Issue of February 11, 1999:
Volume 82, Number Three
Click on a story title to see the text of the story
News
Art show causes flap
New Competency rules given
No T.I.R., No problem?
Winter Homecoming-Imagine that!
VICA continues to serve
Opinion
A Million Gems (column)
Another Clinton Editorial
Drug Dog, No!
Drug dog, yes!
End of the millenium!
Will world end in 2000?
Off campus lunch for seniors!
To cheat or not to cheat?
Tupac is Alive!
Features
Valentine's Day Do's and Dont's
Valentine's Day for single girl
Valentine's Day for single guy
Valentine's Day Horror Stories
Valentine's Day Survey
Valentine's Day-a history
Valentine's memories
Hot car shows entice crowds
Dick Butkus Network helps CHS
Lovescopes by Rena
Snowboarding the hot new sport
Diversions
Best Music You've Never Heard
Depeche Mode concert review
Farewell to the Barn!
Sugar Ray CD review
She's All That/Movie Review
En Español (Los Detalles)
Las trabajadoras de la cafe
Ritmo LATINO
El Baile Del Invierno
El mes mágico, ¿sin amor?
¡Una sopresa más!
Sports
Boys Basketball
Boys soccer
Girl's Basketball
Girl's Soccer
Girl's Waterpolo
Wrestling
Girl Wrestler shows the guys
A Million Gems (Column)
by Milgem Rabanera
Febrary 11, 1999Change is inevitable. Every day, people have to deal with change. Some change is good. A change of underwear is a must, a change in the taste of music is fine. But when someone seems to do a “360” in one night, change takes on a frightening form. This is probably due to the fact that humans take comfort in being able to recognize something that is a constant in their lives, like the security blanket we all held dear to us in our infant years.
I have a feeling that at least once in their lives, everyone has had to encounter that dreaded situation where they’ve lost a homie that they thought they knew like the back of their hand to some new, strange crowd. The friend that you thought you knew so well suddenly decides that his/her old style of dress is whack, and the things they dogged on earlier in their lives are now the dopest things around! Ever had that happen to you?
Over the past few years, I’ve had to deal with accepting the change in friends. One girl I grew up with used to sport bottle-glasses with the regular jeans and t-shirts. During the transition from junior to senior high school, she decided to succumb to her dark side and advocate the style and ways of “gothic” people. Another girl seemed to have lost her common sense once she discovered the world of makeup and boys. She taught me the importance of a flirtatious laugh and a “come hither” stare. This transformation doesn’t only plague the female population, it also applies to guys. Once upon a time there was this guy who was like a best friend to me. He didn’t care too much for the luxuries of name brand clothing, yet the attainment of a car and a job seemed to give him the privilege to drop friends who didn’t fit in with his new look. One other guy I was close to used to help me out with my math homework, but tutor sessions died away when the party scene ended up killing his brain cells (no, a “dime” isn’t really $10, man, get it through your slow head).
There are those who seem to do a complete makeover, yet their personalities remain the same. Like this one girl who seemed to fit the stereotype of a high class snob; clothes didn’t rule her, though. Fortunately her brain remained intact.
Sometimes I’d wonder, is it me who is changing and everyone else has remained the same? I suggest that we all should take some time out of our lives and examine ourselves, compare ourselves to what we once were, and decide for ourselves whether the change that has taken place was for the good or bad. After all, you gotta keep in mind that it wouldn’t be too good if you never changed your underwear.
Not another Clinton editorial?
by Steve Perez
Febraury 11, 1999
It began with an act of adultery and escalated from there. Now Bill Clinton runs the risk of being the only President ever to be removed from office. The vote will probably be held tomorrow.
What the President did was wrong. He had an affair, then lied about it under oath. Because of this, he should be punished, but removed from office? I don’t think so. What Clinton did was more of a moral issue, than it is of breaking the law.
The President should have to answer to his wife and daughter, not all of the politicians who seem to be getting a big kick out of the whole thing.
Heck, I can count the number of them that are honest on one hand, so why does everyone have a heart attack when one lies? I don’t understand. What Senator wouldn’t have dropped his pants? What Congressman wouldn’t have lied under oath in an attempt to keep an affair from his wife?
The answer: NONE. Not one of them. No matter what Congressman Billy Bob, or Senator Joe Blow says, they know they would have done the same thing. And what makes it worse is all these same men are trying to crucify our President. Does everyone remember that he’s the one we elected? The one that we as Americans are supposed to remain loyal to?
The President made a mistake and he acknowledged it. Why can’t we forgive him? Why can’t we forget? To all of the Congressmen and Senators nothing can be said but, “Those who are without sin, cast the first stone”.
Art Structures
MollyRose Jones
February 11, 1998An anonymous letter was given to Colton High principal Terry Adame addressing concerns about the “found-object” sculptures students created as part of Patricia Hughes’ art class. This experience in modern art is part of a unit students in Hughes’ class go through each year, and involves using discards, recyclables, and used objects to make the sculptures.Apparantly at least one adult didn’t see the “art” in the project.
Hughes admits that there are always a few students, “usually the guys,” who construct bizarre things for the project to get a large reaction from their peers. Strangely, these students are manytimes also the ones who have shown little participation in the class for the majority of the semester.
One project created this year, titled “Death Pit,” involves doll parts painted to look like they are covered with blood, arranged in a cardboard “pit.” Hughes concurs that she is not too fond of projects of this nature. “However, I hesitate to be a censor,” she says. “I think the best censor is society. Modern art is about risk-taking. It’s about stretching the boundaries.”
The parent who sent the letter was able to view this project, and other work by the class, while participating in an adult ROP photography class on campus. This parent “thought I was doing some pretty perverted things on campus,” explains Hughes.
In the letter, the parent specifically addressed the aforementioned piece as well as another found-object sculpture on display, which was meant to depict the consequences of drunk driving. The base of the model is even constructed of beer cans. According to Hughes, the complaints were from someone who obviously is not “very knowledgeable at all about the arts,” and who also misunderstood her objective for the class. “I want my students to be expressing ideas from their lives,” she says. “They shouldn’t be copying things from the past.”
She says the parent seemed to see only the beer cans and didn’t offer to ask about the idea behind it. Hughes understands that it is a human tendancy to react without getting all the information first and says she invites any parent to sit in her classes and follow a unit from beginning to end.
Hughes wants it to be known that she has brought students from art colleges to speak to her classes, and they agree, “Yes, this is what we want to see the students doing.”
The letter also complained about the nude drawings which students had done earlier in the year, that Hughes explains are “simply part of the curriculum.” The parent believed the drawings were glorifying the rape of young women.
Naturally, Hughes disagrees, saying that the students were only drawing from xeroxes of the male and female body.
Great Music You’ve Never Heard About
by Matt Penna
February 11, 1999More than faith and you don’t what it sounds like.
Limp Bizkit and Everlast are two great musicians that have only recently become really popularly known because of one big song on the radio, but there is more to them on their outstanding albums.
Limp Bizkit released its first album in 1997 Three Dollar Bills Y’all. Fred Durst (vocals), DJ Lethal (DJ), John Otto (drums), Wes Borland (guitar), and Sam Rivers (bass) make up the group. The first single “Counterfeit” had good airplay and the video was cool and was really played by MTV. They went on to play on the Warped Tour that year. In 1998 they released to radio “Sour” and what would become the song that people know them for, a cover of George Michael’s “Faith”. This was a good year for the band, with tours on both the OzzFest and Family Values tours.
Three Dollar Bills Y’all is all good. It’s a great mix of sounds. It starts with a weird intro, followed with “Pollution” a fast-paced riff. Then a slow build up to “Counterfeit” until it unleashes with authority. “Stuck” sticks in your mind with it words and sound “psycho female blowing up the phone line/you need to tighten up that screw/its been lose for a long time”. There is a different vibe with each song. “Nobody Loves Me”, “Sour”, “Everything” and “Sticky Finger” are a little mellower. “Clunk” opens with amazing guitar playing. Then “Faith”, “Stalemate”, “Indigo Flow”, and “Leech” round out this album. This album deserves great praise. It’s more then “Faith;” it’s one of those albums that you can listen to the whole thing over and over again.
Former House of Pain lead singer Eric Schrody a.k.a. Everlast released his second album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. This is a really good album that mixes rock with hip-hop. The first single “What It’s Like” is a big hit, but not what you should expect the album to be like. Don’t let that discourage you—the sound is good and takes you into a journey. The album is real, it was finished after Everlast suffered a heart attack. It deals with death and pain on “Death Comes Callin” and one of the best songs on the album “Painkillers”. “Tired”, “Hot to Death”, “Today(Watch Me Shine)”, “Next Man” are a few more songs on the album that have good sound and lyrics. Whitey Ford Sings the Blues is a album that you should have. Give it a listen you just might enjoy it. Be aware that Whitey Ford sings the blues carries a parental advisory sticker so you may just want to turn down the volume if your mom or dad walks in. Or just plug in the walkman phones, especially at school.
Boys Basketball
by Jason Jones
February 11, 1999The crowd will be sitting up in the stands and charged up to go as Colton Varsity Basketball Yellowjackets faces off with the Yucaipa Thunderbirds today at 6:30 p.m at Yucaipa with a chance at the playoffs.
League started on January 12 with Colton’s first game against the Cajon Cowboys, winning 65-44. This major win was helped along by Senior Cody Sorensen’s 22 points and junior Laturus Parish’s 15. This was the first time that Colton has beat Cajon in six years.
This win gave great confidence to the Yellowjackets but not enough going against the Pacific Pirates, losing to them 87-65 on January 15. But the mighty Yellowjackets were far from gone.
They came back with a win against the San Gorgonio Spartans, one of the toughest teams in the CBL according to Varsity Coach Cory Sorensen, 65-49. Colton also swept the floor with the San Bernardino Cardinals, defeating them 77-56 with Sorensen contributing 18 points and Paris with 23 points hitting a seasonal-high of six 3 pointers. But let’s not forget Walter Rudolph who grabbed nine rebounds for Colton.
The game played against Yucaipa was a different story. The Jackets couldn’t handle the passing of the Yucaipa Thunderbirds as they lost to them 63-33 holding Parish scoreless and allowing Sorensen only 7 to win the game.
Next on line was homecoming, and the Cowboys again. “It was a tough game but the team didn’t pick things up till the end,” replied Parish after losing to the Cajon team by a score of 55-56. The huge crow grew excited by Junior Ala Yasin’s 2 three pointers which brought the Jacket to within a point, but that one point cost the Yellowjackets the game.
The Yellowjackets could not shake the losing streek. They also lost to the Pacific Pirates for a second time in league 77-49. But the mighty Yellowjackets have three games left to shake the losing streek. Games against the hardest teams in league are over with and now Colton must prepare for these three teams they know they can beat. As it is, Colton is in third place, tied with Cajon with a chance to go to playoffs. Their record remains three wins and four losses in league. These next three games will decide whether or not they make it, starting with Yucaipa tonight.
