WHO WILL GET A CHAIR?

Issue IV, Volume CXXXII

October 27, 2014

www.theoakleafnews.com

THE SRJC NEWSPAPER THE SRJC NEWSPAPER

WHO WILL GET A CHAIR? Jordan Burns

Kathleen Doyle

Robert Burdo

Don Zumwalt

Maggie Fishman

The Oak Leaf endorses...

- Center spread

Dorothy Battenfeld

Costumes aren’t only for Halloween

- Page 15

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October 27, 2014

Sat.

Calendar

Novem

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02

Sun.

Divine Egypt - Rituals of Life & Death From Egyptian Art • Noon to 1 p.m. • SRJC Newman Auditorium • santarosa.edu/communityeducation/arts-and-lectures • (707) 527-4372 • $4 all-day parking • Free

Rocky Horror Picture Show • 2 p.m.

• Studio Theatre, Santa Rosa • boxoffice.printtixusa.com/6thstreet/ eventcalendar • $10-25

Dia De Los Muertos Celebration • All-day Saturday and Sunday • Old Courthouse Square • santarosadiadelosmuertos.org • All ages • No alcohol permitted • Free

“The Price is Right” Live • 7 p.m. • To be a contestant register 4-6:45 p.m. • Wells Fargo Center for the Arts • tickets.wellsfargocenterarts. org • (707) 546-3600 • $30

SRJC women’s waterpolo vs. Alumni • 2 p.m. • SRJC Quinn Aquatic Complex outdoor pool SRJC men’s waterpolo vs. Alumni • 4 p.m. • SRJC Quinn Aquatic Complex outdoor pool

03

Mon.

Second annual Ceres Fest: organic food and music by LUCE and Jenna Lavoie • 5:30 p.m. • Lagunitas Beer Garden • ceresproject.org/CeresFest • (707) 829·5833 • $25

SRJC football vs. DeAnza • 5 p.m. • SRJC Bailey Field

06

07

David Grier • 4:20 p.m. • Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma • lagunitas.com/live • (707) 778-8776 • All ages • Free

SRJC women’s soccer vs. Sacramento • 3 p.m. • SRJC Cook Sypher Field First Friday Artwalk: art, live music and refreshments • 5 p.m. • SOFA Arts District, South A Street & Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa • Free

SRJC hockey vs, Santa Clara • 5:30 p.m. • Snoopy’s Home Ice Open Mic • 7-10:30 p.m. (sign-ups @ 6:30) • Redwood Cafe, Cotati • redwoodcafe.com • (707) 795-7868 • Free

SRJC hockey vs. College of the Canyons • 5:30 p.m. • Snoopy’s Home Ice

04

Tue.

Election Day • Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. • votesantarosa.com Rock Overtime Student Performance: Mark Benanti performs with his “Rock Overtime” school of rock students • 6-9 p.m. • Redwood Cafe, Cotati • redwoodcafe.com • (707) 795-7868 • Free Tuesday Night Movies • 9-11 p.m.

• Heritage Public House • heritagepublichousesr.com/events-performances • (707) 540-0395 • 10% off tab during movie • Free

08

Fri.

Thurs.

09

Sat.

SRJC football vs. Foothill • 5 p.m. • SRJC Bailey Field SRJC hockey vs. University of New Mexico • 5:30 p.m. • Snoopy’s Home Ice Guitarist Toulouse Engelhardt: “Segovia of Surf ” • 8:30 p.m. • Redwood Cafe, Cotati • redwoodcafe. com • (707) 795-7868 • $8

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Sun.

Disorderly House Band • 3 p.m. • Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma • lagunitas.com/live • (707) 778-8776 • All ages • Free Celtic Fiddle Music • 3–5 p.m. • Redwood Café, Cotati • redwoodcafe.com • (707) 795-7868 • Free Irish Jam Session • 6-10 p.m. • Redwood Café, Cotati • redwoodcafe. com • (707) 795-7868 • Free

SRJC volleyball vs. Diablo Valley • 6:30 p.m. • Haehl Pavillion

Editors-in-Chief:

Julie Lee and Stephen Radley Managing Editor:

Jarrett Rodriguez Section Editors: Copy Editor | Alex Randolph Layout Editor | Chantelle Bogue A&E Editor | Devin Marshall Features Editor | Nate Voge News Editor | JoshuOne Barnes Opinion Editor | Nathan Quast Sports Editor | Robert Marshall Sports Photo Editor | Joseph Barkoff Multimedia Editor Jeanine Buckley

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Staff Writers Claudia Aceves, Haley Bollinger, Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec, Brennan Cole, Nikko Edwards, Faith Gates, Sal Gebre, Arthur Gonzalez-Martin, Mari Guevara, Deanna Hettinger, Hannah Kooistra, Andrew Lino, Kelsey Matzen, Alex Randolph, Ben Steinberg Photographers Joseph Barkoff JoshuOne Barnes Jeanine Flaton-Buckley

@SROakleaf @theoakleafnews

05

Wed.

Open Mic • From 8 p.m. to midnight • Arlene Francis Center • arlenefranciscenter.org/calendars • (707) 528-3009 • Free Tedeschi Trucks Band: Grammy and Blues Music Award-winning band touring in support of its second studio effort, “Made Up Mind” • 8 p.m. • Wells Fargo Center for the Arts • tickets.wellsfargocenterarts. org • (707) 546-3600 • $49-$69

Mon.

10

SRJC men’s soccer vs. Contra Costa • 3 p.m. • SRJC Cook Sypher Field Copperfield’s Cooks with Chef Thomas McNaughton • 6-8 p.m.

• Kendall-Jackson Winery, Fulton • RSVP copperfieldscookswithkjmcnaughton.eventbrite.com • Contact Copperfield’s Books @ (707) 823-8991 ext. 216 or Kendall-Jackson @ (707) 576-3810 • All ages, 21+ to taste wine • Free Karaoke with DJ Dennis Anderson • 6:30-9:30 p.m. • Redwood Cafe, Cotati • djdennisanderson.com • (707) 795-7868 • All ages • Free

Advertising William Rohrs Multimedia Stephen Radley, Joshuone Barnes, Jeanine Flaton-Buckley

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Web & Social Media Chantelle Bogue, Julie Lee, Devin Marshall, Stephen Radley, Jarrett Rodriguez Contact Newsroom: 707-527-4401 Ads Office: 707-527-4254 Anne Belden, Adviser: 707-527-4867 abelden@santarosa.edu EMAIL oakleaf-ads@santarosa.edu oakleafonline@gmail.com oakleafpr@gmail.com

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News

October 27, 2014

Profiling the board candidates

3

Board rejects sexual harassment appeals JoshuOne Barnes News Editor

Joshuone Barnes/ Oak Leaf

The six Board of Trustees candidates from left, Don Zumwalt, Dorothy Battenfeld, Maggie Fishman, Kathleen Doyle, Robert Burdo and Jordan Burns, discuss their ideas for SRJC and answer questions at an event sponsored by the League of Women Voters Oct. 14 in the Bertolini Student Center.

Mariana Guevara and Kelsey Matzen Staff Writers

B. Robert Burdo

Burdo runs against challenger Jordan Burns for West County.

He has served in key positions like president of the Board and chairman of the facilities committee.

Throughout his tenure, he’s provided educational opportunities to countless students by keeping SRJC affordable and accessible.

He believes the Board is responsible for what happens at SRJC, stressing the facilities and investment of bond money in buildings.

Burdo believes the skills he’s gained from experience are his greatest strengths that cannot be replaced.

He points out how soundly the 2002 Measure A bond money was spent.

He stresses the importance of officers carrying firearms on campus and believes that officers with training and the best equipment are key to student safety. He also focuses on emergency planning and procedures to protect students in case of earthquakes and other disasters.

Burdo’s goal is to raise public awareness of the college, especially to high school students. He wants to spend more time showing the campus as a viable option.

Jordan Burns

Jordan Burns runs against incumbent Robert Burdo for West County. He graduated from SRJC as valedictorian after serving on several different committees, including the Board as a student trustee. He is the funding executive director of Children’s Humanitarian International, which provides education for children.

Burns questions why certain changes to SRJC, such as more environmentally friendly buildings on campus, have not been implemented.

He’s also concerned about student safety on campus and is in favor of

protecting students by providing financial assistance to low-income more well-lit areas and officers who students, he says, is to encourage escort students taking late-night more companies and individuals to classes to their cars. invest in the college.

He also criticizes the current Zumwalt supports redistricting board’s attitude toward student trustee Area 3/4/5. trustees and claims that board members don’t care about the Dorothy Battenfeld student trustee position itself.

Battenfeld runs against incumbent Burns believes that a trustee’s Don Zumwalt for Santa Rosa Area duty is to listen to constituents, 3/4/5. She teaches at Montgomery engage everyone in the college High School, where she coordinates community and attend events. the school’s international laureate He aims to make sure the public program that she co-founded in is heard “loud and clear.” A self- 1995. Her four children have all proclaimed advocate for students, attended SRJC. Her lifelong passion is Burns promises he’ll always be to provide education for all students. easily accessible, open to hearing Her goals for SRJC include issues and willing to consider expanding and improving career what students programs and would like to see strengthening on their campus.

2014 Candidates community, school and business Don Zumwalt West County partnerships Zumwalt runs Burns vs. Burdo with sustainable, against challenger e c o n o m i c Dorothy Battenfeld Area 3/4/5 solutions. for Santa Rosa Zumwalt vs. Batterfield Battenfeld Area 3/4/5. He is believes the Board an SRJC graduate South County needs to look at the and a Sonoma Fishman vs. Doyle SRJC Foundation County resident of and make sure 60 years. Previously Vote on Nov 4. the money gets to as board president, the low-income he was active in the students who need facilities scholarship and personnel financial assistance. She also says hiring committees. open sourced textbooks may reduce As he led efforts to revitalize education’s costs. both the Santa Rosa and Petaluma She also wants transparency and campuses, Zumwalt was instrumental accountability. Battenfeld thinks in opening the new culinary center, trustees should take responsibility library and parking pavilion. in fiscal and policy terms, serve all Zumwalt led stability initiatives areas of the community, and listen to and supported efforts to conserve students, faculty and staff. water by introducing artificial turf To make an inclusive and safe on athletic fields. He currently works campus, Battenfeld explained it’s with SRJC to install electric vehicle important that officers are trained charging stations and install solar in cultural competency to work panels on the parking pavilion. with different students and that the He thinks a trustee’s responsibilities college should address all harassment include hiring the president and complaints seriously. listening to the community and constituents. The Board handles the Kathleen Doyle budget, but does not micromanage Doyle runs against challenger the school.

