Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
com
Sensational
senior
projects pg. Sliding to the win pg
Senior section pgs. 3-10
4
May 2010 - Volume 19 - Issue 8 - Sonoma Valley High School
Smoke Senior class thousands in the
Signals
By Luther Cenci by the senior class. While many
leadership students, for whatever
Despite the heroic efforts of a reason, did not make it a priority
small task force of dedicated stu- to deal with this proverbial ele-
dents, the Senior Class remains phant of a debt, a nuclear group of
Choir & band $2,052.72 in debt at the time of seniors, both Leadership as well
press. With two days left of class as non-Leadership students, have
rock Sonoma for the seniors, the financial situa- worked to reduce its impact.
The award-winning SVHS tion looks impossibly dire. Throughout the year, carwashes,
choir is performing in the Little The roots of this crisis reach raffles, fundraisers and tamale
Theater on Wed. 26 at 7:30pm. their loathsome tendrils back to sales have been a reccurring back-
Band performed Tuesday to a last year’s prom, held on the USS drop at any school function. Many
delighted crowd. During April Hornet. By convention, SVHS’ of these have been to benefit the
the two groups competed in New Prom is organized, marketed, and senior class. Slowly and methodi-
York for the Heritage Music Fes- funded by the junior section of cally, the efforts of the fundraisers,
tival. There were four categories: the Leadership Class, and more spearheaded by Eva Diaz, have
choir, show choir, chamber choir, specifically, the Prom Committe. chipped away at the debt, bring-
and band; silvers were won in all A combination of lower-than-ex- ing in $6,227 in revenue. Howev- Photo by James Fanucchi
four categories. Jazzberries, the pected turnout and higher -than- er the Senior Class still spent over Jason Davis, Eva Diaz, Miriam Magaña, and Aracelli Moya are among a handful of
school show choir, opened for $1,000 in various expenses. seniors working to elimate the over $2,000 debt.
predicted costs, the 2009 prom in-
the local Jazz Festival with lively A large contribution to the fund tuxedo for prom, which brought in the winners at the Ball, and I later
currred a deficit of around $5,500.
music and vibrant pink costumes. was made by the Booster’s Club, $601.35. The raffle was marketed found out that they had extended
This amount was deducted directly
despite the shrinkage of its own under the express understanding the raffle and changed the param-
from the ASB account held in the
revenue base. Even as it weathered that the opportunity for ticket pur- eters of the competition.”
name of the Class of 2010.
Enough is enough Coupled with other miscel- the storm of the financial collapse, chase would be during Conven-
tion, and the winners would be an-
“Other classes have left with a
debt,” said Maggie Cunningham,
The Plaza was abuzz with the laneous expenses, the prom de- Booster’s found the werewithal to
chanting and signs of a group of provide $750 towards the allevia- nounced at the Inaugaural Ball. Student Activities bookkeeper,
bacle ensured that the graduating
SVHS organized protesters on tion of senior suffering. “When I walked by the table “but never one so large.”
class rolled into their senior year
the May 4 at the Farmer’s Mar- Apart from this charity, the at Convention, they had not sold Only time can tell the full im-
$6,936 into the red. Needless to
ket from 5 to 6 pm. The protest, single largest source of income any tickets, so I bought ten tick- pact of this debt.
say, this staggering sum cast a
organized to oppose the new anti- this year came from the raffle of a ets” said Peter Armstrong, senior.
pall over the activities planned
immigration laws in Arizona, was However, “they never announced (See Slate Four response on pg 2)
proposed and put into action by
Namiko Morales, junior, and
After 60 years, Doyle takes a
Shane Enzensperger junior. Often the ceremony dividuals who would have quali- “It was all very frustrating,”
“Roughly 30 people showed drags on for many fied for grants (having maintained comments Losk. “Michelle Straub
up, all under the age of 20,” hours, yet unfortu- an academic GPA of at least 2.5 from the PD has been coordinat-
recounted Enzensperger. “We nately time was not throughout their high school ca- ing this with Patty McFerrin for a
organized the demonstration an issue this year, reers) will be forced to look else- number of years now.”
