Issue of February 28, 2003
Vol. 86, No. 8
Click on a story link to view the story
News
"Hollywood Nights" Homecoming pleases
Student artwork up for award
Parking lots switchedOpinions
Grades and sports: a tricky mix
As I see it (Column)
Both sides now: Is all this cursing necessary? YES
Both sides now: Is all this cursing necessary? NO
Letter to the Editor: Pepperbough blew abortion protest coverage
Stop bashing Lord of the Rings!Features
Come on , you can pass this class, can't you?
Coming to a video store near you...but when?
Fun Food facts
Guest (substitute) teachers deserve our respect
Student drivers are dangerous
Three quick minutes with...Ryne Shetterly
Boys and girls...what do they want?
Reality TV becoming more popularDiversions
Daredevil soundtrack hits stores
Horoscopes by Madame Ortloff
On the set of the new Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat film
Hollywood night homecoming pleases
Adelina Avila
February 28, 2003The first week of February was filled with excitement as students at Colton High celebrated our traditional winter homecoming. On Monday February 3 ASB hosted the "Hello Walk" as homecoming court was announced. This year court consisted of Gabriel Labato, Daniel Morales, John Ayala, Jerry Ayala and Bayu Setyawan as princes and Stephanie Corpus, Robyn Cano, Loan Ngyuen, Jessica Sharp and Marissa Rico nominated as princesses. Tuesday and Thursday were filled with lunchtime activities including music at both lunches. Wednesday, CHS students supported our clubs as they held their lunchtime carnival.
There were all sorts of different kinds of food. With JROTC selling their milkshakes, National Honor Society doling out slices of Papa John pizza, Pepper Bough selling our very own hamburgers, students noshed to their heart's content. Friday February 7 was the pep assembly. The homecoming nominees were announced for a second time and there were different and uniquie dances done by all four classes.
Saturday was the "big day." For the first time in memory the dance was to be located in our very own Ken Hubbs gym. It being so close to home tickets were sold at $15 w/ASB and $20 without. This year's homecoming theme was "Hollywood Nights." At first students were doubtful of the dances outcome; in fact there had been a rumor that had evolved that the dance was being cancelled, fortunately this was untrue. Senior Cheryl Aspiazu said, "The gym didn't even look like our gym it was beautiful and I had a really good time." Bayu Setyawan and Loan Ngyuen were chosen as King and Queen when the night was over.
Compared to last year's homecoming, which was held at Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom, there were more tickets sold and many students had a better time. Being held in the gym made things more convenient, with tickets costing less and it being a closer location, there was more money to spend for decorating and music. Senior David Mugunia was this year's dance D.J and with a local band Napken livening things up, homecoming turned out to be a bigger success than some had expected.
Student's artwork considered for major award
Wendy Quinonez
February 28, 2003Senior Mark Castenon has been chosen as one of the 50 semi-finalists in the 2003 Music Center Spotlight awards two - dimensional design competition. The 2003 Music Center Spotlight awards is a competition for artists to show off their talent. He was selected from among more than two hundred entries. Castenon's art teacher Patricia Hughes sent in one of his drawing for this competition in November when she heard about the award given out. They barely found out that he's one of the semi- finalists and are very excited about it. The drawing he decided to turn in was one that was supposed to represent lyrics with a message, so he decided on one that is called Master of Puppets.
"Last year, he won top awards in the past. I believe he still wants to got to The Art Institute," says Hughes. Wonder where Castenon gets his inspiration? Castenon says he gets inspiration from looking at other famous artwork at museums and "it makes me want to do better at my artwork." If Castenon wins this prestigious award he will be receiving a certificate, $15,000 and have his drawing hung at The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Music center will be also issuing a news release announcing the semifinalists in both two-dimensional design and photography to Southern California Newspaper.
Although both Castenon and Hughes are waiting with anticipation they have to wait until March to find out if he won the competition. When asked about how he felt about being a semi-finalist he seemed really surprised: "It's not that a big of a deal. If I was one of the 15 finalists I would be more excited," he also went on by saying, "Based on the subject matter (drugs), I didn't think I would have a chance, but the judge saw it and I actually had a chance."
Master of Puppets is not the only artwork Castenon has produced that has merit. One of the many other pictures that he drew which looked very mysterious has a religious meaning behind it: that even though people claim their religion, we still go into wars. The religious artwork had two guys at the bottom of the picture and a pale sad looking face of a girl that represented as an angel on top. One of the upsets looking guys was holding a cross and the other one was holding a sign facing each other. The girl was only showing here face floating in the sky.
Hughes feels very confident about Castenon and says, "He's a tremendous artist." Senior Mark Castenon has been chosen as one of the 50 semi-finalists in the 2003 Music Center Spotlight awards two - dimensional design competition. The 2003 Music Center Spotlight awards is a competition for artists to show off their talent. He was selected from among more than two hundred entries. Castenon's art teacher Patricia Hughes sent in one of his drawing for this competition in November when she heard about the award given out. They barely found out that he's one of the semi- finalists and are very excited about it. The drawing he decided to turn in was one that was supposed to represent lyrics with a message, so he decided on one that is called Master of Puppets.
