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Community Remembers San Rafael Man Found Dead after Month-Long Disappearance
By India Neville
A missing San Rafael man, 93, with ties to our school was found dead last week after disappearing in late February. Robert Davis, or Papa, as his family called him, was last seen the night of Wednesday, Feb. 26th. Every Wednesday for the past 15 years, Davis went to dinner at Marin Joe’s with his daughter and other family members. On the night he went missing, he was dining with his granddaughter-in-law, Sylvia Herrera Mathews, his daughter Leslie and her husband Peter.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, according to Herrera Mathews. “That night was actually a pretty good night,” recalled Herrera Mathews. She works at Tamalpais High School and her partner, Jeff Mathews, one of Davis’ two grandsons, is an employee at our school’s cafeteria. “Some nights he’s a little quieter, but that night he ate all of his dinner. I arrived late and was soaking wet [because of the rain]. I was complaining and he was across from me laughing,” Herrera Mathews said.
The party of four left around 8:00 p.m. Davis got in his car to drive home to Terra Linda. However, the next morning, the family found out that he had never arrived.
Police, family and friends put in many hours trying to find Davis. In the first week, Mathews drove over 1,000 miles in his car searching for his grandfather. A search and rescue team was sent, as well as a San Rafael Police Department patrol boat. The Oakland Police Department donated one of their helicopters, equipped with an infrared camera and searchlights, to the manhunt.
On Tuesday April 2nd, more than a month after Davis disappeared, two CalTrans employees spotted a car down an embankment on Shoreline Highway, near Dogtown. “It was just by chance that the passenger driving on Shoreline saw something that caught his eye,” said Herrera Mathews. “If you weren’t paying attention you would not have seen it.”
One of the workers went down to inspect the car and didn’t find it occupied. The air bags were deployed, but there was no sign Davis had been ejected out of the vehicle because the seat belt had been released.
There was no cell phone reception in the area so they retrieved the car’s registration and drove to the California Highway Patrol’s Corte Madera office to report the incident. The car was identified as belonging to Davis.
The case was turned over from the San Rafael Police Department to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. The Marin County Search and Rescue team was called to the scene and found and recovered a body about 30 to 50 feet from the car.
“At this point he has been identified, but at the moment there is no cause of death,” said Herrera Mathews.
The family is not sure why he was driving that way, but Davis was not ill. He was healthy and did not have any sort of dementia, according to Herrera Mathews.
“That last night we had dinner with him was one of the best nights we had with him, and I’m very happy and relieved that that was a good night,” said Herrera Mathews.
The dinners started after Davis’ wife died and he moved to Terra Linda. Davis and his daughter wanted to keep in touch so they decided to meet up for dinner, and Marin Joe’s just happened to be located right between their two homes. They continued the dinners, and without them realizing it, they turned into a weekly tradition.
The five weeks after the disappearance was an incredibly difficult time for friends and family of the beloved man. “It’s the not knowing…it’s been a long process. It’s hard to see my mother in law because she is always happy and see her question everything. It’s hard to watch Jeff and his brother, strong stubborn boys. It’s just hard watching the family and going through it,” said Herrera Mathews. “[Jeff and I] live with them and it just changed the demographic–every night we’d go to bed wondering, asking ‘what if this, what if that’. The past month has just been what ifs.”
Davis touched the lives of many, especially his close family. “There are a lot of memories out there for the boys and for myself because I’ve been with the family for 10 years. For the boys I’ve noticed they’ve been talking about the small moments. It was just the little memories that they have with him not the big ones. It’s nice because it was the ones taken for granted,” said Herrera Mathews. “For Jeff, specifically, it was having a drink with his grandfather. Papa loved Old Fashions.”
Davis was an avid flyer and was a pilot in World War II. “He loved talking about and I loved asking him about the war and the planes because he loved being a pilot. He wanted to be one when he was a kid,” said Herrera Mathews.
“He got to serve this country and do something that he loved,” she said.
Online Tutorial Signups Here to Stay for this Year and Beyond
By Nick Seminerio
Tutorial is set to stay online for this school year and beyond, ditching the familiar blue paper passes. Our school’s Tutorial committee, which includes administrators, counselors, and teachers, in addition to all staff, have decided to stick with online systems, moving forward.
