Spring 15 Issue 7

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Issue 7, Vol. CXXXIII, May 11, 2015

Making dreams come true

What happens SRJC opens Dream Center for students after DACA Maci Martell and Catherine Ramirez

Estefany Gonzalez

Assistant News Editor and Staff Writer

Features Editor Undocumented students can now find understanding and assistance in furthering their education thanks to Santa Rosa Junior College taking a progressive step by opening up a Dream Center May 4 in Plover Hall.With a dedicated staff, the Dream Center will give new and continuing undocumented SRJC students with support and advice on how to navigate their educational opportunities.

“Dreamers have a safe place where they can access and get more information, not only about the college, but about the community resources as well,” said SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong.

Jordan Panana Carbajal, current president of the DREAMers Club on the Petaluma campus, became involved with the club when it was established in 2014. The DREAMers Club initiated the idea of SRJC providing guidance to undocumented students in their pursuit of an education.

“We knew that there had to be a club that informed students, like myself, and future students at the JC about the resources the JC provides, but doesn’t really tell students about,” Carbajal said.

Hector Jimenez, president of the Santa Rosa campus DREAMers Club, said the Dream Center will benefit incoming and current students who are undocumented or on a temporary visa by providing them with resources and guidance.

The Dream Center will offer personalized help with students’ Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) verification, the California DREAM Act, the AB540 affidavit and the overall enrollment process at the SRJC. With an AB540 affidavit, an undocumented

Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf

SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong and supporters of the Dream Center cut the ribbon at the grand opening.

student meeting certain requirements shall be exempt from paying non-resident tuition at California universities and public colleges.

Students who fulfill the AB540 requirements will also be eligible for the California DREAM Act, which allows undocumented students to receive nonstatefunded scholarships as well as state-funded institutional grants and waivers.

Jimenez said the DREAMers Club assists undocumented students filing for financial aid and gives simple immigration advice.

“We as DREAMers Club provide students with what I would say is hope and encouragement,” Jimenez said. “We let them know that there are opportunities to continue with their education regardless of legal status.”

Rafael Vasquez, Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) outreach specialist, supports students through

Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf

Jordan Panana Carbajal stands with fellow DREAMers during the opening event of the Dream Center.

counseling and supplying them with educational opportunities.

The club also assists Vasquez in easing educational financial burdens by helping undocumented students with their DACA renewals for free, according to Jimenez.

DACA allows certain people who came to the U.S. as children to be considered for a twoyear period of deferred action, meaning they will not be deported.

“There’s still more work to be done at the JC for undocumented students but this sure is a first concentrate step for students who are undocumented in this college,” Carbajal said.

Eduardo Arango, treasurer of the Santa Rosa campus DREAMers Club, develops ways to fundraise for the club and keeps track of all the income expenses. Arango said the club hopes to create a scholarship for undocumented students.

Arango described his experiences with the club and the vibe of the members. “The energy that they bring and the unity that they have is just amazing,” he said. “It’s a great group of people.”

Arango said he believes the Dream Center is a great step forward in expanding the DREAMers Club to other schools and collaborating with other diverse clubs on campus.

Culture-based SRJC clubs host multicultural dinners on campus. Arango said the purpose of the dinners is to get people together to talk about issues and causes that are important to them.

“Talking about the issues I think is the best way we can find solutions for problems,” he said.

Bear Cubs baseball

A honest story of love and heartbreak

Petaluma film festival

SRJC season comes to an end with playoff loss.

One SRJC student’s personal experience story of romance.

Screening of short films from across the world.

SPORTS, page 6

Opinion, page 18

A&E, page 21

Santa Rosa Junior College alumni Jesus Guzman, lead organizer at the Graton Day Labor Center, has spent his whole life in the United States. He speaks English, works full time and goes to school at Sonoma State University.

Yet he worries about getting deported to a country he has not been to since he was a 1-year-old. His fear of parting from his home, his friends and family prompted him to spend the time and money to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Guzman applied in 2012 when the program first became available. Although he turned his renewal application in several months before the deadline, he now has a gap in DACA coverage. “It expired today. I’m basically back to being illegal,” Guzman said.

Guzman has yet to hear back about his renewal status and could now be deported.

He is lucky he didn’t loose his job now that his employment authorization expired, but he knows that others aren’t as fortunate.

“A friend of mine just got fired because her DACA expired,” he said. “Renewals aren’t getting done on time. A lot of people are being forced to put their lives on hold.”

Immigration is a complex issue that affects many aspects of American society. While the U.S. is often referred to as a melting pot of cultures, some immigration laws are not allowing young Latinos to become citizens.

President Obama’s deferred action program allowed immigrants brought to the United Sates as minors to apply for temporary relief from deportation, a work permit and eligibility for a driver’s license. The application costs $465, plus standard cost of a driver’s license, state I.D. and social security card Each time students apply they are put through an extensive background check. This includes having their fingerprints and other biometrics taken. These permits are revocable at any time due to DUI’s and trouble with the law. Students must pay the same fees every time they renew and the program is not a pathway to citizenship or U.S. residency. Now, two years later it’s time for students to renew these permits.

Guzman has given up calling to check on his application. This time around, he’s only been checking it online. “I went through the biometrics a few weeks ago, but they haven’t updated the status,” he said.

The first time he applied, his application was delayed nine months. He called to check on it more times than he can remember but found that calling didn’t help speed up the process. “I called the congressmen’s office and senators’ offices and they reached out on my

Continued on page 10...

2

News

May 11, 2015

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Day Under the Oaks unites community Faith Gates

Managing and News Editor With a mix of science, art, dance, sports and people from all over the community, Santa Rosa Junior College’s Day Under the Oaks (DUO) event on May 3 was a perfect blend of fun and education for all.

A campus tradition since 1978, this year honored Larry Bertolini, past SRJC trustee for 17 years.

According to college police, 5,000 to 7,000 people attended the event.

“Given the weather it’s been slower than last year, but everyone seems pretty mellow and excited to be here at the same time,” said Cricket Swanson, president of the SRJC Naturalist Club, who had a booth at DUO. Clubs, sports teams, departments and outside venders made up more than 150 booths at DUO, offering food, games, activities, information, demonstrations and shows.

The SRJC hockey team had a booth set up where participants could shoot foam pucks into nets.

“We got a lot of participation by just about every youngster who walked by the booth,” said SRJC student and hockey player Stephen Wolmarans. “A big part of coming out to these kind of events is just to connect more with the community and especially the student body.”

Another club who made themselves known to the community on that day was the Black Student Union.

Members of the BSU paraded around campus with Black Lives Matter signs and chants along with having a booth to inform others about their club.

“We were just having a march for Black Lives Matter with all the police brutality that has been going on. We just want justice for everyone,” said BSU member Darika Ramsey. “Our goal for Day Under the Oaks is just to get our message across, and maybe have more people join in our Black Student Union so they can be more informed about what’s going on.”

Top: Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf; Bottom: JoshuOne Barnes/ Oak Leaf

Top: Children look at pigs and other livestock at the agriculture booth.

Bottom: The Redwood Empire Chinese Association Traditional Lion Parade marches.

BSU President Elias Hinit said they were raising awareness about the racial bias that’s embedded within America’s criminal justice system and the extrajudicial killings of African Americans.

On the Doyle patio, scheduled groups performed a variety of demonstrations, including the SRJC Hip Hop Dance Team Mayhem, a Hawaiian musical

Editors-in-Chief:

Jarrett Rodriguez and Nate Voge Managing Editor:

Faith Gates

Section Editors: Layout Editor | Chantelle Bogue A&E Editor |Haley Bollinger Features Editor | Estefany Gonzalez News Editor | Faith Gates Opinion Editor | Domanique Crawford Sports Editor | Robert Marshall Photo Editor | Daniel Kong Sports Photo Editor | Joseph Barkoff

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performance and a quartet recital

by Now and Zen. Across the lawn, several SRJC bands performed on the commencement stage, such as the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and Jazz Combos.

A plethora of food options JoshuOne Barnes/ Oak Leaf awaited attendees at the food Top: A Native American man performs a traditional dance for the crowd. trucks in the Bertolini Circle and Middle: SRJC instructor does science experiments with Mentos and soda. scattered around campus.

Bottom: The SRJC Hip Hop Dance Team Mayhem performing on the Doyle patio.

Photographers JoshuOne Barnes Carin Huber Craig Gettman Catherine Ramirez

Layout Team Craig Gettman Catherine Ramirez Contact Newsroom: 707-527-4401 Ads Office: 707-527-4254 Anne Belden, Adviser: 707-527-4867 abelden@santarosa.edu

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News

May 11, 2015

3

Photo courtesy of Rafael Vasquez

Members from Black Student Union, M.E.Ch.A., Dreamers, Polynesian Nation, Native American Student Council and other SRJC students gather for a multicultural dinner in the Center for Student Leadership.

SRJC Black Student Union receives Best Club award Maci Martell

both our community and college,” she said. “If we cannot come Assistant News Editor together as a community, how do The Inter-Club Council granted we expect change to happen? There the Black Student Union the Best is unity in diversity.”

Diana Kingsbury, club member Club award, recognizing its work and a BSU representative, said and contributions to the community she believes the BSU deserves this at a council meeting April 29. award for its work in direct action Through its constant work ethic training, tutoring, civil rights and persistence, the BSU brought advocacy, community service and honor to Santa Rosa Junior College overall work in the empowerment thanks to its involvement with the local community and immersion in of people of color.

“I felt very welcomed and valued as worldwide issues and affairs. a member of BSU and M.E.Ch.A., as The BSU has hosted documentary a friend and a white ally,” Kingsbury nights, community barbecues said.

“I think it is the responsibility and open mics, and participates of those of us with white privilege in numerous equality-focused to be as informed committees, said and involved as BSU President Elias Hinit. possible with “There is unity Representatives issues that affect from the BSU, people of color in diversity.”

M.E.Ch.A. primarily.”

(Movimiento Damion Square, - Darika Ramsey, Estudianti co-chair and Chicanista de founder of the BSU, BSU member Atzlan), SRJC said he appreciated Cheerleading, the club winning SRJC Ice Hockey the award. “It’s a and the Biology great first step for Club stood before the council to the JC to show recognition of the present why their clubs should win work from student clubs. Clubs are the Best Club award. a vessel for sharing, fostering critical On behalf of the club, BSU thinking and developing resources. It member Darika Ramsey said BSU shows the progress we’re making as deserved the award because the club students,” Square said. helps the community and promotes BSU member Steven civil rights.

Covarrubias said the money from The council voted on which club the award will help with future to award the honor, along with the plans. “It’s a good start for next $500 prize that accompanies it. BSU year,” he said. “We’ll have new won the majority vote. leaders, more help with activities Ramsey said she felt excited and and more publicity for the club. It grateful upon hearing her club won. will show people we’re dedicated.”

“I feel that the work BSU has Covarrubias said activities done on and off campus benefits the club is planning include

educational trips, barbecues, a BSU retreat, conferences and involvement with the Santa Rosa High School BSU. BSU members attend conferences and forums to promote open discussions within the community to talk about issues plaguing our society and to develop solutions.

Within the last year, club members attended the California Community Colleges Black Caucus Leadership Conference, the UC Berkeley’s Women of Color Empowerment Conference and the Stanford University BSU/Black Community Services Center (BCSC) Youth Empowerment Conference.

BSU and M.E.Ch.A. often collaborate on a number of events such as cleaning Andy Lopez Memorial Park, conducting direct action protests and co-hosting the Stand in Solidarity with Ayotzinapa and Social Justice event.

BSU and M.E.Ch.A. co-hosted the recent Youth Education/ Empowerment Conference, originally known as M.E.Ch.A.’s Raza Youth Conference, which promotes educational and cultural enrichment for more than 400 middle and high school students and their parents.

In February BSU hosted guest speaker Charlotte “Mama C” O’Neal, former Black Panther party member and founder of the United African Alliance Community Center. The BSU had visited O’Neal on their humanitarian trip to Tanzania, Africa in 2013.

The BSU joined the Umoja Learning Community Taskforce, which will create a learning program in the fall of 2015 with the assistance of various SRJC instructors and advisors.

Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf

BSU President Elias Hinit leads a Black Lives Matter protest on the Santa Rosa campus at Day Under the Oaks May 3.

After its year of hard work and involvement, Hinit was proud the club won the Best Club award. “I’m grateful that the college recognizes students who go above and beyond their own responsibilities to benefit their college and community,” he said.

Hinit won the Mead Clark and Herbert W. Slater Scholarship Fund and the Graduation Speaker Selection Committee chose him to be the commencement speaker at this year’s graduation.

The title of Hinit’s speech is “Today is the Day,” in which he will thank SRJC employees for their compassion and dedication to education.

Hinit said he plans on noting the responsibility graduates have to their college and the future youth in order to better the world.

“I will also talk about the lack of critical, conscious people in our suffering world today, and how it is our responsibility to spark that enlightenment within them and our many institutions,” he said.

In addition to educating the community and pursuing social activism, the BSU is dedicated to uniting students and embracing cultural diversity.

“We are here to let students and others know we are here for you and support the same issues you do,” Ramsey said. “We stand in solidarity.”

4

News

May 11, 2015

www.theoakleafnews.com

M.E.Ch.A. member meets President Study abroad next semester in Barcelona Maci Martell

Assistant News Editor

there are three main aspects of his policies Hernandez said she’s critical of, which she addressed to him in a letter.

“As a student, I feel that we have the obligation to be critical,” Hernandez said. “We’re the most vital force in society and we should be the vanguard of all social movements; and so we have to be critical of our leaders, of ourselves and of our organizations.”

Her main critiques include the way Obama handles immigration and family unification, the lack of attention to the systematic financial problems college students encounter and his foreign trade agreements.

Michael Hale, SRJC English instructor and previous volunteer with OFA, said he was proud of Hernandez for addressing these issues to the president. “I think students who exercise their critical thinking need a lot of encouragement and congratulations.”

BSU President Elias Hinit said diverse club members address the fundamental causes of the issues plaguing our society during their

conferences and multicultural dinners.

“We talk about relevant issues and provide a safe space and opportunities for all students, especially students of color who are being oppressed, to actually talk about these issues in a critical way,” Hinit said.

According to Hernandez, the OFA Fellowship Program required watching training videos on developing press relations, how to organize volunteers and utilizing other tools beneficial for conducting conferences.

Hernandez, co-chair of M.E.Ch.A., said she was able to implement the training she learned from the OFA Fellowship Program into conducting conferences and events, which she hopes to see more clubs get involved in.

To help empower and prepare club members to coordinate direct action events, Hernandez said they need to build resources and connections.

“We want to keep expanding because the more of us there are to work on this, the more powerful the outcomes are going to be,” she said.

Erika Hernandez fulfilled Santa Rosa Junior College’s ideal of fostering diverse educational opportunities when she met President Barack Obama on an Organizing for Action (OFA) summit April 23.

Linda Hemenway, chair of the Sonoma County chapter of OFA, enabled Hernandez to go on the OFA Fellowship summit to meet the president after she became a fellow of the OFA Fellowship Program.

OFA is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to educating and engaging community members across the country to empower the American people.

The purpose of the summit was to bring fellows from around the country together in Washington D.C. to listen to the president’s motivating speech and express his gratitude to the youth who get involved in the community and make it a better place.

Hernandez said she was excited to meet the president and shake his hand. “I wanted to go and represent the students back from my community, M.E.Ch.A. [Movimeinto Estudianti Chicanista de Atzlan] and Black Student Union,” she said. “Sitting there and just hearing him talk was an incredible experience.”

Though she believes Obama boldly Photo courtesy of Erika Hernandez started off his historical presidency, Erika Hernandez in Washington D.C. attending President Obama’s speech.

Dreamt is the only word that ends in a-m-t.

Faith Gates Managing and News Editor Changing your life is one trip away.

The Santa Rosa Junior College study abroad program’s next adventure is in the city of Barcelona, where you live for three months and take classes offered by teachers from SRJC, Diablo Valley College/Los Medanos College, Sacramento City College and Skyline College.

