December 2012 - Volume 22 -Issue 3 - Sonoma Valley High School

AB 1575 eliminates student feesCharges against Sassarini janitor

dropped By Jamie Ballard

Due to a soon-to-be enacted law regarding the costs of curriculum, students in California will no lon-ger be charged for curriculum-as-sociated materials, such as books, supplies, and lab fees. The bill, referred to as “CA Assembly Bill 1575” becomes a law on January 1, 2013. Currently, students in such class-es as video productions and art are asked to pay a fee in the beginning of the year, primarily to help offset the cost of supplies. While teachers can still request donations for these costs, they cannot make the fee a requirement for participation. AB 1575 officially defines a “pu-pil fee” as “a fee, deposit, or other charges imposed on pupils, or a pu-pil’s parents or guardians” and in-cludes “a security deposit or other payment that a student is required to make to obtain a “lock, locker, book, class apparatus, musical in-strument, uniform, or other materi-als or equipment.” Essentially, students cannot be required to pay for books (such as required reading for English), P.E. uniforms, or any fee that’s associ-ated with a constitutionally de-fined “educational activity.”

All supplies, mate-rials and equipment needed for these educa-tional activities must be provided to pupils free of charge. The new laws may cause an increased re-liance on the SVHS Boosters Club, which supports virtually all extracurricular and elective activities. Veronica Brooks, president of the Boost-ers Club explains, “Right now, they’re still trying to figure it out. But my understand-ing is that is was de-clared unconstitutional for public schools to charge students for things like lab fees. Students are legally entitled to a free education.” She continues, “It could mean the school would be more reliant on Boosters - we’re still waiting to hear.” As for what falls under the um-brella of an “educational activity,” AB 1575 defines it as an activity “offered by a school...that consti-tutes an integral fundamental part of an elementary and secondary education, including but not lim-ited to, curricular and extracurricu-

lar activities.” However, many of these sup-posed fees have essentially always been on a donation basis. The $150 ASB fee requested of all students has always been an optional do-nation, and the school has virtu-ally never barred a student from an elective class due to an inability to pay a fee. Under AB 1575, fee waiver poli-cies like the ones at SVHS do not make pupil fees permissible. But AB 1575 does not prohibit solici-

tation of “voluntary donations or voluntary participation in fundrais-ing.” Additionally, schools that do en-act a pupil fee will be susceptible to complaints under the Uniform Complaint Procedures which apply to all public schools in California. Essentially, while donations can-not be required of students, they are still an integral part of many elective classes at SVHS, and may be necessary to keep several elec-tives afloat.

Photo by Jessica Marioni

Proposition 30 heals district’s cuts:$1.8 million “won’t be cut”

By Pio Valenzuela A wave of relieved sighs passed through California pub-lic schools following the pas-sage of California Proposition 30. Prop. 30, the Sales and Income Tax Increase initiative, will raise the state’s sales tax from 7.25 percent to 7.5 percent and increase income taxes for those who make more than $250,000 a year. According to Principal Dino Battaglini, the initiative “saved the district from making deeper cuts.” This past year, the SVUSD cut $2.6 million from its budget, imposing eight furlough days throughout the school year.” California public schools face fewer and less severe budget cuts due to the increased taxes to fund public education. Gov. Jerry Brown’s initiative is meant to help the California

public school system, but is also helping to balance the budget. The University of California has rescinded its remaining fur-lough days, giving the teachers and students their time back. Undergraduate tuition fees are no longer increasing; however, graduate student’s fees may in-crease by up to 35 percent next year. Prop. 30 prevented schools across California from more budget cuts. The UC avoided “a budget reduction of $250 mil-lion this year and [losing] an ad-ditional $125 million next year,” according to the UC website. Along with higher education, secondary schools and public school districts are also kept afloat by the initiative. Prop. 30 allowed the school district a sigh of relief, as ac-cording to Mr. Battaligni, it “prevented the high probability of severe mid-year budget cuts.”

It was likely that after the win-ter break, new cuts would have been made for the new semester - this initiative prevented that. Though the school is in no im-mediate danger of a severe bud-get crisis, more must likely be done to ensure that the school, along with other California schools, will bounce back from the deep crisis. With the school in deficit spending, more cuts still need to be made. Justin Frese, SVUSD’s Deputy Superintendent, is in the midst of discussing future changes based on the details that come out in January. The school is spending more than its income. In lieu of Prop. 30’s passage, Mr. Frese is glad to report that the district “won’t be cut an additional 1.8 million dollars this year.” Mr. Battaglini states that the school is “in better shape than it was in before the passage of

Prop. 30.” The UC still faces a chal-lenge. Though many severe cuts were evaded, university leaders believe that the outlook on the budget crisis is still bleak. Though the initiative reduced the need for more cuts and fee increases, students still protest the fees, demanding reductions. To maintain a balanced bud-get for public schools, whether it is for K-12, the UC, or CSU, changes must be made to make the system more efficient, ac-cording to one CSU administra-tor. Here at SVHS, though it may not feel like it, there is a defi-nite positive and immediate im-pact caused by Prop 30. A fourth of a cent for each item bought due to the increased sales tax is a small price to pay to ensure a better future for Cal-ifornia schools.

By Jamie Ballard

Richard Piskulic, the Sassari-ni janitor previously accused of child molestation, was exoner-ated due to a lack of evidence. The charges were dropped on Nov. 1. Piskulic’s arrest on Oct. 5 was based on claims by a Sassarini parent who accused Piskulic of touching her son in one of the school’s bathrooms. Investiga-tors did not find sufficient evi-dence to substantiate the claims and chose not to pursue the case further at this time. The SVUSD attorney’s of-fice declined to file a complaint against Piskulic but reports in the Index-Tribune cite District Attorney Jill Ravitch reporting that the investigation will be continued by the Sonoma Sher-iff’s Department. Throughout the ordeal, many members of the community maintained the belief that Mr. Piskulic was innocent. Pages of comments celebrating his exon-eration were found on the Press Democrat article, several from Sonoma residents. Piskulic’s lawyer Joe Stogner reported to the Press Democrat that Piskulic had been “placed on administrative leave, but plans to return soon to work.” SVUSD Superintendent Louann Carlomagno comment-ed in an interview with the In-dex-Tribune that the school dis-trict was working closely with its attorneys to determine how to proceed. See page 3 for more information.

Mr. Dragon sign-ups

Mr. Dragon, SVHS’s annual male talent pagent, will take place in early February, but sign-ups are currently in prog-ress, and will continue until January 11. Senior boys are in-vited to sign up for the chance to strut their stuff, show off their talents, and possibly win two free tickets to Prom for Mr. Dragon and his lucky lady.

Dragon’s TaleThe Snow Maiden

Page 6Christmas at the Mission

Page 5s o n o m a d r a g o n s t a l e . c o m

H a p p y

H o l i d a y s !

