The Paw PrintVolume II, Issue V Sonoma Academy March 2014

by Sierra MaciorowskiStaff Writer

Food for Thought: The Lunch Situation at SA

“It’s a little like Whack-A-Mole,” said Dean of Students Stacy Cohen. “You hit one and you get a point, and another one pops up.” Lunch options at SA have been anything but predictable over the past few years, and the ad-ministration’s search for reliability, like an arcade game, has been consistently repetitive. Although new options keep cycling through, some choices have remained constant, like Good Earth Catering. And, according to Stacy, that may also be the healthiest lunch around -- or, at least, the heartiest. “You get a full meal, and you can really pile on your plate”, she said. But what is the best economic choice? The fastest nutrition on campus, from the Fresh and Healthy vending machines, may seem expensive, but it actually gives back to the community through a 15% dividend check every month. As Stacy explained, “I put [that money]

back in the student life budget, maybe for more snacks at a dance, or the cereal bar for Valentine’s Day.” So, buying from Fresh and Healthy may cost more up-front, but you might get more free ce-real and M&Ms in the long run if you go for gummy worms instead of pretzels. And, according to Stacy, the more you spring for on-campus food, the better. “I would love for people to want to stay on campus, rather than go off campus,” she said. Thankfully, lunch choice expansion will continue: in the semi-distant future, there will be an actual cafeteria. However, lunch options for the future could expand in any direction. “There’s a new one that may be starting: Jasmine Jacobson,” said Stacy. “She owns Native Kitchen, out of Petaluma, so we’ll talk to her and see what she might be able to do for us.”

But not every possibility seems to work out, as Pomegranate Catering proved. After only two days of sales, the Forest-ville-based company decided that Sonoma Academy was not the right environment for them, before many students had the chance to test out their menu. Stacy puts that loss down to simple eco-nomics. “He was making homemade mayonnaise from organic eggs,” she explained: his offerings were rather expensive. “I don’t think they’ve given it a long enough go. That was disappointing.” As spring comes closer, any new lunch op-tions will hopefully carry into the 2014-2015 school year. “I’d like to leave Jason [Gregory, incoming Dean of Students] with something that’s consistent and reliable going into the fall,” Stacy said. “I want whatever I set up this spring to go through at least December of next year.” And, with luck, everything will: the lat-est food on campus, The Farmer’s Wife Catering, seems to be well received and efficient, and most other choices are well-established, like Good Earth and the vending machines. However, can Sonoma Academy look for anything new in the last quarter? Unfortunately, students probably should not expect to see any frozen treats this year, since last year’s ice cream truck, Molly Moo’s, is no lon-ger in operation. But Stacy is always looking for new lunch options and trucks. “If students go to a local festival or concert and find a food truck that sounds interesting, [they should] get their business card and hand it to me,” Stacy said. That could even extend to snow cones. Moving forward, the administration will always want new and better ways to feed Sonoma Academy, and for Stacy, there are four basic tenets of food choice. “Affordable, reliable, consistent, and nutritious,” she said. “And not necessarily in that or-der.”

Filtering the Good or the Bad?by Jonas DucarrozStaff Writer

Are the web filters too strict at SA? Ev-erybody has encountered the “Web Page Blocked!” message when they have tried to access a website that is non-educational or risky, like free game or pornography websites. This is because the school has purchased and is subscribed to FortiGuard. When asked what the purposes of re-stricting the web are, Director of Technology Sean

Freese answered, “The web filter has two primary purposes. First, it works to prevent accidental expo-sure to...inappropriate material on the internet. We are required to filter our web content in this regard based on our participation in a federal assistance program called E-Rate, which helps offset our tele-communications costs. “Second, it helps minimize activities that

do not offer much in the way of academic value but either result in high bandwidth usage or high poten-tial for distraction in class. I try to maintain a light touch in this latter regard but student attention and internet bandwidth are ultimately finite resources and I am tasked with taking steps to make sure that

Photo courtesy of Amy PinoSA parent Kendra Kolling offers a delicious grilled cheese lunch option

In this Issue...

Continued on page 2

Steve's Corner Steven Stack gives an ode to our beloved teachers

Champion Debaters Jake Lawson takes a look at Logan Noel and Morgan Apostle, SA's debate team powerhouse

Saying Goodbye Sarah Maliarik interviews Judy Pordes and Stacy Cohen about their final months at SA

2 March 2014The Paw Print Features

they are preserved for academic pursuits.” FortiGuard is not only used to block gam-ing websites and 9gag. This type of security is very secure and helps keep the network and our computers safe from malwares. The filtering system is made up of user in-puts and FortiGuard’s own input. The sites that are blocked are blocked because they do not serve an aca-demic purpose and will prevent students from focus-ing on school. “On our firewall, I select the categories that we wish to block or allow. Beyond that, I can add a

specific site to a ‘White’ or ‘Black’ list to exempt it or block it, respectively. I can also file a request with FortiGuard to re-categorize a particular site if I feel it is being unfairly lumped in with blocked sites,” said Freese. Many students have expressed that having to sign in is annoying and they sometimes have to put their password in more than once. “I think they are necessary, but there are some things that I think should not be blocked that are blocked by accident,” said senior Connor Burrows. “I like that Sean and Changa trust us with YouTube.

I do not like that Pandora is blocked. If music sites like Pandora are blocked, then YouTube should be blocked, too.” Connor said, “I think that we should be on our own system. I think that it would be a lot easier and a lot faster if we are on our own. Enough students have their own cellphones that we don't need to have YouTube and Pandora unblocked. If students want to use YouTube and Pandora they can use their phones and not waste the bandwidth.”

