Select a School and more
    my CNUSD logo
  • Search

Current Issue

Image

Issue - 5/11/2022                Corona High School                 Corona, CA 92882

Image
Welcome Back to the Lights
by Abraham Payne 22
                               

The lights are back at Corona High School’s Jess Hill Football stadium. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools in March 2020, Panther’s are back in the stands and out on the field. With the Friday night lights turned on and the Red Sea back in full force, the excitement from both the players and the audience was palpable during the first two home games, which ushered in a strong start to this year’s football season.

We interviewed Christian Butler, defensive middle linebacker and offensive running back on the team earlier this season. When asked about how it felt to be playing for an audience again he commented, “It’s a whole different feeling having the audience there, not only them being there but winning with the school attending was amazing. It brings a whole different aspect to playing.”

Panthers in the stands, many of whom have never experienced a football season at Corona High, didn’t know what to expect. Butler said, “I was just enjoying my time out there and being able to be proud again of going to Corona. It [had] set a different expectation than what the students here are used to.”

Coming off of their first home game win, Corona High’s football team once again triumphed during a nail-biting homecoming game. With just seconds left on the clock, Corona was able to score a winning touchdown caught by wide receiver Jet Carr.

We asked Christian how he felt coming off of two season-starting wins, he said: “I’m excited more than anything… I strongly believe that we have the potential to win those big games but it really comes down to the drive of the team. Again I believe this season is something that we haven’t experienced in a while and I really hope we continue to succeed the rest of the year.”

Specifically, this year is especially meaningful for our senior varsity members. After the shift to virtual school during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our football players missed out on the traditional high school football experience. “I don’t think I could’ve had a better start to my senior year. Being able to hear my name from our student section had me overwhelmed with happiness. To see school spirit come back in these games is something that hasn’t been seen before, making it especially exciting that they were chanting my name. This whole season has been special to me,” Butler told us.

Our Panthers aren’t only strong on the field this year, they're also strong off the field as well. Many of the players on the varsity team do not only play football, but are also involved in the school in other ways. With his senior year football season over, we asked Christian Butler about his plan for the future, “I plan on playing football in college, where I’m looking preferably at strong academic schools. Right now I’m open to any possibility of playing in college, and help get my school paid for. I’m looking to set myself up for the rest of my life by attending an Ivy League or schools close to that standard.” As many of our senior football panthers look towards college, they are setting their sights high for their future.

As the football season drew to a close, both the football team and the fans in the Red Sea at Corona High showed their spirit, making our return to the lights one to remember.

///PAGE 2/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////SCHOOL NEWS////
RACE TO THE FINISH
by Sophia Cortes 22
                               

Throughout the high school experience, student athletes continue to show their commitment & dedication to proudly representing their school. Here at Corona High School, seniors Moisés Mata, & Miguel Ybanez have spent the past 4 years representing the Track & Field/Cross Country team. After a long journey of putting in time & energy to make their school proud, these hard working students are racing their way to the end of a successful career.

Moisés Mata had originally begun his running career after making the impulsive decision to participate in track during his freshman year of high school, stating, “I had lots of my friends joining football, so I felt the need to join a sport...I ended up finding a cross country stand [at Freshman registration] & decided to join.” This spontaneous decision led to an undertaking where Moisés invested hours of hard work. Through continuation on the team, Moisés was able to accomplish several personal milestones; “I’m definitely not the fastest person on the team, but my sophomore year I was able to hit 5:17 on my mile [time]...I was hyped leading the pack for almost the whole mile.” Leadership is very important to Moisés when it comes to uniting  his teammates, stating “being one of the oldest members on the team, I basically fell into the leadership role...that’s the kind of person I am. I love to lift people's spirits.”

Miguel Ybanez has had several achievements throughout his career, including ranking 3rd overall on the team. He said, “getting a medal at Woodbridge, which is like one of the biggest meets you’ll ever do during Cross Country was a big deal for me.” Always improving his ranking is a big goal for Miguel before the end of the school year, “when I’m running, I always think how I am trying to be the best & beat [teammates] Daniel [Nava] & Ivan [Alcala]... they’re ranked 1st & 2nd on the team.”

Family & friends are big inspirations and motivators to both of these students, with Miguel mentioning his ex-teammate & recent graduate Victor Ceja. “I’ve known him for 4 years, he’s always been that top guy who’s never complained...He’s shorter than me so I’ve seen that everything he can do, I can do”. For Moisés, his biggest inspiration is his late grandfather, “he’s always motivated me...he sadly passed due to Covid...I’m trying to prove myself to him.” Moisés stated. With these student’s final year coming to an end, they are most looking forward to having fun & completing final goals “just enjoying the moment and getting under a 5 minute mile [time].” Miguel stated. Moisés is excited about finishing his last year off strong, “giving it a thousand percent is what I’m most excited for...also getting 4:50 on my mile [time].”

