During the last several months, this school district has been ruthlessly challenged by juggling the opinions and feedback from a community quickly merged and feeling the harsh effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In March of last year, the West Sonoma County Unified High School District voted to consolidate its largest schools, citing the expense of maintaining both campuses was beyond the ability of the budget. The decision had been looming for multiple years, scarcely held off by bandaid solutions and budget cuts to both schools. After the consolidation was announced, years’ worth of tension and pent-up resentment turned into full-out legal battles and competitive rivalry beyond the innocence of the annual Apple Game or any other sporting event. The first months were tough, and the summer of 2021 was not without its unharmonious reorganizations. Teachers were forced to pack up classrooms where they had taught for over 20 years, often moving into classrooms they shared with another educator and with too many desks crammed in. Students, some adding an additional two hours to their commute, entered classrooms they didn’t know, or if they did, could not recognize them for all of the changes that had taken place. With this, the school year began the best it could, recovering from a year online and a whirlwind of chaos that was the merger.

As the days turned to weeks and those weeks turned to months, I, being of Analy origin, thought the gears of normal life began to move easily again. I had met former El Molino students who seemed not so different from me and those blue and red tie-dyed t-shirts actually started to look good. I saw sports chug on and the teams seem to come together without much or any residual rivalry. A huge part of this would definitely have to be the huge contributions made by the leadership class, of which I am not personally a part of, and the unity team assembled during the summer. Honestly, I felt surrounded by more spirit than I had ever felt at Analy. This, of course, is not Analy’s fault, it was simply the reinvigoration of the school spirit the rebranding had brought on.

 At first, I was hesitant about the new name. I’ll be the first to admit that West County seems sterile and could easily be the name of a prison. It is undeniably very general but has grown into something I find particularly beautiful. To me, the name quickly became associated with the people I met, and man do I appreciate those people. Not only the students of El Molino I met, but previous Analy students I did not have the privilege to get to know freshman year, just before the pandemic hit. In saying all of this, I also understand that many students do not feel as though they appreciate West County as they did Analy. I can never know how sentimental Analy was for some, but I can also never know how sentimental El Molino was to others. El Molino’s students, too, missed out on their lions as we did our tigers, and who are we to compare the two?

With this consolidation, I see a perfect opportunity to rise above ourselves and defend the peace Sebastopol and the whole of west Sonoma County prides itself on. Now is the time to show an excellent example of how far that generosity and kindness can go. We, as west Sonoma County, could show the region, even the state, that we can rise above our own agendas and create a community that encapsulates everyone that attends this school.

Many at the board meeting on Wednesday held on the first of December expressed the need for the name Analy to live on as a historic emblem of our community. First, I respond that the renaming of the school would not forfeit or discredit the rich history of Analy High School. Alumni would not be stripped of their pride nor would the contributions of Analy to this town be scrubbed from the books. The name would live on in the street name, the trophies and banners, and the great alumni of this 113-year-old institution. Renaming the school with a more fitting name would simultaneously honor the legacies and traditions of both schools. Secondly, keeping the name Analy would intentionally overshadow and discard El Molino and its just as important history and legacy. The installment of a new name allows the evolution of a new institution with its own culture that reflects both the students of El Molino and those of Analy. We live in a rapidly changing time in a place that takes pride in being one of the most modern and progressive areas in the state and the acceptance and support of a more inclusive name would easily bring proof to that pride. Personally, I chose not to go to Petaluma High School because of the 1950s-esque traditionalist values upheld in that community. The static culture of idolizing the past in rebuttal to the scary future benefits nobody but those who profit off of outdated and unfitting standards. 

Finally, many would argue that the minority number (in comparison to the existing Analy population) of the entering former El Molino students compels the name to remain the same. To this, I bring up the point that these students have lost not only their name but their campus and small population culture too. The least we could do to help our new members feel more at ease is the inclusion of their presence in the name. If we cannot make a sacrifice that dwarfs in comparison to theirs, how could we ever claim to be of respectable or considerate nature? Even with this decision on a “new” name, former Analy students could have some say in the matter, whereas El Molino students have had no say in which campus they would be commuting to every morning. In addition, having the name Analy remain directly crosses the line the board set when they chose to use the words “consolidation” and “merger”. If they meant from the beginning that Analy would be adopting the students and staff from El Molino, they should have been honest with the community since the beginning and called this whole situation an absorption. 

Though the vote on this matter has already taken place in the board meeting mentioned earlier, I also know the power of a community committed to equality and love. If we cannot see past our own rivalries to create an environment that makes the best of a new situation, I honestly fear for issues much bigger than a name. 

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