Are SA's Web Filters Too Strict?Continued from page 1

A Successful Sophomore Mid-Year Retreat by Jojo SandersContributing Writer

Besides learning how to spell the word “sophomore” correctly, I learned a few valuable life lessons at the mid-year retreat. What has been called “the best retreat yet” by numerous 10th graders takes place at a ranch. In case it is a secret, that is all I will say. Personally, I was a little apprehensive about the retreat, because social occasions that last more than 35 minutes are generally a hassle for me. But by the end, I realized that there was nothing I would rather have done during that time. Perhaps it was being in a different and beau-tiful location or perhaps it was a lack of anything else

to do, but my class was warm and inclusive during those hours, like a big extended family or tight-knit tribe. Whether or not this feeling is perfectly pre-served back at campus is a mystery, and also the job of all of us. However, I know I will look back on that time as one of unity, togetherness, and gladly broken social boundaries, and know that if it was possible once, it will be possible again So, why sophomores? Junior year is more academically challenging, senior year is nostalgic and perhaps tiresome, and freshman year is scary and raw. So why do the sophomores get to miss two

whole days of school just to hang out? Personally, I don’t think it could have been better timed. People will always have “stuff” (that casual yet provocative word) but sophomores share much of the same stuff, that when faced alone is scary but when it is a com-mon thing it is much less scary. Whether two or 56 other people feel how you feel, fear what you fear, it is that much less unknown and lonely. So as much as I know every junior would kill for 2 days off, I hon-estly think that middle of sophomore year takes the cake in terms of importance.

Morgan Apostle and Logan Noel: SA's Powerhouse debate team

by Jake LawsonStaff Writer

So, after writing my first arti-cle about Forensics, I promised myself I wouldn’t write about it again. I lied, but I have an excuse: the Forensics teams are doing super cool, super ex-citing things that you should read about and enjoy. There will be more about them in the next issue. I am not sorry. Also, chances are you know these peo-ple, so you should congratulate them and be happy for them, because if you don’t, you’re probably really lame and

uncool. The Debate team of the two-and-only junior Logan Noel and se-nior Morgan Apostle recently qualified for The Tournament of Champions in Parliamentary Debate, which sounds prestigious, mostly because, well, it is. Only 24 Parliamentary Debate teams in California qualify for the yearly tournament, and Morgan and Logan are the first team from Sonoma Acad-emy to ever qualify. That’s more than

pretty impressive, considering there are dozens—sometimes even hundreds—of teams at any given tournament throughout the year. Needless to say, this is a big deal, so I asked the talented team of two a few questions. “So first of all, how has the Debate season been going so far for you guys?” Logan: “This Debate season has gone better than I ever hoped or imagined. Not long ago, none of the other schools at Debate tournaments knew who Sonoma Academy was, and we would hear whispers of ‘Who's that?’ every time our name was called, but that has changed completely. At the beginning of the season, Morgan and I agreed that we wanted to be one of ‘those teams’ in the league that no one wanted to go against, and I think we're getting there. But the reason everyone knows SA's name is not because of Morgan and I, but because our Debate team as a whole has had an unprec-edented level of success, and now ev-eryone else recognizes it.” Morgan: “The Debate season has been absolutely amazing and com-pletely surreal. I never imagined that we'd be able to go to The Tournament of Champions or have any of the suc-cesses we've had! Ivy's a totally awe-some coach. Also it's just great being part of our ‘Debate family.’" Look how sweet. Debate isn’t all about just yelling at people that their resolution is wrong, you know! Okay, well, that’s part of it, but it can also be a really amazing, life-changing thing. “What was your first reaction

Superstar debaters Morgan Apostle and Logan Noel Photo courtesy of Logan Noel

when you found out you guys had qual-ified for Tournament of Champions?” Morgan: “When we found out we qualified, it was super late at night, and we were in out-rounds at Stanford. We were kind of dazed, then Logan just turned around and hugged me and I started laughing kind of hysterically and teared up a little. All I could think was that this was the best way to finish out my senior year Debate season!” See, look how happy and fun? So happy. So fun. Come share in the joy that SA offers through Forensics any time, we bring smiles and flying pens to any who care to join. “How do you feel about the whole situation now?” Logan: “When you put to-gether teams [of people] who have a love [for] and dedication [to] Debate, both perform better than they could otherwise, because the high level of competition brings out the best every-one has to offer, and to me that is re-ally exciting. I feel like going against all the best debaters in the state will be such a unique experience and we will learn so much from the experience. At the same time, our goal is not to win the thing, but to do the best we possibly can and be happy to have made it so far. Personally, I believe we've already overcome the biggest hurdles.” This year, the Tournament of Champions will be hosted by Clare-mont High School, and is a tournament known to determine the best of the best. It goes without saying that Morgan and Logan have done amazingly well, and we wish them good luck!

