Your Gunn,” off the band’s first album, Portrait of An American Family, which I don’t usually listen to. Some other highlights are “The Beautiful People,” sounding much rawer than the album version, and the new “Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes,” which is filled with fast, distorted guitar and strange sound effects. Although those who aren’t real fans of Manson and just bought Antichrist Superstar to scare their parents probably won’t get too much enjoyment out of this album, those of us who really love the Reverend’s music should pick it up.
Next up is koRn’s Issues. I’m personally not a huge fan of koRn. Although I have friends that swear by them, I don’t like their first two albums, only Follow The Leader. I expected just a rehash of that for their new effort. I wasn’t entirely correct in my pre-emptive assumption, however. For the first time since their inception, koRn seems to have actually tried to change their sound a little. Issues actually has songs with a surprising amount of melody to them. The crunching 7-string rhythms are still there, but Jonathan Davis’s voice, and some of the synth effects on the tracks are much more aimed at making something a little more musical than their past songs. The album also contains a number of shorter, funkier tracks, like “Am I Going Crazy?” and others, that tie all the songs together. Issues is a much darker album than Follow The Leader, and many of the songs concern insanity, death, suicide, and other not-so-savory topics. If you didn’t like koRn before, Issues probably won’t convert you, and many of the songs still have that signature koRn sound that makes it hard to distinguish from them sometimes. But, just like Manson, if you’re a real fan of the band, or if you like Follow The Leader, then you’ll probably enjoy Issues as much as I did.
Rage Against The Machine Cd Review
by Ismael Zamora
December 10, 1999The Battle of Los Angeles is the long awaited third album from the great political band Rage Against the Machine.
It has been three long years since there last release,second album “Evil Empire” which made them more known world wide by there hit singles “People of the sun” and “Bulls on parade”.
Rage against the machine are Zack De La Rocha-vocals, Y tim K-bass,Brad wilk-drums,and Tom Morello-guitars. The battle of los Angeles brings 12 brand new songs from the band dealing with many of there issues.
Such song as “Voice of the voiceless” a song in which is sung about Mummia Abu Jamal in who which was convicted of a crime but what rage and many other people believe that he is innocent and wasn’t given a fair trial,plus many other good songs dealing with their political issues like “Calm like a bomb”,”Testify”,and my favorite “Ashes in the fall”. Rage against the machine is truly one of the great bands of the 90s with there political issues, hard rock noise,and what sounds like a turntable scratching sound made by lead guitar Tom Morello in who I believe is a truly magnificent guitar player of the decade.
album they have been trying to get across the troubles of what politics has caused for many years and keep doing for the people of the world showing from songs like “Freedom”,”Know your enemy”,and “Take the power back”.
And now with The battle of los Angeles out in stores and there first single “Guerrilla radio” doing well in the charts and a tour on the way rage will be pretty busy this year.So if you like hard rock mixed with hip hop then the battle of Los Angeles is what you want.
Sleepy Hollow Movie Review
by Daniel Ilgenfritz
December 10, 1999We’ve all heard the legend of Sleepy Hollow, if not from the well-known Disney movie then from the original story from Washington Irving. Now, most of us know director Tim Burton. You know, the guy that brought us BeetleJuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the sadly misunderstood, at least in my opinion, Mars Attacks!. Now imagine what this twisted visionary would do to the aforementioned legend of Sleepy Hollow? Good. Because he did it, and it’s one of the most amazing films of the year. It was also the second highest grossing film the week it premiered, raking in over $30 million dollars, showing that Burton still has the touch.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tim Burton film if there weren’t any strange twists to the story. His Sleepy Hollow is a little different than the one we know. Ichabod Crane, played by Tim Burton’s always great muse, Johnny Depp, is now a police man in New York, who likes using scientific techniques to solve crimes, unlike his comrades, who assume that if a body is found in a river, the death was caused by drowning. His complaints and pleas to turn to more investigative methods of solving crimes begin grating on his superior’s nerves, and they decide to “test” his methods by sending him to the small town of Sleepy Hollow, where there have been three murders, all by decapitation, in the past two weeks.
