Issue of May 24, 2002
Volume 85, No. 5
Click on the links in the table of contents to view the story
News
Carreon leaving for Principal's job
DECA
Key Club
Students honored at Dodger Stadium
Prom review
Spirit Week scores bigOpinions
Both sides now: Prom costs too much
Both sides now: Prom is worth it
As I see it (Column)
Violence in the Media: Who's to blame?
Graduation requirements not too soft
Psychics: the truth is out there!Features
Favorite Summer memories
Bad things about summer
Favorite summer hot spots
Fun things to do this summer
Looking for a summer job?
Memorable moments this year
The 411 on all things College
What are YOU doing for summer vacation?Diversions/Reviews
High school relationships
Spider Man CD review
Spider Man movie review
Star Wars movie review
Being in a high school rock band
Weezer CD review
Little Shop of Horrors Play reviewSports
Badminton
Track
Baseball
Softball
Tennis
Golf
Carreon Leaving
By Paul Lopez
After two years of working with the students at Colton High as their assistant principal, Diana Carreon will regretfully be leaving us to pursue a principal position at Alice Birney Elementary. Just like many other administrators in the district, she was reassigned to this new position by the district board. Right now Carreon is spending a day or two a week on campus at Alice Birney to make preparations for the next school year. She will be starting as full time principal there this coming June 3rd.
For Principal Bertha Arreguin of Alice Birney, she was reassigned to an elementary school in Bloomington to pursue a better career opportunity.
Carreon says that she likes the students at Alice Birney by the way she is able to communicate with the students as adults. " We'er talking about apples and oranges, they're completely different things, and I will be sad to leave here," said Carreon stating that it is not a thing about favorites but more both schools are equally enjoyed. Even though she starts her new job the third of June, she will be here to see off the seniors that will be graduating on June 13th.
Carreon's assistant principal position has not been filled but was posted as open by the school board and they are accepting applicants. After the district goes over the interviews with the applicants and finds the one who fits the job description he will then be walked through on campus the several major duties that with the job he applied for.
Carreon has had a very successful 11-year career with the Colton Joint Unified School District. She first started as a Chapter I aid and then was put into a career ladder where the district paid for the rest of her schooling and credentials. After getting her credentials she became a math teacher for the district. In this time Carreon has taught at Bloomington Middle, taught here at Colton High during the summer, and one year in elementary at Alice Birney. When Theresa (Terry) Adame, former principal for Colton High, left to pursue a position that would be less complex for her health, present principal Jerry Almandarez, filled her position and left the spot open for Carreon, and that is how Carreon has come to touch my of the lives of students on this campus.
DECA Leadership Conference
By Sandy Brown
May 24, 2002
Colton High supports students that want to specialize in learning about public speaking, presentation interaction with professionals, and helping students acquire the skills for any field of business, by having the group organization Decca which is lead and organized by Carol Tsushima. Students involved in this organization are devoted to trying to become independent and able to stand up in front of any group of people to speak their opinion on something and to compete in certain categories.
On Friday April 19 Decca students, along with Mrs. Tsushima, went to Salt Lake City for five day. Students competed for different activities in an international competition for all 50 states including Canada, Qwam, Puerto Rico and Germany. There were about 12,000 students competing in this international event. This event was a national marketing association for students. While at this event Colton High accepted a summit level award, which is a membership level award. This award was only given to two schools in California, and Colton was one of the two.
Leslie Cerritos, a Colton High School student, is the state officer of Decca. Not only does she Represent Colton High School, but she is also the representative for the Inland district of California, also representing Coastal districts. She attended this nation wide event to attend her state officer training. Along with Leslie other students such as Stacy Rank attended this event competing with her own written project. Nathan Cobey and Erika Rosete attended the leadership academy. Veronica Lopez attended the senior management institute. In the chapter awards event Rubylynn Freeman and Sidney Esperado both competed. Helping vote for national Decca officers Bryan Santos and Christopher Hamm both went to this even as voting delegates.
Students, Khairullah honored at Dodger Stadium
By Ashley Jay
May 24, 2002
Recently, a very honorably opportunity was given to Colton High. The Dodger Stadium lets schools compete to have one of their students and one of their teachers honored on the field. The CHS Honor society went to work selling tickets for ten dollars a seat. They bought the amount out (rumored to have been 150 tickets sold), put a box in the office for random students to vote on who should be the lucky two. Colton High School Senior and honor student, Kelly Teeter and Honors English Teacher Lucy Khairullah were the student's choice. From self experience, "Ms. K" and Kelly are two of the most pleasant people I myself know. Lucy Khairullah is a well liked and involved teacher and Kelly, a very hard working and dedicated student.
About fifteen minutes before the game started the two were taken onto the field in front of (that night about 70,000 people) and given a special recognition for their individual accomplishments. Kelly Teeter says, " I want to thank the people who voted for me. It really means a lot." Senior Napa Utrapiromsuk says, " Kelly really deserves this. I can't think of any one who would have deserved it more."
The seats sold by the honor society sold for ten dollars and although were for from a comfortable view, provided any student the opportunity to view their classmates in their success. Lucky enough to sit in the red seats, I also got to watch an excellent game.
The Dodgers came out on top against the Cubs. All in all I was lucky enough to see a great game, good food, and the most deserving people.
Key Club District Convention
by Andrew Quiroz
May 24, 2002
My experiences at the Key Club District Convention were awesome because this year it took place at the San Jose Convention Center located next to the San Jose Hilton and Towers Hotel. Over 3,500 teen-agers and adults filled the halls and attended the Key Club Convention this year. Key Club International is the largest high school volunteer work and community service organization in the world today. Our motto is "Caring…Our Way of Life." We follow this motto everywhere we go whether it is in California, Texas, or anywhere else in the United States of America. Our goal is to develop initiative and leadership skills to prepare us for when we go out into the real world.
Currently, Key Club International has 32,500 clubs in the California-Nevada-Hawaii District. Each state belongs to its own district and they meet up every year at the International Convention. This year it is going to be in Anaheim, California. All of these trips cost money, so the Key Clubbers fundraise money to get to where they need to go. They also rely on their sponsors, Kiwanis International. In order to be in Kiwanis International, the individual must be 18 years of age. The Kiwanis Club of Colton sponsors that Key Club at Colton High School. Currently the Colton High Key Club has 23 paid members and they are looking forward to having more members attend the meetings.
I represented Colton High School at the District Convention as the Lieutenant Governor. The dates for this prestigious event were, April 5th, 6th, and 7th. You can meet many people such as I have done here, and you get a good feeling when you volunteer. At the District Convention, you get all of the training you need, and you receive many awards. There is what people call general sessions, and they are just like pep assemblies with over 3,500 people. This year, since the International Convention is in Anaheim, it is much cheaper than last year when it was held in Washington D.C.
