Spring 15, Issue 4

American Nights review Page 10

WWW.THEOAKLEAFNEWS.COM Issue 4, Vol. CXXXIII, March 9, 2015

Women’s history month From a small town, to the nation, to the world Estefany Gonzalez, Jarrett Rodriguez, Domanique Crawford Features Editor, Editor-in-chief, Opinion Editor.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Women’s History Month. The 2015 theme celebrates the ways women’s history has become woven into the fabric of our national story.

“Women’s history is women’s right,” proclaimed Dr. Gerda Lerner (19202013), historian, author and professor, who created the first program to offer a graduate degree in women’s history at Sarah Lawrence College, where the movement to create Women’s National History Month mobilized.

Discouraged by the lack of recognition of women throughout history, Lerner, chair of the Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College at the time, held a 15 day conference cosponsored by the Women’s Action Alliance and the Smithsonian Institute. National representatives from 43 women’s organizations attended the conference, w h i c h highlighted women’s roles throughout history and built a curriculum concentrating on those exploits.

Amongst the

Classroom Etiquette From Chatty Cathy to Texting Tom, these classmates need a 101 lesson on classroom etiquette.

Continued on page OPINION, Page105

courtesy of Sheshistory.com

Molly MacGregor and the women of the National Women’s History Project joing the first parade for the celebration of Women’s History Week in Sonoma County in 1979.

attendees was the National Women’s History Project (NWHP). In 1980 Molly Murphy MacGregor, Mary Ruthsdotter, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett and Bette Morgan founded NWHP in Santa Rosa. NWHP’s goal at the conference was to spread the success of the Sonoma County’s first women’s history week to a national platform and encourage all of the other organizations to do the same in their communities.

MacGregor was a teacher at the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Petaluma Campus when she discovered something disturbing in the school library.

“Women in my class discovered that there were five or six books, at the most, on women in the school library,” she said. Most books had not been checked out in five to 15 years. She went to the administrative bodies of the Sonoma County schools a n d petitioned to institute a women’s history week on the school calendar, seeing the need for women to be recognized.

“If we had a specific week, it would give focus to women and women’s history and it would also give motivation and encouragement to talk about women,”

MacGregor said.

MacGregor and the other women in the NWHP chose the week of March 8 because nothing else was going on that week and they wanted it to be as inclusive as possible. “We were including all women of all cultures; women who work inside the home, women who work outside the home, women’s history was about all women,” MacGregor said.

In 1978 and 1979, Sonoma County celebrated the first Women’s History Week.

In 1979, MacGregor took the idea to a women’s history conference, where prestigious women gathered from all over. It was here that MacGregor asked all those women to bring the idea of Women’s History Week home to their schools and communities, so they could push the idea to a national level.

A year later, the idea reached the top of the chain. “In 1980 I received a call from the White House telling me that President Carter was going to issue a resolution, a presidential message, calling on the American People to push for the contributions of American women during the week of March 8,” MacGregor said.

This led to the first nationally recognized Women’s History Week.

“The National Women’s History Project [NWHP] was founded to insure that these would continue and there would be resources, there would be materials and a unifying theme, just a Continued on page 8

Being in the moment

Return to triumph from injury

Craig Foster, Santa Rosa Junior College English professor, talks about his life, rebirth and daily habits for living in the moment.

Continued on page 10 6 FEATURES, Page

Santa Rosa Junior College ice hockey defenseman Niklis Nisja returns from severe knee injury to help capture the PCHA championship.

Continued on page 1013 SPORTS, Page

Student’s rally at the capitol Matthew Koch and Luke Heslip Staff Writer and Assitant Opinion Editor A host of approximately 300 California community college students took to the Capitol Building in Sacramento March 2 in a rally and impromptu march for legislative and institutional action on student supplications, educational security and affirmed student influence among them.

Dubbed March in March, the rally has been an annual tradition in Sacramento since the 2008 financial crisis, drawing considerably larger crowds in past years when budgetary cuts were more acute, said Joshua Pinaula, SRJC associated students (AS) president, who attended two previous rallies.

“This event was meant to be a smaller thing,” Pinaula said.

“Students united, will never be divided!” chanted from the throng of delegates from the 112 community colleges in California.

A dozen or so tents stood erect on the veranda at the base of the Capitol Building, sporting banners of various student groups, including the Spectrum Caucus, an LGBTQ advocacy coalition, and the Black Student Caucus.

The rally began at 9 a.m. with students brandishing signs reading, “Power to the people,” “Don’t cut our future” and, “Money 4 war but not education?”

The Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) orchestrated the rally. Its president, Omar Paz Jr., is also the SRJC student trustee and former AS president.

“We are the largest college student constituency in the country and we are very underserved,” Paz said. His objective for the event was to engage students in advocacy at the capitol.

In a speech addressing the crowd of students, educators and advisors congregated at the Capitol building, Paz said, “As community college students we have 2.1 million constituents, we have 112 schools. We are the largest college system in the country.”

The SRJC delegation had an audience with California State Assemblymen, Mark Levine, who represents Marin County and

Continued on page 2

Photo courtesy of Robin Enfield

The Student Senate for California Community Colleges holds a rally on the steps of the capitol.

News

2 Education rally brings student voice to Sacramento www.theoakleafnews.com

continued from cover... southern Sonoma County.

Levine asked how he plans to address the considerable cost of non-tuition expenses of community college students, like textbooks. Levine said he didn’t have any specific solutions but thinks paying for parking is ridiculous and education is underfunded.

“We need more money for education,” Levine said. “I think the book thing is a publishing racket.”

