Santa Rosa Junior College’s Newspaper
The
Oak
www.theoakleafnews.com
Leaf
October 26, 2015
Volume CXXXIV, Issue IV
SGA honors veteran administrator Luke Heslip
Co-Editor-in-Chief Student leaders pledged to restore the dilapidated fountain outside Pioneer Hall in honor of a longtime Santa Rosa Junior College administrator Oct. 12. The Student Government Assembly passed a resolution recognizing Eugene ‘Gene’ Canevari’s distinguished service to SRJC’s community, naming him the “Father of Pioneer Hall and Doyle Student Center.” Canevari, a Santa Rosa native, served from 1966-1988 as SRJC’s assistant dean of student services, director of student activities and later as a counselor. He also advised student government. His tenure streamlined numerous college programs. Canevari helped found Bear Facts, the SRJC Daycare Center and the Women’s Center Crisis Line. He also contributed to an ex-convicts program. The SGA commended Canevari’s dedication to student life. “Canevari provided effective advising and support, and through his hard work, quick wit, caring and generous nature, outspoken advocacy and unwavering commitment to students, he has compiled an extensive record of academic and civic achievements,” an excerpt from the resolution reads. As director of Student Services, Canevari guided Pioneer Hall’s remodeling and the Doyle Student Center’s renovation with a lounge and game room, according to the resolution. The Bertolini Student Center replaced Doyle in 2009. Canevari dedicated the fountain outside Pioneer Hall to students of the past, present and future, a 1985 Oak Leaf feature article states. The fountain, long in disrepair, has been
Behind the scenes of Blind Scream Catherine Ramirez Layout Editor
a campus landmark for more than 75 years. Kenneth Bryant, an SRJC maintenance employee and athletic equipment manager from 1935-1953, designed and hand-built the fountain with other classified staff. He was the college’s first classified retiree. An SGA delegation presented Canevari with a framed copy of the resolution Oct. 23 at his Santa Rosa home. Adrienne Leihy, SRJC graduate and cofounder of the SRJC Historical Society Club
stumbled on Canevari’s legacy about two years ago while sifting through student government archives.“I kept seeing this person and all these different pictures with all these students and I was like, ‘who is this person?’” she said. SGA chair Joshua Pinaula crossreferenced Leihy’s research with old Oak Leaf archives. After former student representatives recommended the SGA recognize Canevari’s efforts earlier this semester, Pinaula and his colleagues wrote the resolution. “It wasn’t until I read the old Oak Leaf article that I even knew it [Pioneer Fountain] was dedicated to students,” Pinaula said. Leihy created the Fountain Restoration Fund in 2013, which she said totaled approximately $300 when she last checked the balance. She said the fountain periodically worked when she attended SRJC about 10 years ago but now only sees it spurt on occasional graduation ceremonies. “It really seems like an iconic part of the JC’s history is in disrepair,” she said. Leihy currently works in SRJC’s curriculum office. The resolution does not outline a budget or timeline for the fountain’s repair, but Pinaula said he would set those in place during his term, which ends May 2016.
Darkness surrounds the room. The sound of heavy footsteps slowly approach. Your heart beats faster and faster. Chills go down your spine. You can feel it, but you can’t see it. Typically, people tend to avoid these types of situations. But it’s October, the month of goblins, vampires and ghastly creatures, when we stop running from the monsters, and instead dress up like them. When we wait in lines and pay to be scared. When we indulge in our fears for fun. One of the North Bay’s biggest Halloween attractions, Blind Scream, provides three haunted houses venturing into the world of our common fears; from walking through a pitch-black maze filled with monsters lurking in the dark to blood-covered, deranged clowns flashing sinister smiles. Co-owners Drew Dominguez and Judy Groverman Walker discuss the process of creating haunted houses sure to make you cringe, if not scream. The Actors Since the haunted house’s relocation to Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park, Blind Scream has closely worked with Rancho Cotate High School, with many of their students joining the acting crew. Blind Scream also reaches out to other parts of the community, with their actors all being volunteers. Monique Cortes, 14, joined the crew four years ago when Blind Scream asked the Boys and Girls Club to participate. “I decided a year later that I wanted to come back,” Cortes said. “I was like ‘I want to be an actor.’” With more than 120 actors this year and open for 17 nights, different actors play different roles each night. “It’s kind of a challenge,” Walker said. “Kind of a little puzzle to piece everybody into place and make sure we got all of our positions covered with actors that fit that part.” Walker and Dominguez figure out who fits best for a role by holding auditions. “Some people are very shy,” Walker said. “We realize either they can be taught or maybe we need to find them a role that better fits their ability.”
Kyle Schmidt/ Oak Leaf
Continued on page 3...
Continued on page 5...
Photo courtesy of SRJC archives
Eugene Canevari spent his tenure facilitating campus life and student activities, including Bear Facts.
SGA members meet with Canevari to present a framed copy of the resolution recognizing his service.
Talking terrifying The man behind the A foreign glimpse into Bear Cubs defense American gun culture keeping them alive tales microphone SRJC students and alumni retell the scary stories that still haunt them to this day.
A&E, Page 7
Daniel Weir, a former SRJC student, tells his story from SRJC to DJ on Froggy 92.9.
Features, Page 13
A European attends a gun show in an attempt to understand Americans’ relationship with firearms.
Opinion, Page 15
SRJC Bear Cubs football team stays strong against the number one ranked team, but lose a week later despite exceptional defense.
Sports, Page 16
er
gram
ok
2
October 26, 2015
News
www.theoakleafnews.com
Safe campus concerns
Editors-in-Chief:
Faith Gates and Luke Heslip
Town Hall meeting talks preventive measures Gideon Halpin
Managing Editor:
Maci Martell
Section Editors: A&E Editor |Estefany Gonzalez Copy Editor | Carin Huber Copy Editor | Alex Randolph Features Editor | Haley Bollinger News Editor | Maci Martell Layout Editor | Catherine Ramirez Opinion Editor | Carin Huber Multimedia Editor | Kyle Schmidt Photo Editor | Daniel Kong Sports Editor | Parker Dangers Oncken Social Media Editor | Austin Burmester Web Editor | Rebecca Dominguez Senior Staff Writers Robert Marshall, JoshuOne Barnes and Craig Gettman Staff Writers Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec,Tommy Dennen, Brendan Dorsey, Mitchell Garcia-Buckley, Nikki Goetz, Arthur Gonzalez-Martin, Gideon Halpin, Matthew Koch, Taylor Kong, Travis LaBrucherie, Amy Reynolds, Devin Schwarz, Kelsi Sibert, Anthony Sosa, Stephen Wolmarans and Candler Weinberg Photographers JoshuOne Barnes, Craig Gettman, Guillaume Jackson, Matthew Koch, Catherine Ramirez and Kyle Schmidt Distribution Travis LaBrucherie and Stephen Wolmarans
Staff Writer Upgraded locks, class preparedness drills and on guard district police. These were some of the ideas discussed in response to the recent school shootings. But none of them gained the enthusiasm of the audience more than the ideas to prevent violence before it even happens. “How can we make sense of the senseless?…As a community we have to take individual responsibility,” said Santa Rosa Junior College President Dr. Frank Chong in an introduction. SRJC held its first town hall meeting Oct. 19 in response to a recent school shooting at Umpqua Community College. Chong facilitated the event in Bertolini Student Center and the meeting was broadcast to the Petaluma campus through a videoconference live feed. Some of the pre-designated panel members included Brownlee, Kuula, Humanities Instructor Alexa Forrester and student Melissa Debret, a member of SRJC
Archeology rocks: Kelsi Sibert
Layout Team Rebecca Dominguez, Craig Gettman and Catherine Ramirez
Contact Newsroom: 707-527-4401 Ads Office: 707-527-4254 Anne Belden, Adviser: 707-527-4867 abelden@santarosa.edu EMAIL oakleafonline@gmail.com
speech team, forensics team and Feminists United. “Should we not consider to intervene earlier in the chain of events?” Forrester said. Forrester linked problems with self-esteem, income, inequality, environmental toxins and respect of violence as main contributors to the societal breakdown. With a focus on cultural change as opposed to fortification of the college, Forrester said we can keep our school windows open and our campus inviting. Debret advocated societal change by reduction of cultural violence, destigmatization of mental illness and the importance of community centers available for at-risk youth. Plans for culture change would benefit not only SRJC, but also places in the community that might suffer from violent tragedies, noted a panel member. However, community culture does not change overnight. Math instructor Mark Furguson said, “I’m happy the college is addressing it, but I want to be realistic in the sense that it will take a long time.” The solution appeared to be
Staff Writer Exploring past worlds, seeking out old life and ancient civilizations. This is what Dr. John Pohl discussed in his lecture titled “Children of the Plumed Serpent: The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl in Ancient Mexico.” He talked to a crowd about his beginning in archeology and
his exhibition Oct. 18 in Ellis Auditorium at Santa Rosa Junior College’s Petaluma campus. The Archeological Institute of America, the oldest and largest archeological organization in America, sponsored Pohl’s lecture. Pohl is known for bringing ancient history to life using different media techniques. He studied at UCLA and has a background in media, theater arts
Advertising Keshia Knight oakleaf-ads@santarosa.edu LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We appreciate your feedback. Send letters to oakleafonline@gmail.com or to the Oak Leaf office. Letters should include first and last name and be limited to 300 words. Letter may be edited for style, length, clarity and taste. Libelous or obscene letters will not be printed.
Connect Follow us on twitter
Follow us on Instagram
@theoakleafnews
@SROakleaf
SRJCOakleaf
Follow us on Instagram
theoakleafnews
SRJCOakleaf
Like us on facebook
OakleafNews
JoshuOne Barnes/ Oak Leaf
Dr. Frank Chong implores the community to take action against violence.
two-fold. Emergency preparedness would protect our school today, and reduction in societal violence will protect our school tomorrow. More important to the holistic perspective were the psychological reasons behind mass shootings and what the community can do to treat the societal illness rather than the symptoms of social violence upon outbreak. Audience members wrote in questions and comments, and open microphones lined the center aisle. Therapy and psychiatric help was a main audience concern. Journalism instructor Anne Belden asked why it takes weeks to see a
psychiatrist at SRJC. Student Psychological Services Director Burt Epstein said he did not have enough available resources or psychiatrists on hand to see students in a timely manner. “I think to a certain extent we all have to take responsibility for this. I would like to see the college institute the prevention of violence,” Forrester said after the meeting. While cleaning up after the event, student-laborer Georges Monatin said we need awareness and communication amongst students. “Now [that] we know, we’re going to talk about that. Talk to people about violence prevention.”
and archeology. He is also a UCLA professor of art history. It all began for Pohl at age 13. He became interested in the American Indian movement happening in Minneapolis while he was living there. After an internship at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater, he tried to figure out how to combine media, theater arts and archeology. It wasn’t until he visited the National Museum in Mexico City that he understood how people were able to combine those concepts. “I was dumbstruck by the fact that the National Museum was using theatrical techniques in order to exhibit much of their artwork,” Pohl said. One of the exhibitions Pohl discussed in his lecture has been taking place in downtown Mexico City. During the time of his exhibition he had a revelation of what the Aztec city was like and how the wealth of a 250,000 person
city emerged to rapidly dominate Central and Southern Mexico. His second major exhibition was based on his own research of looking at the Mixtech civilization together with the Zapatec. During his research he discovered these people didn’t create monumental sculptures. He wondered if these two kingdoms would have been able to agree on what to carve on the monuments. This exhibition presented masterpieces in different forms of art, like textiles and polychrome ceramics. This is the art of the Southern Mexico people. Pohl has also conducted other exhibitions that brought ancient civilizations to life. “I thought it was great that he took his art history [and archeology] background and incorporated the two,” said SRJC student Kaitlin Carleery, who is currently double majoring in anthropology and art history. “I thought that he melded his passions well together.”
