Issue of Sept. 25, 2003
Vol. 87, No. 1
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News
District changes cell phone policy
New teachers buzzing around Colton High
Total Recall....will Gray Davis get Terminated?
Features
ASB comes clean with plans for a rollicking new year
Fashion...are you a slave?
Summer stories tell of milk chugging...and more
Shayne's World (Column)
Opinions
Food prices continue to rise
Time is overdue for going back to open campus for lunch
Sara's Sentiment (Column)
Sports
Football starts out strong
Coach Strauss featured on TV program
District changes cell phone policy
By Ilka Hernando
Sept. 25, 2003
Reversing a long standing policy, the District has decided to allow (but not encourage) the use of any electronic communications device. According to the new policy, cell phones and pagers "may be used before school begins and after the regular school day ends." During school hours they should be turned off and NOT visible throughout the whole school day, which includes passing periods, recesses, and lunch. It is a student's own responsibility to turn off and keep their devices out of sight within school hours. Students that have shortened schedules must wait until they are off-campus to even start dialing a number. If a cell phone, pager, etc., happens to get lost, stolen, or damaged on school grounds, both the school and the district will NOT be held responsible.
Students that need to use an electronic communications device for medical purposes during school hours, must submit a written request by their parent or guardian and have it signed by a licensed medical doctor, which will then be given to the principal or assistant principal who will determine its legitimacy.
Students that are to use or bring PDA's, laptops, or the school computers may only be utilized for academic purposes under the knowledge of the administration, teachers, or staff.
The consequences for breaking this policy would be the immediate confiscation of the device without regard of it being a first offense (it expands through three, which rolls through a permanent record write up, suspensions and possible expulsion). "So far the students have respected the policy," states Principal Jerry Almendarez, but "if we see that they are taking privileges, then we will enforce it."
New teachers buzzing around Colton High
Michelle Choiselat
September 25, 2003Welcome back Colton High School! This year, not only do we welcome the class of 2007, we welcome 25 new teachers as well. Though all couldn't be interviewed, those who were had interesting things to say about Colton High and their experiences as teachers.
Jane Aldridge (pictured below left) is the new vocal music teacher this year and has some big plans for our choir. Aldridge is teaching a great group of singers and is hoping to put on some high quality performances. This is her first year at Colton, after working in the Chaffey School District teaching an English class. "I decided to become a choir teacher because I've been a musician all my life," says Aldridge, "I enjoy music so much, that I wanted to share it with others." Her most memorable teaching experience was as a choir teacher for a different school. "My choir was singing at a school assembly, and one of the girls started to fall from the riser. She tried grabbing for help, but ended up pulling down three other girls," Aldridge recalls. "What was funny, was the fact that the girls climbed back up, and continued singing as if nothing happened." Aldridge gets most of her teaching techniques and beliefs of music from a college choir director she had. "Not only did I learn what the purpose of music was, but he was my inspiration."
Marlin Banegas has been teaching biology at Colton for two years now. He decided to go into teaching because he gets a lot of satisfaction from teaching interesting information. "I feel really comfortable doing this, and I get a sense of pride and fulfillment. I really enjoy being around young people," states Banegas. This year, he's hoping to give students a sense of what is in the real world and prepare them for life after high school. He wants his students to be ready and have high expectations for themselves. "I want students to learn skills they will use for the rest of their lives," declares Banegas. He has a great deal of admiration for Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking because, "they're pioneers in their fields." Banegas has been teaching six years; two as a regular teacher, and four as a tactical/technical teacher in the military.
Eva Davalos is actually a former Colton High School student. She decided to come back to Colton because she wanted to give back to the community. As a math teacher, she found that the best way to learn is to teach, and she wanted kids to teach each other. "Besides, I like high school kids, they're interesting," says Davalos, "they have all sorts of drama!" On being back, Davalos feels a little odd. "To be honest, it's weird, but also pretty cool. It's weird to be at the same level as teachers who taught me. It's cool because I know that I'm teaching the same kids, they're teaching. It's good to be back." In her eyes, the only thing that has changed about Colton High is the size. "It's too big!" she declares. Davalos admires her parents more than anyone. "If they hadn't crossed the border into this country, I wouldn't be where I'm at today." Davalos has been an AVID tutor for 3½ years and this will be her first year teaching.