Boy’s Soccer
by Anthony Coronado
February 11, 1999The Colton Boys soccer team will be tying up league today at Yucaipa High School at 3:15. The Yellowjackets look to complete the season sweep of the Thunderbirds after beating them 2-0 on goals from senior Xavier Serrano and freshman Hector Calderon in a postponed game played here at Colton. In a close, tough San Andreas league anything seemed possible. Every team had chance at the championship.
The Yellowjackets, after surviving the first round and early second, are trying to complete their first undefeated league season ever. With several close games under their belt they feel confident in their chances. Although suffering some devastating ties the team always came back the next game and fought even harder.
The Yellowjackets almost tasted defeat as they fell behind 2-0 early against league rival Pacific High School in a early second round game. The boys chipped away at the lead with a first half goal from Serrano. A late second half goal from junior Anthony Aldasaro saved the day for Colton setting up a 2-2 tie in a hard fought game keeping their league unbeaten streak alive.
The Yellowjackets fell behind Cajon High school early as well. However late goals from junior Vinnie Delgado and Aldasaro preserved the game for Colton and gave them a much needed victory. “These are the games we have to win, it’s nice that we could come from behind, but we should never be trailing,” said senior Jon Hunt.
“We have had some close ones but those games could have easily been 6-0 in our favor,” added senior Mark Krell, referring to their tough San Andreas League schedule. With their potent offense and fearless defense the team seems to be very strong in all aspects of the game.
However, some mental collapses have nearly doomed the team. Receiving red cards in back-to-back games have left the team in some tough situations playing the remainder of one game a man down. “We need to play smarter and the results will come,” said senior Armando Ponce
The team looks to go even farther in C.I.F than their quarterfinal loss last year to Riverside Poly. But the team needs to get healthy to do so. Coach Joe Archer’s thoughts are of nothing other than the ring: “We have the players to [win the title], they just need to come together and play as a team, and the championship will come.”
Depeche Mode in concert (review)
by Sharon Bjornstad and Julie Connor
February 11, 1999December 20, was the day that would forever change our lives as we view music. As we approached the front of the Anaheim Pond, our hearts began to race with excitement knowing that this would be the first and only time we would most likely get to see Depeche Mode in concert.
The group was set to play two concerts at the L.A. Forum on Dec. 18 and 19 (sold out), one in San Diego at the Cox Arena, two at the Anaheim Pond on December 20 and 22 and they also made an appearance at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas.
It was like a dream come true. Who would have thought that we would actually get to be in the presence of the best new wave/techno band of the 80s and 90s. Everywhere around us, we could see the “old school” fans of Depeche mode—most in their mid-to-late twenties; it was so cool to see how faithful the hard core fans of Depeche Mode were. Depeche Mode fans had been waiting for this tour for five years, since the band’s last album Ultra. The band was unable to tour for this album because lead singer Dave Gahan was in rehab to treat his heroin addiction. So by this point the anxiety had been building.
The opening band was Stabbing Westward; they were cool, but not as cool as Depeche Mode so it didn’t surprise us when the crowd began chanting ”De - peche - mode.” We were yelling for Stabbing Westward to play the only song we knew (“What Do I have to do?”). After about a half hour of this, the lights dimmed and you could hear the amplifiers of the new bands equipment starting. Everyone knew then that the show was about to begin.
As we look back on it now, two things remain in our mind about the rest of the concert: how wild the crowd was, and the fact that they sound even better live. Many of the ushers commented that in all their time working there, they had never witnessed a more intense crowd. Since this was their 86-98 tour, a lot of the concert was devoted to their early hits. Behind the band stood the huge letters “D” and “M” with a three-sided videoscreen while the band played some of our favorites, “It’s No Good,” “Walking in my shoes,” Personal Jesus,” and others.
However it wasn’t until they played “Just can’t get enough” for their first return that the crowd went seriously insane. They left us with this song but the unsatisfied crowd gave them yet another standing ovation. As they returned and began to play “Somebody” I joined thousands in swaying and singing, lighter in hand.
We haven’t seen a man’s hips move like that since Elvis. “Dave looked so hot in those patent leather pants...” (Erica Barron “Roach”). “Dave Gahan had the crowd in his hands, whatever he asked them to do... they did it ...”
(Lexy Castell).
We knew we had to value this experience because we don’t suspect that Depeche Mode will be touring many more concerts after this so we’re glad we had the chance to not be apart of the “blasphemous rumors”.
Dick Butkus Network helps CHS
by Rena Ramierez
February 11, 1999NFL legend and television personality Dick Butkus formed a foundation known as the Dick Butkus Football Network. This Network does many different things to help children of all ages.
They donate money to both local and distant schools, have their own web site on the Internet that keeps you updated on game highlights, gives you chance to win Super Bowl tickets, interviews pro-football players such as Brett Farve, and provides many other exciting information for different ways out of the goodness of their hearts. Check it out at www.dickbutkus.com
What is so interesting about this, you might ask? Well recently, this world-wide known federation donated letterman jackets to all the Colton High Cheerleaders. Former pro baseball player and network member Byron Marquez also donated $10,000 to the squad, and has invited the squad to his personal sky box at Stampede Stadium many times.
“I think it was very nice for Byron to treat us with such respect and have so much love for us,” says senior Dailon Jones, a varsity cheerleader. “I am honored to wear the jacket he gave me because he is a good person and deserves the recognition for all he has done for everybody, and it all came from the bottom of his heart.”
“Colton High makes me feel right at home,” says Marquez. Marquez visited the school many times because he said that he loves to interact with young adults and enjoys coming to our school. He spoke at a few pep-assemblies and gave out autographed pictures.
Marquez played baseball for the Brisbane Indians, a professional Australian baseball team in Queensland, Australia. While playing for his team in 1987 he was the first American pitcher on the team. He was also the first American pitcher to throw a no hitter. He also lead his team to victory in 1989 and 1991 when they were the Australian Baseball League Champions. Marquez is 1 of only 3 students in the school’s history to have a jersey retired.
After Marquez returned to the United States he became the Human Resources manager for San Manual Bingo and Casino. He worked there from 1994-1996. In November he resigned to help Dick Butkus with the annual Dick Butkus awards, held in Florida.
Currently Marquez is active in many charities including the Ken Hubbs award. He is also involved with the Kids Corral, giving unprivileged children a chance to go to a San Bernadino Stampede game with former players. Kids get to hobnob with such NFL luminaries as L.A. Rams defensive end, the All Pro, Reggie Doss; Oakland Raiders defensive back, also winner of Super Bowl XV, Leo Gray; L.A. Rams quarterback, Vince Ferragamo, who led the team to its only Superbowl appearance in 1980; Oakland Raiders quarterback, Vince Evens; Seattle Seahawks All Pro tight end, Ricky Ellis; and Washington Redskin’s tight end, Grady Richardson.
Marquez’s latest adventure has turned to computers. He is the Title Sponsor for the Dick Butkus Football Network, an all exclusive Internet Show.
Dick Butkus, the founder of the network that has so benefited the cheerleaders, has accomplished so much in life as well. He is one of the NFL’s greatest all time players. Butkus was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, where he spent nine years as a linebacker and appeared in eight straight Pro Bowls. He retired in 1973 and was named to the NFL’s Hall of Fame in 1979.
Besides being a former football legend, Butkus has prospered as an actor. He plays Coach Katowinski in NBC’s #1 rated Saturday morning comedy series “Hang Time.” He is the new basketball coach at Deering High, a tough, no-nonsense guy with hard-nosed approach to the game. A former NBA coach, “Coach K” is just now learning to deal with high school students. The gang at Deering knows he can be a “softy,” and they look to him as a confidant when trouble arises. This show serves to break barriers for women in sports by providing a positive role model for teenage girls and by showing both boys and girls that women can compete on the same level with guys and still have fun.
Butkus’ acting credits include a starring role in the series “My Two Dads,” and guest appearances in “Rich Man, Poor Man,” “Growing Pains,” “Night Court,” “MacGyver,” “Coach,” and the TV-film “Brian’s Song,” among others. Now residing in Malibu, Butkus lives with his wife Helen and has two grown sons and a daughter.
“I have known Dick Butkus for over 20 years as one of the greatest players in the history of professional football, as a broadcaster and good friend,” said Hub Arkus, Publisher/Editor of Pro Football Weekly. “
It is just in the last two years that I have come to know him as a proprietor of the best football site on the Internet. When I agreed to have a Pro Football Weekly partner up with another provider, the Dick Butkus Football Network is the only option I ever considered.”
Drug dog is not OK! (Both Sides now)
by Sharon Bjornstad
February 11, 1999
Picture this, a typical school day: Teachers giving their boring lectures, students scribbling in their notebooks. All along, you’re unaware of what is about to happen. Just then you are startled by a dirt-colored Labrador retriever named Penny. This enemy proceeds to barge in, disrupting valuable classroom time and costing money. She is followed by her handler, a representative of the company the district has contracted with to provide Penny’s services. You are ordered to leave your belongings inside the classroom and exit with the rest of your class. Now this K-9 uninvitingly goes through your personal belongings, searching for illegal narcotics and deadly weapons.
Can this injustice be done? Well, technically it can’t, but according to the status quo, these kind of injustices have been going on for years, and since we’re minors, nothing much has been done to change it. Lets face it, the school board doesn’t seem give a dog’s snout about students’ rights anyway. As for the parents, I don’t think very many are enlightened about laws, and the ones who are would rather their kids didn’t know that the phrase, “because I said so,” isn’t exactly one of the ten amendments to the constitution. It is true that we are minors, but for some strange reason the school board justifies their illegal practices imposed on us by using our age as an excuse. This shouldn’t be allowed to continue! Why aren’t we allowed to be protected under the same laws and regulations, and granted the same privileges and rights as adults? The 4th Amendment of the Constitution states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, homes, papers... against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” As you can see every part of that Amendment has been violated by the people in cooperation with this procedure. The argument given to students at the orientation assembly was that the searches weren’t violating any of our rights. It was explained that Penny doesn’t smell our belongings, she smells the particles in the air — and since the air doesn’t belong to anyone it’s not violating any amendments. This statement would make even Penny the dog want to throw up some dimes and nickels. Speaking of dimes and nickels, don’t any student’s parents wonder where their tax paying dollars are going at this point? I’m sure if the taxpayers knew that their money were being wasted on students sitting outside their classroom waiting to be told (by a dog) when it is O.K. for them to continue working again, something more would have been done about this. I have yet to see one written document describing the injustice that is currently being practiced in this school. And I am sure it would not be that difficult to find at least 20 parents who still know nothing of this new school policy. And so I ask you, fellow nonconformists and rebels, fellow students and peers, to think about your rights and how important it is for you to be allowed to practice them; and to understand that the status quo should not stop you from what you know and believe to be right. Citizens of the U.S., you should demand to see a warrant before allowing your privacy to be violated.