Maggie Fishman for South County.

The most affordable way to give A certified public accountant, she

served as Petaluma representative on the Board for over 11 years and resigned in 2005. Doyle returns this year with a platform of experience.

With her years on the Board and accounting expertise, she believes she possesses the skills to be an effective trustee once again.

Her motivation for serving as a trustee is love for the students and the college. According to Doyle, students are the Board’s responsibility, and her priorities are fostering student success and maintaining what SRJC has to offer. Doyle defends the current board against claims that trustees don’t care about the students, saying trustees devote time, energy and personal resources only because they care.

Doyle takes a strong stance on student safety; she says people who harass others do not belong at SRJC. She stresses that people should look out for each other and report incidents of fear and intimidation.

She also advises people to make safe choices, like ensuring they’re not alone in the dark.

Maggie Fishman

Fishman runs against incumbent Kathleen Doyle for South County.

Fishman graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College in 1971. She has worked for the California Legislature, the University of Southern California’s School of Public Administration and Montgomery High School as a government and economics teacher.

She acknowledges that the recession eliminated sections, doubled tuition, reduced enrollment and reduced programs.

To give financial assistance to low-income students, Fishman prefers creating internships and partnerships with the community.

Fishman wants new blood on the Board of Trustees to accommodate change. She says the Board’s role is oversight, not classroom management. A trustee’s responsibility, she says, is to serve SRJC and the local community by being responsive and helping students succeed.

The Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees decided in closed session to deny an appeal filed on behalf of three employees who claim they suffered sexual harassment after being exposed to child pornography while working at SRJC District Police.

The three employees filed the harassment complaint was filed after they found and viewed the contents of another employee’s personal thumb drive on April 26 that contained 40 graphic images of child sexual abuse.

The images were evidence from a January 2013 arrest of a man viewing child pornography at Plover Hall. The employees opened the drive to try to figure out its owner.

Attorney Gail Flatt, who filed the appeal, represents the three employees. The employees protest the SRJC administration’s rejection of the sexual harassment claims.

Flatt addressed the Board before its closed session and gave an impassioned plea that trustees should accept the appeal. The affected employees, Vanessa Spaeth, Wendy Wasik and Josh Richards accompanied her.

Flatt reiterated the specifics of the complaint and described ongoing discrimination and retaliation since the employees filed their complaints. “What that does is [it] chills the next person who might want to make a complaint of discrimination or harassment,” she said.

Flatt mentioned a complaint the employees filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as the next step. The EEOC is a federal agency that receives tens of thousands of complaints against employers annually and has the task of deciding which complaints have merit or must be further investigated.

Filing with the EEOC is one course of action, while filing a lawsuit is another. “I like to leave no stone unturned before I file a lawsuit to try and get things resolved if possible,” Flatt said.

Regardless of the merits of the original complaints, Flatt said, district policy, state and federal laws prevent retaliation against employees for filing complaints.

She said this is what has occurred and the district could have handled the complaints more professionally.

Some of the retaliation involves increased scrutiny against the employees who

Continued on page 5...

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News

October 27, 2014

Senate creates LGBTQ task force

No Measure H means no new computers Mari Guevara

Patrick Walsh

Staff Writer

Contributing Writer

SRJC could soon run out of technology funding.

If Measure H doesn’t pass, the college will run out of money to spend on technology in two to three years, according to Santa Rosa Junior College’s Information Technology (IT) Director Scott Conrad.

Conrad said SRJC’s IT team updates the college’s computer lab software at least once a year. Some labs require updates twice a year, depending on the software they run. Staff computers are replaced every five to seven years.

SRJC has a $1.5 million annual budget to spend on hardware and software, Conrad said.

“At this point in time, if Measure H does not pass we have two to three years of technology funding left, and then there’s zero — as in I won’t be able to replace any computers,” he said. “If Measure H passes, potentially $80 million of the $410 million is targeted for technology.”

However, not all of it will be spent on new PCs. Some of it will be used to update the college’s network infrastructure, which currently can’t fully support student demand.

For example, a student in the library may not be able to log in to the SRJC’s wireless network in

A low rating from the LGBTFriendly Campus Climate Index prompted the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Academic Senate to create a task force devoted to improving the campus experience of LGBTQ students.

The LGBTQ Campus Climate Committee will be a president’s advisory committee and Academic Senate consultation committee. “It is responsible for providing leadership in increasing diversity and student success by creating a campus climate that is welcoming to students, faculty and staff who are part of the LGBTQ community at SRJC,” said Toni Eaton, Academic Senate interim administrative assistant.

The national survey rated SRJC as a two out of five. The rating stated, “The campus lacks commitment and institutional support for LGBT.” SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong said he wanted to see more “fives” at the Oct. 1 meeting where the issue was first discussed.

One particular criticism was the Santa Rosa campus’ lack of gender-neutral bathrooms for sex-transitioning students. The only bathroom that qualifies is a single occupancy bathroom on the Petaluma campus.

SRJC counselor Rhonda Findling said, “We will have at least three gender-neutral bathrooms by the end of this semester.”

The Academic Senate approved the new task force Oct. 15. As a president’s advisory committee, it has more status, along with Dr. Chong’s backing, said senate president Robin Fautley.

The survey index also noted that SRJC currently has no LGBT-specific courses in its curriculum and lacks outreach programs for LGBT high school students coming to SRJC. Jaime Moreno, United Sexualities and Genders president and possible student representative to the new task force, said, “Having forums for LGBT and allies would benefit everyone.”

Findling said, “We have no curriculum, no events, no awareness [of LGBT issues], but we could have these things if we put forth the effort.”

The Senate also addressed the risk involved with class roster names given to professors at the beginning of each semester. Many sex-transitioning students, unable to change their legal names due to the tedious process, have been unintentionally outed when instructors called their nonpreferred names in class.

The Academic Senate approved a solution Oct. 15 to allow students to change their roster names to their preferred names through their online cubbies.

Some raised concerns that students may use the program inappropriately to assign themselves lewd names.

However, Senate Secretary Laura Aspinall countered that protection of transgendered students would be worth any potential trouble.

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the middle of the day because the network is full.

Classes providing instruction in Adobe applications or in languages like HTML, CSS and Unix call for an accommodation to the periodic upgrades and changes in computer studies.

Debbie Gonnella, a microcomputer lab specialist, said she believes having up-to-date computers and software in SRJC’s computer labs is important because technology changes quickly and developers constantly release new updates to meet students’ curricula.

Without the updates, students might not be able to complete schoolwork.

Gonnella added that the computers in the Maggini Hall computer lab are two years overdue for an update.

“It used to be that the college kept computers for five years, just because the technology changes so fast – not that there’s anything basically wrong with [the computers] ­ – it’s just that they don’t have the resources to run new software,” Gonnella said.

Students who have taken computer classes on campus and used the labs for more than just Internet and text-based projects know about the computers’ capacities and limitations.

Miles Levin, 19, has taken media classes on campus and had a positive experience with the college’s computers. However, he

Danel Kong/Oak Leaf

Students and Measure H supporters watch as speakers talk about what the measure could do for SRJC on Oct. 8 in front of Bertolini Student Center.

admits rendering high-definition movie sequences may be frustrating for students who rely solely on campus computers.

If there’s an available budget, a possible solution could be to have a few high-powered laptops or a couple Mac Pros in intensive editing classes, Levin said.

Evan Morton, 21, said he’s had an overall positive experience as a student using Adobe applications at SRJC’s computer labs, but admitted rendering on After Effects was tedious.

His main problem was compatibility issues between Macs and PCs. Because all the Macs in the computer labs are often occupied, he’s had to resort to using a PC, even though he has a Mac at home.

Over the years, some SRJC departments have transitioned

from Macs to PCs. Conrad said PCs are more flexible in terms of expansion and can be kept longer than Macs. The college typically buys PCs that are two years old on lease for half their listed price, but Macs don’t have a reliable used market. New Macs also cost 20 percent more than new PCs, he said.

“Mac software can only be updated by me physically touching the Mac. I have 4,000 computers that we support,” Conrad said.

“Macs cost four times as much of labor than PCs; with PCs I can work more remotely.”

Conrad said Macs are still purchased for the labs that run graphic and movie editing applications because they’re better for those programs, but overall PCs outnumber Macs on campus.

Free ride on the magic bus Outpatient (VA) Clinic, and they calculated about 600 veteran rides per month.

Staff Writer “Our ultimate goal is to get as Veterans and college students can many barriers and obstacles out ride on Sonoma County Transit of the way so that [veterans] can for free starting Jan. 1, 2015. get where they need to go so that The Sonoma County Board of they can get back on their feet and Supervisors unanimously approved make the next steps easier to find a the Subsidized Fare Pilot Program future,” Logan said. at the Sept. 30 meeting.

Ending Dec. 31, 2015, the yearlong “With having two different trial program is intended to increase campuses, a lot of students end up ridership and allow easier access having to go to both and this will to facilities like Santa Rosa Junior really help,” said SRJC student Cody College, Sonoma State University, Buka, 25, of Rohnert Park.

Santa Rosa Clinic and future In July, the board directed SMART stations. The program will Transportation and Public Works determine the true cost of offering (TPW) and the County free bus fares, Administrator Office according to (CAO) to develop a a Sonoma reduced-cost transit C o u n t y “We hope it will be an Sup e r v i s or s pass pilot program for economic benefit and report. college students who students can invest use Sonoma County W h e n in their education.”

Transit. The program boarding a broadened to include Transit bus, - Sonoma County veterans when John the student or Supervisor Mike Logan, part of Chapter veteran has to 78 of the Military Order flash a valid McGuire of the Purple Heart identification Foundation in Santa card and the Rosa, brought the issue bus driver to Sonoma County Supervisor will keep track of that data on a Mike McGuire. daily basis. The data will then be “Veterans are our county’s most compiled and presented to the vulnerable population,” McGuire Board of Supervisors for evaluation said. in the middle of 2015, and again at The board asked Logan and his the end of the year. colleagues to gather information Because college students have about the number of veterans seen significant increases in who visit the Santa Rosa Veterans fees and housing costs since the Claudia Aceves

Jeanine Flaton-Buckley/Oak Leaf

SRJC students can ride Sonoma County Transit bus for free starting Jan. 1.

recession, the program strives to put an additional $500 back into the students’ pockets, McGuire said.

The program includes Empire College and the University of San Francisco’s Santa Rosa branch, as well as other institutions that meet the requirements.

The program will cost the County general fund $311,000, and will be paid to Sonoma County Transit.