John Babcock (pictured at lower right) is an English teacher. He has been teaching for 15 years; six years for a Catholic High School in North Hollywood and nine years for UCR Extension. So far, he really likes the school. "There's a lot of friendly people, and this is a pretty close community," says Babcock. In high school, he was the studious type, but he also played basketball. "I was more studious then anything else," Babcock recalls. This year he wants to help students improve in reading skills, writing skills, and in critical thinking. Babcock is most influenced by Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. "I admire them because they had courage to live according to their principles," says Babcock, "they were very self sacrificing."
Total Recall: Davis Out, "Terminator in"
By Robert Campos
September 25, 2003Californians are facing the biggest, most difficult decision they have had to face in a long time: whether or not to recall (remove from office) Governor Gray Davis. "The recall threatens to cost you $70 million," the Governor said in a recent statement, "and it almost guarantees that there will be future recalls with politicians spending all of their time campaigning and leaving no time to do public business." By now almost everyone knows about the range of candidates who are pushing to become governor of California. Candidates are ranging anywhere from actors to the people in the adult entertainment industry. Of course the one candidate with the best chance of winning out of these celebrities is Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, not everyone is very thrilled with the idea of an actor running (with a pretty good chance of winning) for governor. In fact on a recent television appearance voters viciously bombarded the candidate with eggs. Arnold Schwarzennegger also states that if elected Governor he is going to abolish a law signed by Governor Davis giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses. The law would go into effect Jan. 1.
In an added twist, the date of the recall election may be postponed. The reason being that a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stated that the state needed to upgrade its voting equipment. Inherent defects in the system are such that approximatelyy 40,000 voters who travel to the polls and cast a ballots will probably not have their vote counted at all. Most voters do not want to see a repeat of what happened during the election of President George Bush in 2000 when punch card irregularities held up the results for weeks.
While on the subject of the president, there is a chance that the recall will have to take place in March with the next presidential primary election rather than this October. While the citizens of California wait for the date of the election, the candidates continue campaigning as if the election will take place on October 7. If you are interested with the future of California you can always see coverage of the election on the news where there is always up to the minute coverage of the election daily.
ASB comes clean with this year's plans
By Victor Valdez
September 25, 2003ASB has many different plans in store for you this year. Here is just a taste of what to expect for the 2003- 2004 school year.
Starting off this year's festivities will be a Talent Show on October 2. Come out and see if any of our students can be the next American Idol.
On October 7, students will vote for who they want to be in homecoming court. On October 13, students will be introduced to whom they voted for and who made court.
On October 14, there will be a powder puff game during lunch. For those of you who don't know what powder puff is, it's when girls and guys switch roles, and the girls play football while the guys are on the sidelines cheering. On the October 16, there will be powder puff finals. Come out and support your class.
The Fall carnival comes to town during lunch on October 15. And no, freshmen, that doesn't mean there is going to be rides, just food.
October 17 might be the busiest day of the year, starting with a pep assembly during your third period class. Then at 5:30 p.m. there will be the Homecoming parade. After that, during half time the winners of the float will be announced and so will the winner of Homecoming Queen. The next day is the homecoming dance. It is from 8- midnight. The Homecoming King will be announced.
On October 24 and 25 there will be a haunted house on campus.
November 14, brings Renaissance assembly.
During the first week of December there will be a toy drive for the less fortunate. Bring a new toy so you can make some kids holiday a little bit happier. On December 4,5,8,9,10, Christmas Grams will be being sold. So show the ones you care for that you do with a small gift in the season of giving.
This is just some the plans for part of the year. ASB and other clubs still have many different things in store for you in the months to come.
Fashion: is it free will? (or do we just think so?)