Ichabod arrives, and heads toward the home of the Van Tassels, Sleepy Hollow’s premiere citizens. There, in a meeting with the town magistrate and other men of high power, he discovers a fact he had not been told in New York-That the heads of the dead have not been recovered. And he first hears the legend of the Headless Horseman, who is blamed for all of the killings going on. He also meets the Van Tassel’s mysterious, beautiful daughter, Katrina, played by Christina Ricci.
It doesn’t take long for Ichabod’s investigation to go awry. The Horseman kills again and again, leaving headless corpses for Ichabod to squeamishly look over. Soon he encounters the ghost himself, and barely escapes alive. This is where Sleepy Hollow’s plot begins twisting, and it doesn’t stop for a while. We learn of strange dealings involving the fortune of the Van Garett family, whose history is entwined with the Van Tassels, and that Ichabod’s mother could be rather...witchy sometimes, and that Katrina seems to be following suit. Sandwiched in between all this are the gory attacks by the Headless Horseman, each scene showing decapitations with plenty of blood.
The film climaxes with Ichabod’s uncovering of the real reason behind the Horseman’s attacks and why, and who is responsible for his rampage. I won’t give anything away, because it will surprise you. Finally, Ichabod must face the Horseman himself in a deadly race through the woods, man to ghost.
Sleepy Hollow is filmed beautifully, the colors rich and deep and muted, almost like a painting, thanks to the fine work of Cinemetographer Emmanuel Lubezki. The costumes by costume designer Colleen Atwood are equally impressive, capturing the look of the year, 1799, and keeping in touch with Burton’s recognizable style. The sets are equally impressive, and amazingly atmospheric, carrying the tone of fright throughout the film. Giant twisted trees, crumbling graveyards, and stone houses all add to the ambience of Sleepy Hollow. The gore level is also higher than it’s ever been for Burton, so if you’re not into that sort of thing, then I don’t recommend this film. But if some blood doesn’t bother you, then I highly suggest you see this film. Everything about it works just right, from the actors to the costumes to the fight scenes orchestrated by Star Wars: Episode I veteran Ray Park, to the sets to the story to the excellent score by Danny Elfman. Sleepy Hollow is an excellent revamping of a great old legend, thanks to the ingenuity and sheer twisted creativity of Tim Burton.
2000 vs 2001
por Steven Aguilar
December 10, 1999Ahora que estamos cercas del año 2000 uno empieaza a pensar si el nuevo milenio va ha empezar en el primero de enero o un año después en el año 2001. La respuesta es una simple pero primero un poquito ed historia. Ls Estados Unidos y casi todoso las otras naciones en el mundo usan el calendario Grogoriano, es aceptado en todo el mundo y extremadamente exacto. El unico error que tiene es arreglado cada cuatro años cuando hay un dîa mas en febrero. El calendario esta dividido en dos partes: B.C. que se acaba en 1 B.C. y A.D. que empieza en 1 A.D., entonces no hay año cero. ¿Por que no hay año cero? La respuesta es simple, el concepto del “cero” lo “descubrieron” los Mayas y no fue implementado hasta que los Europeos “descubieron” el “nuevo mundo.” Una forma de pensar de esta division es de pensar en una linea de numeros sin el cero en medio o el signo negativo (-) enfrente de los numeros a la izquierda. Cuando se piensa en nuestro calendario nos dice que el nuevo milenio empieza en el a año 2001 no el año 2000, porque no tenemos ese año “0.”
Pero uno puede usar la “ teorîa de las decadas ” para tratar de enseñar que el nuevo milenio va ha empezar el primero de enero 2000, no 2001. Esta forma de pemsar es simple, ¿qué no empieza la nueva década cuando vez el nuevo numero? Por ejemplo los noventas empezaron en el año 90 no 91. Cuando piensas asî el nuevo milenio empieza en el año 2000 no 2001. Infortunadamente esta “theorîa de las decadas” no funciona con nuestro calendario Gregoriano. Las decadaas, los siglos, y también los milenios empiezan con el uno. (91, 1901, 2001 etc.)
