Heidi Van Deventer is the newest addition to staff here at Redlands East Valley High School as the new assistant principal. This is not her first time teaching at REV and worked during its first two years teaching summer school. Until prior to this year, she worked locally at Moore Middle School as vice principal for eleven years. At Moore her career expanded to include teaching sixth grade math, science, eighth grade algebra and English Language Development (ELD) as well as seventh grade social studies. Her background also includes being a math teacher on assignment for two years, principal of AAA Academy of Redlands, summer school teacher at Clement and Department Chair of math.
Redlands East Valley High School’s Vice Principal Van Deventer poses in her office in front of her wall of inspirational quotes to keep her motivated during the school day on September 8, 2022. (GEFFREY ACOSTA/ETHIC Photo)
How do you hope to positively affect the staff and students here at REV?
When I’m out there [front school gates] in the morning before school starts I like to greet the students coming into school with a smile and a wave to change their day and to possibly be someone to come and talk to. No one is perfect, not even myself, and everyone can improve.
What is your motivation in life?
My parents said that education is a gateway to college. I am a first generation college graduate in my family. They said to open up doors by reading and to always continue reading books for more knowledge.
If you could leave your high school self a message, what would it be?
Get involved more as a freshman and sophomore, do not wait until your junior and senior years to start getting involved in clubs.
*Follow up* How would you describe your high school years?
I attended an all- girls Catholic high school in San Diego, California and I loved it. It was a different high school experience than REV, but I liked that appearance didn’t nearly matter as much and it was very comfortable going to school there. I was also the ASB historian and I played right field on the Varsity softball team. I enjoyed high school but college was an easier experience for me.
Where did you attend college?
I went to Cal Poly Humboldt State and Point Loma Nazarene University after high school. I love math and I even tested out of math in college but I took them anyway as electives.
Which hobbies and/or interests would you like to share with students to take interest in?
I like watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I have always been interested in sports and I consider myself sports-minded. I also really like ceramics. I started becoming interested in high school and throughout college but I don’t make any ceramics anymore, I mostly just watch TV programs.
What are the highlights of your career?
The highlights of my career would be when I get to have students on campus and know that I taught their parents previously at Moore or Clement and see them around the school. Overall being able to see that my previous students now have successful jobs in life. Also seeing them succeed and do well in school is always a great thing.
Any words of wisdom for the students at REV?
I would tell them to believe in themselves. I am an open book and I have an open-door policy. The students are always welcome to stop by and chat.
What guided you to this career choice?
I have always wanted to be a teacher. Even when I was a kid I loved to play school and pretend to be the teacher. However, it wasn’t until I started teaching at Clement that I had decided to go into administration.
Correction: Ethic News incorrectly published information in the original Sept. 27 posting of this article stating that Heidi Vandeventer taught English. Heidi Vandeventer was math department chair at Moore and Clement. She taught eighth grade algebra and English Language Development, but not English. The article was updated to reflection this correction at 2:29 pm on Sept. 28.
Karen Knudson Wilson, is a teacher at Orangewood High School. She teaches American Government and OASIS. OASIS stands forOrientation, Assessment, Study Skills, Insight, Success. Every student who attends Orangewood, starts by taking the OASIS class for three weeks with Wilson and Stephanie Sachs, Foods and OASIS teacher. OASIS is an introduction class where students learn about the school, themselves and each other. For example, Wilson guides students through writing an essay about themselves, such as where they grew up, the school they came from and other topics. Students see Wilson as a caring teacher, and OASIS teachers as the “moms” of new students at Orangewood.
Wilson answer questions about her teaching career, interests, and people who influenced her.
How many years have you been teaching?
Wilson: I have been teaching for 14 years. Prior to teaching I was a school administrator and counselor.
If you were able to choose a different career path would you still choose to teach or would you choose something else?
I really love being a teacher. Knowing I have a positive impact on young people means so much to me. I’d very likely choose being an educator all over again, even though I had the chance to go to law school.
Have you had a different job besides teaching?
Yes! I started out my career as an elementary school counselor and was then promoted into school administration overseeing counseling and intervention programs for a neighboring school district. When I became a mom I took some time off and returned to education (as a teacher) so I could be on the same schedule as my children.
What do you enjoy about being able to teach students?
I love the day to day fun teaching brings. Everyday is different, and it’s definitely never dull. What I enjoy most about educating students is helping them realize the decisions they make today will impact their future.
What made you want to teach?
I grew up with a mom who worked in public education for over 30 years. Seeing the impact she made on kids made me want to have a career with a purpose like that, too.
Did you have role models growing up?
My parents were amazing role models. My dad served in the military, went to school at night, coached little league and still managed to make time for his family everyday. My mom took care of all of us and always made time to take us to practice, our games and the events with our friends.
If so how were you influenced by them?
The best thing they did for me and my brothers is give us their time. It really shaped who I became as a person and a parent myself.
If you could, what advice would you give students?
Put down your cell phones. Try not to spend so much time watching everyone else’s life go by that you forget to live your own.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
I love, love, love to travel and have been fortunate enough to visit many places around the world. I’d really like to make it to Bali and Greece someday…places by the water make me very happy. I also like to experience different cultures and foods.
Do you speak another language? If so what language do you speak and if you don’t, what language would you like to learn?
I know a little bit of Spanish and some ASL. I really wish I knew more!
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t teaching? Do you have hobbies, interests?
When I’m not teaching I love to travel, read, cook and spend time with my family.
Do you have any goals you’d like to accomplish?
I would really like to move home closer to my parents. I’d also like to live by the beach someday and retire when there’s still plenty of time left to play and enjoy my life.
Is there something you would want people to know about you?
Playing little league baseball growing up and softball in high school led to a wonderful opportunity for me to attend college – I was the first person in my family to graduate.
Citrus Valley High Schools’ freshman English teacher, Stephen Howard answers 11 questions about himself and his years of teaching. Howard has been teaching for 19 years, two of those 19 years spent at Citrus Valley.
Stephen Howard standing in his classroom where he teaches grade nine English at Citrus Valley High School. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
Q: What made you want to become a teacher?
“There was a point when I was in college and I felt like I could do more good trying to help educate people, to bring about positive change in the world as opposed to just me. That’s what kind of motivated me to become a teacher”
Q: What is one thing you wish you had known before teaching?
“I probably knew how much homework I would have going into teaching, I wished that I loved homework in high school, because teachers have lots of homework, and I didn’t like homework. I wish I had better prepared myself for all the homework that I have as a teacher. It’s never ending”
Q: What made you want to teach highschoolers?
“I definitely didn’t want to teach middle school. I thought about [teaching for] colleges with older kids but then I thought “when you’re teaching college students, you’re limiting the interactions you have with students.” So I felt like high school would be a better fit for me so I focused on becoming a high school teacher”
Q: Is there a specific reason you wanted to teach English?
“English was my worst subject in highschool. I know how students don’t like English. I actually majored in English because I wanted to better myself as a person and improve on my deficiencies. The more I took English classes the more I started to realize just how important literature was to helping us to understand what it means to be human”
Q: In your opinion, what is the most frustrating part of teaching?
“The most frustrating part of teaching – here it’s a little different. Since I’ve been in California, I feel like I’m given the freedom to teach. I’m not burdened with [stuff like substituting without volunteering and entitled kids.] Back in Georgia we had lots of duties we would have to do. Here there’s a substitute – if they need someone to substitute for a class they ask for volunteers. Here I feel like I have a lot more freedom to be able to come to work, teach and go home. I’m much happier [in California]”
Q: If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?
“I was a farmer for a little while, I enjoyed that. It was like teaching in a way, you’re constantly learning new things everyday. I learn something new everyday in the classroom. In a classroom you learn about people, on a farm you learn about people, machines, equipment, something goes wrong everyday. In school something goes wrong everyday. I’m good at going with the flow, if something happens I don’t freak out. I can adjust”
Q: What subject is your favorite to teach in english?
“Probably the thing students hate the most, Shakesphear. I love poetry and we don’t have a lot of poetry in ninth grade literature”
Q: What would you consider to be the thing you dislike teaching the most?
“That society doesn’t truly appreciate the [teaching] that we do, though some people do. But it seems like the last couple years, all the kids are home, all the parents are like “Oh my god, go back to school, we love our teachers” and then COVID ends and all of a sudden “Oh no you can’t teach them this book, you can’t teach them this.” The whole back and forth with parents”
Q: Favorite thing to do outside of school?
“Fishing, specifically fly fishing and also traveling the world, that’s an easy one”
Q: Favorite thing about your students?
“The diversity of the kids. I have kids that like to draw, kids that like to write, kids that like to play sports. I can’t tell you how many ninth graders from last year still come by to see me. That makes [me] feel good”
Q: What would you say is your biggest pet peeve?
“Kids leaving trash in the classroom, it drives me crazy. Constantly having to go pick up water bottles and candy wrappers. Not throwing things in the trash, is one of my pet peeves in the classroom”
Starting in the 2022-23 school year, Ashley Visco is teaching at Redlands East Valley High School for her first year. She will be teaching Theatre Arts I and II. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Visco)
Ashley Visco is a new teacher to Redlands East Valley High School staff. Visco teaches Theater Arts I and Theater Arts II and tries to make a colorful and inspiring learning environment for her students. Visco answers some questions about herself and her career below.
Why did you choose this course to teach?
I loved theater forever. For as long as I can remember I was raised on it, a bit because when my dad was in high school he was heavily involved in theater. My sisters all loved musicals and things like that so I kinda grew up with a lot of plays and musical performances. Stories in general, I loved. I volunteered at my former high school Pomona Catholic High School, I volunteered for their theater program, helping out with their productions. I was working with the kids and I was like, I could teach this, it’d be fun and I’d enjoy doing it. But I didn’t know if I’d have the opportunity to teach a drama class, I’d always thought I’d go for English, so when this came up “Hey do you want to be our drama teacher?” I said “Yeah! I do.” I love this and it’s been really fun.
Did you teach at any other schools before REV?
This is my first teaching position and I did student teach at Upland High School and that is about it. Only Redlands so far.
Why did you choose to teach at REV?
For sure I am really happy with REV and Redlands in general, Redlands Unified. I’ve had the opportunity to teach before this. I finished my program two years ago to work at charter schools and different things but I felt “It just doesn’t feel like a good fit.” Other schools just didn’t feel organized and it didn’t seem like they were prioritizing the kids. I almost worked at an arts high school which had a lot of theater kids coming in, but it still wasn’t the right fit for me. I got hired to do summer school for Redlands and I just really liked the district. Everyone was so nice and professional. Then this school interviewed me and was very nice and I hoped that I got the job. Everyone I’ve met has been so nice and lovely and the campus is big and beautiful and has this big, beautiful theater. My high school’s theater was like one-twentieth [the size of] of REV’s.
Why did you choose to become a teacher?
I talked to my English teacher saying “Hey, I want to be a writer.” Things changed with college. I was majoring in English and it didn’t feel purposeful enough, it didn’t feel like I was doing anything. It was like “what’s the point, what am I here for.” When I volunteered with those kids I thought it felt important. So I tried teaching because I liked working with young people and doing something that could matter.
What would you be if you could have been anything other than a teacher?
I wanted to be a writer for a long time. I was very book obsessed and still am but my brain gets tired so unfortunately I haven’t sat down and read a good book in a while. I thought I’d be a writer because I love historical romance, Pride and Prejudice, and things like that. I wrote Pride and Prejudice fan-fiction back in the day.
What’s important to you?
Respect is huge for me. Confidence is also very important because I like working with younger people and helping them find who they want to be. Especially because we all can remember what it’s like being at this time in your life (high school) its really difficult and you need those people who support you and build you up and being that person to students is important to me. Respect and love are all around for everybody. That’s something that I love about this theater department. “I can do anything and I’ve got people from different parts of theater that can come in here and try something new.” It’s an exciting position and I’d say that the most important thing is respect and love for everybody.
What’s something that you would like to tell students?
Focus on yourself. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately cause it’s easy to get stuck in the day and your schedule and you try to get through it with your friends but it can get frustrating and it’s good to remember to focus on yourself and your needs. Especially with school, get done what you need to get done and you might not know where you’re going necessarily but that’s okay as long as in the moment, they are happy, healthy, and surrounded by people that are good for you.
What college did you go to?
I started at the University of La Verne right after I graduated from high school but my mental health started to slip a little bit to where I was struggling and I just wasn’t happy and finally I was struggling too. So I decided “Let’s take a break.” I worked and matured and tried to figure out what I wanted to do, that’s when I volunteered. I was like “Teaching sounds good. I worked with kids at the theater program and loved it.” So I went online and went to Grand Canyon University which is a cool program and I highly recommend that people decide if they want to go to college in person or not in person. I was struggling with the anxiety of being in college and being with all of those people and I realized that online works better for me. I got a Bachelor of Arts in English for secondary education, specifically for teaching English.
What’s the biggest thing that you welcome into your classroom?
The bravery to try new things is huge and even if it’s the smallest thing. You don’t have to be “look at me” but if normally you’re kinda shy and you step out of your shell and do some of the exercises and games we play. The courage to do something silly is really important. Another thing I’ve been thinking about is that there’s so much shyness I think and the awkwardness of standing out in high school which I understand. Something that I value and appreciate is seeing someone willing to just do something as opposed to having the fear of standing out.
Who got you to where you are now?