Students lose parking space in the old switcheroo
Pricilla Montgomery
February 28, 2003It came in the announcements: "Effective February 10 the staff and student parking lots on the corner of Valley Blvd. and 3rd Street will be switched. In other words, students will park in the smaller side and staff will park in the larger side. If there are too many student cars, the overflow will park in the lot at the Hubbs Gym and walk across the bridge to the main campus." This recent change was led by Assistant Principal Lynne Sheffield, who decided to switch the parking lots for one main reason: to make room for the staff. According to Sheffield, there are currently 200 staff members in need of parking space, while only 121 students have purchased the required student's parking permit. It made sense to give staff the parking lot with 110 spaces, rather than the smaller one with only 92 spaces. Although room was still limited, it would be on a first come, first serve basis.
In an effort to give students more room, administration looked into the idea of moving the fence that separated both parking lots but rejected it. "Moving the fence would just switch the amount of room available, only it would be in reverse," says Sheffield.
According to administration, the transition has been a success. The most feedback came from staff members that arrive later in the day, grateful they no longer had to walk as far to get on campus. Sheffield said there was even about four to five spaces available each day in the student parking lot leftover.
Student drivers, however, had another reaction. "I hate this parking space, its too small and I take a greater chance of someone hitting my car," says senior Brittany Young. Several students also voiced a complainant of the lack of room for those who arrive later in the day. A few even claimed that sending students over to the Hubbs gym would make those tardy even later and increase the numbers sent to TNT. Yet security guard Greg Letterly, who often stands outside and checks for parking permits, said students need to arrive on time. "If you can be five minutes late, you can be five minutes early," he notes. For the guards, the change was a smooth transition. The biggest rush comes before and after school, and at the beginning of third period. Each time, security guards are out there to watch for trouble.
Nevertheless, for students, there is a problem. "Why do students have to pay for parking permits while teachers don't? Can't we just share both of the parking lots?" says senior Sandy Lim.
Until the problem is solved for students, many take the attitude of senior Daniel Morales who sums it up saying, "Whateva, whateva, I'll park where I want."
Are your grades getting in the way of your sport? (or is it the other way around)
Liliana Aguilar
February 28, 2003Everyone has their own thing that they chose to do in high school, whether it be sports, joining a club, playing in the marching band, or being on a leadership team. For all of these activities you must carry a 2.0 GPA average, and abide by certain rules and regulations. Interestingly enough, I always hear the athletes complaining about the 2.0 rule. I'm not trying to single anyone out but it's mostly athletes who complain, and blame the sport in which they were participating in saying that you're just "too tired to do homework." Many say that all you want to do when you get home is eat and go to sleep. I know all this since I run cross-country, and sometimes the practices and pep talks can drag forever when you have something to do, or you know that you have a workload when you get home.
Now I'm not sure what all coaches have to say regarding this, but my cross-country coach always said that our first obligation was to our schoolwork, and then it was to our extra curricular activity, which was a privilege, not a right. I'm not saying that all athletes complain, since I know that many are able to maintain a GPA above a 3.0; sometimes even a more than a "perfect" 4.0. I'm just talking about those people who endlessly complain that sports take up too much time. Solution: if it really does take up too much time then why don't you just quit? If it really is getting to be a problem, then it's that easy to end it. Another solution would be instead of practicing, why not use the time you have to practice to do homework, or study for upcoming tests? What a concept!
I know that I'm not perfect and that sometimes my grades aren't what I want them to be, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to blame it on sports. I'm going to take the responsibility for it, and work harder. If it means that I have to take some time off then I would do it. I always hear people worrying about their grades when it comes to the grade checks. They know that they don't have grades and yet they sit there and sulk about it, instead of getting motivated and doing their work. I admit sometimes this has happened and I have seen a change in some people. It seems to me that when an athlete doesn't make the grade they blame it on the teacher, saying "Oh that teacher just doesn't like me," or "I do my work but I never turn it in." Neither one of these are excuses are justifiable. You knew you had to keep a 2.0.
Better luck next time.
As I see it..
Priscilla Montgomery
February 28, 2003A spawn of AP. An AP nerd. After four long years at Colton High I have come to embrace the fact that not only am I in Advanced Placement, but I love it. A great mind once referred to AP as "a cult. You'll never be able to leave." And any AP student knows that your best friend while in this enticing program is a little website I like to call sparknotes.com. For me, spark notes have been my comfort. When I was scared, it gave me comfort. When I was confused, spark notes showed the light. Ode to the wonderful spark notes. And just recently, I have noticed that there are others like myself who show the love by posting comments on the website. And I would like to share these comments, the best of the best. And I'm not making this up.
1. "Spark Notes is not cool. Cool is Spark Notes."
2. "The book The Lord of the Flies is not a real book. I asked my dad. He said that it's not a real book, and that you are just lying to get money. Bye."
3. "I think today people try to distinguish between classical 'superior' novels and modern 'inferior' novels so that anything written after 1900s is rubbish. I think Cat in the Hat proves this theory wrong."
4. "[Roll of Thunder] was smashing, I loved the way the author used all the complex words to convey a sense of smashingness."
5. "I really wanted to kick the turtle in The Grapes of Wrath to make it move faster except that I love animals."
6. "My friend said that The Catcher in the Rye was a book about a man who went insane and thought he was living in rye bread and got caught up in what the bread had to say. Thanks for proving my friend wrong."
7. "I am forever grateful to the hard work you do. So, if I see one of you guys are being mugged in the streets or something like that, then I'll do my best to run for help."