Despite the success and fun experiences these students have gained from their time on the team, both have decided to put a pause on competing after high school. “I don’t plan on it... I’d rather have it as a hobby...Maybe a running club is in my future.” Moisés stated. Miguel added to this thought, saying “I’d probably continue running casually, but if it’s racing probably not.” These students were able to gain beneficial life lessons including leadership experience. Miguel expressed, “track taught me how to be more of a leader...I was always mentoring the incoming freshman & disciplining them with advice.” Moisés added to this stating, “track gives you a lot of discipline...when running, you have to work one-hundred percent on your own...you’re gonna have good days, you’re gonna have bad days, but you have to keep yourself going.”

These two students have made a significant contribution to the Corona High community. As their final school year comes to a close, they leave behind an example of strength, leadership, & perseverance.

///PAGE 4/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////ART & ENTERTAINMENT////
SAT SWITCHES TO DIGITAL
by Abraham Payne 22
                               

Internationally in 2023 and in the United States in 2024, the SAT will soon be administered digitally by the College Board. The College Board is making the new SAT an hour shorter and will give students more time per question. Per the College Board, “We’re not simply putting the current SAT on a digital platform—we’re taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible. With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.

The reading and writing section of the SAT is undergoing changes. Where previously students would read a passage and answer multiple passages relating to it, the new SAT will have students answer one question each that will be tied to a shorter passage. The College Board is also attempting to make the SAT feel more relevant to modern students. The College Board states that the SAT will start to include a “wider range of topics that represent the works students read in college”.

The math section of the test is also changing. Currently, students taking the SAT will have a calculator, which consists of 38 questions and lasts 55 minutes, and a no-calculator portion of the test, which consists of 20 questions and lasts 25 minutes. The changes being brought in by the College Board now mean that students will be able to use their calculator on the entire math section of the test.

One major advantage of the new testing format is how quickly students can receive their scores. The College Board mentioned in a press release that “Students and educators will get scores back in days, instead of weeks.” This decreases the dreading waiting period for students anxious to receive their scores. The scoring system on the digital SAT will remain the same as the paper version. For example, “A score of 1100 on a digital test is the same as a score of 1100 on a paper test.”

A major issue being discussed is access to technology. Concerns of equity are being brought up as students do not always have access to a digital device that the new SAT will require students to have. “[The] College Board is working to address inequities in access to technology.” Students are allowed three options for finding a deceive for the test. They can either use their own device (the College Board will allow students to take the test on either a laptop or a tablet), use a school-issued device, or use a device issued to them by the College Board on the day of the test.

Some are questioning the future relevance of the SAT entirely as more and more colleges are making their admissions decisions test-optional or test-blind entirely. The University of California recently announced that it will stop considering the SAT in its decisions. Even Ivy League colleges have moved to a temporary test-optional admissions policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As pandemic restrictions loosen and the college system attempts to find a new normal, the SAT may find a decreased importance within the admissions factor. The SAT has long come under fire as critics and researchers have claimed that a standardized test is not a good indicator of a student’s likelihood to succeed in college.

While the future relevance of the SAT is yet to be determined, current high school students should understand that for the foreseeable future, the SAT will remain an important admissions factor for most colleges.

///PAGE 5//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////LIFESTYLES////
THE OLYMPICS REVIEW
by Diana Avila, Emily Montiel, Benjamin Francis
                               

The long-awaited Beijing 2022 Olympic Games have finally arrived and gone by. The games took place from February 4, 2022 through February 20, 2022, they were held in China across three zones: Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. Each zone was dedicated to a group of sports. Across the 15 sports, there were 109 medal events. Furthermore, seven new events were featured. Due to the pandemic and its restrictions, no fans from outside the country were allowed to attend as tickets were not being offered to the public. Big Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon were the mascots of the Beijing Winter Games. Big Dwen Dwen, a panda, symbolizes purity and strength while Shuey Rhon Rhon is a Chinese lantern child with a glowing heart indicating warmth, friendship, perseverance, and courage.

The Olympics were originally started around 3,000 years ago, the reasons why are shrouded in mystery; according to legend, they were started by Hercules in order to honor Zeus. The first recorded instance of the Olympics was 776 BC, when a cook by the name of Cororebus won a footrace: the only event at the time. After this, scribes would document the time between each Olympic event as olympiads, counting the time for them in olympiads rather than just the standard 4 years. The Olympics in Greece were eventually terminated by the Romans after controversy with it being considered a pagan festival. Later on, the traditions of the Olympics were revived in 1896 by a French man named Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

While the Olympics are seen as a time to share culture, strengthen relationships, and promote peace, it is also a time to focus on the nations themselves. Winning at the Olympics can create national pride.  Also,  positive Olympic performances can help advance the careers of athletes and politicians. The intense pressure to win has led some countries to stretch the rules or cheat. Russia has had many allegations indicating that their athletes were doped while participating at the Olympics. Doping is when an athlete is heavily intoxicated for ‘better performance’. Many have tested positive in doping— resulting in approximately 46 medals being stripped away from Russia over time. There are different types of doping scandals, state-sponsored doping and athletes doping themselves. State-sponsored was when Russia gave the athletes the drugs, while athletes doping themselves got ahold of the drugs without the help of Russia. All of this inevitably led Russia to be banned from the Olympics; all Russian athletes were to be competing under the neutral flag instead of the Russian flag. Allegedly, the first state-sponsored doping occurred in 2014. As of recently, Beijing Olympics 2022, Russian figure skater Kamilia Vaieva was tested positive for doping.

