October 3, 2008

SPORTS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
CENTER SECTION
Music Television Then and
Now: A look at how MTV has
changed from the 90’s to now.
Breaking Barriers:
Freshmen Crystal Herrara joins freshmen football team pg. 16.
OPINIONS
Both Sides Now: Should the
drinking age be lowered?
Get both sides of the story
pg. 4. Pepper Bough
Sports
Page 16
Oct. 3, 2008
Yellowjacket football prepares
in spite of odds
A COLTON TRADITION: OUR 92nd YEAR
WWW.PEPPERBOUGH.COLTON.ORG
Colton High School, Colton CA 92342
Vol. 92, No. 1
Friday, Oct. 3, 2008
Verdi era begins at Colton
by Hannah Macdonald
who could stay. I would like
to be here for a while to get
“I feel lucky that I can be in a
some things done.” He has
school that I know for my first big job,”
many goals for this year,
says new principal of CHS Robert J.
one being to get the “adults,
Verdi, “coming in I already knew the
administration, and teachers
strengths and weaknesses.” It has been
to go the extra mile to get
made clear throughout these few short
involved” for it would
weeks that luck had nothing to do with
promote CHS going in the
it.
right direction. His three
The decision that he would
main goals are to improve
become principal was official at the
test scores, though our AP1
end of May, late last school year. “It
score went up 14 points and
was a scenario where I think the board
STAR testing has been taken
felt confident in the job I’d done as an
more seriously. WASC
AP,” says Verdi. Verdi began his career
accreditation process, and
Damien High School teaching from
graduation rates are also
’96 to ’97 in the field of English, along
the areas that he’d like to
with seven years in administration and
see improved. It is no secret
coaching baseball, for a total of ten
that at CHS the graduation
years at Damien. He also spent the
rate has been dropping, but
past three years as Colton’s Assistant
Verdi “want[s] to see the
Principal: “first year in charge of
larger senior classes and
activities, athletics, and discipline,
more people walk across
last two years on curriculum.” Now he
the stage.”
stands as principal, knowing the school
How does he like
and community because of his three
the
job
so far? “Oh, I like
prior years of experience, and there are
it,
it
presents different
already changes being made.
challenges
than my old
“I knew we had to raise the HE’S THE MAN-New principal Rob Verdi takes a minute out to hang with some of his fans. Verdi brings a wealth of
school
did.
A school this
standards when it came to the tardy educational and life experience to his new position.
size
presents
opportunities.”
policy,” says Verdi. This year combines
prove that with the new tardy policy and the advisement
Opportunities have been
two of our old programs, TNT and
classes.
“Awareness
makes
a
difference,”
he
says
and
that
opened
up
since
Verdi
became
principal, the opportunity
Saturday school, both working as one. “We have noticed
awareness
is
what
will
be
strived
for
over
the
course
of
for
students
to
realize
that
administration
cares, that they
you guys care about being on time now. It helps with
this
school
year.
do
not
just
sit
in
their
office,
but
come
out
and
mingle with
grades and the relationship with your teachers,” says
“[CHS
is]
on
the
road
towards
becoming
a
the
students
to
find
out
their
needs
and
wants.
“You can’t
Verdi. Another new program CHS has taken on this year
distinguished
school
again,
for
the
first
time
since
’86…
act
like
a
CEO
when
running
a
school,”
says
Verdi.
It is
is the advisement classes, beginning in October. “[They]
the
character
award
the
student
athletes
got
tells
me
we
guaranteed
that
nine
out
of
ten
times
you
will
not
find
were designed to benefit all the students; freshman and
can
do
it,”
says
Verdi.
“It
shows
that
we
pursue
victory
Verdi
in
his
office;
he
is
on
the
campus,
being
personable
sophomores might have a big dividend for it stays with
them all four years,” says Verdi. One of Verdi’s main with honor and class.” This road has been a bumpy one with the students and teachers he serves. “I’m excited
beliefs is that “if you take care of the little things some of though, with Verdi being the third principal in the past five about this being my first principalship and building on the
the bigger issues stop becoming a factor” and he hopes to years. “I think a thing that could help CHS is a principal strong start to the school year,” he says.
New policies and new principal Advisement period to run once
a month throughout the year
bring changes
by Gabi Gahr
by Jacob Lopez
Every year at Colton High, a new policy is introduced.
This year is no different, mainly because of our new
principal.
The biggest thing this year is the new tardy policy.
“It’s a big deal for teachers and it’s going to go a long
way,” says Principal Robert Verdi.
So far through the year, this statement is proven true
according to teacher Marcella Cook. “I am very happy
[with the new tardy policy,]” explains Cook, “Some are
struggling, but overall there’s a much better outcome [of
attendance.]”
Senior Derek Cervantes doesn’t like the idea of
tardies not being reset at semester. “People who are late
aren’t necessarily bad students; they just have trouble
managing their time between classes, using the restroom,
and things of that nature,” says Cervantes. “You could be
a 3.5 or even 4.0 student, have a lot of tardies and that
means you should be kept out of school events?”
Another big thing this year will be the number of
the administrative team visiting classrooms. In order to
enforce school-wide rules, the “team will be out there,”
says Verdi.
Don’t count on any other major changes this year.
According to Verdi, collaboration day will stay the same
as well as the continuation of Saturday school. “We’re
making the most out of it. The teachers talk about you
[the students], and what’s best for your learning.”
You probably noticed the new advisement
schedule, put into effect yesterday. Through the rest
of the school year, everyone on campus will have
an advisement class. The classes will be every first
Thursday of every month.
The idea behind the class is to go to the same
teacher for all 4 years to build a relationship with
their teacher. It’s similar to a study hall.
Seniors will participate in college related activities
and will receive help to apply for a job; juniors will
get an introduction to college and jobs and freshmen
will get help getting used to high school. Anyone who
doesn’t attend the advisement period will receive a
truancy.
by Alexander Vega
With a young team at hand, varsity football
coach Harold Strauss has a lot on his plate.
Between eight hour practice days, Friday night
games, and Saturday morning film, the team was
disappointed that the first game of the season
was a loss to the tough team Vista Murietta.
This year’s toughest opponents that are
scheduled in the pre-season are Vista Murietta
and Kaiser, and in league, Cajon. Yesterday
was the season’s only Thursday game, against
Silverado. Results were not available at press
time.
“They’re little, slow, not strong, but gutsy, and
over achievers,” says Strauss when asked what
he thought of the team this year.
The coaches feel that the team’s major weakness
is its size and inexperience. A comparison
between this year and last year’s team shows that
Yellowjackets get ready for a sting
with a loss of most of the starters, the Yellow
Jackets will be the underdogs all season. This
year is more about unity and will than individual
effort, so as long as the team works as one, they
should succeed and have a winning season.
As Coach Strauss says, “the team will
get better and better each week.” With that
perspective on the capabilities of the team
there’s no less than optimism and enthusiasm for
our small fighting swarm of Yellow Jackets.
Crystal Herrera puts the “Co-Ed” in football
Freshman Crystal Herrera
by Alejandra Aguilera
Freshman Crystal Herrera may seem like
the average 14 year-old girl, trying to enjoy
her first year of high school, but unlike
other girls, she happens to be a guard on the
Colton High freshman football team.
When asked if I could interview her,
she was shocked and only said a few words,
making it obvious that to her being the only
girl on the football team isn’t a big deal.
Inspired by her two brothers, Moses, who
already graduated, and Adam, a junior,
who’s currently on the varsity football team,
she decided to try out for the team herself.
She never played before except out on the
street with her brothers and impressively
enough got the position as guard on the team.
Girls Tennis works for a
promising season
by Marc Galang
The new school year has started and the fall sports season is already in full blast.
Girls Tennis is one of the first to begin. Their season actually began during the summer with some
of the most intense training under the blistering California sun.
Coach Terry Urban said that the season is looking “pretty good [with] a lot of returners” from
last season. He also said that he has “high expectations” for the team this year.
During practices, the girls seem to be very competitive and the coach says that it “translates
very well” in their matches. This seemed evident, especially when they played very close matches
against their recent opponents, Rancho Verde and Hemet High.
Focus is the main thing for the girls this season, mainly on their next opponents.
According to the standing shows from the past seasons, they are particularly focusing on defeating
Cajon High School, which have been known to be the one to watch out for. Returning junior
Syndy Malit says that the season is looking pretty good, “as long as the heat doesn’t kill [them]
first.” They are definitely working hard to get to the play-offs, working harder and harder during
practice. The fall season is looking as promising as ever for varsity tennis.
In case you’re not aware, football is a co-ed
sport, and Crystal is the first female football player in a few years.
Freshman coach Hannah said
Herrera stood out for the obvious reason, she’s a girl. According to Herrera,
more girls should join football, that is if they
can take it. “Treat me the same, same as a
guy,” said
Herrera, about how the
boys act around her. She is also very
comfortable around them. Coach Hannah
couldn’t have said it any better, telling me that
the boys are doing great with her on the
team. Maybe now, girls will give football a
chance, or at least think about it because of
one brave girl. Or maybe not, but
she proves women can do anything.
Senior Alex White
prepares a serve
Page 2
Oct. 3, 2008
S.A.S.I. program causes problems for
student scheduling
by Jacob Lopez
It can be a difficult transition into a new year. The combination of inaccurate schedules and the introduction of advisement classes didn’t make it any easier for students or
counselors.
Due to a computer error by S.A.S.I. (School Administrative Student Information) before the school year started, many students’ schedules were problematic. Senior Martin
Leon Jr. was not especially happy with the start of his final year of high school. According
to Leon, he was given classes like Advanced Placement IV English without even asking for
it and was, therefore, unprepared.
As many other students did, Leon visited the counselor’s office and still had to wait a
couple of days for his appointment. “They told me that the class I signed up for junior year
didn’t work out, so they gave me a choice between two classes I didn’t even want.” Even
now at the time of the interview, Leon still admits that his final schedule “didn’t work up
too well.”
