April - Dragon`s Tale

Softball
slides to the
finish
page 6
www.sonomadragonstale.com
April 2010 - Volume 19 - Issue 7 - Sonoma Valley High School
Film Fest
reels in
talent
Baseball
season in
full swing
page 4-5
Smoke
Signals
Film Fest Falls
Victim to Finances
The city of Sonoma is currently
in a financial hole over $80,000
deep. As a result, the City Council
board found itself unable to grant
the Sonoma Valley Film Festival
the requested $14,400 and instead
voted 3-2 to compromise with a
sum of $9,500. The money was
removed from the funds of the
Community Development Agency, which requires that it be spent
strictly within the city’s redevelopment district. One of the festival’s original screening venues
at the Sonoma Valley Women’s
Club was moved to the Community Center.
Singing Silver
SVHS’s choir, madrigals, Jazzberries, and band, led by Ms.
McElroy, departed from Sonoma
on Apr. 7 to compete in the annual Heritage Festival in New
York, New York. Sixty-six SVHS
students, accompanied by adult
chaperones, came away with
straight silvers in every category.
The group also saw Broadway
shows, visited Radio City Music
Hall, Times Square, Ellis Island,
and other world renowned sites
before wearily but happily returning home.
“My favorite part was singing
inside Riverside Church,” remarked Teresa Moreno, senior.
“I’d never been to New York
before, so I found it very eyeopening” added David DeSmet,
senior.
SVHS shines at
Interact Camp
SVHS Interact Club members
ventured to the Redwood Alliance Campgrounds in Occidental
to join twenty-two other Interact
Clubs of California on Apr. 10. For
the third consecutive year, SVHS
carried home a plaque deeming
them one of the top 3 clubs of the
twenty-two in attendance, thanks
to their outstanding service work,
activites, and exceptional group
presentation.
page 6
Battaglini on deck for SVHS
his wife, children, and parents throughout the process. His employment is in
response to the recent retirement of current SVHS
principal Micaela Philpot.
After a nationwide search
amounting to countless
hours of interviewing and
the paper screening of over
50 candidates, the school
district found Battaglini
at Tomales High School,
only an hour’s drive west
to Marin County. Superintendent Louann Carlomagno hailed him as “the
perfect candidate.”
In Tomales, Battaglini
serves as principal over
Photo courtesy of Sonoma News an approximated student
Dino Battaglini is SVHS’s new principal.
body of 200. The transition to a campus housing
a student body over seven
By Danny Maggioncalda
times larger may seem daunting.
“It will be new for me,” comIn a sea of wide smiles and prodigious aspiration, the future of SVHS mented Battaglini, “but I’m alwas solidified last Tues. evening at the ways ready to learn from whatever
avenues life may take me down.
SVUSD offices.
With a swoop of the pen, Dino I’m never in a position where I
Battaglini was confirmed as know everything that needs to be
SVHS principal for the next three known. I’m not always ready for
school years. He was attended by every issue that needs to be dealt
with, but I bring a positive attitude, genuine caring, and genuine
respect for other people.”
Preceding his duty at Tomales
High, Battaglini served as vice
principal at Antioch High School
on the Sacramento River Delta.
While there, he not only governed a student population of over
2,000, but also provided counseling. He is bilingual, with Spanish
as his second language.
“I grew up a regular
kid. I played soccer
and I traveled with
the team. I was always
trying to keep it
positive.”
Battaglini’s experience and
skill will supplement his executive guidance over the school in
many ways. His appreciation of
positivity, however, budded very
early on.
“I grew up a regular kid,” reflected Battaglini. “I played soc-
cer and I traveled with the team. I
was always trying to keep it positive.”
Battaglini was raised in South
San Francisco, and attended Skyline Junior College, Santa Clara
University, San Jose State, and
Cal State Hayward. His jobs at
various educational institutions
since then have led him to a home
in Santa Rosa yet he plans to
move his family to Sonoma.
“It is important for me to be
more than just a part of the
school. I need to be part of the
community. I need to be there to
support the village,” Battaglini
added, chuckling.
He intends to immerse himself
in student life during upcoming
years, attending not only sporting events, but extending his support to clubs, ASB organizations,
dances, and many levels beyond.
“I know that the school faces
many challenges, but I don’t like
to think of them as challenges.
I see them as opportunities for
everyone to work together and to
accomplish together. Everyone
has their strengths. And ultimately, by putting them to their
best use, we can achieve a whole
lot more.”
Farmer’s Market: Fresh food, fun times
By Hannah Horowitz
The reopening of the Farmer’s
Market on the Plaza marks the beginning of bright flowers, warm
days, and blissful afternoons for
many citizens of Sonoma.
The market was ablaze with
excitement and enthusiasm at
the first gathering of the year on,
Tues., Apr. 6. Despite recent controversy surrounding who would
be in charge of the market, everything appeared happy, lively, and
friendly as ever.
According to Jill Kirscher of
Skin Dahrma, a booth selling
organic oils to promote healthy
skin, the second market had an
equal if not better turnout.
“I like how the whole town
comes out, from the babies to the
grandparents,” voiced Kirscher.
“It’s wonderful and very bonding
for the entire community.”
In response to police removing a
local woman at the first market, a
“clown army” amassed to support
their fellow Sonoma resident and
to express dissatisfaction with
the way she was treated. With 76
confirmed guests on Facebook
and many more at the market,
there was certainly no shortage of
individuals in costume.
“I have rarely seen so many
extraordinary people together so
spontaneously joyful!” exclaimed
Pattie Lagrange after the event.
Another recent development
is the “Big Read” booth, funded
for by a grant from the Sonoma
Valley Library. It is the National
Endowments for Arts attempt to
promote reading among children.
“Big Read” project manager and
local photographer Steve Eichenlaube donated his time to start the
Photo by Hannah Horowitz
Juniors Krysta Young, Bella Baxter, and Alex Moore of leadership gather at the
Farmers’ Market to support the “Big Read.”
program.
“We’ve selected Tom Sawyer for
the kids to read in increments,”
says Tina Wolter, a volunteer of
Friends of the Sonoma Valley Libraries. “We thought we’d set up
an event for the kids where they
could do art, and with the help
of the SVHS leadership class we
have an area where younger kids
can read and draw.”
The program will make its last
appearance on Apr. 20.
As usual, the market holds
plenty of potential for the making
of happy memories and a close
community.
“I’ve been going to the Farmer’s
market since I can remember,”
added Rosie Connors, junior.
“There’s so many things to see.
Plus, it’s just so fun.”
Opinion - Editorial
Pricey prom, is it worth it?
By Chelsea Rose Shiery
High school, a place for preparation for students’ futures, is often
interpreted by students as a place
for friends, cliques, and popularity. When prom rolls around
every year, this fact is more apparent than ever. Without prom,
how would people know who sits
at the top of the popularity totem
pole?