Drug dog is Okay! (Both sides now)
by Jason Valenzuela
Februrary 11, 1999
Okay, we have this new drug dog on campus. They come in and search your book bags and the room looking for drugs and weapons. Can you say invasion of privacy? Maybe it is, but the thing is ,we need to accept the fact they have the right. The same system that allows us to have our freedoms is the one that also makes the restrictions. Drugs and weapons are in general illegal whether on campus or off.
The school is state land, and by entering it we no longer have the right to certain privacies. We come here for an education The government provides a relatively free education for us.
Another thing to consider: how often does the drug dog come on campus? Not much, and the only ones who have anything to worry about are the ones who are doing something illegal in the first place. Sure, the drug dog isn’t perfect. I personally know one girl who was searched because the drug dog identified her as having drugs. Of course she didn’t, but no system, person, or even dog is perfect. The only ones who have any right to object are those who don’t carry anything illegal on them. Even then we have no right to object to the school for doing it—it is those among us, the students, that have messed things up.
We as people surrender certain rights when we walk onto government property. We give our power, our backing, to the government. They in turn give us schools, police, firefighters, and an organized system that adds a certain needed order to a chaotic world.
We are given our rights in turn by this government. We as people in a democratic society have many more rights than many other countries. State land is like the government’s home. Think about it: you as a person have the right to kick someone off your property and to not allow them on. The same thing goes for the government.
We love to take the benefits of our system, but are we so selfish as to not consider that there is a price for everything?
Once again people may say that it is an invasion of privacy, but then the bomb checks at airports are invasions of privacy too. Would you fly on another plane if you knew just anyone could get a bomb on that plane? Or maybe a gun? A couple of good shots and who is flying the plane now?
The drug dog finds things that are illegal and have no place at this school. It isn’t like they come to your house and search. We are on their land benefiting from a system created by us and for us. If you want to be sure no drug dog searches you while you are learning, get a tutor or go to a private school.
We have no one to blame but those who break the laws.
So if we want these searches to cease we have to make changes in the student body, not in the administration. At least for once we don’t have the right to blame the administration.
El Baile Del Invierno:
Un baile verdaderamente para recordar
por Roger Romero
February 11, 1999
“Imaginate Eso” fue el tema del baile que tomo lugar el Sábado 30 de Enero del presente año. Este baile es una tradición de nuestra escuela y se le llama el baile del Invierno o Winter Homecoming Dance. Este año los afortunados que hicieron la corte fuerón, Princesas: Marie Garcia, Diana Sutton, Maribel Pulido, Salina Olivera, y Sasha Saylor. Los Principes fueron: Tom allen, Lenny ramirez Walter Vaughh, Jason Cunningham, y Josh Maldonado.
Todos estaban anciosos por saber quien sería quien, claro que algunos mostraban su nerviosismo más que otros, pero después de tanta incertidumbre el tan esperado momento llego. A la hora de coronación, todos fueron presentados muy formalmente por nuestra directora de actividades, Karla Huesca. Después de formarlos y ya habiendo tomado sus respectivos lugares, se hizo el sorpresibo anuncio de quien había ganado para rey este año, y la suerte le toco a Lenny Ramirez .
Con un abrazo de felicitación de Josh Maldonado; uno de los nominados, el rey camino hacía donde su reina, Maribel Pulido, la cual ya habia sido coronada reina del baile en el juego de Basketball, que tomo lugar en Ken Hubbs Gym el Viernes 29 de Enero.
Con una sonrisa que expresa toda la felicidad de aquel momento Pulido se dirigio a entregarle la muy merecida corona al afortunado rey.
Todos lloramos, nos reimos, y sobre todo gozamos, pues para la clase del 99' este fue el último baile de invierno. Yo se que todos lo disfrutamos al máximo, pero nada de esto pudo ser posible sin el gran esfuerzo de ASB, gracias por hacer este momento memorable.
El mes mágico, ¿sin amor?
Paciensia es la clave
por Diana Sosa
February 11, 1999Nos hemos acercado al mes de Febrero, el famoso mes del amor y la amistad, en donde tener a alguien especial hace que se disfrute aun mas. Como todos sabemos Febrero es el ya tradicional mes en donde muchos de nosotros aprovechamos la ocasión para demonstrar de diferentes maneras lo que sentimos por ese alguien especial, o solo para dar una bonita prueba de amistad, ya sea regalando las ya tradicionales rosas rojas, ositos de peluche, o los deliciosos chocolates, o de vez en cuando una sencilla tarjeta lo puede decir todo. Tal parece que cúpido se mantiene muy ocupado durante este mes, haciendo de las suyas por donde quiera, en algunas veces logrando su proposito y en otras pues no mas no.
Desafortunadamente este mes no puede ser color de rosa para todos, ya que entre aquellos que nos encontramos ideando que regalar, habemos otros pocos; los cuales no corremos con la misma suerte ya que no la tendremos que pasar solitos, sin quien compartir ese día tan especial. Y esto no quiere decir que no tengamos a ese alguien especial, talves lo que pasa es que no lo hemos encontrado, o quizas no nos hemos interesado en buscarlo. Ultimamente el hecho de que te interece una persona se ha vuelto un dilema, algunos somos muy exigentes y otros pues con todo los problemas que pasa uno como adolencente no nos damos el suficiente tiempo para tratar e ese alguien que nos interesa, y todo queda en un fallido intento . Quizas muchos de nosotros basamos nuestras concluciones en experiencias que vemos que compañeros pasan diarimente, es decir si una amiga termina con su novio, la vemos toda deprimida, nos queda esa idea de que a uno nos pudiera ocurrir lo mismo. Y es por eso que nos obstenemos en el difícil trabajo de buscar a ese alguien especial. Pero hay que ser realistas, no ha todos nos va de la misma manera, si pensamos negativamente, pues negativamente nos va a ir, pero en cambio si somos tan solo un poco obtimistas, las cosas podrían ser muy diferentes. No hay que dejarnos llevar por experiencias que vemos a nuestro alrededor, alcontrario hay que tomarlas como ejemplos, para que el día que finalmente encuentremos a esa personita que nos haga sentir mariposas en el estomago, y que al sentirla lejos la estrañemos y quiéramos estar junto a ella/él todo el tiempo, ya estemos un tanto preparados para no cometer lo que hemos visto entre amigos, y como dije anteriormente; mucho menos dejarnos llever por nuestra inseguridad y negativismo.
Hay que recordar que no siempre a todos nos va de la misma forma, es por eso que hay que disfrutar este mes a lo maximo porque, ¿quien sabe? quizas para el año que viene cúpido haga de las suyas, y se hayga tomado el tiempo para encontrarnos a esa persona por la cual hemos estado esperando. Felíz Día del Amor y la Amistad.
It’s the end of the millenium....
by Kathy Croy
February 11, 1999
Well, well, well . . . It’s 1999. The beginning of a new year and the tradition of overplaying Prince’s #1 hit. But fear is being stricken into the hearts of many paranoid people as we grow ever closer to the much anticipated 3rd Millennium. Yes, those paranoid people who believe in that ridiculous theory that by the coming of the new millennium, the One Almighty will strike His hand down onto Earth and end all human life as we know it. Strong followers believe that in the Gospel of Luke, Christ warns that the end of the world will be prophesied when, “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places...” Which I GUESS could happen in the year 2000. But doesn’t the Bible also state that the end of the world will also happen when one least expects it? So relax, I don’t think God will choose the millennium, a time when we will ALL be ready for it, to end the world.
Then there are those who argue that since Nostradamus predicted both world wars and numerous other happenings, that his prediction for the world to end in 2000 will be fulfilled too. But here’s a shocking revelation: The year 2000 has already passed. When the calendar that which we base our everyday lives on was being created by the man Dionysius Exiguus, he seemed to have a little trouble with being accurate. See, the way the calendar was designed was by predicting how far in the past Christ was born. Historians now know that Exiguus was off by about 4 years. The 3rd millennium actually happened no later that 1997. Sorry, but I guessed you missed the end of the world.
So I suppose the end of the world may not be something to worry about, but there is one major problem affiliated with the coming of the year 2000—the Y2K computer bug. For all those unfamiliar with this topic, the Y2K is a man-made glitch in computers that causes them to be unable to read the year 2000. When computers were first programmed they were designed to keep track of the date by using the last two digits in the year. So when the 99 roles over to 00 at midnight on December 31st, all computers that have not had this glitch fixed yet will revert back to the year 1900. This can cause a surprising range of malfunctions.
The scariest problem that the world can face is the failure of banking systems who will be forced to freeze accounts due to the incapability of their computers. The reasons for this is because any system in the computer that organizing things due to chronological order will place things under the false date of 1900, setting them “before” all things that have already happened.
According to experts, other problems that may occur because of the Y2K computer bug are temporary glitches in billing and invoice systems that can cause major problems in the economic and business worlds. However, the overblown image of the Y2K is that society as we know it will unravel. Already some panicking families are preparing themselves for the worst, buying back up power generators and preserving food and water. But starting back from the year 1980, many companies and organizations such as the IRS and the Social Security Administration already began to prepare for the Y2K. The Pentagon in Washington D.C. claims that 95% of the critical computer systems will be fixed by June, and all by December 31st. However nobody knows just how bad things will get, or if they’ll get bad at all, until the witching hour actually occurs. So far the only real scare will be the panic of Americans and their adjustment to the year 2000.
But if you ask me, it’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine...
The Barn closes
by Leah Feldhaus
Febraury 11, 1999
UCR’s Barn, a longtime staple of the local concert scene, and one of the few small venues where all ages could enjoy a show, is closing.The last show put on by 98 Posse was held on Saturday, January 30. On the bill was The Kottonmouth Kings, Jeffrie’s Fan Club, Kill Allen Wrench, and Tribal Lust, along with a few surprise guests.
The reason for it closing: UC Riverside, who has allowed 98 Posse to promote shows there for the past five years, is no longer willing to lease the building to anyone outside the campus. They want to see the building used for the good of the campus. Future plans include turning it into a cafeteria or possibly demolishing it later.
As for the future of 98 Posse, they still plan on promoting shows with Goldenvoice at the Glasshouse and hosting the annual Hootenanny in Orange County. Unfortunately for local music fans, 98 Posse has been unsuccessful in their attempts to find another venue in the area. Until then, they will continue to run the Sonoma in San Diego as well as co-promote with Goldenvoice at the Glasshouse.
For many, the closing of the Barn means the end of an era. The Barn has served as one of the only all-age places to hold concerts for the underground scene. Throughout the five years that 98 Posse has leased it, Riverside has seen some great bands come through, some of which include Green Day, No Doubt, and Rage Against the Machine. With the closing of this place, it will be much harder for local talent to be discovered. Many people, including the fans, find this to be a major disappointment.
As Lindsay Graham, a sophmore at Colton High and frequent visitor of the Barn, states “ It’s really sad that the campus won’t allow 98 Posse to re-lease the place. I mean, it’s been such a huge part of the local scene for such a long time, and to just close it down like that is, to me, really sad.”