According to Head Counselor Sharon Halter-Day, it all started when the counselors
came back from their summer vacation. “When we came back, 75-80% of all student requests we did in spring were missing,” says Halter-Day. “For a week, we worked [on the
schedules], then it would be gone.”
During the three weeks before school started, part of the administrative team, counselors, and the district’s I.T. crew worked on the scheduling mistakes. “One of [the counselors] worked a 68 hour week and still couldn’t fix it,” says Halter-Day.
Though the counselor’s office is still feeling the effects today, according to Halter-Day,
this will be the last year CHS uses S.A.S.I. and will be switching to ZANGLE, a different
system, for the ‘09-’10 school year.
PEPPER BOUGH
A Colton High tradition since 1917
www.pepperbough.colton.org
Volume 92, No. 1; Friday, Oct. 3rd, 2008
Editor-in-Chief
Patricia Delgado
Photography
Photo Editor: Destiny Espinoza. Staff
Photographers: Treasure Fortune, Paula
James, Dayna Sorrell
Page Layout and Graphic Design
Cecilia Cabrera, Hannah Macdonald,
Randie Ortloff, Rebecca Schisler,
Neirida Moreno, Jacob Lopez
Business/Advertising Manager
Gabi Gahr
Faculty Adviser
Dave Rainey
Staff Writers and Reporters
Alejandra Aguilera
Hannah MacdonaldCecilia Cabrera
Jazmin Mena
Jonathan Delgado
Nereida Moreno
Destiny Espinoza
Carlos Nelson
Treasure Fortune
Randie Ortloff
Marc Galang
Christina Raney
Gabi Gahr
Rebecca Schisler
Semiya Holman
Dayna Sorrell
Paula James
Devyn Trujillo
Jacob Lopez
Ronald Trujillo
Alexander Vega
The Pepper Bough is published 8 times a year (approximately
every four weeks, plus an end of the year Senior Farewell Edition) by the Journalism class of Colton High School, 777 West
Valley Boulevard, Colton, CA 92324. Opinions expressed in
the Pepper Bough in bylined stories are those of the individual
reporter, and not necessarily those of the faculty, administration,
school board, or school district, and are not to be construed to
endorse or promote activities reported upon.
Opininons expressed in non-bylined editorials are those of
the staff as a whole.
All photos of school related activities are taken by the staff
photographers unless otherwise indicated. The Pepper Bough
welcomes letters to the editor, but they will be printed according to space available and may be edited for space and
taste. Please submit all letters to the editor to adviser’s email:
[email protected]. Note: Some material used
courtesy of the American Society of Newpaper Editors Wire
Service. Ads printed in the paper are sold by fractions of a page.
Call (909) 580-5005 extension 2383 for advertising rates and
deadlines. Long live a free press. (www.splc.org)
CAN I CHANGE MY SCHEDULE?- Junior Alejandra Aguilera talks with
Counselor Paul Aranda
Students feel result of
budgetary constraints
by Jonathan Delgado
Because the school has not provided class sets for any
of the math subjects, Colton High students found themselves
tasked with the annoyance of actually having to carry their
math textbooks back and forth between school and home.
It was not exactly clear as to why math students had to
lug around a highly condensed volume of mathematics, so
we asked our newly appointed principal to elaborate.
“We were unable, with the new adoption, to purchase
class sets because of budgetary constraints,” said Principal
Rob Verdi. Evidently, the school allocates a certain amount
of money for the acquisition and replacement of textbooks
(the exact figure was unknown to Verdi and required the con-
sultation of budget-related documents). Unfortunately,
since Colton High School offers six different subjects of
mathematics, the entire fund was spent merely buying the
textbooks checked out to students.
Understanding that this is an inconvenience to both
students and teachers, Verdi has expressed interest in discussing the necessity of class sets with Math Department
chair Daniel Johnston, and if deemed necessary, sets will
be purchased with a grant.
Johnston also seems to be in agreement that, “it’s
not a good thing,” and is investigating forms of funding to purchase class sets. Until then, however, Colton
High students will just have to lug around those extra five
pounds.
We be Clubbin’...
New clubs founded at CHS
by Marc Galang
As the new school year starts, several new clubs have
been founded for students to attend. If you missed the club
rush that was held on September 17, you might still have a
chance to join. Among the new clubs are C.U.T.T., Martial
Arts, and S.P.O.T.S.
At first glance, the acronym C.U.T.T. might have you
thinking that its some sort of emo band, but it isn’t. Remember that movie Balls of Fury? It’s kind of like that. The acronym actually stands for Colton Underground Table Tennis.
Club advisor Terry Urban calls it “a fun outlet” for people
to learn to play ping pong. The club will also try to compete
against other table tennis clubs, once everyone learns how
to play and once a schedule gets completed. Club President,
junior Syndy Malit, says that the club is currently “trying
to get sponsors” for much needed table tennis equipment. If
you missed them during the club rush and are looking to join,
you can contact Urban in Room 401. The club might be
doing fundraisers at homecoming and other events. Commenting about the club, Malit says, “Come join, it’s better
than sleeping.”
Hey look, another club with an acronym. It stands for
Spirited People Of The School. S.P.O.T.S. advisor Kirk
McVey says, “There isn’t enough school spirit.” The main
foundation of this club is to promote sports that don’t get
as much publicity as football and to show support and
school spirit. McVey says that he expects the members
to do the work and support the school’s teams during the
sporting events, and that he will help their “ideas come
to reality.” Club President, junior Danielle Gutierrez,
says “It’s a good experience” to be both a member and
an officer of the club. She also says they are also looking
into doing raffles for some “cool stuff” during sporting
events as their fundraisers. If you would like to join, talk
to McVey in Room 543.
Page 3
Oct. 3, 2008
by Jonathon Delgado
by Cecilia Cabrera
John McCain formally announced his candidacy for the Republican Party presidential
primaries on April 25, 2007. On March 4th, 2008, he became the presumptive nominee,
having gathered enough delegates for the nomination. On Thursday, September 4th, John
McCain accepted the presidential nomination at the Republic National Convention. The
culmination of John McCain’s political career, and campaign, is to take place on a single
date marked on our calendars: November 4th, the presidential election.
John Sidney McCain III was born August 29, 1936. The son and grandson of distinguished United States Navy Admirals, McCain followed in their footsteps and entered
the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. He graduated four years later and began
his combat duty in the summer of 1967, during the Vietnam War. In October of that year,
McCain’s bomber was shot down by a missile over North Vietnam. He was subsequently
captured and imprisoned. He was kept as a prisoner of war for five and a half
years until he was finally released on March 14th, 1973. After returning to
the United States, McCain ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as a
Republican candidate, and was elected in 1982. After serving two terms, he
was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and currently holds the same seat in
Congress.
More recently, McCain has been campaigning with Sarah Palin, trying
to portray themselves as reformers, while trying to paint Obama as inexperienced and naïve. The two major party candidates have traded blows over
the economic crisis, the Iraq war, taxes, and campaign tactics. According to
critics, the McCain campaign seems to have forgotten its pledge to adhere to
a clean and honest election, and is campaigning more negatively. A recent ad
from the McCain camp makes fun of Obama’s celebrity, with comparisons to
Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears, and even Moses parting the Red Sea. The
Obama campaign has also made its own rebuttals and arguments, arguing that
McCain is simply “four more years of Bush,” and criticizing his economic
policies, claiming that those same policies are what caused the economic crisis. When it comes to the economy, political pundits say the Democrats have
had a long-standing advantage. Since the founding of the party, Democrats
have been seen as fighters on behalf of the working-class, and so, they have an
appeal to blue-collar workers. McCain aims to change that. He has been campaigning with a populist message, claiming that a non-regulatory free-market,
and a decrease in corporate taxes, is the formula for economic prosperity. He
has also criticized wasteful government spending, citing statistics which say
that billions of dollars are wasted each year in so called “pork barrel” projects.
McCain promises a balanced budget within four years.
Experts took a look at McCain’s budget plan and found that the numbers don’t add up.
According to a study from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, McCain’s federal budget would create the largest deficit in 25 years, and the largest national debt since
World War II. McCain’s economic plan would leave a debt of $12.7 trillion, and increase
the deficit to $1.2 trillion. McCain’s savings from elimination of wasteful government
spending (which includes heavy cuts in after-school programs and student aid) does not
come anywhere near to paying for his economic plan.
Ultimately, the deciding factor of this election will be the economy. Voters have said
that one of their largest concerns is the nation’s economy. McCain will have to appeal to
economically troubled voters with a more populist message if he is to turn this election
around.
Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, has attracted much attention in the media
and considerable interest among the public as well. The reason is that he is a young
and charismatic biracial candidate who represents change to voters.
The United States is more divided as a country right now than at anytime since
the Civil War. Politically, socially, and morally, Americans are at odds with each other.
Most of theses problems have existed for some time, but have grown more obvious in
recent years. Many say that if we continue to disregard these dire issues they threaten
to tear the nation apart.
Many now say the U.S. needs an extreme change from the current presidency.
They also say America longs for a person to bring us together, someone who can help
the country see past the differences and bring hope for the future. America needs a person of change.
Obama is no
ordinary presidential candidate. A
few years ago, he
was virtually a nobody, but his popularity has risen
in impressive way
since then. Mainly,
this is due to his
outstanding public speaking skills,
and the fact that he
is not your average
politician. Obama
is fairly young,
African-American,
and socially moderate. He is very
articulate, he has
real charisma, andhe doesn’t come
from a rich Texas
oil family. And as
an ethnic minority, he would be the first non-white U.S. president ever.
It seems that for many of his supporters, these are reasons enough to elect him.
And for the majority of the American people, they may be right. Whether or not Obama
is experienced enough and qualified for the job, this is the main argument against his
candidacy. Americans may vote for Obama simply because he represents change and
unity in a way that no other presidential hopeful could. To his supporters, Obama is
hope come to life. And, for better or worse, the media hype is playing right along.