SRJC Spanish instructor Mai Nazif will teach Spanish 1-4 in Barcelona. She is looking forward to connecting the curriculum and all her teachings to the city and everything it has to offer.

“Study abroad is an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life,” Nazif said. “It’s an unforgettable experience that you will be talking about for 20 to 30 years down the road.”

Illana Crispi from Skyline College will offer art history classes, including history of western art II and drawing I and II. Kasey Gardner will represent Los Medanos and Diablo Valley College by teaching international relations, speech communication and speech argumentation.

Sacramento City College’s Stephen James will teach environmental biology, global climate change and conservation biology.

The colleges work with the program American Institute for Foreign Study, which provides three staff members at the school to help students with any needs, organize classes, plan excursions and events throughout Spain, bring in speakers and plan field trips for the Spanish life and culture class.

“It’s an eye-opening experience.

It’s great to see the world,” said SRJC student Eduardo Arango,

who studied abroad in Paris last semester. “The best part is going to other countries and the friends I made.”

Housing for the program will be fully furnished apartments in Barcelona with four to six other students. Homestay is also an option for $675 more, which will include breakfast every day and dinner five days a week.

The overall cost for the trip is $7,745, not including airfare, a $250 refundable deposit, optional insurance upgrades, meals, additional field trips or excursions and any other additional money spent there.

The fee includes a half-day guided tour of Barcelona, unlimited bus and metro passes in the central zone, an Articket for five museums including the Picasso museum, a day excursion to Figueres and the Dali Museum and certain cultural activities.

The program departs the United States on Sept. 12 and will end Dec. 11.

Arango highly suggests students do it. “It gets you out of your comfort zone,” he said. “It makes you question your own culture.”

The study abroad program is open to any SRJC students 18 years or older who has 12 units of college completed and at least a 2.25 grade point average.

“It is an unforgettable experience that will open your mind to things you never thought possible,” Nazif said. “Any student can do it. It’s doable if you plan ahead. There is FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] and other scholarships.”

It is not too late to sign up. The general application deadline is May 15, but late applications may be accepted until June 19.

The application can be found at santarosa.edu/sa.

With 1,025,108 other words in the English language, what are the odds? One in 1,025,109, actually. Learn even more earning a bachelor’s degree at National University. Online.

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Top: Photo courtesy of timeout.com Bottom: Photo courtesy of Edgar Garcia

Top: Barcelona, Spain, is a vibrant city full of life that students have the opportunity of living in for 13 weeks through the SRJC Study Abroad program this fall.

Bottom: Eduardo Arango and other students on top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France from last semester’s study abroad trip.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Tragedy in Nepal: Matthew Koch Staff Writer Tragedy presents itself in many forms and usually gives two options: help or look the other way.

For Santa Rosa Junior College’s Joanie Dybach, administration of justice instructor, the answer was always simple.

“I learned from Mother Teresa that you can do no great things, only small things with great love,” Dybach said.

From the age of 15, Dybach frequently faced floods growing up in Pennsylvania, which wiped out her entire town and the surrounding area.

As a result of the devastation, Dybach’s father lost his job, which forced his family to start from scratch.

Because of her own personal experience, Dybach has dedicated her life towards helping those in need, often wishing she was a philanthropist if she had the funds.

Dybach started volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal a few years ago with her husband. She took care of hundreds of thousands of dependent children alongside fellow international volunteers.

The 2015 Nepal earthquake, also

known as the Gorkha earthquake, only made things worse, killing more than 8,000 people on April 25, with a magnitude of 7.8 and leaving nearly half a million people without a home.

“If you’re poor, people give their children to orphanages or they give them to traffickers by mistake,” Dybach said.

Once at the orphanage, Dybach formed a business partnership with a man who rescued women from poverty and human trafficking. At the orphanage she taught women how to weave, make fabric and sew to make money.

Everyone is self-sufficient, having to start their own business to make an income.

“People will walk their neighborhood milking their cow.

They have a goat, chickens, etc.

These items were all destroyed in the earthquake,” Dybach said.

There is now no way for families to support themselves. They get blankets, food and water, but they don’t receive the aid to get back to work.

Because of this neglect, Dybach started a campaign to fundraise for the Nepalese people, focusing on rebuilding its economic and financial stability.

Instead of buying and taking

News

May 11, 2015

An SRJC instructor’s quest to help aid orphans after dire earthquake

Assistant Opinion Editor A proposed Student Government Assembly (SGA) budget for 2015-16 would pay student representatives for the first time in Santa Rosa Junior College history.

A May 8 version of the budget outlines SGA’s Senator compensation through monetary awards dispensed quarterly in an academic year. The budget is due May 11 at the final SGA session of this academic year. A budget passed by senate majority would go to the college’s board of trustees for approval.

There are 13 student elected SGA members and one student trustee entitled to payment in the propsed budget.

The budgetary committee and

SGA categorized the “Public Service Fellowship Program” in student awards. The account totals $22,000 in the 2015-16 fiscal year according to the draft.

The Student Representation Fee will fund SGA pay.

SGA President Joshua Pinaula said paying student representatives would increase senate accountability. “Because we are volunteers, we can let a lot of things slide,” he said.

Pinaula said the problem with the SGA’s volunteer basis is “These positions attract people who are doing way too much work.” He said the stretched students who serve on the SGA generally drop their volunteer obligations first when their schedules overload, which he believes impairs the effectiveness of student government.

Another concern Pinaula

Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf

The Student Government Assembly (SGA) looks over the proposed budget for the academic school year, which may include paying the student representatives.

Likely SGA budget cuts Luke Heslip Assistant Opinion Editor

Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf

Joanie Dybach, administration of justice instructor, hopes to raise money for Nepal.

items to the Nepalese people, which can be costly, Dybach wishes to buy from Nepal’s local markets, infusing capital into the economy in the process. This will eventually put people back to work.

Currently, Dybach has setup a GoFundMe account called “Boots on the Ground Nepal,” at www. gofundme.com/thebamboostock, to reach her goal of $5,000. For the 10 days the site has been up, 28 individuals have donated an overall $1,465.

Even with all the contribution

towards Nepal and its people, things perhaps will never return to normal.

“There are people from the Haiti disaster that are still living in deplorable conditions,” Dybach said.

The recovery process will be extremely long and the need will be extensive for a long time. One of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal needs the international community to help them.

After all, it was those same random acts of kindness of people reaching out that helped Dybach and her family rebuild their lives.

Student government may pay senators Luke Heslip

5

expressed is without a form of reconfigure Student Affairs. As compensation, many dedicated paid officers, SGA members and involved students cannot would have stricter requirements justify commitment to the and their performance would demands of the SGA. He said carry more weight. several members Ethington said of the Student his relationship Ambassadors, with the SGA “If we jump out employees and would transform volunteers in from advisor to of the gate with the Student overseer, and something way Affairs office, the transition told him they would bring too ambitious with were interested more formalized no accountability in running for oversight. the SGA, but “ P a y i n g mechanism, it’s couldn’t afford yourself [SGA not going to work.” the attached Senators] is a responsibilities huge change.

- Robert Ethington, in the absence of People aren’t payment. dean of student affairs ready for that S e n a t o r yet because they responsibilities don’t even know include sitting it’s coming,” on at least two committees, Ethington said. holding meetings and Ethington cautioned the conducting business related to SGA to frame budgetary their office and providing weekly senate compensation in terms reports in their agendized agreeable to the board of sessions. Pinaula estimated SGA trustees. “If we jump out of the members work in the range of gate with something way too 10- 30 hours a week. ambitious with no accountability Pinaula said he and mechanism, it’s not going to other senators dislike the work,” he said. compensation coming from an A form of student award on the grounds that it compensation Ethington said the lacks transparency. They would administration would probably prefer a payment medium that support is pay for students on clearly indicates compensation. committees.

Dean of Student Affairs and “In this college’s almost 100SGA Advisor Robert Ethington year history, they have never said senate compensation would paid volunteers in student complicate the SGA’s role and government,” Ethington said.

The current draft of the Student Government Assembly (SGA) budget for the upcoming academic year reduced funding for the majority of college departments even though the Student Center Fee (S.C.F) may double SGA coffers.

The Santa Rosa Junior College student government budget for 2015-16 is due May 11, on the last official SGA meeting.

According to SGA President Joshua Pinaula, the 2015-16 budget fell 25 percent short of initial extrapolation based on the current budget. The body calculated that low Clubcard Plus sales, a $15 amenities package, caused the decline.

Unrestricted budget funds from this academic year are $198,800. The SGA-drafted version of the 2015-16 budget dated May 8 has $160,000 in unrestricted funds.

“There was an unsustainable program that was created by past senators,” Pinaula said. He criticized various departments in previous years consistently requesting money with minimal oversight and communication.

Departments historically received requested funds with few exceptions.

Pinaula said past senates had significant vacancies and were illequipped to manage their budgets and liberally doled out money, which set an ongoing precedent.

Pinaula said departments should communicate and reason with the SGA to warrant budgetary requests.

“People shouldn’t expect money to just come to them without having to do any work,” Pinaula said.

SGA Executive Vice President and Chair of the budgetary committee Elijah Egger said, “We don’t have the money left over to do much other than what the body is already doing.”

Egger said most of the SGA’s budget goes to faculty and staff salaries. “More money has gone to people who work at the college than students themselves,” he said.

S.C.F. revenue is unknown and the SGA can’t collect said revenue until next academic year so its allocation and total aren’t defined. Student Affairs estimated anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000 for 2015-16.

Pinaula said the SGA would spend S.C.F. revenue conservatively and ensure the fund’s student centric use. “I would repeal the S.C.F. if it ever seemed like it was going to get compromised,” Pinaula said.

SGA Advisor and Dean of Student Affairs Robert Ethington said the SGA needs to be careful about cutting funding, especialy to departments, which provide benefits to Associated Students like athletics.

“Taking care of people who take care of you, that’s politics, and the politics of money can go both ways,” Ethington said. “This is their learning lab with money and they are going to have to deal with the consequences of their decisions.”

6

Sports

May 11, 2015

www.theoakleafnews.com

Bear Cubs Baseball

Bear Cubs baseball loses heartbreaking playoff series after a stellar regular sesason Coverage by Anthony Sosa and Parker Dangers Oncken May 1 The Bear Cubs began their playoff run in style, riding a dominant pitching performance from starter Alec Rennard to an easy 8-0 win over Butte College Roadrunners at Sypher Field.

Center fielder Bryce Nagata led the offense with three hits, and Mitchell West contributed Craig Gettman/ Oak Leaf Top: The Santa Rosa Junior College base- three RBIs. Rennard went eight innings for the win, allowing just ball team looks on as a teammate bats three hits. He retired the final 10 against College of San Mateo May 9.

Bottom: Relief pitcher Vijay Patel pitches batters he faced.

May 2

May 8

The pitching staff continued to dominate the Roadrunners, as ace Garrett Hill pitched a complete game seven-hitter. Hill pounded the strike zone all afternoon, without walking a batter. Jake Hedrick led a solid offensive attack, collecting four hits and scoring two runs.

The Bear Cubs advanced to the second round of the California Community College Athletic Association playoffs with the win.

SRJC opened the second round of the playoffs by losing a one-run game to the College of San Mateo Bulldogs. Pitcher Alec Rennard struggled to hold down the Bulldogs balanced offensive attack, and the Bear Cubs' offense struggled to get anything going.

Mitchell West continued his red-hot postseason, collecting four more hits and scoring a run.

against College of San Mateo in SRJC’s second round playoff game May 9.

May 9 The postseason run ended in heartbreaking fashion, as shaky defense and a lack of offensive punch was too much to overcome a tough College of San Mateo squad.

Pitcher Garrett Hill was solid once again, giving up two runs over seven strong innings.

Shortstop Jake Scheiner led the team with a pair of doubles, but outside of Scheiner, the offense was non-existent.

SRJC catcher Ryan Haug earns MVP award Four other Bear Cubs capture 2015 All- Conference honors Anthony Sosa Staff Writer

T

he 2015 California Community College Baseball Coaches Association announced the recipients of the All-Conference team awards May 6, with five Santa Rosa Junior College players earning selections.

SRJC Bear Cubs catcher Ryan Haug earned the conference’s Most Valuable Player. Haug’s play this year exceeded every other player.

“In the preseason I didn’t start off all to well with the bat, and then when I got injured and sat out for several weeks I felt I had something to prove when I came back,” he said.

Ryan Haug Haug had great numbers at the plate this year for the Bear Cubs, finishing with a regular season batting average of .386.

“I would always tell myself to walk up to the plate with confidence, get a pitch to hit and hit it hard,” Haug said.

Vijay Patel

Zach Hall

Even more impressively, Haug hit .448 in conference play. His batting average ranked first in conference. Other categories Haug led were on-base percentage (.554) and slugging percentage (.582). Haug ranked third in runs scored (30) and RBIs (18).

Bryce Nagata

Haug felt honored and blessed receiving this prestigious award in such a strong conference.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates along side of me this season, or without my coaches for pushing me to get better each and everyday,” he said.

Weston Bryan The Bear Cubs also had three All-Conference first-team selections: relief pitcher Vijay Patel, first baseman Weston Bryan and outfielder Bryce Nagata. Outfielder Zach Hall received an All-Conference second-team selection.

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Sports 7 Is NASCAR fading?

May 11, 2015

Robert Marshall Sports Editor

Opinion

A

Courtesy of SRJC Men’s Golf

The Santa Rosa Junior College men’s golf team poses with its Big 8 Northern Conference trophy at the Windsor Golf Course April 21. The team will head to the state championship tournament in an eight-team competition May 11.

Men’s golf heads to state championship Matt Rubel Assistant Sports Editor

A

fter a second-place finish in the 2015 NorCal Regional at Merced Golf Club, the Santa Rosa Junior College golf team has advanced to the state championship.

The competition consists of eight teams from all over California, including Reedley College, which beat SRJC in the NorCal Regional.

The team had a good showing at regionals, storming back in the second round to finish in second place.

When asked if a secondplace finish was disappointing, sophomore Corey Ghiringhelli said, “We were in fifth place after

the morning round and made a great afternoon comeback. I’m definitely satisfied with second place and advancing to state.”

While the favorite to win seems to be Canyons College, the field is wide open, while the Bear Cubs’ expectations are as high as any team.

“We would love to win it all; we have the potential to do so, but there is some strong competition from the Southern California teams,” Ghiringhelli said.

This won’t be the team’s first chance to be champions this year; they already won the 2015 Big 8 Conference championship April 21. The team posted a season low score of 368 strokes in the championship round.

Corey Ghiringhelli Golf

With the Bear Cubs firing on all cylinders, the state tournament is coming at the right time for them. However, Kings River Golf and Country Club, where the state tournament is being held, is a course that none of the Bear Cubs have played.

The team’s lack of experience on the course could be a big factor against the team, but Ghiringhelli said the SRJC has a practice round on Sunday before the tournament that will give the team a chance to see it in advance.

After the practice round May 10, the state championship kicks off at 8:20 a.m. Monday, May 11.

The SRJC men’s golf team will tee off at 8:50 a.m.

Chase Johnson Race Car Driver

question has been floating around the auto racing world recently: is NASACR fading?

The answer is yes. Dwindling ratings, boring finishes and the all-too-often “debris cautions” have plagued NASCAR’s credibility and the exciting days of the Dale Earnhardt Sr.-Rusty Wallace feud.

The Sprint Cup Talladega race May 3 was non-stop intensity for 168 laps, but then for some reason with 20 laps to go, everybody got in single file. I understand why. The drivers are getting into position for the last 10-lap dash to the checkered.

With eight laps to go, they’re still single file.

All right, surely someone’s going to pull out of line and drop to the bottom to create a second line to challenge leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. It gets to five laps to go and they’re still single file.

What is going on?

Is someone scared to drop down because they won’t get help to be pushed to the front? With three laps to go, same thing, single file. Two laps, same thing.

As a fan of the sport, it’s frustrating to see cars running single file with two laps to go at a restrictor plate track. These races are known for their spectacular finishes. It’s one of the reasons why NASCAR fans watch restrictor plate races — besides the big wrecks.