8. "I love the shirt and was very happy when I got it in the mail, but I can't wear it anymore 'cause it shrunk. So now I'm sad."
9. "I bet if you were to take over the other lame book note sites and make them better, the government would try to break you up, like Microsoft."
10. "Sparknotes, you're my best friend if you don't count my Internet boyfriend or my Sea Monkeys."
BSN- Is all this #$%!&*@! Cussing really nessesary?- pro
Leticia Zamora
February 28, 2003There is a time and place for everything. Profanity is not exempt from the truth. While yes, many use and definitely abuse profane language; it has become accepted in our society in a variety of ways.
Personally, I feel using obscene language IS necessary, as long as used when appropriate. Individuals choose or choose not to use what some still consider "bad" language. Why is it considered "bad?" It is probably because people take offense to a few of the harsh words. Most of the time, profanity is used to shock. That is its purpose. Cussing can be a very therapeutic release of tension. It is simply an expression of emotion that has been around for ages. If you consider the usage of profanity to be WRONG, well then I am surely not RIGHT.
People feel that perhaps their peers, family, adult figures, and even television shows influence their cussing status. This is absurd. We all possess free will and are more than fully capable of deciphering right from wrong for ourselves.
As for being accepted by society, just turn on the tube, and you'll hear an over abundance of "bad" language. I don't think censorship exists for television any more. The so called "four letter words" are normal for the regular television viewer to hear. The music industry nowadays isn't any different. Many artists feel, to get their point across, they must use these words. Countless artists sell edited versions for those supporters that would just rather not hear all that mess. I, despite the availability of these edited versions of CD's, would NEVER purchase a CD from Wal-Mart! In the artist's case, the profanity seems necessary. Music is an individual's expression of love, hatred, desires, as well as other displays of emotions. If an artist wishes to have the word "damn" in their chart topping # 1 hits chorus, who are we to argue?
I am not justifying the use of profanity; I am only doing my best to explain why I think it is necessary. It is not because of the others around us using profanity, and its not only because it's more accepted in today's culture. It is not only because some times there is no other way to express irritation, fear, anger, a profusion of pleasure, and even pain. Those words have been around for centuries, some of which are the oldest words in history.
We are each responsible for deciding whether or not to swear. We choose what type of language comes out of our mouths filthy, or not.
BSN- Is all this #$%!&*@! Cussing really necessary!
Denise Alcantar
February 28, 2003Okay, think right now, what would the world be like if there were no profanity? Would the whole world be affected? Would people stop expressing themselves through words or actions? Everyone might be forced to use non-curse words and actions to convey feelings and thoughts….Oh NO!
Now let me say right off that I don't think cussing is wrong. I don't think you're bad if you cuss and I often catch myself conforming to the majority of people who do cuss. I mean yes, sometimes you can't help yourself when you stub your toe or are incredibly mad. But is it necessary? NO!!!
There will never be a situation where curse words are the only way of expression. You can use actions to express yourself instead of shouting a slew of words that wastes the time of everyone around you. I think people use them because they have been around for so long and people are just too lazy to come up with anything else to say. Think about when you're watching a movie that has tons of profanity, than take it all out. Is there still a story? Nothing is lost and some people might enjoy the movie more. People start cussing because they hear it all around them. If your friends or family cuss it's pretty likely that you will start to use the same words. This is because you want to fit in with the people you hang out with or you have heard them for so long, swearing becomes like a second language (and to some it is) to you. There will never be a situation where you will just have to use profanity. It may sound right or you may be so mad that you can't think of anything else to say. But it will never be necessary. To use profanity is an option.
You may say it helps to convey or stress your feelings and/or points. But maybe if you elimintated all the swearing from your vocabulary some people would take you more seriously or actually want to listen to you. Think about how you would be perceived if you replaced all those words with useful and meaningful ones?
I want to stress that I find no wrong or offense in people using profanity. Everyone has a right to speak however they choose. But it is just not necessary to use them. The whole point is; people can choose to cuss or not to cuss. It may sound so right and it may express your feelings in the only way you think possible, it may bring a sense of fulfillment, but it is not needed and not necessary no matter what the time or place.
Letter to the Editor: Pepperbough blew it in covering protester story
February 28, 2003This was is in response to the recent edition of "The Pepper Bough" and specifically the article entitled "Pro-life protesters set up in grisly display in front of Colton campus, shock arriving students". Being under the impression that the cover article was to be a news/reporting article, it was disappointing to discover that only pro-life views were expressed. Colton High School is a very diverse place; unfortunately, "The Pepper Bough" was unable to address this issue within this article. There are several major flaws within this article and they will be addressed within.
First and foremost, it is important that these issues be addressed, extolling the Pepper Bough for bringing this issue into student life. In acknowledging that these issue need to be addressed is also acknowledging that the entire issue should be represented. This issue of "The Pepper Bough" did not accurately represent both sides of the abortion issue. It is obvious that the entire Colton High School campus had an opinion as such quoted so in the article in paragraph five, "Almost everyone has a definite opinion on the subject." Why was only one opinion expressed throughout the entire article? There is not one pro-choice statement in the news articles than in sharing and providing education.
Secondly, the incident being reported should have brought forth the addressing of many other issues; most importantly is that of social movements and protests. The article made no attempt to address the fact that the protestors were within their constitutional rights; in the same respect it was omitted that every student has the same right. Many have expressed that instead of simply peacefully demonstration in front of Colton High School, in fact many were harassed after attempting to avoid and/pr asking to be left alone. Again, none of this was addressed. These are important social issues that need to be addressed. If "The Pepper Bough" is going to cover controversial issues the student body should also be made aware of the rights that they also posses.