I actively participate in Key Club events almost every day and have been a member of the Key Club for over 3 years. I am the current Immediate Past Lieutenant Governor for Division 36 Key Club. In California, I manage all of the schools in San Bernardino County ranging in the area of Fontana, A.B. Miller, and Kaiser to Yucaipa and even Big Bear High School. There is over 1000 Key Clubbers in my division of 18 clubs. Thanks to Key Club and my hard work and dedication to it, I have racked up over 1250 hours of community service.
I am very much inspired by his cousin Jennifer Logan, a freshmen at California Baptist in Riverside and a past Key Club Secretary. I also thank Kiet Yen Phou and Carissa Balinghasay who have inspired me to join Circle K International in college. I am going to help them get into the program because they are dedicated like him. Kit and Carissa are seniors at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino.
The Key Club also goes to Magic Mountain every year to attend the Fall Rally South. Anyone can go to that, Key Club member or not. The cost is $20.00. If you are a senior and you would like to get into Key Club, there is always Circle K International. They are just the same as Key Club, but they are the college version. If you are planning to go to University California, Riverside, they have one of the strongest Circle K Clubs around, bigger than Cal State San Bernardino, that is. I also plan on joining Circle K International because I am a dedicated Key Clubber at heart.
If volunteer work and community service are what you want to do, join Key Club. It is a very good club to join and you get a lot out of it. If you are interested in joining, they meet every Monday after school in Room # 552. Meetings usually start at around 2:25p.m. Come in and have some refreshments as we discuss the upcoming events in Key Club.
Prom Review
By April Lewis
May 24, 2002
"Wish upon a Star" was the theme of this years prom which was held on Saturday May 11 at the Disneyland Hotel in the Marina Ballroom. Everyone was all decked out and looked very nice for this special occasion. At prom our King and Queen was pronounced: Monica Hernandez and John Martinez. The prom princesses and princes were Veronica Lopez, Thomas Suchil, Shannon Garcia, Tim Fitch, Erin Espinoza, Adam Archuleta, Alicia Vega, and Daniel Wilkes. Inside the Marina Ballroom there was food and drinks for people to enjoy and the room was decorated with stars that were spotlighted on the walls. There was a castle on the stage near the dance floor which was a great photo spot, although there were no balloons and the room looked kind of plain as far as all the decorations go. The music was not all that great; the DJ there played all rap at one time and then all Spanish at one time instead of mixing it up so then maybe the dance floor wouldn't have been as empty as it was at various times.
Junior Isabel Mata had this to say about prom: "Prom was very expensive this year like last year but I don't know where all that money went because it sure didn't go to the decorations or the food for that matter." On the other hand Senior Erin Rendleman said, "I had a lot of fun at prom all night long. I was on the dance floor dancing the night away with my boyfriend."
Spirit Week
By April Lewis
05-24-02
Spirit week here at Colton High was a week of Spirit and fun. Spirit week started on April 15 and ended on April 19. The week was filled with fun filled activities for all the students here at Colton High. On Monday Spirit week kicked off with our annual auction many students were auctioned off and sold for up to $26.00 the people were bought at the auction had to be a slave for a day for the people who they were auctioned off too. Tuesday there was a lunchtime DJ and we had class competition in which we played limbo to see could go down the farthest in the limbo line. On Wednesday the Carnival took place at the carnival there was wonderful food and music all in all it was a good time to just hang out and visit with your friends while eating great food. Thursday there was a student teacher softball game on the girl's softball field. The students battled with their teachers to see who really is the best. The students won the softball game with a score of 11-0 and were rewarded for their great playing at the pep assembly. The last day of our spirit week we had the pep assembly. The pep assembly was filled with lots of dancing and a lot of class competitions. Since it was the last assembly of the year the seniors had the privilege of leaving the assembly first.
When the students around campus were asked about spirit week there was a lot of positive comments. Senior Sandra Pearson said, "Spirit week is wonderful to have it helps bring back some of the spirit to Colton High and remind people why our high school is the best." Senior Tina Villalobos said, "It was a lot of fun participating in Spirit week first I was auctioned off and then I helped the students win the teachers in the softball game." Villalobos also stated, "Since it is my last year here at Colton I am glad that I was involved in Spirit week, I think that Spirit week really does make people want to become more involved in their school." Some students didn't get in the feeling of Spirit week but overall Spirit week was a big success.
Column: As I See It
By Amy Carrillo
May 24, 2002
Well, this is it…the last regular issue of the Pepperbough. In exactly twenty days, high school will be over for us seniors. We will be walking across that stage as our names are called, receiving our diplomas…most of us, that is. I was going to write this column about my experiences here at Colton High, but I thought that it might be better to leave a few words of wisdom to the underclassmen.
Last month I picked up my senior sweatshirt. As I was looking at the names on the back, I realized that I had never heard of a quarter of the people on there. If I had one regret in high school, it was probably that I really didn't know very many people outside of my clique. I mean sure, I talked to them, but I really didn't socialize with them outside of school. But this year, I broadened my horizons and hung out with other people. I didn't ditch my friends, but I just got to know more people and became friends with people outside of my clique. It's not that I don't like other people, I just don't think that I gave them a fair chance, and I know that everyone else out there is just as guilty as I am. I know that there are certain people out there that think that they are too good to talk to me, but it makes me sick during election week or Homecoming week when someone who stopped talking to me freshman year tries to talk to me and be my friend again just to get a vote.
So with that said, underclassmen- learn from my mistakes. Those "dorks" in class next to you are going to be saving your lives in the doctor's office and protecting your lives in the courts of law. When you leave high school popularity is nothing. People aren't going to care if you were voted 'Best Looking' or were crowned 'Homecoming Queen'. What is really going to matter is the way that you treat other people. I admit that some people probably consider me a 'dork' because I do my homework and take AP classes, but it bothers me when people think that those of us in AP classes don't do anything on the weekends but study. It is one of those stereotypes that isn't true. Just because I apply myself and care about my grades doesn't mean that I don't have a life.
So, underclassmen, the best advice that I can give you, is that same infamous line that I'm sure your parents have told you time and time again… "Treat people the way that you want to be treated."
Graduation Requirements too Easy
By Lisa Namneth
May 24, 2002
So you've graduated from Colton High, and you think you're ready to enter college and compete for grades with students from all over the United States. I've got some news for you: you're not.
The graduation requirements at Colton didn't prepare you for the world that you've been thrown into. This is a reality that many of the class of 2002 will face next fall.
While the requirements should not be preparing you solely for college, they should be set to a high enough standard that a decision can be made at the end of your junior year. Currently if you haven't been on the "track" to college admissions, then the classes you have taken and the grades you have received are not enough to make it into the college of your choice, yet they are still enough to graduate.
Some believe that Colton High's requirements are more than adequate for high school, that the education they receive here is challenging and prepares the youth of today to be the adults of tomorrow. I don't feel this way. While the student body is just as intelligent and just as capable as the students from high schools across the country, Colton's expectations for the students come down to "if students want to be challenged they will take the more challenging classes offered." Why do we have to single ourselves out to get challenged? Shouldn't the classes taken just to graduate offer the challenge and learning goals to students?