This year’s online sign up system, timetosignup.com, was piloted in January and met with mixed results. According to Counselor Sheila Souder, students had a greater incentive to attend Tutorial due to the variety of structured workshops available from teachers.
However, some students exploited the website by signing up fake and inappropriate names such as Adolf Hitler and George Washington.
In response to the challenges of timetosignup.com, a new automated system will be designed for next year with fewer kinks, according to Souder.
Assistant Prinicipal Chad Stuart said that staff felt it was silly to stop using timetosignup.com for the rest of the year and revert to blue passes, only to go back to a new system for the next school year.
Souder was excited to promote one of the new system’s features. “For example, you can’t sign up either your own or other people’s body parts,” she joked.
Another expected feature of the new system is its easier accessibility than timetosignup.com. Instead of each teacher having an individual sign up link, it will be one page accross the board, Souder said.
Stuart hopes that an app will be created for Tutorial signups.
Souder has gotten good feedback from teachers since the pilot, hearing that some kids are taking tutorial more seriously.
Sophomore Madison Lescohier said that she wouldn’t want the online system to continue. “Some teachers follow [the system] too strictly while others don’t, and for me it’s personally annoying because I can’t sign up at home: I have to do it at school,” Lescohier said.
Stuart hopes that the culture of Tutorial will change to a more academic focus.
“We’re gonna make [the new system] great,” he said.
Peer Resource To Host DUI Prevention and Awareness Week
by Jenae Casalnuovo
Our Peer Resource class is hosting a DUI Prevention and Awareness Campaign next week, from March 31st through April 4th.
Approximately one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. Every day in the United States, 28 people die as a result of these crashes. Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash, according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an extremely prevalent issue in Marin County – we have a higher rate of underage and binge drinking than state and national averages.
Peer Resource feels that many students do not fully recognize the consequences of drinking and driving. This is a huge problem that the class is trying to tackle through a hands-on education.
The week will begin with the presence of a wrecked car on campus, located next to the Senior Tree. The car will remain there for the entirety of the week to remind students the potentially lethal consequences of drinking and driving.
Tuesday will feature some games involving DUI statistics and others involving drunk goggles during the two breaks. A cakewalk and Wheel of Fortune game will take place during lunch.
Throughout the day on Wednesday, a student will be called out of class every 22 minutes to help students comprehend the statistic that a person dies once every 22 minutes from a drunk driving accident. A Peer Resource student will then read an obituary to the class the student was in, and the student will have their face painted white to signify being a part of the Walking Dead. A DUI video will also be shown to each advisory class.
On Thursday, there will be tables set up all day by the Senior Tree where students can pledge to designate a sober driver. After pledging, each student’s name will be entered into a raffle to win various gift cards and certificates to local businesses, such as M&G’s, Scoop, and Jamba Juice.
The week will conclude with guest speaker Sue Hunt LeMay talking about her personal experience losing a loved one due to drunk driving. This moving presentation will take place during Tutorial in the Little Theater. Other Peer Resource classes from our school district will also be attending LeMay’s talk.
Peer Resource hopes to bring attention to how fatal the consequences of drinking and driving are, in order to hopefully not only deter classmates from driving while under the influence, but also to encourage them to speak up if they see someone who they know has been drinking getting behind the wheel.
The class educates underclassmen about alcohol and driving under the influence through Social Issues presentations, and the students believe that DUI Prevention and Awareness Week will also bring awareness to the students who have licenses and are potentially faced with this scenario: the upperclassmen.
Pirate’s Run Ends in Loss to Chaminade
By Nick Seminerio
DHS State Championship Photo Gallery:
Sacramento, CA –
The Men’s Varsity Basketball team fell to Chaminade High School (27-6) of Canoga Park, California by a 71-51 margin in today’s Division III state championship game.
The Pirates were in position to become Marin’s first public school champion since Tamalpais High School in 2000. The last time the Pirates have won a state championship was in 1982.
Drake was unable to stop Chaminade’s runs early in the game, led by Michael Oguine (4), who had scored 20 points by halftime.
“When they turned over, they got points off it, when we turned them over, we weren’t finishing,” said head coach Doug Donnellan in a post-game press conference.
Adding a twist to the lineup of the Southern California school, Chaminade was missing Jack Williams (32), a key offensive player, due to illness. Jake Porath (33) stepped in and finished the game with six points and two assists.