A product of the JC system, Levine praised community colleges.

“Community colleges do a great job of career training,” he said.

Levine shared his dissatisfaction with the high amount of adjunct instructors employed in the JC system. Adjuncts are part time educators compensated directly for the units they teach, unlike tenure educators who are full time faculty and can realistically dedicate more time to their students.

“The [adjunct] system doesn’t work very well for them, or for you, the students,” Levine said.

The event was originally planned to be a student forum with a series of speeches, legislative visits and networking opportunities. The itinerary included no actual march.

However, Keith Montes, the chair of the Inter Club Council (ICC) at Diablo Valley College, led an impromptu march from the Capitol building to the California Community College Chancellor’s office several blocks away at 10:15 a.m.

Some 100 to 150 students marched with Montes to voice their grievances and concerns outside the office doors.

“Throughout the history of this country, the only time we have accomplished change is when large groups of people get together to make demands,” Montes said.

One of Montes’ chief demands was to recoup the 500,000 students lost in the community college system since 2008. “We should not sit here and be complicit,” Montes said. “We have more than enough money,” referring to state resources.

John Michaelson, president of legislative affairs at Diablo Valley College, used the march to criticize class repeatability laws, which limit the amount of times students can

March 9, 2015

take certain classes.

“The repeatability law is wrong and it kills art,” Michaelson said, claiming art students sometimes need to take the same classes multiple times and are impeded by law.

“We live in a new world where higher education is everything,” Michaelson said. “This is our time, this is March in March!”

The ICC Vice Chair at Santa Monica City College, Courtney King, said, “I think this march is very important.” She adamantly supported increasing student representation in government.

“We can’t even touch the American Dream without a degree,” King said, advocating greater college access and security for students.

Student input consistently indicated that just marching and rallying isn’t sufficient to advance student interests.

Nicole Harris, student president at Skyline Community College in San Bruno and treasurer of the Black Student Caucus, called for students to do their part for the communal good.

“In order to help others, we need to speak out. Voting is your voice,” Harris said. “We are the ones who will change the future.”

Harris said, “The time is now, the power is now, the collective will is now.”

Ryan Camero, a San Joaquin Delta College student and outreach Photos courtesy of Robin Enfield coordinator of the California Student TOP: SRJC Student Trustee Omar Paz Jr. encourages education advocacy from students in front of the Capitol Building.

Sustainability Coalition, said his BOTTOM: Students demonstrate their passion for education during the March in March rally outside of the Capitol. objective at the rally was “to put the pressure on legislators to respond to we are pushing for equal access the afternoon for many. programs at SRJC, said of the the effects of climate change.” and equality, especially for trans Demands for greater legislative rally, “I think it was worthwhile “Our student body really cares students.” attention and additional funds for and effective.” about these things on a state-wide Javines said transgender students community college services, along She admitted, however, the level,” Camero said. “There needs to are not adequately protected in the with student unity, appeared to be event was relatively disorganized be heavy concentration on this.” classroom and college athletics. the common themes of the rally. and could have benefited from Nehasi Lee, the Black Student The Spectrum Caucus is Tyrone Macedon Sr., student more student involvement and Caucus’ current president, said he “advancing social justice wherever president at Moreno Valley coordination. attended the event with “a purpose possible,” Javines said.

Community College, said, “My Izard felt the students to represent interests of African SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong expectation for the rally is that conveyed the message to descent and all other students.” attended the rally. He said the the legislature will see that legislators that higher education LGBTQ proponents converged at rally was an opportunity for SRJC community college students are deserves attention. the Spectrum Caucus’s tent. students to understand how the JC serious about education.”

SRJC Dean of Student Affairs, The Spectrum Caucus is an system is funded and they have a “It was very apparent that it was Robert Ethington, who is also an LGBTQ rights advocacy group, voice in decision-making. pulled together haphazard and I advisor to the AS Senate, attended which promotes tolerance and “It’s very empowering to see all was prepared for that,” Pinaula the rally and said, “For me, acceptance of all sexual and these students,” Chong said. said. “I think it was a good first students learning to put on a rally gender identities.

The rally ended shortly before step and I hope to see more of is as important as the outcome.”

Mara Javines, a member of the 1 p.m. and consisted of a series of that in the future.”

Ethington said, “If you learn Spectrum Caucuses’ Antelope planned speeches and an open mic Hilleary Izard, adviser of how to plan an event, you learn Valley College branch said, “Today period. Legislative visits occupied student affairs and categorical how to plan your life.”

Editors-in-Chief:

Jarrett Rodriguez and Nate Voge Managing Editor:

Faith Gates

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

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News

March 9, 2015

Group promotes Homeless Bill of Rights Maci Martell

Assistant News Editor Members of the grassroots organization Homeless Action! are calling on Santa Rosa Junior College students and clubs to help the Northern California homeless population gain basic human rights through support, education and activism.

Homeless Action! members Adrienne Lauby and Charlene Love attended SRJC’s Inter-Club Council (ICC) meeting on Feb. 25, to present the Western Regional Advocacy Project’s (WRAP) Homeless Bill of Rights campaign to club representatives.

Leaders from various non-profit organizations created the grassroots movement WRAP in 2005 to combat homelessness all along the west coast through advocacy and community organizing. According to Lauby, WRAP has been trying to pass the bill for homeless rights through the legislature for nearly three years.

The Homeless Bill of Rights will establish basic rights for the homeless and prohibit law enforcement from violating those rights.

