October - Dragon`s Tale

News
October 2008 - Volume 18 - Issue 1 - Sonoma Valley High School
Double
double Doyle
in trouble
By Lauren Schorr
The economy is in a state of tumult. With the Dow Jones plummeting hundreds of points in past
weeks and Wall Street in shambles, it comes as no surprise that
individuals are nervous for the
future. Few realize that this crisis could cause an indefinite suspension of the Doyle Scholarship.
On Oct. 1, a revised version
of the economic bail-out plan
was passed in the Senate by a
margin of 74 in favor to 25 in
opposition. CNN reported that
the House voted by a margin of
263 to 171 in favor, prompting
President Bush to sign the bill
into law two days later on Oct. 3.
This plan essentially provides
the federal government with the
authority to purchase a maximum
of $700 billion worth of financial assets currently in a state of
crisis. Many are being told that
Main Street will pay the price for
Wall Street’s shortcomings; however, many fail to equate “Main
Street” to “Average Individual.”
Yet, Sonomans often live in a
bubble, virtually unaffected by
the woes of the nation as a whole.
However, like the housing bubble, the Sonoma bubble has burst.
The most immediate effect
will be on the Doyle Scholarship. This scholarship offers
$1000-$1600 to accepted applicants, covering tuition and other
expenses for the Santa Rosa Junior College. It has been offered
to students of SVHS for the last
60 years. This is the first time
since its first allocation that the
funds may simply be unavailable.
Counselor Maricela Sanchez
says that, “at this time, [those
offering the scholarship] do
not have enough definitive information to cancel new Doyle
awards for 2009 and 2010.”
While this will allow for last
year’s seniors, and possibly this
year’s seniors, to plan for an extended education at the SRJC
Doyle continued p8
iPod Ban
Mario Triumphs
Page 2
Page 4
Dragons go on winning streak
Homecoming Page 6
By Julian Minuzzo
Homecoming streaked by in the
early weeks of October acting as
a town-wide reminder that Dragon Pride truly is unclothable.
Fans at Friday night’s game expected a traditional homecoming
halftime; but, along with cheerleaders, floats, and Homecoming
court candidates, many received a
more primal, or, rather, more primate, exhibition.
Although the traditional Homecoming activities were nostalgic
for some and new for others,
nothing rivaled the shock value
of the streaker at Friday night’s
football game.
The ape that raced across the
football field, banana in hand,
received laughs and cheers from
the stands and 5 days suspension
from the school administration.
Excitement over the game proved
both palpable and pants-less.
The week leading up to halftime’s unexpected visitor consisted of various dress-up days,
including College Day, Nerd
Day, Noma Pride Day, and FloatTheme day. During an extended
lunch on Wednesday, the homecoming carnival provided
Photo by Anna Dwyer
SVHS pep band playing from
the stands.
students and staff with food,
games, and music.
Daryn Kelley, senior, was part
of the homecoming committee in
Leadership this year. During a
break in her busy week, she explained, “Leadership’s busiest
time of year is during
Homecoming. Each year we try
to improve upon previous years
by taking things that didn’t work
so well – like the car bashing at
Float Fest – and replacing them
with new, different things – like
the blow up obstacle course.”
Wrapping up Homecoming week
was the traditional parade down
Broadway. The football team,
Homecoming court candidates,
and class floats drew spectators
from across the town, as students
marched with their respective
classes in a sparkling display of
white, black, and green.
Tony Baciocco, senior, who
helped build the senior float that
secured the class of ‘09’s third
victory in a row, stated “the float
building process is a great chance
for the class to bond and come together for a common purpose.”
Friday night’s football game
embodied the unyielding and
spirited character of SVHS students and athletes, as energetic
cheers propelled the Dragons to a
35-21 victory over Windsor.
At Saturday’s dance, Ethan
Cohen and Jenny Marioni were
selected by students as Homecoming King and Queen. When
asked about his victory, Cohen
explained, “It was pretty overwhelming. I had no idea it was
such a big deal, and I really didn’t
care about winning it or not winning it. Then, when they said my
name, and everybody went crazy,
I realized what an honor it actually was to be the king.”
By Alana Daly
through a comprehensive band
vote. Members voted between
transforming into a concert or pep
band with the latter proving most
popular.
“The kids are gung-ho about it,”
said McElroy.
However, despite student enthusiasm for the band’s transformation there is still disappointment
over the fact that there will be a
drastic reduction in band involvement during the football games.
“It’s too bad that there won’t
be any parades or halftime shows
because it’s fun for the band and
for fans,” said Connor Martinelli,
band drum major.
There is a possibility that musicians from the Sonoma Hometown Band will be playing and
marching with the high school
band, but their involvement has
not yet been confirmed.
The future of the band seems
about as uncertain.
McElroy says that the band will
be very good this year, regardless
of its lack of drummers, and will
continue on into next year.
However, she is not sure if it
will continue as a pep band or develop into a marching band once
again. It all depends on whether
or not there will be any drummers
next year.
Martinelli said that there are
many freshmen this year, which
is a positive sign. “But we really
need to get more drummers,” he
said, “or there will be no marching.”
Though McElroy makes it clear
that this has never happened before, everyone involved hopes to
make the best of the situation.
Photo by Joe Gilmore
Streaker taking center field at Homecoming game.
Marching band marches out
The band will not be marching
to the beat of any drum this year.
In fact, it will not be marching at
all.
Due to the absence of drummers,
the band will be unable to march
as they have in previous years.
“We do not have any drummers,” explained Barbara McElroy, SVHS music teacher. “It’s
kind of hard to march without
drummers.”
While this may be the case, a
drum deficiency does not mean
the end of the band. Band members will continue to play as a pep
band, sitting in the stands at football games and playing during
breaks in the action.
The decision to become a pep
band was made earlier in the year
Don’t be an
idiot - vote
Photo from Flickr
By Dominic Amara and
Alejandro Tinajero
The word ‘idiot’ evolved from
the Greek word idiota, which
described any citizen who was
uninvolved in public affairs, neglecting their civic duty to vote.
In a country established on the
ideals of equality and freedom,
where the government is “by the
people, for the people,” voting
remains one of the citizens’ most
important obligations.
Yet, the majority of Americans
do not excercise their right to
vote, failing to uphold their civic
responsiblity.
In this day and age, many,
especially students, contest that
they are not registered and know
too little about the election process to take part. However, there
exists a Political Awareness Club
on campus, which aids students
in understaing election issues.
“I’ll listen to almost anyone if
they have strong reasons for their
opinions,” David Donnelley, the
advisor to the club, said.