My parents in the sense that they helped me get through a lot of school just by being very accepting and supportive. There was never too much pressure or too little pressure. They were like “Hey, we know you’re smart and do your best.” I didn’t struggle with school because of that so I appreciate that they were like that. I had an English teacher who was also the drama director at my high school. She was wild and wacky and we had a lot in common. We’d talk about Pride and Prejudice. We’d go out to Cal Poly Pomona and do Shakespearean competitions, we’d perform in front of people for prizes and stuff. My fiance has been super supportive, he’s somebody who helps you be yourself, to find out who you are and what you need. Finally, me. I helped myself get here and I don’t think I give myself credit enough which is something that I’m trying to work on cause I’ve worked hard and it’s difficult to look at yourself and say “You’re doing great right now.” I constantly think about what I did wrong and what I could do better. But it’s like “No. I’m doing great and I worked hard.”
What is something that you’ve had to change about yourself to fit the job?
Perfectionism is deadly and I lived with it throughout my life. I didn’t realize it until I got older. There’s a part of you as a teacher, I found, that feels responsible for everything. I think that’s why some students see teachers as controlling because there’s a part of you (as a teacher) that makes you feel like it’s all your fault. If it’s not going well, you have to fix it. If a lesson didn’t go well it’s like “Oh my god, I’m the worst.” With cheating, I try to figure out what I did wrong and try to give the students a second chance. I’ve learned I need to just step back and realize that people make their choices. Everybody does what they do, naturally, you can’t step in and try to change it cause you’d be controlling them saying “Hey this, hey this.” Sometimes you’ve got to step back and let them make their choice and if their choice is to not do well in the class then it’s not my fault. If I did everything that I could do, it’s not my fault.
What is the main goal you want to see your students achieve?
Confidence is an important goal I want to see my students achieve. I want them to have enough confidence in themselves to be like “Hey, I can do this and it’s going to be okay.” My ultimate goal is to have them try acting, try to get up on the stage and use their voices. Acting did that for me, it built my confidence like now I can give back the wrong order and talk to people on the phone. Exploring is also a big thing. That’s why I picked the fall play that I did, cause I want them to explore different things from every culture and variety.
Kimberly Lott is an English teacher at Orangewood High School who is always welcoming to her students. She is known as someone who is real and honest with her students, in a way that is inspiring because she always stands in what she believes. She is unapologetically herself in the best way. Her efforts for students that are struggling don’t go unnoticed.
Q: What is your position or title? Pronouns?
Kimberly Lott: English Teacher; she/her
Q: What are some of the classes you teach or main responsibilities with this position?
Lott: I teach English 11 and English 12 as well as Advisory this year. I have taught all four grades of English since I have been at OHS. I have also taught English at the three middle school levels. My favorite is English 12.How long have you worked in education? 24 yearsHave you held any jobs outside of education? Before I started teaching, I worked as a teller at Bank of America; I also worked at Little Red School House which used to sell teacher supplies and a daycare with infants. I started teaching in 1998 at 23 years old.
Q: What led you to the position you are in today?
Lott: A good friend taught at OHS and she convinced me to transfer over here. She has since retired.
Q: What is one of your favorite parts of your job?
Lott: My students.
Q: What is a challenging part of your job?
Lott: My students. 🙂
Q: What is something others may not understand or know about who you are or what you do?
Lott: Students say I always look depressed, but I’m not. That was the one good thing about masks; no one could tell if I was or wasn’t smiling under it.
Q: Who were early influences for you?
Lott: In high school, I was a TA in the library. I got put in there because I was having a conflict with one of my teachers and that was the only place the counselor would move me. I was so upset that I begged my parents to tell the counselor no and make her put me in another class because the librarian was so mean, but my parents said no. It turned out to be the best part of high school. I clicked with the librarian and we stayed in contact until she passed away. She came to my graduation party and wedding. Mrs. Carver taught me a lot and she had my back when I had another conflict in my senior year. She is the reason I would love to be a high school librarian.
Q: Where did you grow up? What was life like then and there?
Lott: I grew up in San Bernardino. My dad was raised there. It used to be such a nice city, but that is no longer the case.
Q: What were you like as a teenager?
Lott: A pain. My parents would definitely agree with that.
Q: Did you have any mentors or role models growing up? How did they influence you?
Lott: Mrs. Carver-the librarian at San Bernardino High School and Mr. Tetlock at Golden Valley Middle School. Mr. Tetlock introduced me to the game of basketball.
Q: Is there an experience or event that had a major influence on who or where you are today?
Lott: I look back over my teaching career and I think how strict I was when I first started because I thought that was how I was supposed to teach. I wasn’t flexible at all. I have learned so much since coming to OHS that has impacted my teaching style. I have learned respect goes both way. Sometimes the lesson just isn’t working and that is ok. You’re only as good as your word. The connection you make with your students is worth so much more than a grade. My students are worth fighting for.
Q: What advice would you give your teenage-self?
Keep your mouth shut. Once you say something, you can’t get it back. And thank goodness there was no social media back then.
Q: Do you like to travel and What notable places have you visited?
Lott: I have been to Mexico and Canada. I have been to multiple states during my life.
Q: What music do you like?
Lott: Country and early rap
Q: Would you be willing to share a little about your family and/or pets?
Lott: I have two kids. Emily is 21 and Justin is 18. Both are currently in college. My husband and I have been married for 24 years, but I have known him since I was a teenager. He used to ride his bike down my street to visit his girlfriend and we became friends. I have two dogs I adore–Rufus and Avery and a cat, Shadow, who doesn’t like me and that is just fine with me.
Q: Do you have skills, interests or hobbies that you would like to share? What do you enjoy doing most with family and friends?
Lott: I enjoy camping, but haven’t done it in a long time. I won’t camp in a tent and I don’t have an RV so that rarely happens.
Lott: What is a goal you have?
Lott: I would really like to be a librarian at a high school or middle school. It is scary to me because I have never tried that and, in the back of my head, I wonder what would I do if I did not like it and I couldn’t come back to OHS.
By ELLA FITZPATRICK, NADIA CENICEROS, MIRIAM YORDANOS and MARSHALL SCOTT
Seniors from the class of 2022 at Citrus Valley High School and Redlands East Valley High School answer “How do you feel now that high school is coming to a close?” and “What are your plans after high school?”
Alexandria Driscoll is a new teacher to Redlands East Valley High School staff. Driscoll teaches Special Education English and tries to make a colourful and inspiring learning environment for her students. Driscoll answers some questions about herself and her career below.
Why did you choose this course to teach?
I teach special ed and this was the opening that was here. My background is a little more in science but I thought that it’d be fun and I liked English a lot when I took it as a student.
Did you teach at any other schools before REV?
I taught at a school called Shandin Hills in San Bernardino. It’s a middle school and I taught science there.
Why did you choose to teach at REV
I really wanted to be closer to home and closer to my daughter. I figured it was a good transition because I only live five minutes from here. I went to school in Redlands and I liked it a lot, so I thought it would be a good place to work.
Why did you choose to become a teacher?
So, originally I studied child development and I liked it a lot. I liked learning how children grow and develop and it kind of got me into the whole ‘how children learn’ and so I was really interested in that. When I graduated from grad school, my friend and I were like “what should we do next” we didn’t really know. So, I kind of dragged her along with me to a credential program with me at the University of Redlands. We really liked it and honestly I’d say that my friend and I influenced each other and with the background in child development it was really easy to transition.
If you could have been anything other than a teacher, what would you be?
Growing up, I really wanted to be a veterinarian at the zoo. But, that takes a lot of school. Science was not my strong suit growing up and definitely not going to the medical field. But if I could go back in time, I would just be taking care of a baby koala, just feeding it with a bottle.
What’s something that’s important to you?
I would say teaching in a way that’s inclusive for my students and making sure that they’re comfortable here and they feel like they’re represented. That’s my main goal here, even before I start teaching I make sure that this is a comfortable environment for them and that they feel when they’re here they won’t be judged. That they’re comfortable to discuss things here. That’s my main goal—to have inclusion in my classroom.
What’s something that you would like to tell students?
One, mainly for my students, is to not to give up because that’s life and it’s going to be really hard. If you give up the second there’s a struggle, you’re not going to, I think, make it in this world. I’d say, if you’re struggling and it’s hard just kind of push through the best that you can.
What school did you go to?
I started at RCC in Riverside and I got a couple of associates there then I transferred to Cal State. I got a bachelor’s and I stayed there for grad school and then I got a master’s in child development. Then, I went to the U of R and I got my credential there.
What’s the biggest thing that you welcome into your classroom?
Difference of opinions. I tell my students if you don’t agree with what I’m saying, let’s discuss it. I really welcome an open discussion and that healthy disagreement as far as if you disagree then let’s talk about it.
Who got you to where you are now?
Mainly me because it was a lot of work. My family, they’re very supportive. Both of my parents didn’t really go to college so they didn’t really know how to help me. They were always like “She’s gonna do what she’s gonna do so we’ll just support her.” I’d say that my dad is a really big supporter of me, even if he doesn’t understand fully he’ll always agree with what path I choose.
Miss Driscoll has taught at Redlands East Valley High School for a year. (KENDRA BURDICK/Ethic News Photo)
Many students have had Mark Perkins as a teacher or coach since they started at Orangewood High School and he’s always made them feel welcomed and acknowledged as students. He also motivates students to finish school and aim for success. Perkins is a favorite teacher for many students and plays a role as a model teacher at Orangewood.
Perkins, who is physical education teacher, coach of all four sports and athletic director at Orangewood, answers twenty questions about himself.
Mark Perkins, Orangewood High School physical education teacher and coach, huddles with members of the Orangewood soccer team. (JOCELYN GOMEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Q: What is your position or title? Pronouns?
Mark Perkins: He, him and Mr.
Education
Mark Perkins, Orangewood High School physical education teacher and coach, looks on as the soccer team practices at Orangewood. (JOCELYN GOMEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Q: What are some of the classes you teach or main responsibilities with this position?
Perkins: Athletics Director, Coach, PE teacher
Q: How long have you worked in education?
Perkins: 28 years
Q: Have you held any jobs outside of education?
Perkins: Not really, I have always been a teacher.
Q: What led you to the position you are in today?
Perkins: I had an uncle that was a PE teacher, this was the spark that got me thinking about teaching P.E.
Q: What is one of your favorite parts of your job?
Perkins: Finding the students that are the diamonds but don’t know it yet!
Q: What is a challenging part of your job?
Perkins: The drama that the students have. It is hard to deal with every situation perfectly and drama complicates that.
Q: What is something others may not understand or know about who you are or what you do?
Perkins: I push students to be successful and sometimes that is misunderstood.
Mark Perkins, Orangewood High School physical education teacher and coach, huddles with members of the boys and girls soccer teams at Orangewood. Perkins coaches all sports at Orangewood: basketball, soccer, volley ball and softball. (JOCELYN GOMEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Growing up and Early Influences
Q: Where did you grow up? What was life like then and there?
Perkins: Ontario Canada is where I grew up. It is very green there and not very many people live there compared to the USA. So we have lots of country around us.
Q: What were you like as a teenager?
Perkins: I was really into sports and exercise, surprise surprise.
Q: Did you have any mentors or role models growing up? How did they influence you?
Perkins: I had an uncle that was a P.E. teacher. When I was in the 8th grade I found out that in college you could go to school and be a P.E. teacher. I had no idea before that P.E. was a college degree.
Q: Is there an experience or event that had a major influence on who or where you are today?
Perkins: In college I took a job fishing in Alaska. My boat sank and I floated around in the ocean for seven hours until someone found my group.
Q: What advice would you give your teenage-self?
Perkins: I would tell me to not be afraid to share your emotions with the person you trust the most in life.
Mark Perkins, Orangewood High School physical education teacher and coach, stands by the field before a soccer match at Orangewood. (JOCELYN GOMEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Mr. Perkins Today
Q: Do you like to travel? What notable places have you visited?
Perkins: I do like to travel. France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy are places in Europe I have visited.
Q: Which languages do you speak?
Perkins: I only speak English.
Q: What music do you like and do you play any instruments?
Perkins: 80’s Rock and when I was in high school I played the saxophone.
Q: Would you be willing to share a little about your family and/or pets?
Perkins: I have been married for 31 years and have two daughters, [ages] 21 and 24. Pets include two dogs, one Chihuahua mix — wife’s dog — and a purebred Dutch Shepherd — my dog.
Q: Do you have skills, interests or hobbies that you would like to share?
Perkins: I love computers. I know how to use both PC and Mac computers. In addition to weight lifting, I also enjoy biking and the beach.
Q: What do you enjoy doing most with family and friends?
Perkins: I enjoy going to church, the beach, movies and hanging out with my friends.
Q: What is a goal you have?
Perkins: I want to travel more. Once my kids have both graduated from college, my wife and I want to see more countries of the world.
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School varsity tennis captain Dorothy Clerk. Clerk shares laughs about her celebrity crush, pet peeves and where she will go after high school. As always, the Clerk answers fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School senior Arnie Corpus. Corpus responds to questions about his future at University of California, Berkley and on the badminton team winning first place in the Citrus Belt League this year. As always, Corpus answers fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
“Huggy Wuggy” started out as a character for a children’s game rated for ages eight and above, but was recently updated to 12 and older due to concerns about disturbing uses of the character online.
Melonie Aunclair, a sixth grader attending Moore Middle School, says, “It’s hard to not think about your fears when toys around you remind you of them.” (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News photo)
It all began with a horror PC game released in 2021 called “Poppy Playtime.” In this game, the player is investigating an old, abandoned toy factory and the objective is to retrieve VHS tapes and survive revengeful children’s toys.
Huggy Wuggy—a large creature with wide lips that showed rows of sharp teeth and bulging black eyes with long limbs— is the most recognized character from the video game. He’s a toy that follows the player around in the dark and getting caught by him means being eaten by his sharp teeth.