An experienced archeologist shares stories of his intriguing exhibitions
Check out our website:
Like us on facebook
www.theoakleafnews.com
OakleafNews
Check out our website:
www.theoakleafnews.com
Check out our website:
Like us on facebook
OakleafNews
www.theoakleafnews.com
OakleafNews
Check out our website:
www.theoakleafnews.com
www.theoakleafnews.com Left: Photo courtesy of Archeological Institute of America. Right: Maci Martell/ Oak Leaf
Left: Dr. Pohl takes students on trips to learn from other countries. Right: Members of the SRJC Archeology Club present the evolution of the human skull during Lumafest.
www.theoakleafnews.com
News
October 26, 2015
Parking lot under construction
The college allocates $1.7 million to build a single lot
Take Back the Night Support Group
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
The planned 43-space parking lot on the corner of Mendocino and Carr avenues will ultimately cost SRJC nearly $1.7 million.
purchasing, said the spots will be available to anyone with a parking pass and will follow a schedule similar to the lot adjacent to the Burdo Culinary Arts building. Richard Owens, owner of Siri, said the cost of preparing the lot for the 43 spots is high partly because they must abandon the property’s existing utility connections. Owens said nearly 18 percent of the contract’s cost is from this abandonment, which requires digging up Mendocino Avenue in three spots to remove things like sewer and water connections. “It’s not a cheaply-built parking lot,” Owens said, “It’s designed to last. It has a lot of nice features.” Some of those features include $100,000 worth of trees and landscaping, which will include a patio seating area. At the current rate of $60 per parking pass per semester, if the
SRJC sells two parking passes per spot per semester, it will take about 168 years worth of sales to recoup the nearly $1.7 million the school has spent to provide these 43 spots. The Don Zumalt Parking Pavilion, which was completed in 2006 and provides 1,100 spots cost the school $38 million, according to a June 2014 report detailing Measure A spending to date. SRJC Parking Committee member Monte Freidig said that the administration generally prepares the budget for the acquisition and construction of parking lots and structures outside of the parking committee. Freidig said Doug Roberts, senior vice president of finance and administrative services, or Paul Bielen, director of facility operations at the Santa Rosa campus, usually handles contract preparation. As far as the cost of the lot is
concerned, Freidig expressed surprise. “I have an idea what a house goes for, but I have no idea what a parking lot goes for. Although, it does seem high to me, and I don’t know why,” he said. SRJC Board of Trustees President Jeff Kunde said while the amount spent on the parking lot may seem like a lot, it is really quite reasonable given the different interests that had to be taken into account. “Is it expensive? Yes it is,” Kunde said. “When you acquire a piece of property adjacent to the school, that’s pretty valuable; that’s hard to measure.” Kunde said he believed concerns neighbors expressed influenced the decision to include so much landscaping and beautification to the property, but The Oak Leaf could not verify these concerns by press time.
Canevari’s fountain: Honoring a legend
“There’s a history to that fountain and it’s time for that fountain to get repaired,”Pinaula said. Student leaders will install a plaque on Pioneer Hall, the campus’ oldest building, commemorating Canevari’s service. This resolution dedicates Pioneer in Canevari’s esteem but does not rename the structure. Canevari attended SRJC as a young man and earned an English degree from UC Berkeley in 1956. He returned home and taught fifth grade at Rincon Elementary School and owned a successful local business, Calico Hardware. He then joined SRJC as a student government advisor in 1966, when the college had only 2,800 students. The student services director also acted in the film “Storm Center” with Bette Davis and Brian Keith, a performance Canevari told The Oak Leaf in 1985 that everyone should miss. He said in the interview that
Know
Music, lectures and workshops focus on honoring the cycle of life and death in reference to Latin American culture from Oct. 26 to Nov. 6 on the Santa Rosa campus. The opening event will include a mariachi performance at 4 p.m. and a Danza Azteca Xantotl routine at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Santa Rosa Junior College Museum.
Senior Staff Writer
Continued from cover...
In the
El Dia de los Muertos
JoshuOne Barnes
When The Oak Leaf conducts “person on the street” interviews with Santa Rosa Junior College students to find out what challenges they face at school, invariably parking is at or near the top of the list. It is only natural the college’s administration addresses these concerns by securing more parking. The Don Zumwalt Parking Pavilion at the southeast corner of the campus is a prime example. Built with Measure A funds in 2006, it boasts more than 1,100 spaces meant to ease students’ burden of finding a parking spot. Nearly a decade after constructing Zumwalt, SRJC still faces severe parking congestion, and is again attempting to address the issue. This time, the school has approved the construction of 43 parking spaces at 1710 Mendocino Ave., a property SRJC purchased in 2013. College officials provided documents showing the property cost $1 million and required the demolition of two buildings that were on the lot. The demolition was contracted out to Daniel O. Davis Inc. for $36,900. The subsequent paving and landscaping of the lot to prepare the 43 parking spots is contracted to Siri Grading and Paving, a Santa Rosa construction company. The school has contracted with Siri to prepare the lot for $660,000. Tony Ichsan, vice president of
3
one of his fondest memories at the college was receiving an award from handicapped students for his unique care. Esther Oertel, a student leader who worked with Canevari, said, “I think he saw his job there as a mentor to students first and as an administrator second. It meant a lot to him to see the students he worked with succeed in life, for he had a genuine deep, caring for the students.” Oertel was SRJC’s first student trustee, serving from fall 1978 to spring 1979. “[Canevari] really believed in the whole role of student activities and having a dedicated office and dedicated staff members just for the students,” she said. “To me, he almost seems like the most ideal adviser and student advocate that one can have going through administration,” Pinaula said of Canevari’s legacy. “If you can picture someone whose life is to ensure that student concerns are
Members of Student Health Services provide a safe space to hold weekly group meeting for students dealing with sexual violence. The group meetings will occur every Tuesday from 2-5 p.m. To join, call Student Psychological Services at 707-524-1595. The groups will notify participants of a location and start date when enough people sign up.
The Art of Hosting
Jeff Aitken, longtime consultant and facilitator of open space technology, hosts this participatory leadership lecture to help students focus on self-care, conversation, facilitation and co-creation, noon-1 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Bertolini Center for Student Leadership.
Wellness Fair
The PEERS Coalition presents the college’s third annual Wellness Fair encompassing music, refreshments, games and prizes in each of the seven realms of wellness. Admission is free and festivities go from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Bertolini Student Activities Center.
Dance ‘Til You Drop
Students are welcome to a free dance to test out their costumes early in a costume contest starting at 9 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Bertolini Dining Hall.
The Fever
Award-winning performer and novelist Eliot Fintushel performs Wallace Shawn’s acclaimed monologue “The Fever,” a 1991 Obie Award winning play, noon-1 p.m. Nov. 2 in Newman Auditorium.
Health Careers Symposium
SRJC’s Health Sciences department and Latino Service Providers introduces students to healthcare careers in the “My Future is in Healthcare” symposium, 8:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Bertolini Student Center.
Clouds to Dust Photo courtesy of the Oak Leaf circa 1985
A group of SRJC students from 1985 gather around the fountain Canevari dedicated.
figured out and student life is vibrant, he really seems to be that person.” The resolution begins with this quote from Canevari: “I am not much impressed by surveys of what other community colleges are doing or not doing. If we are the best — and
I think that we are — then there are a whole host of things we should be doing that other community colleges are not. One of those things is maintaining our support for a strong student government and student activities program.”
Award-winning documentary photographer Matt Black will present photo essays on migrant farming in relation to poverty and the environment, noon-1 p.m. in Newman Auditorium. The lecture is a part of the Framing Migrant Labor exhibit happening from Nov. 12 to Dec. 10 at the Agrella Art Gallery.
4
October 26, 2015
News
www.theoakleafnews.com
Forensics team wins major debates Rebecca Dominguez Web Editor Through dedication and solid support, Santa Rosa Junior College’s forensics team won numerous awards, beating out other two-year colleges and four-year universities. Team members participate in various events from individual speaking competitions to team debates. There are platforms for poetry, impromptu speeches, extemporaneous speaking, interpretive pieces and other forms of speech and debate. This semester alone, SRJC’s forensics team won 10 awards in its first tournament at San Francisco State University’s Golden Gate Opener in September. It took the top four individual speaker awards and many others at the Santa Rosa Invitational Oct. 10-11. The team won first place in community college debate sweepstakes, as well as other awards at the University of Nevada Invitational Speech Tournament. Though the forensics team has been continuously successful at tournaments, that is just a small aspect of being part of the team. Faculty coach and communications instructor Mark Nelson said the coaches and team “create a culture where students want to succeed and take pride in what they’re doing.”
Courtesy of Kevin Steeper
SRJC has the top two debate teams for two-year colleges in the nation.
SRJC students Sierra Maciorowski and James Rogers, currently ranked as the No. 1 two-year college team in the U.S., both said they gained much from being on the crew. Maciorowski said the squad is supportive, but also pushes her to try new types of speaking and do things in different ways. The team environment is important and helpful. “We get access to a group of people who are always interested. The intellectual vitality of our team room is helpful when preparing for events,” she said. Rogers said being a part of the team expanded his critical thinking and provided good
networking opportunities. He also spoke on what led to the their success: Hal Sanford, director of forensics. “His manner is perfectly suited for fostering intellectually curious people and the institutional support of the college’s financial backing, combined with the coaches and alumni, is what sets the SRJC apart,” Rogers said. Overall the forensics team has seen success in tournaments, as well as in building a community for its students to grow. “The combination of the coaches, alumni and motivated, energetic students is a potent concoction,” Rebecca Dominguez/ Oak Leaf The Forensics Team continues its win streak this semester after winning 10 awards. Sanford said.
Cyberbullying
Dicussing the dangers of online anonymity
GET
A DEGREE IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Matthew Koch/ Oak Leaf
In this anonymous digital age, it’s easier than ever to bully strangers online, and SRJC wants to make a change.
Mitchell Garcia-Buckley Staff Writer
Graduate degrees in: Nursing • Teaching • Counseling Financial aid and scholarships available
CONTACT US TODAY 707.527.9612 santarosacampus@usfca.edu Information Meetings held at least once a month. For dates, go to: www.usfca.edu/santarosa
CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE
Online anonymity veils many people from accountability. Cyberbullying is one such form of shadowy harassment. Cyberbullying is a major issue. Fifty-two percent of Americans suffer from cyberbullying; 38 percent of those are suicidal. Despite this problem’s magnitude, no one discussed cyberbullying in a Santa Rosa Junior College workshop until Oct. 22. At the workshop in Bertolini Student Center, Dr. Dean S. Tahir, assistant director of student affairs, talked about the dangers of cyberbullying. Students learned what to do if cyberbullied, prevalent statistics and how to prevent it. “I learned that thinking about what you say is better than telling a parent,” said SRJC student David Zamori. Dr. Tahir stated the main issue of cyberbullying at SRJC is the anonymity. People make fake
Facebook accounts to harass students through online postings. He also said bullying occurs through text, chat rooms, email and social media websites.
There are new ways to cyberbully, like Snapchat. “Snapchat is different because what you post only stays up for 48 hours,” Dr. Tahir said. He explained that just because postings disappear, doesn’t make them any less traceable. During the presentation, Dr. Tahir showed a video of a TEDx Talk about cyberbullying and teen suicide. The video featured 14-yearold Trisha Prabhu who talked about cases of cyberbullying that led to teen suicide. Prabhu believes a cyberbully’s behavior can change. In a study she conducted, 93 percent of people decided not to send a hateful message when asked “are you sure?” According to Dr. Tahir, New Jersey and California are the only states that have laws against cyberbullying. In many other states, victims of cyberbullying feel a lack of support. SRJC has a zero tolerance policy for cyberbullying.
www.theoakleafnews.com
A&E
October 26, 2015
5
continued from cover...