together because we felt that due in part to the where for financial aid. Straub, Exec. Asst. to the Pub-
Sonoma needed to hear our absence of a par- In related news, deserving se- lisher at the PD, continued to send
voices.” ticular scholarship niors have also lost the opportu- information on the awards to Mc-
that is bestowed an- nity for recognition and scholar- Ferrin’s email, even after
nually upon a large ships via the prestigious Press McFerrin’s retirement at the con-
Newspaper contest percentage of the Democrat Youth Service Awards, clusion of the 2009 school year.
SVHS’s Dragon’s Tale staff graduating senior which were held this spring in Details of the event were recov-
took a trip to the Santa Rosa class. spite of SVHS’s absence. ered by Losk and turned over to
Veteran’s building Thurs. Started in 1950 as The awards are presented an- Principal Philpot and Superin-
May 20, to participate in the part of the last will nually to senior students who tendent Carlomagno. Although it
Redwood Empire Journalism and testament of have proven excellence in vari- is past the deadline for SVHS to
awards ceremony sponsored by Frank P. Doyle, the ous fields of education and dem- submit nominees for the award,
the contest honors outstanding Photo by Anthony Arjona Doyle scholarship onstrated commitment to their the Sonoma Index Tribune and
articles and images in high school The 2010 batch of seniors moving on to SRJC were
overlooked in this year’s awards. has given much communities through service and Sonoma Sun have volunteered to
newspapers as well as overall needed financial aid humanitarianism. do a similar program of recogni-
excellence in jouranlism class- to over 100,000 students planning According to Laura Losk of tion for Sonoma seniors, only
rooms. Seven high schools from By Danny Maggioncalda
to attend Santa Rosa Junior Col- the SVHS counseling office, no without the prospect of a $1,000
Sonoma County participated with lege. Last year alone, the Doyle seniors attended this year due to scholarship.
SVHS receiving seven awards in This year’s SVHS senior awards
trust, established through Ex- a lapse in communication. Each “We’re not going to let some-
various categories. The winners ceremony commenced as well as
change Bank, awarded over $1.3 year, Losk plans on receiving thing like this go just because we
included: James Fanucchi, Sigrid anyone could have planned, fill-
million to prospective SRJC stu- information for nomination pro- only have three counselors instead
Forsythe, Matt Fraser, Ben Graff, ing Pfeiffer Gymnasium with
dents. tocol from the Press Democrat in of four,” added Losk. “We’re still
Anna Haley, Caity Tremblay and wide smiles, proud parents, and
The year 2010 will not see such late Jan. By Mar. of 2010, she had doing everything we can and have
Danny Maggioncalda. an intoxicating aura of accom-
money endowed at all. Those in- come across no such email. to do.”
plishment.
Opinion - Editorial
... Underclassmen left in the lurch College
lacks
By Luther Cenci to identify potential sources of
funding. It must find creative new intellectual
integrity
It seems all but inevitable that sources of revenue. The entire
the Senior Class will graduate student body must agree that sac-
with a substantial debt on the rifices must be made to address
books. Every cent of their scar- the issue. By Troy Cameron
let thousands must be taken from Second, there must be checks
somewhere else, in an already on spending to avert a similar College is a privilege, not a
overstretched economic climate. crisis. If any ASB account looks right. However, that privilege is
As Financial Director for the to be overdrawn, there must be slowly dwindling away.
incoming Slate, your correspon- a cutoff to withdrawals by its Fewer and fewer students are
dent is faced with a bleak vista of holders. If a class appears to be able to afford the education that
painful financial choices as far as leaving a debt, it must be placed their intellect warrants. Institu-
the eye can see. on a collective Loss of Privi- tions of higher learning ought to
During the recent campaign, lege, and must have its preroga- be accessible to those with the
Slate Four committed to fis- tives curtailed for the duration, mental capacity. Unfortunately,
cal responsibility, pledging not so as to impress upon them the reality operates on the dollar.
to spend money the school did severity of their misconduct. By definition, private universities
not have. The necessity of such To make the budget shortfall an is- retain the right to enroll whichev-
methods was only further em- sue of the body politic, rather than er demographic they prefer, yet to
phasized by the revelation that a private concern, Senior Week and do so would run contrary to their
the Senior Class had spent more other senior activities should have academic philosophies.