Is there true substance to Barack Obama? Only time will tell. Right now, he seems
to be an ideal more than anything else. But as history has shown time and again, even
mere ideals can be powerful forces for the masses.
He’s an American hating Muslim! She’s a fake values hypocrite! He’ll raise taxes! She’ll teach creationism in schools!
In American politics, anything goes, it seems.
by Rebecca Schisler
As the election date draws closer, more controversies
surround the candidates’ campaigns. More accusations and
scandals are being brought to light by the candidates, but
do any of these hold any amount of truth? Or are these accusations and scandals fabricated for the sole purpose of
incriminating the other nominee?
One of the first controversies that arose during the
election campaign centered around the pick for vice president on the republican ticket, Alaska Governor and former
small town mayor Sarah Palin. Three days after joining
the ticket as presidential candidate John McCain’s running
mate, rumors were released to the press and public about
Palin’s unmarried teenage daughter, Bristol, being pregnant. After hearing these “rumors,” many began to accuse
the Obama campaign of spreading them. On the Internet
there were also rumors that Palin’s six-month-old Downsyndrome baby, Trig, was actually the son of Palin’s teenage daughter. So what’s going on? Is there any truth here?
The fact of the matter is that Palin’s campaign released information saying that her daughter is five months pregnant,
plans on keeping her baby, and marrying the father. The
campaign adds, “Bristol and the young man she will marry
are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising
a child, which is why they will have the love and support
of our entire family.” Democratic presidential nominee,
Barack Obama, however, condemns rumors involving the
children of the candidates. He says family members, especially children, are off limits. Obama also addressed the issue of his campaign spreading rumors saying, “Our people
were not involved in any way in this, and they will not
be. And if I ever thought that there was somebody in my
campaign that was involved in something like that, they’d
be fired.”
Another scandal that has risen up during the campaigning of this election deals with a speech given by
presidential nominee Barack Obama. During his speech,
Obama was accused with making sexist remarks toward
republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Obama
used the phrase, “lipstick on a pig,” allegedly referring to
Palin. Obama then accused the McCain of using “lies and
phony outrage and swift-boat politics” in response to their
apparent outrage to the phrase. Did Obama in fact make
sexist remarks about Palin in one of his campaign speeches? Or is this a ploy by the republican nominees to incriminate Obama? The truth of the matter is that Obama did in
fact use the phrase “lipstick on a pig,” but was referring to
McCain’s policies, saying, “You can put lipstick on a pig.
It’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper
called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years.”
As for Obama’s accusation against the McCain cam-
paign’s “phony outrage,” the McCain campaign released
an internet ad about the matter that said, “Ready to lead?
No. Ready to smear? Yes.” The McCain campaign also released a statement saying, “Barack Obama can’t campaign
with schoolyard insults and then try to claim outrage at the
tone of the campaign. His talk of new politics is as empty
as his campaign trail promises.”
Other accusations involving Sarah Palin and Barack
Obama have been made public. While at a rally in Missouri, the McCain campaign accused Obama of requesting
nearly $1 billion in earmarks (special projects that lawmakers try to get for their districts and constituents) for his
state during his time as a senator. This being stated after
Obama criticized Palin using the topic of earmarks. Palin
then stated, “Just the other day our opponent brought up
earmarks-- and frankly I was surprised that he would even
raise the subject at all, I thought he wouldn’t want to go
there.” So who is at fault? In fact, senator Obama didn’t
deny accusations on the use of earmarks by the McCain
Campaign and hasn’t asked for any earmarks this year. Instead he commented on Palin’s spending saying, “I know
the governor of Alaska has been saying she’s change, and
that’s great. She’s a skillful politician. But, you know,
when you’ve been taking all these earmarks when it’s convenient, and then suddenly you’re the champion anti-earmark person, that’s not change. Come on! I mean, words
mean something, you can’t just make stuff up.”
Page 4
Oct. 3, 2008
Page 5
Oct. 3, 2008
LIVING
by Semiya Holman
Starvation, poverty, disease and war. These words
are truly devastating, but are common and play a factor in
today’s world. The hardships of millions hardly faze most
of us. But the questions still remain in our minds. Is the
world’s condition worsening? Is this world spiraling out
of control?
The fact is the world is becoming harder and harder
to cope with. Millions of people face these hardships
that most of us can only imagine. The numbers of people
undernourished are incredible. 850 million people suffer
from undernourishment. This equals 14 percent of the
world’s percent population. People who suffer from
undernourishment can become vulnerable to many diseases.
Every year about 6 million children die of malnutrition
before they even turn five. 800 million people go to bed
hungry every night. The amount of people starving all over
the world is tragic.
Starvation is not the only problem this world faces.
Poverty is another troubling aspect to the world’s suffering.
Poverty is defined as someone who walks more than one
mile everyday to collect water and suffers diseases that
are treatable today. Six million children die every year
of preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and
pneumonia. More than 1.2 billion people survive on less
than a dollar a day. That’s one in every five people on earth.
Though there are some rich people on this earth, that one
percent earns as much as the poorest 57 percent people.
The world’s poverty crisis wasn’t always this bad. In the
1990’s the percentage was actually going down, 30%
to 23%. But as the world’s population increased, so did
people in poverty. The number increased by 28 million!
Poverty also means
that you don’t get a
basic education. 40
percent of women
in Africa alone
don’t have a basic
education.
In
truly impoverished
countries, less than
half of the children
are in primary school
and fewer than 20
percent even go to a
secondary school.
You would hope
that the world’s
troubles just ended
at that, but wars
are also frequent in
today’s world. The
one all of us are well
aware of us is the war in Iraq. The war started in March
2003 and for the last five years we have had our troops in
this ongoing war. The amount of people who have died
in this war is a staggering number of anywhere between
56,027 and 654,965 people! Of this number, 4,146 were
American soldiers. And this is just one war! Other acts
of violence have occurred since the beginning of time. All
of this is prevalent on the news we turn on every morning
or hear on the radio. Bombings and threats of terror aren’t
uncommon.
Just
recently, a bombing
in Dujail, a city in
Iraq, killed at least 25
people and wounded
40. The violence of
today’s world is still
shocking, no matter
how long it’s been
around.
Yes, according
to the facts above
and the situations
I see, the world’s
conditions
have
surely
worsened.
Whether
it’s
the poverty and
starvation that can
be prevented or
violence and bloody
wars, the world is clearly spiraling out of control. The
real question is, will any of this change? Will it ever be a
peaceful world? Only the future will tell.
BOTH SIDES NOW
No, it should not, says Junior Gabi Gahr
First let’s define what we are talking about. Alcohol is an addictive drug. It is also
processed as a highly volatile aviation fuel and vehicle fuel additive. It is also a poison. So
which would you prefer to drink - the drug, the high volatile fuel, or the poison?
Now another question: what should the
government’s role be in protecting its citizens?
I think most people would agree that
wearing seatbelts is a good thing. When
thousands of people each year were being
crippled or injured in vehicle accidents, our
elected officials mandated that we MUST wear
seatbelts.
When it was proven that second hand
smoke causes health problems for non-smokers,
our elected officials started herding smokers
into smoking areas.
By and large, this is not a case of our elected
officials telling young people that they cannot
drink; it is a case of our elected officials stating
that it will protect the rest of us from drinkers
who - as an age group - has proven itself to be
dangerously irresponsible behind the wheel.
The whole talk about lowering the drinking age started because college presidents
felt it would be safer if the younger students could drink on campus and not have to
leave the campus to drink in secret. It’s my belief that if the drinking age is lowered
not only will more teenage accidents occur, but it will mean a decrease of students
attending class and making college more of a party place.
The government is considering lowering the national drinking age to 18, as it used
to be in some states (it has always been 21 in California.) The law was changed in 1984
because the 18 year-old group proved that they couldn’t handle alcohol, I honestly don’t
think that this age group is any more mature than it was then.
by Destiny Espinoza
You know, you live in the year 2008, where the reason for not staying in touch with
your friends is that they don’t have an AIM account, a Myspace or an e-mail address,
where your mother has to text you to get you to return her calls and where you can be the
most ungrateful person in the world and still manage to get your mom to buy you a new
outfit and a matching purse.
Our generation has changed so much since our parents were our age. We have
communication devices that can occupy us for hours on end, even some that fit in the palm
of our hand. We are living in the age of technology, and boy is it sucking our parents dry.
Teenagers all have the latest cell phones and trendy clothes, but do parents ever hear a real,
honest, “thank you”? Most of the people our age can agree that we’ll do just about anything
to make our parents buy us what we want and in the end say a forced, “Thanks, Mom,”
then start drooling over something else to buy. I’ll admit that I, too, have this problem.
We need to stop and realize
that we should be grateful
for everything we have.
We are in the years
of opportunity, where
we can receive higher
education than our parents
ever dreamed of and job
opportunities that can make
us thousands. We have so
many privileges, but never
take advantage of them.
It seems that teens really
don’t care about education
and the future more than
they do about materialistic
popularity and parties. We
need to show our elders
that we can make a difference today and also set a good example for our brothers and
sisters to lead them to be successful tomorrow. So let’s be grateful of everything we have
that our parents did not. I mean, do you honestly think our parents had it better than we
with their brick cell phones and 80’s neon clothes? Not a chance.
Of course it should, says Junior Nereida Moreno
When you turn 18, you are [legally] granted the rights, as stated in the constitution,
to “life, liberty, and the eternal pursuit of happiness.” Officially considered an adult,
18-year olds gain the rights to vote, marry, sign contracts, smoke, serve on juries, and
enlist in the military. So how can we as a society then tell them they are
not mature enough to have a beer?
The legal drinking age in some states was 18 until 1984. As time
goes on, America seems to be losing faith in our young adults. Some
may argue that teenage drinking should not be allowed because teenagers
today are not mature or responsible enough to handle the consequences.