According to the last Sonoma County Homeless Census & Survey in 2013, there were a total of 4,280 homeless people in Sonoma County alone. The survey also stated that only 971 of the total homeless population were sheltered.

Lauby and Love said they want to encourage involvement from SRJC students to advocate for homeless rights and educate the community

on homeless issues.

Among the solutions Lauby and Love presented to the ICC are establishing sanitation stations for the homeless to maintain basic hygiene, and to encourage homeless encampments, which are decreasing due to increasingly strict vagrancy laws.

“The homeless are being criminalized for things people do every day and take for granted.

Everyone needs to eat, sleep and wash,” Lauby said.

Love, an SRJC horticulture and agriculture student, previously experienced homelessness and lived in The Living Room, a Santa Rosa shelter, before joining Homeless Action! in the summer.

Before moving to Sonoma County, Love lived in Los Angeles where she said the people were cold and the conditions of the large shelters were far from the comfort of home.

“If you really want to see pure despair and filth and homelessness, go to downtown L.A. to San Julian,” Love said, reflecting on the crowded streets of Skid Row. Love described some of the shelters as warehouses with rows of bunk beds, reminiscent of army barracks.

The large room, crowded with about 20 people, was cold and dirty.

Huddled on the lumpy, unwashed cots, one young woman tried to focus on her studies amidst the ranting of the other housemates and another woman dealt with meth withdrawals, Love said.

With so many homeless people in California and all the various factors contributing to homelessness,

He later described the house as “shanty” and that it “reeked of cigarette smoke.”

Douglas County police also charged Williams, 26, and Hancock, 21, with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. There was no bail set for the charges.

In an interview with the Glendale Daily Courier, a neighbor who was home on Jan. 22, said, “The girl came running over here banging on the door and started screaming that her baby wasn’t breathing.”

She went back to the house with Hancock, where a 911 dispatcher was on speakerphone and a man was giving the baby CPR. The couple’s income came from doing online webcam porn. Before the arrest, they used social media sites like Twitter to promote their webcam

Election Coordinator appointed Mason Smith and Luke Heslip Staff Writer and Assitant Opinion Editor

Craig Gettman/ Oak Leaf

The Living Room in Santa Rosa offers shelter for homeless women and children.

Love mentioned the importance of addressing individual needs instead of just having large shelters that don’t help with the root of the problem.

Love noted the struggles of being homeless and the misconceptions they face every day. “First of all, it hurts. It truly hurts,” she said. “When one experiences a death, they get sympathy. When you experience a loss of health, loss of eyesight, a limb…you get ‘Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. What can I do?’ When you lose your place to live, you’re trash. You’re a bum. You’re hopeless.

Regardless of what happened to get you there.”

What Love and Lauby want to do to cultivate a better understanding of homeless struggles is compile a report stating how many SRJC students are homeless or at risk of being homeless and what are the students’ general perceptions of the homeless.

Homeless Action! would also like to collaborate with SRJC clubs like Tiny House Club and Architecture Club to develop affordable and

sustainable housing alternatives to shelter the homeless.

Lauby said getting the Homeless Bill of Rights passed will require talking with the California legislature and pushing them to make homeless rights a priority.

“I think we have gotten to a tipping point with the high cost of living where people are starting to realize that homelessness can happen to anyone, so more people are in support of low-income housing and are aware of homeless issues,” Lauby said.

With the rise in criminalization of homelessness, it is becoming more important to decrease the stigma against the homeless and provide solutions to their current circumstances. With the support of SRJC students and clubs, Homeless Action! plans to accomplish these goals.

WRAP’s Homeless Bill of Rights can be found at: http:// wraphome.org/images/stories/hbr/ HBRCpaignFactSheetrev1.6.15.pdf.

Former SRJC couple accused of starving infant son accounts. Their most recently used webcam chat site, Chatterbate, has banned both of their accounts. HowStaff Writer ever, their Twitter and Facebook are Police officers charged former still publicly accessible.

Santa Rosa Junior College students “They tried to get out of poverty with murder and criminal mistreatby free-spirited ways,” said friend ment on Feb. 17 after an autopsy reAndre Estournes. vealed their 7-week-old son died of Normally Hancock’s Twitter acstarvation on Jan. 22. count would be filled with nude, sexThe couple, Stephen Michael Wilual pictures of herself and Williams liams Jr. and Amanda Hancock, resided and promotions for her webcam in Glendale, Oregon, at the time of their modeling sites. Between the time of son Data’s death after moving from SanData’s death and the couple’s arrest, ta Rosa a couple months before.

Hancock used Twitter posts and sold “The last time I saw them was somenude pictures to raise funds for the time in September. They were staying infant’s memorial service. by the downtown fairground area in The couple had another 2-yeara garage,” said SRJC alumnus Nathan old son together who was living with Feldhorn, who knows the couple. “I them. Since the incident, officials think it was Amanda’s mom’s house have put their son in protective cusor her mom’s boyfriend’s.” tody. Williams has two other young children with another woman.

At the time of Data’s birth, Child Protective Services came by the hospital as a requirement due to the lack of prenatal care appointments during the pregnancy. The nursing staff didn’t let them in and the couple never took Data for any doctor’s visits after. The sheriff ’s office hadn’t responded to any problems at the family’s home prior to the baby’s death.

Williams named Data and his three other children after Star Trek characters or terms. Williams was Courtesy of the Boston Herald considered a devoted “Trekkie”. His Stephen Michael Williams Jr. and Amanda Hancock face child endangerment charges. interest in Star Trek intertwined Kissindre Kimbrell

3

with his tattoo habits and he is covered from head to toe with over 100 spots resembling the fictional Star Trek Talaxian species.

