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
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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