Half of the payment is for the current fiscal year ending in 2015, and the remaining half for the 20152016 fiscal year.

The board anticipated a 25 percent increase in ridership, and adjusted the costs to not exceed the budget. Any leftover money will remain in the general fund.

“As we all know, students struggle every month to survive financially, so now students won’t have to pay for passes,” McGuire said. “We hope it will be an economic benefit and students can invest in their education.”

The projected cost is an estimated $266,000 from students and $45,000

from veterans based on Sonoma County Transit’s current cash fares from college students.

SRJC student Frank Maleque, 22, was nonchalant about the idea of free transportation. “It’s OK,” he said. “I have the Super Pass, but I’ll probably take advantage of that.”

“I think it sounds like a great idea,” said Austin Cetrangolo, 19, who rides from Sonoma to SRJC, after hearing about the program for the first time. “It will definitely save me money,” he said.

On the other hand, Naomi Murphy, 18, was unsure about the program. “I have mixed emotions about it. I guess it affects me, but I know it could also affect the city,” she said. She feels that the money for the program could possibly go to something else, as she isn’t bothered by the $1.60 she pays to ride the bus from Rohnert Park to SRJC. “Our goal is to make sure every college student knows they can ride for free,” McGuire said. “We want as many students as possible to take advantage of the free rides.”

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News

October 27, 2014

ICC may secede from Associated Students Maci Martell

Contributing Writer Debate continued over the potential benefits and ramifications of an Inter-Club Council (ICC) secession from the Associated Student Senate at Santa Rosa Junior College during an Oct. 15 ICC meeting.

Club representatives first briefly discussed the topic of ICC secession at the previous meeting on Oct. 1, when the council considered all of the information presented by Vice President of Organizations Virginia Kerr. The council formed an ICC Secession Ad Hoc Committee and tabled the proposal because the matter would likely be an ongoing discussion throughout the majority of the semester.

When the discussion of secession arose at the next meeting, President of the SRJC Student Senate and representative of the Atheists and Skeptics Club, Joshua Pinaula, shot out of his chair to present his ICC secession proposal. Pinaula said that with secession, ICC would have full control over its codes, bylaws and power to vote for its own chair and executive officers.

Pinaula feels it’s important for ICC council members to have the power to vote for their chair, which is also the Senate Vice President

of Organizations. “This person than 60 clubs with the same level effectively carries out the ICC’s of funding.

To combat the lack of funds, provisions and acts as a liaison Pinaula established an ICC trust between the clubs and the student fund comprised of leftover money senate,” Pinaula said. from deactivated club accounts The current system calls for the last year.

While this trust fund was general public to vote for the VP a victory for ICC, the chair and of organizations, which may be council remain hesitant to use it detrimental because most students because it can’t be are unaware of replenished. what the ICC chair Currently, 100 really does. percent of the In the spring Pinaula feels it’s school’s parking 2014 semester, important for ICC pass revenue, someone who which has doubled had no prior council members to in the past year, knowledge of the have the power to goes to the SRJC i n n e r- w o r k i n g s vote for their chair. district police of the ICC and department. no affiliations In the past, part with any club of this revenue could potentially went to the student become the VP of senate, and Pinaula wishes to draft organizations. “I think we should a proposal to SRJC district police to require that our chair be a part of request parking revenue be equally a club,” Pinaula said. “The average person just doesn’t know what it’s divided among the student senate and ICC, therefore allocating like to be in a club.”

ICC gaining the power to enough funds for ICC to stand on represent its constituents through its own.

In addition to this proposal, voting is a big concern, yet one of Kerr and Pinaula are revising ICC’s greatest hindrances remains ICC code, which will become its funding. ICC currently receives the council’s constitution in the $4,000 annually out of the $200,000 event of secession.

During their the Student Senate receives. When research to form this secession, ICC was established, these funds Kerr and Pinaula combed through reflected the 20 or so clubs on the student senate constitution campus, yet now there are more

and ICC bylaws and found some discrepancies within the constitution.

The major inconsistency found is that ICC is supposed to be a separate body under the Sonoma County Junior College District Board of Trustees, yet remains under student senate control.

Kerr and Pinaula addressed this issue within the policy resolution, along with other resolutions that would benefit ICC and its clubs.

Both Pinaula and Kerr are determined to make this secession happen so ICC can be a recognized, independent body to represent the large portion of SRJC students in clubs. “As a senator, this is my number one goal,” Kerr said.

Danel Kong/Oak Leaf

AS Senate President Pinaula presented his ICC secession proposal Oct. 15.

Appeals

Continued from page 3...

complained, arbitrary transfers to other departments and intimidation by other district employees, Flatt said.

Josh Richards, one of the employees who were exposed to the graphic images, said the experience has been trying. He said his email was broken into at the department; someone printed confidential emails between Richards and his attorney and handed copies to various employees at the department, with a copy making its way to Chris Reynolds, the private investigator SRJC hired to investigate the allegations.

Richards said the department became a hostile environment after he filed the complaints. He felt he had to keep looking over his shoulder.

“People were going through stuff; they were going through our cubbies. We had to start locking stuff again,” Richards said.

He said the harassment validated his feelings of insecurity while working at the department.

Not only was the chief giving him trouble, but so were the sergeants and his coworkers.

Richards, who was hired by former interim Police Chief Joe Palla, said the differences between the morale under Palla and current chief Matt McCaffrey are like night and day.

Jeanine Flaton-Buckley /Oak Leaf

Wendy Wasik, attorney Gail Flatt, Vanessa Spaeth and Josh Richards address the Board at a closed session Oct. 14.

“With Joe Palla, everybody was united. Everybody was working together,” Richards said. “Now, there is a definite split. You have your good old boys, which apparently is just the sworn officers, and then you have the rest.”

Vanessa Spaeth, another employee who had filed an appeal to the board, has detailed what she described as harassment and intimidation at the hands of fellow District Police employees.

She said the owner of the flash

drive was verbally hostile to her and made what she felt were veiled threats against her.

Spaeth said, “We are willing to go all the way with this; we are not going to back down.” Spaeth said that she knows that the board has the ability to do the right thing, whether or not they will is another question.

The Human Resources Department sent Spaeth a letter on Sept. 19 ordering her to transfer to the kinesiology department to serve as an

administrative assistant, a move that would effectively prevent her from receiving raises and cost-ofliving increases. Spaeth’s attorney says that this is an arbitrary move violating the collective bargaining agreement between the district and the union that represents employees.

Now that the board has rejected the appeal of the three, they are able to appeal that decision to the State Chancellor’s office, a move Flatt said she is considering.

5

Petaluma faculty voice safety concerns JoshuOne Barnes News Editor Santa Rosa Junior College English Professor Johnny Sarraf told the SRJC Board of Trustees Oct. 14 that Petaluma campus safety concerns he raised earlier this year have not been adequately addressed.

As the Oak Leaf first reported in September, Petaluma campus faculty members are concerned for their safety due to the lack of police presence on campus during key hours of the academic day.

Sarraf recounted to the board an April incident in which a student, who had been barred from class, returned and acted aggressively and disruptively, invading the professor’s space. When the professor called District Police, it took 45 minutes for officers to arrive. By that time, the student had fled the classroom, and it wasn’t until days later that police arrested the student when he tried to return.

In the letter sent to Dr. Chong, Sarraf requested a full-time police presence on campus. Two dozen faculty members signed a petition attached to the letter in support of the plea.

SRJC District Police Chief Matt McCaffrey sent second-incommand Lt. Dave Willat to the Petaluma Campus from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

While addressing the Board, Sarraf said many of the faculty members were disappointed by the response. He mentioned the police presence on campus was limited to daytime hours and asked rhetorically if there were no other times the campus needed a police presence.

“Why are our campus police officers and police vehicles operating well off-campus in different parts of the city of Santa Rosa, where I, as well as other people, have seen them?” Sarraf asked. “Yet we don’t have enough resources to have a regular presence on the Petaluma campus.”

Sarraf said he’s disappointed and stunned that six months have passed since the disruptive student incident and there is still no fulltime police presence. During this time, other incidents have occurred that put faculty, staff and students’ safety in danger. “This is unacceptable,” Sarraf said.

Sarraf asked the Board how they will address the immediate need for police presence during operating hours, which he said was from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. “Only then can we really have the right to profess that safety is our number one priority,” he said.

Board President Jeff Kunde thanked Sarraf and told him that board members would take his statements under advisement and get back to him.

Several members of the Petaluma faculty attended the meeting to support Serraf.

6

A&E

October 27, 2014

Once Harry, now horny Jarrett Rodriguez

Managing Editor

Review

A fable of black comedy and horror, “Horns” manages to set itself apart from the usual Halloween films you see this time of year.

Based on a novel by Joe Hill, the son of legendary writer Stephen King, “Horns” tells the story of Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe), who is wrongly accused of murdering and raping his girlfriend by a town that has already deemed him a black sheep. When Ig wakes up with horns growing out his head, he begins to experiment with his newly acquired supernatural abilities that they give him in order to find the person who murdered his girlfriend.

Radcliffe comes out with a strong performance as Ig. He sets out to make a name for himself post-Harry Potter, and Ig is as anti-Potter as possible. As Ig learns about his powers, he turns towards the darkness, making people fight and punishing people for their sins. Watching him make reporters beat each other up for an interview with him is a standout scene, accompanied perfectly by Marilyn Manson’s “Personal Jesus.”

It’s good that Radcliffe shows strong acting skills because his love interest Merrin Williams (Juno Temple) does not fare as well. Temple comes off very cheesy and wooden in her love scenes with Radcliffe. The chemistry is just not believable. But without spoiling any plot twists, her more dramatic scenes are well-acted. The diner scene with Radcliffe is done so well it is hard not to feel the sting of it all.

The supporting cast of characters is decent, but there was no real standout performance outside of Radcliffe’s Ig. Lee, Ig’s best friend (Max Minghella), is solid in his performance, but does not steal the film. Watching the supporting cast confess their worst sins and ideas was funny and dark, from the mother who wants to leave her kid and run away to the guy who wants to flash everyone. When things take a darker turn, the movie breaks the tension with humor, and these confessions are really the source of the comedy.

Visually, the movie is stunning.

Ig’s transformation from human to devil is mixed with great special and practical effects. Watching the horns grow is fantastic on its own; throw in a lot of snakes and a pitchfork and you have the perfect example of the Devil himself. Also worth mentioning are the filming locations, which perfectly capture a seemingly quaint town with an underlying problem.