Actors who struggle or “freeze up” during their performance receive training to help them overcome stage fright. “We put them in the house, we walk through, we give them opportunity to scare,” Walker said. Aside from being able to perform on spot, actors must have the ability to improvise as people pass through. Groups are specifically asked to go in pairs in order for actors to fully fright their guests in such limited time and space. “It’s a different kind of acting,” Walker said. “They have to keep doing it every 30 seconds as somebody keeps coming through. They got to have that stamina to keep those lines and they have to be kind of quick thinking with their lines.” Although they can’t have too many actors in each haunted house, they try to let everybody join in the fun. “We don’t really turn actors away,” Walker said. Disturbing Design Besides the demented characters the actors play, what other elements makes Blind Scream’s haunted houses so horrifying? Walker believes it’s how realistic they are. From their hand-medown props to their no use of animatronics. “[Dominguez] makes a lot of the props, but most of our stuff is not props you buy from a Halloween store. It’s stuff that we buy from Goodwill, or we find and reuse,” Walker said. “It needs to look old and kind of broken.” Before props are assembled and displayed, a team of volunteers come two months prior to build the haunted house. “We get all the walls, we get the
paint up, then we start decorating the last two weeks,” Walker said. “You can see it’s a warehouse, but once you get in there, it’s different.” Once decorated and lighted, they set up sounds and smells. “We have different smells that we put in the house. We’ve got one that is dead chicken, rotten leaves, fried carcass. They’re nasty,” Walker said. “It’s just part of the haunted house industry. They sell all these smells.” Safety then Scare The facade of scary scenarios can compromise safety, but safety of the actors and the guests are first and foremost at Blind Scream. Not only does the fire department highly regulate Blind Scream, but it’s one of the reasons they have “chicken doors” throughout the haunted houses in case people get too scared or need to evacuate. “We have no plastic. A lot of haunted houses use black plastic. That’s highly flammable,” Walker said. “We really have to be careful what we use and how we use things and make sure that it’s safe, and we train our actors to make sure they’re safe with the public.
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
Top: Nick Christenson, 30, an actor designated to a butcher shack-themed room in one of the haunted houses at Blind Scream, waits on his phone for the venue to begin admissions to visitors on Oct. 16 in Rohnert Park. Middle Left/Right: Actors spend hours applying makeup, preparing props, getting into character and mingling with other actors before Blind Scream opens to the fearful masses. Bottom Left: Actor Walter Howard is one of many volunteers at Blind Scream. Bottom Right: Within the haunted houses, touching visitors is not allowed.
Safety is a really big thing.” The Scream Routine Before the fake blood and sharp fangs come out, the acting crew has dinner to nourish them before a long night of scaring and screaming. At 5:30 p.m., actors begin applying makeup and dress in their gory gear.
Farther in the corner, away from the costume chaos, makeup artist Adela Mora, 29, puts makeup on 72-year-old Ray Hernandez, who plays grandpa in a frightening family. Hernandez is the oldest member in the acting crew with a group of 10-year-old girls as the youngest.
“It’s nice to have that age range cause a lot of times we’re putting a mask on someone to make them look old or young,” Walker said. After the actors dress and opening time draws near, they assume their positions. Seven o’clock hits. The lights go out. Ready, set, scream.
6
October 26, 2015
A&E
www.theoakleafnews.com
Disco or funk for a treat Students celebrate birthday with ‘Thriller’ dance Taylor Kong Staff Writer Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart. It’s a group of Santa Rosa Junior College students performing the “Thriller” dance on Halloween night. Santa Rosa resident Laura Ross’s birthday is on Halloween, and she wanted to do something special this year. As a huge fan of dance, Ross thought back to iconic dances and found “Thriller” to be one of her favorites. To celebrate her special day, she took a shot in the dark and enlisted the help of SRJC students to perform the dance for her birthday. After asking staff in the performing arts department, Ross found Debbe-Ann Medina, an SRJC dance instructor. Medina responded to Ross’ idea, and quickly had a list of volunteers by the time the two met to plan the first rehearsal. Medina initially had a substantial number of volunteers, very close to the 20-or-so dancers that Michael Jackson had in his original video. “About four dancers showed up, out of about 19,” Ross said when she described the first rehearsal. But Ross continued to pursue the dance.
“The following weekend I was able to come, and now we have a total of six dancers.” Ross realized that while “Thriller” on Halloween itself was timely, weekly rehearsals in the fall were not. “Unfortunately, this isn’t a paying performance, so everyone has graciously offered their time,” Ross said, giving a thankful nod to her volunteers. Knowing that rehearsals were in the midst of midterms, Ross has done her best to accommodate the students by adjusting rehearsal times. Melanie Green, 33, one of the student volunteers, has been an SRJC student for three years, and is currently working on two human services certificates with plans to transfer to Sonoma State University. She has taken a number of dance classes at SRJC, including jazz and modern dance, and expressed interest in possibly getting a dance certificate as well. Green was with Medina and Ross when the two first met, and they asked her to choreograph. “Initially, Debbe-Ann was going to try to help us do the choreography,” Ross said, “So she asked one of her students to kind of take the helm.” The opportunity to choreograph the dance for the group, delighted Green, who also lead the first rehearsal in Ross’ absence.
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
Left to Right: Dancers Ian Smith, Melanie Green, Laura Ross, Eva Brena and Brianna Theiller all volunteered for Ross’s birthday dance.
“I absolutely love and always wanted to dance to ‘Thriller,’” Green said. “And this sounded super fun and awesome.” Corrina Shannon, 28, another student volunteer, was quick to agree. “It sounded really fun. I haven’t gotten to really perform much,” she said. “It’s just something different. You get to meet new people, and it’s sort of
outside-of-the-box.” Shannon is currently working on her certificate in civil engineering while raising her son and daughter. She mentioned her history in dance, and how she enjoys having it as a part of her life, both as a refresher and a way to stay fit. “I’ve been doing hip-hop with Debbe for a few years,” Shannon
explained. “I’ve always liked to dance. It’s actually pretty much a passion of mine. Ever since I was little I’ve loved [dance]. For me, it was more of a workout thing. It’s a really good workout class.” The group will be swinging their hips to the beat for Laura Ross’ birthday party at the Wells Fargo Center.
‘Crimson Peak’ deserves a snow-glistened reception Kyle Schmidt Multimedia Editor
“He’s back!” were the words in my mind when I eagerly perched myself in the theater and watched Guillermo del Toro’s latest terrifying masterpiece, “Crimson Peak.” Of course when I write these words, I’m referring to the revival of del Toro’s cinematic roots when he rekindles the aesthetics seen in many of his early Spanish films like “Cronos” (1993) and the critically acclaimed masterpiece, “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006). “Crimson Peak” is as mystifying and intriguing as the title itself. Though del Toro claims in his interviews “It is not a horror film,” the movie definitely plays the part. If a character getting his face pounded 10 times into a bathroom sink isn’t horrifying, then I don’t want to know what is. The movie begins in the whimsical setting of early 20th century Buffalo, New York, and progresses to England where most of the eerie horrors will occur. We meet a young Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), who frequently encounters the spirit of her dead mother. The mother staggers towards the daughter in haunting yet beautiful visuals whispering, “Beware of Crimson Peak” before vanishing. The artistic application of various costumes and makeup make scenes like this so haunting you may even forget it’s a movie. Following this sequence we see Edith, now
an aspiring novelist, scribbling ghost stories whenever she can. One day an eager businessman named Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) comes to America and finds her literary works interesting. This action sets the gothic romance interplay between the two, which fundamentally drives the movie. However, del Toro leaves clear indications Thomas is not an honest man. After the brutal murder of Edith’s father, Thomas sweeps her back to his chilling estate in England. The audience sees the dramatic transition from the hustle and bustle of a quaint town flocked with butterflies to the cold creaky mess of a mansion filled with dying moths. This film adopts a wonderful color palette that is extremely appealing to the eye. If there’s criticism, however, it’s the actors and some aspects of the plot are the weakest components to the film. This was not surprising after watching some of del Toro’s latest bigbudget Hollywood films such as “Pacific Rim,” (2013) which had similar plot deficiencies. The plot was in no sense bad; it just needed more fuel to drive forward. The use of iris transitions attempt to root back to an early use of cinematography. Unfortunately, these practices can be distracting to modern audiences and are somewhat overused. The feature aims to revive the presence of wellthought horror cinema such as “The Shining” (1980) and “The Exorcist” (1973) with visual aesthetics that are a must-see. This movie brings us to a world where ghosts do in fact exist and establishes the ideologies that spirits are not the villains we should fear, but rather the people who create them.
A&E
www.theoakleafnews.com
Scary stories: Nikki Goetz Staff Writer Footsteps creaked on hardwood floors while his family slept. He hid under his blankets, covering his eyes. He trembled as the footsteps grew louder and closer and then entered his room. He could feel an icy breath on the back of his neck, sending chills down his body. He peeked an eye from under his sheets. He could see a shadowy figure hovering above him. He swallowed his fear and threw up the covers to see nothing. People everywhere encounter paranormal mysteries, much like what Santa Rosa Junior College student Christian Figueroa experienced. As Halloween approaches, ghostly encounters unfold. Five SRJC students and alumni told their paranormal tables. Bedtime bump in the night Figueroa said a ghost lived in the house he moved into when he was 5 years old. He wasn’t bothered when his parents first told him the previous owner had died in their home while she slept. He knew the presence he felt was the spirit who last lived there. His parents told him the next day he was just having a nightmare, but he was not convinced. “How can you dream about feeling someone’s cold breath on your neck? It doesn’t make sense,” he said. He has not seen the shadowy figure since, but he still hears the same creaking footsteps sometimes. Nursery nightmare Oak Leaf Features Editor Haley Bollinger lived in a house with five roommates in 2008. Inside were many bedrooms, including one she shared with her girlfriend, Sarah, and a spare bedroom that was once a baby’s nursery. Since she moved in, she had an eerie feeling she was not welcome. She believed a spirit brought negative energy and caused a lot of fights among the roommates. One night Sarah and she got into
October 26, 2015
7
SRJC students and alumni Ghoulish gatherings share their ghastly tales Halloween
a fight and Bollinger chose to sleep in the nursery alone. Before she fell asleep she turned her head to see the spirit of the man she had been feeling around the house. “I looked behind me and I saw this ghost of a man in 1900s style clothing with a bowler hat on and suspenders. He was just kind of looking over me,” Bollinger said. Bollinger ran from the room to find Sarah and tell her what happened. The next morning she talked to her landlord and her roommate, Luna, about what she saw. They showed her a picture of the house’s original owner. To her surprise, the man in the photo was identical to the ghost she had seen the night before. Who slapped me? SRJC Alumnus Chris Szczech had a painful encounter when he attended a party at the same house Bollinger lived in. “I can remember I was in a really bad mood. My energy was definitely negative, unlike the other times I was there when I was really happy,” Szczech said. Szczech and his friend Mindy hung out in what looked like a parlor room. After sunset they were arguing when, out of nowhere, he felt a sharp, burning pain on the side of his face. He was confused when he saw Mindy’s reaction. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of his face, telling him to look in a mirror. “I went to the mirror and the side of my face was just bright red. It looked like someone had wacked me in the face,” Szczech said. He couldn’t explain why it happened. He thought maybe it could have been some symptom of a medical condition, but it did not linger beyond that night. The thought of a spirit didn’t occur to him until the residents mentioned unexplained events. To this day he can’t come up with a rational explanation to the painful ghostly slap. Grandpa’s house On a stormy night many years
events across the county Devin Schwarz Assistant A&E Editor This Halloween season the kiddies are getting sugared up and the “bros” are getting turned up. Heres a few local events that will enable you to do a little of both:
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
The porch light shines bright at night on the front steps of an old Victorian house located on 4th street , Santa Rosa, where two SRJC students experienced ghostly encounters.
ago, former Oak Leaf Co-Editorin-Chief Jarrett Rodriguez hung out with his girlfriend at her house. They were alone and snuggled up in her room watching a Netflix movie. The room was once an office where her grandfather died. That night his girlfriend rose from bed and shut the window because it was windy. The bedroom door burst open. Rodriguez assumed it was just the wind, but went to see if someone was there. When he saw nothing, his girlfriend got up and wrapped her hair dryer cord around the door so it wouldn’t open again. Two minutes later the door blew open again. “[My girlfriend] was one who believed heavily in ghosts and spirits and had even told me about times she had seen or spoken to them, including her grandfather,” Rodriguez said. To make sure the door wouldn’t budge they both tied it shut with cords and scarves. Knowing that they sealed the door tight, they went back to watching Netflix.