March 2014 The Paw Print Features 3

The Creative Spark in High Schools by Elizabeth KollingStaff Writer

When families and kids choose schools, they are often times looking for ones that provide profound education with exemplary teachers and a place where students are allowed to express them-selves both creatively and conceptually. Where some schools thrive off of students’ visionary and inven-tive aptitudes, others can often at times, terminate students’ creative abilities. Naturally, among other things, this is where Sonoma Academy and other schools differ, as SA not only allows but encourages creativity amongst the teacher and student community. However, in order to experience an environment such as this within a school like Sonoma Academy, one must be willing to sacrifice certain things that, in their eyes, define the common description of high school. Some of these sacrifices might include the limited social opportunities in regards to the number of students at SA, resulting in the overbearing mag-nification of student relationships and issues. An anonymous source said, “Sometimes l get tired of the people here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the people in general, but I feel like I know everyone too well and everyone knows me too well. To say it simply, there is no mystery associated with

students.” Although there are both good and bad things about Sonoma Academy, like any school, one thing that never falters is the relationship between both the teachers and students. At SA, teachers assign projects and home-work that compel students to think more abstractly, providing real-life situations that further nourish students’ understanding of not only the topics, but how they relate to the present matters of the world. Teachers consider their classrooms places where great thinking and inspiration take place, providing environments where students are allowed to speak their minds and contribute to discussions without being alienated or estranged either intellectually or emotionally. “I feel really comfortable voicing my opin-ion in my classes and I’m given the opportunity to make assignments my own and be creative with them,” said freshman Hannah Feldman. Unlike SA, public schools frequently ob-struct students’ and teachers’ creative abilities. Stu-dents are overwhelmed with the vast amounts of homework, as it is a consumption of their hours and is often busy work. Both students and teachers are

confined to their textbooks and worksheet exercises and never go further to discuss the material as it per-tains to the world. Teachers at SA are allowed to construct their own unique syllabus and curriculum, as there are no demanding restrictions that limit teachers’ creativity within the course. Humanities teacher Brandon Spars said, “It makes each course something that each teacher cares very much about.” Although you might have to sacrifice some of the ‘normal high school experience,’ Sonoma Academy is a school that makes up for it by creating a community where the aspiration and desire to learn is always presenSA provides numerous opportunities for both students and teachers in a collective quest to achieve higher learning. Even as the some students feel constrained within a small community, they also realize that there is comfort in a smaller group of peo-ple and that sometimes, a lack of mystery is a good thing. An anonymous source said, “All in all, I enjoy getting up every morning and going to school here. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.”

A Trip to Medieval Times at SA by Amy PinoEditor-in-Chief

Armed with a passion for the arts, a unique idea, and plenty of inspiration, Doug Gallagher, Hillary Younglove, and Jenifer Coté are directing a production based on a script adapted from "The Canterbury Tales" (Geoffrey Chaucer, 1342-1400) that will push the limits of a traditional spring pro-duction. This spring, SA will put on a mobile play adapted from “The Canterbury Tales” that will physically take the audience on a journey around campus. The play will have large pageantry pup-pets made by Hillary and her students, and it will be accompanied by music that will travel with the production as it moves around campus. "I have loved ‘The Canterbury Tales’ for quite a while. I did a miniature version of this concept with a group of sixth graders about 12 or 13 years ago at a small school in Sebastopol," said Doug. "I always kept it at the back of my mind that it might be interesting to do with a different group someday and elaborate on what we did there." This production is based on a concept that

Doug, Hillary, and Jenifer were inspired by while visiting a village in the Italian Alps where they stud-ied and created large pageantry puppets. Doug taught a class first semester in which a group of students adapted "The Canterbury Tales" into a modernized script that will be used for the spring production. "I taught a course last fall that was centered on frame stories which ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is a good example of," said Doug. "The second half of the semester I worked with 13 students on creating original versions, kind of rewritten versions, modern-ized to some degree, of the original tales that Chaucer wrote in the 14th century." Doug is also looking forward to working with the music of "The Canterbury Tales" era, as well as working with contemporary music to modernize the production." Because this is a progressive play, we're going to have music on the road as we're moving from place to place, so students will be singing or playing instruments as the crowd moves along," said Doug.

Doug expects about 30 students to be in-volved in the production. The large puppets often take more than one person to puppeteer, and Doug is looking forward to getting the audience involved in this aspect of the production. “I want the audience to feel like they are in-volved in the production and in a sense I want the cast to feel like they're kind of part of the fabric of the audience, that we're all doing this thing together, and that the audience is going to have a part in making the play work," Doug said. "Some of them might be made to be puppeteers on the spot." Doug is not worried about this spontaneous nature of the production; rather, it is what will make the production unique and exciting. "There's this improvisatory kind of liveli-ness that I hope we can pull off," Doug said. "That's the most exciting part but it's also the scariest part, because you never know what you're going to get in terms of an audience and how are we going to, as a cast, encourage the audience to not just be passive, but to become active."

A Farewell to Familiar Facesby Sarah MaliarikStaff Writer

As the second semester progresses and the school year starts coming to an end, Sonoma Acad-emy has a few faces to say goodbye to. Stacy Cohen, our Dean of Students, has exciting plans for the fu-ture and Judy Pordes is starting a new chapter of her life as well. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with them about how they feel about leaving and what they are looking forward to in the near future. Judy had lots to say about the future. She said looks forward to, “Volunteer tutoring in my lo-cal school district, traveling, buying a bicycle, [and] spending more time gardening and with family, espe-cially my grandchildren.” When asked what she will miss most about

SA, Judy said, “The students. They are wonderful. And I will miss my colleagues. It is nice that my ca-reer culminated here.” Judy has worked at Sonoma Academy for four years but taught for a total of 40 years. She can’t say there is a particular moment she will remember

most, just that, “As a whole it’s been great, it’s been fun.” Stacy also has a lot planned for the future. “My plans for the immediate future are to work for an organization called VISIONS, which leads service learning adventure programs for teens. I'll be living in Cambodia for about six weeks! I love traveling with teens and I am really looking forward to this opportunity. After Cambodia, I'm not really sure… Taking a leap of faith and trust that all will be well,” she explained. Stacy is most looking forward to traveling

Stacy Cohen Judy Pordes

Continued on page 4

March 2014The Paw Print Features4

and learning about Cambodian culture. She has worked at Sonoma Academy for over 9 years, and also had much to say about what she will miss most about SA. Stacy said, “I will miss so much at SA! First and foremost, I'll deeply miss the students and my beloved colleagues with whom I've laughed with, cried with, had fun with and of course worked incredibly hard to create Sonoma Academy with. It's going to be very hard to say goodbye. There are a billion memories here and I will always love SA!”