Others suggest that they simply
cannot partake in this nation’s
electoral process, because they
are still legally minors. Still, they
can volunteer, manning phones
and working at precincts.
“Even if people can’t vote,
they can volunteer at precincts,”
stated Donnelley. He went on to
explain that, although they may
not be able to vote themselves,
“children can influence their parents.”
This election year, young people have the ability to generate
a greater impact on the election
than previous years. More people under age 25 are registering
to vote, lending greater weight to
the youth vote.
“To function in a democratic
society takes a lot of hard work,”
commented Donnelley. The interests of the younger generation
will be ignored if they do not
vote, for voting is an opportunity
to secure political influence in
Congress and the White House.
Although an effort must be
made to participate in America’s
political processes, it is each individuals obligation and duty to
vote.
Opinion - Editorial
Imperfect iPod ban begs upgrade
By Gabe Bassett, Chelsea Shiery
Last year, the estimated number of iPods stolen was over 180,
equating to more than one a day.
Such thefts have resulted in a
schoolwide iPod ban.
“We decided that the educational
benefits caused by the iPod were
far being outweighted by the distraction and theft,” commented
Micaela Philpot, principal.
However, one cannot deny the
educational benefits an iPod can
bring to a classroom.
Andrew Metzler, senior, adds
“My iPod contains a dictionary
application, an e-book reader,
as well as a calender for recording important homework assignments.”
The iPod is an amazing resource,
it can be used as an external hard
drive, recording, storing movies,
images and music for multi-media projects.
“Studies show that people preform better when listening to music,” explains Andrew Gibson,
history teacher. “I can understand
why it was done, but music has a
place in the classroom.”
The current way through which
teachers obtain permission to use
iPods in their classrooms is onerous and cumbersome.
“If teachers have reasons that
teachers want iPods to be used
in class, they can let us know,”
stated Philpot. The Faculty Sen-
ate then votes on it.
This process is discouraging to
teachers, limiting their ability to
teach through different methods.
And the use of the iPod helps
bring that to the classroom.
Teaching students to utilize
technology now will help them
in their future careers and lives.
“That’s what students will be
faced with when they leave high
Photo by Chelsea Rose Shiery
body, which could utilize them.
It is the responsibility of the individual student to look after his
or her belongings. It should not
be the school’s responsibility.
“It just takes a small group of
people to ruin it for all,” said Gibson. We should not base our rules
on the actions of a minority, when
the majority could benefit were
this rule were not in place.
The iPod ban may or may not
be effective in the end. Thus, as
has been suggested by staff and
students, this rule should be kept
in place for the year, allowing
more time to engineer a fairer
iPod ban.
However, the ban must be revisited soon, so students and teachers may resume using iPods for
genuine educational purposes.
If this ban has no effect on the
number of iPods stolen, then there
is no reason to keep a ban that is
only hindering the students scholarly applications.
Philpot explains, “People are
feeling it’s a little bit more academic around here.” However,
this subjective observation does
not change the fact that this ban
should be revisited. The benefits
that the iPod brings to a classroom
should be weighed thoroughly.
Technology is a necessary element of the classroom environment because it parallels the real
world environment. High school
is supposed to prepare us for the
real world, so while the ban may
stay in place for now, it should be
reassessed in the future.
Opposing Viewpoints
Dressing down the dresscode
By Dominic Amara
it in order to make school a safer,
more academic environment, free
of gang related pressures created
through the prominent display of
the colors red and blue.
The district expected disdain
for the new dress codes, but, as
for arguments against the dress
code, few are
reasonable.
Some have
suggested that
students are too
confused about
what qualifies
as gang red or
blue to be held
accountable.
However, there
is an easy way
to avoid risking
punishment.
“When in
doubt,
don’t
wear it,” explained Philpot. She later
clarified that the entire spectrum
of red, not pink, going all the
way to maroon would violate
the dress code if worn, whereas
shades of blue such as baby blue
would not.
Is the dress code a nuisance?
Yes. However, the visibly reduced gang presence on campus
makes up for any inconveniences.
Cracking down on students,
while reinforcing the new, updated dress code, administrators
are striving to effectively reduce
the influence of gangs on school
campus.
The new dress code, which requires students to leave their solid
red and blue clothing at home, can
result in punishments that range
from a warning, to detentions,
to suspension, if violated. The
school prohibited the two colors
because of their alledged use as a
form of gang identification.
Maintaining the fact that the
new dress code has effectively
minimized gang presence on
campus, Micaela Philpot, principal, stated that it is part of the
school’s responsibility to update
the dress code when necessary
especially as part of a gang prevention task force.
“Have you noticed a difference
on campus?” Philpot asked rhetorically in an interview, “Well,
I believe it has certainly reduced
the intimidation factor here.”
Although gang activity in Sonoma may not change drastically,
the revised dress code has effectively abated the omnipresent intimidation factor on campus.
The administration expanded to
last year’s dress code, adding to
~Editorial Policy~
The Dragon’s Tale is a public forum newspaper prouduced 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.
Dragon’s Tale
school,” Gibson comments.
In a 21st century world, we
should be using these new technologies that can add to our education. Simply banning them because of irresponsible students is
harmful to the rest of the student
Page 2
By Alejandro Tinajero
The students at SVHS are becoming more restless and angry
with each passing day that red
and blue are absent from their
wardrobes. Is this new dress code
policy even necessary? Or, was
it just a bold
move made by
desperate faculty members?
The popular “dress-updays” are impacted by this
policy failure.
For example,
the scope of
clothing
allowed to be
worn on college
dress-up-day
was cut drastically. Halloween will also be
Marshall Livingstone
affected.
How do we even know that this
dress code is changing anything
for the better? The administration
has not provided any statistical
evidence to support the policy,
despite several requests from The
Dragon’s Tale. If gang violence
incidences have not been sharply
cut, then it is a burdensome rule
that only causes anger and wastes
the energy of the administrators,
when that energy should be spent
on SVHS’s other numerous challenges. Are all the punishments
that are being placed on the students making a statement? They
are not.
“When the administrators have
to go around squinting to determine whether or not a color is
gang related, that’s when you
know it’s gone too far.” says
Nick Bremner, senior and Slatemember.
How will banning these two
colors solve the problem of gang
activities? Is the policy fair and
efficent? Obviously not. Gangs
will continue their activities on
campus, finding new and clever
methods of displaying their affiliations without breaking the
rules. Thus, those remaining to
be punished will largely be the
innocent.