“Horns” is the surprise film of the year. Though it does have some problems, mostly campy dialogue and underacted performances, it is saved by a strong performance from Radcliffe, great visual effects for a low-budget film and a combination of dark and funny moments. If bigbudget horror films with lots of jump scares are not what you are looking for this Halloween, try “Horns” — it’s smart and stylish without overstaying its welcome.

www.theoakleafnews.com

All hail Dracula: king of monsters Sean Curzon

Staff Writer Few characters are as universally known as Dracula. He’s appeared in over 200 films, more than any other character with the exception of Sherlock Holmes. Dracula has fought Batman in DC comics, and sired vampire hunter Blade in Marvel comics. Dracula has been many things, the man-eating monster of the original novels, the suave creature in the Universal Studio’s films and even an antihero. In the last 100 years, Dracula has grown from a character in a horror novel to one of the biggest cultural icons of today.

The original novel, written by Bram Stoker, was published in 1897.

Popular belief is that Stoker based the character on vampire folklore and the life of Transylvanian warlord Vlad III Dracula, prince of Wallachia, also known as Vlad the Impaler, although scholars have been debating how much Stoker knew about Vlad for decades.

Vlad impaled his enemies on a long spear and drank their blood. It is easy to see the appeal of a real blood drinker in a story about vampires.

The novel is presented as a series of journal entries, not dissimilar from modern “found footage” movies. The Dracula from the novel is very different from who normally picture. He is not an eternally young seducer weak against sunlight and stake to the heart. He is ugly with a pointed mustachioed face, long claw like fingers and hairy palms.

In addition to his ability to transform into a bat, Dracula could turn into a rat,

Photo courtesy of projectdracula.com

The many faces of Dracula: the lord of vampires has been represented throughout many diffrent mediums over time.

a wolf and a dog. Sunlight did not kill him, but it did limit his abilities. While he could be charming if he wanted, this Dracula never bothered with seduction, choosing to attack his victims while they slept.

Dracula made his film debut in an unofficial adaption, “Nosferatu” (1922). Unable to get the rights to the novel, director F. W. Murnau renamed Dracula as Count Orlok. This film is notable for creating the trope of making sunlight deadly against vampires, which has been used in most other adaptions.

In 1931, Universal Studios made an official adaption directed by Tod Browning with Bela Lugosi in the

starring role. He created the now iconic image, a count with slicked back hair and a cape with a high collar.

Lugosi’s performance makes this film, particularly his unique accent and his glare. This Dracula would go on to be in numerous crossovers with other monsters like the Wolf Man and Frankenstein and even performers Abbot and Costello.

In 1992, famed director Francis Ford Coppola released his own version titled “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” Despite the name it isn’t very faithful to the book.

The acting is all over the place with Gary Oldman chewing the scenery like it’s beef jerky while other actors sleep

walk through their lines; Keanu Reeves looks particularly confused. It is truly an awful mess.

In 2014 “Dracula Untold” tells the story of how Dracula became a vampire starring Luke Evans as Dracula.

Intended as an attempt by Universal to create a monster universe in a similar vein as the Marvel Movieverse, the film is more action than horror and paints the Count as a moody antihero who becomes a vampire to save his country from invaders. It’s not as bad as one would think, but it is bland.

As his legacy grows, it is clear that Dracula is here to stay. Forget Godzilla - Dracula is the true king of monsters.

Saturday night’s all right (for stabbing) Arthur Gonzalez-Martin Staff Writer

Review

Made by Avalon Hill and now owned and published by Wizards of the Coast, “Betrayal at House on the Hill,” is a semi-cooperative horror strategy tabletop game where you and up to six of your friends go into an old house on an creepy hill on a Saturday night, just like Scooby-Doo trying solve a mystery. But there’s a

catch: one of the gang is a backstabber, sabotaging the case from the start.

You pick your character from your normal cast of horror archetypes from the cute, but still creepy, little girl to the old misguided scientist before setting their starting stats.

Speed is mainly used for how many spaces you can move in a turn, might is manly used for combat and the last two, sanity and knowledge, are for special events. Your team starts at the front door, which can’t be reopened until the haunt begins, and until then it’s just pure, randomly generated chaos.

You have access to explore an ever-growing three-leveled manor.

You can explore the ground floor or second floor from the start, but the basement is easy to get into and very hard to get back out of.

You can run into any number of rooms based on classic and modern horror tropes, and the random tile system generator brings some interesting and out-of-place combos, like a dining room that leads straight to the graveyard right behind the locked front door or an operating room only accessible through a room full of random junk and over a narrow stone bridge. As you’re going from room to room you’re collecting items, stat boosts from events and omens help with whatever the game

Jeanine Flaton-Buckley/Oak Leaf

Oak Leaf staff takes a stab at playing “Betrayal at House on the Hill” Oct. 17. Video this week on theoakleafnews.com!

throws at you next.

The haunt is the endgame, which starts when a player draws an omen card. Then the player has to roll a six-sided dice going from 0-2 to see if the haunt begins. If you roll above the number of omen cards in play, you continue playing as normal, but if you roll below, then that’s when the horror begins.

As the haunt begins, you and all your friends are now killable, so if your stats drop to the skull on your character card, you’re dead and out of the game. Normally worse fates await you besides death itself and the traitor is revealed depending on what triggers the haunt.

It could be as simple as one of your friends having a bad case of lycanthropy and needing 30mms of silver by revolver followed by a good old stabbing with a magic weapon of some kind to an elaborate “Saw”like trap involving a homemade bomb collar and the madman or woman hidden in your ranks. Or maybe you’ll just find something that messes with the fabric of reality itself, so there’s no traitor other than your own stupidity.

“Betrayal” is a well-rounded game that needs a minimum of three players. The room tiles are hard to shuffle and the sliders that come with the game keep sliding off the cards. You’ll need a big space to play in, as the table will fill up with tiles very quickly on some play-throughs.

I give it four screaming people on fire out of five.

www.theoakleafnews.com

A&E

October 27, 2014

7

“La Mission” speaks to the heart of SRJC students Devin Marshall A&E Editor

Review

Directed and written by Peter Bratt, the 2009 film “La Mission” made its way from the Sundance Film Festival to our very own Santa Rosa Junior College campus Oct. 14.

The film features the director’s brother Benjamin Bratt as a traditionally minded, religious, violent, macho Latino named Che, who is a mechanic, exconvict and father to a mildmannered and sympathetic boy named Jes (Jeremy Ray Valdez) living together in the Mission District of San Francisco.

However, there is a twist: Jes accidentally reveals that he is gay, and his father is not ready to cope with this discovery. This leads to heart-wrenching scenes between two opposing viewpoints that cannot understand each other.

Their calm, accepting and feminist New Age black neighbor Lena

Photo courtesy of Dr. Brian Phifer

Student ambassador Angel Torres meets Peter Bratt after screening.

Aries: Control and authority coexist as a facade. Think about everyone involved. You may feel underappreciated but there are ways to boost your self-worth without destroying your integrity.

serves as a liaison between the two and shows them a new way to come to terms with their differences.

“La Mission” artfully blends several themes together over its two-hour run time, including LGBT and biracial relationships and the friction between oldworld and modern values.

The film is a drama, but also humorous. The soundtrack ranges from traditional tribal pieces to more urban city beats, depending on the mood and scene.

Latino culture makes up a huge part of the aesthetic, including painted murals, folk dancing and even lowrider cars. In fact, Bratt said cult followings for the film have sprung up in Spain and Japan due to fans of lowrider culture and music. But there are still more examples of cultures from around the globe — Lena’s apartment has Tibetan prayer flags and a statue of the Hindu goddess Kali.

After the screening, there was a Q-and-A session. As a political science student in college, Bratt originally wished to be a teacher but decided to take a film class as his chance to relax. Instead they were expected to write a paper every week.

He was also taking a class that exposed him to Marxist and feminist points of view at the time.

“That opened up and expanded my view,” Bratt said. “After taking that course, I realized that my perceptions were shaped by what I saw on the big screen.”

And he wasn’t happy with what he saw. The characters on the screen did not match up to his reality. “I really just wanted to write about people I knew,” he said. He grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, when there were Chicano movements, Indian movements and Black Power movements.

“It became the excitement of not being ashamed of who you are,” Bratt said.

His inspiration for many of the characters in the film come from a mixture of relatives and

friends from his own past in the Mission District. In one scene, a bully from Jes’ school takes the bullying a step further and physically injures him. Bratt said this was a direct parallel to the experience of his relative, who is gay; his father had told him, “You’re dead to me” upon discovering his sexuality. But there is a silver lining in this parallel story, which you will see when you watch it on-screen.

Bratt’s respect for feminism shines through in “La Mission,” mainly through the character Lena. “In a lot of non-Western cultures, the regard and respect Photo courtesy of Sundance.org for the feminine was high,” the Conflict abounds for son Jess (left) and father Che (right) after the discovery. director said. “But that changed with colonization. We’ve lost a lot of the value of the story.”

Che, who represents the patriarchy, is used to navigating through life and getting his way with brute force, physical power and intimidation, but there is conflict when he runs into his next-door neighbor Lena. “He has to come into contact with this feminine force who has a whole different view of power,” Bratt said. Che is not used to this kind of confrontation, and eventually has to learn a new method of living.

Bratt elaborated on why he feels the need to share his art.

“The majority of storytellers are Anglo,” he said. “We’re not really participating in the story creation. The world needs a new story to live by.”

Student Ambassador Angel Torres was happy to help out with the “La Mission” film screening.

“It brings to memory some things that happened for me,” Torres said. “It relates to me.”

The movie can be somewhat cheesy in a few choice instances with its usage of “you-knowwhat-I’m-sayin” lingo and slang, but overall it is very genuine and heartfelt. If you have a chance to watch it, please do.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Lowriders and cityscapes make up much of the imagry found in “La Mission.”

Astrology

Capricorn: Certain circumstances are making you squirm. You feel like a wiggle worm.

Slide into a safe mound of dirt and think about what you are grateful for. It will calm your nerves.

-Haley Elizabeth Bollinger

Taurus: Clichés are corny Cancer: Celebrate, anticipate, Virgo: Why you got to be like but correct, and they keep life create and bake a cake. Swing from that? You don’t have to be like that. uncomplicated. Stop overanalyzing the chandelier this month. Life is a Love yourself. Be strong and good everything, unless you are working ball. You deserve a break. things will happen. on philosophy homework.

Scorpio: Life is not a cup of tea, it’s coffee spilt all over your pants, it’s beer, wine and romance, soda pop with a smile on your face, hot chocolate next to the fire place, water cupped in your hand from a river tame, and ateaspoon of rainbow after a cleansing rain.