Donnellan thought that Chaminade rallied around Williams’ absence, and that he’s seen teams play better when a situation like that occurs.
However, the Pirates gave it their all and battled back. By the end of the 2nd quarter, Drake had an 8-0 run to pull within ten points, with the score at 35-25.
Through the 3rd and 4th quarters, Chaminade’s lead grew, with Trevor Stanback (22), Oguine, and Justin Eisen (3) each scoring over ten.
Donnellan said a variety of factors could have impacted the game. “It could have been the arena, we weren’t making shots they normally do, and jitters early in the game were a possibility,” he said.
Both players and coaches alike were impressed and appreciative of outpouring of community support. An estimated 1500 Pirate fans encompassed over three sections of the Sleep Train Arena, which is home to the Sacramento Kings.
“It was a great crowd, I didn’t think that many people would be there,” said Junior Jesse Hunt (30). Donnellan echoed his player, saying that win or lose, the community will love the team no matter what.
Junior Cade Yongue (13) said this season has taught the team that they can compete with everybody. “There will be high expectations for next year,” added Junior Ben Bloom (25).
However, the Pirates are far from forgetting this season’s memorable run. “It’s a great experience that I think we will all remember for a lifetime,” Donnellan said.
This story will be updated.
From the Bus: Players and Coaches Excited, but Focused Heading into Today’s Championship
By Nick Seminerio
Following an exciting, school-wide sendoff of the Men’s Varsity Basketball team, players and coaches are feeling the positive energy but staying focused before today’s 4:00 p.m. championship.
Students and staff lined the main parking lot, and cheered the team as they boarded the bus.
“The parade was a blast – it makes the whole experience more special,” said head coach Doug Donnellan.
Junior Ben Bloom agreed with his head coach.
“The parade was unreal – what’s crazy is how much people care about our team,” Bloom said. “I’m excited, It’s an experience I may well never have again – it’s good to share it with my friends and family.”
Donnellan said while the parade has been exciting, he is focused heading into the game. “I’m going through every possible scenario, I’m focused. My enjoyment comes after,” Donnellan said.
Donnellan hopes that any nervousness will fade away by game time. “High school kids aren’t used to playing in a game of this magnitude. [There is] a certain sense of nervousness, feeling of awe, which will hopefully dissipate by the end,” Donnellan said.
“They’ve earned this opportunity today. It’s an honor,” Donnellan said.
Blinded by Technology (Winter Writing Contest Runner-up!)
by Walker Laughlin
There’s no mistaking that we are living in the long anticipated Electronic Age. After all, anyone who isn’t 500 miles underground has stroked an iPhone, seen the infamous “Friday” video, and had some Breaking Bad episode spoiled for him or her. The influence of technology can be seen almost everywhere, but while we like to think of these societal additions as “gifts” brought to us by centuries of development and creativity, I believe that the groundbreaking innovations that have defined our century possess their fair share of flaws.
Take, for instance, the way the average attention span of people my age and below has lowered from that of an advanced life form to a level most easily compared to a common goldfish. We Millennials just can’t focus on one thing at a time anymore; with the addition of smartphones, tablets, and portable gaming systems, everything we do becomes less of a real experience and more of an interim between games of Candy Crush and online conversations with friends. There’s no denying that my peers and I have become slaves to the screen.
This new relationship between attention seizing electronics and their adoring operators first became evident to me when my family and I visited the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu. The trip was five years ago, when iPhones and iPods were only beginning to latch on to our minds, and so the bright glow of a welcoming screen was as foreign to me as the boisterous group of Germans that accompanied me and my family in the tour bus.
When the loud and bumpy ride to the crest of Mt. Machu Picchu ended and my family and I finally got to say “Auf Wiedersehen” to our new European acquaintances, we were made speechless by the magnificence of the 500 year old engineering and architectural wonders that panned below us. Mazes of restored buildings provided me with entertainment and knowledge as I ran through the rows and columns of perfectly chiseled stone and admired the many ancient buildings; my ten year old self beamed with fascination and energy. I felt like I was in a kid’s paradise, but it didn’t take long to find that not all children appreciated the ruins as I did.
As I neared what remained of an ancient Incan temple, I was flabbergasted by the sight of a cluster of Gameboy playing children. Coming from a family that had parents who were reluctant to even purchase a TV, I had never considered that some people would prefer saving Gotham City or stacking cumbersome block-structures to discovering the wonder of the world around them. But there those kids were, in one of the most fascinating and engaging places in the world, prioritizing their frivolous virtual realities over a once in a lifetime experience.