To ensure that the last show would end with a bang, 98 Posse was clever enough to book one of the biggest party bands in the county, the Kottonmouth Kings. Never have these boys put on a dull show, and this time was no different. The crowd was screaming from the minute the stage crew started to set up the equipment. By the time the band actually started to play, the crowd had gone insane.
They opened with the song “Suburban Life,” their hit single from the Scream 2 soundtrack. This song always seems to get the crowd going, which, at this point, consisted of about 700 people. They moved straight into their next song, “Play On,” and continued a strong, energetic set throughout the whole thing. During their song “Pimp Twist” they called all the ladies on stage, showing the crowd who the real pimps were.
The girls stayed up there while the band closed the evening with the song “The Freaks Come Out at Night”, something that seemed to be true that evening. So it’s farewell to the Barn—a lot of us will miss it.
Girl wrestler shows the boys
by Marisa Gutierrez
February 11, 1999Is wrestling a sport for girls? Most people tend to think that wrestling is not exactly a lady-like sport, but regardless of what others may think, senior Jennifer Magnant finds wrestling to be right up her alley.
Magnant’s interest in wrestling was sparked when she was a freshman, but her commitment to the marching band kept her from trying out for the team. It wasn’t until this year, her senior year, that Magnant has tried out for, and become a part of the Yellow Jacket’s wrestling team.
Making the wrestling team is a milestone for Magnant because she is one of the few girls to ever compete in the sport’s history at Colton High. Although in the past, there has been a handful of lady Jackets that have tried out for wrestling, only a few of those have ever competed or even finished the season.
Magnant claims that when she did try out that she was never faced with prejudice because of her gender, nor was her ability to compete ever questioned. Like any other hopeful contender, she was given a fair chance and was treated like an equal. “I’m treated just like one of the guys, and that’s the way it has always been,” says Magnant.
Like any other wrestler on the team, Magnant wrestles against opponents in her own weight class… male or female, and holds fast to a fierce competitive attitude.
Becoming a part of Colton High’s wrestling team has been one of the best things that Jennifer Magnant has accomplished. “The team is really dedicated and they love what they do,” says Magnant proudly.
Well, one thing is for sure, Magnant’s dedication to the team can only be compared to her strong commitment to the band. Nevertheless, Magnant will be able to graduate knowing that she will leave Colton High School having achieved her goals, having become a small part of wrestling history, and that she set an example for lady Jackets in the future.
Girls Basketball
by Amber Arakaki
February 11, 1999“Let’s get ready to rummbbllllle!!!!” —the loud speakers thump wildly as the girls Varsity Basketball team enters the McIntosh Gym floor. The audience roars and cheers for their home team.
Unfortunately, the LadyJackets didn’t win this game against Yucaipa making their record 4—16, so far. It was a rebuilding year for them because they only had three returning players: junior Kristina Six and seniors Alina Arvizo and Sasha Saylor.
The LadyJackets started off this year in a new league, the San Andreas. Last year in the Citrus Belt League, the competition was really good. This year in the SAL the LadyJackets had an easier time with the competition, not getting blown out as much. In many instances, they were in the games to the end.
Their goal this year was to make playoffs. Although they didn’t achieve their goal, Coach Chris Burner remains optimistic: “This year’s team had a lot of talent, just a lot of inexperience as well.” Next year, the LadyJackets will have seven returnees making it even more hopeful to make the playoffs.
The team did manage to beat their rivals. For the last two years, the LadyJackets have lost to Bloomington by one point. This year, they finally beat them in overtime, 52-43. Point guard Six had a season-high of 22 points. She made eight out of eleven free throws in overtime to seal the victory. She also had seven rebounds and ten steals. “We finally got the monkey off our back,” said Burner.
In the same week that they beat Bloomington, they beat Rialto, 33 to 29. It was a balanced scoring attack as Saylor led the team with seven points and Six with six. Newcomers, Elvia Escobedo and Petra Kassouf, both sophomores, scored six and five. “We were undefeated that week,” Kassouf laughs. The LadyJackets first win was against Hamilton, 58-13. Saylor had a career high of 19 points. Among other achievements, the Jackets made fourth place in the Ike Tournament.
Tonight the girls will play against Yucaipa at 6:30 p.m. in the McIntosh Gym. The game promises to be challenging as well as exciting. “We could win every game as long as we put all our effort into it,” says Burner emphatically. As the LadyJackets team motto goes: “You let up, you lose.”
Girl’s Soccer
by Charissa Six
February 11, 1999
The Girls Varsity Soccer team is in first place in league this year. Their league record before the San Gorgino game on Thursday February 4, was 6 wins, no losses, and 1 tie.
Even though they tied on their last game, San G. has since then lost a few games making Colton, what head coach Roy Nix says, “the team to beat”. Nix stated that we out-shot San G. in the last game 35-5. This time, “we need to shoot for the far post and hopefully get the goalie to fumble the ball”, says Nix.
When Nix was asked which players were his “star” players this year, he paused for a while and listed many. He said, “Courtney Burns and Jennifer Montgomery has been our main scorers this year. Meagan Reiter has been doing great in the middle. But I think that Jaylin Boyd doesn’t get enough credit on defense. The other teams haven’t scored on this defense except for free kicks, or penalty kicks.” Also, he said that Junior Ameera Adams helped out as well on the outside fullback positions.
There is a difference between the Citris Belt League and the San Andreas League. Now, the biggest difference is not having the competition against Redlands. Even without that, Nix says, “we still have two tough games coming up, and that’s against San G. and Yucaipa, who they play today. These last few games are crucial to Colton’s standing in league. If they win the rest of their games, they will be in first place for playoffs. If they don’t, they could go in second or third. Nix is more positive and says that he gurantees first place for them.
As some students know, Junior Emily Sorenson broke her leg in the game against San G when she collided with their goalie. Nix commented, “[Because of the accident] we are weaker in the mid-field. We don’t have her strength from the bench or from the start. She was one of the three main center mid fielders.”
Nix commented that he is positive in their pep-talks and wants to be first in league and playoffs. He tries to keep them motivated and on their toes. However, it isn’t just the coach that’s pushing the team to succeed, “the girls want it just as bad”, Nix stated proudly.
Girl’s Water Polo
by Rena Ramirez
February 11, 1999Girl power is what motivated these girls into forming the first girls water polo team ever in the history of Colton High. Although these girls are struggling through the beginning season, they are holding their heads up high and beaming proud.
“Being the first girls water polo team is hard,” said junior Nerrisa Silva. “Some girls are used to playing with the boys, and it’s hard to unite as a girls team, but other than that is a really fun sport”. These girls are being coached by James Vickers who is currently teaching at Terrace Hills. Vickers, in the past also coached boys and coed water polo and enjoys it very much.
Water polo, like all sports has its advantages and disadvantages. “One advantage is last year we didn’t play very many coed teams,” said junior Captain Beth Mleczko, “so the other team would start off playing easier on us because they had never played with girls before. Once they saw that we could play just as well as the boys they treated us the same as they did the rest of the team.” But sometimes being a girls water polo player has its disadvantages too.
“One thing that I have noticed since last year is that the girls are more dangerous,” said sophomore Amanda Boon. “On the guys team if they play against a girl, they are afraid to touch them. When a guy plays against a guy they didn’t care. They will do what ever it takes to get the ball—plus, a lot of people think waterpolo is a guys sport.”
This year the girls are facing tough struggles because they are all a first year team with the exceptions of a few. The teams that they are playing are all second or third year teams with club water polo players. “I feel our coach had a lot to do with our unity as a team,” said Boon. “Although our coach does not get noticed for a lot, he should. He devotes so much time, energy, and patience to help us, somehow he manages to put up with us and he hasn’t lost it yet. He has helped us through it all.”
Car Shows Entice crowds
by Rena Ramirez
February 11, 1999
You’ve probably heard of car shows—those big events that many Colton students attend to see all the hot cherry rides. Cars, Cars, and more Cars are what these shows are all about. These showoffs are nationwide and attract 10,000 to 25,000 people of all ages. They give people the opportunity to showoff their expensive, nice looking cars. These shows are put on by sponsors such as Toyo Tires, Nitto, Mainstream Productions, Sport Compact Car, and Industry Insider. People attend these import shows because they enjoy looking at foreign imported cars, luxury cars, Ferraris, Hondas, Nissans, etc.
By entering your car in these import shows you have a chance at winning huge trophies, thousands of dollars cash and an opportunity to have your car put on the covers of popular magazines and flyers. How do you enter into these car shows? Well, first you have to have money. You have to had spent a lot of money on your car to even think of entering into these showoffs. Second, your car had better be fast and have a good amount of modifications. If you do not plan on entering a car the admission price is $10.00 to $22.00
Looking at cars is not the only thing people can do at these car shows, however. There are many other things going on as well: Turn Table competitions, Dancing from Dance Crews, and Vocal competitions. You also have a chance of meeting a lot of celebrities: models, porno stars, strippers and more. (And you thought guys only went to look at the cars!)
You also can purchase things for your own cars—things like rims, exhaust systmes, springs, body kits, custom conversions, interior designs, stickers, turbos, nos, sounds, projector head lights, city lights, paints, tires, speakers etc.
“I think the reason people go to these shows is to observe different modified import cars and to have fun” said senior Vesna Nhep. Nhep, along with other students from Colton High, attends these showoffs whenever possible. When asked how much it costs to enter in these car shows senior Tay Nguyen replied, “More than you can afford”.
Going to these car shows is just a hobby for many people. People who usually go own a car and want to make it better. A lot of pictures are taken and autographs are given mostly by those so called “Bomb Chicks” who model the cars. If you own a car and think it is good enough to enter in these showoffs then you should look into it, but if you just enjoy looking at cars, having a good time with friends then these Hot Import Nights are for you.
If you are interested in going to one of these car shows but you think that they are located too far away then you are in luck becuase there is going to be one right here in Colton at the Wal-Mart on Washington. The date is not yet set but there will be flyers being sent out soon. This show is being put on by a club called Outlandish Trends. Outlandish Tends has their meeting every Sunday from 8-9 p.m. at the Denny’s on Valley Blvd. This club consists of 32 memebers from all over the Inland Emipre, three of which atnend Colton High: Mike and Charlie Araiza, and Brandon Leibelt, all seniors. In order for you to get inlvoved with this club you have to have a nice car and three modifications done to your car. This car club not only shows off their cars they also do more positive things for people.
“Our car club not only puts together car shows, we also do charities such as Toys for Tots”, said Michael Araiza. “There are a lot of advantages in being in Outlandish Trends,” said Charlie Araiza, such as discounts on custom made clothing. Being interested in cars and car shows can be a positive hobby which keeps kids out of trouble and focused on the more positive aspects in life. So guys, the next time you want to see some fine women, oops, I mean fine cars, go to one of the import car shows.