If that’s true, why would we allow such irresponsible, immature people
fight for our country or vote for our future leaders? These laws condense
adult citizens between the ages of 18 to 20 to a second-rate class by
denying them the same protections of the law guaranteed to all other adult
citizens. World wide, legal drinking ages vary, though in most countries
the legal age to purchase alcohol is 18. In Germany, for example, alcohol
is often served with meals and consumed by the whole family.
Some studies suggest that a higher drinking age barely cuts down
underage drinking. Better yet, those under-aged youths who do drink are
much more likely to do so behind closed curtains and drink excessively
in the short time they have access to alcohol.
In addition, restricting alcohol at a legal age gives it the appeal of
the “forbidden fruit.” It gives underage drinking the glamour of rebellion, as though
you were taking a walk on the oh-so-wonderous wild side. Maybe a more important
cause of the problem is that we don’t try hard enough to educate our teens about
responsible drinking at any age. And that, moms and dads, I’m leaving to you.
Most parents would like to assume that their lovely teen is not drinking (dream on!)
and ignore talking about it, but let’s face reality: kids are going to drink whether
it’s legal or not. We’d at least be able to have a more open dialogue with students
about drinking, as opposed to where people don’t want to talk about it because it’s a
violation of the law.
by Marc Galang
AVID has been known for being a rigorous class
around campus. Some students might call its activities
tedious and insignificant, but essentially it isn’t. So, does
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) really
help students?
As a senior in my third year of participation with the
program, I would say that it does help. AVID is meant to
prepare students, starting in middle school, to succeed in
college. Teachers, tutors, coordinators, and counselors
within the program provide us with the
proper life skills to become successful in
life and at school. I feel that it has done
that, and more.
AVID is fundamentally built to provide
students with the help and guidance they
need to attend a 4-year university. From
organization of notebooks, to taking
proper and complete notes in each class
(including learning logs) to properly
prepare students for tests and quizzes.
Such notetaking strategy and organization
is perfect to achieve the goals needed for
success.
The AVID program becomes more
demanding as students reach their senior
year. This is mainly to prepare you for
college admissions and deciding on which
university to attend. This all begins when
AVID is introduced to a student, but it
The AP test has been called unneccesary by many. Is it?
by Semiya Holman
Sweating palms. Racing heartbeat. Pressure and stress. Taking tests puts
enormous amounts of pressure on kids today. Along comes the AP test, and now
the symptoms of test stress are coming back worse than ever. These may be some
of the most important tests you will ever take and may even be some of the hardest
young AP students will take. But before forking out the cash for this life-changing
test…think. Is the AP test really worth taking?
AP classes are hard. They require you to go the extra mile and push yourself to
the limit. The classes try to teach you how to read texts critically, solve problems
analytically and write clearly. But when it comes to the test, you forget everything
you’ve learned and freeze. You pay $86 to take the test and then you freak out
and forget almost everything. Yes, the AP test has some value to you in the future.
Colleges look at the test and courses to see that you’ve taken some of the most
rigorous classes available. But taking a test that only 14.1 percent of people of this
nation have passed (and you not being in that percentile) is not only devastating,
but also a waste of time and money.
You might think this test is just like all the others, but these are definitely more
advanced. According to the College Board’s Advanced Placement: Report to the
Nation, 19.7 percent of California schools got a good grade on one or more AP
exams compared to 14.1 percent nationwide. The numbers don’t exactly come out
to everyone’s favor. The test is not exactly a great way to spend $86.
Many people will tell you to take the AP test. I’m not trying to persuade you
not to take it, but the fact is I think it’s useless. It may give you some head start
while you are in college, but you’ve already worked so hard for these classes, just
taking it a little further couldn’t hurt. The amount of time, money, and stress you
have for this test can cause serious problems but it’s just not worth it.
becomes more evident during the 11th grade. At their junior
year, AVID students begin to prepare for college mainly by
doing three very important things; AVID Junior Road Trip,
Student Portfolios, and Exams such as the SAT(I & II),
ACT, and AP Exams.
The AVID Junior Road Trip is a week long field trip
in which students visit numerous colleges and universities
all over California. It is meant to help with the deciding
factor on which colleges to apply to during their senior
year. It is a trip worth taking for students to get away and
see various college campuses and campus life, as well as
to meet students who previously attended Colton High.
Another helpful thing I found in AVID was the Student
Portfolio that juniors had to create for a final exam. I
found it helpful due to the contents the teachers asked
of because it will eventually make the task of applying
to colleges, scholarships, and even jobs less of a hassle.
Just to name some, it had to contain completed college
and work resumes, completed UC and CSU practice
application forms, completed scholarship forms, and
personal statement essays that colleges are sure to ask of
applying freshmen.
The teachers and tutors also helped
us prepare for the two major things 4-year
universities asked. The SAT and the ACT
tests. Teachers prompted us to which dates
the tests were administered and what we
had to do to register. AVID tutors, along side
the teachers also prepared us for the timeconsuming tests with numerous textbooks
of practice tests and questions during class.
With this kind of attention, how can you say
that AVID doesn’t help?
As my last year in high school begins,
the help AVID has provided for me will more
than prepare me for college. Especially this
year where as seniors, AVID teachers will
help us apply to the colleges we want to
attend, as well as provide with the motivation
to attend a 4-year university.
AVID should be given the credit it
deserves as a program.
Page 6
Oct. 3, 2008
Page 7
Oct. 3, 2008
’
When senior Anthony Marshall got a chance to
spend a year in Italy as an exchange student,
he couldn’t pass it up. But what we wanted to
know most was....how was the FOOD? “Not
like Olive Garden!” he laughs.
by Carlos Nelson
Senior Anthony Marshall wanted nothing more than
“To see more of the world.” He felt as though all we’re
exposed to is the “U.S. media.” This CHS student wanted
more, and followed his dream and became a foreign
exchange student. He was inspired by his brother who had
also been in the program. Marshall joined the program
and set his sights on exploring Europe.
After some thought, Italy was where Marshall decided
to visit. “It was between Italy and Spain; I wanted to go to
the Mediterranean.” says Marshall. “The Mediterranean
has always seemed interesting to me.” However it was
not just the thought of going to Europe, but the things he
would experience as well. “The culture is fascinating, the
food, how they act.” It all interested him and he knew it
was where he wanted to go.
When asked to compare the schooling between Italy
and the U.S., Marshall had quite
a bit to say. “The education
level there is a lot higher,” says
Marshall. “The high schools
were run more like colleges,
and we were treated more like
college students. Calculus was
being taught during the first
year of high school.” Another
thing he mentioned was the
very noticeable difference in
language. “I spoke nothing but
Italian while I was there.” The
process of learning this new
language took him around three
months to learn. “I can speak
the language fluently now,”
Marshall says.
Schooling, however, was
not all that Marshall did on his ten-month trip. One of the
most exciting things he said he had done was his week
long visit to Rome with some other foreign exchange
The hottest craze on campus isn’t
clothing or music or the latest
movie. Hold on to your hats: it’s a
book series.
by Gabi Gahr
It used to be witch hats, wands, and painted-on
lightning-shaped scars sported by those in line to buy
each new book in the Harry Potter series; but now, it’s
fangs, fur, and prom queens.
August 2nd, 2008 marked a whole new craze in
bookstores everywhere. The fourth book of the Twilight
series, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, has sold the
second highest number of books behind Harry Potter.
Since the release of Breaking Dawn, Twilight has
been a big craze to teenagers everywhere. “The book
students. “I saw the Colisseum, the Vatican, and many
different museums. Pretty much everything in Rome.”
says Marshall. There was one
other thing that Marshall thought
was very exciting, and that was
meeting the family he would be
staying with for the duration of
his visit. “I could talk to them
about anything,” Marshall says.
“They were like my real family.”
You could tell that he had become
very close to the family after the
ten months he spent living with
them.
Marshall returned from his
ten month journey with new
insight on another country and
many new experiences. He
missed his family and friends
at home however leaving his
new family in Italy made him
sad as well. I asked Marshall if he would ever consider
taking this trip again, he replied, “Yeah, I’d do it again, in
a heartbeat.”
caught my interest in every page, I couldn’t put it down,”
says junior Tia Immanuel, “and I’m excited for the movie
that’s coming out.” Even the news of the Twilight Movie,
which will be released in November, drew excitement.
Comic Con 2008, the San Diego comic convention,
which was held in July, held a panel for fans to go and
ask the stars that will be in the movie questions. The fans
were able to see an exclusive clip from the movie and
listen to the stars talk about how they felt about their role
in the movie. The stars who attended Comic Con included
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautnre.
Twilight hits theaters November 21st. It will have its chance
to prove that it can be as successful as Harry Potter in the
box office.
American Sign Language class debuts on campus
by Jazmin Mena
Recently Colton High School has welcomed a new addition to its R.O.P. department.
American Sign Language was brought to Colton High School when Principal Verdi
contacted teacher Brenda Leyvas after many students approached him asking why it
wasn’t available at CHS. Leyvas enthusiastically agreed, saying, “This class would be a
wonderful experience for the students here.”
Leyvas has been signing for 15 years and has interpreted American Sign Language
for about seven years. She has taught ASL for seven years and has taught grades K-12 as
well. She began signing when her son was born deaf. According to Leyvas she was lucky
to have found a career in which her personal experiences allowed her to teach others.
When asked how this class would progress throughout the years at Colton High
School, Leyvas says, “This is a great class to have at this school, but, it would be awesome
if the school would give it foreign language credit. It would be more beneficial to the
students.” Then with a smile she added, “Sign language is probably the most fun language
you can learn.” In the words of an ASL student and senior in Leyvas’ class: “With such
an optimistic teacher this class couldn’t help but succeed at CHS.”
WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?- Senior Jarrett Newton assists Brenda Leyvas in teaching
her sign language class.
On a balmy dawn morning nine years ago, on the Sunday before school started, five teens, three of them from
Colton High, drove their car over a cliff in the San Bernardino mountains and plunged to their deaths. They
were coming home from an all night end-of-summer
rave party. The student body was devastated.