Hollywood

in flamesBy Arthur Morgan

If you’re a part of the mass of brainless movie-going zombies with no sense of cinema or film

appreciation then you probably liked the recent “thrilling” in-stallment in the 007 series, fea-turing enough clichés and mass appeal jokes to satiate your ap-petite for what you’ve already experienced and heard a thou-sand times; if not, then welcome to the last bastion against Hol-lywood filth, the last frontier

between complete annihilation of artistic renewal and mass propagation of meaningless non-sense that has come to define the

movie-going experience. Enter James Bond, suave, womanizing, cocky, pompous, comical and bisexual – the lat-est Hollywood sham and figu-rative slaughtering of Bond’s true spirit. Ian Fleming must be turning over in his grave – if he hasn’t already been re-cast in a romantic-comedy featuring Jes-sica Biel and Mila Kunis. My point? When Daniel Craig, the fulfillment of male badass,

testosterone inducing, creative-juice roaring, acting at it’s best is reduced to brandishing shot-gun shells side-by-side with the Hollywood archetypal clichéd “badass grandpa with a shotgun” joke in an unreal effort to defend a “Home-alone style” boobie-trapped house all in defense of a grandma that is supposedly wanted dead by the most devi-ous criminal in the world – then, and only then, can you give up hope in cinema. That last scene just happened this month. Oh, and by the way, according to the new Bond movie, James is homosexual – I guess that’s just rolling with the times. The problem with popular cin-ema is that it tries to appeal to the greatest number of people – it’s a corporate-capitalist ma-chine, if the greatest number of people enjoy crap over art and there’s more money to be made in creating crap rather than art then the machine dictates art should be forgotten and crap made the new standard. The problem with the masses is that as a result of poor education they’re usually poorly endowed intellectually and creatively; in the past art has been fostered by the rich and the cognizant; but as personal riches have given way to a mass purchased $8 dollar movie ticket so has the bulwark between art and destruction – slowly degraded to the point we see in cinemas today. Hollywood doesn’t care about quality or artistic ethics– look at the recent titles that have come out and are coming out this year – A re-sham of The Wizard of Oz featuring James Franco, a historical slaughtering of an American hero in Abraham Lin-coln: Vampire Hunter, and Han-sel and Gretel: Witch Hunters – enough having being sad in the title alone. I’d rather be Hansel and Gretel, cannibalized by an evil witch, than watch this new Hollywood spin on the popular children’s tale. Maybe I’m just cynical, or maybe I’m just a melancholic broken-down spirit, obsessed with the preservation of the arts – sad that there seem to be none left.

Opinion-Editorial

Dragon’s Tale Page 2 December 2012

By Arianna Maysonave

A “good” college – what does that even mean? Is it an Ivy League, a prestigious, two hundred year old institution with endowments that could feed and clothe much of the continen-tal United States? Or is it a $60,000 a year pri-vate liberal arts school tucked in the idyllic hills of Vermont or Connecti-cut? Or maybe it’s a gi-ant university, a place where you can slide from the limelight and become merely one in a million. What really de-notes “good”? Since childhood, I’ve known college is the ul-timate goal. Up to now, the majority of my scho-lastic and extracurricular efforts have been geared toward this abstract ambition. Work, work, work; study, study, study; try, try, try – but for what? Why do I have to con-form, follow the predestined path of life? Does attending a “good” college merit anything once you are thrust into the real world, the world not

governed by numerical measures of intelligence and lettered judg-ments of success? The real world demands life skills, not the ability to manipulate multivariable calcu-lus or rattle off every US president in chronological order. Is society

actually preparing the next gen-eration, or are they merely forcing them to jump through hoops, to prove that they can navigate the perils of sleepless nights and irrel-

The next chapter: off the beaten path

Changing role ofChristmas

By Adelia Gregory

It is said that words only need to be defined if they are new, un-usual, unfamiliar, controversial, or abstract. But what is Christ-mas? The changing values be-hind the holiday are changing its role in American culture. Christmas originated as the an-nual Christian celebration com-memorating Christ’s birth on the notorious day of December 25. Christmas was declared a legal holiday in 1870. But the foun-dation for Christmas as a tradi-tion is evolving, with its origi-nal foundation vested in ethical values and principle, of family coming together and celebrat-ing closeness, which is steadily transforming into the celebration of consumerism. With the on-slaught of evolving technology thrust upon Americans in trends, our reasons for gathering on the Christmas holiday are telling of a steadily more materialistic and technology-addicted society. People all across the spectrum are feeling the crunch of shop-ping lists and Christmas fervor, from moms to dads, to daughters and sons. But as parents come armed with generous solutions to the multitude of stores they’ll visit over the holiday season, children of the modern genera-tion are steadily forgetting the traditional role of Christmas, eagerly awaiting stockpiles of

presents, covertly wrapped de-lights, and instant gratification in

the form of technology, a lumi-nescent piece of energy-sucking, focus-depriving, and school-diverting piece of endless enjoy-ment. Until that device stops be-ing entertaining, of course, and gets shoved up into a box of other first-world trinkets, and the child

completely forgets the sweat and blood all moms and pops put into fulfilling the insatiable appetites

of modern children. With iPads adorning laps like candles adorn tables, the mood during the holiday season has been one of increasing need, little fulfillment, and the feeling

of a void, all sending slightly morose campers back into the store to shop some more. But with such immersion into con-sumerist culture, the Christmas holiday itself warps with all of the materialistic associations weighted on it. As the modern generation feeds its cyber addic-tion and attachment to unreality with expensive trinkets, inedible Apples, and tablets that enable us to hold the entire media in one hand, the values that once repre-sented Christmas - celebrating the tradition of cherishing family - seems to be slipping through the fingers of American culture,

redrawing the priorities of the fu-ture: Consumerism, Materialism, Capitalism.

evant demands? There’s no denying that education is important – it forms the rudiments for discipline, understanding, and individual empowerment. Howev-er, the collective has gradually lost sight of the fine line separating ben-

eficial from injurious. The insane

amount of pressure placed upon modern students is unlike any our predecessors were forced to endure,

yet most of us are unknowingly on a rollercoaster race to nowhere – today’s world has fewer jobs, more competition, and a higher price of living than ever before. The worst job market in decades has many capable graduates look-

ing for unpaid internships, which often prove menial despite the potentially valu-able nature of the experi-ence. Today, 53 percent of all young college graduates in the US are either unem-ployed or underemployed, and most are drowning in college debt. Even if we do manage to jump through all the right hoops in high school and gain the long sought after admission to a prestigious university, our futures re-main uncertain in this time of social, fiscal, and political

flux. The 21st century educa-tional system is begging for reform, and unless we de-mand change, this ceaseless cycle will continue wreak-ing havoc on our youth. So flee from the path – take

a chance, travel the world, become a self-made millionaire – college is not always the right choice, and it’s certainly not the only one.

Editorial Policy The Dragon’s Tale is a public forum newspaper produced by the Sonoma Valley High School Newspaper class. The newspaper at-tempts 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 consid-ered 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 con-tain 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.

U.S.P.S. fails to deliverBy Sofia Jeremias

The postal delivery service is considered to be one of the many characteristics which make up an evolved and successful society, so what does the struggle to perpetuate such an esteemed institution in our own great nation indicate? Perhaps it is just a matter of supply and demand. Perhaps Americans simply do not send mail via post anymore because of the changes made in modes of communication since the creation of the email. The decline of USPS could be inevita-ble. The mail volume of 213 billion pieces sent in 2006 did drop sharply down to 168 billion in 2011. However, in actuality, there is more to the dilemma than an antiquated mode of communication being re-placed by newer, faster technology. The postal service is not only being forced to modify and revitalize its services in attempt to turn a profit but meet payments required by the federal government. Much of the postal service’s debt has accumulat-ed due to a repeated failure to meet payments which are supposed to

be set aside for future retirees. The postal service yet again defaulted on a payment of 5.5 billion dollars this year. The postal service must meet a prefunding requirement that is not usually applied to the average cor-poration, a policy which is puzzling considering that it is self-sufficient entity. These nonsensical require-ments have only deepened the fiscal grave which the postal service con-tinues to dig. Until the post office is able to re-solve its debt crisis it will continue to lay off employees and close down offices. The possibility of postal services being offered in drug and grocery stores is currently being contested. The postmaster general Patrick Donahue vaguely outlined the changes the USPS needed to make, saying “We need less ex-pensive work hours, and we need more flexibility on who can do what jobs.” Who knows what the future may hold for the postal delivery service, but a compromise with the federal government and more cost efficient modes of business seems necessary.