Of course, another point is the question: why are are grades so important? How can they measure one's aptitude and understanding, if the class you are taking isn't giving grades based upon these measurements?
The other side to the argument is of course that students have to be willing to work for their grades and not just sit in their classes and expect to pass based upon how well a teacher likes them. It's a two way street and it seems that neither party is willing to meet the other half-way. Until then, one can only hope that students will challenge themselves and strive to be the best they can be.
Psychics: The truth is out there....or is it?
by Kerry Ortloff
May 24, 2002
What do you think of when you here the word “psychic”? Some people might picture Miss Cleo, or Slyvia Brown from the Montel Williams show. Maybe you think of cheesy 900 numbers that charge you five dollars a minute just to tell you things like, “You will live each day until you die,” Now I will admit that plenty of “psychics” out there are frauds, but I do believe in psychic ability or ESP.
ESP, or extra sensory perception, is a person’s ability to use their mind to do things that most other people can’t. For example, reading peoples thoughts, or moving things with your mind can be considered forms of ESP. Just consider the fact that scientifically we don’t use certain parts of our brains. What are they there for? What is their purpose?
Many people are very skeptical, and I know that. People will say there is no proof. In psychology it is not regarded as a serious field of study, because studies just can’t prove anything for certain. Individuals that are thought to be psychic will sometimes display behavior that seems beyond normal, and then at the next moment show nothing strange. Some acts of supposed ESP couldn’t be repeated. Of course this makes people into disbelievers.
I think though that maybe a person’s psychic ability isn’t something they can control. I think some people may be more sensitive than others, like in “The Shining”, but ultimately I think we all possess a little ESP. Haven’t you ever just known something? Have you ever picked up the phone to call your friend, and found they are already on the line? Or have you ever gotten a feeling in the pit of your stomach where you just know there is something wrong? Coincidences? I think not.
I don’t think psychologists can develop a test to figure out a person’s psychic ability because it’s something we just never can depend on. Not because it isn’t real but because it’s something we just don’t know much about.
The way I see it, what seems unbelievable now may become a fact of life decades from now. Look at modern science, centuries ago it was considered magic but now we can all enjoy going to class to learn about the magical studies of physics and chemistry. Yay! But seriously who knows, maybe one day our great great grandchildren will take classes in telekinesis. Yeah I guess I just want to believe.
Both Sides Now: Is Prom really worth the expenditure? YES!
by Kristi Trinidad
May 24, 2002
Yes I think that prom is totally worth all of the money that we have to fork up.
It is the biggest dance of the whole four years. No other dance is the same. It is the last time that you will be able to spend dancing and dressing up with your fellow classmates. Yes, prom is expensive, but it is worth it all in the end. I think that you should participate in every activity possible your senior year and prom happens to be one of the biggest besides graduation. You really do not have to go all out for it, but that’s the whole point. If you are worried about money, then go easy on the other, less important dances. If you really don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend, then just focus on getting the basics.
This year’s prom was held at the Disneyland Hotel. Come on people! The Disneyland Hotel? This is a very fancy hotel. When you get there you meet all your friends, if you haven’t already arrived with them. They have a nice area where you and whoever you’re with can take pictures. All night there’s dancing and more pictures. Your prom ticket pays for the beverages and the food there. So along with all the dancing and fun you also get to eat, and that’s always a plus.
Afterwards you can either leave and take that long drive home or rent a hotel and party all night long. Whatever you choose, prom is a night no one will ever forget, guaranteed. People who don’t go really don’t know what they’re missing out on. Prom will be part of your high school memories.
Think about it: do you really want to be one of those sourpusses who complains about money all the time, and doesn’t want to do anything fun because “it costs too much?” Well I’ve got news for you, activities cost money because they are worthwhile. How much do you spend going to Magic Mountain? A concert? How much do you spend on your car? Your hobby? Your CD collection? Going to prom will provide memories that will last a lifetime.
When all is said and done, in future years, when everyone is laughing about the great time they had at their prom, you’ll be the only one in the group who has to admit, “I could’ve gone to my prom, but I didn’t. I thought it was a waste of money.”
Both Sides Now: Prom expenditures too much to take
By Megan Holden
05-24-02
Prom is too expensive, plain and simple. Its one night out with friends, dressed to kill… kill who though? Your friends don't hang out with you because you wear the most fashionable clothes; well at least I hope your friends don't hang out with you because you're a walking fashion magazine.
For an average girl going to prom, she spends money on the basics; the dress, matching shoes and wrap, hair and nails, purse, the accessories (hair clips, necklaces and such). On a random poll, 77% of Colton High junior and senior girls spent (or are planning to spend) over 200 dollars just for the basic stuff. And need I mind you no one's even at prom yet. You'll need a ticket for that, another 75 bucks.
Okay so now you have the dress and all hat good stuff and your ticket, now how are you going to get there? Oh that's right, a limo, how silly of me to have forgotten. Now lets figure this, limos aren't cheap, so even if you plan to split the cost of it with 7 or more of your closest friends it'll be another 60 dollars (and I'm giving a really low estimate).
So now you have the dress, ticket and the limo, prom-word bound right? Ha, not quite yet. Most people plan on going to dinner before hand, and I'm not talking Taco Bell, I'm talking more like Claim Jumper, so that'll be another 30 bucks including a drink, and tip.
Finally, dinners over, your on your way to prom, you get there… pile out of the white stretch limo, and rush over to wait in line to hand your little slip of paper to a teacher to be admitted to a room to dance, as soon as you get in… you dance right? Not just yet, you immediately rush over to yet again wait in line, to pay 75 bucks for pictures.
The dress looks amazing, your hair looks good for dinner and pictures, then starts to fall down, you're still full from dinner and wait awhile longer to dance, King and Queen are announced, you move aside and watch them crowned, then you begin dancing again for the last dance and soon enough it's all over. You and your friends leave, pile back into the limo, not yet tired because in all actuality you only danced about an hour, and you decide your hungry, and on the way back home you stop at Denny's about another 20 dollars there. You eat, you go home take off your dress, hang it up to show your kids one day, since you'll probably never wear it again, and go to sleep.
The next day you wake up and run down to your local Wal-Mart to get all your film developed… one-hour photo of course, and its 8 bucks per roll so depending on how many you have, it starts to get pricey.
Now keep in mind that this is all for the average girl going stag, sure it's cheaper when your date pays for the ticket, dinner and pictures, but think of how much that is for him. It's a lot cheaper for a guy to go to prom stag, all he really needs is to rent a tux and buy the ticket, and dinner at Taco-Bell is okay for them. But seriously, prom is so expensive that no matter how you go, stag or with a date, unless your paying for it all yourself (I know I'm not, I'd rather spend MY hard earned money on more important things, like going scuba diving this summer or a trip to Cancun), your going to owe your parents for a long time. There are a few other costs though I haven't mentioned, the corsage or boutonniere, the hotel, and I'm sure there's even more I'm forgetting.