Williams and Hancock both did photo shoots with a local photographer, who wished not to be named.

For Hancock’s photo shoot at a local park, she took pictures naked in the trees while several months pregnant with Data.

The responses from the Glendale community were sympathetic. The couple’s online friends showered them with condolences, prayers, positive messages and offers to help their family. A forum for the Southern Oregon community website noted how Glendale residents paid their water and sewage bill to help support them in their time of loss. On Feb. 18, public sympathy abruptly stopped when the news broke of the couple’s arrest.

Brittanie England knew Williams her whole life and said he is one of the most caring people she knows.

“I am devastated, but I can say that they are not some cold blooded killers. They may not have been living right or been great parents,” England said. “The baby was malnourished from the beginning. He shouldn’t have left the hospital, period.”

England said she had talked to Hancock about a week after the baby passed and “she was completely distraught, broken in a state of not knowing what to do.”

The Santa Rosa Junior College Associated Students Senate confirmed an elections coordinator for the student elections in April, ratified funds for Music Appreciation Day (MAD) Wednesdays and continued a legislative dialogue for a student center fee referendum at their Feb. 23 and March 3 sessions.

The senate appointed James Rogers as election coordinator for student elections during the week of April 20.

Rogers will be expected to mobilize SRJC students to vote and act as the elections referee for the various candidates. The Senate stressed the importance of impartiality, time commitment and reliable political instincts for this position.

Rogers’ credentials include coaching high school debate teams and participation in his high school government elections.

He studies computer programing and forensics at SRJC. Rogers said his experience in debate enables him to divorce himself from his personal beliefs, to ensure political objectivity.

The senate approved a $500 budget to compensate student employees for MAD Wednesdays.

Students employed for MAD Wednesdays will play four-hour segments of music in the SRJC quad on Wednesday afternoons during the weeks preceding the election to raise election awareness.

In addition to electing student representatives in April, students will vote to implement a student center fee. The funds will derive from a mandatory enrollment fee, with some exceptions, such as the Bog wavier. The charge will be in correlation to units and will have an annual 10-unit cap.

The exact sum and distribution of the service fee fund remains vague, but the intent is to use the funds for student community purposes.

A new student lounge is one proposed use.

The senate also discussed the ongoing constitutional convention and drafting of a new student bill of rights, which is under jurisdiction of an ad hoc constitutional committee that meets every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Bertolini Center. Any constitution requires senate approval and ultimate implementation entails a two-thirds majority in the student election.

The senate overwhelmingly supported greater student involvement and input in elections and committee proceedings.

Members specifically endorsed incrementing information to students on an individual and mass basis as well as cultivating potential candidates to ensure political competition.

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March 9, 2015

Opinion

www.theoakleafnews.com

Most Californians are aware of the drought. Most people don’t like their local water agency telling them how to use water on their property. Yet most people in Santa Rosa probably weren’t aware in August of 2014 that the city implemented mandatory water restrictions.

Maybe you have noticed that your restaurant server doesn’t bring glasses of water as you sit down. Water upon request at restaurants, among other restrictions like limiting the window of time for crop irrigation, makes up stage one of Santa Rosa’s Urban Water Shortage Contingency plan. California requires all water agencies serving a certain number of customers to adopt a shortage plan to respond to a drought and provide guidelines for reduction strategies. The goal of stage one is to decrease consumption by 20 percent, which complies with Governor Jerry Brown’s call in July to reduce water usage statewide.

According to the Sonoma-Marin Water Saving Partnership’s website, all water agencies in the partnership are on track to meet the goal.

None of stage one’s restrictions affect water rates for residential customers, but stage two does. Stage two would limit single and multi family households to 58 gallons per capita day and a landscape allotment, and would limit commercial, industrial and governmental costumers to 85 percent of the water they used the previous year. It also adds a 10 percent water usage charge to residential costumers’ current usage charge. You would be aware if we entered stage two. And stages three and four only increase the

Illustration by Chantelle Bogue

EDITORIAL

water usage charge and add an excess use charge for water sold above the consumption limits.

Santa Rosans may be on track, and we may be sitting snuggly in stage one, but Mother Nature is not letting up on California—January 2015 was the driest on record. February was the hottest.

Researchers at Stanford University concluded that a combination of hot, dry weather is twice as likely to produce a severe drought than cool, dry weather; and that consecutive hot years increase the likelihood of multi-year droughts

Elephant Wars: Luke Heslip

Assistant Opinion Editor

The 2016 Republican National Convention is still more than a year away, but the primary campaign is already in motion with a myriad of camps vying for the coveted presidential nomination.

Players across the spectrum of the fragmented party seek to define the GOP and reclaim the White House.

Student loan policy and college affordability are key platforms for 2016. These issues personally affect college students throughout the country and will strongly influence the youth vote. The stance that the GOP candidate has on these issues will be consequential in the youth vote.

The GOP is confronting an identity crisis threatening the party’s adhesiveness. The rank and file of the Republican establishment has given way to dissent and ideological contention reigns.

The main schism within the GOP rests between the center-right fiscal conservatives hailing from the establishment tradition of tax cuts and business friendly policies, and the grass-roots Tea Party/Libertarian sympathizers, yearning for more extreme changes in Washington like extensive government reduction

in the future. California’s drought has lasted four years. 2014 was not only one of the driest years on record; it was the hottest year in California history.

We need to keep conserving—if anything just to avoid stage two’s restrictions and a rise in the water bill.