At the end of the year, excitement is in the air, and prom tickets
are selling like hotcakes. Ninety
dollars? Just ask mommy and
daddy. They can also cover the
other various expenses “necessary” for prom, because it would
certainly be a tragedy to go to
prom without the limo, the tux,
and the salon hairdo.
Students save up for four years
preparing for the expenses of college and the beyond, but most of
them spend that hard earned college fund in one night. Superficial
doesn’t even begin to describe
this gloriously pricey event.
All that money on prom tickets will go to waste, anyway.
Most students consider it more
fun ditching, getting drunk and
high at the after parties instead of
staying and getting their parents’
money’s worth.
Time to vote! As each student
scans the list of names of their
fellow senior classmates, they
hope that at least one person puts
a check by their name.
But, of course, only the people
whose names echo in the hallways
of the school will be crowned
Say ‘bon voyage’ to adventure and ‘bonjour’ to home
By Anna Haley
There is an old belief which
goes, “10 percent of Americans
own passports.” Though the saying has become less popular in recent times, it has a grain of truth
to it.
In reality, 30 percent of Americans own a passport. But when
only one third of the population of
a country as big as the US. owns
a passport, there is something
wrong. Six years ago there was an
increase in demand for passports,
but that was only due to a requirement which was added into the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
Before the provision, travelers
only needed a birth certificate and
government-issued photo identification in order to travel anywhere
in the Western Hemisphere. Now,
all travelers are required to have a
passport to travel anywhere.
Despite this, the percentage
of passport ownership did not
change notably. In fact, the number of passports issued has decreased since its highest point in
2007. This suggests a decline in
the average American’s desire to
travel.
Another example which shows
a general distaste of other countries is the fact that a majority of
American students are only introduced to other languages in high
school instead of at younger ages,
like the students in Europe. This
increases the amount of information that can be gathered and tak-
en advantage of a child’s young
and eager mind.
Clear and powerful examples of
the benefits of learning languages
at a young age can be found in
foreign exchange students. All
of the students who visit in the
U.S. are relatively fluent in English, but how many students over
here can attend a school and understand the language in Brazil,
China or Norway? It is important
to recognize this vast difference
between the rest of the world and
the U.S.
English is the third most popular
language on Earth behind Mandarin and Spanish; yet American
businessmen most often do not
speak the world’s most common
language, despite our economic
dependence on China.
Ever since the founding of the
U.S., there has been a tinge of independence in our blood. Even
so, we all need to understand
the world is interconnected, now
more than ever. Because of this
we must accept the need for other
countries and at least attempt to
better communicate with them.
The internet can only show us
so much, and we need to learn
languages instead of putting our
language learning into the hands
of babblefish.com or Google
Translator.
The world is waiting for the U.S.
to catch up, and we must meet
its challenge. After all, we are a
powerful nation and we should
not fall behind.
~Dragon’s Tale Staff~
ADVISER - Alison Manchester
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Clarke Campion
MANAGING EDITOR- Peter Armstrong
LAYOUT EDITOR - Rachel Glago
COPY EDITOR - Troy Cameron
NEWS EDITOR - Kirsten Aguilar, Hannah Horrowitz,
Danny Maggioncalda
OP/ED EDITOR - Alejandro Tinajero
FEATURE EDITORS - Chelsea Rose Shiery, Caity Tremblay
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR - Gabe Bassett
PHOTO EDITOR - Joe Gilmore
SPORTS EDITORS - Matt Fraser, Ben Graff
BUSINESS MANAGERS - Zachary Adams, Mackenzie Kelley,
Eva Lindstrom
REPORTERS - Zachary Adams, Kirsten Aguilar, Anthony Arjona, Troy
Cameron, Luther Cenci, Sigrid Forsythe, Matt Fraser, Ben Graff, Anna Haley,
Hannah Horowitz, Mackenzie Kelley, Eva Lindstrom, Daniel Maggioncalda,
Shannon Murphy, Jesse U’Ren, Victor Vasquez Connor Vickers, Charles
Watson
PHOTOGRAPHERS - James Fanucchi, Joe Gilmore, Chelsea Rose Shiery,
Alejandro Tinajero, Caity Tremblay
ART AND GRAPHICS - Sigrid Forsythe, Daniel Maggioncalda
Dragon’s Tale
Prom King and Queen.
Nothing like a confidence boost
for those already worshipped
jocks, pretties, and partiers.
Why would anyone even consider voting for the students who
actually contribute to the high
school? That would go against
everything that prom stands for:
popularity, fashion, beauty, and
“gettin’ low.”
Although there are some teens
who are not on the market, that
does not mean there aren’t dates
available.
Single boys plan extravagant
“proposals” and girls say yes to
any sucker who puts in the effort.
There doesn’t even need to be attraction between the two. There
is always the option of ditching
the arbitrary date, so teens can go
dance with their friends.
Once corsages are purchased
and dresses are put into perfect
position, the party can start.
With “suggestive” music pulsing from the speakers, it’s the
perfect situation to heighten those
pesky teenage hormones.
Who can stick their booty out
the farthest? Most likely the girl with
the shortest, tightest dress. Prom isn’t
just for dancing and the food, it’s for
the after parties and everything that
goes along with them.
The attendants of this futile affair
shouldn’t be upset if, when they
wake up in the morning, they feel
vacant and disoriented. The vomit
stains on their once exorbitantly
priced prom outfit might trigger
By Alejandro Tinajero
may not place him or her in a state
of euphoria, there are substances
that can be consumed to make the
taker feel different.
Even alcohol in small amounts
their memory.
So why not go to prom? There is
nothing better than going broke and
breaking the law all in one night.
With any luck, the juveniles might
take away something from this experience. Best case scenario, they
make memories and keep them for
the rest of their lives. Worst case,
they take away a little more than
they bargained for from prom night.
Cartoon by Sigrid Forsythe
It’s a brave world after all
Huxley wasn’t wrong. He was
simply off by, roughly, 530 years.
Brave New World, by Aldous
Huxley, depicts a futuristic, dystopian society where its citizens
are controlled by a totalitarian
government through the use of
technology and science. Those
living in the Brave New World
are placed in different classes depending on their genetic makeup
which has been predetermined.
The citizens have also been programmed not to question about
the world they live in and to live
“happily.”
Aldous Huxley believed that
the world was headed towards
this dystopian society based on
the current events during his
time. The novel takes place in
2540, but many of the aspects of
Brave New World are becoming
more and more prevalent in our
society.
Today, countless people rely on
narcotics to get them through the
day by letting them forget their
troubles or use them as a recreational activity. This behavior
is much like that in Brave New
World. Soma, a dream inducing
drug, was consumed in the novel
when one was feeling sorrowful, anxious or just sad, allowing
them to forget their troubles and
let them go.
Our behavior today mirrors the
mentality of the citizens described
in the novel. Although there are
many substances one can take that
are “sleep taught.” This is the
process in which the children are
told what to believe, do and think
while they sleep. These lessons
stay with them for the rest of their
lives. It may seem farfetched,
but conditioning is taking place
in our world today. Whether it
is being told what is beautiful
and what is not, what to wear or
even what to believe is all taught
to us without our knowing.