I made it simple for my mom and didn't even go, I had the time of my life doing other things with a bunch of people I know AND like, and not spending loads of money to do it. Prom should be fun, it is only one night, and juniors especially should go this year as cheap as possible, there's still next year. Prom should be about memories, and no one's going to know how much you paid or didn't pay on your dress, and in a week, no one will even remember what your dressed looked like anyway. Make memories with friends about the time you had, not about where you ate dinner, what you arrived in, or how much you spent, it is only one night… remember that.
Taking High School for granted
By Denise Alcantar
May 24,2002
High School. To some teens, these are two words that sum up their whole life. To others, it's semi-important, and to some others it's a small unimportant part of their busy day. Yes, I know both of these kinds of teens. To the first group I referred to, these students are the "Cream of the crop" of Colton High; they work hard (or don't have to because they are geniuses), and receive very good grades. School is definitely not taken for granted by these students.
The second group kind of takes high school for granted. It's more so that they don't take it seriously, than take it for granted. Some students only put in a half-effort, and have as much fun as they can, and then some. Now we're at the third set of teens, I don't want to put anyone down, but I have to tell the truth. There are some students who come to school almost every day and learn absolutely nothing. This isn't because they are dumb, or incapable of learning, they just choose not to. These students do take school for granted. Some of them unknowingly do it, they just don't understand how important these four years of their lives are. Maybe the farthest they think ahead is their next mealtime, rather than their future. And some students are just too lazy to learn and to work (sometimes you can't blame anyone for getting bored in a class at least once a day). For whatever reasons, school is definitely taken for granted by some and taken as seriously as life to others, and some are right smack in the middle. Whichever one you think you are (or maybe you're not any of these), don't take these four years of your life lightly at all. At the risk of sounding corny, what you do here pretty much determines a huge part of your future. So try to take it more seriously, if you don't already, trust me you will not regret it.
Violence in the Media
By Heather Weepler
May 24, 2002
Violence is everywhere! But does it have to be? Is there too much violence in the media? Are kids being desensitized by what they are watching on T.V.? Are we teaching the youth of today to hate one another? Or is there good canceling out the bad? Can we really trust what our televisions are showing?
I totally think that there is too much violence. T.V. is constantly pushing its boundaries. It has escalated from a small kick in the butt to a gory murder scene that could have been played down. So many times there is an unnecessary amount of violence. Soon there will be no limit to what is on T.V. It is really disgusting to think that someone would enjoy showing that, or on the other hand, like watching it. It has become apart of T.V. Which reflects a lot of our values and culture. What kind of message are we sending?
Do we really have control over what we watch, or what is being shown? There are things that we can use to censor what we're watching. They have made different equipment that you could hook up to your T.V. to prevent you from watching things that you may find unsuitable. There are also new television sets, equip with V-chips that block of undesirable T.V. programs. Selected Broadcasting channels have put ratings on they're shows, so you can avoid seeing something that you don't want to.
These things are all fine and dandy, but how concerned are we about what we're watching on television. Of 1,358 parents of children aged 2-17 surveyed, more than two-thirds indicated they would not be buying new T.V. sets or other devices designed to keep children from watching objectionable programs.
So who's the one that needs to change? If we don't stand up for good clean programs, then who will? They'll just get worse. There is no telling how far the media will go to show what they think will bring in ratings. If you think about it, having T.V. programs like that doesn't really help us become the type of people we need to be to make it in this world. By putting violence on T.V. we teach the youth that fighting is the only way that we can ever solve anything.
If we think that we need violence to solve a problem then there is no way the social situation of our world, or country, is going to improve. Using violence in the media is a pretty sick way of getting ratings, if you can't think of anything else to put on a show to draw in a crowd, then that's just sad.
Bad things about summer
By Sara Abusiraj
May 24, 2002
It's true that there are a lot of great things about summer, but have you ever stopped to look at all the bad things? You might think that there are no bad things, right? Wrong! You may have to get a job, practice a sport in the blazing hot sun, or the worst of all, go to summer school. For Lauren Hewlett, plans for the summer are getting a job to pay off her car. But most people don't have to do any of these. They will probably spend most of their time at the beach. For those people, I only have two words; sun-burns!!! If those do happen to be your plans, let me remind you to wear a lot of sunscreen and too much exposure to the sun may cause skin cancer. Although you might not care, they are just important facts for you to know. More of your plans are having to go to parties and getting wasted, "Party with my friends and basically go wherever my lil' bro. can't go, said Candice Pinkham." How many of you are planning on going on a road trip? Hope you don't get lost! That just might happen with Senior Melissa Hernandez, "I want to take a road trip not knowing where I'm going and visit things like the world's largest doughnut." There are probably a lot more reasons to a good summer, but there will always be something there to ruin all your fun. For example, some parents are a bit over protective, so the question is, what should I do now? Well, I have no idea, but that is one more reason to add to your "bad summer list." But really though, does one little exception make you forget about having fun all together? There are a lot of things that make a bad summer, but hopefully none of them have to happen to you. As for Lauren Oliver, "I'm going to gymnastics camp and moving into my dorm."
Colton High's favorite summer stories
By Kenisha Jones
May 24, 2002
Summer is a great time for having fun and making memorable moments. Most people keep their memories alive in their minds and hearts.
Junior Crystal Doyle can relate to keeping beautiful memories in her heart. "The only one thing I can remember about last summer was meeting the love of my life, Sederick Gallon. Everything else just seems to be a big blur," says Doyle, smiling, just thinking about the great time she had.
Freshman Lashondra Lewis had a summer romance of her own. "My boyfriend and I did everything together over the summer. We went to the movies, restaurants, shopping, and every time I tried something on he held my purse, says Lewis with a smile."We're still together and we plan to have more fun this summer."
However, there is more to summer than just romance. Other people shared great memories with friends. Freshman Tiniyan Odaibo recalls her most memorable summer memories with her best friends. "We went shopping and maxed out my dad's credit card. He was a little upset, but it was worth it when I saw how good I looked in all of my new stuff," says Odaibo, laughing at her father's reactions.
Junior Ronald Sayles remembers the good times he had with his friends. "I was the number one bachelor so I got all the girls last summer. That had to be the best summer ever,"says Sayles, smiling about his great summer.
Sophomore Dominique Campbel did things a little different over the summer."I stayed in the house and read books over the summer. I was also preparing for the coming school year, there was never really much to do around my neighborhood," says Campble.
Summer is also a good time to get in shape and get fit. Senior Lark Daniels recalls one of her memorable summer workouts. "My whole summer was based on staying in shape and not gaining too much weight, so I worked out a lot and tried not to eat so much sweets and fatty food," says Daniels.