The only way to avoid stage two is to take on the personal responsibility of reducing our water usage. Don’t make the water agency force you to do it.

In America the largest category of residential water use is landscape irrigation—e.g. your lawn. The Environmental Protection Agency

estimates: “As much as 50 percent of water we use outdoors is wasted from inefficient watering methods and systems.” One of the best ways to reduce water use is to get rid of that furry green sponge in front of your house. Find drought resistant plants and some cool rocks to replace that thirsty lawn.

Santa Rosa Junior College replaced six acres of grass with artificial turf made of recycled materials on the Santa Rosa campus, reducing water usage on our main campus by about 20 percent. Also, SRJC uses a central

control irrigation system that accounts for rainfall to operate watering on its three campuses and saves an estimated 20 to 40 percent in water usage.

Even if you’re just renting a room and only staying at SRJC for two years, you can still do your part by washing only full loads of laundry, taking shorter showers and never leaving the faucet running while you brush your teeth or shave. With no end to the drought in sight, everyone has to start thinking about how they can help conserve.

For more info go to www. savingwaterpartnership.org,

Dissenting ranks threaten to dismantle the GOP in the 2016 presidential election

and drastic recline of private sector many conservative voters frustrated regulations. with the political establishment.

Reeling from two consecutive The Tea Party community sees presidential defeats, the GOP licked government as overgrown, corrupt its wounds and took both chambers and the source of America’s of Congress in 2014. They hope their problems. They perceive their momentum will continue to victory own party as too close to Wall in 2016.

Street and too accommodating While the GOP has the advantage of big government. By this of opposing the incumbent party, attraction they gained significant since the White House historically Congressional shares, obtaining ping-pongs between parties, they seats in both houses. suffer a potentially disastrous Of the current front-runners, leadership and unity problem.

Governor Chris Christie of New The Tea Party/ Jersey and former Libertarian Governor Jeb candidates are Bush of Florida less viable for “A winning GOP candidate are the most the popular vote promising. has to mobilize the because they are With Romney conservative base.” fringe politicians. retracting his They represent bid, they are far-right values the competing such as stripping heirs apparent citizens of federal of the GOP safety nets and allowing unfettered establishment.

Scott Walker, business autonomy, which a Wisconsin’s sitting governor, is centralist voting populous tends another establishment candidate. to reject.

Cultural conservatives, identifying Prominent Tea Party candidates with traditional values and like Texas Senator Ted Cruz, evangelical ideals, such as opposing advocates securing the Mexican gay marriage and forwarding a crime border with a gargantuan fence and and punishment justice system, have introducing an increasingly non- two front-running tribunes in the progressive tax code, don’t appeal to race; former governor of Alabama a majority of the American people. and Fox News contributor Mike The Tea Party does, however, sway Huckabee, and former governor of

Texas Rick Perry. Both have relative popularity in their respective turfs, but they lack the mass accessibility and resources of Bush or Christie.

Helming the Libertarian sect is Rand Paul, inheriting his leadership from his father Ron, who ran in 2012. Paul, like his father, is a peculiar breed of conservative. He champions the argument for small government and states’ rights, yet supports an isolationist foreign policy and ending the drug war.

Paul attracts voters from both sides of the aisle but may be too eccentric and anti-establishment for his party’s nomination.

Other candidates like Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Florida Senator Marco Rubio may also have a claim to the nomination.

Realistically, a winning GOP candidate has to mobilize the conservative base, pander to the party’s big donors and convince the American people they are more centralist and pro-American than their Democratic opponent.

None of the GOP candidates want to repeat the errors of John McCain and Mitt Romney, neither of whom bridged the gender gap or brought enough minorities into the fold.

Obama beat McCain with women 56 to 43 percent and Romney 55 to 44 percent, according to the Roper Center. Minorities and young

people also overwhelmingly favored Obama. The 2016 GOP nominee will have to be marginally more accessible and attentive to these quintessential voting groups.

Conservatives of all colors will compete in a bloody contest of cajolery, finesse and appeasement to conform the Executive Branch’s agenda to their political dogma. Inhouse ideological debate is healthy, but in the case of a presidential race, warring factions enervate party strength. The GOP will have to unify behind a single standard and eventually a single candidate. If they don’t their splintering ranks will empower the Democratic nominee.

Courtesy LAweekly.com

Rival factions of the GOP fight for the future, aiming to control the party.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Opinion

March 9, 2015

A proper guide to classroom etiquette 101 Domanique Crawford Opinion Editor

Class begins, I look around. Yes! His seat is empty! I sigh in relief and almost jump out of my own seat when I hear everyone else in the classroom do the same. The entire class seems content with the uninhabited chair, realizing with satisfaction that a certain someone isn't here. Some of us chuckle as the professor starts his lesson.

Five minutes later and dang! With his usual air of pomposity, “Jasper” swaggers into class and takes his seat.

The person across from me and I lock eyes, our expressions both reflecting despair. Today is going to be another long class.

There is always that one person in every class who makes the whole experience excruciating. This disruptive attitude can only be described as just plain rude. Whatever happened to proper classroom etiquette?

When the instructor asks, "Does anyone know which type of nebula this is?" A classmate casually calls out, "I think it's a reflection nebula?"

In all his smugness, Jasper interrupts the student to say, "Actually, this is clearly an emission nebula.