By Elysa Arroyo
September 25, 2003So you think you dress the way you do because you want to, right? Well, maybe you do, but chances are, you probably don't. Do you watch MTV? Every show and music video you watch has, at least, a bit of influence on your perception of 'cool'.
MTV and its competitors know how to market to teens. They actually study us. After they study us, they put people like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in midriff shirts and super-low jeans and that becomes the new fad. When rappers began wearing chains around their necks, so did teenage boys. Music videos greatly altered the new generation's perspective on what is 'cool'.
Maybe you mimic your best friends style or older sister or brother's style instead. Either way, something outside yourself influences your decision.
Now, even rebellion has become a trend. Everyone seems to think it's so cool to go against the grain that rebellion has become almost mainstream. Fashion is a machine. It takes in information about us and puts out the brand new 'cool'.
Even though teens say that fashion is over-rated and things like that, they don't realize that they are being marketed to every single day. They don't realize that every commercial puts a little idea in their heads. Whether that idea is "Oh that's so stupid" or "That's awesome" depends on the person.
There are many people who think that fashion should not create a label. "People define themselves with how they dress and what they listen to. That isn't how it should be", says sophomore Jessica Flores. And she is right, in a way. Who you are should not be completely defined by what you wear. You are you only on the inside. Anyone can have the same shirt as you, but no one can have the exact same personality.
Then, there are people who think that fashion is totally about self-expression, which isn't completely wrong either. "People shouldn't be so mainstream because [fashion] is an expression of who you are," explains sophomore Sebastian Irigoyen.
So many people idolize celebrities and copy the way they dress, and then there are people who dress the way they want to and then there are people in between. It's hard to draw the line between free will and what the media tries to train people to think. So do you really like that outfit you're wearing right now, or are you wearing it because other people will think its cool?
"The most important thing about fashion is that you keep your own style. Too many people loose their identity looking for cool," states sophomore Nancy Stueben. That is the most important thing about fashion.
"Milk chugging" contest goes bad
By Victor Valdez
September 25, 2003"It was 4th of July and me and my friends were bored. Someone said that we should have a milk chugging contest. So we bought 4 gallons of milk at 7-11 and went to an empty parking lot. No one finished the gallons of milk and everyone that was in the contest threw up."--- Senior Niko Carmona
"I got into a band that is awesome and I went to some shows. At one of the shows I met the lead singer to Kettle Cadaver."-- Junior Andre Alvarez
"This summer me and a few friends were bored and decided to go to this school in Redlands that was supposed to be haunted. When we were coming out of the school we saw a cop and we started running back to the car. To make a long story short later that night four of us got caught, two of us got curfew and two of us hid in a bush for the rest of the night."
--Senior Andrew Hernandez
"I went to Disneyland with some friends and I got separated from my group for he whole day."--- Sophomore Lillian Gonzalez
"I was at my visiting my aunt and when I came home everybody was gone and I was locked out of my house for three days whole my parents were on vacation. I had to sleep with my dogs."--- Senior Cynthia Miranda
Shayne's World
By Shayne Robinson
Septamber 25, 2003Shayne's world, Shayne's world party time, excellent. Party on readers! "Party on, Shayne our almighty ruler."
Hey every one, this the first of many enema-like columns written by your soon to be new governor. Now before licensed illegal immigrants storm the building and kill me for my land, women and Jose Cuvreo, I would like to talk about a few things that are making me mad. Number one, can you say any thing on T.V now days? What's that you say ? You would like an example from your almighty leader.? Ok, here, take it.... I don't want it.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
Beep
And lastly, beep you, you beeping, beepety, mcbeeper.
Oh, come on, you didn't think I would say the kind of stuff you here on TV? I would never defile your innocent virgin ears, (not).
Ok, now back to the things that make me mad. Number two on my list is overcrowed school busses. For those of you that don't ride the bus let me give you an idea: my bus is so crowded that when we hit a bump it looks like the world's biggest moving orgy. On the in side of course, because out side it looks like the worlds biggest moving Twinkie. Ok. Number three on my list is the food and food prices. I mean it's like the food people said lets help the children this year by making the food prices higher and well have the food taste like dog food.