Sadly enough, clusters of screen addicted children have taken residence in nearly every conceivable place on Earth. I see them at school, in museums, and even out in treasured natural areas like Yellowstone National Park. Wherever there are screens, Wi-Fi networks, or nicely shaded nooks and chairs, there’s bound to have once been huddles of digitally interacting minors. Devices and their users have truly become inescapable.
I can even see these “screen-addicts” in the halls of our campus, playing games on their new school-issued iPads or screwing around with the Photobooth programs on the Macbooks in the Digital Learning Lab. Sure, teachers may think that their pupils are eagerly accomplishing whatever online task they’ve been assigned when they see wide grins behind the screens of school tablets and computers, but the truth is that almost every Drake student has at least once found the enticing glow of a trendy new app more compelling than their online assignments.
The image of the withdrawn and electronic device obsessed kid has become the most common stereotype for my generation, a model which I think we Millennials should be ashamed of. We young adults have the capacity to make life much richer with our new technological tools, yet I still would be surprised if pointless yet addicting games and hours spent away from real life is what media visionaries like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates truly envisioned when they brought their awe-inspiring creations to society. I think that if we humans power down our devices and breathe in the beauty of the real world, we can truly make an impact with the new innovations we have designed instead of living in a screen induced state of nearly constant passivity and boredom. All we have to do is log off.
Spring Sports Preview
By Ian Slaughter
Softball
Despite the league being especially strong this year, the softball team has goals of making the playoffs. Junior Nicole See said the team is really focused, and has made an effort to, “increase the intensity and really try and be competitive in MCALs this year.” The team will be led by two returning All-League selections, catcher Amanda Borries and pitcher Emma Goodwin. In addition to competing this year, the team has a core of young, promising players that will make Drake softball competitive for years to come.
Girls Lacrosse
After the graduation of eight seniors from last year’s squad, the Pirates will need girls who have only had limited experience playing lacrosse to step up and perform. The team will rely heavily on the experienced play of seniors Izzy Doerschlag, Olivia Richards, Sophia Stuart, Claire Zerbe and junior Charlotte Moxley. Doerschlag is excited for the upcoming season. She stated, “We have a lot of potential this year. We have tons of new players and they’re learning very fast, which is always a good sign.”
Boys Lacrosse
Coach Brendon Clifford has aspirations of going deep into the MCAL playoffs and qualifying for the NCS tournament. While they face a tough non-league schedule, Clifford believes they can achieve big things this year. When asked what some of the biggest challenges facing the team are this season, he replied, “Obviously replacing last year’s seniors is always the first step. But we have a great group of returning kids so that shouldn’t be an issue.”
Boys Golf
First-year head coach, Daley Cort, expects the golf team, led by sophomores Devin Gregg and Max Morris, to be competitive in MCALs this year. In addition to the talented sophomore duo, Cort anticipates strong contributions from seniors Dwight Scales, JP Zamanillo and Dante Malone. However, he knows the team can’t rely on just a few players. He said, “We have talented players on our team, but it has to be a team effort every time we play a match. One player can’t win matches for us.
Girls Soccer
With Rene Ayala returning as head coach, the girls’ varsity soccer team is looking forward to a promising season. With very few losses from last year’s team, the girls are hoping their familiarity with each other will translate into success on the field. Junior Kendal Clare says the team has been putting in a lot of work in the offseason. The team has been consistent over the last few years and Clare expects them to return to playoffs and perform well there.
Boys Tennis
A young tennis team is looking to continue improving this season. Coach Brent Zeller said, “All these guys have a lot of potential and have made great strides over the last two years.” However, he knows that with no seniors, other guys will have to step up and compete. “Every member is key because we have a young team, so it will take depth all the way down the line in order to win matches.”
Boys Volleyball
Having not lost a league game in the last three years, the boys’ volleyball team is planning to dominate the league for a fourth consecutive year. Coached by John Hedlund and led by senior Sam Dines, the team is looking to win banners in both MCAL and NCS. With other strong players such as Liam O’Neil and Owen Karlenzig, this will be a fun team to watch. “If you don’t come to our games this year, you are going to miss out,” says Dines.