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
Inside look of the house where Bollinger saw a 1900s ghost looking at her and Szczech felt a painful, ghostly slap.
Suddenly the door shook heavily, as if someone was trying to open it from the other side. Rodriguez followed his girlfriend’s eyes to the bottom of a door where a mysterious shadow loomed, but it disappeared as he looked closer. “We decided to just ignore it, and resisting every urge I had to run for my life, I just turned up the TV and drifted off to sleep,” Rodriguez said. Ghost hunting in the night In 2012, SRJC student Ron Cordova and his crew of six men visited a Sonoma cemetery to hunt for ghosts. After hearing people report seeing spirits and feeling strange chills, they decided to check it out. As they walked through the cemetery they saw candles and pumpkins on the masonic tombstones that looked like someone had just lit them. Going further up the hill they saw unmaintained graves from the 1700s and 1800s that had sunk into the ground. “A few of us would lay over the graves to test whatever was out there. Everyone [in the group] pretty much believed in the possibility that there was something supernatural. Maybe not there, but in general, except for one person,” Cordova said. Kyle, the one skeptic experienced something he would never forget. Despite dismissing it as nonsense, he thought it would be fun to come along with Ron and the others. The crew looked around trying to sense lurking spirits. Suddenly, Kyle started freaking out, wanting to get out of there as fast as he could. “He was very spooked and very creeped out, like he didn’t want to explain what happened,” Cordova said. Cordova tracked him down. Kyle said he felt someone touch his shoulder and a cold breath on his neck. He turned around, but no one was there.
Howarth Park Fall Festival and Costume Parade Noon - 4 p.m. Oct. 25 Trick-or-treating in the park, a parade of costumed kids and free admission; who could ask for more? Bring the whole family and treat yourself to a frightfully good time. A basic pass to the event is $6 and includes trick-or-treating throughout the park as well as train and carousel rides. Club Apocalypse 11 a.m. Oct. 28 A hybrid of MAD Wednesday and club day, with a BBQ and screening of “Insidious 3,” all free with a Cubcard+. Find music, people, food and frights in the quad this Wednesday. Twerk or Treat 9 p.m. Oct. 30 The day before Halloween can be solemn and boring: you have all this awesome stuff to dress up in and nowhere to show it off. Aubergine in Sebastopol has the solution. Live music, a costume contest, good vibes and delicious drinks: fun for the whole crew. Local legend Dru Down will perform live at the event with Shlump, Party Wave and DJ Armin. Howl-o-ween Noon - 1 p.m. Oct. 31 Come on down to the Healdsburg Dog House on Healdsburg Avenue just off Hwy. 101 to enjoy the 15th annual Howlo-ween Dog Parade. You and your family can watch dolled-up dogs dance down the drive. Bring along your four-legged friend in fancy dress and enter them in the contest for a chance to win prizes. There will be family-friendly activities and a raffle. All proceeds benefit the Sonoma County Humane Society’s Healdsburg Center. Zombie Prom VI 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Oct. 31 Bring all your frightful friends down to Remy’s on Stony Point for a night of fearful fun and undead undulating. The dance will feature seven DJs playing numerous genres of music. There will be a costume contest with the winner receiving $300 as well as periodic giveaways of products from Spice Adult Boutique.
8
October 26, 2015
A&E
The Down House:
www.theoakleafnews.com
The current members of Santa Rosa band The Down House takes a break outside of their rehearsal room at Manzantia Studios where they meet twice a week to rehearse for upcoming shows.
Estefany Gonzalez A&E Editor
Fireworks, BBQs and beer. For members of The Down House, Fourth of July, 2013 marked the moment singer Casey Colby and guitar player Sarah Davis formed a band with drummer Chloe Connaughton. The start of sweaty bodies craming in to a small garage to hear them play music. Two years later, as Davis and bass player Sara Sullivan walked down the hallway to their rehearsal room, hearing the rest of the band’s instruments echoing off the white walls.
and rapper E-40. Can you give us a timeline of how this line-up came to be? Davis: “It started with Casey, Chloe and I on Fourth of July. It formed from there over time to what it is now.” Colby: “Exactly a year after our first practice, Cody and I were hanging out on Fourth of July and he was like, ‘dude, let me play guitar’ and I was like, ‘of course.’ I like the idea of friends playing with you. Sara filled in and played bass for us for a show or two and joined the band.” Sara Sullivan: “I think I’ve been in [the band] like two months, so I’m fairly new.” Cody Sullivan: “We’re like a pop-up restaurant. It always makes it a little different when you have different people.” Colby: “To be real this is the best incarnation of this band. Going forward this is going to be the line up.” How do your songs usually come about? Cody Sullivan: “Mostly guitar stuff first or a chord progression. We kind
of just structure it and make it up as we go along.” Colby: “I’ll have literally one or two guitar parts written and I’ll hit up everybody and say, ‘I have a complete song’ but normally I’m just kinda lying and then when we get to practice, I’ll play the part and say ‘all right, now we have to figure out the rest.’” Davis: “But I feel like you normally have a good idea of what you want it to sound like as a whole, the vibe of the song or the feel.” Colby: “We have a simplistic approach to writing music and keep the guitar parts minimal and subtle. We don’t shred over everything. We like things to look clean. That’s the best way to describe our music.” What’s playing in your cars right now? Davis: “I would say a big one for now is Raveonettes. Just because I think they have a pretty cool sound. You know, a lot of really cool layer guitar parts that I think we sort of do as well. The Kinks would be my other one.”
Estefany Gonzalez / Oak Leaf
SRJC band of the week brings on house shows
Cody Sullivan: “The Kinks, that’s a good one.” Colby: “Right now, an inspiration that I take for writing for is The Jesus and Mary Chain. The Ronettes, stuff like that with that kind of sound, with a big rhythm.” Do you have a guilty pleasure to listen to? Sara Sullivan: “I don’t know if I want to tell my guilty pleasure.” Colby: “I feel like we talk about rap music in the band in general. Cody and I always send each other rap songs.” Cody Sullivan: “We like a lot of current hip-hop and rap. But that’s not really guilty. I feel like if you’re gonna make music, I’m down for it.” Do you have any funny band stories? Colby: “Last time we recorded back in May, right before we did vocals and we were all done recording music, we drank. E-40 put out Slurricane and before I recorded vocals, I drank a lot of Slurricane.” Cody Sullivan: “Didn’t you tweet about it and he tweeted back?”
Inside, string lights, black and white prints and endless band gear decked out their pracitce space. As the noises from the hallway turn into a full-blown song, it’s hard to tell the current line up has only played together for two weeks. The Down House has played countless house shows throughout Santa Rosa. It’s seen various line-up changes within the last few months, including the loss of Connaughton, but they’re not slowing down. By day, band members work as baristas, a painter, a sound-tech and a debt collector. But by night they are house-show champions. The members practice twice a week regardless of their busy schedules. A couple members belong to other bands: drummer Connor Alfaro is a member of Acrylics and Ovvn and guitar player Cody Sullivan is a member of The Vibrating Antennas. Colby said performing with the band is a form of relaxation after a long day of work. For him, making time to play in the band isn’t a problem. “We’ve always worked and been in bands,” he said. The Down House plans to release a 7-inch EP to launch a tour with The Vibrating Antennas. After practice the group sat down to tell The Oak Leaf about future Estefany Gonzalez / Oak Leaf plans, playing at local house shows Left to right: Connor Alfaro, Sara Sullivan, Casey Colby and Cody Sullivan play their song “Let It All Go” during band practice .
Colby: “OK, so, I tweeted a photo like, ‘about to do vocals’ and E-40 tweeted back.” Cody Sullivan: “I bet he liked that, like ‘oh yeah, vocals, I’ve been there bro, I got you.’” Colby: “When it came time to do the vocals, I was just like sweating because Slurricane is all sugary. It’s just like Hawaiian Punch and cough syrup.” What’s the best part about playing house shows? Colby: “The energy is really easy to feel in a small room and it’s easy to get everyone on the same page than in big venues. We want people to be as close as possible. We try to get in as tight as possible. There’s always cables all around and beers. It’s ‘funner.’” Cody Sullivan: “There’s not a lot of people there; it’s an intimate thing.” Davis: “There’s always a good vibe. Everyone always has a really good time because it’s really small.” Colby: “To be real, in Santa Rosa you have the Arlene Francis as a venue and you have houses. You have Atlas Coffee, too, but why we have shows is because there isn’t an abundance of venues. And you have to take what you can get. It’s really awesome to be able to call up a friend and be like, ‘hey can we have a show at your house?’ It’s what we have to work with.” Do you have any tours coming up soon? Cody Sullivan: “We’d like to. We want to do something by the end of the year or by the first of the year. At least a little West Coast tour when we have time off.” Colby: “Our record is getting pressed right now, but when they’re done and we have a physical copy, we’re going to go on tour to support it. We don’t want to go on tour until we have that. We’d like to go with Cody’s other band, The Vibrating Antennas, because they also have a record coming out too. It’s going to be a fun buddy tour.”
www.theoakleafnews.com
Kyle Schmidt, Multimedia Editor
A&E Craig Gettman, Senior Staff Writer
October 26, 2015
9
Astrology
-Haley Bollinger, Features Editor
The Exorcist (1973) “It is pretty much considered the first horror film to take place in a family-like setting. There is something so amazing about an innocent girl turning into the devil itself.”
Scream (1996) “It has it all: great acting, good storyline and a killer twist. You can’t really go wrong with anything Wes Craven.”
Aries: A rose by any other name is still a rose, until it dies. Then you should learn how to make compost.
Libra: Leave the hoes in the shed. Your garden just needs some love…or some water.
Taurus: Find comfort in thinking about Scorpio: Instagram doesn’t make you Daniel Kong, Photo Editor Alien (1979) “The production design is beautiful and immersive. The cinematography and editing is spacious and flat and I love that. Also, space is scary as it is.” Austin Burmester, Social Media Editor Sinister (2012) “The face of the ghoul was so well done and scary. It gave me the worst nightmare I ever had in my entire life.”
Maci Martell, Managing and News Editor The Frighteners (1996) “It’s really more of a horror-comedy, but I’ve loved it since I was a kid. And at the time it was made, the movie had some of the best special effects that really made it one of a kind.” Anne Belden, Oak Leaf Adviser
The Shining (1980) “It’s a classic. It’s Jack Nicholson at his creepiest. It’s super suspenseful and spawned memorable quotes like ‘He’s back’ and ‘Here’s Johnny!’”
Devin Schwarz, Assistant A&E Editor
Haley Bollinger, Features Editor
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) “A thriller that captures the mind of psychopaths and features some of the greatest acting of the decade.”
The Devil’s Rejects (2005) “I love the music in it and the character development.”
how you’re only a tiny note in the orchestra of the universe.
InstaAwesome. Go to the gym for yourself, not your followers.
Gemini: It’s more about the walk and less Sagittarius: about the talk. Guess you haven’t gotten your swagger back.
Persistence. Persistence. Persistence. Persistence. Persistence.
Persistence. Persistence.
Cancer: Lie to others and they’ll never Capricorn: Live life to the fullest. But know, but continue to lie to yourself and soon you’ll never know.
don’t always take everything at the buffet.
Leo: Going dumb is just a turn of phrase. Aquarius: So you don’t feel inspired? I’m Don’t actually do it. The world may need you.
sure the kids sick with polio in India would love to hear about it.
Virgo: Do you believe in life after drugs? Pisces: If you’ve been illin’, maybe you I feel something inside of you really was strong enough. Enter reality slowly.
should get off the dance floor and see a doctor.
The Petaluma Campus hosts the first ever Lumafest Oct. 17, sparking interest in science, art and history.
Danza Azteca Xantotl opens the festivities with traditional Aztec dance.
LUMA By Maci Martell
L Ballet Folklorico decorate the stage with the brightly-colored swirls of their skirts.