Food prices continue to rise. Ugh.
By Liliana Aguilar
September 25, 2003
New faces, new classrooms, new food prices, what's next? So it's the first day of school and after standing in the lunch line for what seems like an eternity you finally get up to pay and come to find out food is more expensive this year. So what's all this about? Last year food was about twenty-five cents cheaper, but still it's an increase this year no matter how little the difference is. Some food prices have even gone up at least fifty cents. You go into the cafeteria and you have to pay more in there as well. A full price lunch is a dollar sixty, and reduced (which used to be free) is now 40 cents. In my opinion the food is overpriced but then again there has to be a good reason behind all this. Right?
I interviewed Connie Watkins from the food department. She explained to me that the School Board changed prices most likely because of budget cuts. She also told me that the money that they are earning is hardly a profit to them, since they have to pay for their own utilities, staff, and food. Watkins also told me that the food department does not receive any outside funds. These are good reasons I'll admit, but then again is it our fault that our state has a huge deficit to pay?
Our state made mistakes, putting education aside. All these adults go on and on saying that to them the children come first. But from what I'm seeing right now it's just something that they say to try to make them self's look better, not something that they are sincere about. Our parents are paying taxes to support the public school system, and now we the students also have to support it like what I see. It seems to me that there are a lot of adults out there making decisions that affect us, but don't really end up seeing the consequences to their actions. The government decides things for us without ever taking into consideration that we are not children anymore, but young adults who are becoming more aware everyday of what is really going on around us and might actually have opinions.
So what really what gets me mad isn't just new lunch prices it's the whole principle behind it. Somewhere in a big office decisions are being made that affect little tiny school districts. Then those in the district must cut out funds for things that are really important for us "children" like out nutrition, but in reality it's not their fault. It all trickles down from the offices in Sacramento, to district offices, to school offices, down to us. It sucks but get used to it, that's the real world.
Three fast food joints right across the street, and we're still locked in here?
By Elysa Arroyo
September 25, 2003Once upon a time, Colton High had an open campus. That meant that you could go anywhere you wanted for lunch. Unfortunately, because people were also allowed on campus, that story ended in 1992 when a student got shot on campus. Even before that, many fights occurred off campus during lunch, and there wasn't much anyone could do about any of it. The only thing that solved that problem was closing the campus. So, after all of that, do we really deserve another chance?
Yes. Absolutely. I believe that the majority of the student body is responsible enough to handle this kind of privilege. However, if the administration disagrees, why not allow just the seniors to go off? They are older, hopefully more mature and responsible. It is unfair to deny us this privilege because of things that have happened in the past-things that probably could have been prevented.
Now that there is a fence around the school, the security guards can oversee it and ensure that no one but CHS students are allowed on campus. There is also the problem of people not returning to the campus after lunch. "I'm just afraid that if the campus is open, students won't go back," says Samantha, Taco Bell General Manager. "It's important that they do though, because education is the most important thing." Her main concern seems to be the education and welfare of the students rather than profits.
The campus isn't as closed as some might think. I happen to know a few people who can go off and come back on. I also know a few people who ditch class quite often. That kind of thing can't really be prevented. However, if only the seniors are allowed to leave, chances are they will return. As it will be their last year and they absolutely must pass every class, they will take school much more seriously than a freshman or sophomore who might think they can fall back on eleventh and twelfth grade. There is always more than one solution to a problem and I think that we could find a better one to replace the closed campus policy.
Sara’s Sentiment
By Sara Robbin
September 25, 2003First of all, I’d like to start off by welcoming the class of 2007 to Colton High. Even though there are way too many of you, I’m sure you will be able to have fun while working your hardest to succeed in the next four years. When I was a freshman, I was told, “The only way to predict the future is to create it.” If I were you, I’d take that advice by keeping yourself on top of things and make sure you have your priorities set.