¿Si el nuevo milenio no empieza en el 2000 por que hay tanto arguende? Porque a la gente les encantan las fiestas, no importa las escusas que usan para hacer fiesta. ¿Que importa si la logica para festejar es falsa?
Faya el espirito de navidad
por Kelly Wheatley traducido por Connie Villagrana
December 10, 1999¿Si pudieras hacer un deseo, que seria? Paz en el mundo, comida y alojo para los necesitados. ¿O serias uno de los millones que dirian NINGUNO DE ESOS? ¡Si escojieron unos de los mensionados los felicito!
Muy seguido nos encontramos metidos en la red creada por Navidad y perdemos el conocimiento de la verdadera rason de celebra la Navidad. Todos caemos victimas de una manera o otra. La gigantesca epidemia que es formada por los “ Quiero..” y los “ Comprame..” infecta a uno y a otro. Cada año que llega diciembre, las luces alumbran las calles, musica alegre que no mas es eschuada una vez al año suena por todas partes avisando que Navidad se aproxima, las clases terminan y empezamos a contar los dias que faltan para la navidad, esperamos con anticipacion la mañana en que despertemos a ver la sala llena de regalos. ¿Pero, asi fue el esenario que empezo la navidad hace mucho? No, ese cuarto fue un establo y el regalo fue Jesus Cristo.
Poniendo a un lado la parte religiosa, los años pasaron y la technolojia avanzo, el “Espiritu Navideño” que tanto es acostumbrado fue perdido en todo esta columbre. Hay muchas opiniones diferentes sobre cual es el verdadero significado de la Navidad, pero su mensaje suele salir en libros y peliculas como A Christmas Carol y The Grinch Who Stole Christmas . Al final la navidad es un tiempo de hacercamiento con la familia y amigos, es un tiempo para dar, la Navidad es un tiempo de amor y felicidad. ¡Nada, sea lo que sea deberia de impedirlo!
El mercado comercial es el contribudor mas grande en este chaos. Los cuentos de Navidad falsos o verdaderos caen en los oidos de niños inocentes;
Cual sera el jugete mas deseado este ano? O quien sera el primero en consegirlo? Con companias compitiendo, uno no puede evitar darse cuenta de todo el comercio que hay para llamar su atencion. Pero, las companias no son los unicos contribudores. Cualquiera se illusiona con la idea de recivir regalos. No dejen que eso les impida en saber la verdadera rason de celebrar la Navidad.
Latin Boom
por Connie Villagrana Y Brenda Quintero
December 10, 1999Hay una hola de musica latina que suena por todos lados, desdes Nueva York hasta Los Angeles se suenan latidos latinos. Esta hola es de artistas latinos que se le a dado reconocimiento este año. La mayoria de estos artistas no son estraños a la musica en vargo Luis Miguel y Ricky Martin an estado en el medio artistico desde niños Ricky participo en el grupo Menudo y Luis Miguel hasido reconocido en todo el mundo desde que era adolocente.
Esta hola va a toda fuerza con la ayuda de otras viejas figuras como Gloria Estefan y Carlos Santana que despues de su tantos años brindandonos varios inovidables temas todavia nos conmueven con nuevos.
Claro que hay caras nuevas, Jennifer Lopez es un hit con su primer disco “On The 6” con temas “If you had my love” y con la cancion que todos van a recibir el milenio “Waiting for tonight”. Cristina Aguilera saco un disco completamente en ingles y fue recibbido de maravilla su primer hit “Genie in a bottle” fue tan bien recibido en la marqueta Americana que la traducio en español.Ellas son las dos latinas que han puesto a la vista que mujeres latinas o no, si puden alcanzar su sueño aunque muchos digan que es imposible. Los latinos no se quedan atras, y nos enseñan que los hombres tambien saben su musica. Enrique Iglesia sigio los pasos de su padre Julio Inglesia que enamoro a mujeres de todo el mundo y Enrique va a ser lo mismo con las hijas de tal. Marc Anthony el salsero-americano a tenido varios exitos con sus temas salseros que invita a bailar a todos, hasta el mas anti-salsero. Su mas reciente hit “I need to know” y en español “Necesito saber” a estado en todas las estaciones de radio en ingles y español.