Aquarius: Not knowing the answer is like not knowing the definition of a word. You must use your sources and look for it.

Confusion can be frustrating, but in the end you may have an answer you never knew.

Gemini:Utilize your gifts. Leo: Life is a contradiction. Read Some veer off the path and create some fiction. Escape into a story and bombs; others grow gardens and fill remind yourself of the fantasy that bellies. Build or destroy, it’s in our waits inside your imagination. nature. Which trail will you choose?

Sagittarius: Surprising yourself feels amazing, except if you left a science experiment in the backseat of your car. Don’t forget about the small things.

Pisces: A slice to the flesh can hurt like hell, but hell is a state of mind. Wounds heal with time or stitches. Be patient, the universe is not out to trap you.

Libra: Do you have a temperature? Have you traveled through a major airport or been to Africa lately? Others are suffering right now. Spread awareness, not fear.

Oak Leaf guide t The editorial board’s opinion of the candidates, O

Challenger Area 3/4/5 (Santa Rosa)

A

Dorothy Battenfeld

ne of the most important questions the Oak Leaf editorial board asked each candidate was to describe in their own words the issues students might have with Santa Rosa Junior College.

Dorothy Battenfeld expressed concern over obstacles that can keep students from success: a lack of access to classes, scholarships, counseling and childcare, along with transportation difficulties, finding affordable housing and language barriers.

Battenfeld has taught social science at Montgomery High School since 1987. This constant interaction with students has made her the candidate most in tune with students’ needs — proved by the most comprehensive and informed answer out of all the candidates interviewed.

Moreover, Battenfeld has pledged to keep the Board in better communication with the community at large, as she feels the current trustees have not always been in the best of contact with the colleges’ neighbors.

Speaking of the community at large, this race is distinctive for being in Area 3/4/5, meaning that instead of campaigning to represent one district, candidates must drum up support from all three. This essentially forces them to canvass three times the voters than candidates in the other areas. At the same time, there are no distinctions made as to how the members are distributed within the 3/4/5 boundaries; all three members could hypothetically live on the same block.

As the only challenger directly affected by this arrangement, Battenfeld believes that redistricting should be one of the Board’s priorities, as the current system does not allow voters proper representation.

Jordan Burns

lthough he is a new candidate for SRJC’s Board of Trustees, Jordan Burns is by no means a new face.

Burns graduated valedictorian from the college in 2009 before moving on to get his bachelor’s degree in political science from University of California, Berkeley.

During his time at SRJC, he also served as the Student Trustee member from 2008-2009. He’s had firsthand experience seeing how the board works and where it needs some help.

In particular, what interests our editorial board in Burns is his commitment to make the Board more accessible both to SRJC students and the community at large.

Burns believes the Board’s present methods of communication have been almost nonexistent. Adequate dialogue with the public will be especially necessary if the $410 million bond Measure H passes, and the community wants to know how its newly raised taxes have been spent.

Along with being “as open as possible” on a personal level, Burns wants to set the Board’s meetings at times more convenient for the public to provide input and ask questions of the Board.

In terms of student representation, Burns wants to see the student trustee share the full rights and responsibilities that the rest of the Board’s members have: a full vote, as opposed to the “non-binding advisory vote” the student trustee can currently give — one not included in determining the Board’s actions.

The Oak Leaf supports Jordan Burns for committing to a more open and accessible Board of Trustees, giving students a stronger role in SRJC’s governing body and bolstering SRJC’s financial oversight.

T

Incumbent Area 2 (South County)

Challenger Area 7 (West County)

Kathleen Doyle

he endorsement for Area 2 was a close call between candidates at all levels; in the overall vote by the Oak Leaf editorial board and the personal opinions of each member, both candidates had a strong skill set and a wealth of experience to offer.

However, every competition must have one winner, and in this case it came down to Kathleen Doyle.

Doyle is the only incumbent member of the Board of Trustees the Oak Leaf is endorsing. She proved herself as the most adaptable and open-minded of the presiding board members.

Of the issues the Oak Leaf has asked the candidates, student participation has been at the forefront, with special consideration to the student member of the Board of Trustees as the representative of student interests.

Doyle was the only candidate to provide reasons why student trustees can’t vote. Instead of the flat “No,” sans explanation that her fellow incumbents gave, or the more affirmative, if less certain, responses from every challenger, Doyle cited the California Education Code, which clearly states that the student member of a community college board cannot vote. While this isn’t the answer we’d like to hear, the members of the editorial board appreciated Doyle’s blunt delivery of the straight facts.

One thing Doyle said at the very end of the interview bothered us, however. She asked for students to come to the Board to express their concerns, but showed no explicit intention of going out into the student population herself.

The Oak Leaf challenges Doyle – and all members of the Board – to do just that: take initiative to engage with the students. Consider the administrative styles of our current president Dr. Frank Chong versus his predecessor Dr. Robert Agrella. Unlike Agrella, Dr. Chong is a regular sight around the campus grounds and makes appearances at many public gatherings. This open and immersive style of leadership is vital to maintaining strong bonds with the community the Board serves.

to endorsements propositions and measures on the Nov. 4 ballot Jared Huffman for California’s 2nd District P

reserving an environmentally and economically sustainable future is the political fight Congressman Jared Huffman (D) has fought and hopes to continue fighting. Before he represented California’s 2nd Congressional District, Huffman fought for gender equality and environmental protection as an attorney.

The 2nd District stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border and consists of Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties, and portions of Sonoma County. Huffman’s opponent is Dale Mensing (R).

After voters elected Huffman in 2012 with 71 percent of the vote, he served on the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Natural Resources.

Huffman said he thinks the two biggest issues our generation faces are global climate change and income inequality.

Our generation also faces increasing higher education costs. Huffman supports a number of reforms to lower and lock in student loan interest rates, increase grant aid, and provide student loan forgiveness – especially in areas where the economy is deficient, like primary care physicians and educators.

According to Huffman, California’s drought not only threatens water levels but environmental regulations as well. He said some people will try and use the drought, in combination with wildfires, to raid other districts’ water and rollback regulations. Regulations that protect rivers and prevent clear cutting and additional logging in our National forests could also be bypassed in response to the drought. Last summer Huffman fought to keep water in the Trinity River system and allow flows for fish. Huffman anticipates he will have to fight this fight year after year and he has no problem doing that.

Measure H

YES

Proposition 2

NO

Proposition 46

YES Proposition 47

YES Proposition 48

NO

Upgrading classroom technology, expanding career and technical programs and retrofitting older buildings up to current earthquake codes is essential for the students and the community, especially with half of Sonoma County high school graduates attending SRJC. The college must make changes to properly prepare students for today’s demanding workplace.

Measure A, which passed in 2002 with 70 percent support, helped build the Doyle Library, the Burdo Culinary Center, expanded the Petaluma campus, added more than 3,000 computers and made more changes to improve SRJC — but the money is running out.

The proposition will create a rainy day fund by requiring the state and individual school districts to hold budgetary savings of 10 percent. School boards will be forced to keep no more and no less than 10 percent, creating strict limits in a state where education funding has an awful track record. School funding is low across the board, and schools will not function any better at 90 percent funding. Opponents have also voiced concerns over Proposition 2 conflicting with Proposition 98’s minimum funding guarantees for schools. California schools already receive low funding; we don’t need to squeeze any more money from them.

The proposition will enforce drug and alcohol tests on doctors if any medical practitioner reports suspicious behavior, which means that a nurse can report it if a doctor seems under the influence. If the doctor fails the drug test, the California Medical Board will be required to suspend them. Health care practitioners will also be required to consult a drug prescription database before prescribing certain drugs to patients. Though Proposition 46 will raise the cap for medical lawsuits to more than $1 million and may raise healthcare costs for both consumers and malpractice insurance for doctors, it will reassure patients that they get the best treatment.

Reducing certain drug possession offenses from felony to misdemeanor will alleviate prison overcrowding and save county criminal justice systems several hundred million dollars annually. The proposition will also relieve the state of the cost of K-12 school dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment and victim services. In fact, supporters include California for Safe Neighborhoods and Schools and the Open Policy Center, a human rights non-profit group. Those who fear the release of an estimated 10,000 felons must keep in mind that Proposition 47 does not excuse those previously convicted of rape, murder or child molestation.

Allowing one Indian Tribe to build a casino off an Indian Reservation would open the floodgates and allow casinos to be built anywhere in California. While the casino has the ability to bring in money and tourists, the location of the planned casino is already surrounded by existing casinos — what’s the need for another? We support creating new jobs, but not at the cost of allowing California to become the new Nevada.

11

Sports

October 27, 2014

Scoreboard Football Oct. 18 SRJC-21 San Mateo-24 Oct. 25 SRJC-0 San Francisco-70 Men’s Soccer Oct. 9 SRJC-1 Marin-1 [T] Oct. 14 SRJC-7 Folsom Lake-0 Oct. 21 SRJC-1 Las Positas-1 [T] Oct. 24 SRJC-2 Consumnes River-1 Women’s Soccer Oct. 7 SRJC-3 ARC-1 Oct. 9 SRJC-3 Sacramento-0 Oct. 14 SRJC-0 Diablo Valley-1 Oct. 21 SRJC-2 Sierra-1 Oct. 24 SRJC-0 Consumnes River-1 Men’s Water Polo Oct. 8 SRJC-7 Diablo Valley-22 Oct. 15 SRJC-12 Modesto-13 Oct. 17 SRJC-2 Orange Coast-16 SRJC-3 Cuesta-15 Oct. 18 SRJC-4 Cabrillo-11 SRJC-8 Ohlone-10 Women’s Water Polo Oct. 7 SRJC-3 ARC-1 Oct. 9 SRJC-3 Sacramento-0 Oct. 14 SRJC-0 Diablo Valley-1 Oct. 21 SRJC-2 Sierra-1 Oct. 24 SRJC-0 Consumnes River-1 Volleyball Oct. 8 SRJC-2 Sierra-3 Oct. 10 SRJC-1 Diablo Valley-3 Oct. 15 SRJC-0 ARC-3 Oct. 17 SRJC-3 Consumnes River-0 Oct. 22 SRJC-3 Modesto-1 Oct. 24 SRJC-1 Sacramento-3 Oct. 25 SRJC-3 Butte-2 SRJC-0 Feather River-3 Wrestling Oct. 8 SRJC-19 Skyline-22 Oct. 11 Modesto Tournament 5th place Oct. 18 North Duals 6th place

www.theoakleafnews.com

Returning stars making an impact Robert Marshall Sports Editor

T

he Santa Rosa Junior College wrestling team has a brand new look with eight familiar faces and 20 new ones hitting the mat in 2014. Team co-captain sophomore Richard Morris and freshman Freddy Duerr, a former SRJC football player, are both recovering from injuries and looking to make their mark this year.