Las trabajadoras de la cafeteria sirben amor con la comida
por Horacio Fregoso
February 11, 1999Muchos sabemos de personas que hacen cosas para servir a la escuela, pero nos olvidamos de aquellas que hacen posible que los estudiantes, puedamos desayunar antes de entrar a la escuela y comer al medio dia. Entrviste a dos de las estudiantes que trabajan durante los almuerso. Maribel Carrillo y Cendi De La Cruz del grado 12, trabajan dos horas al dia. De La Cruz tiene año y medio trabajando y dice que esta muy contenta en su posición, Carrillo tiene seis meses trabajando y comparte el mismo entusiasmo que el que tiene De La Cruz. Hay veintidos trabajadores tres hombres y diezynueve mujeres.
El encargado de la cafeteria se llama Canny, y como siempre no faltaron las preguntas cuantos años uno tiene que tener para poder trabajar en la cafeteria? “para poder trabajar necesitan tener diesyseis años tambien tenemos que tener buenos credietos y ganas de trabajar.” Nos comentaron que pueden trabajar los estudiantes que sean necesarios y si se necesita más ayuda aun puden contratar a más estudiantes. Todos comemos en la cafeteria o prefirimos comprar pero, no nos damos cuenta de que los estudiantes que trabajan dan mucho de su tiempo solo para servir a todos nosotros. Por eso damos gracias a todos los que participan y hacen pocible tener la comida.
Lovescopes
by Rena "Crystal Ball" Ramierez
February 11, 1999
For Entertainment Purposes only!!ARIES (March 21-Apr 20): You may become upset this week about not trusting your boyfriend/girlfriend during this Valentine season. Either you trust the one you are with or you don’t. You should know where your honey is a giver or a taker. Ask yourself this question: How much do you bring to the relationship and how much does your honey bring to the relationship?
TAURUS (Apr 21- May 20): An old flame may walk into your place of work this week and sweep you off your feet. Maybe a sequel to that great movie will come out with this years pic’s. If so then you should definitely go see it. It’s possible that the gorgeous won’t walk into your life now because you haven’t defined your needs yet. If you find yourself alone this week, take in a few movies or write a sequel yourself. Dream big, Taurus!
GEMINI (May 21- June 20): You might feel a little uneasy this week, Gem. You’re making a shift that will bring you up to date with what is really going on in the world; the tremendous transformation you’re undergoing can also cause some tension. The best tension reliever is a partner. Watch out for that guy/girl you have been crushing on since 8th grade. He/She might just run into you tomorrow. This Valentine’s Day is going to be the day where you finally tell them that you think they are FINE!
CANCER (June 22- July 22): On Valentine’s Day you are going to be scoping your school for that special someone but there is a valuable lesson to be learned from this: Don’t judge a book by its cover. That cover might just disappoint you later on down the road. Take your time, Moonchild, and get to know them before you name that boy/girl your special someone.
LEO (July 23- Aug 22): Ok, Leo—simmer down. You just had an example of how you can be your own worst enemy recently. It was a bummer, huh? You don’t know whether to explode or keep it in. Remember what keeping it in does to the body. Forgive yourself and move on. Talk to your honey into taking you out to the movies this week to help calm you down. Just relax and have a good time.
VIRGO (Aug 23- Sept 22): Do you need a cause, Cancer—a reason to fight? Your sweet might help you out with that one this week. Also there might be those in your family that don’t approve of your choice of a partner. That shows how small-minded people really are. Just remember do what you think is right and have faith in your partner and yourself.
LIBRA (Sept 23- Oct 23): Do you feel like a toy, Libra? Do you feel that people use you, then throw you away when they are done? Are you angry enough yet stand up and speak out? You’ve done too much people pleasing. Now, maybe you’ll jump off the fence and take a stand for what you believe. Don’t worry about boyfriends/girlfriends who left your life. They needed to go, for their good and yours.
SCORPIO (Oct 24- Nov 22): If you were to describe your perfect partner, it would be one who kept secrets—someone to whom you could speak openly without fear of ridicule. What keeps you from finding a partner? Guilt is the answer. Forgive yourself for past errors, whether in a prior relationship or this one. We’ve all made mistakes in our evolution. That’s how we learn! Experience is the master teacher.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23- Dec 21): Being able to handle things in your life has never been your strong point, Sag. There’s one good reason for maintain a relationship, your partner can handle life. Did I hit a score point? If so, then you need to give this problem some thought. This Valentine’s Day look for someone who has a good view point on life.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 20): Now you’ve done it, Cappy! You asked for more passion in your life. I hope you were more specific than that! Passion comes in all shapes and forms. When you ask for a cause to fight, you often get it! Dream a new dream! Create a new you. Let that special someone notice that new you and maybe that someone will like it.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21- Feb 18): You might want to change that saying, “Silence is golden,” for silence is golden—sometimes! But not when it comes to love. This Valentine’s you have to speak up and tell that someone how you really feel about them—and don’t be afraid of rejection. There are plenty more fish out on the sea, and you never know that someone who rejected you might not have known what they were missing.
PISCES (Feb 19- Mar 20): Score keeping is becoming a full time occupation for you, Pisces. What is the deal? Did you allow your compassion to overwhelm your senses again? Has this one stolen your heart? It’s worse though— perhaps, you can’t even bring yourself to look into his or hers eyes. Come on, build up that courage— do what you know you have to do!
New Competency Rules Given
by Amber Arakaki
February 11, 1999Do you want to graduate high-school? As you should know, in order to pass high school, you have to pass competencies. However, some students get so nervous and worried when taking those “dreadful” tests that they fail them even though the students are competent.
Recently, the School Board has passed some changes in the competency requirements. Before, a student had to pass a standardized test in order to pass competency, the CAT 5. If a student failed the test then he or she would have to take it over and over and over again until the student would pass it. It was a horrendous task many students have had to face.
Now competencies are to be based on grades as well as the SAT-9 tests given each May. “It should be beneficial to most students, especially those who have test anxiety,” says Sharon Taylor, the School Improvement Coordinator. She says that there was too much pressure on students and that this way gives them more opportunities to pass competency.
The new competency system is based on a set of points you receive by your grades and the test. Grades are based on a 1-5 point scale, where 4 is for an A (5 is if you get an A in an Honors class). Also, note that you receive 0 points for an F. The test scores are based on what’s called a Stanine scale, which runs from 1-9. In order to pass competency you must have at least 20 points, combined from your grade in the class and the stanine score on the test. Your points keep addiing up from year to year, so you can pass early or late, depending on how long it takes you to get the required 20 points.
To understand it more completely, here’s one case scenario: Suppose you’re an average student who gets Cs throughout all your English classes in 9th and 10th grade. You get 2 points for each C per semester. You also receive 3s on your SAT-9 test both times. For both years you will receive, in total, 14 points. Say you maintain the same grades in 11th grade and earn a 3 on your SATs yet again. You will earn 21 points by your junior year; thus, you pass competency.
Before this new change, if you were a senior and didn’t pass competency you would have to take a competency class. Now, if you get bad scores on your SATs or if you get bad grades in your English and math classes you can take another class over again. If you know the material and work up to you’re potential then you’re bound to get a better grade.
The new competency requirements may prove to be beneficial in the long run. At least, the school and the district hopes so. The only students who it will hurt are those who haven’t learned the required materials and those who don’t work in class.
“Basically, the people who get hurt are those who aren’t competent,” says Taylor.
No T.I.R./No Problem?
by Brenda Quintero
February 11, 1999For five months now students have gone without T.I.R. and this is an issue where teachers are taking opposite sides. Some agree that without T.I.R. students are back where they’re suppose to be, the classroom.”The purpose of a school is to educate”said English teacher Nan Graham. When T.I.R. was around students were not getting educated and there would always be those regulars who would go just to skip class. Other teachers feel that with the new policy, consisting of no more than five tardies, students come in late anyway and teachers get the new job of disciplining them.
Although the new policy creates extra work on the teachers part, it was created to eliminate tardies if everyone does their job. Also with this new policy is preventing what might have been a lawsuit. It was just a matter of time before parents would get tired of all those tardie notices and low grades.
“The good students prefer this policy. There was no reason for students to be truant two or three times a day” comments Al Schwartz, the former TIR teacher and the school’s long-time Athletic Trainer.
Students who are late now get a little leeway for sleeping in or being late to the bus stop. Instead of having to go straight to T.I.R., students sign a paper and still get a learning opportunity.
It’s time to give seniors their due: Open lunch!
Staff Editorial
February 11, 1999
Well seniors, it’s finally your year, 1999! Every senior at Colton High is proud that they are finally nearing the end of their high school years. But what do they have to be proud of? Of course they are just proud to be seniors; at the top of the school grade level pile. But they are missing out on probably the most exciting part of senior year: off campus lunch.
Off campus lunch is a great privilege that they are being deprived of because a past senior class wasn’t responsible enough to control their truancies. It isn’t fair that the class of ‘99 (or any of the following classes) should miss out on this important part of senior year. Having this privilege really separates seniors from underclassmen and makes the last year of high school a little more memorable.
Now we at the Pepper Bough agree that there should be some restrictions on who qualifies to leave campus. In addition, the administration should monitor truancies and keep a limit on the number of truancies that a student can have before losing their privilege.
We feel that it would be a lot easier to monitor who actually is leaving campus now that they have the gate locking us onto campus. All a student would need is another special hole in their school ID and the security can just check it as students leave.
The decision would then lay in the students’ hands on whether to return to school or not. If the students know that their privilege will be revoked if they have any truancies coming back from lunch then it is a guarantee that they will come back to school.
We at the Pepper Bough feel this is an important part of senior year that no one should be deprived of. Just because there have been bad experiences in the past doesn’t mean that history will repeat itself. We feel that if the rule-makers give the seniors a try they can and will show that they are responsible enough to handle going off campus for half an hour to get some (good) lunch. How are they expected to go into the real world and become adults when they are constantly being told that they can’t handle a minor issue like this? All seniors are asking for is a chance and maybe they will prove that they really do deserve this privilege. This policy is just another example of the same old paradox—treating students like children while at the same time crying that they don’t act like adults.
Ritmo LATINO
por Roger Romero
February 11, 1999El ritmo Latino invade el corazón de nuestra escuela. El pasado 4 de febrero del presente año, en la cafeteria se tomo lugar el segundo baile latino o Latino Dance. En el cual solo se tocaria musica latina como: Salsa, Banda, merengue, Rock en español y muchas mas. Las organisadoras de este baile fueron Veronica Menchaca y Debbie Orozco, las dos miembros de ASB.
El costo de estos tikets fueron $2.00 sin la tarjeta de ASB y $1.00 con la tarjeta . El Baile fue todo un exito pues, todas las personas que asistieron tuvieron un muy buen tiempo.
Para mi sorpresa la directora de actividades Karla Huesca anuncio un concurso de baile con un premio al final. Las parejas se reunieron en la pista de baile. A la cual bailara mejor ganaria el premio, tocaron musica romantica, banda, merengue, rock en español, y norteñas.