La musica de rock en español tambien esta pegando con mucha fuerza. El grupo MANA y la talentosa Shakira an enseñado que los latinos pueden con cualquier clase de musica. Mana y Carlos Santana estan en la mitad de su tuor americano. Su duet “Corazon Espinado” esta pegando fuerte. Ellos no son los unicos latinos que uniero su talento. Jennifer Lopez y Marc Anthony grabaron un tema juntos “No me Ames” que comparte versos en ingles y español con ritmo salsero.Aunque hasta estos ultimos años se les a dado reconocimiento a los latinos por su musica, latinos han estado cantando y bailando desde los tiempos Aztecas pero que mejor tiempo de ser reconocidos sino haora para cerar el milenio con ritmo y un gigantesco !BOOM!!! como solamente los latinos sabemos.
Que Opinas?
por Pedro Vargas
December 10, 1999“¿Que ocurrira en diciembre 31,1999?” Es la pregunta que handa en boca de mucha gente. Como fueron pasando los años muchos profetas an puesto su opinion al publico de lo que podra ocurrir al principio del nuevo milenio, pero en realidad nadie sabe lo que en verdad va a pasar. Muchas personas piensan que todo va a escurecerse, por el problema de las computadoras que se encargan de la electricidad. Las computadoras estan programadas hasta diciembre 31, 1999. Por lo que causara un apagon que durara una estimacion de por dos horas. Preguntamos a varias personas de la escuela, “¿Que piensas sobre el comienzo del nuevo milenio y la polemica que a causado el problema de las computadoras?”
“ Yo pienso que el mundo se terminara, y van a occurrir muchos desastres naturales por ejemplo, Huracanes, Terremotos, Tornados, y Inundaciones.” Esta fue la opinion de Carlos Perez, del grado 11.
“ Yo pienso que mucha jente va a enloquecer por eso de las computadoras y mucha jente tendrad miedo.” Gabriel Delgadillo, del grado 11.
Lizzeth Perez del grado 10, tambien comparte sus pensamientos sobre el fin de este milenio, ella dice “ Yo no creo que se va acabar el mundo, pero si creo que posiblemente empeore la gente y la situaciones en que vivimos.
La opinion de Roberto Felix, del grado 11 fue differente a los demas, “ Mi opinion sobre el ano 2000 es asi, la gente no debe temer porque la vida humana sigue, pero el mundo se le acava a las personas que an fayesido, pero el mundo sigue para los demas.”
Otra persona que comparte su sentido de razon es Karen Venegas del grado 12, que dice“ Todo va estar igual, nadie debe de tener miedo de los rumores, que nada va a pasar.”
“ La gente debe de parar de preocuparse de las cosas malas que podran pasar y empezar de preocuparse de pasarsela feliz con familiares y amigos, por que no todos tienen la oportunidad de recibir el nuevo milenio como nuestra generacion puede.” Ya vemos que Christy Casillas, del grado 11 esta muy entusiasmada de recivir el año nuevo.
Muchas personas tienen differente opiniones acerca de este fin
del año. Nadie en verdad sabe lo que va a pasar hasta que pase, pero aque recordar vivir y gozar cada dia de nuestra vida como si fuera el ultimo
Temblores
por Horacio Fregoso
December 10, 1999
TEMBLORES es una de las tantas palabras que a la gente no les gusta escuchar, es uno de los mas temibles desastres naturales, porque esto es unico, nunca nos avisa antes de llegar y no nos da señales de que tan grande va a ser si no, hasta que pasa el temblor.