Kyle Vannetti Track and Field

Even Fox NASCAR commentator/analyst Darrell Waltrip could be heard saying, “Ryan Blaney can’t wait to the last lap to make a move.

Nobody can.”

Then finally on the last lap drivers could be seen making moves to the bottom, but it was too late because the interest was lost. Dale Jr. got the win because nobody was going to pull to the bottom.

It was a boring finish, which adds another to the recent boring races in NASCAR. This is one of the reasons why NASCAR’s ratings have gone down in the past few years.

The sport’s excitement is fading.

One reason is Johnson’s rise of dominance. He’s won six championships. He went on a span of four in a row. It shows the lack of competition, and how dominant he is. Fans don’t want to see the same guy win­— unless it’s their favorite driver ­— but nonetheless people want to see a race.

NASCAR is losing its credibility. NASCAR throws these “debris cautions” but then the people in race command fail to show where or what the debris is. And it usually happens during long green-flag runs or when the race is about over.

Sunday would be my day to sit down on the couch with the anticipation of the race. Sundays now have me looking forward to work. NASCAR used to be my whole life but now watching a race is not a priority .

Colin Ridenour Polar Bears Ice Hockey

Did Deflatgate tarnish Tom Brady’s legacy?

No, I don’t think it tarnished Tom Brady’s career

I don’t know about the Brady deflatgate

No, I think he’s good enough that he’ll get through it

Brady is still a legend no matter what. The man has done outstanding things in football, that no normal man can accomplish. One mess up doesn’t ruin the legacy he built

Celebrity crush?

Blake Lively

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez

Definitely Olivia Wilde, She doesn’t know it yet, but we’re married

Favorite board game?

Battleship

Sorry

Monopoly, because someone always cheats

Biggie or Tupac?

Tupac over Biggie

Tupac

Tupac all the way

Cards Against Humanity

Tupac

8

MVP May 11, 2015

Sports

www.theoakleafnews.com

Curry has stellar year; leads Warriors to best season yet Parker Dangers Oncken Staff Writer

T

Opinion

his week, in an announcement that surprised no one outside the greater Houston area, Stephen Curry became the 2015 NBA MVP. Most years a player who averages 24 points a game while leading the league in wins will easily win MVP. And while Curry was the favorite for the award from start to finish this season, players such as James Harden and Chris Paul put together strong campaigns worthy of consideration.

In the end though, this NBA season belonged to Curry. Unlike most athletes, the constant attention the media heaped upon him was for all the right reasons.

Sometimes sarcastically labeled as a media “Golden Boy,” Curry is a dream come true for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver; a fullfledged superstar whose actions off the court are as impeccable as his performance on it.

Warriors General Manager Bob Myers described Curry

as one of the few athletes who is even better in person than fans imagine. “Often we make assumptions about athletes that we look up to,” he said while introducing Curry at the MVP press conference. “Steph is one of the few athletes that easily surpasses our expectations.”

As Curry addressed the media during his MVP press conference, it was incredible how his humble and engaging spirit showed through in everything he said. Nothing about the way he spoke or carried himself was fake or superficial. As he thanked the people who have helped him get to this point in his career, he had something unique and heartfelt to tell each person.

Whether it was an equipment manager, a security guard or a workout partner, he let each person know that he cherished them and would never forget their contribution to his career and life.

He thanked his teammates, one by one, sharing with the audience a story about each one of them. As the camera panned to each player, the way his teammates smiled and laughed like little kids as he talked about

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Stephen Curry raises his hands during a game. Curry was announced league MVP . This is Curry’s first MVP award.

them, told those watching at home all they needed to know about the teammate and person Stephen Curry is.

During a KNBR interview, Davidson College coach Bob McKillop called Curry’s love of the game “infectious,” citing it as the main reason Curry is so fun to watch. “He plays the game with such joy, and that feeling is shared with everyone in the arena through his play,” McKillop said.

The Warriors’ current season reads like a fairy tale: 67 regular season wins, home court advantage throughout playoffs, and a first-round sweep of the scrappy New Orleans Pelicans.

Curry’s performance is at the root of the team’s success, and while he often makes the impossible

look easy, Curry’s path to this moment was anything but.

It may seem like an eternity, but it wasn’t long ago that doctors didn’t know if he could continue to play basketball.

In December 2011, Curry hung onto the broad shoulders of two teammates, somehow looking even smaller than he actually is.

His bright blue eyes were redrimmed and bloodshot from tear. He held his leg suspended in the air, unable to put weight on it, as the ligament had been torn away from the bone.

This scene was all too familiar to Warriors fans. Watching this scene unfold on television, fans saw a player too weak to keep up in a league full of physical specimens.

This was Curry’s second major ankle injury in 15 months, not

“suck it up” and get back in the game.

There are now many measures to follow when an athlete is suspected of having a concussion.

SRJC football head coach Leonard Wagner, is familiar with the process student-athletes must go through if suspected of having a concussion, becasue football is the most common concussion ridden sport nationwide.

“At SRJC, all student-athletes are given a baseline test prior to the start of their season so that we have an established baseline for each.

If an athlete appears to have been concussed, they are tested again and then the results are compared to the baseline test to determine if a concussion occurred and to what extent,” Wagner said.

This baseline test evaluates memory, balance and concentration.

This isn’t just how it is done at the SRJC; this is also how it is done in the NFL. The NFL has been role model at reducing concussions and treating them properly. A couple of rule changes that have caused a big drop in head injuries among players in the NFL. These rules prohibit a defensive player from hitting a defenseless receiver and prohibit a defensive player from hitting a

player with their helmet first in the head or neck area. These rules have created a 36 percent drop in concussions over a three-year span.

At SRJC, however, the number of reported concussions has risen almost every year. Not to worry though, this isn’t because there are more concussions happening, but because more are now being reported.

“It’s not that the concussions weren’t happening, it’s just the definition has become more broad, and the attention to it is more serious,” Ohkubo said.

The amount of trust and faith the SRJC student-athletes and coaches have for the athletic training department is very refreshing. It is always up to the doctors and trainers to decide when an athlete is ready to fully participate in his or her sport.

Ohkubo said coaches have no say when it comes to clearing an athlete with a concussion for play.

“Players are not allowed to continue playing until they have no symptoms left and have been cleared by our doctors. Not my call.

Ever,” Wagner said.

Andrew Carlile is trying to finish his recovery process so he can be cleared for play once again. “It’s a lot

to mention the countless sprains and tweaks he was forced to nurse throughout the months in between.

Curry did not receive any college offers from Division I schools; they were skeptical about his abilities to overcome perceived physical limitations.

As his ankle crumbled beneath him, it seemed as though Curry had missed his chance to prove those doubters wrong.

Fast forward to today and Stephen Curry stands tall upon the stage, accepting the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, recognizing him as the NBA’s best player. In a league so full of mass muscle and high-flying dunks, no player flew higher than Curry.

The scrawny kid with ceramic ankles has reached the top, but he doesn’t look down on anyone.

An in-depth look into SRJC’s concussion process Austin Burmeister

In the past, there wasn’t much research on the harmful effects Staff Writer of concussions. When Ohkubo ear Cubs soccer player was a student-athletic trainer at Andrew Carlile is going SRJC about 15 years ago, possible were handled through the recovery process that concussions Santa Rosa Junior College requires of differently. The trainer would ask the athlete all student-athletes how many suspected of having fingers he a concussion. could see Carlile was “It’s not that the and if he injured during concussions weren’t could walk practice. “I was straight. running too close happening, it’s just Then he down the shot and the definition has asked the when he shot the doctor if ball, it came up and become more broad he could hit me in the head,” and the attention to be cleared. he said.

The player Carlile is one of it is more serious.” would most many concussions likely be the athletic training - Monica Ohkubo, SRJC cleared to staff has seen head athletic trainer continue throughout the playing. semester.

Head Over the Athletic Trainer past decade, Monica Ohkubo said, “This year we’ve had 50 concussion treatment and athlete [concussions] so far.” However, safety has become more important this number only represents the than ever. In 2012 alone, the number amount of concussions that have of concussions reported reached a been reported. Many athletes that high of 3.8 million.

No longer is winning more receive concussions do not report them because they are afraid they important than an athlete’s safety.

No longer can a coach tell you to will lose playing time.

B

Courtesy of SRJC Athletics

Santa Rosa Junior College soccer player Andrew Carlile is currently sidelined due to concussion symptoms after being injured during a practice session.

of memory and physical tests like balancing, remembering certain words, jogging tests, bike tests, stuff like that,” Carlile said.

The trainers want Carlile to be fully healthy before returning to the field.

“I have to do better on my baseline, and I haven’t yet, so that’s why I haven’t been cleared,” he said.

Once Carlile is able to match his baseline results, athletic trainers will clear him for play.

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Sports

May 11, 2015

9

Power Rankings -By Parker Dangers Oncken

1.Cardinals: Adam Wainwright 7.

13.

19.

25.

2.

8.

14.

20.

26.

3.

9.

15.

21.

27.White

22.

28.

Mets: They have started to Mariners: Nelson Marlins: A brutal start out for the season and a long cool off, but a rotation like that Cruz has been incredible, but to the season has tempered winning streak ensues? Two will keep you in every game. Matt watching this team’s heralded expectations, but this is a team words: pitching depth.

Harvey looks Cy Young worthy. pitching staff has been like filled with promise. sitting through a bad movie.

Twins: This team is playing at a level unsustainable as they are currently constructed.

Enjoy being over .500 Twins fans, it won’t last long.

Tigers: Jose Iglesias batting Padres: Loads of talent Pirates: Pitching is Athletics: The raw Diamondbacks: Patrick .360 and playing gold-glove but lacks team chemistry. solid, and Andrew McCutchen numbers don’t look too bad, Corbin’s return from Tommy defense? Yes, please.

Might be the worst defensive is the National League’s Mike but this team is crippled by John Surgery will be the highlight outfield ever assembled.

Trout. inconsistency. Just think about of this season in the desert. where they would be without ace Sonny Gray.

Astros: This team has more Cubs: This team is the Orioles: Adam Indians: Reigning pop than the American Top 40. Mt. Everest of upside. The Jones trying his best to keep American League Cy Young curse ends with this core. an underperforming team winner Corey Kluber has relevant in a weak division. been brutal, leading an underwhelming rotation.

Sox: Hope was high on the South Side coming into the season, but this team has disappointed fans and team management alike.

4. Royals: Their punk attitude 10.

16.

5. Dodgers: Stringing together 11. Rays:

17. Angels: Jered Weaver gets 23. Rockies: Three things are 29.Phillies: This team is the

Rangers: Injuries are Blue Jays: Josh Donaldson Braves: The team has Nationals: Their may be fake, but their talent is performance to this point has trade is looking like a highway regressed in a big way since their piling up once again. Looks like real. been horrid. But this team is robbery, but this team is allergic hot start. It is clearly a rebuilding another season might go by the wayside. Joey Gallo is a beast to effective pitching. year. too talented to stay down. though.

The list of wins, but still not in a groove. injuries is longer than a When healthy, this team might Friends marathon; this go supernova. team deserves props for staying in the mix.

12.

6.

Giants: The defending Yankees: Who saw A-Rod as a middle-of-the-order run champs have shaken off a horrific start to get back to .500. Rotation producer? That’s right, no one. rounding into form behind last year’s World Series MVP.

NFL Draft: Parker Dangers Oncken Staff Writer

Opinion

F

or football fans, the NFL draft is an exciting time. It gives their teams a chance to start anew, to put aside the trials and disappointments of the past season and to inject new blood into their franchise.

The selection of just one prospect can help transform an NFL team’s path, quickly changing the landscape of the

lit up like a road flare every time guaranteed in life: death, taxes definition of a raging dumpster he takes the mound. Looks like and a dreadful starting rotation fire.

Mike Trout and company will be in the Mile High City. forced to outscore the opposition for this team to make any noise.

18.

24.

30.

Brewers: Managerial Reds: Johnny Cueto will Red Sox: Offseason change should help this team. pickups Hanley Ramirez and be pitching elsewhere in 2016.

Pablo Sandoval are as good as As if Reds fans need any more They may not be playoff bound, but they aren’t this bad. advertised, but a rotation full of salt thrown in their wounds. fifth starters isn’t going to cut it.

New breed coming through; young talent could have huge impact

league as a whole. Peyton Manning is an example of a transcendent quarterback prospect who provided an inept franchise with sense of direction on the path back to relevance.

The Indianapolis Colts had a choice to make in 1998. With the No. 1 pick in the draft, two highly successful college quarterbacks were available to them: Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf.

It was a huge moment for a franchise that had not experienced success for several years prior.

After much deliberation in the months leading up to the draft, the Colts

selected Peyton Manning. Seventeen years later, Manning continues to be a successful quarterback, and widely regarded as one of the best to ever play.

Ryan Leaf, selected by the San Diego Chargers with the second pick in the draft, went on to become one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. The contrast between these two players is a microcosm that illustrates the dangers of the NFL draft.

For each franchise-defining player, there is a franchise-crippling bust. The constant risk of failing to draft the right player keeps fans on the edge of their

seats and team executives worrying about their job security.

Manning and Leaf are forever connected by virtue of their draft slots and subsequent performance. The same goes for 2015 draftees Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota — quarterbacks selected first and second respectively.

Winston and Mariota’s stories have yet to be written. The future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans rest in the hands of these two young men. Now they have the chance to etch their names in history.

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Top: Jameis Winston Bottom: Marcus Mariota

10

May 11, 2015

Features

Deferred Action Renewals:

www.theoakleafnews.com

What it means for undocumented students to apply and what DACA doesn’t cover

Courtesy of Armando Garcia/ Oak Leaf

SRJC alumnus Armando Garcia speaks at “Light the Torch”, an SRJC student-organized rally downtown to inspire students to push for an immigration reform and allow DREAMers to share their stories.

continued from cover... behalf and heard the same thing,” Guzman said.

He thought about applying for an AB 60 driver’s license, which allows any California resident to receive a driver’s license regardless of immigration status. “It’s better than not having one and driving around with an expired one,” he said. “They have a couple phrases that look different but they aren’t for federal purposes.”

Unlike a normal California or AB 60 driver’s license that only has to be renewed every five or 10 years, DACA applicants must renew every two years. “Ours expire when DACA expires,” he said.

Guzman said he knew what he was getting into when he first applied for DACA, that it wasn’t a permanent solution. The program did what it was intended to. “We were kind of limited to what we could do with DACA but without DACA, it could send us really far back,” he said. “Knowing that it’s not there is damaging.”

Applying for DACA requires applicants to provide proof of a continuous presence in the U.S. SRJC radiology major Areli Medina applied for her DACA two years ago. It meant

showing proof of her whole life in the form of paper.

“I had to have records of everything, paystubs, bank records, taxes, school records and medical records,” she said. “It took me a while to get all the documents together. I would take things to the lawyer and he would tell me I was missing things.”

Medina grew up wanting to pursue a professional career but felt she couldn’t due to her immigration status. Her family came to the U.S. with the intent to better themselves and arrived to the U.S. when she was 6. “The purpose for us was to chase the American Dream, but it’s hard when you have all these limits and you can’t go beyond that,” she said. “ I always dreamed of getting my citizenship, but for now this is a good foot in the door.”

When Medina was younger she made mistakes and paid for them by going to juvenile hall. “Everyone that goes to high school has their rebel phase. That’s how I got in trouble hanging out with the wrong crowd,” she said. “I had to write an explanation about what had happened, and after that I had to wait to hear that I wasn’t a threat.”

Although those days are long behind her, the 25-year-old worried

her record would affect her DACA application, though it should have been expunged when she turned 18.

Not willing to risk getting denied, Medina spent $500 to get help from a lawyer, making the total cost of her application more than $1,000.

Medina thought the security DACA would provide was worth the price. “I felt like I could have done it on my own, but I was afraid of my background,” she said. “You don’t know if you’re putting yourself at risk; it was my only protection.”

