By: Lucy Panicacci

Editor-in-Chief

Suki, US History teacher Tyler McGlashan’s dog, has established herself as a Los Gatos High School legendary figure. McGlashan got Suki five years ago, and since then, Suki has blessed everyone around her with her calm, welcoming presence. In describing Suki’s personality, McGlashan uses many ways to portray this white, small, and curly bundle of joy. He detailed, “She is the greatest princess that ever existed, and she would behave just like that: perfect manners, always attentive and kind, thoughtful, intelligent, sophisticated, demure, and a great listener.” Drawing on the idea of reincarnation, McGlashan believes that the spirit of Suki has been reborn from generation to generation over centuries: “She’s an old soul. She’s wise beyond her years. I think she was a great queen in ancient Egypt, and she’s been reincarnating ever since.” 

On rare occasions in previous years, McGlashan has brought Suki into class with him, where she would typically spend the day burrowed up in blankets on his classroom’s couch or calmly greeting students. This year, McGlashan started bringing her in more often after he lost his dog walker. Due to new school restrictions, he is currently not allowed to take her to class. However, to mitigate this issue, McGlashan has installed a Suki cam — a live camera inside his house that he can view remotely on his phone — allowing him to check on her throughout the day. Via Suki cam, viewers can often find Suki watching people on the street walk past from her lookout, appearing lonely and sad all by herself. 

When McGlashan did bring Suki to class, he noticed the impact that she had on students. He explained, “I can see everybody’s heart rate go down and become relaxed. I can watch the way it just sucks tension out of students. Kids would be frantic, running in, and then they would take a huge deep breath as they sat down next to Suki.” Students of McGlashan appreciated seeing Suki in class. Junior Jaz Charnaw resolutely stated, “I love that dog. Her personality makes up for the fact that she doesn’t have a tail.” Junior Frazer McNelly liked getting to hold Suki during class. Both Charnaw and McNelly concluded that Suki “definitely promotes learning.” 

McGlashan still envisions a greater role for Suki at LGHS. One of his ideas includes Suki becoming LGHS’s new mascot, painting orange and black stripes on her to match the role. McGlashan stated that as the mascot, Suki can “lead the school as she should, [as the] queen of Los Gatos.” In addition, McGlashan suggested an advice column, where she can share her eternal wisdom on all sorts of issues. She has already ventured on a backpacking trip with McGlashan, climbing thousands of feet in the rocks and snow of the Sierra Mountains, so she has a lot of experiences to share. A playful, caring, and wise being, McGlashan’s dog Suki has made a special impact on the students around her. Stay tuned for a possible Suki advice column to solve all of your biggest dilemmas!