$2000 more than they brought in, been shortened or eliminated. If Due to current economic con-
Cartoon by Sigrid Forsythe
despite frantic efforts to balance this drastic measure had even been straints, scholarship opportuni-
the budget. there,” from anywhere where nancial issue. The overwhelming threatened, the accompanying re- ties are severely lacking. As a
The current crisis highlights funds can be found. While un- opinion of the Senior Class is one sponse from the non-Leadership result, college has the appearance
deep organizational and doctrinal fortunate, this process cannot of apathy towards the crisis. elements of the Class of 2010 would of being out of reach for many.
flaws in the way the student body be wholly covered by increased This attitude is one of decided have tipped the budget balance to- State-funded education is suffer-
manages its finances. The system fundraising. immorality. There are no imme- wards the black. ing tremendously. Tuition costs
of regulatory checks on spend- The only feasible way to bal- diate or material consequences As the representatives of next are rising, class sizes are swell-
ing must be changed so that such ance the books in the short term to their actions, but this crisis year’s ASB, Slate Four is dedi- ing and admission is contentious.
a fault in budget reconciliation is to temporarily or permanently affects all the underclassmen. cated to reducing the impact of A side effect of this is the junior
cannot occur in the future. divert funds from the other ASB By “not caring” about their the budget shortfall. This fiscal college phenomena.
The account for the Senior Class accounts. This action is an hor- debt, the Senior Class is show- conservatism does not imply An incredible number of stu-
is a part of a larger bookeeping rifying act of necessary theft, ing a blatant disregard for any an accompanying reactionary dents resign themselves to this
network of balances compos- forced upon the majority of the community spirit or cross-grade attitude. Slate Four will stand fate because they feel a four-year
ing the entirety of the ASB’s school by the financial folly of empathy. firmly in defense of student’s university is an unrealistic goal.
finances. This general fund is the Prom Planning Committee of However, the classes left in the rights at all administrative lev- With the disappearance of the
partitioned into 130 discrete ele- the Class of 2010. lurch cannot concern themselves els. However, in order to confi- Doyle Scholarship, even this is
ments, which hold all the paper The greatest injustice of this with the ethical dissolution of dently argue for increased stu- becoming less of an option.
money for every club, sport, and sorry debacle is that the perpe- the graduating class, but rather dent independence, Slate and, In attempts to save some pre-
grade-level leadership group. trators are escaping without ever must respond to the crisis. This by extension, the entire school cious cash, even university-eligi-
According to Maggie Cun- having been held responsible for response must address both the must prove that it can be mor- ble students are opting for the ju-
ningham, keeper of the books, their actions. Since the seniors immediate funding crisis and the ally and financially responsible. nior college with plans to transfer
“The negative balance will have graduate in two weeks, most have underlying fiscal irresponsibility. later. Clearly economics are hav-
to come from a little here, a little no motivation to address the fi- SVHS must work cooperatively ing a great effect on educational
Inside the
Senior Section:
• High School 101 - What to know
• Unofficial Senior Awards
• Senior Stories - Best memories
Seniors attend Road to Reality.
Photo by James Fanucchi • Colleges - Who is going where
Dragon’s Tale Page 3 May 2010
Feature
Caught
in
From sandbox to graduation
Thought
What are you
going to study
after High
School? Photo courtesy of dunbarschool.org. Photo courtesy of floweryschool.org. Photo courtesy of sassarinischool.org. Photo courtesy of elveranoschool.org.
important thing
don’t fall in the halls or trip down -Liz Lawlor “I would have taken all honors
the stairs.” “I would have taken metal shop.” and AP courses and been more
you have learned -Destiny Reyes “I would do the exact same
thing.”