Boys Baseball
View a separate article on boy’s baseball at http://drakejollyroger.com/2014/02/10/baseball-team-preparing-for-successful-season/
Baseball Team Preparing for Successful Season
By Jacob Day
Our baseball team is one our school’s most storied programs. Seemingly countless pennants dangle from the rafters of the gym, illustrating all of the past wins and accomplishments. However, the baseball team’s success isn’t just history; the team has won both of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championships the previous two seasons, and is preparing to win their third straight MCAL championship title.
Leading the Pirates is Coach Adam Farb, who is entering his fifth season as head coach. Farb has led Pirates to three MCAL titles in the past four seasons he has coached. However, the Pirates have yet to win a North Coast Section title under Farb, who believes this year may be different. “I believe we have a lot of talented and determined guys that give us the opportunity to make a deep run into not only the MCAL playoffs, but also the NCS [playoffs],” said Farb.
The team’s success over the past two seasons was greatly accounted to the players in the class of 2013. However, the team believes that the loss of so many key players will not hurt their chances of another MCAL title. “We lost a lot of talented guys last year, but we are still bringing back a lot of experienced players that will allow us to still be the best team in the league,” said Senior Kyle Helstrom.
One of the strongest returning players is Senior Joe Ryan, who was awarded the MCAL pitcher of the year in 2013 and has committed to play baseball for the Cal State Northridge Matadors. “I am just really excited to play in my final year of high school [baseball], and gain some more experience before I go into college,” Ryan said.
A key to the Pirates’ success this year will be the return of senior pitcher Kyle Aubrey. Aubrey, who will be entering his fourth year on the varsity team, only started three games last year before he went down with an illness. Aubrey was not able to fully recover before the season ended, and had to watch his team move on without him. “It was hard just to watch and not be able to help, but I believe I can stay healthy this season and help us make it far into [the NCS playoffs].”
The addition of Aubrey to the team is enormous according to Ryan and Farb. “I believe that Joe [Ryan] and [Kyle] Aubrey can be the two strongest pitchers in MCAL this season, and if we have Aubrey for the entire season we can have one of the most dominant rotations in the league,” said Farb.
“Kyle doesn’t just add strength to our pitching; he also brings an experienced bat to our lineup,” Ryan added.
While both Aubrey and Ryan have admirable statistics, Aubrey believes that the statistics do not accurately represent the players’ performances. “Our team doesn’t really look at individual stats as a judge of how good a player is. We judge players on how good they are by how they perform in practice, in clutch situations, and how well they play as a team,” Aubrey said.
While the Pirates’ pitching rotation is talented and experienced, the batting lineup is new to the varsity team, according to Farb. “We are losing a lot of starters in our lineup, and are replacing them with some young and inexperienced guys. As result we’re going to have to rely on our pitching early in the season, but as the season progress and the younger guys get some experience our offense should improve,” Farb said.
The Pirates have been putting a lot of energy and effort into their preparation for the upcoming season and hope for not only a third straight MCAL title, but to win their first North Coast Section tournament under Farb. “We’re doing everything we can do to prepare ourselves to earn a NCS title,” said Farb.
Winter Rally Theme Changed After Concerns
By Nick Seminerio
The theme of the Jan. 31 Winter Rally was changed after a group of students had concerns that some transgender students might feel uncomfortable. Originally, the theme was Boys vs. Girls, but was changed to Evens vs. Odds, with sophomores and seniors competing against freshmen and juniors.
“For a while we have thought that the [Boys vs. Girls] rally promoted a harsh environment of binary gender stereotypes; ones that reinforced the typical roles of what girl or boy should be like,” said Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) co-President Mick Bruckner.
Before the rally, Bruckner and fellow GSA co-president Sam Blanchard, had a conversation with Assistant Principal Eric Saibel and Leadership teacher Kendall Galli about the possibility of changing the theme for future rallies.
“We made it clear to Leadership that we did not expect them to change the rally, given the timing. We hoped to influence future rallies. [Kendall] Galli decided that it would be awesome to make the change for THIS rally. She was unbelievably understanding and supportive,” Bruckner said.
Assistant Principal Eric Saibel said that while the Boys vs. Girls theme isn’t offensive to most students, it has put some in an awkward position. The conversation about the rally themes was positive and a collaborative decision.
“It’s about the spirit of friendly competition,” Saibel said.
Jolly Roger 