Now, it seems that raves are becoming popular once
again. Should you be concerned?
by Patricia Delgado
Every decade that comes in life tends to have a
particular event or culture that defines it. The 60s defined
an era involved in drug experimentation, the 70s were
diagnosed with disco fever, and the 80s embraced a new
form of the party scene: raving.
Raves began in the 80s; they were typically known as
“dance parties,” where DJs played electronic dance music.
Along with this genre of music, laser lights, glow sticks,
and artificial fog defined the setting of raves. The name
“rave” was then used to describe this subculture of night
life. But this was not the first time the term was used: in the
fifties, the word “rave” was used to describe wild bohemian
parties that were a part of the beatnik culture. The term
was highly used in the nineties, in which raves began to
become more popular, but at the same time maintained an
underground image.
Raves were and still are known for the consumption
of ecstasy, acid and other forms of drugs. And recently
raves and dance parties have become quite mainstream.
No longer are raves as top secret, invitations are public and do. Today raves have certainly become popular within our
easy to obtain, the only problem is paying for them. Senior generation, but raves lost their popularity in the late 90s
Dylan Serna says “Raves are cool, but they are way too and early 2000s. After several drug-related deaths, the
expensive, I had to pay $30 for the last one I went to.” But U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has tried to crack
$30 is nothing compared to the extreme prices of many down on raves. In 1999 five local teens were killed in a car
rave festivals. Usually the DJs performing at raves is what accident driving back from a rave. Three of the teenagers
determines the entrance fee. Prices
were students at Colton
can range from $20 up to $100, or
High: seniors Sharon
even higher.
Bjornstad,
Matthew
It is obvious that many of our
Lopez and junior Leah
peers have become a part of this
Feldhaus.
(Bjornstad
“rave craze” and who knows how
and
Feldhaus
were
long it will last. But it is certain that
members of the Pepper
many simply go for the amusement,
Bough staff.) After an
while others simply go for the
investigation, officials
drugs. Senior Danielle Monahan
came to the conclusion
has been going to raves since 2004,
that they were under the
but opposes the drug use that is
influence of drugs.
prevalent at many raves. When
There is no doubt
speaking about the very recent
that the rave culture is
ravers, Monahan states, “They just
growing tremendously:
go to do drugs, [they] have never
more dance parties, rave
raved before, and just walk around
DJs and electronic artists
in underwear. The fact that they go
being embraced by our
to do drugs to have a good time is
generation. Raves may
sad.” Monahan may attend raves
be seen as a harmless
IT’S ALL THE RAVE- A young
Rave goer not having so swell of a
frequently, but looks down upon
cornucopia of PLURtime
the drug users that she comes upon
following ravers, but the
at raves. “If you’re going to go
drug use that many of
raves, go sober and uphold PLUR.”
these events seemingly
PLUR is an acronym for peace, love, unity, and respect, a turn a blind eye to is anything but. So listen to Monahan’s
rave code that many ravers follow or at least believe they advice: when going to these raging raves, be careful and
be wise.
by Jacob Lopez, Technology Editor
The holiday season is shaping up, which means big releases. As far as movies go,
nothing really major for the start of fall. Video games, on the other hand, are starting to take
hold of our wallets. The season is kicked off with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
Fall is the season of beta testing. Call of Duty 5: World at War is starting its beta this
fall. In case you’re looking
to get in, you have to either
pre-order the game or sign up
to get a token at their official
website.
The same thing goes
for the upcoming game: End
War. This RTS (Real Time
Strategy) title allows you
to control your forces with
your voice. That’s right, use
your mic to order your troops
around and take over the
world. To get into the beta,
pre-order the game at the
nearest GameStop.
By now, all the Bungie fans out there should’ve downloaded the new update. If not,
download it off Xbox Live. This update comes with the revamp matchmaking system,
ranking system, and new variation of maps.
For you Watchmen fans out there, you may or may not have heard of the lawsuit filed
by 20th Century Fox. Fox claims they own the rights to movie adaptation of Watchmen.
This, in turn, would cause the movie’s release date to be postponed for an untold time,
which would be a shame. From the footage they showed at Comic Con San Diego,
Watchmen is shaping up to be a huge movie, but fear not! Warner Bros. managed to score
a court date in January. With any luck, Watchmen will be out in theaters by its original
release date: March 9th, 2009.
by Destiny Espinoza, Fashionista Editor
As autumn starts to settle the summer heat, we begin to hit the malls for new
fall and winter clothes, ditching the shorts and flip flops for jeans and jackets to
keep us warm. We look in magazines and window displays to figure out the new
“it” thing to buy. Getting ready for the seasons can be tough, here are a few tips to
keep you at just the right pace.
The first rule of trends is, when in doubt, keep it simple. Natural earthy tones
and solid colored tees are a great vice. Small fitted tees and skinny jeans to match
with a warm comfy sweater is always a go. Remember to make sure the jeans are
not so tight that they look like high waters. Flats are versatile as well as small comfy
sweaters and trendy black button coats. Scarves and knit beanies are a cute and
stylish way to keep warm without too much layering.
For make up, light to dark brown around the eyes topped off with a pink lip
will give you a soft look any boy would love, easy on the blush though, winter and
fall are all about a natural look. Sum up all of these tips and more to get the most
stylish look. You can try combining different things or mixing them. Don’t forget
to remain a designer in heart every time you open your wardrobe. Only you know
what you look great in. Be your own designer, and take risks. Who knows, you
might start a trend of your own.
& NOW
MTV has been around from quite some time, evolving as time goes on. Back in the
day, it helped launch the carrers of many of our pop culture icons today. Here’s a
look at how MTV has changed from the 90’s to the new millenium.
FROM NEWS REPORTERS TO BEAUTY QUEENS
by Randie Ortloff
It might be hard to believe but at one time MTV cast their VJs and reporters based on more than their looks and their
age. MTV used to actually look for people with personality, charisma, and the brains to do reporting. Now that the audience
has drastically changed, the personalities (or lack there
of), must change as well. The new generation of reporters
and VJ’s are genetic and uninteresting, kind of like MTV
HELLO WORLDitself.
Carson Daly and
Once upon a time Carson Daly owned teenagers’
Britney Spears greet
fans outside the Terrace
afternoons in the late 90’s and early 2000’s with the
Theatre.
countdown show TRL. He actually made a repetitive show
enjoyable with his calm, mellow persona and his intelligent
interviews. Daly interviewed everyone from NSYNC to
Eminen, and was always himself. Daly finally left TRL
in 2003 to do his own show on NBC, and so began the
disappointing second generation of the show. One the
VJs who eventually replaced Daly is current VJ Lyndey
Rodrigues. Rodrigues spends her time modeling when she is not
working on TRL. Welcome to the new generation, where VJs are
based strictly based on looks.
On the reporter’s end of the story, Gideon Yago’s first
major story for MTV was the 2000 presidential election. Since then Yago has worked on award winning documentaries including those on
September 11th, hate crimes, and the war in Iraq. Yago has even interviewed presidents. Since leaving MTV, Yago continues writing and
even wrote a film script. Currently, Kim Stolz is one of MTV’s reporters, while she does have a college degree, it’s pretty obvious Stolz
is best known for her days on the fifth cycle of “America’s Next Top Model,” and being the self-admitted “lesbian model” (probably just
because she had a boyish haircut).
Consider yourself lucky if you happen to remember TRL and MTV journalism at its peak. Hopefully TRL will end sometime
soon, and interesting reporters who are more than reality show losers will be hired to do some serious reporting again. Until that time we
can all look back on how brilliant MTV once was. Until that time, enjoy watching 20 seconds of your favorite video on TRL.
THE REAL WORLD: NOT SO REAL ANYMORE
Music TV or Reality TV?
MTV’s The Real World has been on since 1992. There are many other reality
shows, but The Real World is the longest running show on MTV.
The Real World is about strangers living together for three months, with
cameras following their every move. The beginning of every season starts with the
cast members meeting their housemates. Some seasons include Real World Sydney,
Real World Hollywood, and Real World Hawaii. Every season has its own memorable
moments and tons of drama, as when Irene Barrera- Kearns got married during the Los
Angeles season, or when Ruthie Alcaide was told to leave the house to seek help for
her alcoholism. All of the drama makes it entertaining to watch. The Real World has
also helped its members succeed after the show. Eric Nies of the New York cast became
a successful model, actor, and TV host. There’s also another show called Real World/
Road Rules Challenge, which is a game show featuring the former members of The
Real World and Road Rules. They compete for $60,000.
2008 episodes also have many challenges. After every season, there’s a reunion,
where the former housemates reunite. The Real World/Road Rules challenges start at
8:00 every night. So you should go on MTV and check the different shows out.
SCANDAL- Britney Spears, Madonna, and Christina
Aguilera perform together in the 2003 VMA’s in one of
the most memerable moments of the new millenium
by Christina Raney
Shows on MTV are extremely popular
with students because they have humor
that we can relate to and they have
situations that teens are most likely to
get themselves into. But throughout
the years, it seems that MTV’s shows
are more “Reality” than “Scripted.” In
the 90’s, MTV had shows like Daria
that were scripted. The most infamous
show that MTV produced was Beavis
& Butt-head. The show was about two
teen metalheads watching TV (MTV to
be exact) and going through things that
all teens go through. They even made a
movie from the successful show named
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.
But sadly the series ended and a new
generation of shows began to hit the
airwaves.
As the year 2000 approached, more
and more shows on MTV were “Reality”
based. Today, MTV has shows that are mostly “Reality” shows like Two-A-Days, NEXT, among others. MTV’s most
popular show would have to be The Hills. The show is about a girl named Lauren Conrad ( from Laguna Beach: The
Real Orange County) who moves to LA and chronicles her day to day life. The Hills has everything that teens like such
as drama between friends, finding love and partying. As “Reality” shows begin to take over the world, MTV should
think about bringing back scripted shows to the public because “Reality” shows are soon going to be yesterday’s Beavis
& Butt-head.