Now it's understandable why people keep their summer memories with them in great remembrance and why they are so anxious to make more great memories.
Favorite summer hot spots
By Sandy Brown
May 24, 2002
When you think of summer, you think of nice bodies, tanned skin, parties, and all of the beaches you want to go to. For most of us 90% of our summer vacation plans are going to the beach, hanging out with friends and having a good time. But with our vacation being only about 2 months, there's not enough time to hit all the best beaches. Ten students here at CHS were surveyed and the top beach recommendations are as follows:
"Newport is the best by far, because not only does it have a lot to offer, but also the people there know how to have a good time."- Ryne Shetterly, junior
"I think I would pick PuertoVallarta so I can lay in the sand and get a tan."- DeAnne Delfin, junior
"I think that Venice beach is one of the coolest places to go to shop and hang out with all your friends."- Tiffany Giuliano, sophomore
"It really doesn't mater what beach I go to just as long as I am with my little sister and my best friend Mary."- Stacie Brown, senior
"Acapulco, because there is muy bonita chicas there."- Joel Cuevas, freshman
"Malibu, or Leo Carillo, because the camp ground is cool and there is a lot of hot guys."- Liz Morgan, sophomore
"Venice, there's lots of shops and weird people you can make fun of."
-Billie Makshanoff, freshman"Balboa, because it has really big waves and really hot guys."- Krista (Hailey) Hinshaw, sophomore
"Laguna, because it's pretty when the water hits the rocks." -Jackie Muga, sophomore
" Cancun, I have not been there yet, but from all of the pictures I have seen, and all the stories I have heard it seems like it would be a really nice place to go." -Lorina Alvarez, sophomore
Fun things to do this summer
By Renee Negrete
May 24, 2002For many of you your summer will be spent sitting in a hot summer school classroom. However, others will be enjoying and making sure that this summer is better then their last. Many Colton High School's students feel that summer is meant for fun. Some may choose to stay home while others prefer going out with friends and partying. The polls are in and the results are as followed of how many students will spend their summer.
Lakes/ Rivers/ Beaches/Water Parks: 33%
Staying Home: 4%
Mall/Shopping: 5%
Looking for a summer job: 13%
Partying: 26%
Amusement Parks: 19%
Looking for a summer job
By Jennifer Orozco
May 24, 2002
With only about two weeks left of the 2001-2002 school year some of us are wondering what to do for two whole months. You could spend it at the beach checking out all the hot guys/girls, at the mall waiting for the back to school sales, or if you're like most of us you'll probably be getting a job or you already have one. Depending on your age and experience you can get a job just about anywhere. Places like McDonalds and Burger King with an age limit of 16 don't require much experience, just stuff like people skills how you handle problems, clubs, sports and other extra curricular activities you are or were involved in. Other places like Radio Shack Napa Auto parts require experience good references and an age limit of 18. If you decide to work full time or just over the summer choose a job where you'll be hanging out , like the mall, beach, or movies. A lot of telemarketing companies are hiring under age kids. "It's okay for a first job I don't have to do very much , just talk on the phone all day which is something I already do". Says yesenia Sanchez on her new telemarketing job.
Instead of having to go in and apply it's much easier to apply online. You just register and you can apply to any of the available employers like Ann Taylor, Dave and Busters, and Finishline. They even tell you the age required and a description of the job your applying for. Just log on to www.Sangajob.com or www.jobsearch.about.com, registering is free and it takes like five minutes. So choose carefully because if it's your first experience you want to make it your best.
Most Memorible Moments This Year
By Ashley Ellison
May 24, 2002
Now that the school year is coming to an end, we have shared many moments. Some were embarrassing, others hilarious, but when we, the Pepper Bough Staff, surveyed 20 Colton High students, asking their most memorable moments, this is what they had to say…
"When my boyfriend pushed Ashley Ellison lightly, she went flying and fell."- Nicole Hebert, sophomore
"Football practice with coach Telly."- Luis Alvarado, freshman
"When that girl got kicked in the head at the pep assembly. Heck yea… that was hilarious." -Adam Brillhart, sophomore
"Beating Cajon without Desi this year!"- Christina Villalobos, senior
"Playing on the varsity soccer team and getting slide tackled by Heather Tritten. It was great."- Krista Hinshaw, sophomore
"Playing baseball."- Adam Figueroa, sophomore
"Sitting on the bench with Stacie Lopez"- Mandy Sulzman, sophomore
"Volleyball games with my best friends! Also meeting Steven Vingua!"- Heather Brown, sophomore
"When we beat Cajon in football."- Ryan Moon, sophomore
" When we were playing soccer in the San Gorgonio tournament and beat Martin Luther King."- Nicole Miller, junior
"When I met all the guys from Korn at NAMM (National Associated Music Market)." -Angelo Romero, sophomore
"The day I met Mike Carlstrom."- Natalie Furlong, sophomore
"Coming to Colton High and meeting all my new friends."- Sarah Ibarra, junior
"Making varsity baseball."- Arnold (Fluffy) Medina, sophomore
"Meeting Alien Ant Farm and all the other hot guys at Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom with Sandie Brown and Ashley Ellison."- Lorina Alverez, sophomore
"Beating up all the boys at soccer P.E."- Billie Makshanoff, sophomore
"When I played on JV and we kicked FoHi's Butts!"- Micheal Orem, sophomore
"While holding my hair in our JV soccer game, I shot the ball and it went in."- Stephanie Weppler, sophomore
" Scoring the first goal in CIF playoffs."- Jessica De La Rosa, sophomore
The 411 for College
By Jennifer Mongomery
May 24, 2002
Life is really weird, it throws things ay you that you think you are ready for, yet when it comes down to it, a situation can make you feel really small and confused that you just want to hide. This is how most of us feel when it comes to the point in our life to plan and prepare for college.
Sometimes the toughest part of planning for college is figuring out where to start. It all starts at the beginning of high school believe it or not. You want to try and make the most of high school. First of all try to take the recommended classes. Just as employers want workers with a certain skills, most colleges want students who have taken certain courses and done well in them. For more information on what classes to take, talking to your counselors would be a good idea. Then as you work your way through high school, you want to survive "senioritis". After three long hard-working years of high school to earn the grades and test scores you need to get into college, it is no surprise that many of you seniors out there feel like blowing off school and taking it easy. You want to stay on track-skimping on your schedule can cost you later down the road. Many students believe that prepping for college ends after your eleventh year. However your entire senior year is the most important year and is actually of particular interest in colleges.
Now you may want to pull out your number 2 pencil. All college universities require that you take the SAT. It is a three-hour exam that measures two sets of skills-verbal and mathematical reasoning-that you need to do college type of work in any academic area. About 2 million students take this test every year. How important are your SAT scores in your admissions decision? Well the most important factor is your high school transcript-the SAT supplements your record and pretty much admits you into college, besides your grades.