~Dragon’s Tale Staff~
ADVISER - Alison Manchester
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Max Murphy
TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN - Bradley Hutchinson
COPY EDITOR - Lee Jasperse, Julan Minuzzo
NEWS EDITOR - Lauren Schorr
OP/ED EDITOR - Lee Jasperse
FEATURE EDITOR - Krystyna Livingston, Tara Jordan
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR - Peter Armstrong
PHOTO EDITOR - Joe Gilmore
SPORTS EDITOR - Rachel Glago, Matt Linder
BUSINESS MANAGER - Shawna Bertlin
REPORTERS - Dominic Amara, Gabe Bassett, Clarke Campion, Caroline
Ciatti, Alana Daly, Brian Donald, Layne Ergas, Cambria Isetta, Chelsea Rose
Shiery, Elaine Stanfield, Caity Tremblay, Allison Whitney,
PHOTOGRAPHERS- Caroline Ciatti, Brad Hutchinson, Caity Tremblay,
Laura Roseland, Alana Daly, Marshall Livingstone Chelsea Rose Shiery
ART AND GRAPHICS- Chelsea Rose Shiery, Caity Tremblay, Marshall
Livingstone, Shawna Bertlin
October 2008
Entertainment
A-Yo for An d r e
Photo from Google Images
Andre Nickatina
By Laura Roseland
Photo courtesy of Jim Agius
Andre Nickatina raps at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma.
Dragon Flick Picks
Andre Nickatina and Smoov-E
blew the audience away with an
outstanding performance at the
Phoenix Theater in Petaluma,
Friday, September 26. It was
an event that Andre Nickatina
fans could not miss. Smoov-E,
Nickatina, and other minor performers put on an amazing show
from 7:30 to midnight.
The dance floor was filled with
boys and girls of all different
ages, including many students
from SVHS.
Smoov-E, a rapper from Sebastopol, kicked off the show with
his famous songs “Long Duck
Anthem” and “Lights Out.”
Smoov-E’s performance of
“Seventeen” filled the Phoenix
with the cacophonous screams of
hundreds of girls; every seventeen-year-old girl was dancing
to the provocative song. He
topped off his performance with
his most famous song “Savage as
F***.”
After Smoov-E’s performance,
seniors Danika Dearmond
and Kaitlyn Morrison had the
pleasure of meeting the talented
rapper. When asked about meeting Smoov-E Dearmond stated,
“He’s the first famous person I
met, so it was kind of exhilarating in multiple ways.”
“It was like when a kid meets
Barney. It was so exciting, and
I had no idea he was white, so it
was really surprising at the same
time,” added Kaitlyn Morrison.
To show his appreciation to his
fans, Smoov-E signed autographs
and handed out albums.
Smoov-E’s performance
was the ideal primer to Andre
Nickatina’s phenomenal show.
The moment Nickatina appeared
on stage, fans raced to the dance
floor. It was impossible to get to
the front of the stage through the
dense, screaming crowd.
People were stepping on each
other, pushing and fighting their
way to the front to glimpse Nickatina. Fans sang every word of
the songs he performed; “A Yo,”
“Train With No Love,” “Dice Of
Life (the bottle),” “Conversation
With A Devil,” and “Jungle.”
By the end of his performance, fans were chanting his
name in unison, shaking the
theater with their demands for an
encore. He sang three extra songs
to please the screaming fans, and
finished with an impression on
everyone.
“Andre Nickatina was the
best performer by far. I didn’t
even know who the other people
were,” said Dearmond.
‘Red State’ Sweeps Sonoma
By Layne Ergas and Allison Whitney
Not in Kansas Anymore
Combining The O.C. with
a less provocative version of
Gossip Girl, the CW’s #1 show,
90210, hits the screen with a
dramatic, “watch-your-back”
twist of the teenage lifestyle in
Beverly Hills.
The new 90210 looks through
the eyes of Kansas natives Annie
Wilson and adopted brother,
Dixon, who transfer into the
glamorous, glittery halls of West
Beverly Hills High School.
When friendships develop
and relationships explode; high
school isn’t quite as fabulous as
these newbie’s were expecting…
Tune in to the hottest new
show on the CW, Tuesdays at
8pm.
Sh”eye”a Soars to #1 Spot
Photo from www.eagleeyemovie.com
Shia LeBeouf (Transformers,
Disturbia) has once again proven
he can accomplish anything on
the big screen. Appearing in scifi, drama, thriller, and comedy, he
captures audiences with his natural charm and expressive eyes.
Transforming into an adult actor,
LeBeouf reunites with executive
producer Steven Spielberg in the
new thriller, Eagle Eye.
In this new feature, LeBeouf
plays Jerry Shaw, a low life
20-year-old living in Chicago.
When Jerry’s overachieving twin
brother, Ethan, dies, Jerry travels
home for the funeral only to be
reunited with his father who reminds Jerry of his imperfections.
When Jerry returns, he discovers $750,000 in his bank account
and his apartment stocked with
weapons. As confusion arises,
Jerry gets a phone call from a
mysterious woman telling him
to run. Before he flees, Jerry is
captured by the FBI.
“The voice” directs Jerry to an
escape, signaling to him in various technological ways. Single
Dragon’s Tale
mother and stranger to Jerry,
Rachel Holloman (Michelle
Monaghan), is dragged into the
suspense by “the voice,” being
forced to help Jerry in fear of the
threat that her son, Sam, will be
in a terrible accident.
Jerry and Rachel, the country’s
most wanted fugitives, come in
contact with FBI agent, Thomas
Morgan (Billy-Bob Thorton) and
OSI Special Agent Zoe Perez
(Rosario Dawson) who take
Jerry deeper into the death of his
brother, Ethan.
Leading us into dangerous
situations that threaten lives
and family, director D.J. Caruso
proves technology can actually control your life. Most of
the movie is packed with car
chases and intense, ear shattering
wrecks. Although entertaining,
the chase sequences become
tipsy with extreme, shaky closeups.
However, once the mystery is
unveiled, not much else happens
to keep audiences’ attention. Although, from the start, the movie
takes the audience on a gripping
ride through Chicago, it winds
down into an anti-climactic ending.
LeBeouf’s performance was
strong, showing a solid (and
thankful!) recovery from his
below-standard summer film,
Indiana Jones 4.
The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s “Red State” tours the Bay Area.
By Peter Armstrong
After earning spectacular
reviews for their previous performances throughout the Bay
Area, the San Francisco Mime
Troupe’s production of “Red
State” came to Sonoma’s Sebastiani Theatre with a blaze of fiery
political satire and biting wit on
Thursday, September 25.
Though their name suggests the
use of pantomime, the SF Mime
Troupe is a theater company that
uses political satire and the prin-
ciples of Commedia dell’Arte to
produce a musical comedy.