Thirdly, the history of the issue was oversimplified. The article gives off an impression that the Roe v. Wade decision is the only one of importance. There were many decisions made prior, steps in reaching the Supreme Court. The article did not address the uproar that the decision caused at the time or anything pertaining to it. The article did not address the importance of this in a woman's right to chose. Prior to January 22, 1973 the legality of abortion was limited; unfortunately this opened the door for more social protest. The history of abortion should not have been oversimplified; it allow no education on this controversial issue.
Finally, there is an obvious error and issue within the article. The error is found within the final paragraph of the article. It states, "The Survivors didn't stay long; they left shortly after school started." When in fact the protestors were seen demonstrating again after school. Errors like this should not be found, especially if the incident was fully investigated, obviously this was not the case. The obvious issue is the fact that Ms. Harris is quoted saying on behalf of the school, "We have no opinion." The Pepper Bough does not respect the school's stance on this issue, seeming to almost undermine the school's authority. These things should be addressed and be integrated.
It was important the "The Pepper Bough" began to address such an important issue. Unfortunately, only the tip of the iceberg was touched. In respect to the author and entire "Pepper Bough is extolling praise but that these issues should be looked into. Time and consideration is appreciated.Kristine Hazelhigg
Grand Terrace
Lord of whose rings?
Kerry Ortloff
February 28, 2003Lately I've seen a lot of articles concerning a single film, The Lord of The Rings, the Two Towers. Let me just warn you right now, I'm about as fanatical as a fan can get, so if you have no interest in Middle Earth whatsoever, I suggest you find another article to enjoy. That said, lets continue. It seems to me that some individuals just can't resist bashing this film; let me go through some of their common complaints in the form of a list, because, well, lists are fun.
1. The movie doesn't follow the book. This of course is true, the movie is not exactly identical to the novel by the same name, but, I think true fans of the stories can appreciate that the essentials remain; the character development, the main plot, and the theme, is consistent in both book and movie. I think people should also consider that adapting a novel to film can be extremely difficult, some parts in books won't work on screen. Movies are all about what you see and hear, in a story an author has many more advantages, like telling you what people are thinking.
2. The film is too long and complicated. This is just ridiculous; it seems to me that the general public seems to have decreased in intelligence or attention spans. This movie is not terribly involved, it has multiple story lines but it is not hard to follow, if you actually use your brain. The stupidest thing is that on two separate occasions I read opinion articles by middle aged men complaining about the complexity of the movie, my younger 11 year old sister understands it, it's sad that men 4 times her age can't. To them I suggest staying home for the third installment or better yet going to see a Disney movie.
3. There are too many characters, with hard to pronounce names. Honestly people need to stop asking for things to be easy. What ever happened to embracing diversity? Yes, there are many imaginative characters with unusual names, but that's the beauty of this film, J.R.R. Tolkein was extremely creative, and he dreamed up new languages and fanciful places. Maybe Arwen isn't as simple as Jane, but that is exactly what makes it great. As for not knowing the difference between the good and bad characters, as I've heard people mention, if you can't tell who's on what side, then maybe you're not as brilliant as you once thought.
The fact is that movies these days seem to be either fluff pieces of romantic comedy, lame scary movies, or low-level teen films, while these types of movies can be enjoyable in there own right, they always seem to be extremely predictable, and most of the time you don't really care about the characters, and the conflicts aren't particularly engaging. In the Lord of The Rings, you find memorable characters, perilous journeys, and worthy opponents, you're transported to a world so different from anywhere you've ever been. It starts you thinking about courage, good vs. evil, love, and friendship; all things worth analyzing. Maybe I'm going over board about all this, maybe not, but even if you don't agree with all of the above, you can always enjoy the movie for one reason: Orlando Bloom make a pretty cute elf.
Challenging courses? Yes. Rocket science? No
Sean Durdle
February 28, 2003If we plan on doing anything in our lives, we at least need a high school education. Is it really that hard to get though? Are teachers challenging students enough? Let's not forget that our purpose for being here is to learn. To get at least a "D" in every class is not that hard. Sure some effort is needed, but how much?
Teachers say they try to make the class as challenging as possible. If you do the work and get at least passing grades on tests it is almost guaranteed that you pass the class. Even though they say their classes are challenging, they also think that it is not hard to pass their class. Everyone deserves the grade they get and that is a measure of how much effort the student put in the class. To really pass a class you don't have to pay attention everyday, but it helps to.
Commenting on the subject, sophomore Seth Diggs says it is "extremely easily" to pass a class. Of the students questioned, their reply was similar. It is commonly agreed that passing a class is fairly simple. Most of the students said that if one does at least all of the homework they will pass. English teacher Lucy Khairullah said she thinks that it isn't too hard to pass her class, but that she does try to challenge her students.
School is something that is crucial to the rest of our lives. How well we do in it decides what kind of opportunities the future will hold forJ us. Students could put little effort into passing classes and graduate fairly easily, while others choose to put more time into their work, guaranteeing an easier life later on. Laziness sometimes plays a role in how much effort people put into getting their grade. The lazier the person is, the less work they are going to do. The work required to pass a class isn't a lot and therefore not a whole lot of effort is needed in order to pass.