Now let's go exploring into college life. Are you drawn to the cities, the wilderness or maybe a little bit of both? Do you want to stay close o home or go to someplace different and far? The location of your college is often downplayed relative to the importance of your academics. The area you live in can make a huge impact on you going there and your experiences there. So to get to the bottom line of it you'll determine what experience you'll have at college. You need to evaluate who you are, places you like, the activities that you really enjoy and just how easily you adapt to new situations.
One of the biggest situations we all get into when preparing for college is how we are going to pay for it? Paying for college can be very expensive. And every year the cost of tuition and fees are rising. Most students and their families can expect to pay from $100 to $900 more than last year's tuition fees. But there is some good news in all this. There is more financial aid available then ever before-over $74 billion. And, despite of all these college increases, a college education remains affordable for most families. There are also grants available, which is FREE money for college. Doing academically well in high school or excelling in athletics can get you scholarships for college.
Next is getting into college. Applying to different college takes a lot of thought, effort and organization. You want to look up the colleges information, answer questions about your preferences and find schools that match, compare schools side by side, find schools similar to the ones that you like, and then track all of the application requirements and impress the colleges when they read it.
There is a lot more to what I just told you above, I jus narrowed it down a little. There are so many more things that you got to think and learn about when going to college. And if you want more information about planning and preparing for the school you want, you can visit www.collegeboard.com. This site will tell you everything you need to know about preparing for college. I hope that this will help you out and I wish the best of luck to all of you making way into your college years.
What you are doing this summer vacation?
Survey conducted by Narmin Shahin
May 24, 2002
Summer is coming up where we are out of school and have all that extra time to get all those things we've been delaying done. So what are Colton high school students plans for this summer?
"To attend summer school at UCR, Art Center in Pasadena and here at Colton High School."
Junior Marisa Cortez"I am going to find the meaning of life in the Himalayas."
Junior Daniel Morales"I'm going to be in a band, go to the beach and go to summer school."
Junior Anthony "Teefus" Rodriguez"I crave big muscular, bald, tattooed guys."
Junior Raylene Carrillo"Stuff that parents wouldn't approve of."
Junior Megan Holden"I am going to dicover the marvels of hamsters"
AnonymousIt seems like some students have a lot in store for them this summer. So go out there and have some fun in the sun.
High school relationships: lookin' for love in all the wrong places
By Heather Weppler
5-24-02
Everywhere you turn you see couples. Romance lies everywhere, but why? Why do people get in relationships? Is it because they truly care about the other person, and they want to give them everything they have, or is it because they like the personal attention and the popularity of having the title? So the real question is: why are we constantly looking for "love"?
In high school we go through many different experiences. Dating happens to be one of the big ones. But what is the real reason why we're so gaga over that one special girl or boy? Many students are in dedicated relationships, but do they even know why?
Many people are in relationships for themselves. They look for what they can get out of it. They could not care less about what the other person wants or even if they're truly happy. They're in it for the soul purpose of self-satisfaction. Not saying that all teen relationships are like this but there are a lot. "90% of high school relationships are superficial," says Junior Shawn Noble. A lot of the youth of today don't even know what true love is, nor could they care. There are numerous teens that go into a relationship because they will feel loved. They do it to boost their confidence and social status. When the relationship is over they try to find fault in themselves, which only lowers their self-esteem. They don't even realize it, but they cause their own pain. They wallow in the past thinking that they will never be good enough for anyone. They lower their standards, and start to date anyone who will give them a passing glance.
On the other hand there are those who wait patiently for someone who fits all of their standards, not just a few but all. I'm not saying that they have to be perfect or anything, but when they go into the relationship their not in it for themselves. They have waited, got to know one another, and in the end result have fallen in love. To many that is what a true relationship is about. Being devoted, willing to sacrifice and give them the kind of support they need. That is what true love is all about.
High School rock band: on the long road to stardom
by Raylene Carrillo
May 24, 2002
Straight 220 is one of the fewer heavy metal local bands at Colton High. Although senior Steve Jones, the drummer, is the only member that currently attends Colton High, Jason Toscano, lead singer, graduated last year from Colton. The other three members are from New York.
Their first show was in San Diego and they plan on going to the recording studio next month. During July the band is headed east where they will play in Detroit, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and New York. This trip is a good opportunity for their music to go nationwide and for America to get a taste of Straight 220.
Some of Straight 220's influences include Chamira, Poison the Well, Hatebreed, Machine Head, Meshuggah, Sepultura, and Forty Below Summer. Ozzfest and the Smokeout would be two of the concerts they would like to play. If they were ever to become famous one of the things they would do for their fans is "take time out to meet and get to know them," says Jones.
Kinetik, another local band, consists of five determined musicians: Andre Moral, the drummer, Dave Fuller the singer, David Burke, guitarist, Jared Torsvet, bass player, and Adair Cobley, guitarist.
They have been together for two and a half years. They did a benefit show along with ten other bands, on the 19th of this month. The benefit show was for the death of Mike Ramos that died of cancer at the age of twenty-one. He was the bass player in Thread.
They just recorded their recent CD in the beginning of this month. This summer Kinetik will also be touring. They will be touring around Arizona, San Diego, and Las Vegas.
"Little Shop" not a horror
By Ashley Jay
May 24, 2002
The Colton High School Troupers Club presented "Little Shop of Horrors" for our viewing enjoyment in the Whitmer auditorium from April 17 through 21. The production starred senior Anthony Richardson as Seymour and senior Nichole Comer, as Audrey. The cynical plant's voice was to be provided so Senior Lewis Clifton, who was unable to attend. The day was saved as drama teacher Stacey Jay took on the part herself. "The show must go on!"
The play is a musical horror story about an ordinary man who comes across one amazing and dangerous plant. The man-eating plant interferes with Seymour and Audrey's love as he plots for world domination and how to nab his next meal. The musical style play is entertaining all around. Cute as the corky back up singers chime in and suspenseful as the diabolical plant kills his prey and grows with every bite.
The leads of the play are no strangers to theatre. Nichole Comer has been featured in several plays at the Sturges Family Play House in downtown San Bernardino, including the lead in the recent adaptation to Cinderella. Anthony Richardson was supposed to play the part of Orin, but took over the role of Seymour at the last minute. Anthony has been seen at Yucaipa's Heartland Player's Presentation of An Inspector Calls. Both have been active in the school choir.
Other mentionable players are senior Melissa Moore as Ronnette, junior Sommer Snowden as Crystal, and senior Adrian Merendon as Mr. Mushnik. Even though there were a few bumps during the production it just goes to show the dediation of the actors. Good job guys and gals!
Spider-Man Webs His Way Up The Music Charts
By Veronica Sanchez
May 24, 2002
Spider Man is not only one of the years biggest box office hits, but it's also doing well on the music charts. This unique soundtrack is one of great alternative mixes. With songs by Alien Ant Farm, Default, Injected, and Macy Gray just to name a few, this soundtrack packs a sound that is unlike any thing else.