When the developers realized the amount of attention the character received from players, they converted the character into a children’s plush toy.
According to the news site “Parents,” the character’s high exposure resulted in “kids [who] were offering to hug classmates and whispering vulgar things in their ears and reenacting the game on the playground.”
Another place kids can get exposed to the character is through YouTube and TikTok. Deal Parochial Primary School fears the videos aren’t getting filtered because “Huggy Wuggy” doesn’t strike them as being a bad thing due to the name.
Some TikTok features make fan art with the game’s theme song, “Free Hugs,” in the background. However, other TikToks display images like Huggy Wuggy and his sharp teeth racing towards the camera.
Common Sense Media says, “While there’s no graphic violence or gore… the horror nature of the game will likely be too scary for younger audiences.”
A recently released statement by the Dorset Police Cyber Protection Officer warns parents that children may be viewing graphic fan-made videos that are popping up on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
“The manipulation of child-friendly items into threatening characters exploits the sense of security a child would feel around these things,” says Common Sense Media. “They may suddenly be terrified of something that had never been a worry before. Horror games could hamper that growth by creating unnecessary anxiety and stress.”
Children are exposed to the character through YouTube and TikTok, and children that get scared from the game, videos, and toys are prone to have problems, such as anxiety.
What had started as a PC game character turned out to be a character that many children fear.
Lindsey Chau, a senior at Citrus Valley High School and girls varsity soccer captain, reflects on her time in high school as she prepares for the University of San Francisco with a Division I soccer scholarship.
“My biggest accomplishment so far is either getting Offensive MVP for CBL for the second year in a row or getting Athlete of the Meet at CBL track finals,” Chau says.
Lindsey Chau receives her Most Valued Player Award at the 2021-22 soccer season banquet. (Courtesy of Hung Chau)
With her senior year coming to an end, it is bittersweet.
Chau says, “I’m going to miss my high school soccer team so much. I made some of my best friends and had an amazing time playing soccer. We’ve accomplished so much as a team so I’ll definitely miss that.”
Chau has also had an impact on the people she has crossed paths with.
Ava Lopez, a sophomore at Citrus Valley says, “Lindsey is all around a great person and player. She genuinely cares about you whether it be on or off the field. She is so humble. She is truly a one of a kind player, teammate, and person.”
Natalie Thoe, a junior from Citrus Valley, shares, ”Lindsey is one of the most hardworking people I know. She is the definition of heart when it comes to anything. I’m so lucky to have had a chance to work with and learn from such a great player and I cannot wait to see what she does next.”
These past four years, including the COVID year, were tough on everyone. Chau admits that these past years have caused her to grow as a person.
Chau says, “The past four years has allowed me to mature from a teenager into a young woman. I look at things in a more positive light and love to take on challenges.”
“Frankly, COVID took a huge toll on my life mentally and my junior year of high school was very hard,” says Chau. “Although I struggled, I was able to find a new version of myself that’s much stronger, open-minded, and excited to take on the world.”
Looking on the bright side in every situation, Chau pushed forward.
Currently, her favorite hobbies include spending time with her boyfriend, hanging out with her friends, playing soccer and running track.
Chau’s overall goal in life is to run her own business, or become a professional soccer player for the National Women’s Soccer League.
Taking possession of the ball, #10 Lindsey Chau drives the ball up the field. (Courtesy of Hung Chau)
“My biggest role model is Pelé because he was a young teen from Brazil who didn’t come from much but was able to make it out and become one of the greatest soccer players of all time,” said Chau. He has such finesse and fire to him which makes him so admirable.”
Chau earned a Division I scholarship to the University of San Francisco. Before making a decision, Chau did her research on all her offers and USF had exactly what she wanted. The last step was to visit the campus and it sold her.
Chau will be majoring in business analytics at USF and says she can’t wait for what the future holds.
In honor of Mother’s Day on May 8, Citrus Valley High School students give appreciation to their mothers that work on campus. The following students responded to what they cherished about their mothers, what it is like to share a campus with their mother and if they had a message to say to their mothers.
Michelle Stover, chemistry teacher:
“I cherish her enthusiasm and care for her students.”
“It’s nice because I get snacks.”
“I love you mom.”
Michelle Stover is Citrus Valley’s General and Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher and her daughter Julianna is a sophomore at Citrus Valley. (Photo courtesy by Julianna Stover)
Kari Hill, Career Center Coordinator:
“I cherish how loving and helping she always is to me.”
“Having my mom on campus is the best because she can always give me advice where to go or what to do and help me with colleges.”
“A message I would like to give my mom would be thank you for everything you’ve done for me in the past 18 years. Now, I’m structuring a great future because of everything you’ve helped me understand and learn.”
– Ryan Hill, senior
Kari Hill is Citrus Valley’s Career Center Teacher/College-Career Counselor and her son is senior Ryan Hill. (Photo courtesy by Ryan Hill)
Kelly Teeter, counseling clerk:
“She’s really lovely, she takes care of me, she puts food on my plate, provides me with everything I need and she takes really good care of me.”
“For me, it’s nice because I’m diabetic so if something happens to me she’s there for me. She doesn’t have to worry so it’s nice for her too, and it’s just nice having her here.”
“Thank you, thank you for doing everything you do and thank you for being here.”
– Lucas Teeter, freshman
Kelly Teeter is a counseling clerk at Citrus Valley and her son is Citrus Valley freshman Lucas Teeter. (Photo courtesy by Lucas Teeter)
Maisie McCue, principal:
“I think that she is very empathetic and compassionate so she can help you through lots of stuff just because she’s able to relate.”
“It’s interesting but I’ve already had her on my campus for three years because she was my middle school principal also. But like, middle school was a little better than high school though. It’s still nice though, being able to see her every day at school.”
“Just that I love and appreciate you.”
– Kylie McCue, sophomore
Masie McCue is the principle of Citrus Valley, and her daughter is Citrus Valley sophomore Kylie McCue. (Photo courtesy by Kylie McCue)
Joan Snavely, telepresence paraprofessional aide:
“I cherish the fact that my mom is someone I can count on to be there for me.”
“Some people think having your mom on campus could be tiring, but its definitely made my high school experience easier. Whether it’s using her microwave for lunch or always having a classroom that I can feel safe in, she’s always been there for me.”
“Thanks for all the snacks during passing period, and bringing me a little bit of home while I’m in school.”
– Maggie Snavely, senior
Joan Snavely is the telepresence aide for Citrus Valley, and her daughter is Citrus Valley senior Maggie Snavely. (Photo courtesy by Maggie Snavely)
At Citrus Valley, these individuals take on the dual role of mother and staff member and this Mother’s Day their children’s appreciation for them does not go unnoticed.
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School Guadalajara native Dona Ayala. Ayala responds to questions in Spanish about her life inside and outside of school as well as maintaining her culture in America. As always, Ayala answers fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
The University of California, Berkeley, or UC Berkeley, is located in the Bay Area near San Francisco and it was founded on March 23, 1868. It is the state’s first land-grant university and the first campus of the University of California system.
According to its website, the University was “born out of a vision in the State Constitution of a university that would contribute even more than California’s gold to the glory and happiness of advancing generations.”
An image of the golden bear mascot of the University of California, Berkeley and its famous pose. (MAURICIO PLIEGO/ Ethic News)
Safety:
Compared to the average college campus across the country, Berkeley received a D+ based on on-campus, city, and regional crime rates according to the College Factual website. By calling 911, the UC Police Department responds to emergencies and provides programs such as the Community Service Officer program.
Tuition/budget:
According to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the tuition cost for California residents is a total of $39,550 which includes the tuition, student health insurance plan, room and board, food, and books and supplies. Nonresidents must pay for everything listed prior, plus a $29,754 nonresident supplemental tuition, which is a total of $44,008.
Graduation and Acceptance Rates:
UC Berkeley is one of the most selective colleges in the country as it has a 17% acceptance rate. It has become more competitive each year and as of 2022, Berkeley may be forced to cut 3000 freshman seats according to the Los Angeles Times. College Simply reports that UC Berkeley has a 91.2% Graduation rate which puts it in the top five graduation rates in California, with the California Institute of Technology, Pomona College, and Stanford University ahead of it.
Majors:
Berkeley has more than 130 academic and 80 interdisciplinary research departments separated into five colleges across one school.
The College of Letters and Science is an intellectual adventure with a broad-based liberal arts education.
The College of Chemistry offers courses in all fields of chemistry.
Berkeley Engineering is a department known for its outstanding reputation and tradition of impacting teaching and research.
College of Environmental Design involves programs in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban studies.
The Haas School of Business offers courses to help understand the modern business world. This is the only college that only allows Junior year transfer students to attend.
Facilities and Amenities:
The campus itself has plenty to offer as it features three fitness and wellness centers, four swimming pools, five tennis courts, seven basketball courts, and an outdoor track and field. There are also two natural facilities such as the rope course within the redwood trees and the open waters of the Berkeley Marina.
Career Development and Services:
The UC Berkeley Career Center has plenty to offer as an organized website helps students by class, or population, and can help through jobs/internships, career planning, and getting involved in workshops and events.
Notable Alumni:
Aaron Rodgers is the current Quarterback for the Green Bay Packers but he is also an alumni of UC Berkeley. He first attended Butte community college for about a year before transferring to Berkeley and becoming the starting quarterback and guiding the team through a 10-2 record.
The Redlands East Valley High School theater department presented its Spring Showcase on Friday, March 11. While the department traditionally performs a musical in the spring, this year they decided on a showcase in which students were allowed to perform and collaborate on acts of their choosing.
The show consisted of many scenes from popular movies and tv shows including “Mean Girls” and “Victorious” as well as acts from acclaimed musicals such as “Hamilton” and “In the Heights.”
“My favorite part has been working with my friends, and seeing how talented everyone is. Getting to act is amazing, but my favorite part [is] having fun with other actors,” said Connor Bromberger, a senior at REV.
REV senior Leilani Baldwin said, “The people are so supportive and loving. Needless to say, they are some of the most fun people I know.”
Many of these acts required students to work together creatively for weeks.
Grace Castell, a senior at REV, said her favorite part about the showcase “has to be working with my friends. There’s never a dull moment with them.”
Bella Mia Fraley, a freshman at Redlands E-Academy said, “Being on stage, the lights, the sounds, it’s all so fun, and I hope I can do more productions with this school in the future.”
While preparing for the showcase was full of excitement, performers admit that the process was stressful at times.
Nina Brown, a freshman at E-academy said, “The preparation process has been really stressful, but also really fun. It’s always fun to go to rehearsal and practice.”
Ella Fletcher, a senior at REV, said the showcase was “definitely a little stressful, but that is always a part of performing onstage because performers care so much that what you see onstage is as perfect as possible.”
(From left down to right down) Evie O’Brien, Lizeth Lopez, Rose Blatchley, Ella Fletcher, Dana Hatar and Megan Rimmer starred in Ex Wives from “Six” the musical. Their performance was the closing act of the night. (ALISSON BERMUDEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Junior Evie O’Brien (left) and senior Connor Bromberger (right) stand next to each other with weaponry during their portrayal of Henry vs his Demons. (ISAAC MEJIA/ Ethic News photo)
The actors and actresses of the showcase had their own unique individual experiences. Behind the scenes, the tech and stage crew had their own experiences as well.
eAcademy freshman Dakarai Marshall said “I have learned a lot more than I expected, such as using power tools. I have had fun learning these life lessons and skill sets that I will benefit from forever.”
Moments before the show, the cast sits around the set patiently waiting to be called by the tech crew for their last mic check. (ALISSON BERMUDEZ/ Ethic News photo)
Liliana Arroyo (left) and Lelanie Baldwin (right), two of the soloists of the night, pose for a picture outside of the theater room. Arroyo performed “Hopelessly Devoted To You” from Grease while Baldwin performed “Breathe” from In the Heights. (ALISSON BERMUDEZ/ Ethic News photo)
(ISAAC MEJIA/ Ethic News video)
For some students, the Spring Showcase marked the beginning of their theatrical career at REV. However, for seniors, the showcase was the last time that they would set foot on the Blackstone Theater Stage and perform in front of a live audience.
Fletcher said, “I am happy to be a part of this production, but it is a little bittersweet. I do wish it was a full show though, but I’m happy to be involved!”
“It’s a surreal feeling to know this is the last time I will walk on and off of the Blackstone Theater stage as an attending REV student, ” said Baldwin. “I had grown so much in my craft in this very building.”
“I do wish we could have done an actual play, but having the freedom to create a scene on our own is still just as great,” Catell said. “As long as I have fun and get to be with my friends, then I don’t mind! I will miss all the people I got to work with once I graduate though.”
Katie Mackenzie, a tenth grade honors English teacher at Citrus Valley High School, who is in her 18th year of teaching, answers 18 questions about herself.
Mrs. Mackenzie has been teaching for 18 years. (DESTINY RAMOS/ Ethic News photo)
Teaching Reflections
Q: How long have you been teaching?
Mackenzie: I think this is my 18 year of teaching.
Q: What is the nicest thing a student has done for you?
Mackenzie: Students are just very lovely. They write nice letters and say hello. Recently, my daughter’s student teacher was a former student and that was really fun to reconnect with him and he wrote me this really lovely letter where, in the end, he was complimenting my daughter but also complimenting me and saying that I inspired him to teach and that was really special. Especially since it’s so many years later.
Q: What’s the most frustrating thing about teaching?
Mackenzie: I think it’s just things that are out of my control. Like the pandemic, it was really hard.