The main reason Medina decided to apply was so she could drive legally. With her busy work and school schedule she needed to be able to get around. She knew she was a good driver because she passed the driving courses her high school offered, but couldn’t take the test due to her legal status. She couldn’t risk getting caught driving without a license because she already had her car impounded twice.

She is thankful for what DACA has offered, but wishes there were more options available for students like her.

After Medina’s father died, her mother was left as the head of household and couldn’t afford to help

Courtesy of Jesus Guzman/ Oak Leaf

Lead organizer of Graton Day Labor Center and former SRJC student Jesus Guzma protests to stop deportations.

pay for school expenses. “She told me that if I wanted to go to school I had to work for it,” she said. “It was hard hearing that from my mom, but I knew that in the long run it would pay off.”

Medina currently works 30 hours a week to pay her way though school because she doesn’t qualify for financial aid due to immigration status. At the moment Medina’s priority is finishing school to make the best of the opportunities available to her. She plans to start volunteering at a hospital soon to gain experience for her radiology major.

Medina doesn’t have to reapply for another year but hopes for immigration reform soon.

“I don’t know how long this is going to keep going until there’s some change,” she said. “I’m hoping that they’ll do something because it’s just kind of pointless if they’re just going to keep renewing it and renewing it and have no result in the end.”

Renewing a program isn’t the only worry DACA applicants have; some are worried that the whole program might disappear.

SRJC alumni Armando Garcia arrived in the U.S. with an indefinite visa when he was 9 months old. He and his family were visiting on a business trip, but stayed in the country longer than expected after his father became ill. “We came here legally with the idea that we were going to be here legally,” said Garcia, now 24.

Garcia’s father was diagnosed with cancer only three months after they arrived. His father had to be hospitalized to have a tumor and his kidney removed. “We ended up having to go through the process of his treatment,” he said. “That in itself made us stay in the United States more than we initially wanted to just because it was a long recover time.”

In early 2000, the program which Garcia’s family used to come to the U.S. was removed. People with indefinite visas were given an expiration date of 10 years from the issue date. “For us, in 2001 that’s when we became undocumented,” he said. “By that time I was 11 years old, my brother was 14 and my mother was a single mother.

She was all on her own and it was easier for us to stay here.”

Though Garcia had a visa, he said his family had always been deportable.

One of his earliest memories is of

hiding in a closet at the age of 5 after immigration arrived at his family’s apartment to look for his father. His neighbors, who had citizenship, spent a half hour packing all of his family’s belongings while his family hid from immigration. “My family was very scared. They heard from our neighbors that they had knocked down our door,” he said.

After applying for DACA, Garcia was given some peace of mind knowing he could not be deported during his twoyear permit but is unable to qualify for financial aid.

Garcia never let his immigration status slow him down. He worked his way through the SRJC and Cal Poly journalism school. Now he’s been accepted to Columbia’s graduate school of journalism and must find a way to finance it himself.

Garcia isn’t worried about getting his renewal denied because he has complied with all of the requirements needed and hasn’t gotten in any trouble with the law but he is worried the DACA program will be removed. “I fear it going away in the future,” he said.

“Once you take away someone’s rights, or this privilege because it is a privilege.

It’s not a right and it’s something that we should be grateful for. Once it gets taken away people get angry.”

Garcia realizes that he’s in the system. The government knows where he works, where he goes to school, and where he lives. “It’s a problem if DACA goes away because what happens to all the people who had that protection before now? They’re out in the open,” he said. “Hopefully it doesn’t go away, but that all depends on who becomes president and you can’t even vote for it.”

Garcia recognizes that his fate is in the hands of others. Though he’s grateful for what DACA has given him, he thinks it made him into an actor. “It makes us actors because we’re acting Americans in every sense of the word,” he said. “We’re paying out taxes. We’re working side by side with other Americans.”

What upsets Garcia the most is that he doesn’t have the same basic rights Americans have. “At the end of the day we don’t have that very special privilege which does make us Americans, which is our right to persue happiness, our right to vote and have some say in what becomes of us,” he said.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Features

May 11, 2015

11

A journey into understanding an expert on myths and the devil Oshanna Kealoha

rabbi to get guidance. “She actually trained me and my siblings in ESP,” Contributing Writer he said. “We would take an object and we would close our eyes and fondle it You can see professor Eric Thomp- and see what kind of images came to son around campus riding his bike to us. Then we would try and interpret or from school every day, or find him the images. She would test us because in his Emeritus Hall office, but make she knew where the object was from sure not to come in without knock- and its history but we didn't. She ing as he might be changing out of would try and develop our ESP and it his bicycle gear and into his teach- was the closest thing I had to religion ing clothes. Inside the office, amus- growing up.” ing stickers that border on the verge Thompson's first pursuit was as a between sacred and profane are plas- fine artist, but he veered away from tered all over the desk. Awards from that as adolescence set in. He develscholarly pursuits hang above where oped a strong interest in acting due to he sits; pictures from student projects the exposure to the acting world from and posters of Egypt dot the walls. his uncle, who ran a company called There is a Kippa, a Jewish hat more Bath House. He was cast for a few commonly known as a yarmulke, and roles in plays and recognized by tala scarf with the Star of David hanging ent agents. Acting consumed his life, off a vaguely menorah-shaped coat and he was geared up full throttle on rack in the corner. his way toward an acting career.

His bike leans against the side of At age 15, he got professional crethe office, with the helmet dangling dentials and joined an Actor's Equity off the handle bars. union.

ThompWhen asked why he son practically rides his bike everydropped out of “Studying Satan, teaching where, Thompson high school to be Satan is an opportunity said, “Commuting a full-time actor. to teach everything about on a bike puts all my By the time he was all religions and cultures.” sensory organs in a teenager he had direct contact with been in 50 plays, - Eric Thompson, the world—air, wind, TV nine times and sun, rain—as opeven in a film.

SRJC professor posed to a car, which At 17, Thompseparates my senses son went out one from the world in a day for what he little plastic bubble. I have been riding thought was another acting gig. He a bike as my major source of trans- was decked out in torn army fatigues, portation on and off my whole life.” with hair down to his waist, an ounce Thompson hails from Seattle but of marijuana in each pocket, possisettled in Healdsburg in 2009. bly even a baggy of mushrooms, and As a young man, he couldn't have a backpack with a toothbrush and a been further from the career path change of clothes. of college professor. He spent time He came back to his family a few during his youth at the Pike Place days later in a dramatically different market; an open marketplace right manner, as a born-again Evangelical by the bay, which also happens to be Christian. His once long hair was the birthplace of Starbucks. “It was chopped short, and he was dressed a hippy hangout; it was my home- in a polyester suit and tie. Thompbase,” he said. son had never before worn a tie of His parents did not raise him to be his own accord, apart from acting religious; in fact his father is an athe- gigs. He carried a big thick Bible ist. He said of his mother, “If she had and told his family they would end any kind of religion, I would say that up in Hell unless they accepted Jeit would be astrology.” sus into their hearts and lives.

She was into psychic and spiriAfter this drastic conversion to a pitual phenomenon and would do card ous life, Thompson spent time teachreadings rather than talk to a priest or ing at Fuller Seminary to train others

to be ministers and even preached in prison ministries. While teaching at seminaries, Thompson discovered his ambition to learn and developed a fascination for ancient languages.

Thompson can speak German, Modern Greek and Modern Hebrew. He can read Ancient Hebrew, several dialects of Aramaic, Ancient Greek, Latin, Ugaritic and Arabic.

Thompson married at age 20 to a woman who shared the same religious beliefs. They spent 14 years together. He became involved in academia, and his wife followed to Pasadena while he earned his master's degree. He steadily drifted further away from the strict religious views that had consumed him for years. When he and his wife separated, she wanted to keep the church they attended, and that was fine by Thompson, since he basically stopped believing in the religious doctrine. His love for religion flourished for 17 years, until academia seeped into his mind and disintegrated his faith.

Thompson then married Rhonda McKinnon and they've been together since 2007. The couple deciced to marry in 2012 once gay marriage became legal in California. He has three children from two previous marriages: Christopher, 26, lives in Washington and is a glasser (cuts and installs glass), Carina, 21, an SRJC student, and Orion, 13, a Santa Rosa Middle School student.

Thompson's studies led him into myths and eventually into Hebrew and Judaism as his main focus. He got his doctorate degree at U.C. Berkeley and was a research assistant at The Center for Jewish Studies. Near the tail end of finishing his Ph.D., he moved to Santa Rosa to become a full-time SRJC instructor.

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Curtisy of William Cooley’s Fliker/ Oak Leaf

SRJC professor Eric Thompson poses for a picture in his eccentric office.

of Thompson's teaching style, “Every class is like a movie or a play. His passion for the history of the truth and his experiences as an actor pays much respect to his animation that leaves every class without a dull moment. His ability to translate biblical passages in a more contemporary way allows students to gain a better understanding of the Bible and makes it way easier to understand.”

Thompson loves all the classes he teaches for a variety of different reasons. His favorite class is the History of Satan. “I think it's the most profound, and the most interesting and the farthest reaching. Studying Satan, teaching Satan is an opportunity to teach everything about all religions and cultures; the pursuit, what we fear, the way we pursue evil and the way we critique our surroundings is all in Satan,”

Thompson said. The course’s section number is 6.66, a number associated with not only the devil, but with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite as well.

While Thompson does not actively practice religion, he enjoys such celebrations as the spring equinox and Beltane, a fertility festival celebrated on May 1 but astrologically happened on May 5 this year.

Thompson's favorite holiday is New Year's Eve. “At midnight on Jan. 1, I love to be with a small group of intimate family or friends, have some sort of libation, and talk about life. Talk about how we're changing, and what's next, and things like that. I have done celebrations and rituals for holidays for almost every religion,” he said. It might seem like Thompson has all the accoutrement of a religious man, but he just loves to be connected to family and friends and the

Satisfy crav

Devin S

Staff W

Photographs by Just across the street from campus and convenient for your morning stroll to class, the Santa Rosa Junior College bakery offers blended coffee drinks and fresh, student-baked pastries, all organic.

Many students have no idea the bakery exists.

Some think it is far off-campus, with strange hours, so marketing is difficult for the business. The bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday — with prices nearly half what you’ll find at Starbucks.

Unfortunately, according to Laurita Gaudioso and Yetzin Perez, the baristas who work at the bakery and are SRJC students themselves, fewer than 5 percent of customers are fellow students. The bakery serves everything from hot chocolate to espresso and a variety of both savory and sweet breakfast foods. These will keep you full until lunch when you return for an everexpanding menu of fast, homemade and all 100 percent organic lunch foods. The menu contains a variety of

soups, salads and sandwich there are plans to add even m Joan Tam is a regular of visiting ever since it move Mendocino Avenue. Tam co to order decaf coffee and any that looks good, such as choc cheese and blueberry galett cake.

Barbara Doble has a daug and has visited the bakery to a few times a week since sh quality baked goods, and it’s d positive to come in and suppo Next door to the bakery is which sports 32 tables and c at a time. While it may not quick bite on your lunch br

Top: Hannah Estrada, culinary arts student, preps seafood in meat and sauce class. Left: Students serve themselves breakfast before the cafe opens. Right: Bakery students roll and prepare dough for desserts the bakery may later sell wednesdays through fridays

Bottom left: Students learn to properly cut and peel sweet potatoes in knife skills class. Middle: Students in the cafe class prep for service at the cafe, located across the street from the Santa Rosa campus. Right: Front o

y your vings

Schwarz

Writer

y Daniel Kong

hes that change daily, and more to the selection. f the bakery who has been ed to its new location on omes in a few times a week ything else in the bakery case colate filled croissants, cream tes and poppy seed chiffon

ghter in the baking program o try her daughter’s products he started at the school. “It’s delicious. It’s been extremely ort the students,” Doble said. s SRJC’s own Culinary Café, can seat 60 to 100 customers t be the best place to grab a reak since you usually need

a reservation, the café is sure to impress. The café, 100 percent staffed by students, is a perpetually growing and evolving source of income for the culinary department.

It has proven essential in the constant upholding of its high-quality standards.

None of this would be possible without the new building, finished in 2012, in which houses these establishments.

Shelly Kaldunski, culinary instructor and one of the coordinators of the bakery, spoke about the specific advantages of the bakery and its new building. “A quick jaunt across Mendocino – and our bakery is accessible to faculty, staff and students on the Santa Rosa campus at last,” Kaldunski said. “We are able to train the next generation of chefs and bakers for the truly diverse Wine Country food scene which awaits them. Our building is most spectacular when filled with the energy of these excited students.”

Top: A baking student brushes eggwash onto blueberry gallettes. Above: The production baking class busy with aspiring chefs and bakers mixing, kneading and measuring.

of house students make sure each table looks neat and uniform before guests dine in the cafe. Far right: Production baking students put the finishing touches on thier edible class assignments.

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May 11, 2015

Features

www.theoakleafnews.com

Brothers who rock climb together stay together Ryan Hughes

Contributing Writer

S

anta Rosa Junior College student Nathan Johnson who has found himself in risky situations.

Johnson recently took a trip to the coast where he decided to climb a cliff he’d never climbed before.

“I made it up the cliff, but when I got to the top I realized I couldn’t get off of it without climbing down.

I stepped on a really slippery rock, so I slipped and I fell off that cliff,” Johnson said. “I fell in the sand, but it was a pretty good fall. Maybe 20 feet.

I chipped my tooth.”

Johnson is no stranger to rock climbing, often coming home with aching arms and clothing dusted with white chalk.

The 18-year-old SRJC freshman spends his afternoons studying for his next big exam or clinging to rocks with all his might. Johnson has been rock climbing for over two years. He first began this hobby after an Analy High Scool friend brought him to Vertex. “It is definitely something that just kind of happened. I didn’t know a lot about climbing until my friend brought it up to me,” he said.

Johnson said there is no precise way to describe the feeling he gets when he climbs but, always ends his climbs with a feeling of accomplishment and relief.

“After completing a route that I have been working on, it’s unbeatable. It’s definitely satisfying getting to the top. I think it’s fun to see how strong you are and push yourself,” he said.

Most people would never guess that Johnson was overweight as a child. He pushes himself to climb every day he can and also regularly participates in an array of physically demanding activities. Johnson recently ran a half marathon at Annadel State Park, over 13 miles of running on a rugged mountain trail.

Johnson’s older brother and climbing partner, Taylor Johnson,

20, said his younger brother is one of the most determined people he knows. “With everything he has done, he has changed himself,” Taylor Johnson said. “When he was young, he was a little bit bigger and got made fun of a little bit, but that only made him stronger. Now he works out every day and he wants to be the best he can be.”

Taylor Johnson believes that rock climbing has strengthened the relationship between them. He also expressed the motivation that his younger brother has shown towards him. “Every time we climb he pushes me to my full potential and he pushes me to climb harder,” he said.

“Every time I see him climb, he pushes himself and always does really well,” Taylor Johnson continued. “He has taught me that independence is really important, but relying on other people is also a much needed quality. This is the sport that brought my brother and I closer together.”

Nathan Johnson has many longterm goals, including getting degrees in radiology and human physiology. He plans to continue attending SRJC and then transfer to a four-year college but wishes to continue his pursuit of rock climbing. “My dream trip would be to climb around the world, but I really want to go to Bishop and maybe someday go to South America,” he said.

To Johnson, the most important characteristics of a good rock climber are perseverance and the ability to stay calm. To learn more about rock climbing, he suggests going to his favorite website, www. rockicemountain.org. or stopping by the local climbing gym, Vertex Ryan Hughes/ Oak Leaf Climbing Center, where he can often SRJC student Nathan Johnson spends his free time in nature rock climbing. be found climbing or working out.

Frank P. Doyle pays for classes, books and housing Gideon Halpin

Contributing Writer

N

o living descendents. Over 120,000 heirs. A Sonoma County legend. Frank P. Doyle is more than a library’s namesake.

He was the most generous man to ever be associated with Santa Rosa Junior College.

Why is a man long dead relevant?