The teaming up of Nickelback's Chad Kroege, and Saliva's Josey Scott made for an amazing number one hit single, entitled "Hero." This single off the soundtrack, as well as Sum 41's single "What We're All About (The Original Version)" are playing all over radio stations nation wide and add much substance to the diverse in sound CD.
Other performers on the Spider-Man soundtrack are: Theory of A Dead Man, Pete Yorn, Corey Taylor, and MTV's very own icon Aerosmith performing the theme from Spider-Man. With such a line up on the playlist, this is a CD that you can't afford not to buy!
Comic Hero Hits The Big Screen
By Ryan Rivera
May 24, 2002
Spiderman has finally hit the big screen. Years of talk and it's finally happened. Thousands of anticipating fans flocked to the movie on opening weekend, allowing the movie to break box office records. The movie made a total of $114.1 million, making it the biggest hit since Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Already, there have been talks of there being two sequels for the comic book hero. One scene that has been talked about, even before its release, was the kissing scene between Toby Mcguire (Spider man) and Kirstin Dunst (Mary Jane). The movie has already proven to be a hit in movie theaters just with opening weekend and with its large profit, it's almost guaranteed to win awards later on in the year.
High flying flips and jumps are what make Spider man, Spider man. Not to mention the wall climbing and the webbing ability of his. Many long time fans will be pleased with the outcome of the movie and so will new fans. With the movie having an easy plot to understand, all people will know what to expect. Moviegoers will have it all. Thrills, action, romance, and comedy is what will help push the movie beyond the number one spot.
Star Wars Episode II; Attack of the Clones
Movie review by Napa Utrapiromsuk
May 24, 2002
Fans standing out for days/weeks in advance to be the first selected few to see "Star Wars: episode II- Attack of the Clones." The highly publicized movie was not misleading to many people including me. The movie starring Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker are fantastic together. The growing romance between the two characters adds a greater depth to the typical "Star Wars movie" events seen in the previous movies. The audience is able to see Padme and Anakin develop as characters and show signs of what they will become. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi completed the movie with his role as a Jedi.
With the life of Senator Amidala being threatened by an assassin, the Jedi counsel sends in Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to protect her from her lives threat. Skywalker finds himself in a forbidden romance with the Senator, their relationship will soon lending to their children Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. The heroes end up in an arena crammed with some of the scariest creatures yet produced through computer animation.
"Attack of the Clones" is filled with remarkable action scenes (for those diehard fans), eye-popping customs and impressive special eefects. "Episode II" is way better than "The Phantom Menace" proving that sequels can survive in a critical and fickle world. I am not much of a Satr Wars fan, but this movie makes me want to go find out when "Episode III" will be released. With all that said this movie deserves a 8 out of 10.
Weezer CD review
By Leticia Zamora
May 24, 2002
Being a Weezer fan is like waiting for buses.
After Pinkerton flopped in 96 the band retreated from the music world. It was as though Weezer were on a one-way ticket to nowhere; but thanks to the unprecedented success of the "Green Album," it seems like Rivers Cuomo has rediscovered the songwriting bug.
The follow up titled Maladroit is released exactly one year after the Green Album. The initial sings for Maladroit are good. Dope Nose, their first single off the album, is already number eight in it's eighth week on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts.
Maladroit serves up some more mellow rock with tracks like Death and Destruction, Slave, Love Explosion, and December. While yes, the lyrics get sweeter and sweeter with every album; the boys of Weezer never fail to rock out with a few tunes. Tracks like American Gigolo, Take Control, and Slob all fulfill our need for some harder rock.
While yes, a few of the tracks on Maladroit will being back the feel of last years Green Album, some of the tracks sound like nothing you've ever heard before. Bundt Jamb has a sound and feel all it's own. The lyrics as well as riffs make for an interesting display of Weezer's musical talent.
This years Weezer release will be one of much relief to those who have been waiting for a follow up to the Green Album, and for those who don't enjoy the original sound and ever-catchy lyrics I don't know what to tell you. Weezer's latest release Maladroit hits stores on May 14, 2002. Add it to your CD collection, it sounds better than it looks.
Badminton
By Andrew Quiroz
May 24,2002
The YellowJacket Badminton team has gone above and beyond to achieve their dream of yet another well-deserved league title. For the third year in a row, their record is 15-0. "Badminton is not a backyard game. You need to practice, practice, and the heart for it and more practice. If you think that it is a backyard sport try out for the tam and see if you still want to call it a backyard sport," says junior Rosemarie Trevino. "Badminton Rocks," says junior Bayu Setyawan in excitement.
Badminton is an intense game, and takes lots of concentration to participate. You must keep your eye on the birdie at all times and never lose sight of it. It is not a sport that anyone can just go out and play. It takes a lot of practice to get better at. "It looks easy but it's not at easy as it seems," says freshmen Pandu Budihardja. "It's all about team work; we win as a team, we lose as a team, we play as a team."
"Badminton is something that I enjoy doing and that I work hard to get better at. I also have fun playing with all of my close friends," says junior Carlos Perez. "It also takes hard work and dedication to get better at, and make sure you have fun on the way there." Junior Rosemarie Trevino loves Badminton. "It has taught me to give it my all. If you do not have the heart, you do not have anything. Jacob taught me that." Trevino thanks coach Jacob for most of her success in Badminton this year. Trevino also thanks her doubles partners Maria Aguilera and Tim Fitch. For those people who would like to take up Badminton as a sport next year, The YellowJacket Badminton team has some advice for you. Junior Bayu Setyawan says, "You should come out and play because it is a fun sport and you'll like it a lot." "Try hard and do not give up," says senior Tim Fitch. One last bit of advice comes from Freshmen Pandu Budihardja: "You got the right choice."
Keeping their streak alive is what Colton Badminton hopes to do. "This year the whole team got stronger and smarter. Compared to the past years, we did more on training and conditioning than just playing. It made a huge difference in our game," says Setyawan.
At the Garden Grove Tournament, Junior Carlos Perez and Senior Alan Conrad played doubles for the first time. Hey, they made it to the semi-finals upsetting other teams. At the first Colton Tournament, it was YellowJackets versus YellowJackets. Teammates played each other in the consolation finals. Senior Alan Conrad scored the most points against the top player in CIF, Eric Ngo of Villa Park. During the fourth tournament at Azusa, Conrad beat the number one and number three seed to make himself the number two seed.
Baseball
By Ashley Ellison
May 24, 2002Varsity Baseball's season came to an unwanted and unexpected end on May 15, when they lost to Temecula Valley 12-4 in the first round of the CIF playoffs. Senior Aaron Grant scored three of the Jackets' four runs in the game and junior Robby Pope scored one run. The regular season had some memorable moments, but the games against Yucaipa on May 2 and San Gorgonio on April 25 still stand out in the minds of everyone the most, since in both games they lost in the last two innings, which placed the team third in league, with a record nine wins and six losses.