Morris, a Santa Rosa High School graduate, is returning to the team after two years off from athletics to concentrate on his mathematics major.

He began wrestling six years before coming to SRJC, where he has always wanted to be.

In 2011, Morris competed for the Bear Cubs, placing seventh in the State Championships.

“Morris is really strong for his weight and good at riding legs,” said Daniel Larman, a former wrestler for the team.

“He’s fast and knows what he is doing,” said Isai Guzman, who wrestled for the team last year. “He has a good chance of winning State.”

It hasn’t been an easy comeback for him this year, battling neck and knee injuries, but neither adversity has stopped him from becoming one of the best

wrestlers in the state once again.

With a 9-1 record, Morris sits fifth in California Community College Wrestling team and individual rankings.

Head coach Jake Fitzpatrick said Morris should be ready to go in the second half of the season. “As long as he is healthy, he should have a good finish,” Fitzpatrick said.

When Morris is not wrestling, you can find him outdoors, often fishing.

“It’s something that is both exciting and relaxing,” Morris said. “Every fishing trip is an adventure for me. It’s always nice to get out and explore.”

On the weekends he loves watching TV, mainly sports. The Oakland A’s and the Oakland Raiders are his favorite teams.

“He’s a good team captain,” said Duerr. “Every match, he gives it 100 percent.”

Morris is a family man, whose entire family drives him to pursue his dreams.

His father, who especially plays a big part in his life, keeps Morris going.

“He’s my support. I don’t know what I’d do without that guy,” he said.

After his final year on the SRJC team, he is set on transferring to Oregon State.

Another star on the wrestling team this year is Duerr, who

Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf

Richard Morris looks up, driving his Chabot College opponent to the mat Oct. 3 in the SRJC Tauzer Gymnasium.

SRJC Athlete Richard Morris

Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf

Freddie Duerr looks to escape from the bottom position against his Chabot opponent Oct. 3 in the SRJC Tauzer Gymnasium.

graduated from Montgomery High School in 2008. Duerr then made his way to SRJC, where he strapped on a helmet for the football team in 2009.

After one season playing for the Bear Cubs, Duerr transferred to San Francisco State University and graduated in three years, and is now working on his master’s degree in kinesiology.

Duerr came back to SRJC to join the wrestling team after graduating. He just couldn’t stay away, he said, because he loves sports, having been a studentathlete his whole life.

“Freddy is a fresh man for wrestling,” Guzman said. “He’s strong and a good wrestler.”

Like Morris, Duerr has had some minor setbacks. Earlier this season he sprained his knee, which affected his conditioning and led to a slow season start with only six matches under his belt, while his teammates have competed in 15-18 matches.

Even though Duerr is behind this year, Fitzpatrick is confident in his skills. “He has great ability, a great background from his high school wrestling days and I think he’s going to do pretty well here when it comes to the end of the season,” he said.

Jock Talk

What are your plans Thriller or Monster Favorite scary movie? for Halloween?

Mash?

Duerr credits his brother for getting him into wrestling at a young age, saying that wrestling is his true calling.

“Wrestling has been a part of my life since I was a little kid,” Duerr said.

Duerr is currently studying online through Fresno Pacific University for his master’s degree. He he wants to teach at SRJC or another institution that will hire him.

During free time, Duerr loves to relax, eat, exercise, work out, ride dirt bikes and snowboard.

“Snowboarding is my winter activity to relax with friends,” Duerr said.

Currently Duerr has won an honorable mention in the 197-pound class for the CACC rankings in the state of California.

Both Morris and Duerr have brought new energy on the 2014 team, despite the fact that many of the wrestlers from last year are either redshirting or have moved on.

The Bear Cubs’ next wrestling meet will be at 9 a.m. Nov. 1 at the Lassen Invitational in Reno.

Favorite villain?

Will the Giants win the World Series?

Taking first at a wrestling tournament.

Thriller.

“The Conjuring.”

The Joker.

No, I’m an A’s fan.

At a wrestling tournament.

Thriller.

Freddy Kruger.

Bane.

Definitely.

Tournament in Reno.

Thriller.

Chucky, it gives me nightmares.

The Joker.

Yea, hopefully.

Tournament in Reno.

Monster Mash.

“Rear Window.”

The Joker.

Yes.

–Wrestling

Bret

Clima

– Wrestling

Freddy Duerr

– Wrestling

Jake

Fitzpatrick – Wrestling

www.theoakleafnews.com

Sports

Hope after injury: Ben Steinberg Staff Writer

V

ai Taito has been on a roller coaster ride ever since he put on a football helmet for the first time when he was 6 years old.

After moving from Oakland to Rohnert Park, Taito would go on to star in both football and basketball at local powerhouse Rancho Cotati High School in Rohnert Park.

Taito received scholarship offers after high school from several renowned universities, including San Diego State.

His best option, he thought, was to stay home, attend Santa Rosa Junior College and try to improve the list of schools offering him scholarships.

Then in the summer of 2012, during his first semester, Taito tweaked his knee during practice. A check-up revealed a torn MCL and meniscus. Instead of sitting out games and playing a shortened first year, he opted to be a grayshirt for the season and sat out the year.

Never losing doubt in their son, Taito’s mother and stepfather helped him stay positive during

rehab from the tear.

“Being injured was not part of the plan, but it just made me realize how much I loved the game and wanted to get back out there,” he said. Thankfully my parents were there for me to make sure I could get back 100 percent.”

Taito never had any knee or ligament issues prior to 2012 when he donned his grey shirt.

The injury was just a minor setback and ultimately the setup for a major comeback.

He burst onto the scene in 2013, by leading the Bear Cubs in interceptions and showing the ball-hawking ability he had showcased before the injury.

“Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time. If you follow the game plan, you will be put in situations where talent can be shown. I am out there to make plays and help my team win,” Taito said.

Following his great freshman season, Taito has stepped up his level of play and leads the Bear Cubs in tackles (54) and is second in sacks (4).

Not only is Taito making plays on the field, the Bear Cubs’ linebacker leads by example off the field, majoring in criminal law while holding a job at FedEx.

October 27, 2014

12

Vai Taito bounces back from a terrible injury and plays with all he’s got

Vai Taito wraps up and stops the College of San Mateo running back Oct. 18 at CSM in San Mateo.

“The JC has been a great place for me,” Taito said. “I was out on my own for the first time, and it made me grow up and have to make better decisions. Balancing life, football and school can be a struggle at times, and it makes you really appreciate the little

things while being at home.”

Under the guidance of coach Lenny Wagner, Taito has seen his game evolve since his days at Rancho Cotati.

“I am a complete player as can be. I can play in coverage, I can get dirty in the trenches and I

Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf

can rush the passer. Coach has pushed me to become the best I can be, ” Taito said. “These guys on this team have become brothers and we go to war with each other each and every game and practice. I wouldn’t change my journey for anything.”

Annie Studder t overc ome s adversity Brennan Cole

she spends the day slouched on the couch, she suffers from fatigue and chronic headaches.

Staff Writer “It’s a blessing and a curse,” Studdert n Sept. 12, 2009, the alwaysexuberant Annie Studdert, said. Studdert’s perseverance weathered then a high school sophomore, slept the storm of recovery, pushing her through the entire day. Little did she through high school athletics while know this was the dawning of an also maintaining her spot on the honor extraordinarily adverse five years. roll.

Studdert took her symptoms to After the University of Clemson her local doctor’s in South Carolina office where she recruited Studdert to was diagnosed with play soccer, she spent “Annie is a smart, the flu. After eight her freshman year passionate person days the symptoms thousands of miles who I think will find from home. persisted, and she was the best fit for her admitted to Sonoma “The first half of Valley Hospital, the year was fun,” after the season.” which transferred Studdert said. “I Studdert to Oakland was carrying out my - Tracy Hamm Children’s Hospital. dream of playing After numerous soccer at an elite medical tests over university, but when an 11-day period, OCH discharged soccer season ended I didn’t really have Studdert with viral meningitis. much to do.”

The typical recovery time for viral SRJC women’s soccer coach Tracy meningitis ranges from four to Hamm said, “It’s difficult as a teenager six weeks and requires little to no to know what you want in a school, so, physical activity. often, a student athlete’s first school At the culmination of the six weeks, of choice does not turn out to be Studdert slowly eased back into sports what they thought. Annie is a smart, activities, but the symptoms persisted. passionate person who I think will find It wasn’t until February 2010, six the best fit for her after this season.” months after her initial misdiagnosis, After completing her freshman when the Studdert family decided to year, she decided to take her talents to visit the world-renowned Mayo Clinic Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where her in Minnesota where they learned she tough luck continued. Nagging ankle had developed a dysfunction in her injuries prompted her to take a redshirt autonomic nerve network. year, and the lack of physical activity Now, five years later, she relies on coincided with harsher symptoms multiple medications to maintain from her autonomic dysfunction. comfort throughout her day. When Then, on a cold winter evening she’s physically active the condition in 2013 Studdert was the victim of a doesn’t affect her much, but whenever random assault while walking home.

O

She was punched numerous times and suffered a concussion that aggravated her condition.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t even get out of bed. I had lost all motivation and was at a crossroads in life,” Studdert said.

Her grades began to fall with her spirits.

Rather than attempt to transfer to yet another four-year university, Studdert returned home and enrolled at SRJC this fall, but wasn’t academically eligible to play soccer until early October.

“It’s been a really good year so far. I have been pleasantly surprised to see how much better the SRJC’s athletic trainers are than the ones at Cal Poly,” she said. “Not to mention, Tracy [Hamm] is the best coach I have ever had.”

Studdert has excelled as an attacking midfielder. She will soon join select company as a two-sport college athlete when she suits up for the women’s basketball team this winter.

“I’ve always known how sports can serve as an outlet for those who struggle with adversity, but the JC has given me a unique firsthand account of how impactful sports really can be,” Studdert said. “This is the first time since club soccer that I legitimately felt connected as a family with all of my teammates, both soccer and basketball.”

“Annie is very positive and knows what it takes to compete at a high level. She has a great energy about her,” Hamm said.