When asked about a particularly memorable moment, Stacy said “I can't say there is a particular moment that I'll remember most, but I will say, I am a very sentimental and nostalgic person who believes in the importance of keeping memories in my heart for a life rich with love!”

Continued from page 3

Saying Goodbye to Judy and Stacy

High School Flashbackby Julia Adams Staff Writer

Marco MarroneWhat were you like in high school?I was a quiet child who kept to himself. I loved animals and would often talk to them out the classroom window. On the fifth floor. Shouting was sometimes required.

What stereotypical high school role did you fall under?I was definitely the kid-from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks who falls for the used-to-be-ugly-but-now-is-totally-hot girl, winds up ask-ing her to the undersea-themed prom and rocking out at the end of the big party before somebody gets thrown in the pool. It was the 80s.

What aspects of yourself have most drastically changed since you were in high school? My hair. I used to have none.

What was your favorite class?Taxidermy.

As a teenager, what did you spend the majority of your free time doing?Shaking down smaller, weaker kids for their lunch money. And macrame.

Which student at SA resembles your former high school self most?Grace Martin. I too was a singing, dancing sensation.

What was your senior superlative? (If you didn’t have one, what do you think it would’ve been?) Last.

Did you ever get in trouble in high school and if so for what? Well, the court records are sealed, but let's just say I did spend my junior and senior years in the Witness Protection Program (whoops! Shouldn't have said that!) It's actually okay that I said that, because everyone who was out to get me from those days is dead. I murdered them (whoops again!).

What was the one most interesting/entertaining/funny thing that happened to you in high school? Once I was walking to class and I found a flower growing up through a crack in the asphalt and I stopped and looked at it for a moment and thought: "Way to go, flower."

Janet DurginWhat were you like in high school? Shy

What stereotypical high school role did you fall under?Janet who?

What aspects of yourself have most drastically changed since you were in high school? Confidence

What was your favorite class?French

As a teenager, what did you spend the majority of your free time doing?Day dreaming

What was your senior superlative? (If you didn’t have one, what do you think it would’ve been?)"Least likely to be a high school principal". Just kidding. It was a huge school and we didn't do superlatives.

Did you ever get in trouble in high school and if so for what?Nope.

What was the one most interesting/entertaining/funny thing that happened to you in high school?One? My entire high school experience was a string of interesting/entertaining/funny things. Just kidding. But I probably had the most fun in theater. Also, I remember the first time I stayed up all night talking to friends. I didn't understand why my parents were mad that I didn't call to let them know where I was.

Critter Corner: Bento

by Sydney WeilManaging Editor

Sometimes, our computer breaks, or it won’t let you log in, or you just have some random question about the capabili-ties of the machine you use so frequently. When this (usually frustrating event) hap-pens, the guy to see is Changa Imara, who is likely able to fix your problem or an-swer your question. Any anger you may have at your machine is likely to disappear, through, as soon as you catch sight of Bento the pug, Changa’s dog. The perhaps seven-year-old dog (his age is a bit of a mystery) accompanies Imara several days a week. “It’s like having a little mascot for the Help Desk,” he said. “He’s kind of a celebrity, with fans...that come to visit him and give him treats, while I do actual work.” Imara got Bento about a year ago through the website Pug Pros and the Pug Rescue of Petaluma. “I had a pug growing up and had been selling my girlfriend Dawn on the cuteness [of ] pugs since we started dat-ing,” he said. “Eventually, she got tired of me talking about it and started browsing the Pug Pros website...Bento was listed there. “When we got him he had just had a ton of surgery and was missing fur around his neck where he had been bitten down through the skin,” said Imara. “The details are sparse, but Bento was attacked and bad-ly mauled by another dog and that’s when he was given to the Pug Pros program.” Now, Imara says, Bento is enjoy-ing life to the fullest, especially when food is involved. “He’s all about the treats. And then on taco Fridays there’s bits of lettuce on the ground and as we leave he tries to suck them all up like a little vacuum,” he said. “He has the appetite of a cartoon dog.” Of course, Bento also enjoys the attention he gets from students. Being at school allows him to get walked and get some socialization. Due to his love of eat-ing anything he can when not supervised, he goes to doggie daycare when he’s not here. Having him at school, however, is

not always such a walk in the park. “Making sure he isn’t a nuisance to the campus and students is really the main thing,” said Imara. “If Bento becomes a distraction from the work of educating students, he can’t come to school anymore, so Bento and I try very hard to keep a low profile.” Bento makes for good company, though, and Imara enjoys being able to spend more time with him. “I like to talk to Bento like he’s a human being. You know, try to challenge him intellectually,” Imara said. “For exam-ple, I’ll ask him for computer programming help or for his take on the political hap-penings of the day...Am I a crazy person? Maybe. Or maybe Bento is the first real-life talking dog! There’s always a chance that he’s secretly capable of answering.” No matter what, though, there’s no denying that there’s something special about this little pug. Imara said, “He’s sneaky smart and very expressive. He’s amazingly easy going...And every night this adorable dog curls up next to me and begins to snore, you just can’t believe you ever lived without him.”