You can tell from the red cloud of ionized gas. The ionized hydrogen

produces visible wavelength pho- are knowingly boastful and do so with tons that..." the intent to prove you’re smarter than In this situation, Jasper is being what everyone else. Taking an introductory I like to call a Smart-aleck Alec. The course when you’re already familiar student tried to answer the question with the material is fine, but leave the to the best of her knowledge and her teaching to the instructor. efforts were mocked. This is unacceptChatty Cathy: One of those people able. We attend college to learn, and who hold ongoing conversations in having someone belittle our efforts class. No one wants to hear about your makes it hard to deep family issues or want to focus and the next big drama participate. while trying to conWe are all here for the centrate on taking From kindergarten to senior common goal of higher notes. We don't need year of high know how you hate education. school, students your parents because are conditioned they won't support to adhere to ceryour drug habits and tain behavioral are going to kick you standards in the classroom. At first, out of the house. Leave the personal as youths, we reject these ideals, but talk at home. If there is really someas adults, it is our duty to understand thing going on, consider taking the these rules and acquiesce to the com- day off. mon respect we are all owed as colNeedy Nancy: The student who lege students. makes the professor repeat himself These unwritten conduct codes are 1,001 times after he has already redesigned to keep us focused. The most peated the information twice. Pay atdistractive behavioral traits include tention. There is only so much time the following characters: we have to spend learning a subject, Smart-aleck Alec: Worse than a and making the professor and stuknow-it-all, because you always re- dents repeat themselves because of spond to a situation in a self-righteous your inattention is costly to the time manner, believing the words that drip frame. If you need extra help, go to the from your mouth are liquid gold. You professor's office hours or, better yet,

Corrections

For Issue 3 dated Feb. 23:

• In the feature article, “Two leaders, two messages: a portrait of BSU co-chairs,” the name Danika should have been spelled Darika.

• In the feature article, “Bookstore blues,” a quote attributed to Antonella Andrade read, “We are just as disgusted as you are. It’s highway robbery, but that’s not necessarily the fault of the bookstore.” She did not say “It’s highway robbery, but that’s not necessarily the fault of the bookstore.” SRJC student Louis Henry said that.

• The four shoes shown on the bottom left corner of the features article, “The Shoe Surgeon” are not Shoe Surgeon designs.

• In the opinion article, “Sinister Leanings,” the name Barack Obama was misspelled ‘Barak’ Obama.

The Oak Leaf regrets any confusion these errors may have caused.

Letter to the Editor I am writing in relation to the article about Dr. Charles Prickett and his civil rights speech to SRJC students in Issue 2, Volume CXXXIII. Although I did not attend the gathering myself, I do feel grateful for Dr. Prickett to be able to present to us. Having firsthand experience to share is an extremely valuable source that others should not take for granted.

Civil Rights are no doubt an ongoing issue in our country, but in my opinion, it is something that can never fully be extinguished.

Prickett said education is important and without subjects such as sociology, math, and philosophy we will never move forward as a society. Not enough people are educated in these

topics, I have observed, and in opening our minds we will be able to close the gap of misunderstanding between one another.

More people need to hear the words of Dr. Prickett and take into account his advice. We as a society need to put our heads together and stand up for our rights as well as everyone else’s The more we vote and express our concerns, the more the ones with the power will have to give into the pressure. I don’t think there is a right way to go about any of these issues yet, but we have to keep trying if we want to satisfy at least 90 percent of the population.

Todd Kabanuck, SRJC Student.

ask to record the lesson. That way you can repeat it to your heart's content.

Texting Tom: Honestly, there is nothing more annoying than hearing the beep accompanying each tap of the screen and the flash of light that's like a beacon drawing attention to your obvious activities. If you're going to text in class, at least have the common decency to turn the sound off and lower the brightness on the screen. Your distraction doesn't have to be mine.

We are all here for the common goal of higher education. If you want to let your behavior hinder your own education, that's fine; however, please don't infringe on mine.

As Jasper finishes his long-winded explanation, a hush fells the room, a silent reprimand for his unwarranted pontification. Students are no longer willing to freely answer questions, and the pace of the class crawls along with each pregnant pause—the instructor clearly doesn’t intend to continue until all of his questions are answered. When the class finally ended, instead of absorbing the lesson of the day, my classmates and I could only focus on Jasper and his rude interruptions. An entire class period wasted, because now I have to go home and re-read the chapter.

Advertising is a necessary evil Alex T. Randolph Copy Editor

It stands to reason that at some point in your life, you have turned on a TV. It’s even more likely you’ve gone online and watched a video somewhere, probably on YouTube.

And if you have done either one of these things, then it is more than likely that you have grown to hate commercials.

Certainly, there’s nobody who genuinely likes them. After all, every half-hour program is really only 22 minutes long-the other eight are taken up by ads. You got some reprieve when TV programs and other original programs started showing up online, but then those damn ads followed you there too, popping up before, after and even during every video you watch.

Thankfully, you can install Adblock, or better yet, download from any one of the many streaming sites available online. Sure, technically the latter is illegal, but it’s not like anybody except the greedy corporations are being affected, so why shouldn’t you enjoy what you love without interruptions?

The thing is, the creators of your favorite movies, TV shows and programs don’t get paid unless you watch the interruptions. That’s how it works – how it’s always worked since the dawn of television. The company supplies the network with cash so they can make their dream projects, and in return the company gets to air ads for their products. That’s why there are commercials on YouTube now, because YouTube needs the money to keep going.

And installing Adblock or pirating your favorite programs guarantees the people who spent all their time and effort to create the episode you are about to sit down and enjoy aren’t

going to get a single solitary cent for their labors. You watching their episodes is not their reward for a job well done; getting enough money to make more episodes, and spend on trivialities like food, is their reward— and just to reiterate, they don’t get that reward when you don’t watch the ads.