HEADBANGER’S
BALL LOSING ITS
BANG
by Treasure Fortune and Alejandra Aguilera
VMA’S SLOWLY LOSING TOUCH
by Alexander Vega
How many times has this happened to you, you’re up way too
late and are bored beyond belief and you feel like watching some
tube? There you are flippin through the channels and boom bam
zippity bop Headbangers Ball!!!
The show first aired in 1985 on MTV with hosts Kevin Seal
and Adam Curry, but the man who really set it off for “The Ball”
was the show’s O.G. host Riki Rachtman, who hosted from 1990
to 1995. The original Headbangers Ball was more about the bands,
their members, and the personal connections that interviews with
them gave us. In January 1995, MTV cancelled the show without
any warning to the viewers as well as the cast.
Almost a decade after being cancelled “The Ball” made its
return on May 10th, 2005, and it was apparent to its long-time
viewers that it had become just another mind numbing block of
repetitive “metal” videos hosted by Hatebreed vocalist, Jamey
Jasta. This spontaneous rebirth of the show gave viewers a
lack of excitement and instead replaced it with lots and lots of
commercials.
When asking senior Dominick Hall what he thought about the
show all he had to say was, “It has some good bands, but it needs
more hardcore and ish…they show lame bands like Slipknot,
Slayer, and Strapping Young Lad.”
At the days end “Headbangers Ball” and its display of metal,
or lack thereof, is something that would make any metal-head
want to hop in their DeLorean and gun it back to ’88!!!
by Christina Raney
MTV’s Video Music Awards have always been popular among high school students. But throughout the years,
it seems that the VMA’s have been going downhill every year. In the 90’s, you had acts like Nirvana, Madonna, Foo
Fighters, Puff Daddy (later known as Diddy), Poison, ‘N Sync, Britney Spears, Brandy, Monica, Lil’ Kim, Green Day,
Christina Aguilera, Kid Rock along with countless others. Throughout the 90’s, the VMA’s have proven to be the best
that they can be and more. The first fistfight on the VMA’s stage was in the 1991 when Poison’s C.C DeVille and Bret
Michaels began fighting over DeVille’s live performance. From having legendary rock band Van Halen presenting an
award to the first time we saw Britney Spears and ‘N Sync perform, the 90’s were a great time for the VMA’s.
As soon as we knew it, the New Millennium was here. The acts of the New Millennium are the Jonas Brothers,
Britney Spears, U2, Tokio Hotel, G-Unit & 50 Cent, Kanye West, R. Kelly and Shakira among others. In the new
millennium, the VMA’s slowly began going downhill every year. The most memorable moment at the VMA’s in the
new millennium was when Madonna kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 VMA’s at the end of her
“Like A Virgin” performance for the VMA’s twentieth anniversary. Another memorable moment was at the 2007 VMA’s when Britney Spears opened the ceremony with her
“comeback” single “Gimme More,” failed to live up to the hype from the media. From Britney Spears performing with
a yellow Boa Constrictor to this year’s host Russell Brand making rude comments to the Jonas Brothers about their
promise rings, The VMA’s of today are still going to be viewed by millions, but next time think things through when
planning the VMA’s.
NEW POP SENSATIONS REPLACE 90’S LEGENDS
TRL : CLOSING AN ERA
by Patricia Delgado
There is no doubt that the MTV we watch today is not what it was ten
years ago. Throughout the decades Music Television viewers have been exposed
to the channel’s drastic changes. For the most part MTV has been known to be
a main exporter of mainstream music. Our generation will no longer be exposed
to MTV’s constant broadcasting of music videos. One cannot tune in to MTV
to watch hip video performances by our top charting artists, without being
hypnotized by the power of scripted reality series.
The Jonas Brothers have replaced the heart throbbing New Kids on the
Block, while Miley Cyrus has become the new Brittney Spears. Yesteryear’s music
icons seems to have replaced by these rising stars. Even MTV’s rock legends like
Nirvana have had their title replaced by groovy groups like Tokio Hotel and
Fallout Boy. We can recall a time when Christina Aguilara and 98 Degrees used
to dominate MTV’s charts, and now sensations like Rihanna and Lil’ Wayne seem
to own the top spots. Anthems like “MmmBop” and “No Scrubs” were once the
rage, now hipsters enjoy tunes like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Misery Business.”
Not forgetting music videos, The White Stripe’s video for their song
“Fell in Love With a Girl” fascinated viewers with its unique use of Legos. Now
Flobot’s political video creation for the song “Handlebars” raises interest. We no
longer see funky choreography as Michael Jackson did in his “Thriller” video,
but the special effects our generation has to offer.
MTV has surely embraced reality television about sixteen year old brats,
but no matter how much we complain we keep tuning in. We still watch and we
still believe in the music magic that MTV creates. Whether it’s grotesque music,
or snap your fingers, tap your feet doggone awesome music, I still watch MTV.
by Nereida Moreno
TRL was founded back in 1998 when MTV producers decided to merge the fan controlled countdown power of Total
Request and the real-time side of their hit show MTV Live into Total Request Live, better known as simply TRL. Over the
years, the show has gone through some drastic changes, ranging from the VJ’s to the music being played. With time, the
show’s dwindling popularity had reduced the show to pre-recorded, four-imes a week episodes, losing the live aspect that
they so became famous for.
Back in the 90’s, pop culture icon Carson Daly hosted TRL, bringing
much of the popularity to the show. He alongside fellow VJ Dave Holmes
helped make it the longest-running live show that MTV ever produced. Acts
such as N’Sync, Britney Spears, and Eminem reigned supreme, each having
their fair share of music videos reaching the #1 spot. Without the popularity
and influence of TRL, artists such as Christina Aguilera and the Backstreet
Boys may never have enjoyed success they achieved today. Nowadays, artists
such as Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, and Katy Perry dominate the charts. Lately,
America has been experiencing “Disney fever” with acts such as Vanessa
Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and of course, the Jonas Brothers taking the top
positions.
Sadly enough, executive producer, Dave Sirulnick, announced on
September 15th that TRL would be coming to an end in November with a two
hour special on a Saturday afternoon. He stressed that the show wasn’t ending
for good, but felt now was the right time to give it a break after an unparalleled
run on MTV. “We want to close this era of `TRL’ in a big celebratory way A DREAM COME TRUE- an overwhelmed fan joins
and 10 is a great number,” Sirulnick said. In a recent statement, Eminem said: Fergie and current VJ Lyndsey Rodrigues on stage
“I’m going to miss `TRL’. Where else will I be able to start feuds, defend my
honor vigorously, and act like an angry teenager on national TV? Oh wait,
the VMAs!”
Page 10
Oct. 3, 2008
Grisly local murder case becomes Hollywood film
clint eastwood directs film based on mira Loma killings
special to the Pepper Bough Chris Campbell
WHAT?! MURDER?! WHERE?! Oh wait, its right here!
The Wineville murders. Also known as “The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders”
were a series of brutal murders that occurred in nearby Mira Loma in the late 1920s. Now
a lot of you may not know where that is. Well, Mira Loma isn’t even a half hour drive
from Colton. YEAH! But seriously, a case this big, this brutal, this corrupt, and to believe
it’s actually almost in our backyard. That’s spooky! But you know
as well as I do that anything this big, especially a murder, is going
to have a movie to follow it up. Changeling is a movie premiering
October 31 directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Angelina Jolie
and John Malkovich, chronicling the murder case that happened in
1928 in our own Inland Empire backyard.
To say at the most, I am actually looking forward to seeing this
movie. Usually I’m not such a drama man, which in speaking of
genre, this would be considered a Drama. But coming out from a
murder that I wasn’t around to hear about, but is almost local history,
I’ve just got to see it.
The Wineville Murders were a series of local murders that occurred in a small town known as Wineville. But it was later decided
after the murders became a national sensation that the name Wineville, being tagged as the case name for the murders, was just not appealing to the public any longer. It left a bad impression on that area.
So, hence the name “Mira Loma,” which remains the city’s name to
this day. Imagine, a murder case got a city’s named changed.
The crimes consisted of a series of kidnappings, molestations,
torture, and of course, murder. The four boys who were the victims
of this heinous crime were 10 year-old Walter Collins who was discovered missing by
his mother on March 10, 1928; 12 year-old Lewis Winslow and his 10 year old brother
Nelson who went missing from Pomona on May 16, 1928; and an unidentified Mexican
boy who was later discovered by investigators.
In 1929, Gordon Stewart Northcott was arrested for the accused crime of killing
Lewis and Nelson Winslow. And finally after a 27 day trial, Stewart was convicted for
the crime and proven guilty. But it gets even worse--Northcott’s mother, Louisa Northcott, confessed to the killing of Walter Collins and the Mexican boy. Creepy…
But if all this isn’t even enough to make your jaw drop, it gets even worse that that:
the police who were assigned to investigate the crime were confronted by a woman
named Christine Collins, Walter Collins’ mother. When told that her
son was still alive, she was overwhelmed with joy--only to have her
hopes completely shattered when she receives Arthur Hutchins—a
young runaway tramp who had needed a free lift to California, so
had posed a Walter Collins to get it. Pretty cruel, huh? The police,
trying to pass him off as her son, had Christine institutionalized to
get her out of the way. They claimed “that because of Ms. Collins
grief, she is delirious. She assumes this isn’t her son only because
she still believes that her son has been kidnapped and murdered,
which he has NOT!” The corruption in this case was immense and
received nationwide coverage by the press because of it.
To say the least, this movie is trying its best to be original. Eastwood is trying to take the feel of the movie to a different angle.