March 2014 5March 2014 The Paw Print Editorials

Letter from the EditorsDear Readers,

As much as it pains us to leave next year, we are comforted by knowing that our newspaper will be left in good hands. It is our pleasure to announce next year’s editorial staff: Sierra Maciorowski, Jess O’Connor, and Jake Lawson. We have carefully selected these three to take the helm next year after reading many ap-plications. It is extremely difficult to even think about leaving the newspaper we have worked on for so long and have seen grow so much. However, we know that these three will guide The Paw Print to even more success. We are eager to work with these three students over the next quarter to prepare them to successfully run the staff next year. We have had a great time running this newspaper over the past three years, and we are so proud of how far it has come. Hopefully, our editors next year will continue our tradition of excellence. Thank you so much for all of your support over the past years. We will miss our staff and or readers next year!

Sincerely,The EditorsAmy Pino, Allison Ashley, and Sydney Weil

Where Did All the Clowns Go? by Jess O'ConnorStaff Writer

The quarter three "Paw Print" staff, L-R:Elizabeth KollingJulia AdamsYzzy Mirabelli-MontanJonas DucarrozSydney WeilJess O'ConnorSierra MaciorowskiSteven StackAllison AshleyJake LawsonJenna PowellAmy PinoRiley Rose Smothers

Photo courtesy of SA yearbook

Breaking News: There appears to be a clown shortage threatening the nation. The World Clown Association states that membership has dropped from 3500 to 2500 in the last ten years. According to President Dean-na Hartmier, “The challenge is getting younger people involved,” because most of the members of this association are over 40. For many, this news is a bless-ing that will bring more smiles than ev-ery clown in the world could. “Clowns are the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” said se-nior Morgan Apostle. “I live in constant fear, check my closet every night before I go to bed… and sometimes cry.” Symptoms such as this are seen all over the country and have been scientifically labeled “coulrophobia,” which is the extreme or irrational fear of clowns. Coulrophobia has inspired books and films such as “It,” a story about a creature that manifests itself as a monstrous clown in order to terror-ize and murder. In some cases, clowns have provided a very strong reason for many of these fears through their own actions. Freshman Jonas Ducarroz de-scribed a terrifying experience he had with a clown at his sixth birthday party. “She asked me how old I was. I said six and she pulled out a giant syringe with a huge needle and told me if I was six

[sick] I needed to take a shot. I freaked out and ran into my room. I was very scared.” Misunderstandings such as this one, as well as coulrophobia, pro-vide the basis for a widespread distrust and fear of clowns. There is a portion of the population, however, that is remain-ing passive in this debate. “I don’t have one of those weird fears of clowns,” said Humani-ties teacher Kerry Hanlon. On whether or not this clown shortage would be detrimental, Kerry said, “It’s an opportunity. Now people who want to be clowns can be clowns.” One of the many people across the country fighting the clown taboo is senior Marshall McGraw. He’s tak-en classes on clowning, although the clowning he practiced was much differ-ent than the type the general public is familiar with. “You do wear a red nose,” Marshall admitted. “The philosophy is that everyone has a clown in them... as an aspect of their personality… So the first time you put on the clown nose, you ‘meet your clown’.” He explained that every per-son’s clown was different, ranging from happy-go-lucky, to, “very grumpy, [and] hateful”. From there, you develop routines and always maintain eye con-tact. However, when asked about

the national clown shortage itself, he said that it didn’t surprise him. “People have a very preconceived, very stead-fast idea of what a clown is, and it ap-parently frightens them,” he said. Morgan Apostle’s idea of a clown certainly frightens her, as she claims that, “CLOWNS ARE AW-FUL.” Freshman Evan Lampson sec-onds that opinion with the statement, “Clowns are evil.” It appears that the idea of clowns frightens the general public, which is bad news for the clown indus-try. Will clowns ever recover? Will they ever return to strength? And if so, is this a good thing? Morgan says no. “The world would be better off without clowns,” she says, “I realize that this could cause a minor unemployment crisis, but I think that we could keep all the fun of clowns without the terrifying costumes and make-up. CLOWNS ARE NOT FUN FOR ANYONE.” Perhaps the key to conquer-ing the fear of clowns is to find one’s inner clown, as Marshall described. Ei-ther way, this unemployment crisis will definitely bring the spring out of the abnormally large step of every clown… For now. Although she remains neutral on the subject, Kerry Hanlon admits, “An unemployed clown… That’s sad.”