Al pasar de unos minutos se anuncio a los ganadores de este concurso, el rey y reina de el baile, nuestro a fortunado rey fue Francisco Carrera, persona que no asiste a esta escula y nuestra Hermosa reina fue Maira Valdez, 11, esta preciosa pareja bailaron asta que ganaron.
Pero nada de esto fue posible sin la ayuda de ASB, sus miembros son muy dedicados y determinados a acabar lo que ellos se proponen. Gracias de nuevo, por hacer nuestros años de escuela mas memorables.
She’s All That (Movie Review)
by Stephanie Farrior
February 11, 1999
The classic Cinderella story retold is the highlight for this weeks moviegoers. She’s All That, the number one box office hit of last week, stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as Zack, the popular guy on campus, and Rachel Leigh Cook as Laney, the nerdy art student who’s transformed into a candidate for prom queen.
This story may have a repetative plot; after all, we’ve seen the Cinderella theme before. It’s been treated over and over in the movies (such memorable films as My Fair Lady and Pretty Woman told the story of the “bad girl” who gets the prince) but She’s All That has a lot of bizarre twists which makes the movie unique.
Zack gets dumped by his gorgeous but snobby girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) for a self-centered goofball named Brock (Matthew Lillard), who is featured on the MTV series The Real World. When Zack’s friend Dean (Paul Walker) bets him he can’t woo the geekiest girl at school, and turn her into prom queen within six weeks, Zack takes up the challenge to prove his friend wrong. Zack decides to practically stalk Laney just to get her to talk to him, and invites her everywhere. Zack’s sister turns Laney from a ugly duckling to a beautiful swan for a party at his friend Prestin’s house. Laney finds herself associating with the popular crowd and soon discovers she is nominated for prom queen. When Dean tells Laney the truth about the bet, Zack starts to realize that he really likes Laney.
Then, a complication: Dean asks Laney to the prom hoping to get some “action”, and Zack gets jealous. At the prom Zack gets voted king and the votes for queen were 54 to 46 percent, making Taylor the queen. Dean is so anxious to get to a hotel room they leave right after the king and queen are announced. Laney realizes what Dean was trying to do and she leaves him at the hotel room and goes home. Zack ends up going to Laneys house and explains the whole situation. She forgives him as they have the last dance of the night in her backyard.
She’s All That works on several levels, as an entertaining comedy and as a portrait of high school life (although I wish I drove some of the cars they get to drive as high school students!) All in all I really enjoyed this picture, and highly recommend it for some mid-winter fun moviegoing. She’s all that was the number one box office movie for the first two weeks it came out, and I can certainly see why. Its combination of Classic Cinderella Fairy Tale story coupled with an upbeat, hip music score makes for a good film. Go see it.
Snowboarding the hot new tip!
by Stephanie Greanlea
February 11, 1999Welcome to the hottest new extreme sport of “99”: snowboarding! Over the last few years snowboarding has become one of the, if not THE most popular winter outdoor sport. Just the adrenaline rush alone is enough to get you hooked to this extreme sport. Flying down the side of a mountain at speeds that you always think are way faster than you are actually going. It’s one of the greatest feelings ever, except when you eat it...but don’t worry, snow tastes good!
Wondering where to go to try out this exhilarating experience? Some places to go are Bear Mountain up in Big Bear, or Snow Summit and Snow Valley up in Running Springs. The lift tickets cost about $30 if you want to ride all day. You don’t have to be a pro to try it, either. All these place are fully equipped with beginners slopes, a.k.a. “The Bunny Slopes”
So what do you actually need to start snowboarding? Well first of all you need to go and find the cutest snowboarding outfit out there! (Just Kidding.) Considering you’ll be in the snow, it would be wise to buy some gear that will keep you warm and dry. Jackets, beanies, and never forget your gloves, it can get pretty cold out there.
Don’t get any ideas of taking the wheels of your skateboard and duck taping the deck to your shoes, it doesn’t work (I’ve tried.) Certain boards fit certain people so just see which one is right for you. Snowboarding isn’t a cheap sport. Getting started can cost a pretty penny. You’re looking at around $500-600 to get started, but then the cost will come down to just having to pay for lift tickets.
If you’re into the extreme scene and don’t mind the cold, snowboarding is something you might want to check out this winter. Junior Albert Davalos puts it in one simple quote, “Snowboarding is a way to get your adrenaline going, and a way to test your own limits.”
Sugar Ray hits the stores with new CD (Review)
by Ismael Zamora
February 11, 1999
14:59 is the long awaited third album from the band Sugar Ray, natives of southern California,known all over America. Sugar Ray is one of the bands that includes a DJ, which is becoming more popular in the music world.
14:59 brings thirteen brand new songs from Sugar Ray. Already with their debut single from 14:59 “Everymorning”,and the songs that I like, “Fall’s apart”, “Live&Direct”, and “Personal space invader” this album is guaranteed to be a hit.
Although Sugar Ray has been around for quite a while, they became known from their first album Lemonade and Brownies makeing them very noticible from songs like “Mean Machine” and “Rhyme Stealer”.
Mark McGrath mentions that the title of 14:59 is the meaning of fifthteen minutes of fame. This differs from their last album, Floored which was a huge success for the band with their killer mix of rock and hip hop. The band admits that the song “Fly”, featuring hip hopper Super Cat, made them most popular. However, Floored did have other good tracks like “Breath” and “American pig”.
And now with the release of 14:59, Sugar Ray will be around for a lot longer, bringing in a mixture of heavy metal, rock, and hip hop.
To cheat or not to cheat?
by Milgem Rabanera
February 11, 1999
Groggy-eyed students stumble into class, nervously taking their seats as the exam is handed out. Cramming from the night before leaves most students with a jumble of facts floating around uselessly in their brains, or it all goes away in a glance a the multitude of questions. Others walk into the classroom, stressed out because procrastination took away all their study time. Whatever the case may be, students do take the risk of cheating on term papers and exams to secure a good grade. Most people stick to the notion that cheating is only done by the “no-gooders,” but in actuality this scope includes jocks, average students, and perhaps not surprisingly, overachievers.
The reasons behind cheating? Everyone has probably done it at least once in their lives, yet few are brave enough to admit it. I bet that even our class valedictorians and salutatorians have stared hard at the inside of their ink-filled hands during a test somwhere along the line. But why would the “créme de la créme” have to bother with cheating to ace a test that they could conquer with their eyes closed? One certain senior replied, “Pressure to do as well as my older siblings and to get into a nice college forces me to cheat when I’m not able to absorb it all. Usually I’m too busy studying for my other A.P. classes to completely focus on the test.”
Another factor includes pressure coming from parents, intentional or not. We all hear stories of our parents’ “high school glory days,” where our moms were cheerleaders, dads football players, and still were able to maintain GPAs good enough to get them into colleges like UCLA. Sophomore Seth Purcell responds, “When you get home all sweaty and smelly from an away game, the last thing you want to do is study. I’m too tired to think, all my brain is thinking about is my lack of sleep and a good shower.”
On the other hand, there are those students like senior Adam Dolan who says, “I wouldn’t say cheat all the time, but in times of need, you gotta do whatcha gotta do. Besides, it’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.” Watching the latest movie, hanging out at a homie’s house, kickin’ it at a party, and babbling on the phone—hours of these activities look so much better than hours of wracking your brains over math theorems and formulas.
Senior Hillary Schmitt replies, sobbing, “I’m tired of being just average. If I have the opportunity to be noticed for excelling in school, I’m gonna take it. At least then I won’t just be another faceless person in the crowd.” Schmitt is one of those students who holds down a job while keeping up with social life and academics. I know it’s easier said than done, but all a person can do is try to keep a balance between studying and the rest of their complicated teenage lives.
Tupac is Alive!
by Steve Ramirez
February 11, 1999
People have many opinions about Tupac Shakur, but they haven’t heard the truth because they haven’t heard me. They haven’t heard what I have to say about him being dead or alive, what I have to say about Bad Boy records, and this other rapper everybody likes called DMX.
Well let’s start with Tupac being still alive. Of course, he is still symbolically alive through his music. But there is the possibility of him still being actually living. I do think that Tupac is still alive, not because I am a big fan and don’t want to believe he is dead like many Elvis Presley fans, but because there are so many unexplained true reasons Maybe one of the biggest unexplained reasons is in Tupac’s Greatest hits album is where there’s a song called “God Bless the Dead.” On that song he says ,”rest in peace Biggie Smalls.” Fact: Biggie died after Tupac died. Tupac hated him, but he actually kind of sounded sad that Biggie was dead in the song.
Another unexplained reason is on a song that Tupac did with a rap group called Bone. The song is called “Thug love” and was released after his death. When Tupac starts rapping in the background you can barely hear the other rapper saying “he’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive”, which is yet another unsolved mystery. There are many other reasons which people already know. I don’t think the reasons are just a simple coincidence. Tupac didn’t want to die and he knew that many people wanted to kill him, so faking his death would be perfect for him. Tupac was crazy, he would do anything, and faking his death is something he would do.
Some people say “Why can’t you just accept that he’s dead?” The people that say that are the people that don’t know much about Tupac. Those are the people that don’t know much of the reasons why he could still be alive.
Now what about Bad Boy Records? (Tupac hated them, his record label Death row and he were rivals with them) I thought they said ten years from now they’ll still be on top. Where are they now? I haven’t seen any hits from them lately. The truth about them is that they are unoriginal. The president of Bad Boy, Sean “Puffy” Combs, should get no credit for any of his hit records because all of the songs are from other albums. What he does is called sampling which means he doesn’t just take bits and pieces from a song he takes the whole song. Bad Boy is what people call a “biter.”
Now for DMX. People compare DMX to Tupac and I can see how. Their songs are both influential and motivating. DMX and Tupac are both motivated by revenge. DMX had a brother that was killed and Tupac was set up to be shot five times (which was when he first got shot). DMX is very good, I admit, but he is definitely no Tupac. There will never be another Tupac. The truth is Tupac is way better than DMX, and if he was still here he could take him out easily. Probably with one song like he did with Bad Boy with the song “Hit ‘em up”. He said it himself that he could take out anybody. Even old school rappers and especially anybody from New York Tupac said he could take them out. You see Tupac’s music isn’t about dancing or bobbing your head. It’s about feeling it deeply. That’s how it is with all the best music that stays the best forever.
Tupac said his music is about stuggling and overcoming. He’s a survivor. He said that because he grew up a hard child hood. His mother did drugs, they were homeless for a period of time, he grew up with no father, he was a high school dropout, he spent time in jail and other terrible things. Through all of that he suffered he still became successful.
Somebody asked me the question “what is so great about Tupac?” That’s just like saying what’s so great about Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Elvis. Get the point? Tupac was more than just a rap musician he was an actor and he wrote poetry. If Tupac really is dead than may he rest in peace. Yeah, I know you’re probably saying “he IS dead!” Well just remember that’s what he would want you to think, so if he faked his death he did a good job, huh?