In 2013 the Doyle scholarship helped pay SRJC student Ryan Hughes’ tuition, funded Allyson Bricker to buy text books, and aided Logan Stanly to pay for his education.

In 2014 his gift enabled Nathan Bailey to cover living expenses and save for a university. His funding will continue for 2015 high school graduates and likely will continue to provide scholarships for each upcoming graduating class.

Currently, there are more than 120,000 students that he has granted money to, postmortem.

Beyond mentioning his name in

a history lesson, his memory is paid tribute annually as hundreds of SRJC students receive upwards of $700$1,000 upon full-time enrollment.

This generosity was accomplished through his will. Like Samson of old, his greatest feat was realized in his death. In 1948, Doyle set aside his controlling 50.3 percent share in Exchange Bank to go to a scholarship fund to help “Worthy young men and women attending Santa Rosa Junior College.”The program was named the Frank P. Doyle and Polly O’Meara Doyle Scholarship Fund after him and his beloved wife.

As long as Exchange Bank exists, generation after generation of graduating seniors with marks above 2.75 are eligible to receive the onetime scholarship granted to almost 2,000 students per year.

Since Doyle, the former president and cofounder of Exchange Bank died in 1948, more than $76 million has enabled students to pay for tuition, books, gas, food, and living costs. The value for students of this scholarship

is enormous. To those with fullStatistics are impressive, but lifeless. time careers, the amounts granted To see the depth of philanthropy the may seem inconsequential, but to recipients must have faces. One of the student who knows the struggle them is Sina Milton, class of 2015. She of affording college, meager housing, said, “It’s really nice. I’m really happy food, and gas money, the amount is that you can get a scholarship as a high manna from heaven. school student.” The words “courteous The scholarship gift” were used to fund is directly describe it. linked to the To give a glimpse “I would say 75 economy and of Doyle the man, percent is the general fluctuates with the among other acceptance rate,” profits of Exchange accomplishments Bank.

In the ,he helped create - Merle Martin, SRJC aftershock of the the Sonoma depression, the Coast State Park, scholarship staff scholarship was established a city suspended from park in memory of 2011-2012 because of insufficient his 13-year-old son, and was called funds. Upon its return in 2013 the “Father of the Golden Gate Bridge.” scholarship was worth $700 per Doyle’s generosity was matched with recipient. For the graduating high his vision for the good of Sonoma school class of 2014, 1,500 received the County and the Bay Area. In fact, increased scholarship of $1,000. they were intertwined, each making As for the accessibility of the the other stronger. scholarship, retired SRJC scholarship However, the Doyle Scholarship staff Merle Martin said, “I would say 75 would have probably never been percent is the general acceptance rate.” appropriated if not for the death

of Doyle’s only son, leaving him heirless. In a way, he now has over 120,000 adopted children made heirs in his death. Yet, the majority of those receiving the gift have no knowledge and thereby no gratitude to the man behind the check. It is just money for getting good grades and attending the local community college, and that is a tragic picture.

Because of his love for Sonoma County and his support of youth attending SRJC, the campus library bears his name as a token of remembrance. Yet, though such a grandiose learning center bears his name, it is just that, a name; nothing more. Doyle Library will be a meaningless library title if there is no remembrance of the man for whom it was dedicated.

A complete stranger, over 65 years deceased, continues to give hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to people he could not have possibly known or envisioned.

That is why you should know Frank P. Doyle.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Features

May 11, 2015

15

Hope for hungry students Ashleigh Hess

Contributing Writer

H

unger is not simply discomfort in the bellies of students. The effects of hunger ripple through many aspects of a student’s life. Jora Methvin is a humanities student at Santa Rosa Junior College. She works part time as a waitress to afford her expenses, including rent, bills and school. “I have been too broke to buy food and many days resorted to racking up a tab at work and church donations before I got approved for food stamps,” Methvin said.

Finding a balance between scholarly success and making enough money to live is a real struggle. Not only does the student’s morale suffer, but grades are often affected as well.

“The constant fear of not being able to eat, pay rent or fix my car heavily impacted the way I was able to be present with school work, “ she said.

The stress left Methvin putting off school projects until the last day and staying up until 5 a.m. working.

“The extra stress of being poor puts strain on the ability to perform in school. Sleep is missed, meals are given up and my best is almost never available,” she said.

This story is common among college students.

Between tuition rates rising, rent spikes, unpredictable gas prices, the cost of living for a student is going up.

Students are having to choose between school-related expenses and basic nutrition. Often times a healthy diet is not the top priority.

As a result, their productivity and health are taking the hit.

Many different resources and organizations in Sonoma County aid in the fight against student hunger, on campus and off. Armed with the proper tools and the right planning, every student should be able to enjoy nutritious meals.

Grocery shopping can be a daunting experience for students on a budget. Some stores are considerably more wallet friendly than others, and there are certain tips and tricks to getting the most bang for your buck.

The best way get fresh delicious produce is at the local farmers

Craig Gettman/ Oak Leaf

Farmers set up for the first Wednesday Night Market of the year, where students can buy fresh produce, local honey and hand-crafted treats on Fourth Street.

gives you the total amount saved as that you’re doing it because it is less well as the amount spent. expensive than a four-year school…

Hungry students greatest ally is most likely if you’re here you’re budgeting. Infinite tips and tools giving up work,” he said. can be found on the internet about Egger also serves as the chief budgeting and money saving. financial officer for the Student Downloading a spending tracker app Government Assembly. As a chair onto your phone is a great way to take on the SGA Budget Committee, money management into your own he advocates for the SGA to invest hands. Free apps such as Mint.com more funds the food pantry to help connect safely to your bank account expand the program. He’s aiming for and categorize four days a week your bank card next semester. purchases into Any student intuitive categories. struggling to obtain “People aren’t aware Cash purchases food in Santa of student hunger need to be because they look down Rosa and Sonoma manually entered.

County can gain on our generation Once you see access to free food as being lazy, self how much you’re through several centered and entitled.” spending and on organizations what, you can working against - Jora Methvin, begin to set goals SRJC humanities major hunger in the and limits. area.

Redwood For the times Empire Food Bank where there’s has information simply not enough about its programs money to shop for food, there are still at www.refbo.org. It is especially options for the hungry student. dedicated to ensuring food for kids.

Free food is available at a student- F.I.S.H. Food Pantry of Santa Rosa run food pantry here at SRJC. offers a well-rounded bag of groceries Initiated by the Phi Theta Kappa Club, once a month to anyone in need. The the pantry had humble beginnings amount of food varies on how big the as a pop-up in 2013. With the help household is. The only requirment of active member and JC student Eli for pickup is a phone call.

Egger and others, by 2014 the pantry Because Santa Rosa is such an had graduated to an abandoned kiosk abundant place, it’s hard to imagine at the Barnett building, right next to that there’s a hunger problem. the vending machines where it is Between stigma and shame, many currently located. From the kiosk, hide the fact that they have to skip the PTK distributes 1,500 to 2,000 meals to pay rent or buy books. pounds of groceries a week including “The older generation is extremely a variety of fruits and vegetables, out of touch with the cost of school bread and some frozen foods. and how the low minimum wage “With very little advertising, isn’t enough to take care of a single everything still goes, in about a person. I think that people aren’t six-hour window,” Egger said. The aware of student hunger because pantry distributes 9 a.m. to noon they look down on our generation as on Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 1 on being lazy, self centered and entitled,” Thursdays. Sometimes food makes Methvin said. it to Petaluma campus. All of the To those who endure food food is purchased from Redwood insecurity, every little bit helps. The Empire Food Bank. The Phi trick to staying fed on a shoestring Theta Kappa club raises the funds budget is to get creative: starting to operate the food bank, and a community garden, planning volunteers do all the distribution. meals, going to the professionals for As a volunteer for the food pantry inspiration and advice, keeping an and a student himself, Egger identifies eye out for coupons. It’s important with the struggle many students face. to remember that there are always “If you’re going to community options and there are people and Craig Gettman/ Oak Leaf Fresh organic carrots and other fresh produce can be found at the farmer’s market section of the Wednesday Night Market. college it is a very high probability organizations that are there to help. market. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, California is the highest-producing agricultural state in America. Sonoma County is wealthy in farms. During the spring and summer, farmers put the fruits of their labors on colorful display at local farmer’s markets. You can take your pick of the four markets in Santa Rosa. On a Wednesday you can go to the Veteran’s building in the morning, then to Fourth Street in the evening, Saturday to the Wells Fargo Center or on Sunday cruise over to the West End Market. You can do price comparisons right there checking out different booths.

Vendors are usually happy to give tips on what’s in season and how to prepare it. Some are even open to haggling. Always be respectful of your local farmers. Growing good food for the tables of the community is their livelihood.

More than just a food source, farmers markets are a source for community and conversation. If you’re fortunate enough to have space to grow in, home gardens are a great way to save money. Growers at your local farmers market are usually happy to talk about their trade.

Produce vendors will often have starts for sale and lots of information about cultivating and harvesting. Most vendors return to market weekly or bi-weekly and are a great source for troubleshooting throughout the

garden experiment.

Trader Joe’s is an excellent option for budget grocery shopping for the rest of the days of the week. It offers exotic fruits and pre-prepared or frozen products. TJ’s even offers organic food at extremely reasonable rates with average price mark ups of 10 to 40 cents. Trader Joe’s publishes a monthly updated catalog titled “The Fearless Flyer.” This quaint compendium of in-products can help you plan meals in advance and make your shopping experience to be swift and direct. Time is money, after all.

Another great place to get groceries without breaking the bank is Grocery Outlet. Aptly dubbed the “Bargain Market,” it is a discounted grocery store chain that’s been operating for more than 50 years.

The chain has relationships with brand-name companies that offer both organic and conventional products. Grocery Outlet buys many of its products at discounted wholesale prices due to packaging changes, product overruns and surplus inventories at the source.

The store passes these savings on to the savvy shopper at a discounted rate sometimes as high as 60 percent.

Price tags show the comparison between the bargain price and what other stores are asking for the same product, so you can see just how much you’re saving on each item.

When you check out, the cashier

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May 11, 2015

Opinion

www.theoakleafnews.com

EDITORIAL When Governor Jerry Brown signed the California DREAM Act in 2011, it was a step forward for the U.S. in terms of immigration reform. In 2012, the Obama Administration enacted Deferred Action, designed to give children of immigrants a temporary stay in U.S. as long as they had no prior felonies and attended school or were honorably discharged from the military. Four years later, these acts are not enough to sustain the vast majority of immigrants in this country.

That’s not to say it wasn’t a great start. In March 204, an estimated 673,417 young people have applied to DACA and 553,197 have been approved. DACA made it easier for beneficiaries to get new jobs and many have increased their earnings by 45 percent. 57 percent of those now hold a valid drivers license and almost half opened their first bank account.

DACA’s impact on the U.S. economy holds many benefits but it must progress further.

The hurdles that go into applying for the DACA are too much for many students and the waiting period can stretch from weeks to months before hearing confirmation from the government. Children should not have to live in fear of being denied citizenship for extended periods of time or having their conditional status taken away.

Many schools have made strides in accepting the children

of the DREAM Act. Last Week, Santa Rosa Junior College opened the Dream Center, a place where undocumented students can get support for their college experience. It is a progressive step forward. Of course, to be eligible for admission to SRJC, students must have applied for or plan to apply for DACA. The question that arises when talking about the legality of these acts is why make innocent young people jump through hoops to attain citizenship? Sending a child back to another country or denying them grants and scholarships because they had no choice in coming here at a young age alienates the rights of human being.

And what about the parents of those children approved for DACA and the DREAM Act? At the moment, the law will take a sympathetic look at certain cases, but there is still no way to get a proper hearing for the parents. These are people who serve in and contribute to the communities they live in, but may have to leave their children if they are deported.

We need that will allow children and families to live without fear of deportation. These are hard-working Americans who strengthen the economy and the country, who pay taxes and want nothing more than to build a better future for their families.

Why would anyone turn them

away? It is time for action- waiting is no longer an option.

Recently, in a conversation with DREAMers at a round table discussion, Hilary Clinton talked about what differentiates her from the Republican Party and her stance on the immigration reform.

She strongly believes government must make a clear path for people to attain permanent citizenship, something many Republicans are against. Republicans call the DREAMers “legal status” into question,” which Clinton said was another way of saying “second-

class status.” She said she wants to fight for the rights of these people and stop the risk of deportation, and if Congress tries to stop it, as president she will go further to help these families stay.

One likely Republican opponent of Clinton’s, Ted Cruz, is openly against immigration reform, stating that Obama’s directive to exempt some immigrants is “illegal.” He sees it as a slight against those who have waited to become citizens legally. Cruz also opposes the DREAM Act and wants to take

a more conservative approach to immigrants getting citizenships.

The upcoming 2016 presidential elections don’t be surprised to see a focus on immigration reform and the rights of DREAMers.

Clinton’s stance on immigration reform is what this country needs.

Clinton needs to stand up for the rights of these potential citizens and do away with the idea of them being second-class, so immigrant students can live their lives without fear and alienation from others. The future of the children and this country depends on it.

instant availability to movies, video games, music and images that feature adult activity. Although parents try to monitor their children’s media content, the actualization of such a task is impossible.

Children stumble across these images, and in this case lyrics.

While they might not be able to comprehend exactly what they are looking at or listening to, popular media culture shapes their views on violence, body image, sex, gender roles and self-identity.

According to Wheelock College Instructor of Education Dr. Diane Levin, “They often are exposed to ideas and learn lessons that would not have entered their minds before the media age and that adults do not want them to learn.”

The 2012 study “Early Exposure to Media Violence and Later Child Adjustment” by PHD Caroline Fitzpatrick, Tracie Barnett, and Linda Pagani states, “Social cognitive theories suggest that children exposed to violent media may become desensitized to its arousing effect and come to feel less sympathy for victims. As a result, overly exposed children may be more able to plan and perform proactive acts of aggression.”

Children are like parrots. They pick up information and repeat it almost instantly. More and more I witness children inadvertently

showcasing their sexuality, whether it is by thrusting their hips to explicit lyrics or adhering to fashion trends meant to entice.

Where has the innocence gone?

I worry for the children of the 21st century when they can’t concentrate without some form of screen

technology in front of them; when they’re not even safe from bullies in their own bedroom, texting acronyms are common spelling errors in academics and children are comfortably sporting provocative clothing. Whatever happened to just letting a kid be a kid?

Media hacks childhood innocence Domanique Crawford Opinion Editor

The little girls looked no more than 6 and 8. The youngest one, with her hand on her hip, swayed to the beat as the eldest sang along to the lyrics.

At first, their pastime seemed innocuous. It had been a while since I’ve seen children outside, engaged in play and enjoying the sunshine.

As I approached, I started to listen to the song they were belting out with innocent cheer.

“Come on n---- is you trickin or what?

Flo-fl-flow tighter than a dick in the butt.”

To my astonishment, the girls chanted the lyrics to “Roger That”

by Nicki Minaj, as if they knew what they were actually singing about. No parent in sight.

Amongst the normalization of vulgar language, provocative clothing and growing platforms of technology geared towards youth, toddlers have become common factors in pre-adolescent culture.

Children seem to be growing up faster these days. Woe to the children of the Millennials.

When I was a child, which was not that long ago, my brothers and I would spend our days outside, roughhousing in the backyard,

rain or shine.

Born in an era when technology was just advancing, we were not overly concerned with the newest gadgets, fashion trends or social media. When we stumbled across adult content, and depending on the topic, in a singsong voice, my mother would say, “Wait until you’re older and then I’ll explain.”

In what I like to call “the land before” [pre-technology dependency], in elementary school there was no peer pressure to have the latest iPhone, you were not mocked for not owning namebrands, and there was no awareness of sex and how babies were made.

Kids still played on swing sets; nursery rhymes were the only songs repeated within earshot and bullies’ taunts consisted of nothing more than “poopy head” and “dog breath.”

Born after 2000, Generation Z ushers forth a new type of youth.

Birthed in a digital world equipped with smart phones, tablets and laptops, these kids come out of the cradle with the inherent ability to program apps, take selfies and download pirated content; while simultaneously monitoring their social media pages - yes pages - playing angry birds and cyberbullying the scrawny new kid from Iowa.