SLC Cornerby Jenna PowellStaff Writer

SLC Coordinators:Allison AshleyJenna Powell

Senior Representatives:Riley Rose SmothersMorgan Apostle

Junior Representatives:Chris ReedEli Rosen-Duran

Sophomore Representatives:Jack GreenbergLiam Kolling

Freshman Representatives:Gabe GradyEmmy O’Brien

Athletic Coordinators:Logan EbertSavannah Stoughton

Arts Coordinators:Jojo SandersJess O’Connor

Diversity Chairs:Lupita AlamillaSekoah Salkin

Social Coordinators:Caleb WeilAvik Banerjee

Upcoming dates to look forward to:

Monday, April 14: Break Buffet, Freshman classFriday, April 25: PJ’s and Pancakes DayWednesday, April 30: Grandparents DaySaturday, May 10: Prom

6 March 2014The Paw Print Editorials

Where Do Our Priorities Lie?

by Jojo SandersContributing Writer

Picture your favorite gossip magazine (mine is “US Weekly”, be-cause of the “Who Wore it Better?” section). But instead of Lindsay’s latest rehab trip or Kim K.’s most recent fashion catastrophe, imagine that the cover is plastered with an obese person or thin children. Instead of fad diets or a list of top trends of the spring, imagine pic-tures of the best homeless encampments of the spring and statistics of how many thousands of people are struggling in the lowest of poverty right now. I know this is kind of an uncomfortable subject. The homeless have been tossed from our society like so much spare change, and feelings like sadness, regret, repulsion, and exhaustion surface around them. Homeless people have stereotypes that are often true, so whatever you have heard has probably happened. Acknowledging these issues is the most important part of solving any problem. I am not trying to guilt trip anyone. I also don’t want to throw out statistics to scare well-meaning naïvetés or make you regret spending ALL your wood-cutting money at Forever21. I am not even trying to make any-one donate time or energy to charity (not discouraging it, either...). I simply want to raise the most basic level of awareness that however fortunate or unfortunate you are at the moment, it could be, and is, much worse just three used up paychecks and two streets away.

Steve's Cornerby Steven StackContributing Writer

“If you don’t know by now, I’m talkin’ bout Chi-town.” –Kanye West.Like Kanye West, I’m Chi-town born and raised. I’ve seen fireworks on Lake Michigan. I know the winters she got so cold on me. Kanye and I seem to have an uncanny resemblance; maybe we’re the same person? Probably not, but ev-eryone from Chicago has the ability to rhyme, a little bit. I figured I’d give it a try, not a rap, but a poem (from the class of 2014 to the teachers). Don’t tell Kanye, poems are embarrassing.

A poem of appreciation, to all the beloved educators in the SA nation,From the irreplaceable Sam Horton, DNA, the femur and oceanic cetaceans,To the incredible Liza Zavieh, educating physics of mechanical rotation,And the ever-entertaining Darren Duarte, teaching my entire math duration,Hillary Younglove and Sarah Freiberg, with their stunning art creations,And Wade Nasholds with fascinating displays of genetics and cell formation,The always-surprising class of Kerry Hanlon, and US – Soviet relations,To the ridiculously talented Brandon Spars, with unforgettable orations,And always-friendly Amber Greer, preachin’ AP Calc BC integrations,The charismatic personality of Dan Karbousky, geometry summations,And Changa Imara who in his first class can teach Java animations,Maitane Elorza, reppin' the Basque and teachin’ Spanish conjugations,Jen Cote, made me dance and saw me and Frenchie as a good combination,Alissa Coenen and Monica Roney and their impeccable Spanish translations,Doug Gallagher whose music and signing create unsurpassed elation,And what’s obvious in her classes is Florence Rink’s insane dedication,Also mid year acquisition Jim Sweeney and his statistic calculations,And good-hearted Colin McNamara, the Aztecs and Hiroshima’s detonation,Chris Z and Kevin C, whose gags and quips bring life to physical education,Lisa Gardner who brought to us the Chinese New Year celebration, To the chemical balancing Judy Pordes and her forty-year culmination,And to Stacy Cohen in her last year, a specialist in freshman orientation,El capítan Luc Martin, All-Star leader and boss at marketing propagation,Memorable humor of Jamie Murray, imparting China to Tibet’s annexation,And Mike Raudenbush, master of maintenance operations,Marco Morrone with the innovative Discovery Draft and comedic divination, In her first year Nancy Hoffman, bringing to SA the world of aviary migration,And sir David Rion himself, the rightful king of college applications,Lastly, Drew Gloger, who’s constitutional analysis left me in utter fascination, It’s been a fantastic year, looking back from now to convocation, so… On behalf of the Class of 2014, I’d like to thank you all before our graduation.

Going up in Smokeby Allison AshleyEditor-in-Chief

One of the country’s largest chains of drugstores has decided to stop selling the product that will cost it almost $2 billion a year in sales: cig-arettes. Starting October 1st, this deci-sion will make CVS the first pharma-cy chain to take a stand against health issues related to tobacco products. But, will people get the mes-sage or just find someone new to sup-port their habit? According to the American Lung Association, smoking cigarettes is known to be the number one cause of premature death worldwide. Every year 443,000 Americans are diag-nosed with a smoking-related disease and 8.6 million people are living in the United States with a serious ill-ness caused by smoking. The drug-stores decision to remove cigarettes from their 7,600 stores is parallel to their company’s official vision, which explains, “We strive to improve the quality of human life.” But, as a pri-vate company do they have the right to tell what the best “quality of human life” is?CVS’s very talked-about public-health conscious decision has proceeded to bring this controversial topic to the surface, and has influenced others to become aware of the tobacco-related epidemic facing our country. Healdsburg may become the first town in California to change the legal age to purchase cigarettes from

18 to 21. Their goal is not to ban smok-ing, just to delay the age that people could buy tobacco products in hope they don’t develop a habit so early. The city of Healdsburg is forgetting one thing: how smart teenagers are. It would be only a couple miles to drive to Windsor or Santa Rosa to get their fix. Or are they going to take away our licenses until we are 21 as well? At 18 years old, which is considered a legal adult in the United States, someone is able to vote on laws that affect others’ lives or go to war to fight for our country, but don’t have the right to make a health choice be-cause people have decided that dying in a war is better for you than smoking a cigarette. The president of CVS, Larry Merlo, released a statement saying, “Cigarettes and tobacco products have no place in a setting where health care is delivered. This is the right thing to do.” So what’s next? Not being able to buy alcohol because it can be abused? Or Sour Gummy Worms or soda because they can lead to child-hood obesity? These days it seems that everything, except for kale, causes cancer, so it should be our choice on what we decide to put into our bodies. Hopefully, Walgreen’s plans on hiring additional employees starting October 1st.