Dragon’s Tale StaffADVISER - Alison ManchesterEDITOR IN CHIEF - Jamie BallardCOPY EDITORS - Grace Bon, Arthur MorganNEWS EDITORS - Grace Bon, Chelsea Krause OP-ED EDITORS - Laura Amador, Arianna Maysonave FEATURE EDITORS - Lindsey Jasperse, Ellen Angeloni CULTURE EDITORS - Sebastian Amara, Anneliese KochPHOTO & TECH EDITORS - Matt Amatori, Jess MarioniSPORTS EDITOR - Connor Griggs-Demmin BUSINESS MANAGERS - Connor Griggs-Demmin, Arthur Morgan REPORTERS - Jamie Ballard, Laura Amador, Sebastian Amara, Ellen Angeloni, Grace Bon, Liam Casey, Brennan Cole, Adelia Gregory, Con-nor Griggs-Demmin, Javia Headley, Lindsey Jasperse, Sofia Jeremias, Anneliese Koch, Chelsea Krause, Jacob Little, Arianna Maysonave, Giana Monterosso, Arthur Morgan, Riley O’Donnell, Giordi Serafini, Brooke Slack, Jonah Son, Jesse Summers, Weston Updegraff, Eric WebberART & GRAPHICS - Pio Valenzuela, Liam Casey, Laura Amador, Sofia Jeremias

Cartoon by Liam Casey

Art by Sofia Jeremias

Opinion-Editorial

T h e F a t e o f L e g a l R e c r e a t i o n a l P o t

By Laura Amador

At the cusp of adulthood, teen-agers stand at the edge of a line which they are able to see over yet unable to cross. Consequent-ly, the line is often blurred and the many indulges of the adult world - independence, sex, controlled substances - are experienced during youth. Under aged drink-ing particularly, is a concern for adolescents and protective adults alike, due to the wide accessi-bility of alcohol and its various harmful effects. However, in a culture where alcohol is constantly publicized, advertised, and popularized, it is difficult to convince the youth of the danger it poses. Like many privileges under the law, the legal-ity of the consumption of alcohol is based on a fixed age. But how does this potentially life-threaten-ing substance transform into an acceptable social elixir at the ar-bitrary, all-important age, 21? Because teenagers are faced with mixed messages regarding alco-hol, it is difficult to convince them to join a crusade solely against under aged drinking. Rather, the issue should be faced without age bias. If one chooses to drink, he or she should be encouraged to be responsible, safe, and above all, smart about it, regardless of age. I do believe, however, that drinking can be potentially more dangerous for under aged drink-ers, primarily because they tend to be more inexperienced and more impulsive. No matter how level-headed a particular adoles-cent may be, all teenagers are in

a sensitive stage of physical and mental development, which af-fects how their bodies react to certain substances, including alcohol. Moreover, teenagers tend to be more naive, and thus more susceptible to being taken advantage of while under the influence. Because alcohol low-ers one’s inhibitions, one who drinks may more frequently make impulsive, regrettable de-cisions. Alcohol has the power to build and break relationships, but damaged relationships are often difficult to repair and can create unnecessary strain. Espe-cially in high school, and even more so in a small town such as Sonoma, drinking can have a long reaching effect on one’s social life. People often tend towards the idea of protecting our children, but under aged drinking can-not be controlled with restric-tions and rules alone. As long as alcohol is accessible, there will be under aged drinking, so we should not attempt to eradi-cate it so much as regulate it. Sex education in public schools teaches safe sex, and safe drink-ing should be approached in the same manner. I do not advocate under aged drinking, but if one decided to do so, he or she should take his own safety and the safety of others into consideration. One precautionary step is to ask for a Teen Safe Ride voucher for a free taxi ride at the No Name Cafe in exchange for a short dis-cussion on the risks of drinking

By Eric Webber

Will Colorado and Washing-ton’s attempt to legalize recre-ational marijuana use go up in smoke due to conflicts with the Obama administration? Residents in those two states are reveling in what they hope is an “end to the war on drugs” for marijuana, but the war on pot may be far from over. These new laws are in direct con-flict with the Obama administration, which has shown no sign of backing down on its full-scale assault on pot growers and distributors. Despite Obama’s promise to college students con-cerning progressive pot reform during the pres-idential campaign, he has actually launched more raids on state-sanctioned pot dispen-saries than George W. Bush, and has threat-ened to prosecute state officials who oversee medical marijuana as if they were drug lords. A big reason for the admin-istration’s continued hard stance on pot use after medical marijuana started to sweep the country is the Drug Enforce-ment Agency being staffed with individuals who have based their careers on going after pot. Michele Leonhart, a holdover from the Bush ad-

ministration whom Obama has appointed to head the DEA, continues to maintain that pot is as dangerous as heroin. In fact, when pressed on that point at a congressional hear-ing, Leonhart refused to con-cede any distinction between

the two substances, lamely insisting that “all illegal drugs are bad.” The dealer behind Colorado’s legalization initiative was Mason Tvert, a marijuana ad-vocate, who At age 22, Tvert founded Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation or SAF-ER which he created to prompt a conversation over the rela-tive dangers of booze and pot. With marijuana being illegal,

“We’re punishing adults for making the rational, safer de-cision to use marijuana rather than alcohol, if that’s what they prefer,” says Tvert. “We’re driving people to drink.” That same year SAFER got enough support to get legal-

ization on the ballot....surpris-ingly. Tvert was merely trying to increase public awareness of his opinions on the war on drugs. He gained enough sup-port to get its passing. Tvert says that he was only intend-ing to raise awareness. “We just happened to win.” Taxing pot will provide more money for public schools, while final-ly stopping cops from making

senseless pot busts, and go af-ter real criminals. “The public does not like marijuana,” ex-plains Brian Vicente, a Denver attorney who co-wrote the law. “What they like is community safety, tax revenue and better use of law enforcement.”