Q: Which of your lessons is your favorite to teach?
Mackenzie: I like teaching writing. I like after you guys have finished an essay, even though it’s kind of boring. I like going over it because I think it’s helpful. I like when it feels useful, like ‘okay we’re going to get better at this’ so I do actually like going over writing.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your students?
Mackenzie: I like the energy and I feel like sophomores, in particular, get happier as the year goes on. I like sophomores because they are funny and play a little bit and they aren’t too bogged down by stress quite yet, so I love that about them. I also like that they are open to sharing their ideas and they always have good insights that I don’t always think of and I really like learning from them.
Q: What is your favorite story you tell your students?
Mackenzie: I don’t like to talk about my life very much to my students. Like little things, but they’re often interested in how I met my husband and how I studies abroad and I do like to talk about how I studied abroad because it’s fun and it can inspire other kids to do that and I think that it was a really awesome experience but I tend to not talk about my personal life very much.
Q: What is your favorite thing about teaching?
Mackenzie: I think it really is the connection with kids and getting to meet new people every year. It is interesting how we meet now but then sometimes I meet up with them much later and I do think that sometimes people come into your life when they’re supposed to and I feel lucky to get to meet all these different people and learn from them every year.
OtherFavorites and One Pet Peeve
Q: When you aren’t teaching, what is your favorite thing to do?
Mackenzie: I like to hang out with my friends, I like to travel a lot. That’s probably my favorite thing to do actually. I love to travel.
Q: What’s your favorite place that you have been?
Mackenzie: So I studied abroad in Oxford, that’s where I met my husband, and while I was there I got to travel a bunch, and so we went to Prague and Scotland and France and all those places because it’s easy. And my husband’s from South Africa so I’ve been there and I really like South Africa and New Zealand, we’d go because it’s where his brothers live so I don’t know. I feel like I could live in New Zealand but I really liked Prague as a city.
Q: Who is your favorite author?
Mackenzie: Honestly Shakespeare. I know it’s lame but he is my favorite author.
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
Mackenzie: Christmas
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Mackenzie: I don’t like bad attitudes, like when people are grumpy all the time.
Fun Facts
Q: If you never became a teacher what do you think you would have become?
Mackenzie: : I used to think it would have been fun to be a lawyer because I like to argue and because I like to think about stuff like that and I like to debate and I love lawyer shows but I don’t think I would have liked the lifestyle. But, I think I would have liked to be a lawyer.
Q: Are you a tea or coffee person?
Mackenzie: Tea
Q: What movie can you constantly watch and never get sick of?
Mackenzie: I really like the A&E miniseries Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcey.
Q: What brightens your mood when you are having a bad day?
Mackenzie: My family, being with my daughter and husband makes me really happy.
Q: If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Mackenzie: I think I would move to New Zealand. Of all the places I’ve visited, I think it’s the place where I would be the most happy living. It’s a little bit like Southern California because it’s coastal and it’s kind of metropolitan but there is a lot more open space and it’s very beautiful.
Q: What was the last book you read?
Mackenzie: It’s from my book club. It’s kind of dark but it’s called ‘Deep Water.’
Central Park is an American icon however the history of the park is not widely known. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News Photo)
When thinking about Central Park, one of the last things that come to mind is what was there before the park. The area where Central park is located was very rural considering most people lived in what is now lower Manhattan.
With slavery ending in New York and European immigrants flocking to the city, there was a feud between free African-Americans and immigrants concerning jobs and housing. With a need for jobs for free people and a need for immigrants to get jobs, Lower Manhattan became violent. There were fights over jobs and homes so people decided to move upwards to start fresh. In the 1820s land started going up for sale in what was Seneca village. Andrew Williams, a shoe shiner, bought three lots of land. After Williams bought the lots, other free people began to buy land and a community developed. According to www.centralparknyc.org the land was being sold by John and Elizabeth Whitehead who owned all 200 lots of Seneca Village. Moving out of lower Manhattan into the Village provided black families an affordable safe place. This was also the beginning of equal rights between people. In New York in the 1800s African-Americans could only vote if they owned land and by buying the affordable land in Seneca Village, they could vote. According to www.ny1.com, when Irish and German immigrants started to move uptown as well, they moved into the village. Seneca village was one of the first integrated communities with African-Americans and White people living together. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion church then bought several more lots and the church was founded then in 1821.
Over 30 years, the population in NYC quadrupled and the white “elite” believed that the island would be swallowed by development. In 1853 they called for a city park to be lungs for the booming city. Since most of the so-called elite were from Europe seeing the Champs Elysees, Kensington Park, and other such parks, they believed NYC should have the same. 750 acres were set aside to build this park and unfortunately, that included the community of Seneca Village. About 1,600 lost their homes since they lived among those 750 acres of land. The people who proposed the idea of a central park sugarcoated how people in Seneca village really lived, and not in a good way. They described the residents of Seneca village as living in “shanties & shacks”. They were calling it no man’s land, squatters village, and used other very derogatory terms. Although integration was starting, racism was still very much an issue. Seneca Village residents did what they could to salvage their land but nothing helped.
The idea Seneca Village was a poor ‘shack’ village was just not true. In 2011, a team of archaeologists excavated the area where the village was located between 82nd-89th street. They had 250 bags of objects to analyze, the bags are now located in NYC’s Archaeological Repository. By analyzing the objects, it was found that Seneca Village was more wealthy than it was assumed to be. Comparing artifacts from Seneca Village and Greenwich Village, which was an upper-middle-class neighborhood, it was found they had many similarities. Ironstone plates, porcelain, a comb, a smoking pipe, a roasting pan, and part of what used to be a toothbrush were found. The toothbrush was not common among the middle class until the 1920s. From records, it was found there was a high level of education in the village.
Seneca Village was not filled with poor people living in shacks, it was an upper-middle-class neighborhood and an educated integrated community. But to the elite, it was nothing to save. Residents filed objections against the forced removal but that didn’t help. Seneca Village residents as well as the other 1,344 people that lived on that land, had their homes seized. The neighborhoods were destroyed and pathways, bridges, arches, and thousands of trees replaced them. Central Park was finally done and Seneca village was no longer.
New York is finally acknowledging this history. A temporary exhibition with plaques of information was set up in the park. “Land, property ownership…that’s how you get wealth and you pass wealth on from generation to generation…but when a new highway needs to be built the bulldozer comes in, Seneca Village was no different,” says Cynthia Copeland, a public historian.
The key takeaway is although Central Park is an American icon and NYC wouldn’t be the same without it, we still need to recognize the history and what was there before the park. Although the park is a beautiful piece of nature tucked away in one of the largest cities in the world, the way it was created was not. People lost homes, jobs, and their safe places to create this park. This history needs to be recognized, or else history repeats itself. Because it’s not African-American history or integration history, it’s American history.
A drawing of the historical Kimberly Crest House located in Redlands. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News)
In search of places with deep history, local places don’t usually come to mind. Downtown Redlands or the Smiley Library might stand out, however, there are plenty of hidden tokens of history around Redlands.
The Kimberly Crest House is one of many. The Kimberly Crest House and Gardens were built in 1897 by Cornelia Hill. The house is built on six acres of property and was originally built without the Gardens. The Gardens were added by the second owners, John Alfred & Helen Cheney Kimberly, in 1909. After the death of Kimberly, Mary Kimberly Shirk inherited the house.
Shirk was an advocate for women’s education and her mother was an avid supporter of The Women’s Club Movement. Shirk’s father was a founder of the Kimberly-Clark Paper Company. Today, the company manufactures paper products as well as medical instruments.
The inspiration for the house was a French castle that Hill had visited. The specific architecture the house is based on is French Chateau architecture. French Chateau architecture showcases a type of home inspired by French country homes, specifically built in the Loire Valley. These houses have asymmetrical plans with ornate and complicated roofs and facades.
According to the CityOfRedlands.org, most of the inspiration for the home is French, the Gardens were added in 1909 with the Italian Renaissance architecture in mind. The Gardens include ponds, fountains, rose gardens, plenty of trees, and more.
According to KimberlyCrest.org, the house is a Petite Chateau with 22 rooms and 7,000 square feet. The house consists of three stories: the first floor was used for greeting and entertaining guests, the second floor was a personal floor used strictly for the family, and the third floor has another bedroom and a screened porch. The porch was used most likely during the summertime. Part of the third floor was sectioned off as the servants’ quarters that also included a separate bathroom.
The house has an attic and basement but these cannot be accessed on a public tour. A separate carriage house was built for the horses and carriages that the Kimberly family-owned with an extra bedroom inside for the horse caretaker.
Today, the house is open to private and public tours. Weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, memorial services and luncheons are also held at the house.
Sophomore Deacon Carreon stares at a sign made by the librarians that says, “THE LAB”. Each letter of the sign is meant to represent a different piece of technology available for students to use in the Maker Lab at Redlands East Valley High School. (CYRUS ENGELSMAN/ Ethic News photo)
The Redlands East Valley High School has had a few recent additions on campus, renovating and updating the library, including a new Maker Lab.
The Maker Lab is a new area filled with technology to help benefit and to inspire creative passion for students. The Lab is managed by head librarian Korrie Krohne, who was excited to finally be able to show off the Maker Lab.
The Lab is equipped with sewing machines, cricket machines, arts and crafts supplies, fifteen cameras, and 3D printers and scanners.
The new Maker Lab had been in preparation and construction stages since 2019 and had it soft opening in the Fall of 2021 with a few events.
Krohne said, “I am so thrilled to have the space available to students. When we came back from Winter Break this year, all the scaffolding and other parts of the renovation were out of the way, and we can now use the lab the way it was meant to be used.”
Junior Josh Buridck adds strings to a face mask he recently created in the new Maker Lab at Redlands East Valley High School. This is one of the final steps of the face mask making process. (CYRUS ENGELSMAN/ Ethic News photo)
To counteract large amounts of students from overcrowding the area, students have to sign up in advance to use the lab. There are a variety of ways to sign up for the maker lab: the library tab on the schools webpage can bring up a form for personal projects, teachers can sign up the entire class to do a lab, and the librarian-led labs that students can sign up for.
Librarian-led labs can be a variety of activities. The first of which was face mask making, students from all grades came together to create their own masks to make and keep. When the second librarian-led lab was announced in December of 2021, students created their own Christmas ornaments.
Senior Amira Carthell sews her face mask together with the help of librarians at Redlands East Valley High School. This is the first step to the face mask making process. (CYRUS ENGELSMAN/ Ethic News photo)
Krohne plans to have many more maker lab events in the future.
“I intend to run labs using the different lab equipment both after school and during lunch,” said Krohne. “Additionally, starting in the month of March, I plan on opening the lab one day a week during lunch time to support what people need–if they are working on a project they can come up on that day and use supplies available to them in the lab.”
Korrie Krohne, head librarian at Redlands East Valley High School, demonstrates how to use a sewing machine to the participating students. The machines were used for students to sew face masks together and take home. (CYRUS ENGELSMAN/ Ethic News photo)
Shannon Rooney, an advanced placement and honors biology teacher at Citrus Valley High School, in her 28th year of teaching, answers 15 questions about herself.
Mrs.Rooney has been a teacher for 28 years (Jasmine Rosales/Ethic News Photo)
Teaching Reflections
Q: Is there anything that you wish you’d known when you were a first-year teacher?
Rooney: I wish I knew that it was OK to be friendly and chat with students. I was afraid to be a person that first year and I had a lot of classroom discipline problems as a result.
Q: In your opinion, what is the best part of teaching?
Rooney: I love watching my students grow and decide what they want to do when they graduate from high school.
Q: What is the most frustrating thing about teaching?
Rooney: The state is constantly changing the responsibilities placed on schools. It is hard for all of us to keep up; classified, teachers and administrators. That or the lack of cell service in the E building.
Q: If you never became a teacher, what do you think your other job would be?
Rooney: I would probably have been a veterinarian.
Q: Who inspired you most to become a biology teacher?
Rooney: It’s a tie: My 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Fields or Mr. Rooney (Shannon Rooney’s husband, Rob Rooney, also teaches AP Physics at Citrus Valley High School).
Q: What is the most difficult topic that you have taught your students?
Rooney: Gene Regulation is very complicated. Students must work hard to understand how most cells contain the same DNA, but cells use that DNA differently.
Favorites and pet peeve
Q: What is your favorite life story you tell your students?
Rooney: I did not intend to be a teacher. After I graduated with my Bio degree, I was a substitute teacher at Colton High School. I was subbing in a biology classroom, and I was having a great time answering genetics questions. Long story short, Colton High offered me a job. 28 years later and here I am, still teaching high school Biology. I love my job. Keep your options open, try different things, you never know where one of those choices will take you.
Question: What is your favorite lesson to teach in biology? (In AP or Honors Biology)
Rooney: The Bacterial Transformation lab in AP Biology. We insert a gene into a bacterium, and it produces a blue pigment.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your students?
Rooney: I just enjoy chatting with my students. Teenagers are full of energy.
Q: When you are not teaching, what are your favorite activities to do?
Rooney: Reading, walking with Ozzy (my dog) and Mr. Rooney or Pilates
Q: What is your favorite thing in your classroom?
Rooney: The University and Navy Pennants that represent each of my family members.
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
Rooney: I dislike when someone asks a question, and another person makes a comment that makes the other person feel bad for asking.
Fun Facts
Q: Are you more of a coffee person or a tea person?
Rooney: Tea
Q: What is that one movie you can constantly watch and never get bored of?
Rooney: Inception
Q: What brings your mood up when you are down?