The consequences of this can already be felt – despite the passionate outcry of devoted fan bases, niche programs like “Community” and “30 Rock” have either moved to an online only distribution or simply been canceled altogether, because said devoted fan bases weren’t watching the programs when they actually aired, or blocking out the accompanying ads when they appeared online. This means the Hollywood machine, which is infamously adverse to taking chances of any kind, isn’t going for those kinds of programs anymore. The critically acclaimed “Avatar the Last Airbender” cost about $1 million an episode, and “The Legend of Korra” sequel series, which had even higher quality animation, was eventually shunted to online only. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino aren’t planning to continue the franchise, but there’s no way Nickelodeon would let them even if they wanted to. Big expensive shows doing something new have the potential to be big, expensive disasters—and the less you watch the ads, the less often networks will take that risk.

So the next time you want to keep your favorite shows going, be sure to watch the ads that come with them.

It doesn’t even matter if you press the “skip” button as soon as they start playing – all they care about is that you aren’t skipping them altogether.

Taking 30 seconds of your life to see the ads ensures your favorite writers and directors will keep making what you enjoy.

5

To swear or not to swear DeAnna Hettinger Staff Writer

Not long ago, feeling betrayed, in a moment of sheer frustration and much to my surprise, “You’re a f------g bitch!” erupted suddenly out of my mouth. Afterward, feeling like I had truly conquered something, I realized I had fallen prey to the temptation of thinking my actions were justified.

Actually, I didn’t think. I reacted.

My intention was to put this person in her place.

Or so I thought.

In retrospect, I was rude, out of control and out-of-line. I am not a goody two-shoes by any means. However, the use of profanity—swearing in its worst form—is debasing, contemptuous and offensive, which simply undermines one’s character.

Cursing can be cathartic and may serve as an immediate release to an aggravating emotion like hammering your finger by accident or stubbing your toe. It is truly warranted then. Refraining from using offensive language as a coping mechanism for a situation or problem that needs to be solved, is much more effective.

Cussing on a regular basis can be a kind of perpetual laziness, lacking in the ability to truly express oneself. It takes more effort to think before you speak.

You may not even notice it or simply don’t care. After all, it’s your choice how you want to present yourself, but it is wise, at the very least, as something to think about.

This is true especially in the workplace. Swearing may serve a purpose amongst co-workers, but is generally frowned upon by management. An individual who can articulate what they mean and not resort to cussing, will not only beat the candidate who properly uses the English language instead, or any other language for that matter, but will have a better chance of excelling in their chosen career path.

A study by CareerBuilder. com shows that 81 percent of employers believe cursing brings an employee’s professionalism into question.

Seventy-one percent of employers said that swearing shows a “lack of control,” while 68 percent says swearing demonstrates a “lack of maturity,” and 54 percent of employers said swearing made their employees appear “less intelligent.”

The constant use of expletives can have a negative affect on your ability to communicate effectively in the long run, especially when it becomes an obnoxious habit. While the goal of swearing may be to impress, consistently swearing is actually un-impressive, cheapening what we have to say. Being articulate is cool. Swearing is not.

6

March 9, 2015

Features

www.theoakleafnews.com

One river, many wells and the pursuit of perfect necessity Mason Smith Staff Writer Some people begin their morning with a cup of coffee, a glance at the newspaper or listen to their favorite song to set the stage for the rest of the day to come.

Santa Rosa Junior College English instructor Craig Foster greets every day at 4:50 a.m. with a cup of coffee and a soak in his hot tub, a practice he has maintained since January 2010.

“It’s a moment to forget rather than to remember,” Foster said.

“To become almost animal-like in that I am completely in the body. There’s something about

Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf

Craig Foster, SRJC English professor, takes a few moments to meditate in his office.

hot water, especially during the colder months when the air is cold and the water is hot and you can just sit.”

After a 20-minute soak, Foster said he reads spiritual and intellectual books that challenge conventional ideologies of wisdom and knowledge. He chooses particular books that provide him a center for the day, and is currently reading “One River, Many Wells” by Matthew Fox. “I read Hesse for years and years, four or five of his novels, because there was something about him that triggered good things in me,” Foster said.

In October 1975, Foster and his wife took a series of “transcendental meditation” classes as a mental respite during grad school at Michigan State. At the end of a week’s practice, a practitioner sat with Foster and gave him a unique personal mantra. Twice a day he recites this mantra three times to induce a meditative state.

Maharishi Yogi, Foster’s instructor, taught him not to suppress his thoughts, but instead allow them to pass through his mind without further consideration. From the anxiety of meeting a class and the responsibility of grading papers, to his familial responsibilities at home, Foster always has something on his mind.

“Part of the lesson was don’t regular ritual serves as a channel fight that world. Don’t get mad through which he can turn his when these other thoughts come. own ideologies, desires and beliefs You let them pass, come and go,” into action.

Foster said. He has consistently However, this was not always maintained this practice ever the case. On Dec. 8, 1969, Foster since. experienced Foster focuses what he called his life on being a mystical “Don’t get mad when e x p e r i e n c e . immersed in whatever moment these other thoughts He went to he finds himself. bed Thursday come. You let them evening “That’s what gets and me out of bed awoke Friday pass, come and go.” in the morning. morning a -Craig Foster How present can completely I be? How many different person. moments can I Foster described actually be in?” this as a sort Foster said. of rebirth, a He and his wife Anne recently metamorphosis from a selfdrove to Portland where they centered man into a selfmet their daughter, who lives in actualized being.