One of the nation's biggest pharmacy chains, CVS Caremark, announced today, Feb. 5, 2014, that it will clear its shelves of cigars, cigarettes, and other tobacco products this year, giving up almost $2 billion in sales in order to brand itself as a health care company rather than a convenience store. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT)

Congratulations to our new editors for the 2014-2015 school year!

Sierra Maciorowski, Jess O'Connor, Jake Lawson

March 2014 7March 2014 The Paw Print Entertainment

Book Review: A Tale for the Time Beingby Sierra MaciorowskiStaff Writer

Heartbreakingly beautiful and terrifyingly abstract, “A Tale for the Time Being’s” soul lies in the delightful character of Naoko Yasutani, a 16-year-old Japanese schoolgirl with a penchant for awkward self-expression. Her tale weaves the past, present, and future in a mindful knot, leaving the reader almost no time for his/her own affairs. Author Ruth Ozeki, through the alternating narratives of her own charac-ter and Nao’s, depicts the inexplicable connections between the so and not-so. That which is, may not be, and that which is not, must surely be if you can only examine the other side of the puz-zle. It is with this dialogue within every moment that Nao’s great-grandmother Jiko sees the world, and it is with this dialogue that Nao learns to live. Jiko is an anarchist, a feminist, a nun, and an inspiration to Nao, who be-gins her time with her great-grandmoth-er in a state of uncertainty and anger. To Nao’s surprise, however, being angry is

all right, even for Jiko--although the lat-ter teaches Nao to kick at waves, rather than people more harmless than herself. So, after facing constant bully-ing and jeers at her school because she is American, Nao sees a welcome respite from the terror of her everyday life when her parents ship her off to Great-Grand-mother Jiko. But the change in scenery is not enough to remove her from the agonized spirits of her family history. With a father who considers himself worthless, a great-uncle who became a suicide bomber on the orders of his government, and a mother who sometimes spends hours staring at jel-lyfish in the aquarium, Nao finds her-self entangled in the web of disastrous results, and turns to other outlets for her own expression--thankfully, she has a diary to love and oblige. “A Tale for the Time Being” encompasses decades in a single second, millennia of philosophical insight in the turn of a page, and the confusing time

since the tsunami of 2011 in one blink in the eye of the author. More than that, however, Nao’s story cuts the distance across the Pacific Ocean into mere mil-limeters instead of kilometers. And, perhaps, that is its true ap-peal. Not the litterings of philosophy, nor the historical descriptions of Japanese samurai, nor the sorrowful tale of a girl who cannot seem to find her place; rath-er, Ruth Ozeki draws in her readers with the delight of time travel. The time be-ing, it seems, includes much more than merely now. Yet with Nao the story begins, and with the end of Nao’s narrative the reader is left alone, as Ruth herself is. Through her well-spun work, Ozeki opens the window for anything to drift in, from current events to ancient histo-ry, and the window frame created by her stylistic choices will leave you stricken by awe, in love with thought, and inca-pable of speaking a word.

Yzzy's Playlist of the Month by Yzzy Mirabelli-MontanStaff Writer

Music is becoming increasingly accessible, with companies such as Spotify, Apple, Soundcloud and YouTube providing listeners with access to virtually any song at any time and place. Our contemporary modes of musical exploration are a far cry from those of the 30’s and 40’s, during which the radio and vinyls were the primary meth-ods for consuming music. Because means for finding new artists were so limited, mu-sic was more widely known and thus a more communal process. Now, music has become a personal pilgrimage, with the primary goal of procuring the perfect playlist. In the modern world of music, be-cause people have used their music to help gain a sense of identity, comparing one’s own musical tastes with another’s can either aid the formation of some of the greatest connections or the worst form of isolation. It is for precisely this reason that you may either hate the following tracks and feel no affinity towards this article, or find that you rather enjoy the tracks listed.

(1) “Howling at the Moon” - PhantogramKick off your day with this upbeat and thrilling track by Phantogram. “Howling at the Moon” is a newer track from the album “Voices,” which Phantogram just re-leased this February, but still retains the classic Phanto-gram sound: harsh beats and vocals, which are magical-ly woven together and ultimately create a seductive and complete sound (though not so fulfilling that it doesn’t leave you wanting more).

(2) “Cold Air” - The HicsThough their anthology is far from extensive, The Hics have really hit it off with a bang with their “Tangle” EP. “Cold Air” was released as a single before the full EP was released, and the track exemplifies everything that the EP stands for: dreamy, soulful, and somewhat nos-talgic Sunday jams to prepare you for the week ahead. “Cold Air” assimilates elements of Jazz, R&B, and con-temporary electronic mixing music into one song.Get into your car, put this song on repeat, turn the stereo up, roll your windows, and enjoy - I dare you!