Art exhibits draw youths to paint paint stylized artwork themed around Dia de los Muertos.
Photos: Kyle Schmidt
umafest came to life as a colorful celebration, which for many, stirred the unquenchable thirst of curiosity. Students, faculty and the surrounding community ventured to the grounds of Santa Rosa Junior College’s Petaluma campus Oct. 17 to engage in the festivities and education booths. Early birds watched or participated in the Luma Obstacle Loop Family Fun Run at 9:30 a.m., touring the beautiful Petaluma campus. Proceeds of the mile-long run benefited SRJC Petaluma student clubs. The merriments of the day officially began at 11 a.m., lasting until 4 p.m., with an assortment of dance performances, workshops, tours, lectures and music. Dances and music of different cultures graced the Rotary Plaza intermittently throughout the day. The dance crew Danza Azteca Xantotl kicked off the fair with its Aztec dance performance honoring the past and present. Drummers and dancers of the group Windsor Bloco drew in a large crowd, performing their music and dance traditions of Afro-Caribbean Americas at noon on the plaza. Windsor Bloco dancers Jacqueline Gaspar and Delilah Mendez, who have been with the group for over two years, said they would recommend people joining the group or watching the shows, which they have a lot of fun performing. Gaspar said she decided to join the group after watching her sister participate. “Just by looking at her performing and having so much fun up there, that motivated me to want to join the group.” The celebration of cultural traditions continued in Mahoney Library, where a few Latin American-based lectures and readings took place, and in Carol Ellis Auditorium, where the popular Ballet Folklórico Paquiyollotzin dance group performed traditional and regional Mexican dances. Juan Gonzalez has been directing and dancing in Ballet Folklórico Paquiyollotzin for three years. “I’m double excited because I’m the teacher and I’m the dancer, too,” he said. “It makes me feel nervous a little bit, but this is part of it.” Gonzalez said the dances represent traditions from different cultures and countries. “Every country has folklore,” he said. “It means something emotional. People can see it for the first time.” Spectator Juan Solorio said he thinks the ballet group goes the extra mile in terms of originality. “I think they bring something different opposed to the traditional folklore dancing that other [ballet groups] usually do,” he said. “They’re more joyful…and they seem like they enjoy it more.” Latin American culture extended beyond the traditional music and dances and reached into the realm of folk art. Christina Briano, an Oak Leaf alumnus and a traditional Latin American musician, has been making Latin American folk art for 15 years. “There’s this idea of being creative but adding your culture in it,” Briano
L
Festival goers test scientific principles, such as gyroscopic force, at the many booths available at the fest.
FEST
& Matthew Koch
Children participate in many experiments, including elementary electricity.
& Matthew Koch
said. “I’m not in competition with anybody. Very few people make the things that I make. I like to be unique that way.” Her unique crafts include matchboxes, magnets, jewelry, purses, cards and Dia de los Muertos dolls, all of which were on sale at her colorful booth. The theme of Dia de los Muertos pervaded the campus and festival attendees. “I was happy and proud to celebrate my culture and its beautiful tradition,” said SRJC student Joshua Cortez, 23. “I remember very happily as a child painting the faces of the skeletons with my brothers.” The festivities and celebration of Dia de los Muertos are a gateway to a deeper meaning. Those who honor the tradition do so by remembering their dead. SRJC student Samantha Bien, 22, said she loves the celebration and respects the sentiments involved. “I lost my brother two years ago to a car accident, and I just wished there was a more deserving ceremony for him then,” she said. Nestled in the Mahoney Library was a vibrant Dia de los Muertos memorial honoring students’ passed loved ones. “Everybody loses somebody they love; they need to be remembered because they were important to somebody,” Cortez said. Dia de los Muertos activities also included skeleton paintings, making paper cempasúchils [Mexican marigolds] and decorating sugar skulls. Venturing beyond the thrilling performances and exhibits by the Student Center and Rotary Plaza, one could meander through the large Green Area to learn about all things health, conservation and nature related. California Native Plant Society drew in nature lovers with plants, books and a plethora of information. Virginia Steenhoven and Kerry Winniger have been a part of the California Native Plant Society for 10 and three years respectively. “We’re dedicated to the preservation of California’s native flora and getting word out about why that’s important,” Winniger said. “We want other people to understand California’s native flora and preserve resources for the future.” Steenhoven said SRJC has native plants scattered throughout its campuses, which more people are taking note of on the Petaluma campus. “I never knew there was another beautiful campus in Petaluma. I definitely will start taking classes here next year,” Cortez said. Dr. Bruce Elliot currently teaches Renaissance: The Great Awakening on the Santa Rosa campus. He roamed around Lumafest dressed as a nobleman from the court of King Charles II in 1700s Restoration England. In addition to Elliot’s unique dress, many other crafty individuals gallivanted the campus grounds in vibrant attire and traditional garb. Interactive information booths sprinkled the foundation, encouraging all walks of life to participate in the fun. If you were unable to make it to this year’s mélange of wonder, remember Lumafest will return next fall.
L
Kids discover science in one of many Petaluma Campus classrooms, using microscopes and other equipment.
Attendees choose from a variety of carnival-themed food, such as cotton candy and other sweets.
12
October 26, 2015
Features
www.theoakleafnews.com
Breaking up with your parents Discarding the excess baggage you grew up with Matthew Koch Staff Writer On a Sunday morning in his kitchen, Jack Alhambra strenuously cleaned the floors. His father walked in with a disapproving look. “Work faster, you twit.” Alhambra, now 27, still remembers unfortunate moments he shared with his parents. “I guess it was just a generational disconnect,” he said. “After all, I’d like to believe my parents treated me better than my grandparents [treated] them.” Out of 23 students the Oak Leaf interviewed, a staggering 17 found they too came from dysfunctional households with bickering or divorced parents. Time and distance away from parents, though proven helpful to some, may not be the solution for all. A dysfunctional childhood can drive a wedge between parents and their child that is sometimes repairable and sometimes not. Growing up, Alhambra remembered his parents constantly arguing until they finally divorced in 2007 when he turned 8. “It was difficult for me at first,” he said. “But I definitely understand; they were just busy with their life and I was busy with mine.” Randy Gomez, 20, grew up with similar difficulties. He believed his constant drug abuse ultimately hurt his relationship with his parents. “My parents and I always argued. Even when they argued with themselves, it sucked,” Gomez said. “If I could, I would change everything.” Clinical psychologist Jackie Wright explained how differing views can drive a wedge between kids and their parents. “Students raised with difficult parents typically grow up to rebel against their [parents’] beliefs. Teenagers will usually do that,” Wright said. For a completely different look at parenting and child-parent relationships, there’s SRJC student
Matthew Koch/Oak Leaf
Students acclimate to college life with pieces of their childhood looming around their new adult lives. It is up to them to decide how to deal with the baggage.
Elissa Higgins and her endearing single father, Jeff. Higgins, 25, unexpectedly and tragically lost her mother to brain cancer around her fifth birthday. “My father was, and still is, a brave and wonderful man,” Higgins said. “He really stepped up and pushed hard work ethics on me. He was all I had, so I just accepted and understood everything he had to say as truth.” Higgins, among the six of 23 who came from single-parent households, shows a reiterating theme; single parents had no second parent to balance out or to create dissent. This was exactly the case for SRJC student Rachel Cordow, a child growing up in a single-parent home. Not having another parent to console her, Cordow felt she needed to bottle up her emotions to appease her one parent. “Things were only fine because I made them fine,” she said. “I had no one else to go to so I had to just suck up whatever I was feeling.” The question then presented
itself: with time and space, could this parental bond be repaired? “Growing up there was always something happening at home. I would always try and get away every possible chance that I got,” Alhambra said. Due to the constant verbal volleys his parents engaged in, Alhambra found it difficult not only to learn from his parents, but to talk with them in general. Finding it hard to even be alone in his own room, he set a goal to leave home as soon as possible. “I would always feel like a prisoner,” Alhambra said. “I figured my 18th birthday would be the day I was finally ‘free.’” On his 18th birthday, Alhambra moved out of his parents’ home and into a simple two-bedroom apartment, where he still resides. The time spent away proved useful as it created, and thus strengthened, individual bonds with each of his parents, so much so that Alhambra now periodically visits them when he gets the chance. For some, gaining much-needed
distance from their parents doesn’t always rekindle their maternal and paternal bonds. John Brickson, 23, grew up in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood and moved to Santa Rosa when he was 16. His parents didn’t approve of his lifestyle, and he moved out at 18 because he couldn’t handle their judgment. “They never liked me or the women I was f***ing around with. It’s my life, I should control what the f*** I do,” he said. Brickson said he hasn’t had a real conversation with his parents since he was 16. “Some nights I think about calling them. But then I just remember how terrible they treated me and I don’t.” Some students are still living with their parents’ baggage, literally and metaphorically. Jennifer Altman, 24, still lives with her parents and feels she has created a rift between them and herself. “Things are getting better I feel. But for a long time we held a cold distance between us,” she said.
In some instances, such as Higgins’, you don’t get the luxury of getting to know your parents. “It was hard never getting to know my mom,” Higgins said, her eyes slowly welling up. “Of course, I would have liked to know her, but accepting the situation as it was, I had to move on from there.” Establishing a positive and conquering mind-set, Higgins, unaware then, lived what would be some of the happiest days of her life under her father’s roof. Amplified with time, Higgins used her positive mindset to tackle her daily obstacles. Eventually, she too felt the need to leave home. “It was a little bit after my 20th birthday,” Higgins said. “It wasn’t that I wanted to leave, but I know it’s what my dad would have done.” Now five years later, Higgins visits her father more than twice a week. The bottom line is situations are what you make of them. Your parents will always be your parents. Good or bad, you always have the opportunity to learn, even from them.
Save a Life – Learn CPR!
CPR | AED | First Aid | AED Sales & Service
Have fun and learn lifesaving skills!
Get supportive, quality training from American Heart Association certified instructors. Student and group discounts • Weekly CPR community classes Petaluma & Santa Rosa locations • Private classes available Also offering AED sales, service and training! Call us today for more information
(707) 766-9226
Or register for a class online at www.phcd.org
Now that I have your attention, your company should use Fitz Designz for all your internet marketing services. Go ahead, Google us...that's the point.
