Ellen Snortland

Rotary Clubs have always inspired me. Their motto is “Service above Self,” and they genuinely embody it. In the past, Rotary was mostly middle-aged, white, and male, but it has made significant progress in recent decades to include more women and people of color. They could benefit from more younger members; lately, I've noticed a few more attending meetings. Rotary does great work, both locally and globally; its most ambitious goal is to eradicate polio, although RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccination crusade complicates that effort.

My late father, Arnold Snortland, was especially good at being a girl dad. For contemporary Californians, I will share a lesson I learned long ago during a harsh winter on the South Dakota prairies and connect it to how you can prepare your teenagers for driving in mostly sunny California.

“Will you be wearing denim on Wednesday, April 29?” I ask my friend.

I’ll say it up front: I dislike baseball. The endless stats make my eyes cross, and the pace drives me crazy as I’m very impatient. What I do like is

Brace yourself for a less-than-stellar review of a play. When I responded to an invitation to review a play at The Latino Theater Company in Downtown LA, I was eager

“Hey, babe. Wanna be a prophetess?” Apollo asked. “Who wants to know?” responded Cassandra, daughter of King Priam and the youngest princess of Troy. “I am Apollo, God of the

By Ellen Snortland, The Argonaut Columnist “H ey, babe. Wanna be a prophetess?” Apollo asked. “Who wants to know?” responded Cassandra, daughter

“Please, don’t suck, please, don’t suck, please let this play not suck!” I offer this silent prayer to Thalia, one of the nine muses and the goddess of theater, whenever

“Daddy, why do these people have cardboard all over their houses?” As a child, I remember my father driving us through the reservations in South Dakota as we traveled between

By Ellen Snortland, The Argonaut Columnist “D addy, why do these people have cardboard all over their houses?” As a child, I remember my