In most murder movies, says Eastwood, “You see the story of the
Investigator who was assigned to solve the case. But when do you
ever see a movie about the victim?” In his latest movie, Eastwood
stars Jolie as “Christine Collins,” the mother of Walter Collins. His
outlook her story tells of her hard ships in trying to find out what has
happened to her missing child. The corrupt police, the confusion,
and especially, the murder itself make for a fascinating storyline. Being as though it’s also a modern movie, seeing the recreation with today’s filming techniques, and especially being directed by Clint Eastwood, this is hopefully going to be an
instant classic. I know what I’m doing this Halloween! Eating candy!
Summer in Mexico full
of adventure for senior
Jake
Hernandez
spent his
summer
vacaton
south of the
border
by Paula James
This summer Jake Hernandez went down to Mexico to visit
relatives, help out, and just have fun. Hernandez helped out at
his aunt’s Mexican candy store to earn a little money when he
could. At the store he helped organize merchandise. He sold sodas, raspados, and chips. Hernandez also worked on the family
ranch during the week putting up fences to keep in the animals.
During the day he carried haystacks, with the help of a cousin, to feed the horses and cows. He also had to go around the
ranch and take food to the pigs, chickens, and sheep. At night
Hernandez and a partner were to go and take the guard dogs outside. After the guard dogs were spread over the ranch they had
to search the parameter for snakes, coyotes, and la chupacabras.
Every other weekend Hernandez went to the beaches at either
Ensenada or Rosarito. At the beaches he usually went to a restaurant and ate lobster, tacos, shrimp, or carne asada. Then he would
play soccer with some cousins and friends. After soccer they just
relaxed on the shore and watched the scenery. On the weekends that
Hernandez was not at a beach he was cruising around with some
buddies on quads looking for jumps and stopping at dirt ramps.
During Hernandez’s last week in he Mexico he went to some
parties, and just chilled with his cousins, played video games,
watched movies. On his last night in Mexico Hernandez and his
family sat down to a home cooked meal, enchiladas, prepared
by his grandma.When Hernandez returned to the States he spent
most of his free time with his two friends Jonathan White and
Alexis Alvarez. They mostly lazed around watching television or
playing playstation. If they weren’t being lazy they were likely
to be found somewhere weightlifting, training, or doing mixed
martial arts. Now Jake Hernandez is back at Colton High School
for his senior year, class of 2009.
by Dayna Sorrell
World history teacher Russ Levine has been a
bee keeper for almost a year. Levine takes time out
of his schedule to help repopulate the honey bees.
As you may know, the honey bees provide us with
honey that we use in everyday life. Honey can also
be used for cooking or just to put some sweetness
in your tea. The good thing about honey is that it
never spoils because it doesn’t contain any bacteria.
Q. What made you become a bee keeper?
A. After finding out that the honey bees were in
danger of extinction I decided to become involved
in trying to help repopulate them.
Q. How many bees do you watch over?
A. I have five hives and help look over three
more. Altogether that is about 1.2 million bees.
Q. How do you know that a hive has honey
in it?
A. Once the box is open I can see that the caps
of the cones are white, which means there’s honey
inside.
Q. Where are the bees kept at?
A. The five hives that I look after are in Upland
and the other three are in La Habra Heights.
Q. So how much nectar can a bee hold?
A. On average a bee can only hold little drops
of nectar. For one pound of honey the bees would
have to travel to five million flowers.
Q. What is the process for a bee to create honey?
A. The first thing that the bees have to do is obtain the nectar. After they have enough to carry off
the bees go back to the hives and regurgitate it into
the cones. Because it remains at 95 degrees in the
hive, the young bees flap their wing below the hive
to circulate the air. That causes the water in the
nectar to evaporate and leaves a sticky substance.
Q. If you get stung be a bee what do you do to
get the stinger out?
A. If the stinger gets stuck in you, just flick
it out with your finger or a credit card. If you are
allergic to bees, the best thing to do is to go to the
hospital and they will give you a shot of bee antivenom. This will cure you.
Q. How many bees on average die?
A. In about six weeks all bees die, but the
queen, she makes enough eggs to keep the population steady.
Q. How long is the average life span of a
bee?
A. It’s about three weeks. Mostly the bee
spends half the time outside of the hive and the
other half inside. Ultimately, the bees work themselves to death.
Q. How is a bee determined to be the queen?
A. It’s mostly picked out randomly, but the
bee that they do chose to be queen gets a bigger
cell to grow and is fed royal jelly.
Q. How do you manage teaching and bee
keeping?
A. Either I get up really early while the bees
are not up or late at night when the bees are tired.
The best time to bee keep is in the middle of the
day.
Q. How much money does a bee keeper get?
A. There’s no money if you don’t have a lot of
bee hives; mainly I do it to be out in nature. It’s a
hobby, and it’s fun!
NO YELLOWJACKETS? No, but Social Science
teacher Russ Levine shows off his honey of a bee collection.
Oct. 3, 2008
GOOD STUFF TO KNOW!
Page 11
Page 12
Oct 3, 2008
Summer movies draw to a close
by Randie Ortloff
The start of school brings the end of summer, and the end of summer means the end
of the summer movies. This summer has been one of the
most successful thanks to a little movie called The Dark
Knight (you may have heard of it), but more on that later.
Out of all the movies released this summer we picked out
the two greatest, and the two you wish you never paid for,
or even snuck into.
The Dark Knight: Lets face it; this is probably what
2008 will be best remembered for. This movie really
made Batman cool again and made you miss Heath Ledger. The Dark Knight is a must see movie that puts you
in the minority if you didn’t see it. In fact, the film broke
the record for biggest midnight showing ever, and largest
weekend gross ever, beating Spiderman 3. But the most
impressive of all records broken by The Dark Knight is
the fact that it is now the second highest grossing movie
ever, behind only Titanic, which has held the record for
11 years.
Iron Man: It’s safe to say no one really saw this film coming. In what could be described as the biggest surprise of the summer, this film put Robert Downey Jr. back on the
top of Hollywood again. It was even considered to be the best
comic book movie ever, that was well before Christian Bale
and his friends showed up.
Honorable mentions:
Pineapple Express: Proves that even stoner comedies can
be intelligent.
Hamlet 2: Sure many people haven’t seen this movie, or
even heard of it. But you have to have heard of “Rock Me
Sexy Jesus.”
The worst
-The Happening: Horrible acting, and a disastrous script,
(SPOILERS! The plants killed people) are no wonder why this
bombed so badly. One question for M. Night Shyamalan: are
you serious?
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: Do I even
have to explain?
Not so honorable runners up:
Speed Racer: Emile Hirsch, you are better than this.
New Underoath
album fails to live up to expectations
Oct. 3, 2008
Page 13
Zooey Deschanel vs. Katy Perry
Battle of the offbeat, blue eyed, black haired,
Hollywood “IT” girls.
by Randie Ortloff
With coal black hair, large blue eyes, an offbeat
personality, and a retro style that is all her own, Zooey
Deschanel is unlike anyone, unless you
consider Katy Perry. Thanks to a successful
summer for both girls, Deschanel and
Perry are both popular for music, movies,
and quite frankly looking exactly like one
another. In a Hollywood sea of fake tans
and bleached hair, two entertainers dare to
be different, and end up looking exactly the
same.
If you’re only into big budget movies
with household name actors, then the name
Zooey Deschanel could escape you. Largely
considered the queen of indie movies,
Deschanel has starred in some popular
movies such as Elf, The Happening, and
Almost Famous. Yet when she is cast in
big budget movies, she often plays the main character’s
quirky best friend, the characters that are simply there
for comic relief. Hollywood doesn’t quite seem to know
what to do with her. Still, Deschanel is so loved for being
such an original actress that she doesn’t even have to raise
her celebrity status to be loved, people will just have to
catch on to her.
This year along with musician M. Ward, Deschanel
released her first CD under the name She and Him.
Deschanel does the vocals, piano, and banjo for the indie
rock band. Their first CD, She and Him: Volume One was
released on March 18th to a strong response from critics.
Volume One debuted at #81 on the Billboard charts and
reached #71 in its second week
of release. Currently She and
Him is on tour and is planning
on recording Volume 2.
Katy Perry pre-summer
2008 was probably best known
for being the final love interest
in Gym Class Heroes’ video
for “Cupid’s Choke Hold,” and
that’s about it, unless you’re
a Christian music fan. That’s
right; Katy Perry was once a
Christian music artist. Back
then she went by her real name
Katy Hudson, and sang songs
praising God. (A far cry from
want her songs are about now.) In fact Perry’s songs have
come off as almost homophobic to some, with a song title
“Ur So Gay,” that song would no doubt never be on any
Katy Hudson album.
If you had no idea Katy Perry even existed before
this summer, you are not alone. Thanks to a song about
bi-sexual curiosity, Perry rose to the top of the charts with
her summer song “I Kissed a Girl.” The song made it to
number one, and stayed there for seven weeks, making
it a contender for song of the summer. Now Perry is
considered the American version of Lily Allen and is one
of the most looked up artists on Youtube, not to mention
was nominated for “Best New Artist” at this years VMA’s.
Still, Katy Perry has much to prove in the music business.
Time will tell if she will just be another one hit wonder.
Yes,
Deschanel and
Perry look like
twins, but in
actuality they
couldn’t
be
more different.
One is into
movies
and
indie music,
the other is
into pop music
and
being
controversial.
Yes, they both
have
pale
skin and a throwback style, but other than that, not too
much else in common. Just remember that 28 year-old
Deschanel does not look like 23 year-old Katy Perry, but
Perry looks like Deschanel.
New fall shows bring a
season of excitement
by Hannah Macdonald
by Jazmin Mena
‘Lost in the sound of disappointment’
For the past few months many Underoath fans have been anticipating the release
of their new album Lost in the Sound of Separation and on September 2nd the wait was
over. But if you were one of the many who went to pick it up you might have been a
little disappointed.
Throughout the summer I’ve been watching Underoath’s video updates online and
I’ve heard them say things like this album is going to be “way heavier” than their last
few. If you’ve listened to it you might agree that they couldn’t have been more wrong.