After this school year Studdert plans to transfer, for the fourth time, to a Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf four-year university where she hopes to Annie Studdert traps the ball before resuming her attack downfield against continue playing soccer or basketball. Cosumnes River College Oct. 24 at Sypher Field in Santa Rosa.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Sports

October 27, 2014

Polar Bears claw their way through the weekend’s battles Joseph Barkoff Sports Photo Editor The Polar Bears took the ice Oct. 24 and 25, soundly defeating both opponents, UC Davis and Cal Lutheran University, including a shutout against CLU. League rival UC Davis came to skate Oct. 24 and gave the Polar Bears a run for their money scoring first, after 11 minutes into the first period. The Bear Cubs would not answer back until 15 minutes later in the second period when Chris Whitten put the puck on net with an assist from Brandon Bronze.

Four minutes later Davis would inch ahead 2-1 with a goal by Lucas Digati and take the lead into the third.

“We kind of slept walked a little bit through the first two periods.

Then we decided to actually get involved and mentally check ourselves into the game and came out firing in the third, got that lead and never looked back,” said head coach Mike Kovanis.

At 13:54 in the third period Polar Bear Matt Katicich put the puck on net evening the score 2-2.

Eleven seconds later Blake Johnson scored the go-ahead and followed 20 seconds later with another goal,.

Defenseman Chris Whitten gave the JC some insurance and final goal of the game with the final score ending with JC 4 - Davis 2.

The following evening the Polar Bears would enjoy a shutout performance and stellar special teams taking the ice against the visiting Cal Lutheran University.

“We had contributions from all over the lineup and the biggest

thing for us was our goalie Dominic Jones played lights out hockey, stood on his head and made all kinds of saves,” Kovanis said. “Whether easy or very difficult when we put him in a bad situation, he came through with the saves.”

Kovanis cited the excellent special teams the Polar Bears are able to put on the ice this season. Both powerplay and penalty kill lines have a lot of players that can contribute to the role of blocking shots and being in the right spots.

“Anytime you get a shutout against a strong opponent it feels good,” Kovanis said.

“My team helped me out on that and I can’t say that’s just on me,” said Jones about his shutout. “There were some shots that I was a little iffy on but I managed to get in front of them.”

The game included 23 penalties Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf committed by both teams, two Chris Whitten drives the puck through the neutral zone into UC Davis’s 10-minute misconducts and two defensive zone creating a Polar Bear scoring opportunity Oct. 24. five-minute game misconducts. The Polar Bears committed 13 penalties that created situations resulting in the JC skating with only three players versus five CLU. Jones ended the night against CLU with 24 saves on 24 shots on goal.

Six different goal scorers found the back of CLU’s net: Andrew Mason, Chris Whitten, Sam Davis, Josiah Nikkel, Joshua Greenwell and Matt Katicich.

The Polar Bears face off against Stanford University for the second time this season at 8:30 p.m. on Halloween Oct. 31 on Snoopy’s Home Ice. Admission is always free, but bring a jacket and get there early Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf to find a parking spot.

Net minder Dominic Jones smothers the puck in his crease denying Cal Lutheran University any goals in the shut-out victory Oct. 25.

Bear Cubs impress on marathon weekend Nikko Edwards

Staff Writer The Bear Cubs volleyball team is back on track after an impressive showing the past week, winning three of four games Oct. 22, 24 and 25.

Opening the season 7-3, the

Bear Cubs faltered a bit, and lost four consecutive conference games.

Following the rough patch, they looked to bounce back in preparation for the upcoming home stand.

The Bear Cubs started the week with a win against Modesto College Oct. 22. Head coach Kaitlin Ferguson

Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf

Angelica Chesley sends a kill over the net at Sacramento City College Oct. 24 in Haehl Pavilion Santa Rosa.

sees Modesto as a force that could help propel the Bear Cubs forward for the rest of the year.

“I was really happy with our win,” Ferguson said. “It was a really big win for us, especially because we were mentally tough, and skill-wise.”

In one of the four sets played against Modesto, the Bear Cubs recovered from deficits of 11-17 and 20-24, winning the set 28-26.

“That was really huge for our confidence, and our ability to push through,” Ferguson said.

In the first game of the weekend, the Bear Cubs faced Sacramento City College Oct. 24, another tough conference opponent.

The Bear Cubs were unfazed by their competition, taking command of the first game with relative ease. They took the first set, 25-18, then lost the second set 25-27. From the beginning of the third set, the Bear Cubs were in complete control.

They took the third set by a resounding 25-11 score, coasting to their third consecutive win of the match defeating SCC in the fourth set 25-20.

On Oct. 25, the Bear Cubs competed in a doubleheader. In the first game, SRJC faced conference rival Butte College.

Prior to Saturday, the Bear Cubs dominated their past three matches against Butte. None of the matches went beyond four sets, and the team was feeling confident. They opened the

match with a 25-13 set win but lost the second set 16-25.

The back and forth action continued, as SRJC and Butte split the third and fourth sets of the match. For the first time in their five past meetings, the Bear Cubs faced a definitive fifth set.

The fifth set was a grind. The two teams traded points the whole set, bringing the game to a 14-14 tie.

Bearing down, SRJC took the next two points, and their fourth consecutive match against Butte.

“I’m just seeing a lot more volleyball IQ things happening within each rally.

It’s not necessarily who’s getting the big kill, it’s knowing the communication that needs to happen, and the various skills that they need to get done,” Ferguson said.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bear Cubs faltered and Feather River College defeated SRJC in three sets.

Despite the loss dampening the strong play from the previous days, the Bear Cubs are now in position to make a playoff run.

Five games remain, with only two on the road. Ferguson and the Bear Cubs are looking forward to the home stand to conclude their season.

“Its really great to be home, and have the energy of the home court.

It’s a different feel being at home,” Ferguson said.

The next game is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 against Delta College in SRJC’s Haehl Pavilion.

13

Bear Cubs fall short Sal Gebre

Staff writer The Bear Cubs women’s soccer team came up short in a 1-0 loss at home against Consumnes River College Oct. 24.

CRC managed to put one away early during the 17th minute. Bear Cubs’ center defender Chelsea Frostick cleared the ball wide where Kelsey Jantzen of CRC recovered the ball, dribbled towards the end line, and crossed the ball into the box. CRC’s forward Marissa Lopez chested the ball in for the goal, making it 1-0 CRC. Sophmore Samie Acevedo played a through ball towards the left side for Annie Studdert, who then got clipped from behind by a CRC defender.

Midfielder Taylor Halstenson then took the free kick, placing the ball into the box where Studdert connected with her head, leading the ball to sail over for a CRC goalkick.

Twenty-one minutes in, midfielder Kayleen Belda brought the ball up from the half line, dribbling through a couple players. Belda, having an open window 20 yards out, took a shot on goal, and barely missed.

Seven minutes later the Bear Cubs had another look on target when forward Alissa Hickling laid the ball off for Natalia Picano. Wasting no time, Picano hit the ball on her first touch for a shot but the Hawk’s goalkeeper flicked the ball, but it went over the crossbar for a Bear Cub corner.

“It was disappointing,” Picano said.

“We are capable of so much more. The only way to succeed is to work as a team, and there was a lot of individual work against Consumnes.”

Picano also said that the Bear Cubs need to play consistency and have a better atttide on field.

In minute 43 CRC broke away, played a negative ball into the box, and took a wide open shot but Bear Cubs’ keeper Morgan Jernigan made a huge save. At the end of the half, it was still 1-0 CRC. A couple minutes into the second half, another Bear Cubs’ opportunity arose when freshman Mali Herrera won the ball from a CRC defender, and dribbled forward to commit another defender before passing the ball to forward Julia Lambert. Lambert took a touch forward then passed the ball back to Herrera, who made a diagonal run. Herrera received the ball, then took a touch, and a shot, but the ball missed the target traveling far left.

Both teams had multiple opportunities to score but couldn’t find the back of the net.

SRJC came off a huge 2-1 away win against Sierra College Oct. 21, but had a hard time bringing that same intensity against CRC. The Bear Cubs agreed that a lot of individual efforts were put forth opposed to a collective team effort, allowing technical mistakes to be a huge factor in the game.

The Bear Cubs regrouped after the game, and discussed what went wrong and what needs to be done going forward.

“Focusing on fundamentals and things we can control,” said head coach Tracy Hamm.

The Bear Cubs will be back in action at 1 p.m. Oct. 28 against Delta College in Stockton.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Opinion

October 27, 2014

14

EDITORIAL R

epresentation in government: it’s the foundation of the United States of America, it’s the principal core of democracy – and for Santa Rosa Junior College students, it’s sorely lacking at the Board of Trustees level.

Of the eight members of the SRJC Board of Trustees, only one is a student.

Only this student trustee is denied the full privileges granted to the rest of the Board, which has historically consisted of affluent, retired, older white males. While no one can deny that these people have the best interests of SRJC at heart, it’s impossible to argue that this narrow band can be called “representative” of the ever-shifting demographics of the school’s student population.

So why doesn’t the students’ representative – elected of the students, by the students, for the students – get to have any influence over Board policy?

The root of the issue lies within the laws regulating community colleges. California Education Code section 72023.5 simultaneously establishes the position of the student trustee and immediately limits its power by not granting the station any voting rights.

It’s difficult to produce change without a voice; it’s also difficult to challenge state law. Although it’s already denied the most effective tool for change, the Ed Code does make provisions for student trustees to be a fully-informed and advisory member at the Board’s discretion: first, by

International Communiqué:

An interview with Hee Rae Chang Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec Staff Writer

allowing them to give an advisory vote and to make and second motions; and second, permitting them to sit in on closed session meetings, excluding those involving personnel issues or collective bargaining agreements.

SRJC’s Board of Trustees has repeatedly refused to yield these two opportunities to its student trustee, and in doing so renders the position completely valueless.

Certain parties may wish to jump in to remind us that the SRJC Board does, in fact, give an advisory vote to its student trustee. However, these parties may neglect to mention that the Board only accepts this socalled “advisory” vote after the rest of the trustees have already voted.

Advice after the fact is worthless; this isn’t a difficult concept to grasp, but it’s remained SRJC policy for decades. Similarly, the power to make and second motions, while

not as powerful as a full vote, still lets students influence the Board overseeing their school.

While the Board of Trustees has been opposed to conferring these basic powers, it has been outright hostile about allowing the student trustee into any closed session.

Twenty-year veteran trustee Don Zumwalt told the Oak Leaf, “There’s a lot of stuff you gotta keep to yourself.”

This cards-held-close-to-the-chest attitude most certainly applies to internal personnel matters or unionrelated bargaining issues. But not every closed session consists of those two subjects – topics of discourse legally allowed also include conferring honorary degrees, considering anonymous donations, receiving legal counsel and discussing public security threats.