Access to inappropriate content is everywhere. The Internet permits

www.theoakleafnews.com

Opinion

On the hunt for a home DeAnna Hettinger Staff Writer

Recently, in my search for a room to rent in Santa Rosa, I came across a Craigslist ad that made me chuckle.

The ad read something like: master bedroom for rent, $1,250…killer home looking for ‘sick’ roommate,” indicating to me he was looking for someone crazy, cool and insane.

Keep in mind this is a guy in his 20s who just bought his first 4-bedroom home. According to the ad, a smartphone controls the washer, dryer, air conditioning and heat.

Considering it to be a “chill place to live,” he wants someone who is clean but not OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and 420 friendly.

Today’s rental market is standard is some ways and surprising in many others. The language is clearly different with new twists and codes. If you’re a smoker, it may be OK depending on what you smoke. Good thing I know what 420 friendly means so I can make the right choice to fit my lifestyle. These changes, along with the sky rocketing rent increases make house hunting somewhat of a bumpy ride.

I moved to Santa Rosa three years ago to pay a couple hundred dollars less in rent because I could no longer afford to live in Marin, the county I grew up in. Sonoma County rates have caught up. And like affluent Marin there is no rent control policy currently in place.

Back in the day, Marin teenagers used to move back home after age

18 or stay longer due to the high a motivational speaker/activist cost of living, a trend in today’s spiel on you-tube before I sent Sonoma County renters market. my inquiry. Go figure. We live in Building new rental properties is Northern California and movers costly, requiring available land that and shakers live here, you know the is extremely short in supply. Non- entrepreneurs, elite and the type “A” commuters, people who don’t work kind of folks. in San Francisco for example, are The room I decided upon cost considering moving to Lake County me a total of $1,500 (first and last) as an option. The prices are lower to move in. Ouch. For two months for housing and the county offers I had pursued this rental diligently more usable land. There is just not by keeping contact with the enough housing to go around. The landlord who traveled for her job tenant occupancy and was pregnant. rate has hovered I needed to be somewhere open-minded and The room I decided around 90 consider a new percent. upon cost me a total kind of living Elece Hempel, arrangement.

I of $1,500 to move in. live in a threee x e c u t i v e director of floor townhome Ouch. the Petaluma where people People Services literally live on Center of the top of each other.

Fair Housing Being flexible is Authority, said a valuable asset society needs to look at the if you want to save some money unintended consequences, such on rent and have a smooth houseas the county being historically hunting process. Best case-scenario a beautiful place to live and raise you have to only choose between a family and the downside of Netflix and cable. that is more and more people are This means you need to be on choosing to live here. “The seeds top of your game, creative, and of change have been planted but financially prepared to pay top businesses continue to feel the dollar for a new home. Have your impact of qualified employees who financial affairs in order. Offer to can’t find homes. Senior citizens pay two months rent in if you’re and families are struggling to stay able; landlords may choose you over housed,” Hempel said. the person who has the best credit.

Recently needing to move myself, Exchanging work of some kind for I perused Craigslist’s share rentals partial rent can be hard to find but up to five times a day. In response a life-saving option, especially if to one ad, I was asked to watch you’re a struggling student.

May 11, 2015

17

Plastic poisons oceansourced foods Peter Gatembu Contributing Writer

According to the Fisheries of the United States latest statistics, the average American ate 14.5 pounds of fish in 2013, a modest 0.7 percent increase over the 14.4 pounds consumed in 2012. Perhaps fisheaters understand the health benefits that come with it.

However, what most fish-eating American citizens don’t quite understand is that the fish we consume might have been exposed to toxic chemicals in the rivers, bays and oceans they inhabit. Toxic substances like mercury continue to cause concern because it shows up at disturbingly high levels in some fish.

The problem starts when plastic and other litter finds its way into the ocean. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that around 6.4 million tons of litter enters the world’s oceans annually.

In the ocean waters between Hawaii and Japan is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, filled with plastic, chemical sludge and other debris that has been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Ocean’s gyre.

The patch, covers an area the size of Turkey, according to Greenpeace International. We humans are entirely responsible for this mess.

When plastic particles begin to decompose into the ocean, small organisms mistakenly eat them.

Small fish then consume these small organisms. This is how tocins enter

the food chain.

Chelsea Rochwan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, who authored a study on the amount of toxins found in fish, said, “Eventually, we will start to see those toxin contaminants high up in the food chain, in seafood and wildlife.”

A couple of years back, two voyage institutes based in Sausalito headed toward the Pacific garbage patch in a bid to try and clean up some of the waste. The scientists summarized that there is no perfect way to fish out all the trash out of the ocean without harming ocean creatures in the process.

The problem lies in our homes and back yards, and we humans have direct control as to where this trash ends up. We all need to help curb this menace littering our waters.

Changing our individual behavior is key to creating less waste.

Reusing what you can and remembering to recycle are some of the already implemented strategies that most communities and countries have already adapted, but more needs to be done. For instance, joining a beach cleaning activity is also viable in helping stop this disaster. Teaching the younger generation about waste and recycling is also another way of reducing the speed at which we are destroying our planet.

We have to stop polluting our oceans. It’s not a hopeless situation yet. Marine debris is absolutely a solvable problem because it stems from our everyday practices.

SRJC should promote use of bicycles Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec Staff Writer

Playing musical chairs to park your car every morning at SRJC should not have to be an inevitability. A more fun and healthy method is possible to start your studious day.

Leave your car, take a breath and straddle your bike. I’ve biked for one hour every day for eight months to travel back and forth between my home and the campus.

I haven’t experienced any trouble so far. I can say the majority of drivers respect the bike lanes.

The recent Sonoma County Transit Free program for college students is obviously not sufficient to remedy the daily congestion in SRJC parking lots. So, the time has come to reconsider the personal use of cars and witness the benefits of a bicycling lifestyle.

SRJC students Taylor Rock, 20, and Anthony Alexander, 22, ride respectively 4 and 8 miles from their house to the school.

Together we agree that you will improve your health, you will save parking and gas money and you will respect the environment. Isn’t the list of reasons long enough?

According to facilities planning and operations Dean Tony Ichsan, a parking project underway is

estimated at $475,000.

“This project on the north corner of Mendocino Avenue and Carr Avenue would create an additional much needed fortytwo space general parking lot,” Ichsan said.

Proponents of the construction of another parking garage argue they live too far from Santa Rosa to bike. But if more people living in the SRJC area could change their habit by leaving their car at home and riding instead, the half-million dollars could be used for more positive things than appeasing the people who drive a car while they live locally.

Instead of planning the construction of another parking structure, SRJC should focus efforts and budget to promote and to increase the use of bikes among students, faculty and staff.

The 2014 United States Public Interest report New-Course states, “Stanford University estimates it has avoided more than $100 million in parking construction costs over the past decade due to its efforts to discourage driving.”

Actions of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), where a quarter of students bike to campus, could inspire a new program dedicated to the development of bike use. The

Courtesy of www.visitcalifornia.com

Bike riders utilize access to California’s highways for transportation and exercise in an eco-friendly fashion.

UW Bicycle resource center provides free use of tools, bicycle repair manuals, maps and organizes monthly events. Their proactive policy increased the percentage of bike users to 50 percent since 2006.

SRJC students Rock and Alexander have riden a bike their “whole lives.” That’s why SRJC governance should use the money to drive an incitement policy for people who are not used to biking.

Rock and Alexander emphasized the bike thefts that

often happen on the Santa Rosa campus, SRJC could provide efficient locks. Among several measures, it could also build more racks and help students in need buy a bike. Working in partnership with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, SRJC could easily share documentations and information on riding rules, equipment choices and website resources.

It would be great to see one day the name of SRJC among the universities and colleges

like Stanford and Santa Monica College awarded by the League of American Bicyclists.

The city of Santa Rosa has already built a good network of bicycle lanes and trails but Rock thinks, “We should improve the number of bike lanes and make it safer.” Resetting its financial priorities by promoting a strong bike policy, SRJC would encourage the city to do more for bikers. As Rock says, “More people in general should ride bikes whenever they can.”

Opinion In the end all I got were tears

18

May 11, 2015

Jarrett Rodriguez

Co-Editor-in-Chief

I can remember every detail of it.

Sitting on her bed in complete silence, staring at her, knowing I would never see this room again. She was talking, but by then I stopped listening. I just couldn’t bear it anymore. All I could hear was the hum of her breathing machine. She couldn’t even make eye contact with me. I packed up my belongings so I could leave. She never tried to stop me.

The first time I met my ex-girlfriend, I had no idea how much of an impression I made on her. We met at work; when I was a salesman and she a cashier. I was coming out of a bad relationship and she was the first girl I liked. The day I built up the courage to ask her out I waited in her line, allowing customers to go ahead of me so she could ring me up. After making my way up to her register, I placed down a movie I had randomly grabbed off the shelf. Then I was introduced to her husband. I walked out with a movie in my hands and a sense of both sadness and relief that I didn’t make a complete fool of myself.

A year later, all that changed with one little Facebook message. It turned out her husband kicked her out of the house and she had to move back to town. After a few days of talking, I learned she had liked me since we first met. I asked her out and to my surprise, she said yes.

I will never forget our first date. I picked her up and we headed out to my house in Monte Rio, about 45 minutes away from Santa Rosa. It was here that

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she shared with me something per- change in one night. In one night, your sonal. She was dying. She had a disease: whole life can change. cystic fibrosis, a rare lung disease that It started with her health, which took makes it seem like you are drowning. a deep dive. One night, I watched as she The disease makes it almost impossible coughed up blood all over all over the to have kids and requires a breathing bed and me. Sitting in the waiting room apparatus and vest to keep lung capac- was the scariest part. At 3 a.m. the hosity up. She didn’t like people to know pital is empty and is silent throughout. because they treated her differently, but All you can hear is your own thoughts she trusted me to not run away. racing to calm you down. So it was a reI was scared at first. The idea that lief when she came out laughing. Everysomeone my age, someone so amaz- thing seemed ok, but the next day, she ing was going to die soon frightened started ignoring me. me. I was hesitant about being in a reShe didn’t want to see me. She told lationship at first and so was she. After me that over a text. She wanted us to be our first date we decided to take things over with. I’ve been through break ups slow, until she came to my house to before, but this was painful. Like I was watch movies one day and everything missing something. I let her go, because changed. We talked for hours. We had I didn’t want to smother her. It would no idea it was 3 a.m. until we got in the just push her away more. But I couldn’t car. That was the moment she says she leave her alone. fell in love with me Two days later we were and the moment I texting every moment. fell for her.

That’s when I found out I stared ahead We became inanother blow. She was because I did not in the hospital. Her viseparable, spending as much time as we had dipped and she know what to say. tals could together. The had to be monitored. honeymoon phase To top it off, the only of any relationship person with her was her is always great, but ex-husband, who wanted ours seemed to never end. I started re- to try to work things out. She said they arranging my life around hers and what needed to talk but after two nights she she was capable of. called, saying how much she loved me.

I learned everything about her. She I took her back with open arms. later told me the day I messaged her on Her first day out of the hospital was Facebook she had decided to kill her- Valentine’s Day, her favorite holiday. self. She was writing the letter when I She had begged the doctors to be messaged her. She said I saved her life. released early. They agreed, but she At some point the honeymoon stage had to be hooked up to an IV for two eventually ends; it is then that you will weeks. It was the only way; there was see what kind of couple you become. no going out. So I brought Valentine’s It is amazing how much things can Day to her. I snuck into her house and

Courtesy of lungpicture.com

An X-ray shows differences between healthy set of lungs on the left and lungs with cystic fibrosis on the right and the damage it causes to them.

set up a beach picnic on her bed. I wanted to bring to her everything she couldn’t have.

Some news just seems to age you; especially when you aren’t prepared for it. The morning after, Valentine’s Day, I received a gift: I was going to be a father. She was pregnant, which explained her dip in health and change in mood. I didn’t care, I was going to be a father, and in what seemed like seconds, I grew up.

We started planning for everything.

I prepared for the next stage of my life and even though I was terrified, I knew I could do it.

One moment, you’re just a child, and the world seems full of possibility. The next, you’re an adult, and the world doesn’t care what you want.

I was sitting on the edge of her bed when she told me. Her machines were on and the whirring sound of them filled the walls. I stared ahead because I did not know what to say.

We lost the baby.

Her health had taken a bad turn and there was a side effect; she was no longer able to have kids. I put my feelings aside and stepped up to console her, but she didn’t want it. I sat on the edge of her bed as she told me she couldn’t be with me anymore. She didn’t want me to watch her die and the last thing she wanted to give me, she couldn’t any longer. I didn’t want to leave; I tried to change her mind, to make her see that I loved her more than that. But it was no use; she wanted me gone and she was going to go back to her ex-husband. She didn’t care if he watched her die but she didn’t want me to see her like that, she loved me too much. All I got were tears.

We sat in complete silence for what seemed like eternity. I didn’t know what I could say to make it better. I couldn’t make it better. She walked me to the door and we shared one last kiss, I wanted to stay, but she begged me to leave and I succumbed. Driving away is still the hardest thing I have ever done to this day.

Drinking age in the United States

To drink or legally drink; that is the question Faith Gates

Managing and News Editor

When you turn 18 in the United States you can vote, be in the army, buy a gun, get a tattoo, get married and buy cigarettes, but one thing you can’t do is drink alcohol. Let’s be honest: we all drank before we turned 21.

The current drinking age in America has caused teens to drink in unsafe and uncontrolled places and has led to more harm than good.

The drinking age wasn’t always 21, in fact, it was only a little more than 30 years ago that the drinking age changed to 21. The organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving lobbied the federal government hard to raise the drinking age to cut the rate of teen drunk driving, leading President Ronald Reagan to sign the Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, mandating all states raise their legal drinking age to 21 or suffer a 10 percent cut in their federal highway dollars.

This did not fix the problem.

Many in favor of the 21 drinking age believe that it’s beneficial because it lowered the fatality rate of teens who were drunk driving, but statistics show not only did the rate decrease two years before

the drinking age changed, but it has also stayed generally the same since then. For example, in 1983 the number of alcohol related teen driving accidents was 24,635. Skip ahead to 1986, a couple years after the age changed, the number is 25,017 deaths.

Teens see drinking as a sort of “forbidden fruit.” This makes them more likely to drink, but also more likely to drink in unsafe environments. Keeping youth from drinking outside of licensed locations like restaurants or even their own home pushes them to drink at fraternities or house parties.

The Center for Disease Control found that 90 percent of all teens that drink alcohol binge drink, which can cause permanent harm to the brain. Studies show that the rate of underage teens being heavy drinkers or having more alcoholrelated problems is increasing instead of decreasing.

Still, people think this age is protecting the youth and we can’t trust them if we lower the drinking age. But look at other countries.

The United States has the highest drinking age recorded, meanwhile countries, like in Europe, have a drinking age of 18, or even unenforced.

Recent research published by the

World Health Organization found that while teens in many European states, where the drinking age is 18 or younger, have more drinking occasions per month, they have fewer dangerous, intoxication occasions than Americans.

These teens are being entrusted with alcohol while they are younger and yes, they are human and will take advantage of that age by drinking. But because it is legal and they know they can do it anytime, they do not binge drink or drink to intoxication as Americans do.

One in 10 drinking occasions for Europeans ends in intoxication, while for Americans the ratio is over five in 10.

When I studied abroad in France, I found these stats to be true. One of the first nights I had dinner with my homestay family, the 10-year-old boy I lived with went to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of champagne, corked it himself, and proceeded to pour himself and everyone else at the table a drink. His mom then told me about how they let their kids drink there and then when they are

older, they don’t go crazy when they can finally drink. I witnessed this in the bars and just walking around.

If you only tell a kid drinking is bad and never to try it, honestly, they’re going to try it the first time it’s offered to them.

You become an adult at the age of 18 in America and if we don’t even give teens the opportunity to be responsible, they will never have the chance to learn and mature. If you want people to start acting like adults, you have to start treating them like adults.