“Red State” deals with the
conflict between the needs of the
small town of Bluebird, Kansas,
and the pressure from the entire
country to finish the 2008 presidential election.
The decision of who will be
the next Commander in Chief
of the U.S. has come down to
this: 99.9% of the votes have
been counted, and it is an exact
tie. The only venue to have not
turned in their votes is in the
Photo from www.sfmt.org
Actors Velina Brown and Bob Ernst perform in “Red State.”
Page 3
Photo from www.sfmt.org
little town Bluebird, where the
struggle between conflicting
interests has become immensely
predominant.
Members of the city join
together to boycott the vote
until their decrepit old town is
given the government funding it
deserves, much to the dismay of
one government official, played
by actress Velina Brown.
After much spilling of beer
over the voting machine to hold
back the voting process, and
its numerous eventual repairs,
the conflict is resolved with the
technician giving the final blow
to the hated machine, and stabbing its broken pieces with her
screwdriver.
“Red State’s” deeper meaning, however, is the true worth
of the play. Behind the facade of
the simple plot, sharp prods and
stabs are continuously launched
at to the Bush administration’s
bungling of both foreign and
interior policies.
The production, which ended
on Sunday, September 28 in
Petaluma, was superbly received
by the audience in Sonoma, and
received a strong ovation for
such a stellar performance.
October 2008
Feature
Seniors bag three-peat
By Tara Jordan
Accented with the glistening slogan of broken glass that
reads “Seniors”, the graduating
class once again took home the
title of Homcoming float winners as they sported the Mario
Kart theme.
Each grade constructs their
own unique float, yet the theme
of the floats remain the same.
This year: video games. Following the seniors choice of Super
Mario, the juniors represented
Donkey Kong while sophomores
portrayed the Pac-Man theme,
and finally freshmen who exemplified Pokemon.
The float theme is chosen by
the leadership class as they ask
fellow peers for ideas.
Specific float assignment is determined by seniority, so seniors
are permitted first choice.
These masterpieces are construsted by various student’s
homes who volunteer their
homes, and by all students interested in helping out in the
building festivites.
There are restrictions, though.
Everything on the float must be
student made, with the exception
of a few props such as trees, or
seen this year, painted barrels.
Blaring the Super Mario theme
song remix, the seniors take the
lead of the remaining floats
down Broadway, into the plaza
for further celebration.
The floats are then transported
to Arnold Field for their last display to the public.
Surrounded by spirited SVHS
enthusiasts, the creations follow
the homecoming king and queen
candidates in their respective
cars, and are then displayed in
order from freshmen to senior
Senior “Mario” Michael Lee shows enthusiasm on the winning float. Master crafter Mike
By Caroline Ciatti
Interesting fact: Next year
he’ll be driving the school bus.
Mr. Gregg adds, “Why not?”
Mike Gregg, a teacher well
known for his sense of humor,
has taught at Sonoma Valley
High School for eight years.
He focuses upon elective
classes that include Woodshop,
Driver’s Education, Physical
Education, Auto Drafting, and
Keyboarding.
During the span of his 27
years he has taught at various
high schools, in addition to 16
years at the Santa Rosa Junior
College.
Mr. Gregg is instrumental in
helping students strive for successful goals. For example, students can learn specific skills
in Woodshop, which can later
lead to a career in construction,
Photo by Caroline Ciatti
Mike Gregg, woodshop teacher.
cabinetry or sheet rocking.
His love of crafts began as
a high school student at Montgomery in Santa Rosa, where
his school Woodshop class
sparked his interest.
Gregg loved building and
working with his hands, completing furniture that recieved
recognition in the Sonoma
County Fair for best wood
worker in his class.
After graduating from Mont-
gomery High, he attended the
Santa Rosa Junior College for
two years, and then transferred
to Chico State for another three
years.
Gregg is currently a licensed
contractor and also works as a
sub contractor for school modernization.
During his free time, his favorite hobbies include fishing,
hunting and boating. More importantly, he loves working with
kids and wants nothing more
than to pass on his success in
the manufacturing industry to
other high school students.
He encourages them to “learn
a skill or trade or something
you can apply towards your career.”
By combining teaching and
humor, Mr.Gregg prepares his
students to assimilate into the
future work force.
Dragon’s Den Clubbin’ Corner
German Club
Advisor: Mrs. Kuprian
Founded: 2008
Meets:
lunch
Wednesday’s
at
Where: G-3
By Ellen Everidge
As the Germans celebrate the arrival of fall with festivals, Sonoma High has integrated a taste of
Deutsch culture into our campus.
Dragon’s Tale
The German club recently sold
Kaiserschmarrn (German pancakes) in its first bake sale at the
Homecoming carnival.
“They were selling pretty fast,”
said Peter Armstrong, club president, “but it will take more fundraising.”
With the profits, the club hopes
to “do more fun activities that
you wouldn’t be able to do in
school,” said Mrs. Kuprian, the
club advisor.
Prophesied ideas include iceskating, hosting a movie night,
hiking, and taking a trip to watch
a German film in theater.
Mrs. Kuprian decided to start
the German club this year to “get
the word out there, that to
take German is a possibility at
Sonoma High School.”
It is open to all students who
are interested in exploring the
culture and having fun in German
focused events. Members do not
have to take German class to be
welcomed.
Other newly formed clubs on
campus include:
Philosophy: Monday H-15
Games Analysis: Tuesday K-14
Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica:
1st and 3rd Tuesday of every
month F-3
Photo: Tuesday H-27
Sign Language: Wednesday
H-23
Film: Wednesday H-1
Money Maker’s: Friday K-14
Page 4
class as they are paraded across
the football field. There’s no
doubt this year’s homecoming
was memorable, as students
were “just being the crazy high
school kids we’re supposed to
be,” said Jenni Marioni, homecoming queen. “But to the max
for homecoming.”
Photo by Caroline Ciatti
First place: Seniors
Super Mario Bros.
Second place: Sophomores
Pac Man
Third place: Juniors
Donkey Kong
Fourth place: Freshmen
Pokemon
Photo by Laura Roseland
Senior Homecoming winners Ethan Cohen and Jenni Marioni share a dance following the crowning of king and queen.
Cohen, Marioni crowned
Homecoming royalty
By Tara Jordan
As homecoming week proves to
be a magnificent revelry, senior
tennis player Jenni Marioni and
tight/defensive end Ethan Cohen
were bestowed Homecoming king
and queen as the week came to a
close on Saturday, October 4.
As Jacuzzi Winery was transformed into a school dance
dream, Cohen and Marioni were
two amongst eight other hopeful
nominees.