The news media is a prime example. Through their constant
fear-based reporting, they tend
to blow everything out of proportion and, in some cases, give
us something to fear.
But there is more to conditioning then what we see on the
media. As children we are told
to believe certain things. Many
American students have diffiCartoon by Daniel Maggioncalda culties identifying other foreign
can be seen as a derived form of countries or nations because of
soma in the sense that some will the sheltering that takes place in
consume it to loosen up. Pain, schools. There is a large percentthough very unpleasant, is but age of people that are unable to
motivation to prevent us from locate Iraq or Afghanistan. There
potentially causing harm to our isn’t a large enough focus on the
bodies, and is masked with the aid rest of the world, possibly leading
of painkillers. Many people today students to become ignorant of the
cover up how they actually feel to world that surrounds them.
forget what troubles them instead
So here we stand on the verge
of facing it and possibly learning of a large transformation as a sofrom it. They take the easy way ciety. At the rate we are going,
out because that is what we were the Brave New World may arrive
told to do.
sooner than we ever expected. It’s
Another trait of the Brave New too lateß to prevent the beginning
World involves brainwashing. of the transformation, for it has
Or, as it is affectionately called, already began, but we can possi“teaching.” As children, the citi- bly prevent the continuation of the
zens of the Brave New World transformation.
~Editorial Policy~
The Dragon’s Tale is a public forum newspaper produced by the Sonoma Valley High School Newspaper
class. The newspaper attempts to inform its audience in a broad, fair and accurate manner on all subjects, and
to encourage an exchange of ideas and opinions on issues of prominence to the readers.
The newspaper staff encourages letters for opinions and responses on the content of the publication. Only
signed letters will be considered for publication. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all letters for
content.
No material, opinionated or otherwise, will be printed which is libelous, irresponsible, advocates an illegal
activity or which the editorial staff deems in poor taste.
Editorials reflect the collective views of the staff and will not contain bylines. Other opinionated pieces will
include editor’s columns, feature columns, letters-to-the-editor, and entertainment reviews.
If the staff discovers that a mistake has eluded the editors, a correction will be printed in the next issue.
Page 2
April 2010
Feature
Everything went
By Anna Haley
By Chelsea Rose Shiery and
Caity Tremblay
*spoilers*
Anything Goes, the drama department’s comedic musical, is
filled with love, mobsters, and angels. Student dedication is demonstrated throughout the show.
Anything Goes highlights the
changing atmosphere of the
1930’s, the clash between new
and old ideas. These changes are
conveyed by following the love
escapades of several New Yorkers
on a cruise voyage to England.
Anything Goes can be described
as a love square. Four people, all
in love with the wrong person.
Billy Crocker, a broken down
stock broker, is in love with Hope
Harcourt, a debutante destined to
marry Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, a
wealthy Englishman.
Mrs. Harcourt, Hope’s mother,
encourages her daughters engagement to Evelyn. But Hope’s true
feelings lie with Billy, and are
revealed as Billy confesses his
heart to her.
Eli Whitney, Billy’s boss, is infatuated with the money-hunting
Mrs. Harcourt, and hilariously attempts to woo her.
Reno, an evangelistic night club
singer, can’t help her love for
Billy, but he does not reciprocate
her affection. However, their sea
excursion to England changes the
feelings for the four.
As Reno’s plan to seduce Lord
Evelyn turns into love between
the unconceivable couple, the
love square vanishes.
Separate from the romances are
Moonface Martin and his sexy
gangster moll, Erma, both on the
run from the law. Billy is mistaken as their traveling companion,
Snake Eyes Johnson, public enemy number one, so he is always
Love, love
me do
Photo by Chelsea Rose Shiery
Olivia Donald, Unmi Yank, Mason Thomsen, Ron Perkins, and Andy Bryson rehearse a sailor scene in the school musical.
in disguise.
Jane Martin, head of the drama
department, directed the show,
with Barbara McElroy, head of
the music department, as musical
director.
Members of theater departments were required to participate
someway in the show, but anyone
could tryout. Students auditioned
in January; the performers were
chosen based on their talents in
acting, singing, and dancing.
“I have been acting since before I can remember,” confessed
Savannah U’Ren, one of the ‘angels,’ Reno’s singing group performers.
Each actor had to be fully committed to participation in this
lively production.
“We practice every day,” stated
Ron Perkins, who is playing the
mobster, Moonface. “It is fun, but
it is also time consuming.”
Although the cast rehearsed using a recorded soundtrack, they
will have a live orchestra for the
performances.
“I have 25 songs to play,” guitarist Zach Rockafellow commented.
Bold, catchy tunes by the famous composer and writer Cole
Porter stay with the audience long
after the show is over.
Lyrics of classic tunes such as “I
Get A Kick Out of You,” “You’re
The Top,” and “Anything Goes”
are laden with amusing, understandable period references and
dance moves which highlight the
1930’s.
With singing, dancing, acting,
and accents, this play is truly entertaining. The high level of talent
shines in each student.
Anything Goes will premier on
Thurs. April 22 at 7 p.m. in the
Little Theater. Student tickets
cost $10 and adults $15.
They will also have showings
on Fri. at 7 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. at
2 and 7 p.m.
potentially lethal earthquakes has
stated an unnerving trend over the
past few months.
Many countries have been affected by these natural disasters
and thousands of people have
died in the aftermath.
In the event of one of these hor-
rible earthquakes, a few simple
steps can be taken to avoid loss of
possessions, pets, and even your
own life.
The first thing you must do to
prevent fatal circumstances during an earthquake is to prepare an
earthquake kit.
A good earthquake kit contains
non-perishable foods, plenty of
water, a first aid kit, extra clothing, blankets, and money in cash
form since banks may be destroyed or congested.
Preparation is something that
can save lives in situations such
as this. SVHS has taken these
words to heart and constructed
a fully-stocked and structurally
sound earthquake survival storage on campus.
Located in the storage containers near the track, all the supplies
can sustain the school fully, including staff and students, for up
to three days.
The next step is much more
simple: research. As per usual,
knowledge is power and in this
case can save your life. Know to
avoid heavy or unstable furniture
such as bookcases or cabinets and
be clear of any glass.
The initial wave that comes
from the quake is always the most
powerful, but that does not mean
aftershocks are not dangerous and
cannot cause massive damage.
The real threat of these shocks is
that they will topple most buildings already crippled from the
leading wave.
After the initial shock of the
quake, the first and most important thing to do is make sure that
you are not injured or in any immediate risk of harm.
It may seem selfish to take care
of yourself first, but, if hurt, you
will not be able to help anyone.
Once you are sure you are not
wounded, check the surrounding
areas for any building damage,
injured people and gas leaks. If
the power has gone out, it is advised that you unplug all major
appliances.
Earthquakes are nothing to take
lightly. They can devastate countries in a matter of minutes, and
destroy lives even faster. Preparation for these catastrophes
should not be brushed off as they
can, and will, save your life.