-Ellen Everidge into school.”
-Bergen Verdu
in high school? “Do more volunteer work.” -Rachel Glago “I wouldn’t have taken AP statis-
-Dominic Amara tics and not procrastinated.” “I would have wrestled as a fresh-
“I would take a foreign language -Hailey Barker men.”
“I would be more like James my freshmen year and studied -Mike Juristich
Bond.” more.” “Everything different sophomore
-Emily Hawing -Scott Young year.” “Gotten into AVID freshmen
-Christian Weiss year.”
“Get involved in more clubs.” “I would get more involved.” -Eden Anuskewicz
-Nomie Cobb -Ricki McCarthy “Done my A-G requirements.”
-Stacey Barker “Pay more attention to school.”
-Shane Burns
calculus.” Many students are expected to for Germany, plans to travel to to offer,” Welty divulged. “I would do all my homework.”
take the path of college and to start Russia on a scholarship he re- Welty plans to prepare for his -Paul Sokoloski
“How to
language again.” as having free time in a new coun- “I want to see where I end up
Forsythe plans to live in Sweden try and volunteering. as a human being,” revealed Wel- “If I could do freshmen year over
for one semester, but also antici- “I have to go to class from ty. “I believe the best education again, I would because it affected
weld.” pates a longer stay if she discov- 9:00-2:00 every day, but I really comes from the world, and I want my GPA.”
ers new opportunities. want to get in water polo over to see what it has to offer.” -Pablo Perez
-Dillion Adams “I might stay the whole year if I there, as well,” stated Armstrong. Although they are not taking
“Be more outgoing.”
like it,” confessed Forsythe. Jason Welty has decided to take the traditional course after high
Upon returning to the a different approach to ‘studying school, Forsythe, Armstrong, and -Vanessa Cheves
States, Forsythe wants to abroad.’ With only his two legs Welty will learn from each expe-
continue her acting career. propelling him forward, Welty rience as they take on the world “No real regrets.”
“I want to go to New York to do will travel as a vagabond. and discover new opportunities -Jordan Villaseñor
Broadway,” Forsythe stated with “I am bored of living in a seclud- through their travels.
Unofficial Senior
Awards!
Most unique
Tallest and Shortest:
“Passing out at the
district concert.”
- Lauren Pena
sneeze:
Jackie McRice Grant Noble and Lizbet Vega
“Getting away
with too much.”
SENIOR SPORTS
Dragons on to college Cager’s
Corner
By Rachel Glago
Dragon’s tra c k n e a r s t h e fi n i s h Time-Out By Charles Watson mark in Lady Dragon’s history. She
also placed second in long jump, as
With the completion of the Sono- well as 5th in the 400m, which is
ma County League track and field the 5th fastest time in history. By Danny Maggioncalda
finals, 24 of the 35 SVHS athletes Sean Hammett, Nathaneal Har-
that competed advanced to the Red- gitt, and Nick Spector were also Off the field, Sonoma’s
wood Area Championships. Of the successful in qualifying for the student athletes discuss
24 athletes, 4 qualified for the NCS Meet of Champions. Hargitt things their coaches may
Meet of Champions to be held on placed sixth in the 110 hurdles, ty- not have known about...
May 28/29 at UC Berkeley. ing his personal record of 16.16.
At the Redwood Area Champi- Hammett tied his personal record
onships Ellen Everidge once again in pole vault with a height of 12’
stole the show, qualifying for the 0” to take 6th place. Spector took
NCS Meet of Champions in three seventh in the 3200m with a time
different events. The senior not of 9:41.29.
only qualified in all events, but set At the SCL finals, the Dragon
personal records as well. boys placed 5th overall, with Casa
Everidge jumped 35’ 1¼” in the Grande winning, and the girls team
photo by Andy Mitchell triple jump, which was a personal placing 6th, with Petaluma taking
Danny Dwyer, freshman, strides over the board at the SCL triple jump record, as well as the 3rd longest first place.