This year, Jennifer Marioni,
Stephanie Lyon, Kaitlyn Hanna,
Pheobe Tillem and Hannah Petroni were the stunning lady dragon
candidates, while Ethan Cohen,
Bradley Ramirez, Mike Mulas,
Steve Filippi and Niko Connor
we’re the valient male nominees.
Homecoming candidates are
elected by their senior classmates
as a listing of every senior is dis-
tributed. Students elect ten pupils
total that they find worthy of the
Homecoming title.
Following the tallying and announcement of the ten designees,
seniors are then asked to elect two
of the ten candidates, one male
and one female. These votes are
tallied and finally declared at the
annual Homecoming dance.
“It was like, ‘What? Huh? Repeat that again please!?’” said
Marioni, her reaction when winning homecoming queen.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was
completely amazed and totally
surprised. I had no idea!”
Cohen on the other hand, said,
“I’m gunna be truthful cause I’m
a truthful guy, but I already knew
this was gunna happen. I’m not
being cocky, but I had people
coming up to me.... It was predetermined.”
October 2008
Feature
The maverick, the agent of change and the White House
By Caroline Ciatti
With the current Presidential
campaign in full heat, candidates’ John McCain, a 72 year
old Senator from Arizona,
former Navy Pilot and prisoner
of war, and 46 year old Barack
Obama, Senator of Illinois,
graduate of Harvard Law and
former Community Organizer,
are prepared to battle to the
end. John McCain and Barack
Obama hold the positions as
the current front runners for
the next presidency, not only
differing in their backgrounds,
experience and style, but also
on a wide range of topics. Both
Presidential Candidates are
willing to confront and express
their opinions on a variety of
issues that are important to the
American people.
Obama made a point to attack
McCain’s views on economic
leadership, citing his ties to
the previous 8 years of President Bush. McCain has bashed
Obama for his lack of experience in national security, along
with international diplomatic
affairs. He also has criticized
Obama’s willingness to talk
with dangerous leaders without
preconditions.
McCain does not think Ameri-
can troops should return to the
United States until Iraqi forces
are capable of maintaining a secure, democratic state. The main
theme of Obama’s campaign is to
commit to withdrawing American troops from Iraq.
John McCain, the GOP candidate.
On the subject of energy,
Obama proposes eliminating the
U.S. need for foreign oil within
the next 10 years.
Previously opposed to offshore drilling, he is now in favor
of exploring this approach to
acquire energy for the nation.
Obama also supports searching
for alternative forms of energy.
McCain advocates nuclear power
and other alternative energy
sources, promising to build 100
new nuclear power plants. His
goal is to make the nation less
dependent on foreign suppliers.
Health Care is also a controversial issue in the United States.
McCain seeks greater access to
cheap, affordable drugs, dedicating more research to chronic
diseases, and assure that every
patient is cared for responsibly.
Obama plans expand off the
existing health care system and
regulate insurance companies,
regardless of patient’s health
status or history.
Obama is interested in offering affordable health coverage
for the working class. He would
require most employers to offer
health insurance to employees or
pay into a federal fund to provide
coverage.
McCain proposes to replace
a tax break for employees who
receive health insurance and give
employers a refundable tax credit
so they can purchase private
coverage for their families. This
proposal will encourage individuals to shop for less expensive
insurance to reduce costs.
On the delicate and controversial subject of abortion, McCain
opposes abortion, and has voted
against the Prohibit Partial Birth
Abortion bill in 2003.
Senator Obama favors abortion
rights for women and disagrees
with the Supreme Court ruling to
uphold the Partial Birth Abortion
Ban Act.
Regarding taxes, Obama would
retain the current rates for everyone except those in the two highest tax brackets. McCain wants
Snakeskin ankle boots rock the runway
this season.
New fall trends invade stores
Barack Obama, the Democratic
candidate.
to keep tax rates low by cutting
the corporate tax from 35 to 25
percent, hoping that this will
result in economic growth.
Both candidates portray a
fierce desire to hold office as
the next President of the United
States, and attempt to appeal to
mainstream voters. Like many
Presidential candidates have
before, they offer several promises, that seek resolutions to the
issues and assuring the American
people that they will help solve
the current problems.
Lions and tigers and ghosts, oh my!
By Caity Tremblay
Fairy princesses and bright
red M&M’s traverse the streets
on the evening of October
31. On Halloween, “I find my
friend Brianna and go trick-ortreating,” cheerfully announced
Heather Keola, senior.
However, trick-or-treating isn’t
the only way to celebrate Halloween in Sonoma. “I perform
in an annual Halloween show
called Wichie-Poo -- it’s superduper cool!” exclaimed SVHS
sophomore Aaron Bremner.
This extravaganza takes place
at the Sebastiani Theater the
weekends of the 18 and 25 of
October, and audience members
are invited to participate in a
costume contest during intermission.
Arnold field will be hosting a
football game this year against
Petaluma High at 7:00. Haunted
houses, carnivals, costume
contests, and other novelties also
appear during this season.
Halloween originated 2000
years ago from the Celtic holiday
of Samhain, a celebration honoring the Celtic Lord of the Dead.
Druids would build gigantic bonfires which the Celts - clothed
in costumes made of animal
skins - would dance around in
an attempt to solicit visions from
“the spirits.”
Christian Pope Boniface IV
declared November 1 All Saints
Day, in an attempt to replace the
pagan holiday. It was also called
All Hallows or All Hallowmas,
making October 31 All Hallows
Eve, and eventually Halloween.
Despite thousands of years of
change, modern celebrations still
entail roots of the holiday.
Photo by Caity Tremblay
A splash of fall color adorns Halloween celebrators doorsteps.
Ed Foundation provides a green light for your future
By Krystyna Livingston
In the midst of Senior Project
deadlines, students should feel as
though they have a shoulder to
lean on.
Established in 1993, the nonprofit Sonoma Valley Education
Foundation or SVEF provides
volunteers that are available to
help all students achieve academic success; although, a majority
of the participation of SVEF
is directed towards the Senior
Project.
Fran Meininger, executive
director of SVEF stated, “Life
is a series of setting goals and
accomplishing them.” Because
graduation, and establishing a career are major thresholds in one’s
Dragon’s Tale
life, the Senior Project encompasses similar importance.
Meininger stated, “Senior Projects are very important because
they replicate real life, having a
community member volunteer
helps students broaden their
horizons.”
The volunteers that take part
in the program are prestigious
members of the community,
holding positions as lawyers,
corporate managers, and local
business owners. They all pursue a common goal: to see future
generations succeed, by providing assistance to seniors on the
mandatory Senior Project.
After receiving help on her
research paper, Senior Jacquelyn
Little stated, “She [the volunteer]
provided me with options and
different points of view I could
use for my thesis.”