www.theoakleafnews.com
Features
October 26, 2015
13
SRJC alumnus leaps into Froggy 92.9 success Faith Gates
Co-Editor-in-Chief Daniel Weir stood in the hall of Burbank Auditorium in 2003 staring at a note on the door which said administration canceled the radio class he was taking at Santa Rosa Junior College. “I was thinking, ‘Well, there goes my chance in radio,’” Weir said. Today, although no one might know who Daniel Weir is, the name Radio Dano might ring a bell among local country music listeners. Dano hosts the weekday afternoon show from 3-7 p.m. on Sonoma County’s radio station Froggy 92.9. Dano, now 31, spent his whole life in Sonoma County, growing up in Petaluma and attending Kenilworth Jr. High School and Casa Grande High School. He had a childhood friend, also named Daniel, who nicknamed him Dano, a name that stuck. During his junior year at Casa Grande, he helped start the school newspaper, setting a good foundation for his job now. “I have the most value here because what radio really can hone is local; talking about things that are happening. Having stories about Sonoma County. I have a ton of those,” Dano said. “If I picked up and went to Oklahoma, I don’t have any stories there. I don’t know anything about it. If I went there, no one cares. I can’t say I played Petaluma Valley Little League there and it matters; it doesn’t.” He first attended SRJC in summer 2001 to take an art class while still in high school. After graduating from high school, he was a Chemistry major at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo for
a year before figuring out it wasn’t what he wanted to do. “Go figure, that was really boring,” Dano said. He returned to SRJC in fall 2003, taking general education classes until he found an interest in a radio class before the department canceled it. He then transferred to San Francisco State University as a radio and television major, with an interest in audio production. One night he was in his room listening to Lovelive on the radio with Adam Carolla when a lightbulb went off in his head. “I think I want to do that [host a radio]. I do that all the time with my friends, joking around,” Dano said. He switched his major emphasis to radio and completed classes needed for his degree at SRJC in 2008. During that time he took two acting classes, one with instructor Reed Martin in fall 2007, who influences him even today. “I’m so proud of what he’s doing. It’s heartwarming to hear what [alumni] are doing now,” Martin said. “I remember he was very focused, hard-working and diligent.” These classes helped Dano in his job today, as they cured him of stage fright. Martin also teaches warm-up stretches and exercises Dano does before each show. “What I love about the JC is they reach out into the community. You get people who are like ‘This is my passion; this is what I want to do. I don’t care if I can’t do it full time, I want to be here,’” Dano said. “The JC people embrace people like that. I have been a big fan of the classes I’ve taken there.” In 2006 before his third stint at SRJC in 2007, he had an internship with the radio station Mix 104.9, part
of Sonoma Media Group in Santa Rosa, which also owns Froggy 92.9, 97.7 The River, Hot 101.7 and KSRO 1350. With all of these stations at his fingertips, it didn’t take long before he had his own show on Froggy. When his internship ended, program director Danny Wright wanted to keep him around, so he asked him to be the back-up traffic reporter. A month into training, the main traffic reporter quit and within an hour Dano received a phone call from Wright offering him the position. “That was really a make-orbreak moment for me. Someone asking you ‘do you want to get up at 5:30 in the morning everyday?’ The answer to that is no, but do you really want to do radio? Yes, so you do it,” Dano said. From there he started doing weekend shows on Mix 104.9, which turned into weekly night shows. He got to know Rob and Joss, who prefer to only go by their first names, from the “Rob & Joss in the Morning” show on Froggy 92.9. In spring 2008, a spot opened for an afternoon show on Froggy and Rob offered it to Dano. Both Rob and Joss agreed he had potential when they met him. “Dano is incredible to work with. He has wonderful instinct, a million ideas and he’s great on the air. He is one of those dream people you’d like working at your station,” Rob and Joss said in an email interview. “His work ethic is the kind you’d like everyone to have. Passion. Desire. A need to see that things get done correctly.” To be successful in radio, Dano says it’s important to not just do your job, but also be a person “with your heart switched on.” If no one likes an intern they won’t be asked to stay afterwards. He described interning as different than a video game where you go through a checklist and move on to the next level, but it encompasses what you do and who you are as a person. “He isn’t leading with his ego. Some people have really big egos Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf and they’re big jerks about it. Dano Radio Dano also has a passion for sports, specifically hockey, and co-hosts a is a good guy,” said Stacy “Splash” sports broadcast at 4 p.m. Saturdays on KSRO 1350. Hoblitzell, a Froggy radio host. “He
Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf Top: Dano’s show runs from 3-7 p.m. weekdays since he started in 2008. Bottom: Dano, a former SRJC student, says his past playing piano helps with working the soundboard.
came in with the same ego in his 20’s and moved up quickly.” Once he moved into his afternoon show, he admitted having no interest in country and no clue what he was doing. “I just didn’t get it,” Dano said. Eventually he came to love country and the way it positively brings a community together. While pop music is usually written about the singer’s personal life, country is about the community, he said. “The cool thing about country music is its music is totally and completely designed for the listener. It’s a product that’s tailored to you personally,” Dano said. “It’s like an audio gift giving. Everything’s really positive. It’s a whole genre that’s a very positive, cool thing. Now I’m like not only do I get it, this is the best thing ever.” His favorite part of the job is the listeners, whom he prefers to meet over celebrities. When he is in the studio, he is alone and doesn’t feel like he knows who’s listening, but getting out to meet people makes him see who he is talking to on air. “You know the people who listen to Froggy work so hard and they just want to turn on Froggy. The fact that you can do that for such a quality person means a lot,” Dano said. “All the listeners I’ve met have very open hearts. Very real people, like they want to be friends with you.” He always tries to make a connection while on air and be current. Genuinely seeming like someone’s best friend on air is a
good way to make this connection, a theory called you-positioning. Broadcasting is versatile because the four hours on air aren’t the only part of the job. “That is a misconception though, that it’s not work. It is work. People are like, ‘Oh it must be awesome to only work four hours a day.’ It’s eight hours a day; It’s a full on job,” Dano said. “You actually have to do like four jobs in radio, not just one.” After a four-hour show, the total airtime of him actually talking is usually only six minutes. Radio is constantly moving, leaving only 1530 seconds in between songs to talk. It’s not hard to get into radio, Dano said. A “radio voice” isn’t always something someone is born with, but develops over time. In the beginning, he said vocal cords can be weak and strained because of stress, but can develop over time, as his did. “He’s one of the guys who was really meant to be in radio. He just got it. Some of us took longer,” Splash said. Dano now lives in Petaluma with his wife and 14-month-old son. He loves his job and has no desire to move to another company or onto television. “If you want to have a long career in TV, you have to start doing weird things to your face. I don’t want to feel like ‘Man I really need to have this plastic surgery procedure so I can continue to make my living,’” Dano said. “In radio, you can be as ugly as you want, and you’re all good.”
14
October 26, 2015
Opinion
www.theoakleafnews.com
EDITORIAL E
very fall, Columbus Day controversy stirs a national conversation about the ugly legacy of European colonization. This evaluation does more than address past injustices, it underscores how elusive the American identity has become and how necessary further soul searching is. Ethnic assimilation has always been a problem in the U.S. The centurieslong deluge of European immigrants to American shores reduced the native population to near annihilation. White Americans relegated the few survivors to second-class citizen status and concentrated them in remote regions like parts of Oklahoma. As the nation grew, it honed an immigration dichotomy, ushering in millions of foreigners to provide cheap labor while simultaneously resisting their inclusion in the American identity. No wave of immigrants, European or otherwise, escaped the established population’s scorn. Slavery also complicated the American identity. More than four million African-Americans lived in the U.S. at the close of the Civil War, comprising approximately 14 percent of the nation's population. While the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, it would take another 100 years for Black Americans to attain anything resembling consummate civil rights. Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanic minorities sustained institutional injustices also. Since foreign forces virtually decimated indigenous Americans, no American ethnicity exists. This contrasts the U.S. with almost every
other country on Earth, which use common heritage as national identity. Mainstream outrage over Columbus Day is contemporary. Most millennial Santa Rosa Junior College students probably made elementary school art projects celebrating the Italian navigator and his famed voyages to the Americas. Many still had the second Monday of October off from school until recently in observance of his 1492 landing. For centuries the Euro-centric U.S. venerated colonists like Columbus, even dedicating its capital - the District of Columbia - in his honor. The predominant 21st century American perspective contrasts this reverence with outright condemnation. In reality, Columbus instigated the subjugation and genocide of North America’s indigenous people. The Spanish occupation of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, modern-day Haiti and The Dominican Republic, led to the slaughter of native tribes and created an enduring European hierarchy in the Western Hemisphere. Americans should factor these humanitarian consequences into their historical understanding. Columbus’ actions were not heroic but were heavily influential on America’s development. His exploration is still relevant despite his heinous deeds and never actually setting foot in North America. SRJC recently followed the progressive trend of re-branding Columbus Day to honor Native Americans. The Student Government Assembly dubbed the October holiday as Indigenous People’s Day and
JoshuOne Barnes/Oak Leaf
Bill Means speaks of new interpretations of the “discovery” of America, which are upcoming in social consciousness.
subsequently held events celebrating diverse cultures, including a Hawaiian cultural exhibition. There is no official American heritage, so as a republic, citizenship is the derivative of Americanism. Unfortunately, citizenship was a privileged commodity for most of U.S. history. Elites denied citizen rights to vast portions of American residents, including women, until the 20th century. Even now, discrimination and inequality reign rampant. The European imprint on American culture is undeniable. Western European influences pervade through American government, architecture, religion and language. According to the last federal census, white Americans still constitute more than 60 percent of the nation’s population and, by anyone's reckoning, possess significant advantages over other Americans. Until the social awakenings of the
1960s, few challenged Eurocentric interpretations of Americanism in mainstream society. Cultural relativity is a new idea. Social progress often lags behind rhetoric, and mobile civilizations experience growing pains as this nation’s turbulent race relations display. Changing demographics exacerbate America’s discordant identity. A rising Latin American population adds new facets to the national character. Across America, conservative residents call for restoration of the old order, usually reminiscent of the Eisenhower years, while cries for social and economic justice echo from coast to coast. This cultural friction is inevitable and ultimately positive. Plurality is the greatest pillar of American values, so conflicting models of Americanism need to circulate without anyone's
interference. Interested groups should come to the fore of the American identity crisis, say their piece and digest dissenting views. Consensus is out of the question, but a big tent national identity is not. Broad principles like religious tolerance and freedom of speech unify America’s eclectic factions, albeit loosely. The American Dream is imperfect and sometimes a painful lie. Americans must update it, modify it to their experience and acknowledge its inequity. The past is important. Proper historical context is imperative to progress, and as Columbus’ bloody conquests and the Treaty of Versailles demonstrate, unilateral solutions are usually ill-conceived. SRJC counterbalanced Columbus’s legacy with Indigenous Peoples Day, a meaningful move towards a healthy American identity.
Understanding gender-neutral language Rebecca Dominguez Web Editor
When we meet someone wearing a dress and heels, it is automatic to think of that person as a ‘she,’ whether or not they identify as a female. This is a problem. With the LGBTQ community getting more attention, issues like this should be hard to ignore, but they are not. There are many larger issues society needs to address in relation to the LGBTQ community, and something as minimal as using the correct pronoun may not seem like a big deal. And it’s not a big deal when compared to job discrimination of transgender people or refusing adoptions to gay couples. But, it’s something people can address easily and, in a small way, change how they view those who are “different.” With transgender people, there is often a refusal to use the pronoun that corresponds with the gender they identify as. This is a very simple matter; if someone identifies as female, use feminine pronouns. Don’t use male pronouns and don’t call them ‘it.’ It is rude and demeaning. In other instances it is a matter of being uninformed. Though many people see others as a ‘he’ or ‘she,’ it’s not that simple. Our ignorance can often be construed as disrespect, though
Courtesy of Hampshire College
Attendees register for the 2014 Five-College Queer Conference. Hampshire College in Massachusetts hosts the student-led annual event, which offers a supportive place to explore gender and sexuality, as well as other intersecting issues. For more information about the conference, visit www.hampshire.edu/queerconf.
that is not the intention. We are taught from the earliest age, people are male or female, him or her and there are no other types of identity. Society conditions us to place people in these two categories and some people become derogatory when they come in contact with those who can’t fit in these boxes. For individuals who are gender fluid — their gender identity varies
over time — it can be difficult to know what pronoun to use. People who are gender fluid can at times identify as male, female, multigender or other non-binary identities, and there hasn’t been much information given on what pronouns to use. Often, people who are gender fluid will accept the use of the pronoun that matches their biological sex because there isn’t a good alternative
or others find gender-neutral pronouns confusing. Sometimes ‘they’ is used as a pronoun for people who identify as gender fluid, but there are two genderneutral pronouns that exist. One set of gender neutral pronouns, called the Spivak pronoun, has been proposed, where people are referred to as ‘E.’ The other option is the pronoun ‘ze.’ People who are gender fluid
should not have to accept being addressed incorrectly because of others’ lack of understanding. Though gender-neutral pronouns take some getting used to, we should make an effort to use them or respectfully ask what a person’s preferred pronoun is. A brief transitional period is something we can bear to show acceptance and respect to everyone’s self-identity.
www.theoakleafnews.com
Opinion
October 26, 2015
Undressing a double standard The male monopoly on the naked nipple Craig Gettman
Senior Staff Writer
I
’m a big guy. It’s OK, I can admit it. I’m overweight. Some would even say fat. That’s not really what’s important here. The important part is: I’m male. As someone who identifies as such and is biologically male, I’m afforded many opportunities in this country that my female counterparts are unable to enjoy. One of the most basic of these privileges is being able to take off my shirt and expose my upper chest area, without having to wear a bra to cover up my man-boobs. Were I genetically or otherwise female, I would not be able to do this without risking an indecent exposure charge. Or, at the very least, people leering at me because I happened to be female. Does this strike anyone else as odd, or is it just me? I could walk around with my flabby upper chest hanging out for all the world to see. If I were a woman, I’d likely get catcalls, obscene comments and/or old-fashioned leering. There’s also the possibility that authorities would charge me with indecent exposure. Why is this? As a man, I’m only asking because it doesn’t seem fair that flabby old me can walk around without a shirt on and face little to no repercussions;
meanwhile, a young, fit and attractive female couldn’t do the same thing. Otherwise, she’d risk getting in all sorts of trouble. Technically, there is no California state law banning female toplessness. In fact, breast baring is only banned statewide in Utah, Tennessee and Indiana. Regardless, certain city ordinances exist, such as in Los Angeles County, where nudity is banned on beaches. San Francisco also forbids nudity. In many places, female nipples are the issue. So men can parade around showing theirs, while women have to cover them up with at least pasties. It’s as though women are being singled out for the simple fact of being female. Historically, this makes sense due to the overwhelmingly patriarchal nature of this country. Men like to have control, and they’ve exercised this control since before the U.S. was an independent nation. Even to this day, the attitude persists that women are little more than property. Men treat them like objects, things to be possessed and used. Some men want to control how women act, think, feel, dress and
“The attitude persists that women are little more than property.”