There is really nothing proving if Tupac is dead or alive. So nobody will really know the truth. If he is dead than that would truly mean he is free.
¡Una sorpresa más!
¿Después de esto, ¿qué mas nos espera?
por Claudia Perez y Ernesto Ramirez
February 11, 1999Después de tanto tiempo que los estudiantes han querido cambiar las nuevas reglas, que han puesto en la escuela durante este año escolar, nos encontramos con una sorpresa más. Los estudiantes que tienen carro se ponen en el estacionamiento estudiantil, al regresar de vacaciones, se dieron cuenta que la area donde se estacionan esta serrada con una cerca. Al verla se molestarón, pues muchos comentaron que en vez de escuela, ya parecia carcél. La directora y los vice principales, talves encontraron que era nesesario poner la cerca, por tanto traspaso de los estudiantes a sus carros durante el almuerzo, y su tiempo libre. ¿Cuál seria el verdadero motivo para poner la cerca, por procteción de los carros o para mantener a los estudiantes alejados de esa area? “Entre la directora y nosotros ya habiamos pensado en este proyecto desde hace tres años atras, nos comento Dave Gomez, Vice Principal y prosiguio diciendo “la razón por la que pusimos la cerca, fue que los estudiantes estaban haciendo negocios de drogas, se peliaban, y rayaban los carros y muchos de ellos los utilizaban como almacen para sus libros .”
Como ven esta cerca no se puso por molestar a los estudiantes, si no para la proctección de los carros y para que la escuela, no siga pagando a los dueños de los carros rayados, ya que la escuela tiene la responsabilidad de responder por los materiales dañados de los estudiantes mientras ellos esten en clases. “ Es una lastima que aigamos perdido mucho terreno y dinero al poner la cerca y al pagarle a los estudiante por materiales, que fueron dañados por estudiantes ya sea por venganza o tan solo por cometer vandalismo” nos comento Gomez, la mayoria de los estudiantes y maestros estan de acuerdo que fue una perdida de terreno, ya que los estudiantes y maestros tienen que rodear mucho para llegar a sus carros, y algunos alumnos deciden brincarse la cerca para llegar más rapido. Durante estos días se ba a mantener un horario, para el porton del estacionamiento estudiantil. Los maestros y estudiantes tendran que llebar con ellos todo lo que necesiten, ya que no seles permitira regresar asus carros despues de cerrar las puertas del estacionamiento. Solo se permitira entrar en horas de clase solamente si el estudiante esta enfermo y tiene que irse a casa, o por alguna otra emergencia.
Valentine's Day Do's & Dont's
by Rose Terracciano
February 11, 1999Everyone get ready, because Cupid has drawn back his bow, and the “Season of Love” is now in effect. Most of us have the idea of what Valentines day is suppose to represent. Love, lust, candy, gifts, and more candy. Really though, there are certain things that people need to be aware of so they won’t get themselves into trouble with their significant others.
The perfect Valentines day is one filled with happiness, love, and consideration. Now let us take a moment and welcome ourselves back to reality. Okay, we are teenagers and therefore we can’t (although one could argue this point) be expected to do things right all the time. Especially when it comes to matters of the opposite sex. The sooner everyone realizes this, it will be a much happier world. Both parties (girls and guys) in a relationship expect too much from each other, and on Valentines day that expectation level increases dramatically. To fix this little misunderstanding and pave the way to a successful Valentines day, we have to come to terms with the fact that, the more you expect from your girl/boyfriend, the more likely you are to be disappointed. Except and be happy with what you have, or realize that this person isn’t the one for you and move on.
Now, if you’re a guy and want to make this Valentines day a good one, express your feelings as much and as often as possible. Make sure you’re being honest, and just let it out. Girls eat that stuff up and you know its true. As for gifts, if your short on cash, make her something good to eat like cookies or a cupcake, and put it in a Valentines container or wrap it in red plastic wrap. Stick a bow on it, and Viola! A homemade, (cheap) from the heart gift, guaranteed to bring on a smile and kisses galore. Anything that takes time on your part shows consideration and that scores big points with the ladies.
Here are some tips on what not to do, so you won’t wind up getting a slap instead of a kiss. Do not say, and I repeat, Do Not Say: “I’m glad you liked your present. So ya wanna......?” or “I’m sorry I’ve been such a #&*! lately, but I think you need to get over it.” That is not an apology, or at least not one worthy of any recognition, so instead say, “Baby, I’m really sorry for how I’ve been acting, and I hope you know that no matter what, I’ll always be here for you.” Yes it’s corny, but hey, what have you got to loose by being sweet?
Okay girls, your turn. The key to making any guy happy is not only food and short skirts, but empathy and displays of affection and respect. Respect comes in on both parts. If you wan it, you have to give it. That’s how it works. Let him know you love him, will stand behind him, and be supportive of what he believes. Relationships are two way freeways with four lanes on each side. You have to keep up with the traffic, give a little to get a little, and display ways of communication so you know what to expect.
What to give the “hard to shop for guy:” Again, baking treats is always a safe bet, and shows you put time and effort in to it. If you’re not that great in the kitchen, buy him something cute, and useful. Sure puppies and teddy bears are adorable, but what is he going to do with it? Let it sit on his bed or dresser only to collect dust or get forever lost in the unholy terrors from underneath his bed. Instead, opt for candy or something you know he’ll enjoy. However if he is the type to appreciate a stuffed animal, go for it. You know your man, just think about it, and it will come to you.
Boyfriends and girlfriends alike are hoping this Valentines day will be one to remember, and therefore, it’s up to you to make it that way. So, keep in mind what you’ve learned here and enjoy this “Season of Love!”
Single on Valentine's day (girls)
by Brenda Quintero
February 11, 1999Valentine’s day is considered to be the day you’re supposed to get together with the one you love and celebrate the joys of being together. So, what about all those single girls out there? Are they just obligated to stay home and mope around all day? Here are some suggestions that might help with the “Valentine’s day blues.”
Instead of sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, why don’t you make it a girl’s night out? Grab a couple of gal pal’s. You can go to the movies and watch a so called “chick flick.” Don’t worry because guys (for the most part) wouldn’t be caught dead there. Or, you can always cruise to the mall.
You might be thinking, “All those happy couples get to go out and celebrate.” Don’t sweat it! Go out and be proud that you’re single. After all, you do have more freedom. Go out to a nice restaurant that you’ve never been to or try somewhere you’ve never eaten before.
If you’re too tired to go out, stay home and rent a movie. Pop some popcorn with some friends and just kick it on your couch. You know you’ll be comfortable, and you won’t have to worry about being alone.
No matter what you decide to do, keep in mind that you are more likely to sink into the realm of depression if you’re alone. Friends are always the best bet. So if you happen to be either happily free and single, or “between boyfriends,” have yourself a great Valentine’s day no matter what.
Single On Valentine's day (guys)
by Jason Durddle
February 11, 1999Single again on Valentines? Well guys, don’t get too depressed, there are plenty of things to do on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s has always been the good ole Smoochie Smoochie Kissy Wissy holiday, but who said it coudn’t mean something else? You can show your love for people in many other ways . How ‘bout taking your best friend out, or even your mom or sister to show that you care for them?
Valentine’s is also the holiday where single people can finally come out of their shell and take that chance with asking someone out. Sometimes being alone on Valentine’s just kicks up a brave urge to finally tell that someone special how you really feel. Not sure how to approach that special someone that you want to know you care? Well here are some ideas...
How about a phone call? (A little bit less personal, but a lot easier to take the famous shoot down.) Ever thought of writing a letter? It could be anonymous or not; sometimes it’s just easier to put feelings down on paper rather than words. (But don’t get your hopes up to much ‘cause you might not get a letter back).
All in all guys just need to test their luck—you win some, you lose some, and rejection is a fact of life...so don’t take it too personally. One day you’ll finally find that one true valentine and things will work out.
Valentine's day Horror Stories
by Karen Vanegas
February 11, 1999Don’t worry if Valentine’s Day has you singing the blues instead of whispering sweet nothings in someone’s ear. You’re not the only one. Although people try to deny that they have ever had a bad Valentine’s Day, everyone has had at least a small disappointment or embarrassment happen. They just choose to block it out of their memory, while other’s can’t, and remember every detail.
One senior girl recalls a Valentine’s Day when she did have a Valentine. She bought him a pair of silk Looney Tunes boxers with “Pepe Le Pew”, and hearts all over them. She also purchased the gift bag and the card for her valentine. In return she received a small teddy bear that had “I Love You”, written in the middle, a fake little rose you can buy at a gas station, all in a store bag you get your new clothes bagged in, no card. Some girls would be touched and so was she (a little) until she saw that the tag on the bear had been scribbled on. And if that wasn’t enough, the bear had allegedly been seen by a friend of hers in his home, revealing that the bear might have belonged to his sister.
Some people say that making plans with friends on Valentine’s Day is a great way to ensure that it is not ruined. That little insurance policy wasn’t full proof for a junior girl who had made plans with her best friend to go out on Valentine’s Day. That afternoon her friend called her and said she couldn’t go out after all. A half an hour later she was called by a guy she had met a couple weeks before and he asked her if she wanted to get together. She agreed, but to her disappointment he called her an hour later to tell her that something had come up. She began to feel depressed and thought that the worst had passed. She checked her e-mail in hope that someone cared. She found a message from a good friend asking her to page him after reading the note. She did and he asked her if she wanted to go bowling with him. She accepted the invitation and got ready. She waited for his call letting her know he was on his way, but the call never came and he never showed up. She sat home alone and felt like she had been through the worst Valentine’s Day she had ever had and would never forget.
Although these stories may sound too familiar and may bring back some bad memories, they shouldn’t be a reason to swear off Valentine’s Day forever. Bad things happen all the time but you really shouldn’t dwell on the past. Always look to the future, think positive, and hope for the best. And have a great Valentine’s Day come Sunday!
Valentine's Day Suvey
by Lisa Humphrey and Amy Yarnall
February 11, 1999
This month students were asked to
participate in a survey about Valentines day.51% of the student body say they like
Valentines Day
10% HATE the day!
39% Just don’t care about the holiday.When asked if they had someone to spend the day with
55% said yes
45% said noObviously Colton High’s students aren’t into
gift giving . . .
47% said they spend $1-10 for a gift on
Valentines Day
31% spend $20-30 dollars
6%-8% are more giving, spending $40-70
8% walk around with their pockets empty for the rest of the month
spending $80 or more on gifts.
75% say it was well worth it
25% think it was a wasteWhat do I want? Hmm?
30% of the students say they just want a hug and Kiss
24% say, give me chocolate or candy, baby!
21% would like some flowers
18% just want some flashy jewlery
the remining 12% say they wouldn’t expect a thing.
(Guess it’s not hard to please these people!)