The campaign effort in Washington, by contrast, received mainstream sup-port and funding from private individuals. Every member of the city coun-cil, the city attorney, and the mayor all supported the measure. The public face for the initiative was senior PBS travel jour-nalist Rick Steves, a self proclaimed “dedicated pothead” who chipped in half a million of his own money into the coffer for the initiative. So while the governors of both states are lighting up to the idea, the reac-tion from Obama is still in the waits. If obama was truly committed to progressive Drug reform, or simply states rights, he

would immediately stop using the DEA as his goons to pun-ish those legally growing and selling pot under state laws. If Obama is against an all encom-passing federal legalization, he could simply allow state mari-juana laws to take precedence over the Federal laws, which is something that even opponents of marijuana legalization have endorsed.

right to free speech, and a right to be anonymous or pseudonymous on-line. They claim that Chen violated these rights and ruined the life of an ultimately harmless, innocent man. But in a legal sense, the “violation of free speech” claim is nonsense. Reddit isn’t a public entity. It is a privately owned business, mean-ing that users are not exercising a Constitutionally protected right to free speech; they are exercising the free speech rights granted to them and tolerated by reddit itself. Red-dit didn’t delete or prohibit any of Brutsch’s posts, but they did have the power to do so. It’s the same with any number of social sites - You-Tube, Tumblr, Facebook, and others. Protesters have also asserted that Brutsch was posting under a pseudonym, and therefore protected by some inherent rule of online anonymity. This rule does not exist. Anything you do online can be traced back to you, a fact that seems commonly recognized by those of us operating in the real world. This anonymity argument also seems to assert that if it were Michael Brutsch posting these photos, it would be unaccept-able, but since it was “Violentacrez,” it should be tolerated. Nice try, but going by a different name online in no way justifies creepy, borderline illegal behavior. I ask Brutsch’s supporters to con-sider - what if it was a photo of your daughter? Your wife? What if it was your niece’s photo, taken without her knowledge? What if it was a photo of your sister, with hundreds of vulgar comments beneath it? Would Brutsch still be the victim here?

By Jamie Ballard Michael Brutsch is a 49-year-old man living in Arlington, Texas with his wife and son; his son will soon be a Marine. He formerly worked at a financial service company and is a self-described “cat-lover.”Online, he specializes in posting highly sexualized pictures of under-age girls, marked as “jailbait.”; that is, when he’s not posting “creep-shots,” or photos taken of unaware girls and women. This images are (or more accurate-ly, were) being posted on reddit, a social news site where anonymous users can post and vote on content. Any user can start a “subreddit,” or forum dedicated to their interests. Some of the subreddits, of course, are perfectly benign or even com-mendable. There are subreddits for cancer support, funny cat videos, political discussion, and everything in between. Brutsch’s online persona, “Violen-tacrez,” was the creator or modera-tor for subreddits such as “jailbait,” “creepshots” “chokeab*tch,” “rapebait,” “n*ggerjailbait” and other similarly disgusting forums. Despite this, Violentacrez was one of reddit’s most prominent and strangely beloved users.On Oct. 12, journalist Adrian Chen posted an article to Gawker.com that exposed Michael Brutsch as Violentacrez, thus inciting an inter-net firestorm and invoking discus-sion about free speech and the role of anonymity on the internet. Some people have spoken out in support of Brutsch, asserting that he (and all reddit users) have a

Reddit regulations of “free speech” Tipsy Perceptions of Drinking

Letter to the EditorDear SVHS Journalism Stu-dents, I am writing to address my concerns about your recent ar-ticle titled “Sassarini custodian charged with child molestation”. I understand that perhaps your newspaper went to print prior to Mr. Piskulic being exonerated so I will not speak to that. News happens fast and I imagine is-sues like this happen frequently. The story of a man being ar-rested in our school district is certainly newsworthy however, I am strong believer that a person is innocent until proven guilty and everything in this article leads the reader to believe that Mr. Piskulic did, in fact, commit these crimes. After describing the incident the authors state “Unfortunately, this was the most recent in a series of lewd and inappropriate crimes.” How is it possible that this is the most recent in a series of crimes when it never happened? The authors then go on to make connections between this alleged incident and crimes with multiple wit-ness for which the suspect confessed. Comparing the two situations is a stretch at best and, at worst, an insult to an in-nocent man. I had to wait until Thursday to write this letter because I did not trust myself to write when I initially read the article. What I need you to understand is that, although the topic itself is excellent fodder for news, you have made misleading statements about a sweet and generous man who has given 30 years of his life to making this school district a better place. He is the type of person who stops and helps out in the special ed classes or throws a ball around with kids who don’t have some-one to play with. He has always gone above and beyond what was asked of him. The false accusations that were made by this parent are a bell that can’t be un-rung and to watch this man be destroyed has been heart breaking. Richard is a friend of mine. He did not deserve this. No one who has been falsely accused in this heinous manner does. To see our school newspaper capitalize on that tragedy sad-dens me. I believe the intention of this article was honorable. You want people to be more aware and to protect themselves. I hope that in your next edition there is a follow-up story with updated and correct information. In an ideal world the fact that the article was misleading would be addressed and a note of apology would be sent to Mr. Piskulic. Bernadette Weissmann

Editors Note:The Dragon’s Tale deeply regrets the error, and we send our sincere apologies to Mr. Piskulic as well as his family and friends. We’ve printed an update (see page 1), and we’re thankful for the chance to hold ourselves to a higher journalistic standard in the future.

Dragon’s Tale Page 3 December 2012

Art by Matt Amatori

Feature

Dragon’s Tale Page 4 December 2012

Boys & Girls Club honor youths

Photo courtesy of Boys and Girls ClubYecenia Vargas, junior, Raquel Paz, senior, Pio Valenzuela, senior, and Eric Gonzalez, graduate, gather at the Boys & Girls Club.

By Lindsey Jasperse & Ellen Angeloni Every year the Boys & Girls Club gives an award to four indi-viduals between the ages of 14 and 18, recog-nizing how they have pushed the limits of helping and participating with the members of the Boys and Girls Club. The Youth of the Year award is of great honor; the winner will move on within the Na-tional Boys and Girl Club program to compete with excellent youth from across the nation for scholar-ships, as well as a chance to meet the United States President. Not only does this award achieve honorable recognition, but it also enhances skills of public speaking and discovering one’s identity. Within Sonoma, the Boys and

Girls Club nominated SVHS cur-rent and graduated students: Raquel Paz, senior, Pio Valenzuela, senior, Yecenia Vargas, junior, and Eric Gonzalez, graduate of SVHS.

“I have always doubted myself, never thinking that I would make it this far. But as I look at myself at this very moment; I am proud of my-self, proud of how much I have ac-complished here at my club, proud

‘Bon Voyage’ to seniors bound for Europe

of being nominated for Youth of the Year, and I am especially proud to say that I couldn’t have become the person I am today without the Club. I don’t know where I would

be without The Boys and Girls club of Sonoma,” remarked Paz. Although each nominee contrib-uted an excessive amount of time and hard work into the Club, only one could win. Vargas claimed vic-

“Eat a lot of

Mexican food.”

Jesus Molina,

sophomore.

“Staying in my

pajamas the

whole day for

Christmas.”

Olivia Bingham,

junior

“Reading a

‘Christmas

Carol’ by Charles

Dickens every

year.”

Gianna Biaggi,

senior

Happy

Holidays!

What is your favorite

holiday tradition?

By Grace Bon Next summer, a group of SVHS seniors will embark on a journey through four European countries, including England, France, The Netherlands, and Belgium. The group, led by Mr. Gissell, will depart for London on Jun. 4, just four days after gradua-tion, and continue on to Paris, followed by Bruges and finally

Amsterdam. Over the course of twelve days, the students will visit royal pal-aces, world-renowned art mu-seums, and local restaraunts, ensuring the traditional tourist experience paired with an au-thentic feel. “I think traveling is a wonder-ful experience - it is one of the most educational, eye-opening, transformative experience a

student can have,” commented Mr. Gissel. “I truly think it’s a great trip.” The tradition of the “senior trip” began in 1998, when Mr. Gissell took a group of stu-dents to New York. The trip was wildly successful, and it was suggested that the destina-tion be expanded to Europe. Since then, countless groups of newly-graduated students

tory and was named as the Youth of the Year and given the award on December 6, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. Vargas has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club since the 1st

grade, spending time af-ter school working on homework and hanging out with friends. Start-ing in her freshman year, Vargas began volunteer-ing in the Discovery room and working with the younger kids. Occasionally, she bakes cookies and treats to sur-prise the children; show-ing her enjoyment of being a role model at the Club. Vargas plans on graduat-ing a semester early and pursuing a future in law. “The Boys & Girls Club opened a lot of doors for me, and helped me figure out what I wanted to do, and where I wanted to go,” rejoiced Vargas.