Photo courtesy of www.bu.edu

The current drinking age causes underage young adults to binge drink and consume alcohol in unsafe environments.

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Opinion

Measure A: Dylan Grise

Contributing Writer

Founding father Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Only two things are guaranteed in life; death and taxes.” It looks like the latter of the two may be on the rise again here in Sonoma County.

We’ve all seen it coming, and we only have ourselves to blame.

Our frustrated voices are finally being heard from behind the steering wheels of gridlocked cars throughout the county, as a new ordinance is on the ballot to raise money desperately needed for more than 1,000 miles of Sonoma County roads. Of course, the expected source of funding for this is going to be you and me: the taxpayers. It’s no surprise this measure isn’t welcomed by most, but it should be.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has proposed the Sonoma County Measure A, with the goal of raising enough money for repairs in the 1,440 miles of less-than-optimal roadways in the county. It is expected to raise about $20 million for the county

The driving force behind newly proposed road repairs tax act

in the first year alone, with a three Sonoma County traveler, I don’t see percent increase estimated in the an issue with this proposal. Based following years. off data from the Census Bureau, The original proposal in October the quarter-percent general sales was slated to be on the voting ballots tax increase would be just over $73 back in March as a general sales tax per person per year. I can’t think increase for the next 20 years. This of the number of times I’ve sat in proposal was not well received. traffic or driven down a potholePolling showed ridden road people were wary wondering when since they weren’t someone would “We’ve brought a being given enough do something to time to think about coalition to the table fix these issues. the tax ordinance Now, they’re that we think can before the original fixable for next ballot, as well as to nothing. make this work.” the length of the S o n o m a commitment to C o u n t y - David Rabbit, a tax increase Supervisor Sonoma County with unclear David Rabbit destinations for the said, “We’ve Supervisor funds. Others are brought a raising eyebrows coalition to the because there isn’t table that we a specific plan think can make for where the tax money would this work. There is no opposition to go, but it’s been openly stated by it so far.” the Sonoma County Board of That sounds great for moving Supervisors that two-thirds of the things along, but ultimately this raised funding will go to repair decision comes down to us: the roads in the Sonoma Valley area taxpayers, the drivers- and most needing it most. importantly, the voters. For a As a taxpayer and frequent tax measure like this to pass, the

two-thirds majority rule applies.

Historically, that’s been a difficult task to accomplish. To appease Sonoma County residents, the ordinance will now be on the June ballot, and the length of the tax bump will only be for five years, giving voters more time to think about the proposal. As easy as it is to say this is just another unnecessary tax increase, give it a second look.

The supervisors also decreased the length of time associated with the tax to make it a much shorter commitment should the proposal pass. Paying a little more each month hurts us all - some more than others - but we can, and should do what is needed to get the funding necessary to fix these roads. Sonoma County has lost more than $175 million in property and income taxes since 2006 due to the recession.

The roads in this county are well past their prime, and as far as road repairs go, the price grows exponentially over time.

We need to fix the roads and we need to do it before the situation becomes unmanageable. As taxpayers, we need to be here for our county as much as it’s here for us.

Recovering from abuse Craig Gettman Staff Writer

My name is Craig, and I’m a survivor of sexual abuse.

I was 13 at the time. It was that awkward time of life when my voice was changing, my hormones were raging and hair was growing in places I’d rather not mention.

The voice-changing part was particularly unfortunate because I was in the Piedmont Boy’s Choir.

I was the choir’s first and only baritone. The other boys managed to stay in the tenor range, or even higher. When the choir performed Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” I was the soloist on the lower part of the song.

In the summer of 1986, the choir had a retreat in Feather River, near Quincy, California. It was a remote, backwoods location straight out of “Deliverance,” or perhaps “Cabin in the Woods.” Luckily, there were no lustful rednecks playing banjos or murderous zombie families.

Unfortunately, the real danger was hidden, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

His name? Let’s just call him John. He was a counselor, one of the

four adults tasked with supervising nearly 30 boys, all aged 10-13. As I recall, John was about 30 or so.

One afternoon after my voice lesson with another counselor, John summoned me to his cabin under the pretense of “private instruction.”

I had no reason to suspect otherwise, not being old enough to be wise to the ways of the world. As it turned out, that would be the day I’d lose my innocence.

The entire series of events happened without me really realizing what, exactly, was going on.

John locked the door, sat on his bed, and asked me to join him. He began rubbing my shoulders and then asked if I would return the favor. I did so without question. He was, after all, an adult.

Then he laid on the bed, and asked me to rub his stomach. I complied with this request as well, still fully under this man’s spell.

He took off his pants next. While he did have underwear on, I could tell his penis was erect.

He asked me to remove my pants.

I told him no, but he grabbed me and stuck his hand between my legs.

Somehow, I broke free.

I ran as though the devil

Child sexual abuse, by the numbers: • • •

Children ages 7-13 are most vulnerable to sexual abuse 1 1 in 5 girls & 1 in 20 boys report being victims 1 1.6% of children between 12-17 are victims of sexual assault 2 Sources: 1 The National Center for Victims of Crime; 2 Bureau of Justice Statistics

Courtesy of Craig Gettman

Craig Gettman at age 13 leans behind the shoulder of his younger sister.

were chasing me. In a panic, I desperately tried to find the nearest adult. The one person I did find was the choir conductor’s wife, a woman who clearly did not abide children, let alone one who was in an agitated state.

Nevertheless, I tried desperately to tell her what happened. She dismissed me immediately, claiming that John would never do such a thing. She even went so far as to threaten that I would be kicked out of the choir if I insisted on accusing him, or as she put it, “tattle-taleing.”

I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and did not speak of the incident until almost a month later. When I did it was to my mother, but she told me practically the same thing as the conductor’s wife, minus the “tattle-tale” part.

This event had three major impacts

19 It’s not love, just a crush

May 11, 2015

on me. I developed a distrust of males as friends or authority figures.

I developed the habit of bottling my emotions and frustrations, rather than to speak of them to anyone. I became incredibly uncomfortable around men in situations involving intimacy, even hugging.

My main hope in speaking of this event now is to start the healing process. I’ve held this in for too long, and I’ve avoided it throughout my life. For one, distrust of all males is unhealthy: I’m sure that most men would not sexually abuse me if given the chance. Still, the most important thing that might come out of this is closure. By finally opening up about this, I can hopefully one day clear away one of the clouds that has been hanging over my life for nearly three decades.

Robert Marshall Sports Editor

My heart flutters; I feel frustration, sometimes sadness and confusion. I’ve come to realize I have a crush, and it’s something I’ve never felt before.

A crush is an intense but usually short-lived infatuation.

It started with an instant attraction. I saw him and he sparked my interest. I don’t know if it was because of what he was wearing, his personality or how he looked at me.

Everything he does is perfection and his flaws are invisible. Crushes are the center of your life whether you like it or not.

It’s exactly how I feel.

Thoughts of that person run rampant. At times it’s hard to function. I do anything to distract myself. Everything he does is amazing.

Although this person is so darn cute, I wonder if he thinks about me? “Does he like me?

Does he think about me? Do we have chance?”

I can’t help but think this infatuation is fueled by how far the distance is between us, and I’ve only talked to him twice.

I mean, if I had a car and I got the green light, would I jet down there in a heartbeat?

Yes, of course.

But then reality sets in and I know I have a life I have to live.

I feel like a 15-year-old girl infatuated with Justin Bieber.

It’s weird. Sometimes I think, “What’s wrong with me?”

I feel like a teenager. I didn’t know it was possible for a 21-year-old guy to feel like this. Yeah, I’ve liked people before, but not borderline obsessive. The only other person I’ve felt even close to this about is when I was 14 years old in love with Disney’s Raven-Symone.

At times I wonder if I need help, but then I think no, it’s something that will pass eventually. One day, I’ll be sane again.

The advice I’ve received: “Get over this person, move on and keep your options open.”

But as much as those thoughts and comments circulate in my mind, it’s easier said than done.

With everything throughout this process, I’ve been positive and I’ve embraced these feelings.

Whatever happens when I see thim again happens. I’m ready.

20

May 11, 2015

Opinion

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Choice is key:Democratic presidential primary Clinton monopolizes the 2016

Luke Heslip

Assistant Opinion Editor

A two-party system is an absurd design of government. Political ideology does not divide naturally into two generalized halves: it’s a nuanced and overlapping array of values and vantage points. A party without competitive leadership is even worse.

One political figure lords over the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, virtually unparalleled in resources and name recognition.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is hailed as a super-candidate. The former United States senator, secretary of state and first lady has been the anticipated Democratic nominee since Barack Obama triumphed over her in the 2008 presidential primary.

Her controversy aside, Clinton’s bid is opportune. She would bring to the Oval Office more than 20 years of hardened political expertise in the national and international arena, accomplishing rank in the legislative and executive branches.

She has the advantage of directly witnessing White House business during her husband Bill Clinton’s eight-year presidential tenure. She would also set the momentous precedent as the first female American President. Ex HewlettPackard CEO Carly Fiorina has also declared candidacy in the GOP race.

Clinton’s knack for surviving scandals testifies to her preparedness. Her husband’s affairs with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and the 2012 assault on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya which resulted in the deaths of four Americans while she was Secretary of State are two of the most debated intrigues in modern American history.

Choice is the redeeming virtue of Democracy, justifying its inefficiencies. Citizens have input on who their leaders are. Political contenders should be plentiful, and single candidate monopolies regarded with distaste.

It is true numerous candidates have entered the 2016 fray, yet all

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton endures criticism for hawkish foreign policy.

but two of them are Republican. to Fail’ immunity from free market The two major parties have turbulence abuses the American relatively equal popular support. people, differing from Clinton who Each party has fault lines and a is tied to corporate banking.

Sanders may appear like range of ideals; their primaries deliverance to those who concur should manifest this. with his condemnation of the Audible scuffles of dissent exist “billionaire class’s” hegemony over on the left, the loudest by Vermont America, but outside of zealous Senator Bernard Sanders the liberal enclaves, other declared voters are likely Democrat. to dismiss him as As the radical. A Jewish longest-ser ving Each party has fault socialist who independent in lines and a range of wants to combat Congressional climate change is history and ideals, their primaries unlikely to rally the only open should manifest this. a majority of socialist in the centralist voters, primary, Sanders let alone the is a bonified powerful Bible maverick.

Belt.

S a n d e r s’ Despite his less-than-moderate contrast with Clinton is fiercely positions, Sander’s campaign is pronounced. As Vermont’s “atbolstered by grass roots enthusiasm large” Congressman for 16 years, and significant small donations.

Sanders voted against the Iraq Next to Sanders, the most war, supported campaign finance prominent Democratic hopeful is reform legislation and single former Maryland Governor and payer healthcare.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley.

A senator since 2007, Sanders champions populous causes. In Sharing many of Massachusetts May 2015, he sponsored a bill Senator Elizabeth Warren’s- who, immense popularity which would split up the largest despite refuses to run so far gripes with banking institutions in the U.S. Wall Street and income inequality, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo. He argues these banks the lesser-known O’Malley holds monetary oligarchy and ‘Too Big solid liberal tenets.

Left: Former HP executive Carly Fiorina runs for the GOP nomination despite never holding public office.

Right: Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley returns to Baltimore to address the riots of Freddie Gray.

Top and Bottom: Courtesy of Wikipedia

Top: Bernard Sanders is known for criticizing income inequality and big banks.

Bottom: Jim Webb associates with both conservative and liberal administrations.

As Governor O’Malley pushed to legalize same-sex marriage, raise the minimum wage and abolish the death penalty, O’Malley’s campaign gained some recognition when he came to the forefront of the Baltimore riots following the death of Freddie Gray, 25, the African-American man who succumbed to spinal injuries incurred in police custody in April 2015. Both O’Malley and Clinton spoke out against mass incarceration and racial inequality in law enforcement.

Other than Joe Biden’s possible presidential run, Jim Webb is the

Left: Courtesy of Wikipedia; Right: Courtesy of Getty Images

only veteran moderate likely to challenge Clinton. The former oneterm Virginia Senator, secretary of the Navy and assistant secretary of defense under President Reagan, offers bi-partisan leadership.

Webb supports conservative stances on gun ownership and affirmative action, while criticizing 21st century U.S. military incursions. As a decorated Vietnam veteran and longtime military advisor, Webb boasts tested leadership and old- school political techniques, like refraining from attack ads.

Clinton herself is not the problem with the primary; she is doing her part by participating in the political process. The problem is, she is unrivaled by a candidate of commensurate leverage. Clinton’s center-left, hawkish views are not universal democratic positions.

The widely circulated argument that it’s Clinton’s ‘turn’ for the White House, or her nomination is ‘inevitable’ because of her exalted network of allies, is asinine.

Clinton is a strong candidate, but Democrats should not be obligated to back her because of her established party authority. Ideas are important, and if liberal voters sympathize with candidates who embody their ideals better than Clinton, they should back them. For Democratic voters to waver because of Clinton’s intimidating lead would be a disservice to the party.

www.theoakleafnews.com

A&E

May 11, 2015

Film Fest Petaluma

Students screen short films Kyle Schmidt

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Staff Writer

onsisting of the creepy and the comical, Film Fest Petaluma once again brought a fantastic showcase of multinational short films to McNear’s Mystic Theatre in downtown Petaluma May 2.

The different showings screened at 2:30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m., including 25 separate short films from countries such as France, Australia, Singapore and Norway.

Santa Rosa Junior College students selected at the student film festival April 3 were also allowed to screen their shorts for separate showings.

This included SRJC directors Stefan Perez, Ian Powell, Kendra Goff and Miles Levin.

Perez, in reference to his satirical take on the neo-noir film titled “Tough Case,” said, “I was kind of afraid because maybe people wouldn’t get that I was trying to be funny. And I thought, well maybe it would be obvious if I just played everybody.”

Michael Traina, director of the Petaluma Film Alliance and SRJC media professor, hosted the event, conducting interviews with many

of the filmmakers on stage. Of the numerous directors, Guillaume Foresti and his cinematographer, Nicolas Zafiriou, conducted a special shot the day before the festival that involved several SRJC students.

The resulting short film, “Allure” was written by SRJC student Bex Randles. It depicts two women who meet on Tinder. One of the two goes missing after their first date, causing speculation that the other character is a murderer.

The film screened at Film Fest Petaluma during the 7:30 p.m. show along with Foresti’s short film “Vivid.” “Vivid” depicts the end of love between a couple. The two begin to drift apart and lose more than their love, including parts of their body and physical senses. By the end of the film they symbolically want to die.

“I wanted to deal with the end of love and how each person feels when we don’t love anyone anymore. I tried to make this story as universal as possible because all people live through break-ups,” Foresti said.

Altogether, the festival drew a large crowd to downtown Petaluma.

For more information on the directors and shorts visit www. petalumafilmalliance.org.

Top: McNear’s Mystic Theatre & Music Hall screens the film festival in downtown Petaluma.

Bottom: Cinematographer Nicolas Zafiriou worked among students while shooting “Allure.”

Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), a mind reader with telekinesis, and QuickSilver (Aaron TaylorJohnson), who has super-speed. The film has a lot of balls in the air and while it drops a few, the fact it keeps most of them up is impressive.

All the scenes feel organic and move along the plot or characterization. The film never feels like it’s having an action scene for the sake of having one. The action is brilliantly shot with fluid camera motion, so the viewer can feel the action but can still see what is going on.

The film also manages to spread out a good amount of character development throughout its giant cast. Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow all get some nice moments.

There is a romance between Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) that comes out of nowhere. It’s not terrible - it’s just weird that the film treats it like something that has been built up.

Disappointingly, where the film slips is with the new characters.

They get little focus compared to the returning cast. Hydra terrorists only serve as the cold opening threat and are taken out easily. Ultron has no build up to his turn. Tony programs him and the first thing Ultron does is upload himself to the internet and then immediately goes into kill all humans mode. It’s jarring. To be fair, if the first thing I read was YouTube’s comment section, I would probably want to end mankind as well.