Rooney: Chatting with my daughters, talking to my students or playing with Ozzy (my dog).
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School Key Club President Audrey Yoh. Yoh responds to questions about how she balances taking all AP classes while also being a varsity athlete and what her future plans are after high school. As always, Yoh answers fast, controverisal “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
We asked five staff members at Orangewood High School what their most memorable Valentine’s Day has been.
Karen Wilson is an OHS government teacher and coordinator for the Orientation Assessment Study Skills Insight Success program, better known by OHS students and staff as OASIS. Wilson said, ”My best V-day memory was finding out I was pregnant with my first baby in 2000.”
Bob Blank, OHS English teacher, shared that his first Valentine’s Day being married was the best. Unfortunately, his wife was sick and they did not have a lot of money. So being a newly-wed husband, he went out and bought her a big red teddy bear. She was very surprised and 20 years later, she still has it.
Hand-drawn and colored Valentine’s cards. (AYEISHA FORDHAM and EMILEE WALTERS COOK/ Ethic News art)
Don’t forget to get Lou Ann Perry a Valentine’s Day card. Perry is the OHS English teacher and coordinator for the Advancement Via Individual Determination program. When she was in the second grade, Perry had filled out all of her Valentine’s cards to pass out to her classmates the night before and went to bed excited for the next day to come. Unfortunately for her, she woke up with the mumps, and could not go to school for a week. Perry never got her Valentine’s cards and candy from second grade. This “Single’s Awareness Day,” as Perry likes to call it, she would like to share the late great cartoonist Charles Shchult’z words, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
Carli Norris, OHS principal, said that when she was in the third grade, her class had made the little Valentine envelopes and put them on their desks. She remembers taking them home after receiving them from her friends and classmates to open them. The candy that came with them was a plus.
Tito Costakes, OHS independent studies teacher, on the other hand, doesn’t really have any good or bad memories of Valentine’s Day. He just misses the days where he was single, playing golf and not having to spend a lot of money on a fancy dinner and fancy presents.
Thank you to all the teachers and staff members for sharing their memories and stories.
Arline Troncoza is the newest addition to Redlands East Valley High School counseling staff. Troncoza is just like a regular counselor; however, she specializes in helping freshman students acclimate to the high school experience as they transition from middle school distance learning that occurred over the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 school years.
The freshman Counselor Arline Troncoza smiles for a photo. (SPENCER MOORE/ Ethic News photo).
Troncoza says, “Typically, freshmen are mixed into the alpha for all counselors. But, this year because they have a single counselor assigned just to them, they are able to receive more one-on-one support.”
Troncoza says that she wants “to provide as much support as possible to ease the transition.”
Troncoza would like the students at REV to know that she was the first person in her family to attend college, earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology at California State University, San Bernardino.
Troncoza further cemented her place in her family legacy by being the first person to also attend and complete a master’s degree, continuing her education at California State University, San Bernardino.
As a student, Troncoza was very introverted and didn’t ask for help because she didn’t feel that there was any for her.
As the new freshman counselor, she plans to help students who possibly feel the same way as she did to be as successful as possible. She plans to do this by being available for her students’ needs including social, academic or even if they just need someone to talk to.
“This is my passion, being a counselor is not just a job for me, it’s something that I love to do, and I’m here for the students who need me,’’ Troncoza says.
Troncoza further details efforts that the counseling department has put in place for this new, post-distance learning Class of 2025, saying, “The goal is to be a bit more preventative to prepare them for the next three years, so we are doing whole class presentations and academic interventions for those who are struggling with grades.”
“I try to put myself in their shoes, and try to share similar struggles that I had when I was a student, to let them know that they are not alone, and that it is possible to get past the obstacles that they may be going through,” Troncoza says.
One piece of advice that Troncoza thinks that every freshman would benefit from hearing and adhering to is “to not be afraid to ask for help.”
Troncoza says, “This is a new phase of your life, and high school is very different from middle school, so if one is struggling, ask us for help, ask us to teach you what we don’t know.”
Arline Troncoza is here for every freshman that may need her, and she wants everyone on campus to know that the counseling department is there for them, no matter what their need may require.
Citrus Valley High School had a ‘CV Gets Trendy’ Spirit Week leading up to the winter rally. Citrus Valley students were encouraged to participate in this Spirit Week as a way to get excited for the upcoming Winter Rally.
Monday Jan. 24: Material Girl Monday (Dress in your best attire)
Jasmine Gurrola, Amaya Pantaleon, Lailyenna Ngo, Soriah Brunson, Natlie Velasquez, Emma Irene, Annabell Crummey and Nickolas Ramirez showed off their best attire. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Tuesday Jan. 25: I Wanna be a Cowboy Baby
Michael Okere and Amber Sibbett give a thumbs up for Cowboy Day. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Edith Gomez, Alexa Cano and Brooke Mendez smile for a picture dressed as cowgirls. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Angela Dov and Alexa Gonzales pose as cowgirls. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Wednesday Jan. 26: Anything but a backpack day
Alexa Gonzales poses with her toy shopping cart. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Erik Serenson holds a canvas bag for Anything But A Backpack Day. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Bailey Sacco decided to utilize a Home Depot bucket while Brooke Mendez used a PlayMate cooler instead of their backpack. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Angel Leon uses a cardboard box for her take on Anything But A Backpack Day. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Natalia Contreras shows off with a Lightning McQueen buggy on Jan. 26. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Thursday, Jan. 27: The Man, The Myth, The Legend (Dress like Adam Sandlar)
Natalia Contreras and Emma Vara showing off their best ‘Adam Sandler’ attire on Jan. 27. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Arianna Rodriguez poses for Adam Sandler Day on Jan. 27. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/Ethic News photo)
Come join Ethic News as they interview Orangewood High School science teacher Pam Green. Green answers questions about teaching at OHS, life outside of school, favorites and some fun “this or that” questions.
NYU mascot Bobcat holding the Statue of Liberty’s torch. (NADIA CENICEROS/Ethic News art)
New York University is a private, non-profit, research four-year university that was chartered in 1831 by the New York Legislature led by Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. According to the College Gazette, NYU is not categorized as an Ivy League school, however, due to the high prestige within the academic, research and athletic programs it has made it to be widely considered to be equal to any of the six schools within the league.
Size:
Located in lower Manhattan, the urban campus is near Union Square and Greenwich Village and is one of the three largest landowners in New York City with it being 230 acres, triple the size of Columbia University. It also has a second campus near Brooklyn and has two other campuses around the world in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.
Time Square, a famous tourist destination located in the center of New York City and is known for the New Year’s Celebration and the billboards across multiple buildings within the major commercial intersection. (MAURICIO PLIEGO/Ethic News photo)
Safety:
Crime rates within the area are known to be fairly low. Any crimes committed in the area of Greenwich Village are recorded in a Daily Crime Log located in the NYU Department of Campus Safety.
Tuition:
The tuition as of 2018 has been $77,632, which includes costs for books, on-campus room and board. Through aid given from the institution, state and or the federal government it can decrease to $39,772 and the tuition can decrease even further depending on household income and if New York is the applicant’s resident state.
Graduation and Acceptance Rates:
According to College Simply, NYU has an acceptance rate of 21% making it one of the most selective schools in the nation as it is very likely that most of those who are accepted have high SAT and ACT scores, however, currently it is a test-optional school. This means that upon applying, it is not necessary to show them your scores. The graduation rate is 83% which is still higher than most, but it is low compared to other Ivy colleges, such as Harvard with a 97.6%
Majors:
The University offers over 143 distinct undergraduate degrees that are concentrated into 94 majors and 25 broad fields of study. Majors such as Visual and Performing Arts, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts and Sciences are the most popular among students.
Facilities and Amenities:
The campus itself has plenty to offer as it features various athletic facilities such as an eight-lane swimming pool, weight room, state-of-the-art aerobic fitness room, climbing wall, basketball courts, dance and class space, pro shop and a snack bar. There is the Office of Global Services that handles any immigration matters for students and the NYU Box Office which offers discounted tickets for movies, broadway shows, sporting events and musical concerts. The campus offers areas to make students feel included such as the NYU LGBTQ+ center and the NYU Center for Multicultural Education and programs.
Career Development and Services:
Another facility on the campus is the Wasserman Center for Career Development, which allows students to use a variety of resources and services like a step-by-step process that involves mock interviews, workshops and on-campus recruitment opportunities.
There is the NYU Handshake website that helps students to find internships and jobs on and off campus which has helped students to receive job offers after graduation.
Notable Alumni:
Elizabeth Olsen is a famous actress known for her role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Scarlet Witch or Wanda Maximoff. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and graduated from NYU in 2007 with a degree in acting.
Officer Otis Grant, From the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, came to speak with students from Kimberly Lott’s classroom at Orangewood High School on Oct. 5.
Officer Otis Grant from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department speaks to the Orangewood High School class of Kimberly Lott, Language Arts teacher, on Oct. 5, 2021. Photo courtesy of Alexis Garcia.
DEBBIE DIAZ: Okay, This is Officer Grant, Sheriff’s Department Riverside, right? Okay, and your first question, can you describe a very distressing situation in which you remained calm and collected?
OFFICER OTIS GRANT: I’ll probably have to say, sometimes when you come across people with mental conditions, they don’t comprehend exactly what you’re trying to ask of them, so sometimes you have to slow things down and you have to really explain things to them thing to them, like you’re talking to a child. Sometimes you have to raise your voice at them to find a way to communicate with people; different people in different ways. Some people you have to be very calm and talk low too, and some people you gotta get into their head, you gotta find out what they’re thinking, and that’s why you have to just, you know, to get what we call compliance.
Officer Otis Grant from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department is interviewed by Orangewood High School senior and Ethic journalist, Debbie Diaz, on Oct. 5, 2021. Photo courtesy of Alexis Garcia.
DIAZ: Okay, and then you had said previously that you wanted to be a police officer since you were young — six years old. Did anyone influence you?
GRANT: So I grew up in San Bernardino, and I remember one day, my father and I were out in the backyard, and one of my father’s friend with a police officer, he came by the house. We were talking on the roadway and got a hot call and as we were talking, what they call a priority call comes out, and the police officer took off and he was running with his lights and sirens and everything. And at that moment, I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s what I wanna do with my life. I know it.” It just hit me right then and there, I knew what I wanted to do in my life, and that was my defining moment. It was weird because I said I was five, six years old at that time. And fast forward, maybe 20 something years down the road, I went on a ride along with the San Bernardino Police Department, and I come across this guy and he doesn’t recognize… Because I was a lot older then, and I introduced myself to him and he was like, “You’re little Otis.” And I was like, “Yeah.” And I said, “Do you remember that day that you met me and my dad out in the backyard?”
He was like, “I do remember that day.” He was like, “You were a little guy.” And I said, “Did you know that that encounter was the reason why I’m here today?” And he shook my hand and he hugged me. He was like, “Are you saying I did that for you?” And I was like, “That’s what you did for me,” and I was like, “I can’t thank you enough.” And it was a very proud moment in his career, but I know he never thought that he would have or someone like that, and it was that I got to meet the person who really opened my eyes to law enforcement.
Officer Otis Grant from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department answers student questions after speaking to an English class at Orangewood High School on Oct. 5, 2021. Photo courtesy of Alexis Garcia.
DIAZ: Right. Oh, that’s beautiful. Okay, now we’re gonna switch up to tobacco industry. Okay, how do you think your has affected students today… What’s that? The tobacco industry, how do you think it has affected students today?
GRANT: The tobacco industry has, it’s hurting kids because you have kids using these vape pens, you have kids that are putting chemicals in their bodies that they don’t really… No one really knows exactly what’s in these things, and they’re making kids addicted. The kids are getting addicted to these things it’s messing with their mental health and that’s with them addicted physically.. You’re seeing he is… When I worked in Heritage High School, we were getting kids once or twice a day that we’re passing out or bring found unconscious, I should say, whether it be in classrooms, the bathrooms, the PE area, and we would ask them what was the last thing that you remember doing it was like, Oh, I was going to vape pen, and you’re taking something that was marijuana, and then you’re making into a chemical form… Well, no one knows what chemicals are being used to break down the THC level… The THC levels now, and I don’t really know what they are, but the THC levels now that they’re using in vape pens and marijuana these days are a lot higher than what it was in the 60s, in the 70s, and that’s what’s really affecting people.
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School athlete Laviel Pickett. Pickett responds to questions such as “What his go-to-hype song is before a game,” “If he’s ever slid into someone’s Dm’s,” and more. As always, Pickett answers fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School senior Sadeen Elfaqir. Elfaqir talks about her life inside of school, what her favorite hobbies are and much more including some fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the interview.
Many students participate in theater at Citrus Valley High School. However, some students are looking to take their experience a step further than just high school plays.
Sophia Partain, a senior at Citrus Valley, is a perfect example of a student with that ambition.
Partain has been a part of the Blackhawk Theater for four years and starred in the fall play Puffs as a lead female role.
She is involved in choir and serves as the president of Thespians Club. She also participated in the French Club.
In addition to theater, Partain is taking three Advanced Placement classes this year: AP French, AP Literature and AP Calculus. She is familiar with the academic rigor that AP classes possess, as she has taken them since freshman year.
Her favorite part of being at Citrus Valley, in particular, is the rivalry between three high schools in the Redlands Unified School District: Redlands High School, Redlands East Valley High School and Citrus Valley. Since Partain attended Moore Middle School, she has many friends attending REV, making the rivalries more exciting.
Partain says she’ll miss being a part of theater, her teachers and the friends she’s made at Citrus Valley.