Fifteen year-old Kamila Valieva, a Russian contestant, amazed everyone with her show stopping performance at the Winter Olympic sports. Being the first woman to land a quad jump in Olympic history, she has shown great promise. A quadruple jump requires four and a half rotations in the air—not being an easy feat. From an early age, Valieva was gifted in the sport of figure skating; her coaches thought her to be a brilliant child. Unfortunately, all of this was short lived as she was enrolled in a doping scandal. Kamila had tested positive for TMZ—a banned drug used to lessen fatigue and increase cardiovascular fitness. There is a speculation that it came from her grandfather's medication. Despite this, Valieva is still allowed to compete with an investigation going through. There would be no medal ceremony should she place in the top three.

In addition to the figure skater from Russia, twenty-two year old Donovan Carrillo is the first to represent Mexico in figure skating at the Olympics since the past 30 years. Placing 20th at the 2021 World Championships earned him a spot at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Carilllo started his path of figure skating at the age of 8 he would practice at an ice rink in a shopping mall in Leon, Mexico. He has made many accomplishments including being the ‘first’ of his country to do something in relation to figure skating. Examples include being the first ever Mexican to complete a triple axel and taking part in the gala at the ISU (International Skating Union). At the Olympics, Carrillo started off by participating at the Men Single Skating-Short Program. He performed his short program and scored 79.69—leading him to qualify for the next segment, Free Skating. His performance for the free skate scored him 138.44. Overall he acquired a total of 218.13 which placed him 22nd in the Men Single Skating division. Despite not placing at the top, Donovan Carrillo has inspired many, especially in the Latinx community. Being able to compete at the Olympics is already something admirable, on top of that being able to embrace and represent your culture is something even more remarkable.

As the Olympics were brought to a close, here’s a look at the final scores of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The stats of the Winter Olympics 2022 top 3 competitors are as follows: Germany at #1 with 27 medals total and 12 gold medals, Canada at #2 with 26 medals total and 4 gold medals, and the US at #3 with 25 medals total and 8 gold medals. The next Winter Olympics will be held in 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, a city in Northern Italy that had previously been the site of the 1956 Winter Olympics.

///PAGE 6///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////SPORTS////
SCREAM
by Abraham Payne 22
                               

Ghostface is terrorizing a new generation in the next movie of the iconic slasher franchise Scream. The first movie in the series was released in 1996, revitalizing the slasher genre with a new self-aware edge. Now, twenty-six years later, Ghostface is making his return in the fifth entry in the series, simply titled Scream. This title scheme follows a new standard in recent horror revitalizations. Sequels to famous slasher movies are being titled the same as the original entry in the series, something that can be seen in Halloween (1978) and Halloween (2018) as well as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022).

This is also the first entry in the series without the genre-defining director, Wes Craven at the helm. Craven was the director for other iconic horror movies like The Hills Have Eyes and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In 2015, Craven sadly passed away. His last film was Scream 4, the most recent film in the franchise that was heavily speculated to be the last until the announcement of Scream (2022).

This new film sees the return of the “legacy cast”, actors who have been in the franchise since the first film and have survived each of Ghostface’s massacres. Neve Campbell plays Sidney Prescott, a high schooler turned final girl in the original movie. In the upcoming film, Sidney Prescott, who has become a bestselling author of a self-help book, returns to her hometown of Woodsboro, California after a new killer emerges. Courtney Cox, known for her role of Monica in Friends, returns as Gale Weathers, a journalist who has covered the massacres seen in each film. Finally, David Arquette, Courtney Cox’s real-life ex-husband, plays Dewey Riley, a cop who investigates the murders along side Sidney and Gale.

The new movie came with much speculation about its potential success. Since the release of Scream 2, no other Scream movie has had the same commercial success as the beginning entries in the franchise. Scream 3 was a critical failure, being panned by critics as the worst movie in the franchise. It leaned into a more comical take on the slasher, and was the last movie made in the franchise until Scream 4 released 11 years later. Now, in 2022, Scream made a killer return to theaters, even in spite of the pandemic. In its opening week, the horror film made $34 million and even overtook Spiderman: No Way Home, for the top spot in the box office. At this rate, the movie is on track to well surpass Scream 4’s entire domestic run within weeks of its opening.

The new movie is not just a commercial success, but also a critical success as well. Scream currently sits at 77% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been “certified fresh” on the platform. Critics have been calling it both the funniest and the scariest since the original movie.

Having seen it, the new Scream movie manages to stay fresh while retaining what made the original great. Its brutal kills and updated meta-commentary about elevated horror, “requels”, and toxic fandom culture update the franchise into a new decade. The whodunnit aspect of the film is compelling (if not a bit predictable to longtime fans of the franchise) and tons of easter eggs and callbacks will keep fans looking for more. The new Scream film successfully honors Wes’ legacy and passes the torch to a new generation of horror.

///PAGE 3////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////\////////EDITORIALS////
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.