History Of Valentine's day
by MollyRose Jones
Februarey 11, 1999The history of the romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day, is not a very pretty picture. The holiday’s past involves some trying to make a celebration which could be seen in a negative light into a more positive one, incorporating fun as well as love. This is the basis of the tale, but the whole of it is greatly more interesting.
Our story starts around 400 B.C. It was a practice of the Romans to have an annual lottery for all young single men. Everyone was a winner, because each man randomly chose a name from a box that included the names of every young single woman. Each man and the woman he chose would be entreated to pleasure each other for the year. And yes, the enjoyment they engaged in was of the sexual kind.
Much later, in A.D. 270, the Roman emperor, Claudius the Second became furious at a bishop named St. Valentine. His anger arose from learning that Valentine had been secretly joining lovers in marriage, although the emperor had outlawed it with the reason that married men made poor soldiers. Val’s crime was punishable by execution. Thus, on February 4, 270, poor Val was clubbed, stoned, and beheaded.
Later on, when the Catholic Church was seeking a new celebration, the religious leaders looked upon St. Valentine’s heroic tale. Consequently, about 200 years after the saint’s life was ended, Pope Gelasius outlawed the Lupercian festival. The lottery was now changed. Eventually all Romans gave up the original paganistic festival for the new one. After the new holiday began, the idea of expressing love was still in the air during mid-February, so young men began giving their lovers affectionate notes to express their feelings. The representation of Valentine’s life only served to emphasize this forevermore.
Valentine's day Memories
Interviewed by Kelly Wheatly
February 11, 1999What are your particularly vivid memories of Valentine's Day?
"The guy that really liked me asked me to be his Valentine, but I didn’t take him seriously. Well on the night of Valentines day he sent roses and chocolates to my house, but I wasn’t there. And he never told anyone, not even me. I didn’t even find out until the next year, when I asked him about it. He got so embaressed and turned red. But I thought it was sweet.”
-Amber Drenon“I was totally bummed, my parents wouldn’t let me go out with my boyfriend. They made me stay home on Valentines day to babysit my brother. So that night as I was sitting at home imagining what I could be doing and I heard a knock at my door. And there on the doorstep was a single long stem rose with a note promising dinner the following night.
-Tiffany Richarson“It was Valentines Day and everything was going terrible, I just broke up with my boyfriend, and my dad had called from Florida saying he wouldn’t be able to come down. So I decided to fly solo that night. I rented movies and bought tons of junk food. I was just getting settled and my mom called me into the other room, saying that there was someone here to see me. I walked into the room and it was my father standing there with roses in hand.”
-Therese Gaither“The whole week before Valentines Day I had been dropping hints to my boyfriend as to what I wanted. But he just seemed annoyed by the whole thing. The day finally came and I was expecting the traditional roses and candy. He told me to close my eyes and put out my hands, and he slipped a promise ring on my finger. Just what I wanted.”
-Connie Villagrana“It was the night of Valetines day I had no plans except to indulge myself in a hot bath. But my best friend (who is a guy) asked me to go to the movies. So I got up and got ready, I wasn’t getting dressed for anything special. I came out of my room wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with my hair pulled up, and there he was in a suit ready to take me to any restaurant I wanted.”
-Brenda Quintero
VICA continues to serve
by Marisa Gutierrez
February 11, 1999Whenever you hear the word VICA mentioned by someone on campus, you most likely think that it’s just another club, right? Just another club with the regular after school meetings, a board of officers, dull routines, you know, the same old same old. Wrong! This may come as a surprise, but VICA, Vocational Industrial Club of America, is anything but ordinary. VICA may have all of the traditional ingredients of your average club, but the hard work and determination of its members puts a new twist in the mix. Mr. Reedy, the VICA Colton chapter and state advisor, trains members in various fields of industry and communication skills. Reedy claims that everything related to VICA was planned and accomplished by its members. “VICA, unlike other clubs, is completely student-driven. The students are the ones that put in all the work to make VICA activities successful. That’s also why the club is always active.”
Active is right, the members of VICA always seem to be involved in an activity. From the recent blood drive and Fall carnival to various fundraisers, VICA members never seem to rest. The upcoming month of February will be a hectic month for members because of the regional competitions to be held at Riverside Community College and San Bernardino Valley College. All the members have to train hard in order to obtain first place at regionals and move on to the state competitions, but junior Nicole Wheeler carries the greatest responsibility of them all.
Wheeler is the state officer of the VICA Colton chapter, therefore it’s her duty to plan and organize the regional competitions. She also organizes regional meetings so that members can discuss and vote on ideas that would improve their region. Wheeler, like most other members, specializes in leadership and communication skills and has been in VICA for two years now. The training I have received from VICA has made me more committed and applicable when it comes to activities. I’m also more comfortable around people, and I’m much more confident when I have to make speeches.”
Beside the fact that VICA members are constantly involved in activities, the club has just recently launched its website on the internet.
According to Mr. Reedy, there are two VICA websites, one pertaining to the Colton chapter and the other encompassing the chapters all over California. While Reedy is in charge of the VICA state website, he allows the members to organize the Colton chapter website. Two students in particular, sophomores Chad Guzman and Patrick Kazmireczak, put a lot of their time into creating and upgrading the website. “ The goal of this website is to test the students computer literacy, which is a large factor in the industrial world,” explains Reedy. On the other hand, Guzman and Kazmireczak are both training in computer applications, so making this website was right up their alley.
According to Guzman, the VICA website for the Colton chapter basically lists all the members and officers of VICA, as well as keeps the user updated on the club’s activities, competitions, and meetings. The VICA Colton chapter website also links to the VICA state website so that the user can easily access information on regional affairs. “Our website is coming along great because of the people who have helped to make it, and hopefully it will get better as we keep working on it,” says Guzman in recognition of all the hard work that all the members put into the website.
Now it’s pretty obvious that VICA isn’t your ordinary club for slackers. If there is anything that VICA isn’t then it has got to be boring.
All the members of the VICA Colton chapter would agree with Kazmireczak when he says, “I think VICA is great and a lot of fun because I’m always involved in an activity. Even though some things may require hard work, I know that I will accomplish them because VICA has given me the confidence and determination that I need.”
Will the world end on January 1, 2000?
by Diana Simental
February 11, 1999We have finally come to the beginning of another year. We have approached the millennium and now we are left with the question; What’s next?
Recently, many people have been wrapped up with this issue that the world is going to end soon. Many deeply believe that as we roll into the year 2000 we will only enjoy mere seconds of this new decade that we have been looking forward to for so long. Why do many believe that as we celebrate the beginning of a new year to live the world will suddenly be destroyed? I feel that the majority of the people that believe this nonsense are those that feel they have experienced their life. Many of these believers are probably those that are living a routine life from day to day.
I personally feel that the world may end some day but not any time soon. I feel that the world is at its prime right now with all the technology that we have and the great things we can experience. We have all the supplies needed to make this world a thousand times better then it already is.
Many young adults will be forced to take on the responsibilities of the real world as they learn about survival. They will finally realize that the balance of society now lies in their hands. The next generation, our generation, will prepare to be the great leaders of society. Many people will come and many will go but this is all a part of this wonderful thing we call life.
As a high school senior that will soon be entering the world to pursue my goals, I feel that I will have all the time I need to fulfill my life. I feel that I will get the same chance to live a satisfying life as those generations I follow. We all have time to fulfill our lives and be satisfied.
Many may or may not agree with me but this is what I do believe. I’m in no rush to live my life to the fullest. I know that I have a lifetime to do that.
Winter Homecoming a big hit...Imagine That!
by Jeanine Medrano
February 11, 199
“Imagine that...” was this year’s appropriately given, Winter homecoming theme.
Court Introductions kicked off the week. ASB didn’t let a potential rain disaster faze them as they moved the introductions from the Hello Walk into the gym.
The queen nominees included Marie Garcia, Salena Olvera, Maribel Pulido, Diana Sutton, and Sasha Taylor. King nominees were Tom Allen, Jason Cunningham, Josh Maldonado, Lenny Ramirez, and Walter Vaughn
On Tuesday, crowds flowed into the Hubbs gym to listen to motivational speaker “Señor Chocoláte.” He gave an inspiring speech about overcoming obstacles in our lives. The assembly was followed by Wednesday’s delicious carnival. Hamburgers sold by the Pepper Bough staff were a big hit in company with AVID’s shredded beef burritos and candy galore.
Thursday seemed to be the big money maker as crushers “bought” their crushes at the people auction. Cuties such as Cody Sorenson, Arlene Oropeza, Arlina De La Rosa, Matt Sainz and Tom Allen all sold for over a whopping $20.
A lunch time “Mock and Jock” basketball game entertained the student body on Friday as students were allowed to dress in their sports attire. That night, the Yellowjacket Basketball team was ready to take on the Cajon Cowboys. The halftime crowning of the queen deemed Maribel Pulido the victorious winner. Unfortunately we lost the game in a close but disappointing score of 56 - 55.
Saturday’s dance was appropriately held at the “Imagine that...” banquet hall in Upland. Students, the majority being seniors, boogied like it was 1999 until Lenny Ramirez was crowned as Homecoming King. Homecoming, a week full of fun, was played out to be just that.
Wrestling
by Joanne Flores
February 11, 1999Facing 31 teams and probably the toughest competition in about six years, Colton came out and wrestled their hearts out with the help of Jason Calderilla, Manuel Guillen, Darin Boby, and David Tafolla to obtain 6th place in the Christmas classic held here at Colton High’s very own gym.
Colton’s wrestling team has worked hard this year and tried their best but it seemed as if it was cut short. “This year was a disappointing year but the season’s not over yet,” said Tony Beccerra, “but at the same time it’s been unforgettable.”
So far the wrestling team has shown much determination to qualify for C.I.F and will send about eight individuals. This year the team is led by Captains/seniors Tony Becerra and Manuel Guillen. Not to mention that this year’s team also includes a girl. (See special story on Jenna Magnant, also in this issue) She has broken that male barrier and proven not only to herself but to others that she too can wrestle.
“Everyone is supportive of her,” said Knudsvig. “They work with Jenna to improve her skills just as all team members do.” She too is contributing to this year’s wrestling program and making a difference. None of the guys mind it and they give her so much credit.
Due to the losses against Cajon and Pacific, Colton had to win their last three matches to clinch 2nd place. After beating San Gorgonio and San Bernardino they only needed to face Yucaipa.
They faced Yucaipa on February 3 here at Colton to see whether or not they would take 2nd. Colton tried hard but it seemed that Yucaipa wanted it a little more. The final score showed that Yucaipa had worked a little bit harder. At the end, the results were up, and Colton had lost.
The S.A.L. finals took place yesterday at 3 p.m. here at Colton High. Results were not available as the paper went to press.
From there the 1st and 2nd place wrestlers will then go on and compete in C.I.F. Colton will most likely send about eight wrestlers to compete in the S.A.L finals. Then from there they can make C.I.F., go onto Masters February 27, then to the State Championships, which will be held on March 5-6.