The team has much strength as well as many weaknesses. Coach Ornalas said that some of their weaknesses were the inability to field the ball cleanly, adjustments at the plate were not made and their biggest weakness was defense. "We just didn't play good defense. When we needed defense the most, it just didn't happen on the field," said Ornalas. One of their greatest strengths was that by the end of the season, they came together as a team, even through there were a variety of ages through out the team. Another strength was that the boys on Varsity worked really hard, but they just could not pull it off in the end. Ornalas commented, "The harder the boys work, then more good things will happen in games."
Every player improved his own game this season on Varsity in one way or another, but out of all the players the seniors, Steve Martinez, Marcus DeVoe, Aaron Grant, Richard Rossano and Michael Andrade, improved the most.
The Colton Junior Varsity baseball team placed third in league. They had 8 wins and 7 losses throughout the league. The freshman baseball team, coached by David Salas, had two wins and eight losses. Congratulations to all the seniors for a great season and for everyone who is returning next season… in the words of Mr. Gage, "See you next season."
Boy's Golf
By Wendy Quinonez
May 24, 2002The boy's golf squad had a successful season this year, finishing in second place in SAL and ninth place in CIF. Their record for the season was 18-2, overall it was 10-4 and 6-3 in league. May 6 was their team finals, their team being 10 of 100. Their best competitor was Yucaipa running in second place against them. Three years ago boy's golf had been finishing second place constantly. They have their practices and games at the San Bernardino Golf Course practicing Monday to Thursday. How many games do they play? It depends; they have 12 matches and 12 matches that were left. On asking the athletics director the questions to these answers oddly enough he only had this to say, "Rip it and rip it". Not to pick favorites or anything, but they say that The YellowJacket Badminton team has gone above and beyond to achieve their dream of yet another well-deserved league title. For the third year in a row, their record is 15-0. "Badminton is not a backyard game. You need to practice, practice, and the heart for it and more practice. If you think that it is a backyard sport try out for the tam and see if you still want to call it a backyard sport," says junior Rosemarie Trevino. "Badminton Rocks," says junior Bayu Setyawan in excitement.
Badminton is an intense game, and takes lots of concentration to participate. You must keep your eye on the birdie at all times and never lose sight of it. It is not a sport that anyone can just go out and play. It takes a lot of practice to get better at. "It looks easy but it's not at easy as it seems," says freshmen Pandu Budihardja. "It's all about team work; we win as a team, we lose as a team, we play as a team."
"Badminton is something that I enjoy doing and that I work hard to get better at. I also have fun playing with all of my close friends," says junior Carlos Perez. "It also takes hard work and dedication to get better at, and make sure you have fun on the way there." Junior Rosemarie Trevino loves Badminton. "It has taught me to give it my all. "
Boy's tennis
By Paul Lopez
May 24,2002
Tennis season ended the year with a 1-15 league record, and an overall record of 1-19. Even though it might have been a disappointing season for the boy's tennis team this was a time for learning and a time to think about improvement for the next season. The boy's showed a lot of improvement from last year according to coach Terry Urban, and is also hoping for a much better improvement next season. This year there was a better turn out of participants to play than there was last year and made it possible for there to be both J.V. and Varsity teams.
Junior Captain Tim McGinnis stated that last year's out come wasn't all that great with them ending the season with an 0-18 overall record, but this year it all changed with new players that have an understanding of tennis playing and helping with their victories. McGinnis along with fellow captain sophomore Jake Magnat placed fourth in finals and both hope that next season will be even more productive.
After the outcome of this season, the teammates and coaches are hoping for an even better season next year. Urban believes that if the team works together that next year they will meet their goal of making it to the playoffs. Their are certain points that the team have to work on in order to become the champions they want to be.
Swim Team
By Heather Weppler
May 24, 2002
Fielding a team of only six men swimmers in a squad that normally carries up to twenty, the Yellowjacket co-ed swim team struggled through a winless season this year. Despite the lack of meet victories, there were several high points to the season. In all-league finals held May 1 at San Bernardino High, junior Jeff Slaczka took first place honors in the backstroke. On the girls side, junior Melissa Nicks swimming the breaststroke, was a bright spot for the Jackets coed squad. Junior Priscilla Montgomery also provided leadership to the girls squad, swimming the freestyle 200 and 500 yard events. Although she did not place in the league finals, Montgomery scored personal bests in all her events this year, shaving up to thirty seconds off her times. The Jackets will be glad to have her back next year.
Since there has been a lot of competition this year, its no wonder they've been practicing everyday after school for two hours at The Hutton Center. There are about twenty swimmers on both the Boys and Girls Swim Team and they have all been working their hardest to make the team great.
The team has participated in fourteen meets, which have taken place over the past two and a half months. Although there were no wins on this team's record, the boys did very well despite their lack of teammates. They placed third in the 4x100 relay, with juniors Jeff Slaczka, Chad Cunningham, Hector Garcia, and Adam Welch.
Track
By Leticia Zamora
May 24, 2002
"Track is great!" exclaimed Jade Purcell, with her right fist enthusiastically raised. Despite not winning an overall single track meet, the participants of the sport still managed to have a great time.
Nicole Miller, participant of three events, stated " I had the most fun at the home meet against Yucaipa." That day Miller had won all three of her events, the 100, 200, and the long jump.
Nathan Williams was also one of this year's star team members. In the 800 meter event, Williams almost beat the SAL record. He clocked in with a time of 1:56, his personal best. Williams advanced to CBL on Friday May 10. Not only was Williams a star player, but he was also a team player as a member of the 4 x 400 relay team. The others that ran that event with Williams were Fernando Flores, Josiah Diggs, and Matt Vinzon.
The 2002 track and field team may not have been one of the better overall teams in the San Andreas League, but one thing is for sure, some of the individual talent on this team is what made the season great.
Softball closes season with playoff loss
by Jennifer Montgomery
May 24, 2002
Ending the competitive year with ten wins and five losses, the Colton High Varsity girls softball team pulled out a strong third in a tough competive league. “I was really surprised, I really thought that we were going to come in first,” says senior Ashley Hall. “But, league has been very competitive this year, I think we overall did very well.” After finishing league off in third the team qualified for CIF. Their first game was against A.B. Miller. And to the Colton Yellowjackets, it wasn’t a very tough win. They had a easy win against them with the score of 13-2. They even played in extra innings in that game. “I had a lot of fun that game and our team played really well,” says outfielder Shannon Garcia.
Their second playoff game was against Diamond Bar at Diamond Bar. Losing by a score of 2-1, the team was still proud of how they worked together and the fun times they had during the season. Their overall record of the season was 10-5-0 and for CIF it was 1-1. Coach Joe Montes is also very proud of how strong they were this year and how far they have gotten. Now that there will be several graduating players this year, Montes hopes to pull out another strong, competitive team next year for the season.