For Little, the volunteer symbolized much more than another
“teacher” to help with the Senior
Project. She provided Little with
boundless insight, that helped
Little develop a stronger thesis
statement.
The volunteers inspired students to strive to be successful in
future careers.
Meininger added, “the volunteers bring community into
the school” by bridging the gap
between teenagers and society.
This allows the volunteers to
see the “bright and eager students” that attend the schools in
Page 5
the valley.
The students have shown equal
interest in the volunteers, too.
As Meininger accounts a recent
experience of a volunteer. “The
students were admiring his car,
and when asked how he got it,
the volunteer stated, ‘algebra,
pay attention.’”
The volunteer, a stock broker
who uses algebra regularly in his
career, motivated the teens by
recognizing what is important to
them, and hopefully seeding a
future career.
For students seeking guidance,
inspiration, or need assistance on
the Senior Project, the SVEF volunteers are available during A+
in the English classes.
By Allison Whitney
With autumn falling down
around us, stores are receiving
daily shipments of the latest
boots, sweaters, and fresh cuts of
jeans. Along with these arrivals is the color purple, which is
undeniably fall’s hottest color as
well as hunter green and burnt
orange. Various celebrities
have flaunted purple all over the
red carpet and it was listed in
Harper’s Bazaar as the color to
be seen in.
Beginning [at the feet], boots
are overcrowding shoe departments with various heel sizes,
colors, and textures. Ankle boots
reminiscent of 80’s fashion are
scattered across this month’s
Vogue, marking a major comeback. Super model Kate Moss
and actress Lindsay Lohan were
recently seen wearing this trend.
Ankle boots are mainly suede
and have been shown this season
in rich gray and classic black.
Continuing last fall’s obsession are the flat-heeled “riding”
boots that first hit the map with
Gucci’s $4,000 crocodile pair,
which were exhibited in every
major magazines “coveted”
list. Since then, designers have
created more affordable versions
in rich chocolate brown leathers
that look magnificent with fall’s
natural colors.
As the weather begins to cool,
it may seem impossible to look
chic. However, sweaters have
become staples of the fashion
world this fashion season. This
fall stripes are running rampant
on sweaters. Types to look for
are longer sweaters which create
a thinning silhouette. As well as
large cowl necks that look great
with scarves and layers. Popular hues are muted grays, navy
blue, and the ever-classic black.
Sweaters are also an ideal way
to don color during the dreary
months ahead. Purples, oranges,
and greens add an extra pop to
any ensemble.
After almost a decade of ultralow rise jeans, high waisted
trousers are being revived by
modern brands, such as Seven
for all Mankind, Raven Denim,
and Current/Elliot. The modern
twist on this mega dark denim
color makes it easy to convert
from casual to dressy. Fans of
the high-rise jean include singers
Gwen Stefani and Hilary Duff.
Another option is the baggier, more relaxed “boyfriend”
jean. With a distressed and torn
texture, the boyfriend jean is a
low maintenance look that Katie
Holmes and Rachel Bilson have
styled.
October 2008
Sports
Dragons scorch Jaguars Time-out
D r a g o n s
By Clarke Campion and
Rachel Glago
Proceeding three consecutive
non-league losses, SVHS varsity football boys rode aboard
runningback Nick Fedrick’s
train to victory at the Homecoming game on Friday October 3 at Arnold Field.
Displaying the Dragon’s dominant offense was Fedrick’s 205
yards rushing. Fedrick scored 4
touchdowns - covering a total
of 38 yards - and a two point
conversion, contributing to the
Dragon’s 35-21 SCL-opening
win over the Windsor Jaguars.
The Dragon’s concluded the
first half with a 14 point lead
of 21-7. The Dragon’s witnessed an eye-opening halftime show as a male streaker
raged through the field wearing a gorilla mask and initially
wearing a banana.
After witnessing the exposure, Steven Murden, standout
junior safety, said, “We were
walking to the bleachers and
we heard a scream and saw him
hop the first and second fence
and get in the car. We all got
pretty pumped up.”
Leading the Sonoma Dragon’s
in the second half were touchdowns by seniors Fedrick and
Andy McGunagle, and senior
Arie Feht’s interception.
“Arie’s interception was a
huge plus; it stopped any mo-
Conner; A
Triumphant
Triathlete
w i n
H o m e c o m i n g
mentum Windsor may of had,”
declared junior tight end, Charlie Watson.
Driving the Dragon’s defensive line was standout linebacker Mike Mulas’ 13 tackles
which broke down Windsor’s
offensive line.
“When I go in for a tackle, I
get lower and drive my feet in
the mud,” says Mulas regarding his blocking technique.
As the Sonoma boys battled
it out for the remainder of the
game, they maintained their
lead and sent Windsor on a
long, disgruntled bus ride
home.
After 29 years of coaching
the Dragon football team, Head
Coach Mick O’Meara said, regarding the game, “Hopefully
we can build off of this game;
it’s a step in the right direction.”
The Dragons currently have 5
returning starters - 4 offensive
and 1 defensive - of the 22 positions to fill. “We are young,
but we have the potential to be
a good team. If we keep working hard we can do it,” added
O’Meara.
Although, the Jaguars had
speed and ran good routes, the
Dragons were aggressive and
ran the ball through the gaps.
The pre-season games did not
define the outcome of the SCLopener, setting the stage for
more wins to come.
g a m e
3 5 - 2 1
Dragon’s Tale
Off the court, student athletes
jump into action and discuss their
current season.
Hilary Campbell, Senior
Golf
-Pregame routine: “We eat sufficiently and begin at the driving
range and then practice a couple
putting shots.”
-Dinner the night before: “I eat
pizza and cupcakes.”
-Your motivation: “Getting on
the green because you know you
only have 2 more shots from
there.”
Interesting facts: “We use sharpies and draw on golf balls to make
them unique.”
Photo by James Fanucchi
Senior Linebacker Bradley Ramirez (No. 10) tackles a Windsor player, helping the
Dragons win the homecoming.
Nick Spector, Junior
Cross Country
By Matt Linder
A half mile swim, 16 mile bike
ride, and 5k run would challenge
any person, but for Alex Conner,
who has been racing in triathlons
since 5th grade, it is just another
race.
Conner, a freshman, has completed 4 triathlons. “My dad did
it before me, so he inspired me to
do it,” explained Conner.
His best time is 1 hour 37 minutes at the sprint distance. Conner
trains year round but increases his
intensity a month before the race.
He does combination trainings,
such as a swim and then running,
or running and then biking.