Staff Writer

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Review

he Avengers reform after the terrorist group Hydra returns, but things go out of control when Ultron (James Spader), a robot built by Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), decides that humans are not worth saving.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” does nothing new with the Avengers formula, but it does improve the story and action from the first film.

Joss Whedon returns as writer and director.

The film not only brings back the entire Avengers team, but also introduces new characters in Ultron,

SRJC jazz delights Rebecca Dominguez Staff Writer

Review

Kyle Schmidt / Oak Leaf

Avengers assemble for ‘Ultron’ Sean Curzon

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Ultron, voiced by James Spader, plots the downfall of the Avengers after Tony Stark builds the robot and it goes berserk.

Courtesy of playbuzz.com

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver also don’t get much development.

The only other character they have any meaningful contact with is Hawkeye. Scarlet Witch gets a few good scenes, just enough to leave the viewer wanting more.

Quicksilver gets nothing. He’s fast and a little snarky, which doesn’t say much since nearly every character is snarky to some degree. That’s the extent of his character.

The film is unkind to those who haven’t seen any Marvel movies. One must have at the bare minimum seen the first “Avengers” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Iron Man and Captain America (Chris Evans) have both been affected by the events of their solo movies. Iron Man is trying to let go of his super hero life to settle down while Captain America is convinced that he can’t let up or evil will get the upper hand. It’s a nice pay-off for fans, but will go over casual viewers’ heads.

Lack of build-up aside, Ultron is a cool villain. Unlike most evil robots, which are frightening because of how inhuman they act due to lacking emotions, Ultron is frightening because of how human he seems. Spader fills his performance with condescending arrogance, barely contained rage and contempt.

The biggest weakness of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is that the film rushes in an effort to counter a bloated plot. But it’s pure fun that’s not afraid to have a good hard look at its characters.

Jazz conjures up images of a smokey club where people dance as a lone man plays a saxophone. These images often cause people to think of jazz as outdated and on the periphery of mainstream music, but the Santa Rosa Junior College Jazz Combos concert showed the beauty and skill it takes to play jazz music.

Three jazz combos, the red, yellow and blue combos, directed by Bennett Friedman, performed May 6 in Newman Auditorium.

The red combo started off the night. Musicians were dressed casually, as if they had just walked off the street, but their casual attire was forgotten when they started playing.

The red combo played five jazz pieces including “Sister Sadie,” by Horace Silver. They also played “All Blues,”

by Miles Davis, which featured guest artist Mads Tolling on violin.

They ended their set with “Says,”

by Al Jarreau and Philippe Saisse, with the arrangement by Bennett Friedman. Mads Tolling was again featured on this piece and was phenomenal. Director Friedman waved his hands and the red combo finished with precision.

Performing second, the yellow combo began with “Daahoud,” by Clifford Brown. The inclusion of a more modern instrument, the electric bass, made their performance slightly different than the original.

The yellow combo then played “A Sassy Samba” by Jimmy Heath and featured Mads Tolling. This piece was bold and resonant. It showcased the importance of the pianist and drummer, the foundation all other musicians build on.

“High Rise,” by Don Braden and Karl Latham, was the last song the yellow combo played. The bassist added a funkiness to this piece that wasn’t in the others.

Last was the blue combo, which played three songs. Musicians began with “Jitterbug Waltz,” by Fats Waller, arranged by Bennett Friedman. The piece was spunky and had a different sound than the other two combos with the addition of the vibraphone (vibes). Mads Tolling was once again featured on this piece and kept the audience interested as he played his violin without the bow.

The blue combo then played “S.O.S.” by Wes Montgomery. This composition was fast in tempo. The pianist’s fingers flew across the keys and the vibes player’s sticks moved so quickly they seemed to blur.

“S.O.S.” was the only song of the night to not end on an abrupt note but instead gently trickled out note by note.

The show ended with “Nite Sprite”

by Chick Corea, which was lively and intense. The song was like a slow build up to dramatic artist solos. The drama of the piece kept building and building until it slammed to an end and the vibes player dramatically threw his sticks to the ground.

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www.theoakleafnews.com

There is a cure for the summertime blues

Five fun local spots to visit, hike, play, swim and camp during summer vacation Nikki Goetz

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Staff Writer

on’t sit around with nothing to do this summer. Instead check out these five places in Sonoma County and have a summer worth remembering.

Russian River

In Sonoma County one thing we are known for is the Russian River, or as locals call it “the river.” The river is a great way to cool off in the hot sun. It’s 1,485 miles long; it starts in Mendocino County, travels through Sonoma County and ends between Jenner and Goat Rock Beach. You can have a picnic, swim, fish or canoe and it doesn’t cost a penny. The best things in life are definitely free when it comes to our river.

Kampgrounds of America

Camping is an enjoyable activity to do over the summer. A great camp site is KOA, located in Cloverdale. It is a mixture of rugged and modern day camping where you can pitch a tent, bring an RV or stay in cabins.

You will be at one with nature as the sounds of crickets, bullfrogs, ducks and geese welcome you to the campground tucked on a ridge overlooking Alexander Valley wine appellation. Sites are nestled among 100-year-old oak trees and evergreens.

KOA offers a hillside pool and spa, nature trail, fishing pond, paddleboats and a playground. It’s a haven for bird watchers, grape lovers, cyclists and stargazers. You can book your stay at http://koa. com/campgrounds/cloverdale/.

Nikki Goetz/Oak Leaf

Fairgrounds Golf Course in Santa Rosa is a fun place to play and practice golf for a good deal.

Sonoma County Fair

If you want to play games, see animals, eat delicious food and go on some awesome rides, head down to the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.

It runs July 24-Aug. 9, but is closed Mondays. General admission is $11 if you’re 13 and up, $5 for ages 7-12 and free for kids 6 and under.

A childhood in this county isn’t complete without an annual trip to the fair. It has a flower hall with a different theme every year, rides for all ages and games where you can win prizes from stuffed animals to goldfish. The fair food is amazing; of Lauren Mowery there is an alley with authentic Armstrong Woods has trails to hike through redwoods from 8 a.m. untilCourtesy an hour after sunset.

Mexican food, and corndogs and cotton candy are easy to find. located in Guerneville. You can Fairgrounds Golf Course hike on dozens of trails from 8 Golf is an expensive sport, but a.m. until an hour after sunset. play for a good deal at Fairgrounds One of these is the Discovery Trail, Golf Course in Santa Rosa at the which offers Braille interpretive Sonoma County Fairgrounds, right panels for the blind. You can also in the middle of the race track. see attractions such as the oldest Playing nine holes is $13 and 18 is tree, named Colonel Armstrong, $18. It’s a short course that is well estimated to be 1,400 years old. At maintained. It is rarely crowded 310 feet, it’s the tallest tree in the during the week. There is a practice park. There are benches where you putting green and a chipping area can sit down and eat from your with a couple of sand traps to picnic basket while listening to practice getting out of. The facility the sounds of birds chirping and has a nice covered driving range frogs croaking. With the trails too. For a quick round you can’t you can go off on your own, using beat the price. maps along the trails to guide you.

Armstrong Woods Guided tours are also available, in Surround yourself in hundreds which a volunteer guide can show Courtesy of yelp.com Kampgrounds of America in Cloverdale. of redwoods at Armstrong Woods you through the woods.

Astrology Student dance show inspires -Haley Elizabeth Bollinger , A&E Editor Aries: A new wave of stability Libra: Express your creative side washes over your life. Bathe in the and make art. Without a definite calm charm you feel that was once outlet your ideas start to drown in strained. People appreciate your your mind; manifest them instead. cool vibes.

Taurus:

Make alone time to Scorpio: Concrete conciousness contemplate thoughts and clear seeps into a stale outlook. Don’t let away anticipation of the unknown. fear sour and inhibit your ability to Filtered emotions will enforce a new change and grow your mind. perspective.

Gemini:

Take a picture; it will last as long as a day. Then there will be more in the Instagram feed.

Emphasis is placed in moments so seize them.

Sagittarius:

as speech. Don’t expect people to know what bothers you or what you are thinking. Speak your truth wisely.

Maintain your momentum. Lately you’ve lived life courageously and humbly, aligned with your inner truth.

Your passion will spread through the enthusiasm others see in you.

Capricorn: A tornado full of love just swirled into your life and destroyed the pain that once kept you up at night. Cherish and nurture your newfound affection.

Leo:

Aquarius: A certain sense of

Cancer: Silence can be as loud

There is no room on this Earth for people who put others down. If I had it my way we would send them all to colonize Mars.

Watch out!

Craig Gettman Staff Writer

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Review

orget “Dancing With the Stars” or “So You Think You Can Dance?” The Santa Rosa Junior College dance show is the event to see.

Every spring, the SRJC dance department puts on an end-of-thesemester show. Comprised almost entirely of student-choreographed dance performances, the show features members of the program who have taken classes in any of the stylefocused courses available at SRJC. The show took place May 8-10, with performances on Friday and Saturday evening, as well Sunday afternoon.

This year the theme was “Storylines,” with short vignettes meant to

tell a literal or abstract story through the art of dance.

This theme worked well, as each of the segments had its own, unique flair.

With 18 segments in all, the styles alternated between contemporary, ballet and jazz, with hip-hop included to liven things up.

While all of the dancers were talented and each of the segments was interesting, there were standouts.

The aforementioned hip-hop segment was entertaining and thought-provoking, as it portrayed bullying, but showed the characters changing to be more tolerant of each other. This part featured music by the Black Eyed Peas and choreography by students Jazmin Chanure and Cassie Tsolis.

Another standout was the western-

clarity wil appear after ridicule of yourself ends. Impose positivity on your life, and believe you are worthy.

Virgo:

Selfishness is OK if it is Pisces: Stop having shower sex; required for survival, but lately you you’re not helping the drought. Be haven’t been considerate of others. resourceful, honor your enviroment Do you like who you see when you and always use protection. look in the mirror?

Courtesy of Megan Rhodes/SRJC Dance

Student choreographers, left to right: Lanea Florence, Sandra Ruano Larios, Laura Becker, Joanna Pablo, Emily Tuck (leaning), Scott McMahan, Cassie Tsolis, Jazmin Chanure (floor), Oshanna Kealoha, Rachel Seche, Cristal Chavez (floor) and Danaite Gebremeskel.

themed segment, which included humorous bits such as when the dancers grouped like prairie dogs.

Near the end, a dancer rolled offstage like a tumbleweed. This part featured music by Charles Bernstein and Gianni Ferrio with choreography by guest artists Tanya Tolmasoff and Kate Vazzoler of Sonoma County based UPside Dance Company.

A third standout featured the story of Pandora’s Box, including dancers who were the “evils,” as the program credited them. This segment included music by Modeste Moussorgsky and choreography by student Rachel Seche.

Dancers who shined included Oshanna Kealoha, who appeared as a silver-clad entity in a segment titled “Eternal Return,” which she choreographed.

Kenzy Hansen appeared in several pieces but always embodied her character well.

Rachel Seche, choreographer/ dancer, both danced and acted well, especially in the western-themed segment. Finally, Carmen Mitchell gave the audience a taste of welldone, classical ballet in the segment “Bee Aware,” in which she starred as the Queen; seeing her dance was like watching a professional work.

The show featured talented dancers throughout and each of the segments was enjoyable. However, it was the finale that stood out above all.

This piece was entertaining, lively, inspiring and told a great story.

A&E Student art show: www.theoakleafnews.com

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May 11, 2015

Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery showcases work produced during the spring 2015 semester

Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf

Left: Two patrons browse a selection of artwork, including a ceramics piece, at the opening reception. Right: Students and others admire the diverse collection of art on display in the Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Haley Elizabeth Bollinger

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A&E Editor

anta Rosa Junior College’s Art Department curated student art created over the Spring 2015 semester and placed it on display at the Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery in the Frank P. Doyle Library.

Renata Breth, director of the Student Art Show, said the gallery is a window into the culture of the art department. The Student

Art Show showcases the talent of SRJC art students and the gallery exhibits support the art curriculum.

The SRJC art department offers classes in painting, drawing, design, photography (both digital and traditional), ceramics, printmaking and sculpture.

“I get a tremendous satisfaction to see gallery visitors appreciate the work on display and the high quality of presentation,” Breth said. “For some students it is the

first professional gallery they have visited — they’ll take away the set of standard we try to achieve.”

Each piece displayed lists the student’s name, course in which the work was produced, the instructor’s name and the medium. The information acquaints students with examples of work done in various art classes so they can develop an idea for the kind of assignments they can expect from instructors if they are interested in taking their classes.

Aston Grieco, 21, gallery attendant and fine arts major, said the student art gallery has been a success. “We have beautiful pieces and unique pieces of work also, which is fun, especially for student work. Which I feel most people tend to assume is going to be amateur but this show by far shows that is not at all the case,” he said.

SRJC student Alessio Toruno, 19, enjoyed seeing what SRJC has to offer and what the students

were able to come up with while viewing the gallery.

SRJC student Robin Temple, 34, does not have time to take art classes but has in the past. “I’m pretty flabbergasted by the quality in here,” Temple said.

The Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 1-4 p.m. until May 14 on the first floor of the Frank P. Doyle Library.

Wednesday Night Market returns to delight crowds Devin Schwarz

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Staff Writer

ood.

Wine.

Music.

Culture. The essence of Sonoma County is brought together in what appears to be a farmer’s market but is really so much more.

The Wednesday Night Market graces Fourth Street in the summer, and has provided family fun in downtown Santa Rosa for 26 years. This year the market began May 6, and runs all summer until August 19. Four-leg friendly, with food and family fun, there’s something for everyone here.

For the children, the market floods out onto E Street with jumpy houses, clowns, face painting and the star attraction, Euro Bungy,

a rig that allows children to feel the thrill of bungee jumping with the safety of a trampoline beneath their feet. A variety of activities spread throughout the market that cater to the young and the young at heart.

The North Bay Herpetological Society booth is a must-visit for families, students, and anyone who appreciates a scaly animal. Booth worker Jessica Ramirez had an Albino Red-Tail Boa around her neck and a Dumeril’s Boa in the neckline of her shirt, and said that the society’s mission is to educate and show the public that “reptiles aren’t as bad as the media makes them out to be.”

While roaming the market you may need a quick bite to eat. A great place to stop is Micro Greens,

serving south of the border inspired dishes with a Sonoma county twist: adding local, organic micro greens to every dish.

If you need a big bite, Willie Bird’s Turkey offers gargantuan turkey drumsticks that would make even the burliest of meat lovers proud.

For the past five years a popular attraction of Wednesday Night Market has been the Wine Garden, a place for adults to mingle, try local wineries and amazing food in a safe, child-free environment.

The event shows off five to six local wineries each week, many of them changing each time, and has succulent BBQ selected specifically to pair with the wines.

This year the popular activity has gotten an exciting upgrade;

it is now referred to as the “Craft Beer and Wine Garden.” The new format offers six wines and six craft beers each week with a focus on local micro-breweries and local wineries. This not only serves as a source of drinks for the event, but as Nicole Garcia, one of the organizers of the event, said, “It’s not just to taste; but to let people know what’s going on at the wineries and brew houses.” Ten dollars and you’re in the door and allowed to try six drinks of your choosing, mingle with other local brew appreciators and try some amazing food.

The event as a whole is constantly growing and there is demand for fresh product, local product and new product at the market.

Terri Moore, a member of the

board of directors for the event for over 10 years and former president of the board, would like to see more local farmers, local artists and arts and crafts activities.

Jesse Russell, an SRJC student who has been coming to the event for the past six years and is a longtime lover of its funnel cake, would like to see more interactive booths for children and adults.

Tyler Ambrecht, former SRJC student, commended the market for its wide variety of local food and craft items, but would love to see that variety continue to expand in coming years.

Check out the market this Wednesday night to get some grub and have some fun. Support local businesses and stimulate the local economy.

Craig Gettman/Oak Leaf

For 26 years, the Wednesday Night Market has provided a plethora of activities for all ages, bringing food from California farms, local crafts and live entertainment together in one convenient location in downtown Santa Rosa.