Sophia Partain, a senior at Citrus Valley High School smiles for a photo (BELLA ESPINOZA/Ethic News photo)
In her free time, Partain enjoys reading a lot as well as crafting. Another hobby of hers includes crocheting, an activity she picked up during quarantine.
Partain says her biggest inspirations are her parents and brother. Partain’s father is a Citrus Valley English 12 teacher and her brother, Jack Partain, is a sophomore at Citrus Valley.
Partain’s talent has not gone unnoticed. Many of her peers have recognized her talent and success.
Amber Sibbett, a freshman at Citrus Valley, says, “Sophia is one of my favorite seniors! She works incredibly hard and has beautiful talent. She makes sure everyone feels welcome and you can always count on her to do her part.”
Emma Ritter, a freshman at Citrus Valley, participated in the play Puff and worked closely with Partain.
Ritter says, “She is an amazing actress and it’s so much fun watching her. She is also super nice and really fun to talk to.”
With only seven more months until her high school career is over, Partain plans for her future. She hopes to major in Musical Theater and apply to many colleges, local or across the country.
Maisie McCue, Citrus Valley High School’s newest principal sits down to answer questions based off her past experience as a principal, her goals for Citrus in the upcoming year, and her impact at Citrus Valley both in the present and looking to the future.
Spreading to spirit weeks across the nation, the “Anything but a backpack day” trend has escalated in popularity as students approach unique alternatives to bringing their backpack to school.
Redlands East Valley High School held their “Anything but a backpack” spirit day on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as a part of their Halloween spirit week.
The idea is for students to creatively store their school supplies in a carrier that isn’t their everyday backpack. Although the possibilities were endless on what students brought, among some of these substitutes were ice coolers, strollers, mop buckets, suitcases and trash cans.
Photo 1: Redlands East Valley High School seniors Ebony Staten and Jalyn Gilkey bring a double baby stroller and a rolly chair on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 2: Redlands East Valley High School junior Raquel Van Diest pulls a mini metal shopping cart on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 3: Redlands East Valley High School sophomores Haylee Lyon carries a bindle alongside her friend Ashley Ranabauer on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 4: Redlands East Valley High School sophomore Jesse Mendez holds a Pampers Swaddlers box on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 5: Redlands East Valley High School junior Davinson Porto (left) pushes junior Xaviar Guardado (right) in a wagon on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 6: Redlands East Valley High School senior Kieran Robson carries a piano bench decorated with fake spider webs on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Photo 7: Redlands East Valley High School junior Seth Bruer stands next to his mini fridge on Oct. 28. (AVA LARSON/ Ethic News photo)
Come join Ethic News as they interview Redlands East Valley High School Associated Student Body Executive President Shannon Cockerill. Cockerill answers questions about her life inside and outside of school as well as some fast, controversial “this or that” questions at the end of the video.
The quality of school lunches has been a subject of debate for districts around the country for many years and students have often expressed their dislike for them. Lunch distribution has posed many questions such as: Are they substantial for students? Are schools providing enough food to get students through the day?
At Redlands East Valley High School, there are baskets of fruits that students can have easy access to after they grab the rest of their meal. These fruits play a vital role in a healthy diet. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News photo)
In recent years, there has been a push to have healthier food in schools. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was designed to improve children’s health by reducing childhood obesity rates.
Despite the intentions of this legislation, many schools still serve unhealthy food to their students. A 2020 study, Impact Of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act On Obesity Trends, by the Harvard School of Public Health found that two-thirds of school districts serving lunches below the federal guidelines.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires that lunches served in schools must be improved and made healthier.
To provide further insight on the substantiality of school lunches and how they are prepared, an interview with Josie Perez was held. Perez is the nutritionist at Redlands Unified School District.
Is the food sustainable for a growing teenager?
As the registered dietician for the school district, we go by the USDA standards to what we feed our kiddos, and our students at schools, the high schools, middle schools and elementary school level. So the amount of food in terms of what is provided by the USDA, we make sure we hit that and that if not go above that.
How do you respond to any negative comments about the food?
In the lunch room at Redlands East Valley High School, there is a stack of empty cardboard containers that are no longer being used. Instead they are replaced by more plastic containers to hold the food in. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News photo)
I would have to say, I listen to it and we try to make modifications as we go along. I know like yesterday I got a call from a parent. She was concerned because her child felt that the school meals weren’t good and they didn’t like them. And I was like ‘oh, I’m sorry.’ I wanted that feedback because the way I see it, the more feedback I get from the students, I can make those changes on the next menu that comes out. It’s very helpful in seeing what you guys like or don’t like, what we think you might like versus the reality of what you really like.
Are there any meals served that you feel are distasteful?
No, we try our best to pick the items we put on the menu as a team, and it’s not my own personal choice. We discuss anything new to be tested and see ‘ok, does this work? Will it not work?’ So, I’m proud of the choices we try to make for our district and if what we think doesn’t work we try to switch it out the next time around and find something more appropriate for the kids.
Do you think that the food served has enough culture involved?
I try to balance that out when we can on the menu. We try to do things like a little Italian here, Chinese, do American. I wish we could get a little more ethnic diverse food, but that’s something that we can grow into time as we are still getting back into having our kitchens open. But if there are any ideas or suggestions of what students would like to have, we would be more open to hearing it and seeing if it’s something we could possibly make.
Two items on the school’s menu that are popular amongst the students are the pepperoni pizza and the spicy chicken sandwich, often served with chocolate milk. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News photo)
Would you eat some of the school lunches?
Yes. I actually eat some of the school lunches, I try to go to schools and see how the sites are cooking and try it there and see ok “would I eat this? Are the kids eating this?’ I do try the food.
What is the hardest thing about your job?
I mean every job is hard but it’s just figuring out how to solve the problems and I know, like food choices and flavors, I’m not going to please everyone. But, we try our best to reach the mainstream. But, yeah, I think developing the menu can be hard at times. But, it’s actually really rewarding too because it’s interesting to see what the kids like and don’t like.
How much input do you have on the menu selection?
I have a good amount, but as I said, I share it with our department team. Here we have a team of three field specialists and then also a central kitchen lead where we evaluate products. We evaluate and taste to see if this is a good product, if we want to bring it in or not, so it’s definitely a team effort in siting what is purchased.
To discuss some common questions, an interview was conducted with Denise Sathda. Sathda is a child nutritional services worker at Redlands East Valley High School and is responsible for school meal preperation.
How many students get served the school lunch everyday?
Between 850-900.
How do you respond to the negative comments?
Well, it depends on what negative comments, like if they say ‘oh it’s cold’ we say well I’m sorry you know it happens. And if it’s about the food you know it’s what they sent us you should be grateful, this is not a restaurant, you know we try to do our best with what they give us.
Are the ingredients in the food fresh?
For the salads, we have the fresh spinach, the lettuce, the tomatoes, the cucumber. And the fruits we get daily also, all the fruits, the veggies.
What is the hardest thing about your job?
We have many things to cook like everyday. Every once in a while, they will change the menu. So, we’re going to be changing the menu in October to see what the new menu is. We have the orange chicken and the cheeseburgers, we don’t just put things in the oven. We need to, you know, cook them, put together the sauce, the rice. The rice takes like two hours for example, so it depends on the menu. Some days are easier than others.
Citrus Valley High School held their annual Fall Fest after school from 12:33-3:30pm on Sept. 24. This event gives each club a chance to fundraise for themself and attempt to sell out in the product they are selling. This provides a fun entertaining environment for both students and clubs.
Participating clubs had canopies stationed in their designated spots around the quad and each program was given time in sixth period to prepare their table for the chaos to come. As soon as the bell rang, students swarmed the quad with money in their hands ready to purchase goods.
Each club is in charge of getting their own donation from businesses to sell at their booths. The quantity is up to club leaders and businesses to ensure they are within their budget. Club leaders are free to donate and help fund their materials being used.
All the clubs fundraising were successful and Fall Fest was a hit with students enjoying their treats and meals after school in the quad. It is planned to return for the following school year and make another appearance on campus.
Photo 1: Students at Citrus Valley crowd around multiple clubs selling a variety of snacks and drinks. Lines during this part of Fall Fest became extremely long making it difficult for students passing through. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/ Ethic News Photo)
Photo 2: Fall Fest included the hosting of a talent show, where many students showed off their amazing talents. Sophomore Elizabeth Roman was one of the first performers, singing the song “She Used to Be Mine” from the musical “Waitress” with the help of ASB sophomore Briana Ton. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/ Ethic News Photo)
Photo 3: Fall Fest included the hosting of a talent show, where many students showed off their amazing talents. Sophomore Elizabeth Roman was one of the first performers, singing the song “She Used to Be Mine” from the musical “Waitress” with the help of ASB sophomore Briana Ton. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/ Ethic News Photo)
Photo 4: Sophomore Atalia Rivas performed a song on her guitar, showing off her talent with the instrument. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/ Ethic News Photo)
Photo 5: The students at Citrus Valley lined up to get a cup of Kona Ice. Kona Ice was one of the most popular snacks out of all that were available. (ELIZABETH MOLLOY/ Ethic News Photo)
Homecoming has become one of the most anticipated weeks in the school year. Not only because of the dance itself, but due to the festivities surrounding the event, which includes a pep rally, carnival, spirit week, minimum day and the announcement of the Homecoming court at the Friday football game. Overall, these Homecoming celebrations help promote school spirit and welcome back students and faculty.
However, students often become accustomed to these traditions without truly knowing how Homecoming came to be.
Homecoming was originally used in colleges before it spread to high schools.
The University of Michigan is credited with beginning the tradition of Homecoming in 1911, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association,
Missouri Athletic Director Chester Brewer encouraged their alumni to return to their school for their annual football game against the University of Kansas, which drew a crowd for a weekend of festivities surrounding the game. Since then, its growing popularity among colleges has allowed homecoming to become a staple in American high schools.
The Homecoming football game also draws much excitement as the Homecoming court is announced.
The Homecoming court comprises students who are voted in to represent the student body as king, queen, princesses and princes. However, the tradition initially began with only women competing for the title of queen.
At Redlands East Valley High School, one boy and one girl from each grade level need to be nominated from a sport or club to be a candidate. Then, after a voting period that is open to all students, the princesses and princes are announced at the Homecoming pep rally during school while the senior king and queen are revealed at the Homecoming football game.
The REV Homecoming court was unveiled on Oct. 1 during their football game against Beaumont High School at Citrus Valley High School. Their court consists of the following students: Kadin Khalloufi as the king, Shannon Cockerill as the queen, Maxwell Cannon as the junior prince, Brooklyn Martinez as the junior princess, Palmer Aguilar as the sophomore prince, Amanda Morrison as the sophomore princess, Cash Dabbs as the freshman prince and Ciela Pickett as the freshman princess.
Redlands East Valley High School senior Kadin Khalloufi wins Homecoming king alongside his mother Kathi Khalloufi on Oct. 1 during halftime of the REV Homecoming football game against Beaumont High School at Hodges Stadium. Khalloufi is the varsity football captain and was playing in the Homecoming game prior to halftime. (MIA ARANDA/ Ethic News photo)
At REV, Khalloufi is a varsity football captain and participates in varsity wrestling, volleyball, Possibilities club, National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Key club, tutoring club and Speech and Debate.
“I think there is great honor in being the Homecoming king as you represent the majority opinion of the school,” said Khalloufi.
He continues, “It’s crazy to me that people actually wanted me to be Homecoming king and I still am in shock over it.”
Redlands East Valley High School senior Shannon Cockerill wins Homecoming queen alongside her father Brian Cockerill on Oct. 1 during halftime of the REV Homecoming football game against Beaumont High School at Hodges Stadium. (MIA ARANDA/ Ethic News photo)
At REV, Cockerill is REV Associated Student Body Executive President, varsity soccer captain, the vice president of Chess and Games club and the president of the Red Cross club. She is also a part of varsity track and field, Key club, Mental Health club, NHS, CSF, Interact club and Heal club.
“Everything I am in and have been involved in for the past four years helped me get to know a lot of people. I knew them from one activity or another and took the time to remember them and them remember me,” said Cockerill.
“Being homecoming queen to me, is more than being a popular person. It was being someone people remembered for being kind, positive and friendly.”
Redlands East Valley High School seniors Kadin Khalloufi and Shannon Cockerill are crowned as Homecoming king and queen on Oct. 1. Khalloufi and Cockerill were both involved in Homecoming activities with Khalloufi as a football captain and Cockerill as the executive president for Associated Student Body. (MIA ARANDA/ Ethic News photo)
Seeing familiar faces on campus is important and as the school year starts, Citrus Valley High School’s class of 2022 has started to realize former resident substitute Carl Keiser is back and has his own classroom.
Carl Keiser poses with Paul Beaumont, a previous teacher and now colleague. (BELLA ESPINOZA/Ethic News Photo)
After spending two years teaching moderate-to-severe disabled students in transitional kindergarten through second grade at Cram Elementary School, Keiser is now at Citrus Valley teaching grade 12 English and Integrated Math IA and IIA.
Keiser says, “My Cram students have a very near and dear place in my heart because they were my first.”
But, he is excited to tackle his first year at Citrus Valley and aims to show his students the true value of what they are learning.
Keiser says the biggest difference from subbing across campus is that he has the same students every day.
“Seeing them at the beginning of the year and then at the end of the year will be truly rewarding,” Keiser said.
Since most of his substitute teaching positions last for a month at a time, the amount of time Keiser has spent with his students is more than he normally would have.
Keiser says, “We are already past a long term sub position, so this is already uncharted territory.”