The French say “l’amour,” the
Germans say “liebe,” the Spanish
say “amore,” and Americans say
“love.” There are as many ways
to say love as there is to understand it.
In his new book “Us: Americans Talk About Love,” editor
John Bowe strove to compile stories from the hearts of Americans.
The results were wonderful, inspiring, heartbreaking, and often
vulgar accounts of what Americans feel, think, and experience
about love.
“Us” is a beautifully crafted
collection of true stories from a
diverse array of Americans. The
unique mixture of voices provides
a fresh perspective into love’s
various characteristics.
The book is a compilation of
verbal interviews from people all
over the country. Each interview
started with one simple request:
“Please tell me about the person
whom you have loved the most.”
The only editing done to the
stories was to remove all the
“ums,” “I means,” and “likes” for
the purpose of “maintaining the
readers’ sanity.”
One of the greatest things about
“Us” is the dedication Bowe presented when collecting the stories.
Bowe sought people with insights
about love which are divergent
from the mainstream, paying no
heed to whether the speakers were
rich, poor, black, white, or even if
they were illiterate Guatemalan
immigrants.
Since its release in January
How to stay on your feet
By Jesse U’Ren
Plates crashing off of shelves,
books falling off of cases, and
windows exploding in a shower
of deadly glass. Would you be
prepared?
The occurrence of random and
Dragon’s Tale
Page 3
Photo from Google Images
John Bowe’s newest collection of stories: Us: Americans Talk About Love.
2010, “Us,” has been unknown
despite rave reviews in the Washington Post and the New York
Times. Both reviews touch on exactly what this book is about: the
essence of love.
The transformations described
range from glorious to monstrous.
“Us” does not make a case for or
against love, it simply illustrates
different aspects of love. It is left
up to the reader to decide what
love really is.
The stories are from us, for
us, by us. “Us” has a story for everyone, regardless of the reader’s
personal views or experiences
with love. Though the stories
throughout “Us” range from terrible break-ups to true love, every
love portrayed is genuine, intriguing, and obviously comes from
the heart.
April 2010
Take me
F
SONOMA
to Funkytown Student sh
The New Mastersounds demonstrate their funky band name at Little Switzerland
By Gabe Bassett
Whoever decided that Coals
to Newcastle should premier at
the Sonoma International Film
Festival was absolutely genius. What could be better than
mixing a bunch of rich people,
Sonoma, and lively funk? As it
turns out, nothing.
The New Mastersounds kicked
off the festival with the world
premier of the film documenting their journey from the land
of Brit Pop Leeds to seeds of the
blues, New Orleans.
The film follows the small
time band from Northern England as they get invited to a funk
By Peter Armstrong
and Troy Cameron
Photo By James Fanucchi
music festival in New Orleans,
the musical soul of funk.
This trip also opened the band
up to America, where they are
now regulars at festivals such as
Sierra Nevada.
Following the premier, folks
headed over to Little Switzerland for a night of festivities
and music. The band was absolutely loved.
It was a small intimate show
The stage was so tiny that there
was hardly enough room for
them all to stand. But it didn’t
seem to matter.
The band was having a blast,
essentially jamming. All had
amazing solos, all with a funky,
danceable background, really
just amping the crowd.
Many people were dancing, including a few that were getting a
little out of hand. But it was all
in good fun, and the show went
on. Wavy Gravy, 1960’s legend,
made an appearance by blowing
bubbles in the drummer’s face.
The New Mastersounds interacted with the crowd the whole
time including taking a break
midway through their set and
mingling with the other party
goers.
The New Mastersounds will
again return to the Sierra
Nevada Music Festival on Jul.
3 and 4.
licit drugs, resorting to voodoo and
many other techniques, but he finds
that the true antidote for his psychosis is love.
Ghitta Ferrrara: Poker, and it
stars Andy Bryson as a traveler who
stumbles upon a barn in the middle
of a storm. He goes inside and
doesn’t realize what he is getting
himself into, but it turns out to be the
poker game of his life.
Tom Conaway: My film is a music
video of the Jaywalker’s “Ruler of a
Fallen Kingdom.” It’s is a story of
a boy who lost his love to his best
friend and he eventually finds someone in the end.
Pete Coburn: My film is The
Roomies and it is about Anthony,
played by Dragon alumni Ian Albrecht, who has been best friends
with Lauren (Alison Sawicki) since
day one, but he finds
that although
Kevin McCarthy: We were going
to be co-directors but we ran into
trouble with scheduling so David
had to step in and be the main actor.
GF: We had to make the beginning
look like a storm, but it was pitch
black and we only had a strobe light.
So we were basically spraying him
with a hose and put a strobe light on
him.
TC: Getting all the actors together
at the same time. No one’s getting
paid. People have sports and lives
and whatnot. Most of the time it
was just getting everyone ready.
PC: Working with seven different
actors and coordinating their schedules. I wasn’t able to complete the
film the way I originally wanted. I
originally wanted Kai (Danny Valencia) and Henry (Nick Pappas), to
be secretly gay and I wanted a big
wedding scene at the end but Nick
moved to Santa Barbara so I had
to improvise and change the script
around.
What films/directors were you
been inspired by?
DD: Wes Anderson (The Royal
Tenenbaums) and Rian Johnson
(The Brothers Bloom).
GF: I like Spielberg in particular;
especially Saving Private Ryan, and
The Dark Knight is just awesome.
TC: I’m inspired by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and my father.
PC: Oh, Quentin Tarantino and Good
Will Hunting. Between Tarantino,
and the duo of Matt Damon and Ben
Affleck, it’s just really inspiring because they just kept trying and were
really young, and made some kick
ass movies.
Behind the student scenes
By Connor Vickers
Although student shorts may
only clock in at around eight minutes, each frame and each second of
screen-time took months of brainstorming, planning, struggle, and
perseverance to get the shot.
Perhaps no students can attest
to this better than David DeSmet,
Kevin McCarthy, Ghitta Ferrara,
Tom Conoway and Pete Coburn.
What is your film and what is it
about?
Kevin McCarthy & DavidDeSmet:
Our film is called Sikosis, and it is
about a guy who hears voices in
his head and tries to remove
them by taking
il-
they may
try and
deny it,
Billy
Crystal
was correct
when he
stated that,
“Men
and
Women cannot be friends.”
What was the most challenging
part of the moviemaking process?
David DeSmet: Well our original inspiration was, “I wanna do
a movie about existentialism,”
but Hansen didn’t approve, and
that is how it became a romantic
comedy.
Sonoma’s student
filmmakers
finally
made their silver
screen debut at the big
screen. Their productions
encompassed
a variety of themes
and ideas, yet there
appeared to be some
common threads such
as substance abuse,
teen relationships, and
the joy of music.
Many of the films
proved unsettling and
provocative, or at least
intriguingly creative.
Most were produced
with the support of
Peter Hansen, the director of video productions. The Sonoma
Boys and Girls Club
also played a vital role,
providing the opportunity and equipment.
