Though we all attend the same school, what we do before we get here tends to differ from person to person, but we may also find that we still share morning routines.
As the sun rises on the castle every weekday, nearly 3,000 students make it to Rialto High School (hopefully) before the bell rings at 8:40 a.m.. They arrive through various forms of transportation, from simply walking to school to pulling up in a fresh ride. To better understand the habits of our fellow knights, I interviewed various students on how they prepared for a new day of school.
Senior and football player, Alberto Rivas, uses his mornings to keep himself in shape and motivated for the school day, starting the day off at 7:35 a.m. (without an alarm) with a set of 20 push-ups. Afterward, he “counts his bands” before choosing his outfit. He then has a healthy breakfast, consisting of “probably 4 or 5 [scrambled] eggs.” Now ready to go to school, Rivas “hops into [his] car, listens to a couple [of] songs” before arriving at Rialto High.
Sophomore and baseball player, Izzeah Zepeda, wakes up to the voice of his sweetheart, “I wake up, I’m on Facetime with my girl[friend].” Zepeda then gets himself well-groomed for the day, “I head to the restroom, brush my teeth, do my hair,” and makes himself presentable, “[I] find my fit, wrap things up, put my cologne [and] deodorant on.” Zepeda finishes off the morning by helping himself to a hearty meal, usually eggs and sausage wrapped in a tortilla with a cup of joe.
Senior Ashley Carrillo rises early in order to look her best and take care of her pets. Carrillo starts the day at 6:44 a.m. and makes her bed before going to the bathroom to start her daily beauty routine, as she explains, “I wash my face, [do] my makeup, and after I do my hair.” Next, she has breakfast but doesn’t leave her pets out, “I go outside and get some fresh air and give food to my dogs and pets.” After feeding her pets, Carrillo is ready for her day at school.
Sophomore Elena Nuñez has a similar routine to Ashley but, nonetheless, it still differs slightly. Nunez likes to have a say in her life, “I wake up around 6:00 [a.m.] to 6:20, [depending] on how I feel.” After, she preps herself for school, cleans her face, dons some makeup, and eats breakfast. However, Nunez also has a big responsibility- she is a cat owner. Thus, she always remembers to feed her cat as part of her routine.
Junior Luis Quijada described his morning routine rather comically. Quijada begins, “I wake up at like 7:30, to be honest,” however, he also skips breakfast, “as it kinda makes [his] tummy hurt.” He continues with, “I get changed, brush my teeth,” and this is where he runs into a problem many of us grapple with every morning, “I try to fix my hair cuz when I wake up, it’s crazy up, you know, it’s pretty crazy.” Ultimately, Quijada tames his hair and ensures he has a “fire fit” before he sets off to school.
Freshman Hector Torres, like many of us, has trouble waking up in the morning, “I try to wake up at 6:00 [a.m.], but I usually end up waking up at 6:30 [a.m.].” Hector’s routine is quite simple, but simplicity is a quality that many of us often strive for and can admire, “I use the bathroom, I get dressed, I eat, and then I leave.”
Junior, cheerleader, and ASB student leader, Cameron Delgado gets up earlier than most to dedicate her mornings to doing what she can to assist the ASB and keep the castle standing. As Delgado explains, “I wake up at 6:00 [am]… get ready by 7 [am]… and get here by 7:30 [am]. I usually try to help… the ASB teacher [Ms. Erickson] do any tasks she needs.” Delgado also keeps up with her studies, “... I go to tutoring, just to do work.”
Thanks to the 8:40 a.m. start bell, some of us are able to sleep in a little bit more than before. This is of particular benefit to junior Harlan Reyes. He recalls, “I normally wake up at around 7:40, and then I get out of bed and take a shower,” however, Reyes also admits, “[this is] after I check my phone for like 10 minutes,” but I think we are all a little guilty of this, especially with cell phones becoming an integral part of our lives. Reyes continues, “When I’m done with my shower, I change, brush my teeth, and then I’m normally waiting for my dad to wake up.”
In the end, whatever time you wake up, whatever you do in the morning, no matter how unique or basic your routine is, it’s safe to say that there’s one thing we all have in common - we all end up in the castle.