She will now continue on to compete in the National Boys and Girl Club program for scholar-ships and possibly be able to meet the President of the United States.

have traveled to captivating countires such as Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Liechten-stein, and the Czech Republic. The trip, hosted by Caster-bridge, costs $4,000 and is all inclusive - airfare, lodging, and meals are covered. Students who are interested are encour-aged to contact Mr. Gissell for more details.

Photo by Jessica Marioni1.) The group of seniors who are enrolled in the Europe trip set for June 2013. 2&3) Maya Smoot and Taylor Copple, seniors, excitedly pose with their trip brochure.

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Dragon’s Tale Page 5 December 2012

Happy HolidaysLighting up Sonoma

S o n o m a m i s s i o n a t t h e c e n t e r o f h o l i d a y t r a d i t i o n

By Lindsey Jasperse & Ellen Angeloni

Sonomans of all size and age gath-ered on Saturday, Dec. 8 at one of the most historical centers in town ranging from the hours of 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, or 7:30pm. Some of our own SVHS students attended the ceremony. Juniors, Oscar Ramirez and Jack Mur-phy commented, “gathering with the Sonoma community was a great way to celebrate the holiday season.” Every year, Sonoma State His-torical Park holds a holiday cel-ebration in the Mission Chapel, where readings and songs are per-formed by candlelight. The cele-bration continued as the attendants indulged in sweet refreshments around a warm fire, enjoying the holiday season as a community. The activities main goal is to bring families and friends from Sonoma Valley together to this “Spirit of the Season” program.

Photo by Jessica MarioniMany gathered at the Mission Chapel with candle in hand to celebrate traditional festivities such as singing Christmas carols and enjoying holiday treats.

Photo by Jessica MarioniThe lighting of the Christmas Tree took place on the Sonoma Plaza on November 30 to ignite the holiday season.

Culture Culture

Page 6 December 2012Dragons’ Tale

Lincoln goes out with a

b a n g By Weston Updegraff

Lin-coln is remem-bered in h is tory as one of our g r e a t -e s t

presidents. In the new movie, Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lew-is portrays our 16th presi-dent and impress audiences throughout the nation. The movie follows his fi-nal month in office, during which most would agree to be the most demanding in ca-reer. During this period he is attempting to pass the 14th Amendment of the Consti-tution, a provision that will lawfully ensure the equality of all men. The south is los-ing the Civil War, and Lincoln guarantee the ban of slavery prior to their reentry into the Union. Daniel Day-Lewis captured the true essence of Lincoln, where as opposed to mov-ies in the past that portrayed Lincoln having deep monoto-nous voice, but through his-torical analysis, Day-Lewis uncovered a new side of Lin-coln, with a somewhat higher pitched voice. Lincoln is an accurate his-toric portrayal of the constant struggles by the opposition to prevent this historic and cru-cial Amendment from pass-ing. It is sure to spark an inter-est with everyone, with a lingering love story as well as comedic moments. Histo-rians have found stories told by Lincoln throughout his life scattered them throughout the movie, some of which will surely cause laughter in the audiences The cast itself is stacked with some of the greatest actors, along-side Daniel Day-Lewis stands Jo-seph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee-Jones. This blockbuster has netted more than 95 million dollars in the box office, and 95% of top critics loved it. It is an artfully crafted movie, that is sure to remain a classic for years to come. Although the ending leaves something to be desired it is an amazing movie that is sure to make you fall back in love with one of the greatest actors in this nation’s history, Daniel Day-Lewis.

H a i l t h e S n o w M a i d e nBy Pio Valenzuela

Hearts were warmed amid the chill of winter at the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance’s third production of “The Snow Maid-en,” Sat. and Sun., Dec. 8 and 9. The Russian folktale, first

adapted into a ballet in 1878, tells the story of a snow sculp-ture brought to life by the Snow Queen. The sculpture is forbid-den to fall in love, or else the warmth of love will melt her and she is condemned to live in the Land of Snow forever. As the theater darkened, danc-ers burst out from the theater’s entrances, incorporating the au-dience in their festivities. Inevitably, the Snow Maiden falls in love, and returns to the Land of Snow. Lel is aided by the Four Winds, giving him gifts and sneaking him into the Land of Snow. Each Wind, named after the cardinal directions, whirled onto stage one by one. Each performer showcased her personal talents as a diverse dancer, performing a variety of folk dancing. The young children played the parts of snowflakes, snow

guards, icicles, and ice crys-

By Anneliese Koch

With the ap-proach-i n g w i n t e r s e a s o n and hol-iday va-c a t i o n , p e o p l e may find

t h e m -s e l v e s s i t t i n g at home w a t c h -i n g Friends. r e r u n s , u n a b l e to think of any-thing ex-citing to do. However, there are many opportunities to make this season a memorable one. As a convenience to many people in the local area, San-ta Rosa Ski and Sport offers a bi-weekly shuttle bus to vari-ous resorts in Tahoe. Those interested pay a singular fee ranging from $89- $115. The payment includes bus fare, a day pass for the chosen re-sort, a SRSS t-shirt as well as lunch. For those under the age of 18, a mandatory parental consent form must

be signed and brought by the morning of departure.

For t h o s e w h o w o u l d r a t h e r s t a y i n s i d e , sipping h o t c h o c o -late and e a t i n g p o p -c o r n , t h e C e n t u -ry Napa Va l l e y T h e -ater is s h o w -ing an a r r a y

of holiday classic movies. They will be showing every-thing from Home Alone to It’s A Wonderful Life on the big screen. It is the perfect opportunity to see family fa-vorite Christmas movies in a larger than life setting. Take these opportunities to give your holiday season new traditions. Whether you like the indoors, like a cozy movie theater, or outdoors, like the slopes of the Sier-ras, there is always some-thing to do.