Paul Beaumont, a world history teacher at Citrus Valley and one of Keiser’s previous teachers, said that Keiser “saw the practicality of what we were teaching and saw how it could be useful.”
He has used what he learned from being a student himself and transformed that into a teaching style that encourages and guides students.
Beaumont has had a few of his students become teachers and even colleagues, but he especially believes Keiser is ready for the task of teaching.
¨It’s great to see [Keiser] grow up, mature, and thrive in his profession,” said Beaumont. “He can do whatever he wants, because he’s got the skills.”
Kenneth McGrath, Citrus Valley Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and the Expository Reading and Writing teacher, remembers Keiser as a fantastic student and being super involved in school.
McGrath said Keiser “is just capable of so much and is just starting to scratch the surface” with this new beginning.
As he establishes the foundation of his new career, Keiser has taken inspiration from McGrath, Beaumont and Maria Deveau, a fellow Spanish teacher at Citrus Valley.
With a strong team of supportive teachers, Keiser has readily made the shift from substitute to full-time teaching.
Starbucks has their decorations already on display which creates a nice autumn setting for their customers to enjoy as they eat their food and or beverage. (Photo courtesy Andrew James)
Autumn has arrived and Redlands is prepared for the shift into the new season. All around town, citizens are putting out pumpkins, flags and colorful objects, to celebrate the beginning of this new time of year. Decorations can be seen at people’s homes and businesses. Many buildings are decorated or filled with autumn products so that people feel a warm, inviting presence as they enter their establishments.
One of the businesses that have immersed itself into this season’s charm is Starbucks. Many people look forward to the seasonal food and drinks that they showcase, and the cafe has added more drinks and food products to emphasize the autumn theme. Their seasonal offerings include items such as iced pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin scone and iced apple crisp macchiato.
Walmart and Smart and Final have stocked their shelves with Halloween and autumn decorations in preparation for the season. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News)
Retail stores are also starting to update their inventory to have more fall products for people to buy and celebrate the upcoming season. Target and Walmart have already put some Halloween-themed toys and small animatronics in their businesses.
Along with decorations, creepy and creative costumes are on their way. Some stores, such as Party City, are providing discounts. The Halloween store Spirit Halloween in Redlands has a stock of different sorts of costumes and theatrical decorations.
Mel Megana Franco and Ashley Ranaballer are eager about autumn because Halloween is coming soon. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News)
Because of COVID-19, a vast majority of events designated to celebrate the autumn season were canceled or not celebrated as they were before the pandemic. But now, the events are starting to reconvert back to their normal ways.
One example is the Yucaipa Apple Butter Festival at Los Rios Rancho. Even with the fire that occurred on October 2, 2020, and the rebuild, Los Rios Rancho is planning to effectuate the festival. The Apple Butter Festival is from Friday, November 26 through Sunday, November 28 this fall.
Another event that helps revitalize the autumn spirit is the “Redlands Turkey Trot.” This Thanksgiving Day 5K run and a 1K “Fun Run” is held for kids throughout the beautiful city from 7:30 to 9:00 in the morning. The race course will start at Sylvan Park and interwork through the Redlands streets and around the University of Redlands before ending back at the Park.
Fae Norris can’t wait for the rain to relieve everyone from the high sweat-inducing temperatures and Eli Naser is enthusiastic for the football season to begin when autumn comes. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News)
The students around Redlands East Valley High School are excited about the season and looking forward to the cool weather. According to The Conversation, in the article “Academic Rigor,” the weather throughout Southern California typically lifts from the heat and begins to cool when autumn comes.
Other students are excited about the sports games that will follow, such as football, golf and water polo. A vast majority of students and staff are looking forward to the break and taking some time off to bask in the ‘season of rest.’
According to “Peace Through Action * USA,” a web series devoted to keeping peace within our humanity, the season of Autumn “summons us to Be Peace… Being at peace is personal behavior.”
Nicholas Valencia and Megan Rimmer are zealous to do their favorite autumn activities. Megan plans to shop and Nicholas plans on eating. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News)
Zaryah Bernard, a sophomore on Redlands East Valley’s volleyball team, shows us that she’s anxiously awaiting to see the trees change colors. (KENDRA BURDICK/ Ethic News)
Autumn is blowing through the cities, making the leaves change, and letting people know that it’s time to set up events. Everyone is excited for the season and are eager to start its festivities.
April Saibene, once a student at Redlands East Valley High School, has returned to REV this school year as a newly hired counselor. After working as a counselor at Clearwater Elementary School in Perris for two years, Saibene was first hired at REV as a temporary counselor covering grades ten to 12, last names Dj-J, but a few weeks into the school year, she obtained the permanent position.
Redlands East Valley High School counselor April Gamez in her office on Sept. 8. Gamez counsels sophomores, juniors and seniors with last names starting from Dj to J. (MIA ARANDA/ Ethic News photo)
Born in Brawley, California, Saibene lived in Mexico until the age of three; her parents were both born in Mexico, therefore she is a fluent Spanish speaker. In addition, she has lived in Redlands and Mentone. In free time, Saibene enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband, Andrew, currently have a seven-month child named Sonny. Saibene also has three siblings: Diana Gamez (REV 05′), Frankie Gamez (REV 07′) and Angel Gamez (Citrus Valley 12′).
Saibene graduated from REV in 2010. She considers counselor Laree Orland a mentor during and after high school; Orland is currently the counselor that covers all Advancement Via Individual Determination students.
While at REV, Saibene participated in track and field and cross country, coached by Andrea Johnson, and softball with Jim Cruz and Sandy Crumrine as her coaches. She also played soccer outside of school recreationally.
Saibene, being a lover of sports, had thought she would pursue a career surrounding sports in some aspect, such as by majoring in kinesiology.
However, she ultimately decided to major in sociology.
While working toward her bachelor’s degree at Cal State University, San Bernardino, Saibene worked as a waitress at Johnny’s Tacos and Sports in Redlands for four years.
Following earning her bachelor’s degree in 2014, Saibene then worked at Tom Bell Chevrolet for two years. While she was there, she was a receptionist and worked her way up to service writer and later assistant manager.
Afterwards, Saibene attended the University of Redlands to pursue her master’s degree in school counseling while starting to substitute in the Redlands Unified School District. She graduated in 2019.
In addition to coming back to REV, Saibene is also entering the same campus as her older sister, Diana Gamez who is currently in her ninth year of teaching Spanish and Advancement Via Individual Determination teacher at REV.
Gamez used to eat lunch in her room and keep to herself, but now she tries to stop by at least once a day to visit her sister to say hello or have lunch together.
Gamez says Saibene “has a heart of gold and is very compassionate. I know she really liked working at the elementary school level, but I honestly think she’s going to do great things at REV.”
Saibene attributes her sister to being one of her role models as Gamez was the oldest and most influential to her and her siblings.
The personal one-on-one aspect of counseling is what Saibene loves most. She didn’t want to become a teacher because she feels she works better with individual, small groups compared to a big group.
Amid this pandemic, Saibene believes that dealing with grief, lack of social skills and not being cognizant of school expectations are some of the biggest challenges that students are facing.
Due to COVID-19, losing family members has become a common occurrence for some students.
As a result of distance learning for the 2020-21 school year, Saibene feels that some students haven’t developed a grasp for expectations for in-person learning, especially freshmen and sophomores who had never been on the REV campus yet.
“Technically, our seniors were only here for a year and a half, so they didn’t really get a feel for the expectations or like the rituals, you know the things that we have here at REV that make it REV,” said Saibene. “I think that’s a challenge that [students] are facing; they just don’t know and they don’t know what to expect and they all still feel scared and nervous.”
However, in order for students to be successful in high school, Saibene strongly recommends getting involved in something at school, such as clubs or sports.
“I would say make sure you stay involved, be nice to your adults, self-advocate for yourself, [and] speak up for yourself,” said Saibene.
At REV, Saibene aspires to be someone that students and staff feel comfortable coming to.
“I hope to be a safe place for students and staff where they feel comfortable with me whether it’s sharing good news or bad news, if they need some guidance, advice, or just a room for them to vent,” said Saibene.
Citrus Valley High School’s Homecoming for the 2021-22 school year is scheduled for Sept. 25. This announcement has prompted many students to ask their friend or crush to join them on the special night.
Juan Montes, a junior at Citrus Valley, asked Citrus Valley junior Ashley Pham, to homecoming on Sept. 11. Pham, a gymnast and cheerleader, said yes to Montes after he asked with a walkway of rose petals and candles and a poster that said, “If my puppy dog eyes don’t work, Maybe Leia’s will.”
“I was really surprised, because I came back from a four hour practice and that was the least thing I was expecting, so I was really happy and excited,” said Pham.
The two are attending as best friends, proving that a homecoming date doesn’t necessarily have to be a love interest.
Juan Montes asked Ashley Pham to homecoming with candles, rose petals and a sign that read, “If my puppy dog eyes won’t work, maybe Leia’s will,” referring to Pham’s dog, Leia. The pair will be attending homecoming as best friends. (Photo Courtesy of Juan Montes)
Citrus Valley seniors, Evan Burnell and Milana Espinoza, decided to go to homecoming together. Blackhawk Baseball player Brunell asked Espinoza on Sept. 10 with a bouquet of sunflowers in one hand and a poster that read, “Will you be my sunshine at hoco?” in the other.
Although the two were dating before Burnell’s proposal, they now feel their relationship is stronger than ever.
Evan Burnell and Milana Espinoza posing with each other in the school parking lot after the proposal. Prior to the homecoming proposal, the pair was already a couple. (Photo courtesy of Evan Burnell)
Citrus Valley junior Makenna Williams accepted Citrus Valley junior Julian Ramos’s homecoming proposal. Ramos, another blackhawk baseball player and member of Equality club, took Williams on Sept. 14 to the spot of their first date where he prepared candles in the shape of a heart awaiting her arrival. He asked her with a sign that said, “Will you make this night as special as our first date and go to Homecoming with me?”
Williams said, “It was fun and exciting. I got those butterflies that gave me first type of date kinda vibes.”
The pair recently celebrated their year and a half anniversary.
Ramos said, “I was pretty nervous, but I was happy when she said yes, I knew she would be happy with how I asked her.”
Citrus Valley junior Makenna Williams and Citrus Valley junior Julian Ramos posing with their homecoming proposal sign. Williams and Ramos have been together for a year and a half and are looking forward to homecoming. (Photo Courtesy to Julian Ramos)
Dylan Wright, a sophomore at Citrus Valley, asked Citrus Valley sophomore Sophia Imoud to homecoming on Sept. 9. During the evening football game, Wright walked onto the field in front of everyone in the stands and asked her to be his date.
Ihmud said, “I was really surprised. I was with my cheer team and then he came with his poster and proposed in front of everyone and I was really happy.”
Wright said, “I knew I wanted to go with her, there’s no one else I’d rather go with then. I knew I had to do something special because she is a special girl. I was scared she would say no but she said yeah.”
Sophomores Sophia Ihmud and Dylan Wright pose together on the football field after the Sept. 9 game. He asked her to homecoming with flowers and a sign that read, “Flowers are the 2nd most beautiful thing. Can I go to homecoming with the 1st?” (Photo courtesy of Sophia Ihmud)
After Citrus Valley ASB social commissioner, Emily Walos, had given a speech to the school student body to promote the event at the Homecoming Fashion Show, Citrus Valley senior varsity football player Aaron Roque asked Walos to homecoming on Sept. 10.
He went backstage with the help of Walos’s friends and was able to surprise her with a stuffed bear and sign that said, “I could not bear to go to hoco without you.”
Walos stated, “I was really surprised, because he had planned it all with my best friend. I am so excited for homecoming to have a great time.”
Although they are going to homecoming together, they are only friends but feel closer as friends.
Roque said, “I felt excited, I feel like I’m gonna have a good homecoming.”
After the ASB homecoming fashion show, senior Aaron Roque asked senior Emily Walos with a sign that read, “I could not bear to go to Hoco without you,” and a bear correlating with the sign. The two will be attending as friends. (Photo courtesy of Emily Walos)
Citrus Valley sophomore athlete Micah Magana asked Citrus Valley sophomore cheerleader Jaymie Requejo to homecoming after the Sept. 9 football game. He asked her in front of the cheer squad with a football that said, “Will you tackle me to hoco?”
Requejo said, “It was very exciting. I was happy, and I wasn’t expecting to be asked to be homecoming.”
Magana faced a challenge with the homecoming proposal as he felt anxious and nervous asking her to homecoming. Yet, the pair, who have recently begun dating, are very excited to go to homecoming together.
Micah Magana and Jaymie Requejo have been dating since the proposal on Sept. 9. (Photo Courtesy of Jaymie Requejo)
Citrus Valley senior baseball player Tevin Bookman asked Citrus Valley senior Morgan Hendricks to be his date in the quad on Sept. 9. He waited for her to come out of the E-building for lunch with the poster he created saying, “It would be an almond joy to take you to hoco.”
“I was excited. I wasn’t expecting it, so it was interesting,” said Hendricks.
The pair, who had recently started dating, believes that homecoming brings others together in a way no one would have ever imagined.
A sign filled with Almond Joy candies read, “It would be an Almond Joy to take you to homecoming,” along with flowers. (Photo courtesy of Morgan Hendricks)
Sophomore Gavin Close asked sophomore Lillyanne Cesena on Sept. 15 with a poster that said, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I really want to go to homecoming with you. Homecoming?”
Cesena said yes.
“I was nervous but I kinda had some feeling he was gonna do it so I was a little bit prepared,” said Cesena.