(3) “I See My Mother” - PoliçaTap into your angsty and thoughtful side with “I See My Mother” by Poliça. “I See My Mother” has a similar smoothness to “Cold Air,” but it arguably embodies a much darker tone. Even if you’re not feeling angsty, this song has a driving yet mellow sound and is the perfect soundtrack for reading or just chillin’ with a cup of tea.

(4) “Life Round Here” - James Blake ft. Chance the RapperThis is another good driving song, though contrary to “Cold Air,” is best driven to “on a rainy day.” Originally released on James Blake’s album, “Overgrown,” “Life Round Here” was re-released as a collaboration with Chance the Rapper (and thank God for that!). Chance’s rapping picks up the pace and energy of the track and gives it a more “contemporary” edge.

(5) “Sing to the Moon” - Laura MvulaWith her incredibly raw gospel voice, Laura Mvula is a modern day Nina Simone. “Sing to the Moon” is both whimsical and youthful and incredibly mature and so-phisticated. Her choral background is evident in her us-age of musical instruments as a baseline that perfectly displays her strong resounding voice.

(6) “Feel” - Bombay Bicycle Club“Feel” is the perfect example of Bombay Bicycle Club’s Indian influence. The intro is clearly Bollywood-influ-enced. On the surface, the energy in this track implies that it is a dance track, but the vocals are more sensitive and direct. Yet again, Bombay Bicycle Club masterfully combines deep intellectuality and fun.

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8 March 2014The Paw Print Entertainment

Horoscopes by Gaby ViloriaStaff Writer

by Karishma Bottari

Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr. 20)This month will be one of procrastination for you, unless you do something about it. Do whatever you can to stay on task this month, and don’t get distract-ed by the little things that aren’t important, or it may come back to bite you.

Taurus (Apr. 21 - May 21)This month you are going to have a lot of things to juggle so make sure to keep a good balance between friends, family, and school. You will have a lot of fun this month but make sure it doesn’t negatively affect anything else in your life that matters to you.

Gemini (May 22 - June 21) Do something crazy this month that you normally wouldn’t do. It is a good time to break out of your shell and have some fun. Spend quality time with your friends this month, because they may need your support in the near future.

Cancer (June 22 - July 23)Make sure to be very cautious this month about all of your decisions. It is not a good time to do anything rash because any bad decision could be a fatal one.

Leo (July 24 - Aug. 23)This month may seem a little disorganized and hectic but don’t let it get you down. You know how to deal with this sort of thing, and if you stay strong, there may be an unexpected financial gain at the end of the month.

Virgo (Aug. 24 – Sept. 23) There is love blooming for you this month, Virgo. Don’t get ahead of yourself, and just sit tight and let things unravel as they are meant to. If you get rest-less, curl up at home with a book or a movie.

Libra (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23)Take care of yourself this month! It seems your im-mune system is weaker than usual so you should get a lot of rest and eat well. Don’t let this stop you from having any fun, just don’t have too much fun!!

Scorpio (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22)This month may seem like a blast at first but in the midst of all this fun, chances are you’ve left a lot of problems unresolved and these tiny missteps may cause bigger reactions than you anticipated. You should probably stay distant for a while to avoid something like this taking a toll on your social life.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 – Dec. 22)This month it is ideal that you venture into the work world, Sagittarius. If you already have a job, this will be a good month for you in the workplace! There may be something uneasy pulling at your heart-strings this month but as long as you stay cool and collected, it will pass with ease.

Capricorn (Dec. 23 – Jan. 20)Take a small trip somewhere this month and branch out of your normal social scene. Make time to con-nect with old friends, and don’t be afraid to redis-cover an old passion you may have let go.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 – Feb. 19) This could be your luckiest month of the year, Aquarius, so take advantage of it! Don’t be afraid to take a big chance this month because it will probably pay off. You might feel extra inspired, so take a leap of faith and follow your heart.

Pisces (Feb. 20 – Mar. 20)Start a project this month that you’ve been putting off, or do something you’ve been neglecting. Make sure to focus on yourself, and indulge in what has been lacking in your life.

Movie Review: The Lego Movieby Riley Rose SmothersStaff Writer

To call “The Lego Movie” the best movie of the year would be an understatement. “The Lego Movie” is undoubtedly the best movie of all time.

This film was pretty close to flawless, with laughs, tears, and ev-erything in between all along the way. It’ll make you re-evaluate your values and probably make you an infinitely better person.

“The Lego Movie” is a cinematic masterpiece which on the sur-face may seem like a shallow children’s movie about toys in a fic-tional universe but ALAS! The last 20 minutes deliver a twist not even I foresaw, which gives the film a much deeper meaning that will tug at your heart strings. This beautifully crafted film gives a whole new look and feel to computer animated movies in a way that will make you say, “Wowza!”.

The only piece of cinema that comes even close to it would be “Shrek”. And that’s saying something.

The Paw PrintSonoma Academy2500 Farmers Lane

Santa Rosa, CA 95404(707) 545-1770

www.sonomaacademy.org

Editors-in-ChiefAmy Pino

Allison Ashley

Managing EditorSydney Weil

Staff WritersYzzy Mirabelli-Montan

Jenna Powell Gaby Viloria

Riley Rose SmothersJake Lawson

Sierra MaciorowskiJulia Adams

Sarah MaliarikJess O'Connor

Jonas DucarrozElizabeth Kolling

Contributing WritersJojo SandersSteven Stack

AdvisorMichele Martin

michele.martin@sonomaacademy.org