Immerse yourself in wintery wonders

By Javia Headley

Beauty and the Beast will be opening on Mar. 1 of next year in the Little Theater. Ella Krikorian and Maya Smoot will play Belle and Sam Gardella and Gerald de Lara will both play the Beast. This play is based off of the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast where an arrogant prince is cursed to take the form of a beast. The helpers in his castle are turned as well. They are cursed to live out their lives as objects until the prince finds love

and Breaks the spell. Belle, a small town girl, meets the beast and they fall in love. The spell is broken and the objects return as humans and the beast becomes a hand-some prince. Maya Smoot and Jacqueline Regan will play Mrs. Potts, So-nia Krikorian, Laura Amador and Madeline Libbey will play Lum-iere, Skylar Trygsdad and Daniel Dwyer will play Cogsworth, Sa-vannah U’ren and August Olson will play Chip (with David Price as their understudy), Sean Hall and Adalid Hernandez will play Gaston, and Buster and Eugene La Haye will play Lefou. Among the other cast members include Kyra Hinton and Kudra Wagner as Babette; Jamie Howl-ett and Theresa-Marie Njada as

Madame de la Grade Bouche; Molly Lobsinger, Maddie Raf-faini as the Aristocratic Lady; Jessica Hood and Sofia Williams

as the Teacher, Alexis Giomi, as the student, Raegan Hedley, as the sausage girl, Stephanie Brett, as the Lady with Cane, Angelica Rivera, as the Lady with Dog, Kaylin Reibli, as the Lady with Baby, David Price, as the Candle Man, and Hannah Encarnacion, as the Hat seller. Andrew Murphy, Annie Mor-gan, Katelyn Adams, Isabel Jay-cox, Paige Knef, Bronwyn Todd, and Austin Aviles will be narrat-ing the play. The dancers are Abbie Cam-eron, Alondra Sanchez, Bron-wyn Todd, Emma Caballero, Ishqa Rousseau, Jen Howlette, Kaylin Martindale, Kylee Mar-tindale, Kyra Hinton, Laura Amador, Lizette Hernandez, Madeline Libbey, Maya Smoot, Molly Lopsinger, Naomi Bli-man, Natalie Smith, Paige Giomi, Paige Kneff, Savannah U’Ren, and Sofa Williams. Maya Smoot, with the help of the more artistic cast members, will be designing the set for her senior project. She hopes to in-corporate the fantasy aspects of this classic into her set. “It’s going to be a vision success,” Maya Smoot noted cheerfully.

A Belle to ring across campus

Photo by Matt Amatori

Evan Johnston and Natalie Anderson, stars of the Snow Maiden, dance a pas de deux at the Sebastiani Theater.tals. And although some of the youngsters weren’t as rehearsed, their performance was touching nonetheless. In the second act, Mama Win-ter, in a very large dress, lifts up the hem of her skirt to reveal the Ice Crystals hiding underneath, dancing around her gleefully, bringing smiles to the entire au-dience. The ballet features the choreog-raphy of Brooke Byrne, Artistic

Director of Khadra International Dance Theatre and Geary Dance Center. The ballet incorporates traditional ballet with folk danc-ing, originating from Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine and Russia. The part of Lel, the shepherd boy the Snow Maiden falls in love with, is played by Evan Johnston, 23, who is currently pursuing a medical doctorate in biological sciences for a career in health care for dancers.Featuring a cast of 37, the Snow Maiden has dancers of all ages, ranging from 6 to 16 years old. Anika Ljung and Natalie An-

derson, freshmen, Isabel Falls, Elizabeth Eagles and Angelica Griggs-Demmin, sophomores, played various parts. Each hav-ing been training in traditional ballet for 11 to 12 years, they are comfortable dancing en pointe. Although the folk dance is foreign to to most of them, liza-beth Eagles explains that they’ve “been in character [roles] for years, and mixing the ballet with the folk wasn’t so difficult.”

The Snow Maiden is sure to stay in Sonoma’s heart this holiday season and beyond the cool winter months of the New Year.

By Sebastian Amara

It is not often that SVHS pro-duces a student with a passion for music like Ella Krikorian, senior. “Music has the ability to dig into your soul and shine light on parts that you did not know you pos-sessed. It’s a thought provoking, creative, and beautiful way to en-compass feelings that are impos-sible to portray any other way,” explained Krikorian. Krikorian’s most recent accom-plishment - winning a Bay Area classical singing competition - has earned her an opportunity to go to the Boston Conservatory next May. She was one of three others from the entire Bay Area accepted to the Conservatory. Krikorian looks forward to trav-eling to the conservatory, where she will perform for panels of judges, competing for scholar-ships and other opportunities.

While Krikorian works inde-pendently to further her musical career, she also uses her talent within SVHS. Not only is she the lead in the spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, she is the president of Music Club, a club designed to raise involvement of students within the SVHS’s music depart-ment as well as teach them how to play musical instruments. For her Senior Project, she is researching the style, history and value of classical music. She also plans, for her project, to study Lieder, classical German arrangements for a single singer with the ac-companiment of only a piano. Krikorian became interest in music as a child. “I would sing herself to sleep.” claimed Kriko-rian. It was then that she em-barked on her long and adven-turous singing career. Before Krikorian reached middle school, she was singing in organized chil-

Talent thrives through townBy Giana Monterosso & Brooke Slack

TED stands for Technol-ogy, Entertainment, and De-sign, three subject areas that are paving our future. TED Talks is a non-profit con-f e r e n c e a r o u n d the coun-try with the slo-gan “ideas w o r t h s p r e a d -ing.” It has been hav-ing these conferenc-es since 2006. At the end of 2006 TED Talks had been watched 2 million times. As of Novem-ber 2012 TED Talks has been view one billion times. By the end of 2009 that number jumped to 200 million estab-lishing TED as an important platform. Emilie Marenec, senior, was chosen from SVHS by the forensics teacher Ms. Hansen to compete with five other high schools in the lo-cal TED Talks competition. During the competition, the contestants were given a sub-ject to speak about, which was connectedness.

dren choirs. When Krikorian was in the seventh grade, she began to advance her singing skills with classical vocal training. Since then, Krikorian has been taking private lessons in Marin as well as San Francisco. During her sophomore year, Krikorian was one of fifteen stu-dents selected to attend Pepper-dine University where she studied under decorated composers Jake Heggie and Libby Larson. While there, she undertook the challeng-es of master classes to create her radiant opera voice. “I’m working on bigger arias, a solo piece written for a main character that focuses on the character’s emotion, as my voice grows,” she comments. Krikorian’s passion for musical arts has formed new aspects of SVHS and helped launch a sing-ing career that will undoubtedly shape the rest of her life.

Five different high schools will be attending this confer-ence, including Justin Sienna, Napa High, and other schools in Sonoma County.

The f o r e n s i c , l e a d e r -ship, or other pub-lic speak-ing classes at each school en-ter and the t e a c h e r c h o o s e s the top two stu-dents in the class to give their speech at the TED c o n f e r -ence. This c o n f e r -ence will be filmed a n d

showed throughout TED talks. “I chose to talk about con-nectedness through music, and the connection between music and my family,” says Marenec. “My great grand-father made violins, and one he made was passed down through our family to me, so music is the way my family stays connected.” Marenec gave her speech about connectedness through music to a large auditorium among 14 other speakers, Sunday, Dec. 2.

Musical diva launches career higher than sopranos

Photo courtesy of Ella KrikorianElla Krikorian practices both her singing ability while she plays the accompanyment on the piano.