Segun los sismografos, estudian los temblores, predican que hay un setenta porciento de possibilidades que vaya a ocurrir un temible sismo que va a sacudir San Francisco terriblemente en el año 2030. California es el estado con mas possibilidades de desastrosos temblores, tenemos que estar bien preparados para cualquier desastre, tenemos que enseñarle a la gente menos preparada que hacer en casos de emergencia para que no haiga accidentes inuportunos, las escuelas elmentares tienen “drills” para que los niños tengan conocimiento de que hacer en caso de un temblor durante el dia, es el deber de mayores decirles que hacer en caso de un temblor en su propia casa o en la madrugada, porque por una rason les encanta despertarnos en pleno sueños
Los temblores es una realidad muy desastrosa, goviernos han tratado de hacer lo mas posible para prevenir temblores han puesto tecnologia y maquinas potentes para poder detectarlos, los temblores vienen con mucha importunidad, causando muchas perdidas de vidas y economicas. Todos deberiamos de estar unidos y ayudarnos en casos de emergencia, porque todos somos hermanos y amigos para siempre.
Boys Basketball
by Jason Jones
December 10, 1999
Varsity basketball shot off its season on December 3 against the Chaffey Tigers at seven o’ clock. Varsity coach Cory Sorensen thinks this team has a great chance to rise to the challenges this season will face. “This team is proving to be one of the best teams in league,” says Sorenson.
This year’s team consists of three returners: Seniors Alaa Yasin and Ricky Vann and junior Brandon Crenshaw. “The team this season is very talented and we are showing great strength,” notes Yasin. There is no doubt in the teams’ mind that they will make playoffs.
The teams to beat this year are the Pacific Pirates, San Gorgonio Spartans and the Cajon Cowboys. Last season, the Pirates ran all over the Yellowjackets, but this year, Colton is looking to turn the tables. “Things are going to be different this year,” says six feet eight inch Junior Kevin Pinkney.
Last year Colton’s record was ten wins and ten losses. Coach Sorensen expects this record to change also and so do the players on the team.”If Colton expects to win CIF this year, then we must work as a team and play together,” says Coach Sorenson . They have been working hard at practice and they hope that it will show in the games to come.
Boys Soccer
by Andrew Herrera
December 10, 1999
Gooooaaalllllllllll! Yes, it’s soccer season and Coach Joe Archer and the Boys Varsity team are ready to start another winning season.
With all their succcess last year and being undefeated it’s not going to be easy, but aspirations are high to win league again this year and defend their title.
Although it is to early to say who will be the hardest team to beat this year, it’s easy to assume San Gorgonio may be a challange because they had a lot of wins last year. But with the team playing like a unit it should have lots of success this year.
According to senior Brian Pope, individual players might not stick out like last year because there was a lot of individualism out on the field, but this year the team is playing together better than last year’s team.
With all the teams hoping to repeat and win a league victory again this year the team is sure to play hard and give their all this season. The first game is on Tuesday against A.B.Miller
Fall Sports Review
by Stephanie Greenlea
December 10, 1999
For those sports fans who know in their heart that despite garnering the major headlines each season, football isn’t the only fall sports game in town, we herewith present a rewind of the fall sports season.
The Ladyjackets Varsity Volleyball team ended their season with a bang. They defeated the San Bernardino Cardinals in a short three game match. The team ended with a record of 4-12. The coach of the varsity team this year was Robert Roni,. His expectations for next year are to continue to rebuild and strengthen the volleyball program. The Varsity Volleyball team lost nine seniors, leaving only two returning players on the varsity team, Diana McKinley and Ashley Robinson. Though the season wasn’t as successful as desired they walked away with a lot of things to be proud of themselves for, and many memories.
The Ladyjackets Varsity Golf team ended their season with a successful record of 5-5. Nova Sanchez took third and Jennifer Gonzales placed fifth in individual league finals. Coach Tars Petrie sees next year’s varsity team as being very promising. He felt that he met his expectations for this season, which were to “keep the girls motivated in a very frustrating game.” The golf team will be losing two seniors next year;they are Marcy Smith and Tricia Darrington.