Firearms: Guillaume Jackson
Staff Photographer Another gun-involved tragedy has gripped America, this time in Oregon. President Barack Obama communicated disgust in his belief Americans have become insensate to mass shootings in U.S. schools, while presidential candidate Jeb Bush shrugged it off with a shockingly cavalier “stuff happens.” America has always had a love affair with guns, from the invention of the copper-jacketed bullet until now. It stands to reason firearms’ popularity and appeal might decline due to increased gun violence. However, firearm sales continue, and a productive conversation on a state or federal level does not appear underway. As a journalist, you learn every story has multiple sides. Every single friend, family member and colleague I have in Europe does not feel citizens should have the right to own any kind of firearm. This contrasts starkly with many Americans I’ve met, who for various reasons, some valid, others questionable, believe it is a fundamental right and responsibility to own a gun. Even those who do not own firearms might not dispute gun owners’ right to possess them.
express themselves. Thus, the female breast, as part of these objects, must remain under strict control. Interestingly enough, the U.S. isn’t the only country where nudity is frowned upon or outright illegal. In the UK, for example, public nudity can earn you jail time. Overall, however, the attitude is different. Most anywhere in Europe, it’s not uncommon to see both men and women nude in public. In Paris, this mostly involves sunbathers along the Seine. If you go anywhere in the French Riviera, nudity is quite common. In Spain, people can stroll through the city of Barcelona nude with nary a care. So why is it different here? The answer is: the patriarchy. This country was founded by men, for men. It has remained this way from the moment the founding fathers penned the Declaration of Independence. Men have made the laws and enforced them, despite the fact that women have arguably contributed as much or even more than men to the welfare of this nation. Regardless of how useful women have been, they’ve never really been treated equally. It took until 1920 —
It was logical that I find Americans who own guns and not only discern their point of view, but also attempt to see this issue from their perspective. I attended a gun show in Ukiah, California recently. Organizers held the gun show in a large building on the Ukiah Fairgrounds. Caravans and a quaint little school surrounded the show. I had my notebook in hand and two cameras around my neck. At the entrance, the show’s organizer immediately informed me I could not photograph the event, and asked me to put my cameras away. After I introduced myself as a journalist writing an opinion piece on guns, she was more willing to speak with me. She explained her apprehension was due to what she labeled as “bad press” concerning gun control and its effects on the gun show. After I explained I was a European wanting to understand an American gun owner’s point of view, she referred me to Kathy and Galvin Graham, representatives of the National Rifle Association and the California Rifles and Pistols Association. The Grahams were insightful, explaining their views as private citizens, not as representatives of an organization. I learned about firearms education based on the premise that if parents teach their children from a young age to respect firearms, the children
nearly 150 years from the signing of the Declaration of Independence — for women to gain the right to vote. Though women have made strides in recent years in gaining certain civil rights, the fact remains that being female, especially in this country, equals being below men in many aspects. This is ridiculous. People’s genitalia should not dictate whether they recieve equal treatment as human beings. Instead, women are sexualized and objectified, while at the same time being controlled much like slaves in the antebellum South. It’s time for this to stop. Women are just as capable, if not more so in some aspects, as men in making major contributions to society. It’s unfair and despicable that women are treated as “things,” simply existing to be sex objects for men to own, much like a literal trophy. Guys, seriously. Let’s grow up. There’s a lot to be said about the term “gentleman.” You can act respectfully towards women; you don’t even have to give up your confidence. Allowing a woman to be free and express herself shouldn’t threaten your masculinity. A woman should be in control of her own body, just as a man is in control of his. So, ladies, let your breasts go free. I promise I won’t ogle. I might give you a thumbs-up, but I would never disrespect you.
A foreigner’s attempt to make sense of American gun culture
Courtesy of M&R Glasgow/flickr.com
Despite recent shootings, American’s relationship with guns seem unchanged.
will have a better understanding of what it means to own a gun. The theory is this lessens the chances of accidents or tragedies. The Grahams mentioned the Eddie Eagle program, which law enforcement and the NRA administrate. It promotes the same values as parents personally educating their children about gun safety. When I asked them how they felt about the latest campus shooting, Kathy Graham said, “They acted irresponsibly. People have a right to life and they have a right to
defend themselves,” alluding to her belief that had other students and faculty been armed, they could have stopped the gunman sooner. What I learned is American gun culture is a divisive issue. Although I personally choose not to own a firearm, I agree it is valid for people in rural areas to own them for hunting. I do not and will not ever support private citizens owning firearms, but I found myself asking how Americans can balance hunters and hunting weapons with the legitimacy of citizens having assault weapons.
15
Just the tip Alphabet soup in a rainbow bowl Carin Huber Opinion Editor Most U.S. college students have heard some variation of “LGBTQ.” The acronym commonly stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transsexual and Queer. This is a good start, but there are many sexual and gender identities being left out with these five letters. Some people add words to be more inclusive, but trying to include everyone creates a confusing alphabet soup. Here is a brief glossary of some of those letters. Such a glossary will never be complete. The vocabulary for who and how some feel they are doesn’t exist yet. Lesbian: a person who identifies as female (regardless of physical gender or appearance), who is attracted only to other people who identify as female. Gay: a person who is attracted only to other people who identify as the same gender. Commonly applied to men who love men, “gay” is sometimes used by lesbians as well. Bisexual/Pansexual: a person who is attracted to others regardless of their gender identity. “Pansexual” is becoming more popular than “bisexual” because many object to the implication that only two genders exist. Others differentiate the terms along the line between binary and nonbinary gender, and use both accordingly. Transgender: a person whose gender identity does not conform to their physical sex. A transgender person may or may not choose to undergo sex reassignment procedures. Transexual: a person who has undergone or plans to undergo medical procedures to change their body to match their gender. Queer: a person who is not attracted only to people of the opposite gender, or who does not identify only as the biological sex with which they were born. Cisgender: a person whose gender identity matches the biological sex with which he or she was born. Asexual: a person who is not sexually attracted to others. An asexual person may or may not be aromantic. Aromantic: a person who is not romantically attracted to others. An aromantic person may or may not be asexual. Gender fluid: a person whose gender identity varies over time, whether day-to-day, year-to-year, or anywhere in between. Gender-neutral: a person who does not identify with any specific gender. Gender-neutral people may wish to be addressed with a gender neutral pronoun, such as “them,” “e” or “ze.” Intersex: a person who was born with both male and female physical sexual characteristics. An intersex person may hold any gender identity.
16
October 26, 2015
Sports
SRJC football:
www.theoakleafnews.com
Ugly loss overshadows Bear Cubs’ big win
Bear Cubs
Athletics
Calendar Men’s Cross Country 2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30 Big 8 Championship Football 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. Diablo Valley
JoshuOne Barnes/ Oak Leaf
Santa Rosa Junior College starting quarterback Vincent Jeffries struggles against San Francisco City College, throwing three red-zone interceptions. Bear Cubs lost 26-16.
Men’s Soccer 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30 vs. San Joaquin Delta 3 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3 vs. American River Women’s Soccer 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27 vs. Sierra 3 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6 vs. Sacramento City 3 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3 vs. San Joaquin Delta
Austin Burmester Social Media Editor In a close defensive battle, Bear Cubs football team beat the number one ranked team in all of Northern California, College of San Mateo, 17-14, which boosted the Santa Rosa Junior College team to first place in the Bay Six Conference. With a 4-2 overall record and a conference record of 1-0, the Bear Cubs are well on their way to topping the elite times in its conference. “This win is the first step to winning a conference championship and making it to the Northern California Final 4,” said head coach Lenny Wagner. Starting quarterback Vincent Jefferies performed well above average in the last few games but struggled slightly throwing 11-30 during the
team’s match-up with San Mateo, which was ranked No.1 before its loss. “Jefferies was hampered by a very solid defensive unit from San Mateo. They have been giving people fits all year,” Wagner said. With San Mateo stingy about giving up yards through the air, the Bear Cubs relied on their rushing game to gain success on the offensive side of the ball. Bear Cubs’ rushers combined for 205 yards with Ja’Narrick James leading the team with 144 yards and one touchdown. Coach Wagner attributes the team’s rushing success to James, Zach Smith, Jefferies and the offensive line. “We had more rushing yards than the top rushing team in the state on Saturday; that is saying something,” he said. Allowing only 14 points, the Bear Cubs’ defense deserves a lot of credit. With two fumble recoveries and two
interceptions, the Bear Cubs made San Mateo’s life on the field very difficult. “Preparation is the key to our success on defense thus far. Coach Donte DePaola, our defensive coordinator, is a superstar. He gets those guys ready, and we have some very good players,” Wagner said. The Bear Cubs looked to build upon their huge win against San Mateo when they faced off against San Francisco City College, but were unable to, losing 26-16. While the teams were evenly matched in nearly all facets of the game, the Bear Cubs were unable to limit their mistakes, which ultimately cost them a chance to win. Quarterback Vincent Jefferies had his worst game of the season, throwing three red-zone interceptions, effectively taking points off the board
for the Bear Cubs each time. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bear Cubs continued to build on their reputation as a strong and determined defensive team. The defensive line was able to wreck havoc in the SFCC backfield, consistently pressuring the quarterback and making plays against the run. On special teams, often the decisive aspect of any game, the Bear Cubs struggled heavily, averaging well under 30 yards per punt, and missing both a PAT and a field goal. A bad snap on a field goal attempt also led to a SFCC touchdown, effectively icing the game away. Even in defeat, the Bear Cubs did some things very well. After falling behind by double digits early, the team fought back to tie the score using a strong defensive performance to stay in the game.
Soccer continues to soar Anthony Sosa
Assistant Sports Editor
Volleyball 6:30 p.m.,Wednesday, Oct. 28 vs. American River 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4 vs. San Joaquin Delta 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 vs. Consumnes River Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
SRJC midfielder Nathan Bell controls the ball in his attack against Consumnes River College.