In interviews the Oak Leaf conducted with the Board of

Trustees candidates, the consensus among the incumbents was that the student trustee position should remain in its inconsequential role because the student does not have the capability to handle these issues.

This mindset is insulting to the person of the student trustee, who is just as concerned with taking care of SRJC as any other member – if not more so, because as a student, he or she is the only Board member directly affected by Board’s policies.

Regardless of which candidates take seats on the Board after Nov. 4, the Board of Trustees must rework its attitude and empower its student member with access to the appropriate closed sessions, the ability to make and second motions and an actual advisory vote. SRJC students deserve more than having their representative’s voice heard only as an afterthought.

faux pas, but the moment someone the fun they were having that they pulled out a phone to snap a selfie, forgot to actually have any.

I wanted to strangle them.

My anger peaked during the I’m not anti-smartphone; I love Muse show. all the time-wasting, productivityA little background: Muse has killing features that they provide been my favorite band since eighth me with. I’m guilty of Snapchatting grade. I was determined to make it my friends during class and to the front row for its set, so I went downloading stupid apps when to the stage hours ahead of time, I’m procrastinating. I just don’t slowly making my way forward understand why people would during the performances leading up spend more than $400 on a festival to Muse. When Muse finally came ticket, then waste on, I was exhausted, the whole weekend dehydrated and with their noses alight with buried in their excitement.

I could handle any phones.

During “Knights other normal concert Right in front of of Cydonia,” one of faux pas, but the them, an amazing my favorite songs, moment someone concert is going pulled out a phone to a girl shoved her on, but they snap a selfie, I wanted way in front of me, prefer to watch it posed for a selfie in to strangle them. from behind their front of the band, phone’s camera. then proceeded to It wasn’t only check her email for during shows that everyone pulled the rest of the set while standing out their phones: everywhere I right in front of me. walked, I saw people posing for Let me repeat that: during one pictures. I understand the appeal of the most amazing, intense, of taking lots of photos to make glorious musical sets of my life memories of good times, but will and the entire festival, this girl was 400 blurry pictures of someone deeply absorbed in the fascinating staring drunkenly into the camera contents of her spam folder. My at different areas of the festival friends had to hold me back from evoke a storm of nostalgia? It attacking her. seemed like a lot of people were A poll on debate.org asked only concerned with impressing whether or not cell phones should the people who weren’t able to be banned during concerts; of the make it to the festival. They were people who replied, 81 percent so focused on bragging about all said yes. However, according to

a T-Mobile study, 53 percent of respondents used their phones as cameras during a concert, 47 percent used them to text and 32 percent updated social media accounts. In theory, many people seem to agree that cell phones should be put away during a concert, but when it comes to putting that idea into practice, many fail to leave their phones in their pockets. Is there an inherent need to always have one eye constantly on their screens that drives people to do this?

Not only is this obsession with phones idiotic, it’s disrespectful.

Yes, everyone paid for this concert, so theoretically they should be able to do whatever they want. I wish people would realize that the musicians they paid to see are also people, who are getting on a stage in front of thousands and seeing only phone screens flashing back at them. They deserve to have their audience give them their fullest attention.

Jeff Magnum, lead singer of Neutral Milk Hotel, was my hero that weekend. Stopping in the middle of his set, he got on the microphone and pleaded with the audience to put their phones away, to watch and enjoy the music without relying on their cameras.

Though they were reluctant, people complied - and you know what?

That may have been the greatest part of the festival.

Shut off the smartphone – it’s showtime Kelsey Matzen

C

Staff Writer

oachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an epic three-day concert that takes place in the sweltering desert of Indio, California. After saving up months of paychecks and resisting the urge to buy anything at all, I was lucky enough to attend the second weekend, Apr. 18-20.

Three days of 100-degree weather, hour-long waits for a shower, horrifyingly gross portapotties, perpetually drunk people and waking up at 6 a.m. unable to sleep through the suffocating heat.

Despite all this, I absolutely loved it.

During those three days, I was immersed in music. I experienced some of my favorite live acts. I discovered new artists who are now a part of my everyday playlist.

I indulged in some of my guilty pleasure musicians. I bemoaned the acts that I wasn’t able to make it to. It was the most amazing, joyous experience I’ve ever had and worth every cent of the exorbitant amount I spent on it.

It would have been a perfect weekend if I could have spent it alone; unfortunately, about 89,999 other people attended it - 89,999 people with 89,999 cell phones.

It’s not the people themselves that I had a problem with, but those damn smartphones. I could handle any other normal concert

Anne-Elisabeth: Where do you come from?

Hee Rae: I come from South Korea.

I am 21 years old. I am living with my cousin (also an SRJC Student) and my auntie in Santa Rosa. They recommended me this college.

AE: What do you study at the Santa Rosa Junior College and why did you choose to study in this country?

HR: I am taking ESL, art history, anthropology and history classes.

Coming here represents a good opportunity for getting a job. Having studied abroad is an advantage to get a good job in my country.

After my four years of study here, I would like to get a job in my country or in the U.S. My major is graphic design and I am interested in making films.

AE: What’s your feeling about life here?

HR: I feel comfortable here because American people are smiling, not hurried. Here people are so relaxed!

In South Korea, we always live in a very competitive system; we are focused on work. We must work hard to be the best. In Korea, I must study each day until 11 p.m. I have no time to travel.

Here I very much enjoy the free time. I’ve already traveled to Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles where there is a Korean neighborhood.

AE: Did you make friends in America?

HR: It’s hard to make American friends. One of the reasons is probably because I spend time with and I want to get help from my Korean friends.

Another reason is I find it difficult to speak with people in a class of 200. It would be easier in a small class. But I get help from American students in the library. They regularly help me with my essays and to speak English.

AE: When you will go back to your country, what do you think you will miss the most from here?

HR: The fact that here people don’t really care about what you do, what you look like or how much money you earn.

H

ear Faith’s take on eating from a French perspective in our online portion of “International Communiqué” @ theoakleafnews.com in the Opinion section.

15

October 27, 2014

Features

www.theoakleafnews.com

Costumes aren’t only for Halloween

Santa Rosa Junior College stuent Samuel Adams (center) and two friends pose while cosplaying as characters from the popular anime series “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.”

their free time creating costumes and attending conventions.

Wyckoff said the environment Staff Writer is always welcoming. “I’ve met The first time Santa Rosa Junior some of my best friends in the College student Bridget Wyckoff cosplay community,” she said. dressed up as the character Poison “The people are friendly, loving, Ivy at a convention the experience talented and fun to be around.”

Wyckoff takes great pride gave her a much needed self-esin making all of her own costeem boost and helped her break tumes by hand, which includes out of her shell.

Kim Possible, Miranda from the “Cosplay makes me feel beautimovie “Brave” and a couple of ful, it helps me have fun and it’s the different X-Men. best thing in the world,” she said.

“I’ve finished certain costumes “I love myself when I cosplay.” in under six hours, [and] I have Cosplayers are people who some costumes that I started one enjoy dressing up as their faor two years ago and still haven’t vorite fictional characters from finished, ” she said. pop culture.

SRJC student Samuel Adams, Some costumes are made with 18, started attending convenpieces found at thrift stores or tions in 2007 and around the house, loved the cool coswhile others tumes he saw. “I are handcrafted just started making works that recostumes one day,” quire hundreds “Who doesn’t like to play Adams said. of dollars and dress-up? I think it’s fun to His most resometimes just as pretend you’re something cent costume of many hours. the character Sora Wyckoff, 18, else for a little while and from the anime was instantly atit’s very lighthearted.”

“No Game No tracted to coCary Escovedo, Life” was the easisplay because it est to make becombines her inSRJC alumnus cause it consists terests in anime of simple clothing, and theater. he said.

“I’ve always Although Adloved being in ams has never spent more than theater, so it was another way for $200 on a costume, his average me to express my love of costumis usually around $100 because ing and channeling a character,” even the simplest of costumes she said.

Cosplay has recently gained can become expensive.

“I spent over $100 for [Sora’s mainstream popularity due to costume], and his is just a t-shirt, large Facebook communities and jeans, a shirt and a wig,” he said. social media and reality TV shows Throughout his years of colike “Heroes of Cosplay” that folsplaying, Adams has found that low cosplayers as they prepare for some people make amazing cosevents. tumes that look more expensive This hobby is also widespread than they actually are. among SRJC students who spend Estefany Gonzalez

“I have a friend who made Wu Kong from “League of Legends” for only $40,” he said.

For Adams, the most exciting thing about cosplay is making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. He said it’s easy to start conversations with other cosplayers and make friends at conventions.

He did, however, dislike how shows like “Heroes of Cosplay” dramatize what conventions are actually like, by bashing a heavyset woman who dressed up as Super Woman.

“I hate hearing people say I can’t cosplay this character because I’m not thin enough, I’m not bulky enough,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. Cosplay is supposed to be open and free.

You’re supposed to do what you want with cosplay characters that you enjoy and have a connection with.”

SRJC alumnus Cary Escovedo, 24, has attended anime conventions since he turned 16.

Although Escovedo doesn’t consider himself a serious cosplayer, he enjoys going to Fanime Con in San Jose once a year.

“The cosplay that I do is not very elaborate, but I definitely dress up every single year,” he said.

The first few years Escovedo attended the convention he shared a hotel room with seven other people and didn’t dress up. He was inspired by the costumes he saw because they looked like fun.

“Who doesn’t like to play dress-up?” he asked. “I think it’s fun to pretend you’re something else for a little while and it’s very lighthearted.”

He said he enjoys attending Fanime Con also because he can see friends with the same interests.

SRJC alumnus Kyle Rader, 25,

started to cosplay in 2009 and has since learned to sew to create his own costumes.

“I had to be creative to find real world objects that could become the ones I saw in the anime,” he said.

Rader is the founding president of the SRJC Anime Club.

His characters tend to be from anime, and he said he likes to choose obscure characters instead of popular, overused ones.

He first started attending conventions because he had a lot of friends who cosplayed. “Cosplay for me felt like an extension to the experience of attending conventions, be it an-

Photo courtesy of Samuel Adams

ime, gaming or Comic-Cons,” he said. “So I felt if I wanted to go to a con, I had to cosplay.”

Rader said he enjoys the long list of activities the conventions offer. “There is so much you can do, but my biggest draw is just hanging out with people and walking around in cosplay,” he said. “I’m a sucker for posing in my outfits for photos.”

Though cosplay may not be for everyone, this hobby provides students with a quick escape from reality and an opportunity to meet new friends.

Photo courtesy of /Oak Leaf

Bridget Wyckoff poses while cosplaying as Batman villain Poison Ivy.

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