From left: Natalie Holshevnikoff, Ricardo Tinoco, Jason Davis, Jim
The ages of the filmmakers ranged from middle school sponsor and partner of this year’s
to high school senior, proving that Sonoma International Film Festiingenuity thrives in the Valley of val.
the Moon.
Pete Coburn, senior, received the
As proof of that statement, two award of $500 from Steve Ledstudent filmmakers from SVHS re- son’s Harmony Foundation for
ceived awards at the Friday show- his creation, titled The Roomies;
ing from the Harmony Foundation a 45-minute film dealing with the
and Dolby, who was an active difficulties of mixing love and
Ladies and Gentlem
By Luther Cenci and
Connor Vickers
Excitement filled the air as
Program Director Cevin Cathell
stepped up to the stage inside the
tent on Sonoma Plaza to announce
the winners of the 2010 Sonoma
International Film Festival.
The award for “Best Documentary” was split between City Lax:
An Urban Lacrosse Story and For
Once In My Life. City Lax chronicles a inner-city lacrosse team’s
struggle to compete against
wealthier and preppier teams to
overcome their disadvantages.
For Once In My Life is a true
story about a band of disabled
musicians.
Bomber’s riffs on aging and
family must have struck a chord
in the jury audience, because they
Charles-Oliver Michaud “Making movies in Latin
not wearing ties.”
awarded it “Best Feature Film”.
This comedy explores the tensions that arise as a dysfunctional
son herds his cranky father across
the European Continent by van.
FILM
FESTIVAL
horts shine
Conquering Boredom with Boards
By Gabe Bassett
Like all previous years, the festival
featured movies by local filmmakers.
This year, both Ari Marcopoulos and
Colin Blackshear created artistic documentaries about extreme sports.
Both films involved high adrenaline, high risk sports. Where the
Wind Blows documents snowboarding legend Craig Kelly in some of
his many adventures around the
world, including a trip to Iran.
Craig Kelly is considered by many
to be the best snowboarder in history. He was instrumental in the soaring popularity of the sport up until
his untimely death in 2003.
Kelly’s true passion was freeriding,
not competition. He was known for his
incredibly fluid movements, and ability to perfectly describe his activities
and the conditions of the mountain.
Marcopoulos did not just make
a conventional documentary, like
many of his works, he took a completely different approach, and real-
Noah Sakamoto and Patrick Rizzo
ly went to illustrate the experiences
Kelly went through.
The majority of the film was shot
with a 16mm camera, which really ads
to the authentic feel of the moments.
Second Nature features three
downhill skateboarders riding down
mountain roads in the Sierras.
Berkeley skateboarders Noah
Sakamoto, Patrick Rizzo, and JM
Duran star sporting blue suits while
blasting down mountain roads at upwards of 70mph.
The film demonstrates the extreme
speeds and shows a few crashes, including one in which Patrick Rizzo
slides off the road.
Second Nature won the Best
Sports Film at the awards ceremony
on Sunday night.
C lassic “S inem a” sur pr isingly f r e sh
By Luther Cenci
mmy Pureco, Chris Anderon, Luther Cenci and his lady friend watch student films
Photo By James Fanucchi
friendship. The film features many
SVHS students past and present as
actors such as Nick Pappas, Stephen Brooks, and Ian Albrecht.
Dolby gave its award to David
DeSmet, a student whom used
high quality sound in his film. The
award consists of an HD camera,
a two-day film workshop at Dolby,
a day at Skywalker Sound Studios,
and a t-shirt. He worked with Kevin McCarthy on the movie, Sikosis.
“Anybody who uses African tribal
music and backwards voices in
their film deserves this award, in
my mind,” said John Loose, the
representative from Dolby presenting the award.
men, Drumroll Please
n America is like an extreme sport... Thank you for
Photo by James Fanucchi
Colin Blackshear’s Second Nature (see review) swept the “Best
Sports Film” category, with its
heart-racing shots of Sonomaborn Sector Nine longboarders as
they bomb down the treacherous
passes of the High Sierras.
The Audience Award for “Best
Feature Film” went to Outsourced
(see review), a witty comedy
about an American office drone
in India.
The jurors honored Leading
Ladies, a feature about a family
troupe of dancers, with the “Local Showcase” award.
At the Awards Ceremony, the
wine and entertainment flowed
freely, with music and drumrolls
provided by SVHS’s own Jaywalkers. They played one of their
best shows ever, despite their
long hiatus.
The ceremony put the final
touches on a glorious weekend of
wine, food and film.
Representing the
forces of reason and
The uninitimorality, claims adated might laugh at
juster Barton Keyes
the idea of watch(a compelling Eding an old black
ward G. Robinson) is
and white movie.
on the prowl for any
“They are boring,”
irregularities. Comsays our jaded
plicating the issue is
teen,“Where is all
the close personal
the sex, greed, and
friendship between
violence?” HowNeff and Keyes.
ever, by revisiting
The tension
the film noir classic
mounts with every
Double Indemnity,Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray star in the film- noir classic “Double Indemnity” choice Neff makes,
we can see how
Photo from Google images.up to the final moral
once he decides with Phyllis to enigma. Which is the deepest bond,
raw the film industry was in 1944.
bump off her unwitting husband.
love or friendship?
Considered one of the best
Not content with mere adultery
This film stands as an archetypal
American movies ever made, this
riveting tale of vice and guilt centers and murder, Phyllis tricks her hus- example of the film noir genre,
on the decline and demise of insur- band into taking out accident in- which feature crime stories driven
ance salesman Walter Neff (Fred surance. The policy pays a double by cynicism and sexual corruption.
MacMurray). When femme fatale indemnity—double the standard Films noirs manage to reach lofty
Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanw- amount—when the murder occurs heights on a shoestring budget. Indemnity cost only $927,262 to proyck) propositions him on a routine in an unlikely manner.
In an implied incestual twist, duce. Modern filmmakers should
house call, he jumps, regardless of
her status as wife of a policy-holder. Phyllis’ aptly named daughter Lola take a note from this crime classic
and take a walk on the wild side.
His libido drags him to his doom, awakens Neff’s sense of morality.
Outsourcing jobs, importing love
Todd Anderson celebrates Holi, the day of color, with the Indian people.
Photo From Google Images
By Clarke Campion and
Troy Cameron
Who doesn’t love cross-cultural
romance? The answer is nobody.
And luckily, John Jeffcoat’s
Outsourced brings it in spades.
While the subgenre of indie ro-
mance is becoming saturated,
Jeffcoat lends a certain relevance to the story by emphasizing
the real world issue of outsourcing American jobs.
When Todd Anderson (Josh
Hamilton) finds his job, along
with his whole department is be-
ing transferred to India, he is left
to either face unemployment or
make the bold relocation to train
his own replacement.
While at first Todd experiences
the requisite culture shock, he
soon begins to acclimate himself
to life in India. Once he accepts
his situation, things seem to fall
into place and run smoothly.