Conner, who is a member of the
cross country team, says he “can’t
run for six weeks” due to a stress
facture in his heel. “It is hard to
watch cross country races, because I wish I could run,” Conner
said disappointedly.
Despite his injuries, Conner
continues to train by biking and
swimming.
By Elaine Stanfield and
Rachel Glago
Photo by Joe Gilmore
Senior Marissa Matz (No. 21) kills the ball during their tough loss to Analy in Pfieffer Gym on September 30th.
Jaguars tip Dragons
By Brian Donald and
Cambria Isetta
After losing 11 seniors, this
season the SVHS volleyball
team has inexperienced players stepping up and taking
on major roles. Returning
players Marissa Matz, Rachel
George, and Anna Dwyer have
proven to be strong leaders on
this year’s team.
Matz, senior captain, explained, “Our team chemistry
and work ethic is exceeding
my expectations.” The young
team played their best game
against El Molino, beating
them in their own gym for the
first time in years.
This year’s team has bonded
very well. Jersey Witous,
freshman, commented, “We
are already a really close
team; even though I am a
freshman, it does not feel like
I’m any younger than anyone
else on the team.”
The close-knit team has
recorded many victories this
year although they were not
able to come away with a win
in their close match against
Windsor on October 7.
Behind the solid performance by George and Matz,
the Dragons took Windsor to
five games but lost 21-25, 2517, 25-17, 25-27, 14-16.
The young players on the
Page 6
team will be able to benefit
from the experience of the
seniors. “It’s good because
you can watch the older girls
and learn a lot by seeing what
they do and how they respond
to certain situations,” said
Witous.
Playing at home is certainly
an advantage for the Dragons,
“The crowd pumps us up after
a good play and motivates us
to play better and the personalized cheers also excite us,”
explained George.
With tough league play remaining, the SVHS volleyball
team needs to take advantage
of the home crowd and bring
them wins.
-Pregame Routine: “It changes
each meet.”
-Dinner the night before: “Spaghetti with meatballs.”
-Your Motivation: “When you
see the finish line and finish the
race.”
-Interesting facts: “Our head
coach, Butch Alexander, holds
the mile record at SVHS and
our assistant coach, John Litzenburg, holds the 2 mile record at
SVHS.”
Olivia Donald, Freshman
Dance Team
-Pregame routine: “We stretch.”
-Dinner the night before: “Anything - food.”
-Your motivation: “Getting it
over with.”
-Interesting facts: “We have no
juniors on the team.”
October 2008
Sports
Kickin’ it in overtime
By Brian Donald
BOYS SOCCER
First place in the SCL has
not come easily for the varsity boys soccer team, having
already played in four overtimes this regular season. The
overtimes resulted in two wins
and two ties for the Dragons;
leaving them with a 6-0-2 record and currently tied in first
place with the Windsor Jaguars in the SCL.
The Dragons opened up
league play with a 1-0 win
over Petaluma, followed by a
5-2 overtime win against Casa
Grande. The winning streak
stopped when the Dragons had
back-to-back overtime ties
against their rivals Analy and
Windsor. The Dragons closed
the first half of the SCL with
a 3-0 win against Healdsburg
and a 5-1 win over El Molino.
The first half of the season
formed strong bonds among
the Dragons. Joe AlexanderShort, junior outside midfielder, commented, “Our team is a
family, Marcos is my dad, Troy
is my sister.” The boys have
become closer on and off the
field, and as a result opened
the second half of SCL with a
2-1 win over Petaluma and a
2-1 overtime win against Casa
Grande. “Our season is going
great, we haven’t lost a game
yet and are looking forward
to re-matching Windsor and
Analy,” said, Thomas Hawing, senior center back,with a
grin.
The Dragon’s senior night is
October 9th against the Windsor Jaguars who are tied with
the Dragons for first place.
According to ESPN, the Jaguars are ranked third in California with a 12-0-3 record.
“We’ll make NCS,” states
Hawing.
GIRLS SOCCER
After losing all-empire
standouts Sarah Semenero and
Katie Benz, the Lady Dragons
soccer team is young but still
fierce. With only three seniors, the team is novice and
lacks veterans, but the Dragons have become more experienced throughout the season.
With a big win over first place
Petaluma, the Dragons have
improved their play and hold
an SCL record of 4-3.
Senior First Team All Empire Captain Matt Linder battles for the ball in a recent win.
Water polo splashes
into season
By Clarke Campion
Senior Jenni Marioni volleys the ball in a recent doubles match vs. Elmo.
Photo by Bradley Hutchinson
Tennis in full swing
By Cambria Isetta
The SVHS girls tennis season
is in full swing and after a slow
start, the girls are improving
each game. After losing many
seniors last year, there are several girls on the team this year
who are new to tennis.
Siobhan Kelly, senior co-captain, is the team’s number one
singles player, and feels the
season is going “as expected
since we lost so many seniors
last year.” Individually, however, Kelly is currently one
of the best players in the SCL
and continues to lead her team.
She feels her best match was
against Petaluma, and although
she did not record a win, she
felt she played the best all season against a strong opponent.
She goes into each match with
confidence but says, “If I don’t
win the spin of the racket, I see
it as a bad sign. I like to serve
first.”
During the pregame speech
the entire tennis team has to put
all of their rackets in the middle
of the circle, and all of the seniors wear bows in their hair as
a superstitious tradition.
This year’s team has a whole
new composition, after losing
the majority of the team, but is
continually improving. “We’ve
worked really hard and have
improved a lot from the first
practice since we have so many
new players. We are definitely
the most improved team in the
league,” explains Jenni Marioni, senior doubles player.
With the season more than
halfway over, the lady Dragon
tennis season has been a learning experience for all, with
players recording individual
wins each game.
Wa t e r p o l o w /
Ukiah (4:00)
Dragon’s Tale
Photo by Bradley Hutchinson
Page 7
SVHS water polo aims high
this season, shooting for a
league position as it strengthens its program. This year’s
teams brings increased skill and
abilities, “thanks to more practice, more dedication, and more
experience,” explained senior
co-captain Brenden Cohen, “recovering the strenth of a waning
water polo program.”
So far the men’s varsity team
has a 0-3 record, short of wins
by only a few goals. However,
the non-league matches have
proven the abilities of the team,
bringing more success to its
growing resume. Led by Coach
Sean Mullen, the varsity starting
lineup consits of Zach Adams,
Dom Amara, Peter Armstrong,
Clarke Campion, Brenden Cohen, Sean Hammett, and Mason
Thompson. The varsity team
also includes Michael Juricich,
Kevin Phillips, Jeff Shoemaker,
and Paul Sokoloski.