By Pio Valenzuela

Jose Heredia, senior, was one of 12 students who stands out from the 2013 class of Stu-dents Rising Above, a college support group that honors ex-emplary students who have also fought through adversity to create their successful high school careers. Heredia is one of two seniors, along with Veronyka Martinez, at SVHS who are in Students Rising Above’s class of 2013. Among many applicants in the Bay Area, they choose those who’ve shown that they can rise above a tough situa-

tion and be able to succeed in school. They “make sure you graduate, and stay with you through college as well,” com-mented Martinez. Those accepted in the program are low-income, first genera-tion college students, and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or high-er, and have no F’s. Once ac-cepted, students are connected with an advisor who frequently checks in with students and helps them through the college application process. Jose Heredia was chosen as someone with an outstanding story of overcoming adver-sity, and was interviewed by

KPIX CBS5 TV. At first he was skeptical and hesitant; however, he soon viewed it as a great opportunity. He hopes to “inspire oth-er kids” by sharing his story. He wishes that oth-ers will follow his example and choose a brighter future through education. The 12 students chosen by SRA receive more recogni-tion and have been shown to have higher chances of get-ting into college. Veronyka was skeptical about the program at first, before ap-plying after she was referred to it by her counselor. However,

she emphasizes the big help that the opportunity has given her, and appreciates it wholly. Being in the program gives these students many chances. According to both Veronyka and Jose, they “keep you on track with college apps, and will help you through col-lege as well, financially and through other support.” Students Rising Above is a lifesaver for many of their students. Their website indi-cates that 81 percent of their students are below the federal poverty line. Furthermore, 85 percent of their students show their gratitude through com-

munity service. With their students’ college graduation rate at 90 percent, twice the national average for students with low-income households, Students Rising Above shows that students can achieve success, even those coming from difficult back-grounds. The SRA’s goal is to im-pact “the future through the cultivation of extraordinary youth.” With Students Ris-ing Above to support them, Jose and Veronyka are both well on their way to a bright future in college.

H e re d i a , M a r t i n e z R i s e A b o v e

Marenec talks to TED

December 2012Page 7Dragon’s Tale

Culture Culture

Sports

Dragon’s Tale Page 8 December 2012

Equestrianism gallops into SVHSBy Jacob Little and Jesse Summers

Sports - Football, baseball, basket-ball, soccer. For most, that just about sums it up. However, SVHS students Taylor Copple, senior, and Devin Ba-con, junior, spend their free time do-ing something a little bit more unique. It’s called equestrianism, or, more commonly, horseback riding. Idyllic nature scenes and exorbitant costs are often paired with horses, but, as Copple and Bacon explain, there’s often more to the good side and less to the bad. Both have been riding since elemen-tary school, getting started on birthday party ponies and an obsession with horses at the fair. So for the two avid riders, the fun begins just where it started – with the horses. “I really love being around the ani-mals, and it just evolved into compe-tition,” explained Copple, who also competes with her horses at local meets. For Bacon, the life skills learned are irreplaceable.

Photo by Giordi Serafini.The Dragons’ wrestling squad recently had their training room re-done.

“Having to care for another animal and practice certain skills with that animal teaches you responsibility,” she elaborates. Since its introduction as a collegiate varsity sport in 1998, and due to its glob-al recognition in the summer Olympics, equestrian activities and competitions are beginning to grow in popularity. This is old news for Sonoma, whose rolling hills and sweeping vineyards have made horseback riding a com-mon pastime for decades. But, just recently, the sport has begun to attract much of the younger crowd as well. Despite its relative growth, many rid-ers-to-be are discouraged by the large amount of money required. Unlike other sports, equestrianism requires dedication to the animal and a large financial investment.

The costs of maintaining a healthy horse range from $100 to $1,000 a month including a quality horse sad-dle, stable fees, and grain or feed on top of paying for lessons. Shoeing a horse by itself can be anywhere from $90 to $300, requiring a new shoe ev-ery 6-8 weeks.

By Giordi Serafini

After more than 20 years of wres-tling in a stench-filled and out of date

wrestling room, the SVHS wrestling team decided to use some funding to update its practice room, and replace the sporting equipment. Along with a new mat, padded walls, and new lockers, the team invested in new singlets (the wrestling uniforms) and brand new warm-up jackets. Current head coach, Kyle Baird, and several members of the team spent many hours over the summer to tear down the old parts of the room, and then construct all its new features. “I love the new mat, and the room looks way better than it ever has before,” remarked Dragon wrestler Max Schimm, junior. The new mat not only provides a more comfortable surface for practice, but a clean start to the season. “The room is much cleaner than last year, and doesn’t smell like death anymore,” said a re-lieved Aidan Lacy, senior. The team

appreciates having a modern and clean room to start the 2012-2013 season. “The room looks really nice, but I will miss all the memories I have with the old room. Every crack in the wall would remind me of past seasons and countless individuals. But change is good, and the most important thing is that the room is safer than it has been,” explained long-time coach

and former wrestler Deets Winslow. Although the old room is ripe with memories, the new room marks a change for the team and represents a prosperous future. The future of Sonoma’s wrestling program will likely be thankful for the work this year’s program put in, while the current wrestlers are eager-ly awaiting the start of the 2012-2013 Sonoma County League season.

B u s t e r P o s e y : a l e g e n d i n t h e m a k i n gBy Brennan Cole and Jonah Son

Buster Posey stood into the batter’s box gripping his weapon of choice: a 34 inch Louisville slugger; the deadli-est armament in baseball. Facing up against a Matt Latos’ 94 mph fastball, the battle was underway. With the bases loaded and one out in a post-season elimination game against the Cincinnati Reds, Buster Posey took matters into his own hands and sent a fastball 435 feet into the left field

bleachers. This would be the turning point in the game as the Giants never looked back and defeated the Reds,

pulled out a nail-biting series victory over the Cardinals, and breezed by the Tigers to claim their second world se-ries ring in three years. Although the Giants’ victory was impressive, the story of the Giants catcher Buster Posey and his remark-able comeback is one that will never be forgotten. At twenty-five years of

age, Buster Posey has a collection of awards and accomplishments that highlight his outstanding skills as one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. To accompany his two World Series rings, Buster Posey has won Rookie of the Year, The Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, a batting

OpinionS.F. Quarterback

controversy

By Brennan Cole and Jonah Son

“We’ll see. Usually tend to go with the guy who’s got the hot hand and we’ve got two quarterbacks that have got a hot hand,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said after second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick put on a show for the ages on football’s big-gest stage. San Francisco football fans and fans across the country were exposed to the beginnings of one of the most hyped quarterback controversies in recent football history. The Niners’ starting quarterback, Alex Smith, un-derwent a series of concussion tests the previous week to test whether or not he would be cleared for the team’s Monday night showdown against the scorching-hot Chicago Bears. Many 49er fans woke up to some-what discouraging news that their starting quarterback who, with the help of coach Jim Harbaugh, led them from a 6-10 record in 2010 all of the way to a 13-3 record and a muffed punt away from the franchise’s first

Super Bowl berth in 18 years. How-ever, little did they know that their backup quarterback might be better than their starter. Colin Kaepernick, second-year man out of University of Nevada Reno, led the charge as the Niners dominated the game’s top ranked defense. No one saw it coming; it was one of the most dynamic performances on Monday Night Football in years. San Francisco cruised to a 32-7 victory. To no surprise, Harbaugh was asked the highly anticipated question in the postgame press conference: who will start next week at New Orleans? Harbaugh, being his characteristic unfriendly self to the media, gave no hints other than he would make the decision later in the week. Tight end Vernon Davis referred to Kaepernick as “the man” and com-mented with praise, “I take my hat off to him because of some great things he did today.” Kaepernick proceeded to earn the start for big game in New Orleans and helped lead the Niners to a second straight dominant victory. Two Sundays ago, against the Mi-ami Dolphins, Kaepernick once again showcased his ability to run the read-option play, when he and running back Frank Gore fooled everyone as he scampered untouched into the end zone. This improved his record as a starter to 3-1. Yesterday was the most significant test yet as he carried the

team into Foxboro for a huge game against the defending AFC-champion New England Patriots with results not available at presstime. He can tuck it and run, throw the deep ball, run the play-action, and scramble from pressure. He has the ability to keep plays alive that perhaps no one else in the league can. If Kaepernick can maintain these high standards that he has set for himself so early in his career and the defense can keep play-ing the way it has been, the Niners may very well join the San Francisco Giants as they strive towards being the top team in their respective sports.