The Ladyjackets Varsity Tennis team ended their season with a record of 5-17. The coach for this year’s varsity tennis team was Quentin Marley. Coach Marley feels that there was a lot of involvement in the team and much improvement within the individual players throughout the year. The top players on the team this year were senior Captian Cathy Villanueva and senior Valerie Nave. The varsity will be losing six seniors next year. The expectations that coach Marley has for next years tennis team are to “continue to rebuild and further develop the younger players.”
The Boys Water Polo team ended with a record of 3-14 this year. “There was a lot of improvement this year compared to last year,” says senior Captian Chris Muir. They are going to being losing five seniors next year, Captains Chris Muir, Ryan Maurizi and Hector Caberra, along with them seniors Chris Turner and Andy Yeckley. One of the highlights of this season was the naming of Ryan Maurizi to the first team All San Andreas league team. Maurizi scored over 70 goals thiroughout the season as set man for the team. “I’m very honored,” says Maurizi, “and it’s important to remember that I couldn’t have won this award without my teammates’ help, particularly Paul Andrews, point man.”
The Cross Country Team had a excellent season this year. Ending with a record of 8-2, only being defeated by Yucuipa, they ended the year placing second in the San Andreas League. “They did excellent, both teams had their best season since the late 80s,” stated coach Bill Halley about this year’s team in particular. The cross country team will be losing three seniors next year: Julia Schultz, Nicole Wheeler, and Antoinette Duke. There was one runner that made All-League this year, was sophomore A.J. Wall.
Football
by Steven Perez
December 10, 1999
IT WAS A SEASON in which the unexpected could be expected.
After being selected to finish last in the SAL by every major newspaper in San Bernardino County, the Varsity Football team returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1994. The team was, however, knocked out in the first round by the third-ranked Hemet Bulldogs.
Despite the loss, senior quarterback Brian Pope was optimistic about the year.
“I feel the season was a success,” said Pope, “even though we didn’t make it far in playoffs, we overcame the adversity that was brought upon us before the season began.”
That adversity was the firing of head coach Richard Shelko and the hiring of Karl Gaytan just one month before the season was to begin.
The change meant the Jackets had to learn a completely new offense in time for their first game against the Ramona Rams. And they did, as they blew out the Rams and raced to a 3-2 preseason record.
In their first game of league play, the Jackets faced the highly-touted and highly ranked Yucaipa Thunderbirds. The game was a see-saw battle; the team found themselves down by ten, with just nine minutes to play. That’s when senior running back Robert Huckleby stepped it up, as he racked up three touchdowns and led the team to a 28-17 homecoming victory.
The game ended on somewhat of a sour note, as senior defensive end Ricky Van laid a ferocious hit on highy-recruited quarterback Tommy Carroll on the last play of the game. The hit ended Carroll’s career as he was diagnosed with a spinal concussion.
“That was our best game,” said senior wide reciever David Miller.”We were down by ten in the fourth quarter and came back to win. That shows the heart our team had, especially since Yucaipa went on to become league champions.”
Game two pitted the team against the Cajon Cowboys. It was no contest, as the Cowboy’s top-ranked defense could do little to prevent sophomore running back Mark Vingua from racking up the yards. Vingua and Huckleby both recorded two touchdowns en route to a 27-7 victory for the Jackets.
The next three games saw the Jackets struggle against league opponents. The team lost to the Pacific Pirates 10-7, in a very closely contested battle, the San Gorgonio Spartans 30-13, and the San Bernardino Cardinals 30-12. With the three consecutive losses, the Jackets found themselves in a three way tie for the last playoff position awarded to the third place team in the SAL. By San Andreas League rules, the position was decided by a coin toss, which the team won.