The undercurrents of romance
within the office, and the occasional acts of great respect and
kindness keep the tale from getting stale.
The overall theme is one of globalization and understanding as
the characters learn that cohesion
is possible. Throw in some love
interest, and you’ve got yourself
an enjoyable film.
In the words of Jeffcoat,
Outsourced is your “cheapest trip
to India.”
Sports
Tim
e - O ut
By Rachel Glago
Off the field, studentathletes jump into
action, and discuss their
current season.
Danny Wirick
Junior
Va r s i t y S w i m m i n g
1. Dream sponsor:
“Nike.”
2. Favorite cereal:
“Frosted Mini Wheats.”
3. Favorite superhero:
“ B a r n a c l e B o y. ”
4. Events: “50 free, 100
free, and I did the 500
free once.”
Softball racks up victories
By Matt Fraser
The Lady Dragons have played
a very strong season this year,
with a 9-5-0 overall schedule and
a 3-1-0 league record.
The Lady Dragons have had
many highlights this season, such
as their El Molino game. They
had a total of 13 hits that game,
10 of which came through the
joint effort of sophomore Megan
McNeilly, and seniors Emma
McNeilly, Keeley Ray, and
Lizette Ramirez. Within the first
5 innings the Lady Dragons had
already earned a 10-run-rule 10-0
victory over El Molino on Apr. 1.
Following El Molino, the Lady
Dragons played Santa Rosa and
closed with a 9-1 victory, took a
8-3 win over Del Norte, lost 4-1
to Windsor, beat El Molino for
another 4-3 win and also defeated Analy 2-1.
In their latest game, played
against Casa Grande on Thurs.
Apr. 15, the Lady Dragons played
Photo by Joe Gilmore
Mia Stornetta, junior, tags out a Pinole Valley runner in a recent game at SVHS.
aggressively. Ace Emma McNeilly pitched 7 innings with 4
strikeouts, 4 walks and gave up 1
earned run.
Contributing to their success
was Ray with 1 hit and 1 run,
Megan McNeilly with 1 hit and 2
RBIs, and Riley Ellis-Reis with 3
hits and 1 run. All these efforts
added up to a 2-1 victory for the
Lady Dragons.
Following their recent success,
the Lady Dragons are traveling to
Windsor to play the Jaguars on
Tues. April 20. The Jaguars are
coming in with a record of 10-2,
so the season is coming to a nail
biting close. They also play Apr.
22 against Healdsburg who hold
a 8-7 overall record, but an 0-4
league record.
ball is recovering and learning
how to play without their two
aces.
The Dragons started off this
month by giving away a 6-1
win to Analy during their game
on Apr. 1. The Tigers took the
lead early on in the game due
to errors by the Dragons and a
2-out, 2-run homer by Analy in
the second inning. In the end
Sonoma couldn’t come up with
the necessary RBI hit when the
bases were loaded and lost their
third straight league game.
Following the Analy loss, the
Dragons faced off against Cardinal Newman. This game also
ended in a loss for the Dragons;
although, it was a non-league
game.
Despite this, a turn around for
the Dragons has accompanied
the change in weather, and they
have a few more victories under their belt.
The Dragons were down 3
runs to Antioch in their game
on Apr. 7, but they managed
to turn it around and came out
with a 9-8 win.
Coming out of their Antioch
game hot, the Dragons dove
right back into the action, facing off against Drake. Once
again Sonoma fell behind in the
beginning, giving Drake a 5-0
lead. The Dragons, however,
slowly turned it around and
ended up winning a 7-6 decision over the Pirates.
Bringing home the win were
Christopher Swanson, sophomore, who got on base by an
error, Kevin Deely, junior, with
an infield single, and Nick
Woodle, senior, who hit home
both runners with a double.
The Dragons played El Molino for the first time last Thurs.,
April 15. After being rained
out multiple times, Sonoma finally made their way down to
El Molino to tame the Lions.
Kris Patrick, senior, pitched
against the Lions for 7 innings,
with a total of 6 strikeouts and
gave up 3 earned runs. Patrick
also had 1 run, 1 hit, and 1 RBI.
Also assisting in the win was
Swanson with 1 hit and 1 RBI;
Tyler Rose, senior, with 1 run,
2 hits, and 1 RBI; Woodle with
1 hit and 1 run; and Deely with
1 hit and 1 run.
Following their Thurs. game,
the Dragons played Healdsburg
on the road Fri. night at Recreation Park
Pitching for Sonoma was
Charlie Watson, senior, with 5
strikeouts and gave up 2 earned
runs, and Marcus Amantite, senior, with 3 strikeouts and gave
up no runs.
Leading the Dragon offense
were leadoff hitter Woodle’s
2 doubles, 3 runs and RBI,
Rose’s 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2
RBIs, Deely’s 2 hits, run and
RBI, junior Anthony Albano’s
hit, run and RBI, senior Jimmy
DeMartini’s double and run,
and Swanson’s run, With these
efforts the Dragons collected a
9-5 victory.
The Dragons head into key
match-ups this week against rivals Petaluma, and Casa Grande
with an overall record of 7-9,
and a league record of 2-3.
Comebacks carry Dragons
By Matt Fraser
Having been stuck in a rut after losing both of their two best
pitchers to injury, varsity base-
A n t h o n y “ To n e ” A l b a n o
Junior
Va r s i t y B a s e b a l l
1. Dream sponsor:
“Nike.”
2. Favorite cereal: “I
don’t eat cereal because
I don’t like milk, but I
really like pancakes.”
3. Favorite superhero:
“Spiderman.”
4. Position: “Second
base.”
Photo By James Fanucchi
Nate Swanson, senior, takes a swing in a non-league game against Eureka.
Tennis singles roll
By Victor Vazquez
Laura Amador
Freshman
Va r s i t y Tr a c k
1 . D r e a m s p o n s o r : “ To p
T h a t Yo g u r t . ”
2. Favorite cereal:
“Cookie Crisps.”
3. Favorite superhero:
“ Wo n d e r w o m a n . ”
4 . E v e n t s : 4 X 4 0 0 r e l a y,
800, and the mile.
Dragon’s Tale
Spring sports are now in full
swing. Here is a look at recent
action from Dragons in the pools,
courts, and putting greens.
After a leisurely spring break,
Sonoma’s tennis boys showed
no signs that the extended layoff
phased them as they swept all
four singles matches en route to
defeating El Molino 5-2 in their
Sonoma County League road
match in Forestville on Tues.,
Apr. 13. Later in the week, the
tennis boys posted one of their
biggest wins in recent memory in
a 5-2 upset victory over visiting
perennial SCL power Petaluma, a
team the Dragon netters haven’t
beaten in years, on Apr. 15.
That day was also a triumphant
day for Sonoma’s boy golfers,
who hosted SCL foe El Molino
at the Sonoma Golf Club course
and ran away with a 221-253 win
behind the medalist play of junior A.J. Vitorelo. Sonoma also
defeated Justin-Siena later in the
week. The match was a nail-biter
with the difference-maker being
junior A.J. Vitorelo’s thrilling
hole-in-one.