Time Out!

Who is your favorite athlete? “LeBron James”

Kendall AsheGirls’ Basketball

“Kyrie Irving”Vinny Albano

Boys’ Basketball

“Jared Allen”Dalton Elster

Wrestling

Fortunately for those with a small budget, there are ways to avoid the large expenses. “Starting horse riding can be a lot of money, but once you are started and interested in it, there are tons of ways to afford it,” Copple explains. “By taking care of other horses at the stable you can help pay for your horse,” adds Bacon. “And once you get good, you can train other horses

and make even more money back.” “There are also other equestrian scholarships available from specific

colleges,” Copple disclosed. The bottom line for aspiring horse-back riders - getting involved. There are many ways to earn the money, and many more to avoid the costs altogether. You don’t need to be a bil-lionaire to ride a horse. Just ask Taylor Copple or Devin Bacon.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Copple.Taylor Copple, senior, and her horse, Genuis, hurdle a fence in a competition.

New training room for wrestling

title, appeared in an All-Star game, and most impressively in the 2012 season returned to achieve Comeback Player of the Year and the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). After a devastating broken ankle in the 2011 season, Posey focused all of his attention into getting back onto the field at the start of the 2012 season.

Following an offseason of resting, rehabilitation, and hope, Buster Posey not only returned in full health but came back stronger than the player that was worthy of the Rookie of the Year Award just two seasons earlier. Com-pared to his impressive 2010 statistics: .305 batting average, 67 runs batted

Girls’ cross country title revoked

By Connor Griggs-Demmin

In a stunning and heartbreaking turn of events, the SVHS Girls’ Cross Country team’s inspiring SCL title was revoked. An unofficial photo

showed senior Gianna Biaggi one place behind a Petaluma runner the tracking chips showed her to have finished ahead of, thus lowering the

Dragons’ total score one point below Piner’s. Even though the photo was unofficial and the finish crew wit-nessed no discrepancies, the league commissioner determined that the evidence was substantial enough to overturn the original results and award Piner the title. Despite losing what would have been their first league title in 26 years,

the Dragons turned in a solid NCS performance, finishing 13th in a very

strong field. “It’s really disappointing,

but we’re proud of our work,” com-mented senior captain Serena Spry, summing up the feelings of the team.

in, and 18 home runs, Buster Posey further awed the baseball world with an MVP season: .336 batting average, 103 runs batted in, and 24 home runs. Posey shows his leadership not only with his talent, but also as a role model for his teammates. Giant’s manager, Bruce Bochy, praises Posey’s pres-ence on and off the field saying, “He

not only has a huge impact on our lineup but a bigger impact with the way that he leads by example.” Posey has shown the baseball world his capability as a baseball player and leader, making him the icon of San Francisco Giants baseball.

By Adelia Gregory

The fiscal cliff has been mentioned in the news day after day—a hyper-politicized debate over spend-ing cuts and tax increases. With its cur-rent news cov-erage, the fis-cal cliff hangs over the hori-zon and poli-ticians’ con-sciences like a looming a p o c a l y p s e . Without a deal to stop the spiraling costs of the biggest four machines of government , M e d i c a r e , Medicaid, So-cial Security, and interest on the debt, all federal tax revenue would be swallowed whole by 2026. But what does this mean to students at Sonoma Valley High School? By 2026, the fiscal cliff would mean there would be noth-ing left to pay for anything like

Fiscal cliff reflects unsustainable budgeteducation, medical research, food safety, air traffic control, high-ways, national parks, defense, and veterans’ benefits, etcetera. The right wing’s solution to

the predicament is to slash en-titlement spending and shrink government, despite the growing entitlement costs stemming from a growing elderly population. The left are clambering to tax

News

Page 9 December 2012Dragon’s Tale

Anderson did not excel in his studies; however, he found refuge in art and a friend in his art teach-ers. Those teachers influenced him to later become art teacher. On his free time, Anderson en-joys sculpting and melting wood. Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked in glassblowing. In the upcoming semester An-derson plans to introduce ce-ramics, water coloring tech-niques, mold making, paper cutouts, and portraits. He be-lieves that the new semester will be prosperous because his students are welcoming and in-terested in art. His style of teaching pro-vides his students with an in-ventive and engaging way to create art. To Olivia Bingham,

By Javia Headley

Aaron Anderson, the new art teacher, was a funk and soul d.j. in Portland, Oregon for four years before becoming a teacher. He continues to d.j. now, d.j.-’ing classic country for fundraisers here in Sonoma. He tries to implement music ap-preciation into his art classes because of this passion. Before teaching here he was a long term substitute in Healds-burg and Portland. He is cur-rently teaching four Art 1 classes and one art design class, a class for more advanced art students. Even as a child he was very passionate about art. His mother, who was an artist, emphasized the importance of art. In high school

New Art Teacher Colors With Artistic Edge

the rich, despite the fact that a monstrosity of debt and cost can’t all be saddled onto the backs of a minority. The Congressional Budget Of-

fice addressed the issue by ex-plaining, “To have a substantial budgetary impact would require large numbers of people to pay more in taxes or receive less in government benefits or servic-

es.” Budget experts are vying for serious attention to combine tax increases and spending cuts to realistically address the is-sues plaguing our modern gov-

ernment. Falling off the fiscal cliff would mean curb-ing the deficit by $7 trillion, starting next year. The gov-ernment needs to stop deficits from growing faster than the economy to sta-bilize the debt and prevent a complete dev-astation of vital areas like edu-cation funding. “The sudden and blunt na-ture of the fiscal cliff would have a devastating impact on the economy,” the Committee for a Responsible

Federal Budget noted. With their long-term debt reduction plan to be voted on next year, the fate of government benefits and services hangs strategically in fragile balance.

Will stubborness entrap Wahington as Obama and Boehner debate the future? Photo courtesy of Google

Caught in Thought

What are your winter break

plans?

Mitch Hood, Junior

“Staying at home and hanging out”

Hannah Cenci, Senior

“I’m going on a three day skiing adventure with my

family.”

Hannah Adams,

Freshman

“I’m going to Disneyland with friends”

Graham Herder,

Sophomore

“Snowboarding for days!”

rently enjoys Anderson’s art 1 class, “He has a really cool style of teaching.” Anderson uses music as an inspi-ration for his students and reminds them that they do not have to be Picasso in order to create art. The music greets his students everyday as they make their way into class. As a person, Anderson is “pretty chill” according to Aiden Lacy, another student in his art 1 class. Carrillo believes that Anderson “serves as an inspiration for his students because of his passion for art and his encouraging attitude towards his students.”

his “creative art projects that are out of the box makes his class more interesting.” In his Art I class he is cur-rently working on a joiner col-lage, which is based off a proj-ect by David Hockney, an early 20th century English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. In this project his students will use small pictures from magazines to create a larger one. In his art appreciation class, he is working on a mural. According to Karina Carrillo, a first year art student who cur-

Photo taken by Chelsea Krause