Coming to a video store near you.. but when?
April Valenti
February 28, 2003"Man, this movie is great. I can't wait to buy it on DVD." Have you ever heard yourself, or some one with you on a trip to the movie theaters, make this statement after seeing a good movie? Well did you ever wonder what determined how long it would realistically be in order to purchase the film that was still in its theatrical release stages? Why do some movies like The Wizard of Oz have a forty-seven year difference between theatrical release and video release and some, like The Patriot, only need a year? Of course there are probably a few different aspects that play into the whole thing, but the obvious underlying consideration is the money issue. "What will make us the most money?"
On January 1, 1939, Gone With The Wind, an all time classic, was released in movie theaters for the first time. The next time you would be able to see it was on T.V. in 1979, then again in the theaters in 1998, and for the first time on video in the year 2000, 62 years after the first showing. But how about the Star Wars movies? The First one to come out, Episode IV, took twenty years to go from movie theater to home theater according to www.Amazon.com, where the most recent, Episode II:Attack of the Clones,, only took a few days short of six months.
What makes a profit? It seems to be based upon the movie itself and the studio's outlook on the situation. When Steven Spielberg made the famous movie E.T., for a long time he refused to let it be made into a video because he said it had to be experienced on the big screen. Now yes, he did eventually give in, resulting in many families having there own copy of such a great movie, but his stand poses a reason for the delay.
Re-releasing movies into theatres is a huge moneymaker for the movie industry. If they release their film on video, they will limit their chance of a big income with the second time around in the theaters. But if the movie didn't do well in the theaters the first time, the best bet would be to get the tape out fast for all the people who did enjoy it initially. Disney Studios uses the "available for a limited time" tactic. When they only offer films to be purchased for a short time it also encourages the consumers to consume the deal. Now with the popular technology advancement of DVD, even more chances for moneymaking are available. George Lucas, the producer of the Star Wars movies, says that he will not release his movies on DVD until he has time to finish the series on video and to acquire enough "special features" to make it more appealing to the fans.
The only thing that seems to hold true about release dates is that there is no trend. Just because it is a big movie like The Little Mermaid, taking eight years, doesn't mean it will be held back. Titanic, the greatest motion picture of its time only left a 9-month margin between theatre and VHS.
Fun facts you never wanted to know
Kerry Ortloff
February 28, 2003Everyday we stuff our faces with all sorts of weird foods, I think we should stop and ask ourselves, "Where did any of this come from?" Some of these products are sold right here on campus. Who really came up with Twinkies? Was there really ever chocolate flavored JELL-O? Is there something wrong with red M&M's? These are the pressing sort of issues this nations youth should be concerned with.
First up there is everyone's favorite, Twinkies! Twinkies came into existence during the Depression; a baker by the name of Jimmy Dewar decided to use the pans for a seasonal Hostess product, Little Shortbread fingers (never heard of them? Me neither, that's because nothing compares to a Twinkie!), during the rest of the year. He filled the pans with golden sponge cake, and banana filling. Why don't your Twinkies have banana filling? Well during World War 2 there was a banana shortage, so the original filling was replaced with the vanilla variety we've all grown to love. Banana filled Twinkies do still exist, they just aren't quite as popular. As for the name of these delectable treats, it seems a billboard promoting "Twinkle Toe Shoes", inspired Mr. Dewar to name the treats Twinkies.
What about those tasty little nuggets of chocolate, M&M's? The fun colored candies may have a more sordid past then you'd expect, then again maybe not. During the Spanish Civil War, Mr. Forrest Mars Sr. (ever heard of Mars candy company?) noticed soldiers eating pieces of chocolate covered in a hard sugary coating; this helped prevent them from melting. Inspired by this, Mr. Mars went home and created M&M's; they first marketed to the public in 1941. They immediately became a favorite with GI's during World War 2. When they were first introduced M&M's were one color, brown, then in 1960 red, green and yellow were added, but it's in 1976 that things start to get interesting. During that year Mars came out with orange M&M's, but they also pulled the color red, why, because there was a controversy over a certain red food dye, the dye was never used in the M&M's, but to avoid confusion, Mars just stopped producing the crimson candies. It wasn't until eleven years later that red was brought back by popular demand. Not that the red ones had all the fun, the green ones have their own story as well. There is a well-known "urban myth" that eating green M&M's is, well, sexually arousing. Truthfully there is no special ingredient in the green dye that would have that effect, but if it works for you, more power to you.
JELL-O is a favorite of children and adults alike. A Mr. Peter Cooper invented the first instant Gelatin back in 1845, it was in 1897 that Pearle B. Wait produced fruit flavored gelatin and named his product JELL-O. The first flavors were strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon. Through the years there have been numerous JELL-O flavors. In 1904 Chocolate and Cherry were introduced. Then in the 30's Lime was produced, because it went well in the gelatin salads that had become so popular. In 1942 there was a cola flavored JELL-O but that only lasted a year, thankfully. These days you can find dozens of varieties at Stater's.