The team was then paired with the Hemet Bulldogs, the Sunkist League Champions. The Jackets came out and jumped to an early 7-0 lead and stayed close going in at the half down 15-13. The team came out in the second half, looking to take the lead, but all hopes were dashed when Pope was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The game ended in a 29-13 victory for Hemet.
The hard work of several players payed off as four were named to SAL All-League first team,and several were named to the second team.
Huckleby was named first team running back and safety, Pope was named first team punterand kicker and second team quarterback, senior Ronnie Castorena was named first team center, senior Francisco Verdinwas named first team linebacker, and senior Ricky Van was named first team defensive end (Van narrowly missed defensive MVPby one vote)..
Among those named to the second teamwere senior David Miller (wide receiver), and Jacob Kleespies (offensive tackle). Sophmore Mark Vingua received an Honrable Mention at linebacker.
Girls Basketball
by Charissa Six
December 10, 1999
Through the past years, the Colton High LadyJackets’ basketball team has struggled to be victorious. However, this year, they, according to Coach Chris Burner, “have a better shot at making the play-off’s.”Why was Burner so confident? Well, he stated “we have more returners this year and more experience.”
The scrimmage that they were supposed to have last Tuesday never took place because they had no referees. They were disappointed becasue they wanted to play to see where they stood. They wanted to see what their weaknesses were and what they needed to work on. Despite that, they have been practicing every day and striving to better their skills and teamwork.
Junior Petra Kassouf, one of the many returners, said that this year they have the “ability to out-run practically any team and able to communicate amongst each other better than last year’s team.” This year’s new players “brought in height and speed. We have Candace Field’s aggressiveness, and Candace Carter’s experience, from years before, will add more knowledge to the game,” said Kassouf.
Senior Kristina Six, also a returning player, said that she is “very confident that we’ll make the play-offs.”
Girls Soccer
by Stephanie Greenlea/ Megan Reiter
December 10, 1999
The Girl’s Varsity soccer team has high expectations this year for how far they plan to go in league and hopefully into C.I.F.. The Varsity team ended last year, two games into the C.I.F. playoffs. The team lost very fews players at the end of the season last year, but gained a couple more this season. With skill and talent, the team gels on and off the field. The anticipation for the actual season to begin is tremendously felt with in each player. The main goals for the team this year is to play together and combine the skill and ability that each individual has to give.
“ My hope this year is to show the girls a more complex game of soccer so that they will be able to understand and play as far as their ability can take them.” says coach Roy Nix. With hard work and dediction, the team is expected to go very far not only in league but in C.I.F. playoff. The team plays their first tournament the weekend of December 3rd. They defeated the A.B. Miller Rebels on Tuesday November 30th.
Girls Water Polo
by Rena Ramirez
December 10, 1999
You go girls! This is the second year there has been a girls waterpolo team.
These girls are determined to shine this season to prove that this sport is not only for boys.
Seniors Beth Meleczko, Melissa Zamora, Nerissa Silva, Cassandra Arietta, Roberta Garcia are hoping to make the best of their last year as a part of the Colton High girls water polo team.
Coach James Vickers has willlingly come back to coach both boys and girls and enjoys what he does as well. These girls play their first game Friday at 3:15 in Granite Hill.
See you there!.
Wrestling
by Julie Connor
December 10, 1999
“I think we’re going to be state champions. I’ll rip everyone’s heads off because I’m totally buffed up, “ says Vince Quiroz, co-captain for the 99-00 wrestling season.
The outlook is promising as usual for the Jackets wrestling team who have a history of success.
Last season Head Coach Joe Trevino and Coach Troy Knudsvig led the team to a third place tie in league and qualified three CIF wrestlers. Jason Calderilla, Vince Quiroz, and Patrick Flynn, all seniors, are a few of the returning guys expectd to do well.
The team is adjusting to a new coach, with the loss of Knudsvig and Coach Blanco stepping up to take his place. While Knudsvig will be missed, Blanco’s experience has produced state champions and CIF qualifiers.
“We’re looking forward to a pretty exciting season. I expect a real good year, especially in the varsity division,” commented Trevino.