Gavin Close and Lillyanne Cesena stand together with the homecoming proposal sign and flowers. Close and Cesena will be attending as friends, although both believe something more may happen in the near future. (Photo courtesy of Gavin Close)
Whether or not students attend homecoming as a couple, friends, or alone, the event is a night promising memories and a fun experience.
Three teachers at Orangewood High School recall when they first heard about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks: Mark Perkins, physical education teacher, Norma Beckwith, social studies teacher and Louise Gonzales, mathematics teacher.
Mark Perkins, P.E. teacher
Audio recording of interview on Sept. 10, 2021 with Mark Perkins, physical education teacher at Orangewood High School, on what he remembers about the 2001 attacks on the twin towers. Perkins recalls shock.
DEBBIE DIAZ: What were you doing on the day the twin towers were hit?
MARK PERKINS: I didn’t find out about the twin towers until I woke up that morning and then — I don’t know how I knew it was on the news — but it was on the news. Oh, I know how I knew it was one the news. I had a cousin, my wife’s first cousin, he was doing his residency at the closest hospital to where the twin towers fell. When they were bringing victims in, they were bringing them to his hospital. So he called us just to let us know how he was okay. So that’s how I found out that morning about the twin towers. Does that answer your question?
DIAZ: Yes. What was your reaction when you first found out?
PERKINS: I would say the biggest reaction is shock. I would say, you know, my wife grew in a country, she was born in Africa, she grew up in a country where there was war and that kind of — the kind of behavior that happened in the U.S. on that day was like what she remembered happening in the country that she grew up in Malawi in Africa. And nothing like that had ever been seen before in America. So it was just shock the fact that bad guys could come in and do that to us, and we just let it happen.
PACHECO: No one have responsibility.
DIAZ: Do you know anyone that was affected physically by the attack?
PERKINS: Like I mentioned earlier, my cousin was in his second year of residency at one of the hospitals, so he got to see a lot of the victims that were brought in. So I can’t say that specifically victims, but it was interesting hearing. I mean he could look out his hospital window, and he could see the towers smoking and on fire. You know, when they collapsed, he was a first hand witness to that kind of a thing. So it was interesting to hear from his perspective.
Norma Beckwith, history teacher
Audio recording of interview on Sept. 10, 2021 with Norma Beckwith, social studies teacher at Orangewood High School, on what she remembers about the 2001 attacks on the twin towers. Beckwith recalls disbelief.
DIAZ: What were you doing on the day the twin towers were hit?
NORMA BECKWITH: Getting ready to go to work, to teach at Clement Middle School.
DIAZ: What was your reaction when you found out?
BECKWITH: Disbelief initially. You know, when the first plane hit, it was like “What is going on?” But when the second one hit, I knew we were under attack. And then fear. Fear.
DIAZ: Do you know someone that was affected physically by the attack?
BECKWITH: No, surprisingly on the West coast I knew absolutely no one. I mean, I knew of people, friends who knew people, but I was not impacted personally — my family, my friends — but, just am forever saddened about 3,000 plus lives that were lost.
DIAZ: Right, a tragedy, right.
PACHECO: Do you believe in any conspiracies?
BECKWITH: I absolutely do not believe in conspiracy theories. We were attacked by the terrorists, Al Queda. There is no conspiracy. They’re out to ruin our way of life.
Louise Gonzales, math teacher
Audio recording of interview on Sept. 10, 2021 with Louise Gonzales, mathematics teacher at Orangewood High School, on what she remembers about the 2001 attacks on the twin towers. Gonzales recalls shock.
DIAZ: What were you doing on the day the twin towers were hit?
LOUISE GONZALES: I had just gotten to my classroom, getting ready to teach for the day.
DIAZ: And what was your reaction when you found out?
GONZALES: Shock. Shock. I didn’t really know what was going on.
DIAZ: What went through your head?
GONZALES: I just…shock. Like, “What’s going on?”
DIAZ: Do you know of someone who was affected physically by the attack?
GONZALES: No.
PACHECO: Do you believe in any conspiracies about the attack, like the government, or…?
GONZALES: No.
PACHECO: You just believe it was a terrorist attack?
As the end of the school year approaches, students and teachers are increasingly closer to emerging from a stressful year into a needed summer break. However, for some teachers, the end of the school year represents more than a sigh of relief, and possesses greater personal significance. For some, it represents the end of a long career, an era filled with many refining and fulfilling moments. While, for others, it represents the beginning of a new journey, promising both the thrill of opportunity and uncertainty. This year, many Redlands East Valley High School teachers have decided to retire or advance their career through new positions separate from the school. What are some of their final thoughts and what will they do next in this new chapter of their life?
Wendy McClung
Wendy Mcclung smiles outside of her classroom in the D-wing. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
With an empathetic nature and passion for mental health, Wendy Mcclung, the mental health careers and mind matters teacher will be leaving REV to work in an administrative position.
She will be moving to the district office at CRYROP where she will be “in charge of their online program.”
Although Mcclung is excited for “a chance to exercise [her] leadership skills and to grow as a teacher professionally,” she will miss her students dearly.
“They are why I do what I do, ” said Mcclung. I get to watch them grow and get to know them and watch them succeed and help them through struggles. You don’t get that one-on-one with them anymore.”
Mcclung’s genuine concern for her students’ well-being is a special gift: a gift that is not required, but one that she still possesses. As she leaves the classroom, Mcclung says, “Once a wildcat, always a wildcat. It was great to be here.”
Jody Bradberry
As she starts to clear her classroom of the posters on the wall, Jody Bradberry poses for a picture. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
One of REV’s most experienced English teachers, with a true heart for reading, Jody Bradberry is retiring this year.
Looking back on her career, Bradberry is happy and feels a sense of accomplishment. “There are too many good memories; I’ve had a great career,” she said.
Bradberry is ready for retirement and will miss the interaction with her students the most: “It was all about the kids” she further said.
After school ends, Bradberry’s plans are short and simple: “I’m going to walk, do yoga, and read.” Even though she is retiring, her love for reading will continue to endure.
Michael Broguiere
Michael Broguiere smiles in front of the whiteboard in his classroom that is located in the English Building. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
After 36 years of teaching math, Micheal Broguiere, a sincere and genuine teacher, decided to retire this year. From his long career, Broguiere is nostalgic of the many comical and lighthearted memories that he experienced.
While teaching high school, Broguire told one of his classes that he wanted to buy a Vitamix Blender. In an attempt to help their teacher purchase a new blender, the class created a jar that they would pass around each day to collect change and raise funds for the blender. In the spirit of fellowship, Broguiere hosted a smoothie day for his class. “We were making smoothies all day,” he said. “It was an atmosphere of fun and good times.”
Broguiere was able to establish a sense of community among his students. This aspect of his teaching style will be missed as he heads into retirement; however, his retirement plans are not yet set in stone. “I may get a part-time job,” Broguiere said, but he has no intention of getting one this year.
When asked what he was looking forward to the most about retirement, he said, “You know, just not having to get up and be a slave to a clock. Just knowing that I’m somewhere that I’m not usually at this time of year.” The freedom to live spontaneously is within Broguiere’s grasp.
Fleury Laycook
Fleury Laycook stands in front of two of her personally crafted landscape paintings. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
The very compassionate and artistic Fleury Laycook chose to make the 2020-2021 school year her last year before retiring from her position as an English teacher at REV. Students will remember Laycook as one of the most sympathetic teachers on campus.
After 32 years of teaching a variety of subjects and thousands of students, Laycook reminisced of years of memories and shared multiple “stand out times” which included her position as the newspaper advisor and a participant in Mock Trial. “We won the Southern California LA Times High School Newspaper of the year award,” she said. “Another one I think was pretty cool was going to the state championships when I was working with Mock Trial.”
With such a creative mind, Laycook plans to focus on her hobbies of painting, writing poetry, and photography. “I’m going to have a lot of fun painting and other creative stuff,” she said. Laycook will be retiring into a life where happiness will fill her days through her hobbies.
One painting by Fleury Laycook that displays her dog amidst the Orange Groves in Redlands. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
Vanessa Aranda
Vanessa Aranda, adored for her relatable character and joyful presence on campus, will not be working at REV next year; instead, she has accepted a position at Orangewood High School where she will carry out her 19th year teaching a variety of social studies subjects, in addition to English Learner support, and Digital Journalism.
Vanessa Aranda smiles inside of her Digital Journalism Classroom next to a sign with an inspirational quote from Nelson Mandela. (MIA ARANDA/ La Plaza Photo)
Throughout her career, Aranda has always prioritized the voice of her students and became recognized on campus as an intentional teacher capable of making her students feel acknowledged and appreciated. This special aspect of her character can be seen as she reflects on one of her fondest memories as the Rock Painting Club’s advisor.
One day when her room was crowded with club members, “one of [her] students wrote on a portable whiteboard sign, “EVERYONE IS WELCOME. We will find space for you if you think it’s crowded” and propped it outside.
She said, “Throughout the week, I would keep that sign up in my room, because I just loved how inclusive it was. It kinda symbolized exactly how I wanted my students to always feel in my class: welcomed and that it’s a space for them.”
Aranda’s time at REV embodies what it means to be a teacher that not only has a heart for teaching, but a heart for students as well. She will be remembered for going beyond the expected duties of her job to create an environment where students feel valued.
Shannon Nicholas
Shannon Nicholas smiles for a picture outside of her classroom. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
Shannon Nicholas is the third English teacher that will be leaving REV this year. After teaching for 15 years, officially reaching the halfway-point, Nicholas has accepted an administrative position at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel.
“So I will be moving to the beach,” she said.
Although Nicolas admits the move is somewhat frightening, because she will be working at a kindergarten through eighth grade school instead of a high school, she is still holding on to the thrill of the unknown and has a positive mindset. “I am very excited, she said. It is a new opportunity and a new adventure.”
While at REV, Nicholas has taught a variety of subjects which enabled her to teach the same students multiple times.
She said, “It was awesome, because I was able to build a greater relationship, and if you don’t have that, school’s boring. If you don’t like your teacher, and you don’t get along, students will lack motivation. It’s part of teaching.”
Nicholas understands the value of a healthy student-teacher relationship, and she will allow her knowledge and understanding to lead her to success in this next stage of her life.
Ramon Cardenas
Ramon Cardenas smiles outside the walls of the choir room. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
A powerful voice and prominent figure in the music department, Choir Director Ramon Cardenas is moving across the country to Tallahassee, Florida where he will be attending Florida State University.
Although uprooting to the East Coast is a dramatic life change, Cardenas is excited to have the opportunity to advance his education and earn his doctorate to teach at the college level.
As he reflects on his time spent at REV, Cardenas’ most memorable moments as a teacher were spent on retreats with his students. “We always had really good times there. Everybody was always just funny and silly, just cool to see people get involved outside of class,” he said.
Even though distance learning extinguished almost all of the music department’s performances this year, Cardenas was able to experience one last “Hoorah” moment before last year’s shutdown. He said, “the choir concert we had right before the shutdown was the best concert that the choirs had.”
Cardenas will remain a well-liked teacher in the music department.
Laura Brown
Laura Brown smiles at her desk. (ISAAC MEJIA/ La Plaza Photo)
REV’s English department is losing yet another teacher, Laura Brown. With a strong desire to teach her students how to speak and write intellectually, Brown has decided to retire at the end of the school year.
From her career, Brown believes the best thing about teaching is the wisdom she gained from her students along the way. “They’ve taught me so many crucial things–not about grammar–but about compassion and humanity and life,” she said.
Although teachers are labeled as the educator, they themselves are constantly learning and their perspective on life is constantly developing. While working as a third grade elementary teacher, Brown remembers when she was humorously enlightened by one of her students.
“A very bright student named Wesley raised his hand and asked about the ellipsis. I didn’t know what that was, so I said, “Wesley, tell us what you know about the ellipsis?” He said, “That’s when you end a period with dot, dot, dot.’”
Although Brown is retiring, this is not the end of her journey. “I’m looking forward to new adventures with my family,” she said. “My husband and I will live in Utah during the spring and summer and in Florida during the fall and winter.” Brown’s grandchildren live in those two states, and throughout her retirement, she will be surrounded by her loved ones.
It’s no lie that teaching high school students is difficult. However, after speaking with each one of these wonderful teachers, it is evident that the struggles and stress are worth it. These teachers taught with passion and sincerity to help the young kids in their community. To be a teacher, you have to be sympathetic, patient, prepared, and always have the highest expectations for your students. All the teachers mentioned encompass these traits, allowing the students at REV to receive the best education possible and create some of the most endearing memories. REV is losing an amazing group of people, but from all at REV, the hope is that each of these teachers’ futures will be filled with happiness and opportunity. From parents, to students, to administration, the gratitude from so many people extends to these teachers. There is no doubt that they will be missed on campus.
Unfortunately, Rhonda Fouch was not available to interview; however, she will be retiring this year as well.
Theatre arts teacher Kaitlyn Daniels will no longer be working at REV next year as well.
Hosted by AILEEN JANEE CORPUS, DANIELA MORA, CYRUS ENGELSMAN
Today’s episode is a part of a three part series that is all about the Redlands East Valley Wildcats’ girls’ athletic director, Rhonda Fouch (she/her) who also goes by Fouch and Coach Fouch. Mrs. Fouch has been working on impacting the lives of young people for 40 years, and is retiring this school year. Learn more about Fouch’s connection with the ocean, how long and how she ended up in Redlands, and what made her choose her occupation of Girls’ Athletic Director. This episode’s intro and outro song is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole.
ETHIC NEWS 