November 6, 2017
VOL. MMXVII, NO. 7
RAM’S EAR R I O V I S TA H I G H S C H O O L
McCormack Family Grant Funds Library Improvements
photo: Henry Rossi
by Aiden D. Mayhood, Editor-In-Chief
Julie (RVHS Class of 1970) and Duncan McCormack III outside the library building named after his grandmother, Elizabeth McCormack, are longtime residents of Rio Vista and tremendous supporters of the youth in town.
Grads Finally Allowed to Personalize Their Caps
When asked whether the high school library looked the same as when Duncan McCormack III went to school at RVHS, his response was appalling. “Oh yes,” he replied, shaking his head multiple times. Mr. McCormack was determined to make sure this wouldn’t be the same story for more generations. Duncan McCormack III, longtime resident of Rio Vista, went to Rio Vista High School his freshman year and changed over to Davis Senior High School during his sophomore year. A member of the rifle club, 4-H, and golf at Rio Vista High, and football at Davis Senior High, Duncan didn’t consider himself very active in sports. With his great-grandfather Duncan McCormack Sr. coming to Rio Vista from Scotland in 1869, Mr. McCormack’s family established themselves when Rio Vista was a hamlet. His family, generous even in Rio Vista’s beginnings, donated land for the Canright School, a former communal school located on Canright Road. Elizabeth Sorensen, who married Duncan Sr.’s son, was on the Board of Trustees for Rio Vista High School for more than 20 years. The library at the school is named in memoriam of Elizabeth in honor of her hard work and dedication for students of Rio Vista High. Duncan McCormack III, the grandson of Elizabeth, is a board member and president of the Harvey and Maud Sorensen Foundation. Harvey Sorensen, Elizabeth McCormack’s brother and Duncan McCormack III’s great uncle, was a successful businessman, gold miner in Alaska, founder of United Grocers Inc., and co-founder of Ducks Unlimited. Harvey Sorensen died when Mr. McCormack was 10. “He was a generous man, and he funded, before his death, some seed money for his foundation,” Mr. McCormack stated. The seeded money was left in a charitable trust with Dodge & Cox, a mutual fund company based in San Francisco.
The Harvey and Maud Sorensen Foundation focuses on investing charitably in education, medical research, and land rights preservation. They also gift to the Boy Scouts of America. There are seven members on the Board of Trustees: five family members (including Duncan McCormack), an attorney, and a successful businessman. This year, the Harvey and Maud Sorensen Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously approved of granting $50,000 to the Rio Vista High School library. Duncan McCormack admired Rio Vista High School for the short time he was in attendance, and the library was in dire need of improvements. The grant was an “appropriate funnel” for the benefit of an ongoing gift to the high school. Mr. McCormack and the Harvey and Maud Sorensen Foundation will continue to grant money annually to the library as long as the money is put to good use. This money was put towards the installation of a new air conditioning unit for the library, and future grants will hopefully go towards curtains, books, and laptops. This extremely generous act will hopefully be recognized more throughout RVHS and the Rio Vista community.
Mrs. Elizabeth McCormack was honored for her work as a member of the Board of Education in the 1937 Netherlands yearbook.
Budding Engineers Compete in Mini Design Challenges
A tradition for many colleges and high schools, Rio Vista High School graduates will be able to personalize their caps this year for the commencement ceremony.
by Trinity Gonzales, Staff Writer
Senior Class president Kiara Agan started a petition earlier this year to allow the graduating Class of 2018 the privilege of decorating the top of their caps. She came up with the idea because she feels that decorating the mortarboards (caps) is a way to show each individual personality and allow each student to stand out. The decorating of the mortarboards is important to the Senior Class because it is a way for each person to express their creative freedoms. Graduation is a
huge stepping stone for each student, and being able to decorate their mortarboards gives them something to keep or pass onto their children so they can look back and remember all of their accomplishments. Along with decorating the mortarboards, the Senior Class was also approved to be able to throw their caps in the air at the conclusion of the graduation ceremony. This symbolizes that the sky is the limit, and by tossing the caps, each student is reaching for the stars.
Every Wednesday, Mr. Russell comes up with different challenges for his students in Intro. to Engineering to enjoy for the short day. Students mostly do computer work in his class, so he thought he would make it more interesting with handmade activities. During the second week of school, the class competed in a airplane design challenge. Later in the year, they designed cable cars, barges, paper towers, and speed boats. The paper airplane challenge was the only challenge where students were all against each other individually. At the beginning of class, he gave students about ten minutes to come up with a airplane design. Afterwards, he took his students down by the gym and lined them up so he could determine who’s plane flew the far-
photo: Mr. Russel
by Leslie Diaz, Staff Writer
thest. On the count of three, every student threw their airplane. It was a bit windy, and most airplanes didn’t go far; but, a few made it quite a distance. (Continued on Page 4)