Their promise for a “heavier” album fell short. All of their excitement for this more
“epic” album was a tad misleading. Indeed this this album was more structured and
mature sounding but in comparison to its last album Define the Great Line (a heavier
sounding Underoath) and They’re Only Chasing Safety (their more pop-screamo
sounding album) it was a weak follow up. When the album starts you are met with
catchy hooks sung by vocalist Aaron Gillespie and powerful screams from Spencer
Chamberlain, but as the album progresses into its fifth song “The Only Survivor was
Miraculously Unharmed,” it loses its edge.
Despite the fact that its last few songs fail to live up to its opening I would say that
it is still a good album. It’s full of new unpredictable sound and inspiring lyrics and, to
say the least, it’s still Underoath and doesn’t that count for anything these days?
Oct 3- Nick & Norah’s Infinite
Playlist in theaters
Oct 7- Oasis album “Dig Out
Your Soul”
Oct 21- Ludacris “Theater of the
Mind”
Oct 24- High School Musical 3:
Senior Year premires
Oct 28- New Bloc Party album “Intimacy”
Oct 31- Halloween
What comes with the beginning of autumn? There is the sudden weather change from
one hundred degrees to the low 60s. Of course, the treacherous cold that comes from that
change, the runny noses and raspy voices. Also, the beginning of another school year,
new worries to go along with your new sickness. The shining light in the autumn season
is the fact that with fall new and old television programs premiere their new episodes. There is always a risk in watching the latest shows that you might waste one or
more hours watching a steaming pile of a studios mistake. I found that in the new show
90210 on the CW, a spinoff to the 90’s classic Beverly Hills 90210. The new studio
seems to believe that the only way they can attract viewers is beautiful people and loads
of sex--this being proven after the successful premieres of their two top shows Gossip
Girl and 90210.
As
mentioned
before,
this
program 90210
is pathetic, piling
one cliché after
another
about
teenage and other
life drama, killing
me slowly as each
moment passed.
You
may
find that there
is a show with
extreme potential
though, like in the
new show Fringe,
a
revamped
version of the
X-Files, but with
a more exciting plot and better acting. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat
as it takes through a case of impossible factors, like an entire group flying in an airplane
decaying midflight or a baby who continued to grow until he died as an elderly man four
years after his birth. Another show that surpassed my expectations was the new HBO
series True Blood, following the vampire craze in our culture right now, the show even
having a few similarities to the popular Twilight book series. If Anna Paquin’s mile long
gap tooth and the sickening sound of their southern accents don’t make you instantly turn
away you are in for a truly captivating episode.
Then there is the returning seasons, just like the new shows, it is never a guaranteed
success. Take
Saturday Night
Live, just a few
seasons
ago
in was on a
high with such
comedians as
Tina Fey and
Jimmy Fallon.
If you fast
forward to the
season in the
present though
there is barely
anyone worth
watching, the
only two being
Amy
Poeler
and
Kristen
Wiig. And it has
been recently
revealed
that
after Poeler’s
maternity leave
she will not
be returning to SNL, leaving us with almost nothing to continue tuning in for. What
happened to such male leads as Mike Myers, Chris Farley, and Will Ferrell? Will the
show be forever doomed because of their weak cast? For right now it is definitely in a
slump, hopefully to reach a hiatus again.
House also returned, its first episode mediocre at best. Same old sarcastic and
seditious Dr. Gregory House making the same old jokes at a patient’s expense. Will there
be anything fresh to keep the audience tuning in? Numerous other shows have to worry
about this as they premiere their new seasons, keeping the audience entertained and
bringing in more viewers is a necessity to keep any program alive.
Oct. 3, 2008
Sports
Page 15
Girls golf enters season with confidence
Sports
Page 16
Oct. 3, 2008
Yellowjacket football prepares
in spite of odds
by Semiya Holman It’s the beginning of the new year and it’s the beginning
of the girl’s golf season. Things are looking up for the girl’s
golf team as they soon leave behind the pre-season and get
ready for the real challenge, the lead season.
The girl’s last match was a loss but to no avail.
Coach Tom Mainez feels confident about this year’s season.
Though there are quite a few new faces on the team Mainez
compliments the new team mates as “improving day by day.”
But though winning is nice, Coach Mainez is not only about
winning. “I want them to have fun and develop a life long
skill,” says Mainez. “I like meeting them years later and they
are still playing golf as a recreational sport.” In the past there
has been a loss of many good players due to graduation but
there are new and inspiring golfers this season such as juniors
Maria Briones and Jordan Hansen. Along with the new
comes the more experienced like senior Melaine Martinez
who’s been with the golf team all her four years at Colton
High. She has been helping the coach with the new players
and things seem to be going well. “I just want to help them
develop their skills better and become good players.”
by Alexander Vega
Cross Country sprints to a new season
by Christina Raney
“We are to have a very productive and very successful
Cross Country season.” said Cross Country coach Armando
Ponce (pictured, left). “I have great athletes.” Although this
is the first year that Ponce is coaching the Cross Country team
he has high hopes for the team. “Our Colton Cross Country
athletes definitely have a chance to make it to CIF,” said
Ponce. “They continue to work hard and achieve personal
goals.” He feels really proud of the team: “I feel that the team
is really motivated.” “There are only two returning members
on the team and the rest of new to the sport,” said Ponce.
The first meet for Cross Country was SAL MINI MEET in
San Bernardino on September 24. Even though that the Cross
Country hasn’t officially started yet, they are gearing up for
the upcoming season by doing invitations, sprinting, and
running laps around the Colton campus. The team is very
hopeful about the new season
Varsity volleyball hopes to finish strong
by Alejandra Aguilera
“Some play!” freshman volleyball coach Erika De la Torre said
with a smile, when asked what we should expect this year. Coach Erika
was subbing for varsity coach, Kim Puen, at the September 12th game
against Kaiser High School. Though the game was quite a disappointment,
Coach De La Torre is still very hopeful about this season. According to
Coach,” there’s a lot of good talent, so expect more.” The players also
agree. Junior Kelly Nguyen and one of the three team captains (Junior
Alexandra Land, and senior Breeana Montero are the other two) is
confident about this season, saying they just have to practice hard and
work on passing. She also said that we should expect better teamwork and
dedication for the team.
De La Torre believes the team will finish strong this season, also
adding that she believes all of the players are key members of the team.
After all, they all made the team.
Junior Isabella Correra, also in the varsity team, said, “I think,
even though, people don’t believe in us, we’re gonna keep up this season.”
Though the coach and the players are confident about this year, it seems
With a young team at hand, varsity football
coach Harold Strauss has a lot on his plate.
Between eight hour practice days, Friday night
games, and Saturday morning film, the team was
disappointed that the first game of the season
was a loss to the tough team Vista Murietta.
This year’s toughest opponents that are
scheduled in the pre-season are Vista Murietta
and Kaiser, and in league, Cajon. Yesterday
was the season’s only Thursday game, against
Silverado. Results were not available at press
time.
“They’re little, slow, not strong, but gutsy, and
over achievers,” says Strauss when asked what
he thought of the team this year.
The coaches feel that the team’s major weakness
is its size and inexperience. A comparison
between this year and last year’s team shows that
Yellowjackets get ready for a sting
with a loss of most of the starters, the Yellow
Jackets will be the underdogs all season. This
year is more about unity and will than individual
effort, so as long as the team works as one, they
should succeed and have a winning season.
Crystal Herrera puts the “Co-Ed” in football
Freshman Crystal Herrera
by Alejandra Aguilera
Freshman Crystal Herrera may seem like
the average 14 year-old girl, trying to enjoy
her first year of high school, but unlike
other girls, she happens to be a guard on the
Colton High freshman football team.
When asked if I could interview her,
she was shocked and only said a few words,
making it obvious that to her being the only
girl on the football team isn’t a big deal.
Inspired by her two brothers, Moses, who
already graduated, and Adam, a junior,
who’s currently on the varsity football team,
she decided to try out for the team herself.
She never played before except out on the
street with her brothers and impressively
enough got the position as guard on the team.
Girls Tennis works for a
promising season
by Marc Galang
DIGGIN’ IT-Ladyjacket volleyballers get ready for a spike.
that the team to beat is Cajon High School.
The team next takes on San Bernardino, here, at 4:45 on Wednesday,
Oct. 8th. This is the first league match for the year.
As Coach Strauss says, “the team will
get better and better each week.” With that
perspective on the capabilities of the team
there’s no less than optimism and enthusiasm for
our small fighting swarm of Yellow Jackets.
The new school year has started and the fall sports season is already in full blast.
Girls Tennis is one of the first to begin. Their season actually began during the summer with some
of the most intense training under the blistering California sun.
Coach Terry Urban said that the season is looking “pretty good [with] a lot of returners” from
last season. He also said that he has “high expectations” for the team this year.
During practices, the girls seem to be very competitive and the coach says that it “translates
very well” in their matches. This seemed evident, especially when they played very close matches
against their recent opponents, Rancho Verde and Hemet High.
Focus is the main thing for the girls this season, mainly on their next opponents.
According to the standing shows from the past seasons, they are particularly focusing on defeating
Cajon High School, which have been known to be the one to watch out for. Returning junior
Syndy Malit says that the season is looking pretty good, “as long as the heat doesn’t kill [them]
first.” They are definitely working hard to get to the play-offs, working harder and harder during
practice. The fall season is looking as promising as ever for varsity tennis.
In case you’re not aware, football is a co-ed
sport, and Crystal is the first female football player in a few years.
Freshman coach Hannah said
Herrera stood out for the obvious reason, she’s a girl. According to Herrera,
more girls should join football, that is if they
can take it. “Treat me the same, same as a
guy,” said
Herrera, about how the
boys act around her. She is also very
comfortable around them. Coach Hannah
couldn’t have said it any better, telling me that
the boys are doing great with her on the
team. Maybe now, girls will give football a
chance, or at least think about it because of
one brave girl. Or maybe not, but
she proves women can do anything.
Senior Alex White
prepares a serve