The Kool-Aid legacy all begins with an 11- year old boy named Edwin Perkins. All through his youth Edwin enjoyed inventing things, later he started his own company, which produced, among other products, a fruit flavored beverage concentrate named, "Fruit Smack". It was sold through the mail in 4-ounce bottles, to make things easier, Perkins borrowed an idea from the JELL-O company and transformed his syrup into a powder. After all this he changed the name to Kool-aid. The company was sold to The General foods Company in 1953, and the next year the frosty smiley pitcher icon was introduced. It wasn't until 1975 that the "Kool-Aid man" burst onto the scene, and as we all know he is still around handing out cold glasses of Kool-aid today.
That was definitely an intriguing history lesson, considering its subject matter was food. It's amazing how much fun useless knowledge is!
Majority of "guest teachers" deserve our respect
Leticia Zamora
February 28, 2003In a past issue I wrote an editorial ripping substitute teachers. In retrospect, I feeel I haven't given substitute teachers the credit they deserve. In the past, my harsh words implied many unfair judgments. Yes, I still think SOME are clueless, and they still have their reputation for losing assignments, among other things, but I completely over looked the ones that ARE doing their job adequately.
I know just as well as any one that some subs just don't care. They take advantage of an easy job, BUT there are a few "guest teachers," that make the effort and actually take care of business while a regular teacher is away. Dylan Toepfer, one of the many regular "guest teachers," in my opinion, IS doing things right when it comes to educating the youth of Colton.
I think when criticizing, we tend to focus mainly on the extreme bad and not enough on the semi good. Perhaps if guest teachers put and end to treating everyone could have an easier time. Guest teachers like Toepfer are strict when they have to be, and I do understand that some times discipline is needed to begin with in some situations. For the most part, Toepfer says, " I let the class dictate how I'm going to treat them."
There isn't much difference between a regular teacher and a guest teacher. The partial credentials as well as pay are the differences. Guest teachers too have to have a bachelor's degree as well as pass the California Basic Education Skills Test, so it's not like they are incapable of assisting students in a variety of classes.
Aside from Toepfer, and a few others, many guest teachers should consider the education they are prohibiting students to obtain by just allowing the period to be wasted. For those of you guest teachers out there that are getting the job done accordingly, I appreciate the effort and endurance. Forgive me for not giving you the initial credit you deserve.
As for the rest of you, well, I don't really know what to tell you other than please don't waste my precious time.
Student Drivers: Insane in the membrane?
Shauna Pardo
February 28, 2003Congratulations all teen drivers, we have now killed 25,000 people in the US this past year. Don't you feel proud? Well, some people are probably thinking "they can't be referring to me," but am I?
Maybe that estimation is not all that correct or even close but it is easy to think about how it could be. Think about it, all these new and inexperienced drivers on the road, you never know what they are going to do. They're still getting used to turning on the correct signals, making a complete stop at the stop sign, and even forgetting to put on that simple safety device, the seat belt. Not all you drivers are nervous wrecks while driving, but some are little too confident. From weaving in and out of traffic to driving too fast in parking lots, reckless driving can cause the simplest and smallest accidents. But those are the accidents that can raise insurance rates about $100 a month.
There are other ways to get into trouble legally and in accordance to life and death situations…street racing. Yes, the adrenaline rush is very high, but lives are being taken in these situations. Not only are the drivers and passenger's lives in these races being threatened, the lives of other cars that happen to drive by these split-second moments as well. Street racing is very dangerous whether you've gotten into an accident in doing it or not. Last year two cars where racing on a desolate street reaching 100mph when suddenly a car turned around the corner onto the street and collided with one of the racers. The two passengers in the front seat were killed on impact when the teenage boy in the back seat was in hospitalized in critical condition. Situations like these happen dozens of times a year. However, there are racetracks for these events. Dangerous, yes, but not nearly as dangerous as on the streets.
Not all teenage drivers are like this, true. Most of the student drivers at this school have never gotten a ticket, been in an accident, or been street racing. But just because a student hasn't had a ticket doesn't mean they were all sober when they drove. Or that they didn't take a puff of the "magic dragon." The truth is no one really knows if a teenage driver is safe, but that can be true any driver, for that matter. When you get in a car with someone, you trust the driver and the other people on the road with your life. So when you get in the car especially with a new driver, make sure you know if that person knows what they are doing.
Three quick minutes with… Ryne Shetterly
Krist Hinshaw
February 28, 2003Full name: Ryne Anthony Shetterly
Nickname: Dorn
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 165lbs
Age: 17
Grade: Senior
Sports played: Football, Baseball, and water polo
Favorite food: Anything from Bakers
Drink: Ice tea
TV show: High school Reunion
Movie: Darkness Falls
Artist: Morrissey
Thing to do: Hang out with my friends
Video game: Metal of Honor with the cheats on!
Celebrity: Jim CareyWhat is one major thing that you have accomplished in high school?
Being chosen as Boys state delicate to represent Colton High.
What do you see in your future?
Going to a 4 year university, graduating with a degree in Business, Making a lot of money and "eventually" getting married and having kids.
How would you describe yourself?
Loud, loyal, obnoxious and fun to be around.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I help out with the girls Varsity soccer team, prepare for baseball, and got to TGI Fridays and Starbucks every weekend.
Who do you look up to or who is your idol?
My dad
If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you be and why?
I would be at Huntington Beach with all my friends just like over the summer.
What is your idea of a perfect date?
Bakers and a movie
If you could switch places with anyone who would it be and why?
Troy Glaus, so I could live the "Life"
What do you look for in a girl?
Everything that Sandy (Babe) Brown is
If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
Invest $500,000 and take $60,000 to buy a nice car, $300,000 for a house and blow the rest.