A resplendent autumn evening was a welcome reprieve for fans watching the Santa Rosa Junior College men’s soccer game Oct. 22 at Sypher Field. On the pitch, the team rebounded from a tough loss, easily dispatching Consumnes River College by a final score of 3-0. The team put forward a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, stifling the CRC attack with quick reads and excellent closing speed from the back line led by Indio Moreno. Goalkeeper Arturo Ornelas also made several solid saves to keep
the shutout intact. Bear Cubs forward Chris Ochoa talked about the importance of rebounding from a loss. “This game was a good test of our resolve and determination, coming off a tough loss to Foothill College,” he said. “I feel like we played as a team and we were determined to get back on track. Everyone did their job and we were able to get the result we wanted.” Ochoa leads the Bear Cubs in goals scored with 10. The Bear Cubs dominated the time of possession, using excellent ball control and passing to keep the ball in CRC territory for nearly the entire game. Continued on page 19...
www.theoakleafnews.com
Sports
October 26, 2015
Polar bears left to freeze
17
Team loses twice in tough weekend series Anthony Sosa
Bear Cubs
Assistant Sports Editor The Santa Rosa Junior College ice hockey team (5-4) suffered backto-back losses this weekend to the University of California, Davis and Santa Clara University. Snoopy’s Home Ice Arena filled up Oct. 24 as the Polar Bears played the Santa Clara Broncos. The Broncos defeated the Polar Bears 3-2. The game started out well for SRJC, as forward Larry Hansen put the team on the board early with a quick first period goal. Center Kurtis Klinger fired in another goal shortly after. Klinger leads Polar Bear freshman in goals scored this season with seven. “I played juniors the past couple years, and have the mentality to take the puck to the net. I think that has been my strongest attribute right now; just being relentless in front of the net,” he said. The Polar Bears saw their lead diminish as Santa Clara found the back of the net in each period, ultimately securing them the win. A problem the Polar Bears face this season is penalties. In the second period, forward Matt Katicich was disqualified for an altercation with a Santa Clara player. This marks the Polar Bears’ fourth disqualification in nine games this season. “We have to be more stable emotionally. We have a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and we have to keep that level of emotion at the right spot,” head coach Blake Johnson said. Santa Rosa also lost the day prior to UC Davis, 5-4. Penalties played a big factor in this game as well. The
Athletics
Scoreboard Men’s Cross Country Oct. 17 at Bronco Invitational, Santa Clara – 14th place Women’s Cross Country Oct. 17 at Bronco Invitational, Anthony Sosa/ Oak Leaf
Top: SRJC ice hockey center Kurtis Klinger waits for the puck to drop against an opposing Santa Clara University skater. Klinger leads all freshman players with seven goals and seven assists.
Bottom: Polar Bears’ forward Larry Hansen celebrates with teammate Max Brownlee after scoring SRJC’s first goal of the game Oct. 24.
Santa Clara – 11th place Hockey Oct. 16 at Stanford – W, 9-4 Men’s Soccer Oct. 16 at Contra Costa – W, 2-0 Oct. 20 vs. Foothill – L, 2-1
Polar Bears committed six penalties compared to Davis’ two. On a positive note, Polar Bear forward Jackson Waldron returned to action against Davis, after missing nearly an entire year due to injury. “It was a huge weight off my shoulders [to come back from injury],
but at the end of the day we didn’t get the W, and that’s what matters to me,” Waldron said. Waldron scored a goal in his first game back, but it wasn’t enough to get the Polar Bears a win. “It was an unfortunate weekend, but every team is going to face adversity at
some point in the season,” Johnson said. “It’s going to show what our guys are made of.” The Polar Bears look to bounce back and start a winning streak when they face off against Stanford University at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Snoopy’s Home Ice Arena.
Women’s Soccer Oct. 16 vs. Modesto – W, 2-0 Volleyball Oct. 17 vs. Cabrillo L, 3-0 Oct. 17 vs. Butte W, 3-0 Oct. 21 at Sacramento City – L, 3-1 Men’s Water Polo Oct. 16 vs. Orange Coast – L, 14-8 Oct. 16 vs. Cuesta – L, 16-9
Robert Marshall Senior Staff Writer
Opinion It’s a new season and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking good. Good enough to win their first playoff game since 1990. They are undefeated at 6-0, leading the AFC North standings. In a league of undefeated teams, like the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Their biggest win of the season was a comeback victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Down 17 points going into the fourth quarter, Andy Dalton stepped up and led his team to tie the game at 24. Dalton looked like a more poised quarterback than
in past seasons. He’s had strong performances, but in this game Dalton looked like an Aaron Rodgers or a Tom Brady leading his team to victory. He showed that without a doubt, he is the leader of this team. In past seasons, Dalton crumbled under pressure, but not in this game. The Bengals’ defense stepped up when it counted. In the Seattle game, the Bengals outscored the Seahawks by 20 after the third quarter. But there’s one thing that us Bengals fans hear time and time again: when will the Bengals win a playoff game? In the past three years they have made it to the Wild Card game of the NFL playoffs. The result? Dalton chokes and the team loses, opening the on–and-off again “Dalton sucks, get rid of him and head coach
Marvin Lewis” comments. They’ve struggled for that elusive first playoff win, but with Dalton playing like the quarterback the Bengals expected when they drafted him from TCU, they look unstoppable. Through six games, he’s thrown for 1,761 yards, second-best in the league - behind Phillip Rivers averaging 9.1 per completion. He has 14 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. But it’s not just Dalton who’s performing better this year; the whole offense is. They’re ranked third in total offense. Star wide receiver A.J. Green is always a beast on the field, but with the double threat of running backs Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, opponents have to relook their run defense. Tight end Tyler Eifert has played a
big part this year. Green has always been a No.1 target for Dalton, but Eifert this year is a close second. After only playing one game last year due to an elbow injury, he’s back in action this year with 342 yards already, compared to his 442 yards in 2013. The Bengals biggest test of the season thus far will be against the Pittsburgh Steelers when they travel to Heinz Field Nov. 1, and face “Big” Ben Roethlisberger who is scheduled to make his return from his injury. Dalton will have to prove that his spectacular performance these past few games weren’t flukes. Especially against a team that knows the Bengals well in their heated rivalry. The Bengals will win their first playoff game in recent memory, kick-starting their run towards their first Super Bowl win.
Oct. 17 vs. Ventura – L, 13-7 Oct. 17 vs. Rio Honda – W, 16-5 Oct. 21 vs. Modesto – L, 11-9 Women’s Water Polo Oct. 16 vs. De Anza – W, 8-6 Oct. 17 vs. San Mateo – W, 10-5 Oct. 17 vs. West Valley – W, 10-8 Oct. 21 vs. Modesto – W, 9-6
18
Sports
October 26, 2015
www.theoakleafnews.com
NFL power rankings week seven Find out where your team may stand Austin Burmester
The Patriots’ offense is ranked No.1 in the NFL in points per Social Media Editor game, averaging 36.6 but ranked 14th in overall offense. With an above-average defense Opinion ranked No. 9 in the league, the Patriots will need their offense Through week seven, the NFL to keep firing on all cylinders to still has five undefeated teams: remain undefeated. Second, right on the heels of New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots are the 6-0 Green Carolina Panthers and Denver Bay Packers. Ranked ninth in Broncos. This is the first time overall offense, a deadly trio leads there have been five undefeated the Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers, teams going into week seven since RB Eddie Lacy and WR Randall the 1970 NFL and AFL merger. Cobb. All of these teams are in my With the third-most rushing top-five power rankings except yards in the NFL this season, they one; the Broncos. I rank Denver rely on their run game and need sixth in my power to keep it up to rankings due to stay undefeated, Peyton Manning’s especially with offensive struggle. “The Patriots are without a below-average If Manning a doubt the scariest team defense that ranks breaks out of 19th. in the NFL this year.” his slump, the Third are the Broncos and their 6-0 Bengals. This fourth-ranked is another team defense will be a whose success true threat in the NFL. relies solely on offense. Let’s start with the defending Led by QB Andy Dalton and Super Bowl champions, the All-Star WR A.J. Green, the Patriots. Its 6-0 record keeps them Bengals are no doubt a threat to on track in what some are calling any team they face. This No. 2 a “revenge season” due to the ranked offense has lit up almost Deflategate scandal last season. every team they have played, The Patriots are without a averaging 30-plus points per doubt the scariest team in the game. NFL this year. Future Hall of Fame With an inconsistent defense quarterback Tom Brady leads this ranked 23rd in the NFL, their team, averaging 325 yards per powerful offense won’t keep them game passing, which is the second undefeated for long. highest among NFL quarterbacks. For the Bengals to stay a threat,
their defense will need to step it up. Fourth is the 6-0 Panthers who virtually came out of nowhere this season. Unlike other teams in my power rankings, the Panthers rely on defense to stay undefeated. With a disappointing offense ranked 30th in the NFL, you cannot give credit to Cam Newton and the Panther offense. The only positive offensive factor the Panthers have is their run game. Ranked third in rushing yards per game and fifth-best in defense, no offense in the NFL takes them lightly. For this team to retain its record, Newton and the offense must start producing or their record will begin to drop. At No. 5 in the rankings is the only team without a perfect record. The 6-1 Atlanta Falcons, coming off a very disappointing 6-10 season in 2014, quickly redeemed themselves and entered the elite ranks in the NFL. The Atlanta offense, led by another elite trio of QB Matt Ryan, second-year RB Devonta Freeman and WR Julio Jones, is an offense not to be taken lightly. Ranked third in total offense and in rushing yards per game, the Falcons are dangerous in the air and on the ground. With a 22nd ranked defense, this is a team that must stay successful on the offensive side of the ball.
Lane Beliveau Hockey
Courtesy of Bleacher Report
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to throw during a game against the Chicago Bears earlier this season. The reigning MVP leads an undefeated Packers squad.
Nick Reynolds Football
Favorite berry
Strawberry
Blueberry
Favorite pro sports franchise
Washington Capitals
Raiders
In n Out order of choice
Cheeseburger and shake
What will you be for Halloween
I just want to play hockey
You Nara Volleyball
Josiah Nikkel Hockey
Strawberry
Blackberry
San Francisco Giants
San Jose Sharks
Burger, fries and chocolate shake
Milkshake
Double-Double with fries and a drink
Mr. Incredible
Witch
Stephen Curry
www.theoakleafnews.com
Sports
October 26, 2015
19
Men’s and women’s soccer teams continue to win
Continued from page 16...
Midfielders Chris and Darian Huerta led the offensive attack, playing with speed and poise that Consumnes simply could not keep up with. Earlier in the week, the Bear Cubs lost a hard-fought 2-1 contestagainst Foothill College, putting together a strong effort but falling just short. With Friday’s win, the team improved to a Big Eight Conference best 12-2, its .857 winning percentage also the best of any team in the state. “To continue being successful we have to play as a whole, not as individuals. Keep a high work rate, and apply what we learn at practice to the games,” Ochoa said. The Bear Cubs are back in action Oct. 30 with a home game against San Joaquin Delta. The Santa Rosa Junior College women’s soccer team (13-0-2, 6-02), continued their winning ways on Oct. 23, defeating Diablo Valley College 1-0 to remain undefeated. The win marked the 12th time this season the Bear Cubs shut out their opponents. The team is showing, game in and game out that strong defense wins. Team captain Holle Depina provided the offense for the Bear Cubs in their win as she scored the lone goal of the game. Depina now has eight goals on the season, third on the team in goals
Daniel Kong/ Oak Leaf
Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs forward Chris Ochoa dribbles past opposing defenders on route to scoring a goal against Consumnes River College Oct. 22 at Sypher Field. Ochoa leads the SRJC men’s soccer team with 10 goals scored in the 2015 season.
scored behind Amanda Galbraith and Sophia Maso. “I think much of our success has come from us gelling as a unit and playing together as one,” Depina said. Depina gives a lot of credit to Galbraith who was named Big 8 Conference Player of the Week previously this month. “She [Galbraith] has had a big
impact on the team this year,” Depina said. “She is a very skilled soccer player who can score and assist goals. She is a diverse player who brings a big presence for us at the forward position.” Head coach Crystal Howard also praised Galbraith’s soccer success. “Amanda’s impact on the program is huge. She is very dynamic, and a dangerous player on
the field,” she said. “Her teammates support her, and have made her an even better player on the field. She loves to score goals and is a fierce competitor.” With six games remaining, the Bear Cubs look to finish undefeated. With a high level of success on defense and offense, as well as strong leadership, it looks possible.
“As long as we stick together and continue to play as one I think we are going to have success the rest of the season,” Depina said. “We have high expectations for ourselves as a team, and we will continue to work as hard as we can to fulfill those expectations.” The Bear Cubs face off against Sierra College at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 on their home turf.