The boys’ and girls’ swim teams
hosted their first home meets
since 2005 at the Agua Caliente
Aquatic Center pool, and though
the Dragons dropped SCL decisions to visiting Healdsburg, it
was a big day for the Sonoma
swim program, under the direction of head coach Molly Curley,
who was pleased with the fan
turnout at ACAC.
Page 6
April 2010
Sports
Trojans outlast Dragons
By Charles Watson
As many sports fans know, Petaluma’s track team and domination
go hand in hand. The Trojans further enforced this at their threeteam meet at Durst Field, against
Sonoma and Healdsburg. They
took first, with Healdsburg barely
edging Sonoma for second.
Pacing the Dragons boys team
were team captains Nick Spector, Sean Hammett, and Nathanael
Hargitt. Leading the girls was Ellen
Everidge, Emma McGee, and Caitlin Silkey.
Spector, who is one of the hardest working athletes at SVHS, set
his personal best record by four
seconds in the mile, with a time of
4:33, which is the seventh fastest
mile time in school history. Yet his
personal record was not enough, as
Petaluma finished with two runners
ahead of him, with the second place
Photo By Mr. Andy Mitchell
Nathanael Hargitt competing in the high jump against Petaluma.
finisher only a second ahead.
Spector also competed in the two
mile, where he placed second. Also
leading the Dragons at Petaluma
was Nathanael Hargitt, who won
the 110 and 300 hurdles, setting a
personal record with a time of 44.8
in the 300. Hammett took first in
the pole vault, matching his personal best with a height of 11’ 6’’.
While the Dragon boys track team
performed competitively, they excelled in the field events. Ray Mellinger took first in the shot put with
a personal record of 43’ 9’’, and
Zach Prohoroff took second in the
over 7 strong innings to lead the
Giants to a 6-3 victory, as well as
taking the series.
Performances like these have
San Francisco off to one of the
best starts in baseball.
The staff is led by starters Matt
Cain, Lincecum, and Barry Zito,
but is also bolstered by Jeremy
Affeldt, Dan Runzler, and Brian
Wilson in the bullpen.
Along with the strong arms in
the rotation, the Giants look to improve a sub par offense by signing free agents Aubrey Huff and
Mark DeRosa, along with the always stellar Pablo “Panda” Sandoval.
Across the Bay, the Oakland
Athletics are not off to quite the
start the Giants are, but with a
young nucleus of players, the East
Bay’s finest look to improve upon
last years losing season.
In a tough division in which
every team made significant improvements this winter, the A’s
will need a little luck to compete,
but they may have the firepower
to do just that.
Oakland has an elite pitching
staff which is led in the rotation
by hard throwing Brett Anderson, and newly acquired ace Ben
Sheets, as well as the extremely
discus, with a throw of 107’ 121’’.
As for the girl’s team, Ellen Everidge conquered the meet, finishing
first in the 400m, as well as the
triple jump, and second place in
the long jump. In the 400, Everidge came from behind to finish
first with a time of 63.3, and tallied
scores of 32’ 9 ¼’’ and 14’ 10’’ in
the triple and long jumps.
Emma McGee, Tori Dwyer, Laura
Amador, Ellen Everidge also took
first in the 1600 relay, with a time
of 4:29.5. However, it is evident
that 2010 is a rebuilding year for
the Dragons. The team has many
young and inexperienced athletes,
and is trying to regain the excellence that Sonoma track has been
known for.
Nonetheless, Sonoma is still excited for the NCS and State meets,
where some Dragons will be able
to compete and possibly make
school history.
Quick start for Bay Area baseball
By Ben Graff
After a two-run homer by catcher Brian McCann of the visiting
Braves in the first inning, things
looked bleak for the San Francisco Giants as they struggle to
win their second straight series.
However, two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tim
Lincecum recovered from the early turbulence, and struck out 10
Athlete of the month
talented and young arm of closer
Andrew Bailey, along with Oakland grown phenom Tyson Ross,
and Brad Ziegler.
The Athletics’ offense is led by
the speedy Rajai Davis, off-season
signing Kevin Kouzmanoff, and a
rising star in catcher Kurt Suzuki,
who could easily make this year’s
All-Star team if he maintains his
talent.
The Bay Area should be home to
some exciting baseball this summer, and could very well have two
teams in the hunt for playoff baseball heading into the prestigious
month of October.
Drafting for gold
By Victor Vasquez
Photo By Joe Gilmore
Trevor Dwelly sites down the fairway at Sonoma National Golf Course.
By Zach Adams
His name is Trevor Dwelly. His
game is golf. His goal is to triumph. Dwelly has been playing
golf for two years. He is currently
the number one player on the varsity team at the SVHS.
“I love to play because I love the
sport and its very fun to golf on the
different courses for free!” Dwelly
exclaimed. Dwelly’s best golfing
score this year in a league match is
a 40. He hopes to beat this score
by the end of the year by four
strokes. With two more weeks left
in the season, he is working harder
than ever to achieve his goal.
“I hope to play in college. I will
be attending the j.c. this fall with
hopes to transfer in a couple years
Dragon’s Tale
or so,” Dwelly announced. There
will be open tryouts for the team
next year that Dwelly will be pursuing.
Inspiring to be like his favorite athlete Anthony Kim, Dwelly
practices at many different locations to get a feel for the advantages and disadvantages of different
locations. The team practices at
Sonoma National Golf and Country Club in Sonoma. They also on
occasion hit at the local driving
range for stationary swing practice.
Dwelly explains that he plays
whenever he can to keep his skills
sharp and intact. Golf is his favorite sport, and he sees a good future
ahead of himself with his trusty
clubs.
The wait is almost over. After
months of NFL insiders, mock
drafts, and all the Mel Kiper Jr. you
can handle, the NFL draft is finally
here.
Since the end of the regular season
the question on the mind of the all
49ers fans is “Who will the red and
gold take with their two first round
picks?” For months I’ve been looking at mock draft after mock draft,
watching videos and reading draft
articles all in the name of finding
out who the Niners might take.
The San Fransisco 49ers are
looking to address some big needs
in this draft. Areas such as the offensive line and defense, and the
secondary are a point of concern.
Analysts on both ESPN and the
NFL Network believe these must,
and will be, addressed first in the
2010 draft.
Trent Williams 6’ 5” OT out of
Oklahoma is a name that was said
early on to be the pick at 13, but in
more resent mock drafts the former
Sooner was listed as high as 5 to the
Kansas City Chiefs. If Williams is
not there, Comcast Sportsnet analyst and former red and gold CB
Page 7
Eric Davis predicts that the Niners
will take former Vandal, OG Mike
Iupati. “There are points in games
where he just dominates players,”
says Davis. Only one other name
has been mentioned for the O-line,
Tackle Bryan Bulaga.