The women’s team managed
to round up enough girls to
be recognized by the league,
though their record remains
0-3, yet have significantly improved from last year. The
varsity players include Monika
Bauermeister, Rosie Connors,
Maeve Greenberg, Ghitta Ferrara, Kendal Krupa, Elizabeth
Lawlor, Lauren Leveroni, Eva
Lindstrom, Shirley Morovich
and Destiny Reyes.
Success for the men’s JV is
different, however, as they have
a 3-0 record and showed their
ability to win, though being a
relatively inexperienced team.
This lineup is fueled by Daniel Fonseca, Matt Fraser, Oscar
Gomez, Michael Juricich, Kevin
Phillips, Jeff Shoemaker, Paul
Sokoloski, and Victor Virgen.
Though the water polo program
still lacks a high school pool,
Coach Mullen has mustered up
enough support and funds to
purchase a second goal, scoreboard, and shot clocks, making
practices have an “official feeling to them,” according to girl’s
co-captain Shirley Morovich.
The teams practice at Hanna
Boys Center three times a week
and at Napa Valley Junior College once a week, accommodating the athletes untill a new pool
is built on campus.
“It is insane to see the improvement from last year to this year,
we actually have a chance for a
position in our league championship. However, we still have
much to work on and learn,”
stated varsity co-captain Peter
Armstrong.
This season the water polo
team will host a home game at
Agua Caliente Aquatic Center
against Ukiah on October 29,
the only home game of the season.
“People should come out and
support their Dragon’s water
polo team! You can also check
out our new uniforms, they are
pretty attractive, especially the
speedos,” claims junior Kevin
Phillips.
The water polo program is successfully increasing its skill and
rank within the league, bringing
pride and strength to the recovering Dragon team.
October 2008
News
Election 2008: Youth in Control
By Anna Dwyer
This year’s presidential election is proving the most publicized election in history.
Nearly all Americans are anticipating a marked change in
the U.S. government, either
as the GOP candidate, Sen.
John McCain, and his running
mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, or as
the Democratic candidate, Sen.
Barack Obama, and his running
mate, Sen. Joe Biden. Though
Obama is currently ahead in
the polls, the election’s outcome is essentially in the hands
of voters.
The youth of the United
States is expected to vote in
record numbers this Nov. 4,
according to Reuters News.
Those between the ages of 18
and 29 are registering in quantities unheard of by the American public.
Former Ohio governor, Tom
Vilsack, comments that young
people have begun to “sense
the capacity they have to effect
change in this country” and are
taking action.
USA Today, MTV, and The
Gallup Organization recently
conducted a national poll, concluding that, while merely 32%
young people are supporters of
McCain, 61% of polled voters
under the age of 30 are Obama
supporters. The 18–29 voting
population exhibits the most
polarized results, as most other voting populations are split
relatively evenly in regards to
candidate preference.
Obama’s appeal to the younger generations stems from
his comparative youth at the
age of 47, in contrast to McCain’s age of 72. Additionally,
Photo from Yahoo Images
John McCain, left, and Barack Obama at a recent debate. Obama physically embodies
the change many wish to see
in the White House, as both
an African-American man and
a Democrat. The only factor
that would possibly override
this physical embodiment of
change would be the fact that
Palin is a woman, representing
another neglected population
in the Oval Office. Reuters
reports that younger voters are
increasingly more open to having an African-American man
as president.
Youth voters have increasingly easy access to voting
information, as political news
is plastered throughout the Internet and television resources.
Many popular franchises such
as Facebook and MTV have
become involved in encouraging young people to vote.
So far, this tactic has been
a success, with 58% of Americans under 30 having registered to vote. It is expected
that nearly all of the registered
voters under 30 will cast a vote
on Nov. 4. An expert from the
Center of American Progress
concludes that members of this
age group are not voting just
to vote, but are voting because
they are interested in governmental progress.
Phoebe Tillem, a voting senior at SVHS, is one such politically aware young person. She
watched both the presidential
and vice-presidential debates
and has found Obama and
Biden to be more impressive.
“I agree with most of Obama’s
views on the issues,” comments
Tillem, “though he has gone
back and forth.” The fact that
“John McCain and Sarah Palin
could win,” was the primary
fear Tillem expressed regarding the election. In contrast,
student Tony Baciocco says his
“major concern is that a liberal
is going to win.”
Should either candidate corral enough 18–30 voters, they
will most likely sway the election in their favor. The youth
of America could be a deciding factor in this election. The
youth of America has power.
Doyle continued from p1
under the Doyle Scholarship umbrella, juniors, sophomores and
freshmen may not prove as lucky.
Robert Agrella, SRJC president, notes that the Doyle trust
“will fully fund 08-09 awards,”
as well as “09-10 renewal awards
for Doyle scholars returning
to SRJC next academic year.”
Sanchez projects that it will
most likely be the low income
portion of the school population
that is hit the hardest. This population also includes those who fail
to meet the requirements for other
forms of financial aid or are less
academically inclined. She feels
that it will primarily be these
students who opt out of a college education due to the scholarship’s possible suspension.
Information on the scholarship’s
tentative suspension was first released on Sept. 19 by Agrella
to the general college community. He labels the Exchange
Bank’s “suspension of [its quarterly stock] dividends,” meaning the suspension of distributed
stock shares, as the cause of this
scholarship’s uncertain future.
While definitive information
is sparse, Patty McFerrin, SVHS
counselor, says that the school
will “move forward with Doyle
Scholarship workshops,” though
there will be no “second cycle
in May for seniors.” This indicates that only those who meet
the qualifications in the first semester will be allowed to apply.
Essentially, nothing is written in
stone and nothing is guaranteed.
Crucial decisions will be made
“during the Spring semester [by]
the SRJC Board of Trustees” regarding 09-10 awards, says Agrella. Until then, fingers crossed.
Which candidate do
you want to be the
next president of the
United States and
why?
“McCain because I think
he’d be a better choice over
Obama because he has
more experience. Republicans are always better.”
-Mieke Feht, Senior
“Barack Obama because
he’s the lesser of the two
evils.”
-Barret Wilber, Junior
Friday Debate
Who: 1st District
Supervisor candidates, Will
Pier and Valerie Brown
Where: SVHS Little
Theatre
What: Questions submitted
by students
When: Friday 17, 2008
during 4th period
Dragon’s Tale
Caught
in
Thought
Page 8
“Neither candidate is a
good candidate. It’d be
cool to break the racial
barrier, so that’s why I’d
vote for Obama.”
-Nate Ellis, Sophomore
“I don’t really keep up with
the campaign.”
-Arianna Schill,
Freshman
Please Recycle
This Paper
October 2008