If you could see anyone fully naked who would it be?
Jennifer Lopez
How was the water polo team this year? What team were you on? How do you think that it will be next year?
The season did not do as good as it could have, but it was a great learning experience. I was on the Varsity team. The team has a lot of potential and could do well with hard work and dedication.
What do they want?
April Valenti
February 28, 2003Whether you've heard it in a song, or a movie, you probably know about the desperate attemptet men have made to figure out "what a women wants." And vise versa, I think it is evident that girls would like to understand a man's heart and mind. Instead of guessing, let's just hear it straight from thier mouths. Just asking them would be easier.
Senior Anthony Castellon (left)
"Not all guys think dirty. Not all guys go out with a girl just because of her looks. [Girls should understand these things] Some guys just like to talk to their girlfriends."
Senior Consuelo Moneno
"[I wish guys] understood that girls are not all about cars, looks and money, well at least not all of them. Appearance is not all in a girl, [and] we could do things as good as men."
Junior Noel Frost
"I don't like girls who wear a lot of make-up, are high-maintenance or unintelligent girls."
Junior Rosa Mena
"We love those gifts that don't cost much but mean a lot because they come from the heart. Being truthful is a major thing. With lies, someone always gets hurt even when it is not intended. [Also] when we say we don't feel like talking, we really do."
Sophomore Jessica Gonzalez (below right)
"[Guys should know] that girls fall for the words a guy says to them, for example 'I love you', and in the end it's not true and it breaks our heart. It's not hard for a guy to make a baby; I want the guys to know that having a baby is hard and you need to be responsible. Just 'cause your friend has one doesn't mean you can have one too, but the choices guys make are sometimes stupid. Girls suffer through pregnancy: they can't have a body like J-Lo for 9 months. And it's a lot of pain. So understand that having a baby is a big responsibility, and it is a 24-hour job. Another thing I would like guys to understand is that not all girls are the same. There are a lot of different ones, that just want a relationship and others that just want sex."
Freshman Romeo Pagdilao
"I don't like girls with too much make up or stupid girls."
Freshman Suzan Gentili and Freshman Lorena Guttierez (below right) "Girls do like all the old fashioned stuff, like opening doors, and pulling out chairs. [Guys need to realize that] acting dumb around your friends isn't cool. Treat us the same around your friends, true friends would understand. They need to be there for us during the tough times. Don't flip out if we cry, we just need support. Yes we have mood swings, don't take it personally."
Sophomore Joe Ramirez (right) "[I wish girls knew] that guys like going out with girls as much as we do with our friends. We do think about girls a lot but not always sexually. [Also] we do enjoy a girl with a good personality and it is not always about their looks."
Who's tuning in to reality T.V.? (Everyone)
Denise Alcantar
February 28, 2003Everyone at one time or another has watched The Real World on MTV. " I like watching The Real World, I like to watch when people cheat on each other," says senior Ashley Wall.
But not every reality show since then has been a great success. Take Temptation Island for example. The show didn't even start out well to begin with and by the last episode, nobody was tuning in.
The Osborne's' ratings this season are way down compared to last years' high numbers. So why do shows die down. Better yet, what makes them float?
Take American Idol, the first episode of the second season had thousands more viewers than the first season's finale, where the American Idol was crowned. "I watch that show every time it comes on, it's so funny to see those people singing, when they sing so bad. It's so sad," explains sophomore Laura Villalobos.
Survivor, a show so popular it's starting season six, after five very successful ones. Who would have thought watching everyday people thrown on an island and forced to "survive" the harsh conditions and your fellow man, could be so addicting?
How about that show Fear Factor? There's another reality-show triumph. The public is drawn to eye-popping stunts, from crazy to dangerous to utterly disgusting. "I watch Fear Factor," says senior Krystal George, " I just like to cause it's fun to watch."
It's a fact that people are interested in the perseverance of hopes and dreams of others right?
Actually it's just that people like watching real things happen to real people. People enjoy it if there's a certain risk involved, like a huge surprise or let down. As in the hit shows: Joe Millionaire and The Bachelor, and Bachelorette. These shows are based on an "everyday" guy or gal dating several people and eventually narrowing it down to one person. " I like to see how the girls are attracted to the money and not the guy," says senior Daisy Patino. Joe Millionaire is an alleged construction worker who makes 19,000 a year as opposed to millions, which all the women think he's worth. "I don't like the girls on it, except Zora. I want Zora to win, says senior Marisela Maldonado. They all want the money, those greedy bastards!" And win she did, on the finale Zora was the one picked by "Joe," and as an extra twist the show gave the couple a check for one million dollars. It was no doubt that Joe Millionare was the highest rated show that night.
"I watch Celebrity Mole and The Bachelorette too," admits Maldonado. But do most people enjoy real television?
Reality T.V. is stupid and fake. I don't watch those shows cause their boring and the people on them are making fools of themselves," explains freshman Jackie Sanchez.
You can't please everyone, no matter how unbelievable or crazy the show is. From the Real World to Joe Millionaire, reality shows started strong and are still going on. There's practically a show on everyday of the week. What concept will they come up with next? Whatever it is, they wont have ant problems with finding the viewers. It looks lke reality is here to stay.