As for the graduating class of 2004, WE MADE IT! Finally it is our last year of hell!!!!! I guess now you can say that we are smart enough to make our own decisions, well some of us at least. Anyway, it is our responsibility to make the best of this year and walk out of here with confidence, knowing that you actually accomplished something.
There are a lot of people who think that their senior year is all about fun and games, but it is very important to keep your head in those books. If you plan to go to college or a four-year university, you need to keep trying until the very last day. Then again, you should also realize that school is not only about grades, but also for you to become more intelligent as an individual. People will respect you so much more and will idolize (or envy) your integrity.
When you have somebody looking up to you and watching your every move, you should always keep in mind that you are making a difference in this person’s life. Whether it is a little brother, sister, or cousin, you need to set the best example for them. It is up to you to help or guide a person in need. No matter what people say, if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.
Although at times there are going to be some tough obstacles, but with faith in yourself, you will be able to get through them. There is no shame in asking for help along the way. I know that if I didn’t have the support of my family, especially my brother, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was never ashamed for asking my brother for help, in fact I liked asking him because I knew that he would do his best in trying to make me understand the text. See, the thing is, he didn’t only help me with schoolwork, but he helped me with some of my “real life,” personal problems. The point is, don’t be afraid.
Well, those are the words of the wise.
So, study hard and have fun!
Varsity football comes out strong, takes no prisoners in two big wins
By Edward Ramirez
September 25, 2003The Yellow Jackets Varsity football team get off to a great start for the season. They are 2-0 after beating Bloomington 24 - 8 and blowing out Victor Valley 34 - 7.
After talking to coach Strauss he is happy about how they performed last year and has hopes for this year. They came in 2nd in league and had a record of 6-4-1 last year. Coach Strauss expectations for this year "is to see all the young players grow. The top teams to beat this year will be San Gorgino, Yucaipa, Cajon, and Arroyo Valley for this season," says Strauss as he looks to take league this year.
The key players on the team this season are Allen Bradford, Shamon Wright, Michael Orem, Russel Garcia, and Mike Garcia. This season Strauss is going with a young team as he says, "we are starting a lot of sophomores."
Senior Quarterback Michael Orem's expectations for this year are "to be competitive and to be able to play all four quarters of the game."
As Orem goes into his first year at starting quarterback he has high hopes for the team. After the game against Bloomington Orem said, "I feel good about our performance, but we need to put more points on the board. Holding them to only 8 points for the entire game." One thing Orem hopes to succeed in this season is getting the team to play all four quarters: "We tend to cut slack to the opposing teams, and slow down at the end of the game." The team went the whole game against Victor Valley as they scored 22 points after the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets next game is tomorrow against Fontana here at Memorial Stadium.
Channel 7 names Strauss coach of the week
By Paul Heredia
September 25, 2003Colton High Footballs hard work and dedication, has finally got recognized on national television. On Monday August 28, Coach Harold Strauss received the NFL KABC High School Football, Coach of the Week. On the nationwide TV show Monday Night Football (Sports Zone).
Coach Strauss was one of 12 coaches picked for this award throughout the nation. Colton High was just one of the 12 picked out of 900 schools that the award was given to. "It is great for an award like this to come to this area," says Strauss. Strauss will now be in the running for the award that will determine only one coach of the week at the end of the football season. A big part for a coach to receive coach of the week honors is the fans. By fans sending in letters of recognition and complements, it gives the coach a better chance of winning the award. Community service, donations, hard work, and dedication by the entire team, also gives the coach that extra push for the award. "It was really big for our players" says Strauss on receiving the award.
On Monday August 28, Strauss received the award on Sports Zone along with a $1,000 dollars, which he will be giving to a charity of his choice. When asked about receiving the award Strauss commented by saying, "It was neat getting an award like this." The varsity football team, the cheerleaders, and some of the Colton Police Department accompanied Strauss on receiving the award sharing the recognition of Colton High.