But like Williams, Bulaga has recently been listed on mock drafts in
the 5 and 6 range. In the secondary
names like SEC Defensive player
of the year Eric Berry at safety,
Florida CB Joe Haden, Bosie State
CB Kyle Willson, former Longhorn Earl Thomas and former
Trojan Taylor Mays have all been
mentioned.
Depending on how things play
out on draft day, CB Joe Haden is
now the favorite but if he has already been taken, it’s a toss up between Thomas, Wilson and Mays.
There are, however, some players, or outliers, that could be taken
unexpectedly. QB Jimmy Clauson,
RB CJ Spiller and WRs Dez Bryant and Golden Tate have all been
mentioned. There are some concerns at these positions but they
aren’t urgent enough for some one
to expect one of them to be picked.
Michael Crabtree was never
supposed to fall to the Niners.
Cager’s
Corner
By Rachel Glago
Reputations can be deadly; they can
make you or break you. As an allAmerican athlete, if you don’t keep a
positive reputation, then your career
and stardom may be taken away before your true athleticism has reached
its peak.
To start, Tiger Woods has reached his
paparazzi fame as he covers tabloids
and broadcast stations as to whether
sex addiction is a probable cause or an
excuse for his over 15 mistresses.
Going into sex rehab, Woods’ reputation has been brought down, along
with his career. He took an indefinite
leave from golf to try to save his marriage. On Woods’ website, he stated, “I
am deeply aware of the disappointment
and hurt that my infidelity has caused
to so many people, most of all my wife
and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and
that I ask forgiveness.”
However, forgiveness does not come
so easily. At least not for Woods, since
his reputation is still shot.
Another reputation scandal is Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger accused of sexually assaulting
a college student in Milledgeville, GA
at a nightclub on March 5.
This two-time Super Bowl winner
has experienced the same accusations
as he is now: however, the NFL kept
the previous accusations hidden from
the media.
In the summer of 2009 another woman came forward alleging that Roethlisberger assaulted her in his Lake Tahoe
hotel room in 2008. He has denied the
allegations and is still fighting the suit.
In his current Georgia case, he has not
been arrested and his accuser has filed
no civil action, but under Georgia law,
she has two years to decide whether or
not to do so.
District Attorney Fred Bright announced on Monday that prosecutors
would not be able to bring a case that
would convince a jury “beyond a reasonable doubt” and the accuser said she
did not want the case prosecuted.
As the case has been dropped, for
now, Roethlisberger has continued to
deny the woman’s accusation.
Although his case might be coming
to a close, the record of being accused
twice for sexual assault is beyond comprehension. What happens next time?
Will charges be dropped again?
Who’s to say? On the extreme side of
the matter, it might be possible that
Roethlisberger used his superstar status
to influence the decision, on a more
realistic side of the argument, he got
lucky and needs to take a little more
care of his reputation.
Both Roethlisberger and Woods have
come face to face with the media, risking their precious reputations. Roethlisberger, only 28 years old, and Woods,
34 years old, each have long careers
ahead of them. Upholding a strong
reputation is essential in order for them
to live out the rest of their careers in a
positive spotlight.
As reputations continue to affect the
athletes’ persona, it comes to mind,
what do we care about more, the scandals or the athleticism of the athlete?
April 2010
Reliving the
fame game
By Shannon Murphy
For the last two years SVHS has
hosted an Athletic Hall of Fame,
recognizing a number of former
students as well as coaches.
“The SVHS Hall of Fame is a
great way to make sure past heroes never fade away,” declared
Raymond Mellinger, junior.
The induction ceremony will be
held again for this event at 7 p.m.
on Sat., May 8, at the Lodge at
Sonoma, 1325 Broadway.
Among the inductees are former
coaches David Rentz and Bob
McAllister, who will receive the
D.A. Pfeiffer Coaches Award.
In addition to these coaches, a
dozen former student athletes will
be acknowledged.
In chronological order according to decade, ranging from the
1950s to 1990s, the players are:
Vic “Buck” Sangiacomo, Joe
Cossins, Hank Marioni, John
Sweet, Butch Alexander, John
McNeilly, Brad O’Donnell, Mark
McVeigh, Sophie Donnelly, Jenny Neville, Chris Becerra, and
finally Charles Bettinelli.
Many of these names may seem
familiar, recognized as teachers’ relatives, substitutes or family members.
As well as honoring the coaches
and student-athletes, the second
Mulas Family Recognition Award
is presented to those who have
supported and helped the team
achieve a strong season. This will
be given to Dr. John Schafer and
Dr. Robert Geiger.
The Dragon Hall of Fame committee is also trying to attain a
room at SVHS where all the sports
memorabilia can be displayed.
Tickets to attend this event are
available for $85. For further
information call SVHS alumnus
Bob Kruljac at 483-1856.
News
Caught in
Thought:
What did you
enjoy the most
about Film Fest?
Photos by Anthony Arjona
Music director Barbara McElroy and student activities facilatator Maggie
Cunningham are pleased to be recognized for their diligent efforts.
Staff members
pleasantly surprized
By Anthony Arjona
Music director Barbara McElroy, who has been working at
SVHS for 35 years, and Maggie
Cunningham from students activities have been recognized for
their hard work.
Awarded in Feb., Ms. McElroy
received the Director of the Year
award from Chico State University. The award, presented by the
Northern California Band and
Choir Directors Association, lists
many qualifications that directors
must meet.
“Well, first of all, you have to
be an active Band/Choir director
at a school. You also have to be
a participant in the NorCal Music association,” explained Ms.
McElroy.
Having been President of the
NorCal Music Association for
6 years and directing at SVHS
since 1975, Ms. McElroy was
more than honored when she was
handed the award.
“I was very surprised. They
don’t tell you anything about it
before. I feel very honored. The
recipient stays anonymous to everyone, even themselves.”
Ms. McElroy attended Chico
for college, where she earned her
Masters Degree in music as well
as her teaching credential.
“I had a great time at Chico. I
was able to return and do what
I enjoy about my job, to create
wonderful music.”
Maggie Cunningham has been
working within the school district since 1978.
“I first started out in yard duty
at Prestwood,” commented Ms.
Cunningham, “I also did bookkeeping.”
Ms. Cunningham’s coworkers
nominated her for the State Classified School Employee of the
Year Award.
“People send in forms with a
person’s name to the Office of Education, then they see how many
forms there are for a person.”
Ms. Cunningham feels the best
aspect of her job is dealing with
students, and she is thankful for
the opportunity to work in such a
vibrant environment.
“People need to understand that
without other people, this sort of
award isn’t possible. People have
helped me on the way, so it isn’t
just me that is getting the award,
it is all the wonderful people who
I have worked with as well.”
“The subtitles.”
- Kendal Krupa, senior
“Seeing Logan’s
wonderfully
sculpted face on
the big screen.”
- Yasya Papadin, junior
“Popcorn.”
- Riley Hyman, junior
“Seeing my movie
[‘Til Tuesday] on
the big screen.”
-Dominic Carafa,
freshman
Dragon’s Tale
Page 8
April 2010