"Daredevil" Soundtrack CD showcases current bands
Lauren Young
February 28, 2003This soundtrack is way different then the music that I would normally listen to, but this soundtrack really caught my attention because there are some songs that are really emotional. To me the theme of many of the cuts on this soundtrack is that people really always be there for you or like when you feel like something has just ruined your life keep your head up because, in the words of one of the songs, "You can make it through the rain."
Some of the artists that appear on this soundtrack are Nickelback, Finger Eleven, The Calling, Moby, and Saliva. Now most of these people I have never heard and when I first saw the CD; their music really didn't strike me as interesting; but when I started listening to it I really started to like it.
You cannot really say that this CD is a rock CD because it's not, it is a mixture of different kinds of music. This soundtrack is extraordinary and really fun to listen to. If you like different mixtures of music than you should really go and by this soundtrack. And if you don't like different types of music than you should go pick up this soundtrack because it will give you a different look on music and it will open your eyes to different kinds of music.
Horoscopes
Kerry Ortloff
February 28, 2003Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Chocolate covered grasshoppers taste better then carmel caterpillar.
Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Frog heads live under your bed, be careful, they want to bite off your toes!
Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): This month you go trigger happy with silly string; all your friends should watch out.
Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20): Do not stick crayons up your nose, you never know how far they'll go before they really get stuck.
Gemini (May 21-June 21): Your house gets taken hostage by a rowdy gang of drunken gerbils. Give in to their demands.
Cancer (June 22-July 22): In honor of St. Patricks Day, eat all the little marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You will read my horoscopes for the rest of your life, or else you will be dumb and no one will like you.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You join the circus with a band of dancing, singing strawberries.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don't eat McDonald's, we're still not sure what's in those McNuggets.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You're a peacemaker this month, you brake up fights about whether or not Micheal Jackson had plastic surgery...it's all BS.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You find the Chupacabra in your backyard and it becomes your best friend.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You dress up as the Jolly Green Giant in an attempt to impress someone you like...it doesn't work.
On the set: The production of "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat"
Mitchell Rector
February 28, 2003I was looking at this and looking at that
As I walked on the set of "The Cat in the Hat"
Hollywood had come to stay a few weeks
It had borrowed a street with stores of antiques
It had built a set with colors so bright
Colors to fit a child's delight
The streets painted green, the stores turned to blue
Was I stuck in the land of Cindy Lou Who?
A few months back, director Bo Welch decided to bring the production of the second Dr. Seuss movie, "The Cat in the Hat," to Pomona, California. Now, from what I hear there were two major sets in place - one was in Pomona on a street of Antique stores and the other was somewhere just outside of Pomona (or so I was told).
Now, I wouldn't have even known any of this information if it wasn't for my aunt. She just so happened to be working across the street from the Antique Row at Washington Mutual and her office looked right down on the whole entire set. When she told me that I knew I had to get myself on that set to inform Colton High about it. I visited the set two times. The first time, there wasn't any film crew there, just regular people taking pictures.
I brought a camera of my own and took as many pictures as I could. The pavement was painted green, the trees had plastic leaves that were yellow and green, and the stores either were red, blue, orange, purple or brown. Each store also had a big statue of what it was selling inside. coffee shop, for example, had a big coffee cup hanging over the doorway, the donut store had a big donut, the glasses store had a big pair of specs, and so on.
I was under the belief that the movie would somehow take place in the 60's because all the furniture and televisions in the windows of the stores were old fashion, like the 60's. I also remember seeing a big painting of Kelly Preston on the side one building. Under her picture it read: "Joan Walden - Real Estate." Anyways, after using up all the pictures that my camera could hold, I decided to call it a day.
A few days after that, I returned to the set to find a big crew there. There were cameras, lights, and probably a hundred extras that were all dressed up in purple, green or orange. All of their outfits looked as if they were from the 60's. The cast also arrived on the set. Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam) and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid) were the first to arrive. Spencer Breslin's little sister, Abigail Breslin (Signs) was hanging out as well. Fanning and Breslin were playing the two bored children that are stuck in the house on a rainy day. The two were shooting a scene of them in an old fashion red car with Thing 1, Thing 2 and a stand-in 'Cat' for Mike Myers (Austin Powers in Goldmember), who was still in his trailer getting ready. They must have shot the scene about five to seven times before moving on to a different scene. I also remember that day being a bit on the cold and rainy side but I saw a big light being shined on the actors for the scene. Later on in the day, Alec Baldwin (Pearl Harbor) arrived in a nice black Cadillac (of course he had a driver). He waved at the crowd and then went and talked to the director for a while. Baldwin will play a detective on The Cat's case. I was getting a little bored so I went and stood by the curb for a while, away from the crowd. Things were kind of slowing down for a while but then Kelly Preston (Jerry Maguire) and Mike Myers showed up. Preston was dressed up in a pink gown to play the two kids' mother and Myers was dressed up in feline fur, a bow tie, and a big red and white striped hat (guess who he plays). Together, Myers, Preston and Baldwin, shot various scenes before everyone decided to pack up and retire for the day.
After two weeks of shooting, the filming at Pomona was done. The film moved to a small neighborhood to film the bigger portion of the film, at the kids' home. Pomona had it's big taste of Hollywood and so I did I for that matter. Being on the set of such a colorful and fun movie as The Cat in the Hat was just like going to Disneyland. It was an experience that I will remember for years to come.
To conclude, the movie "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat" will arrive at a theater near you in November this year so I suggest you see it.