Seattle. Foster sat on a chair while “Everything that I valued, his wife and daughter shopped everything I trusted, put my faith one afternoon, and he noticed in and counted on just sort of fell his thoughts trailing to all the away naturally,” Foster said. different things he could be doing.

What made this particular He reminded himself to return event so remarkable to Foster is to where he sat in the shopping that it was truly tangible, not just center. “Just be here,” Foster said. to himself, but to those around “It was no better or worse than him as well. anything else I could have been A woman named Valerie, doing. So, I had a wonderful time Foster’s girlfriend of three years, just being there.” told him in September 1969 she Around the time he turned was leaving him for a man she 60, Foster adopted an emphasis knew in Michigan, whom she was on application and practice over flying out to see that winter break. knowledge and education. His When she saw Foster walking

toward her from afar, Valerie noticed the change in him.

“She saw something so powerful that she turned in her ticket, married me and stayed with me for 12 years. I mean, how do you explain that?” Foster said.

He has cultivated this change over the past 45 years and is looking forward to his retirement after this semester. “As I get older I want fewer and fewer distractions,” Foster said. “And work really has become a distraction.”

Foster said everybody has capacity for compassion and understanding. “What pushes me is that I think people can get better and better. I don’t want to live in memory, but rather to live with perfect necessity, the belief that every moment has a kind of internal perfect logic to it. And human beings can tap into that logic if we’re completely mindful,” Foster said.

What motivates Foster now is the pursuit of being present.

He believes there is one single unifying river of truth to life, and the only difference is how each person extracts and interprets that truth.

Foster encourages people to pursue whatever they are passionate about, and to also remain mindful of others’ passions and not entirely disregard or discredit them simply because they disagree.

L ife go es on throug h Adapte d Physi c al E du c ati on Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec Staff Writer In order to tell their stories, students June Rader, Luigi Fabiano, Jessie Morgan and Patrick Loughlin have been working for many years in the Adaptated Physical Education classes (APE) at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Displayed on the department office wall, the motto “We all have

a story to tell” means more to these students than for those who don’t have a physical disability.

After a stroke 19 years ago followed by six months of convalescence and rehabilitation, Rader, 79, returned to SRJC to take the APE classes. “I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t say one word,” said Rader, who now enjoys dancing both salsa and swing, with a sparkle in her blue eyes.

The APE program is part of the Kinesiology program and

Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec/Oak Leaf

June Rader has benefitted from being an APE student for 19 years.

closely associated with the Disability Resources Department.

It offers an opportunity for people challenged by disabilities to regain their physical skills and confidence. APE classes are adapted to facilitate the practice of physical education. Currently, 165 students are following either APE laboratory, APE body conditioning or APE swimming to improve coordination, flexibility, balance and cardiovascular fitness.

Fabiano, 78, started the program 18 years ago. “I was very weak. It took one year to get strong enough to come here,” he said. Thanks to years of diligent work, Fabiano regained physical fitness. Today, he enjoys a rich life with his wife and two children and has a busy schedule. In addition to his APE classes four days a week, he tutors English and history to students and immigrants.

To walk, dance, swim, they all had to exceed their limitations.

Morgan, 42, said, “The biggest difference for me is I have built physical strength and I have been able to push the boundaries. I am more aware of my physical body. I just feel a little bit stronger and a little bit more confident.”

She is now able to move from her wheelchair to a bench to enjoy training in boxing with APE Instructional Assistant John Adams. It’s also with more confidence that Loughlin, who had a stroke in 2008, has taken control of his life. At 33 years old, he claims, “I am stronger than I was before, physically, mentally and

Anne-Elisabeth Cavarec/Oak Leaf

Student Jessie Morgan practices boxing with Instructional Assistant John Adams.

emotionally.” Moreover, Loughlin made good friends through physical work with others. “I have friends in this class who understand me like nobody else does because they have experienced what I have experienced,” he said.

APE students consider the program a crucial opportunity in their lifes. It compensates for the lack of public services provided for people with special needs. According to Morgan, “As you get older, some services are not provided.”

APE Coordinator Kathy Bell added, “It’s really hard, especially with our health care system such the way it is. You can get three visits with a physical therapist and they are done with you. There is nowhere for you to go.”

APE classes include physical exercises like functional fitness, core strength, balance, swimming skills, endurance and flexibility.

“People with disabilities – whether

they have something that came on suddenly, or they are growing with or something they were born with – need to move. Everybody needs to move. We really work on finding ways to do it,” Bell said.

Bell and her team expand on the work and the vision of Johnny Hassenzahl who created the program in 1974. Fond of sports, he became quadriplegic after he broke his neck in a diving accident in the Russian River. Inspired by young men returning injured from the Vietnam War but who still wanted to practice sports, he decided people in wheelchairs need exercise too. Forty years later, the program continues to help hundreds of men and women who have suffered physical ailments and injuries to feel better.

More than a place to work, it’s a place to live. “I am gonna take classes here as long as I can. This is my school!” Rader said.

Features 7 Hiking with the SRJC Naturalist Club Sugarloaf www.theoakleafnews.com

March 9, 2015

Estefany Gonzalez Features Editor

Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf

Top: The sun sets at the peak of Bald Mountain at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, sweeping red light across the Sonoma-scape.

Bottom: Club president Cricket Swanson, co-founder Ron Cordova and member Katrina Ward take a snack break from hiking.

Daniel Kong/Oak Leaf

Top: Club members deliberate between two trails to hike.

Bottom: John Schroder, biology major, looks across Sonoma.

Santa Rosa Junior College students Cricket Swanson and Ron Cordova started the Naturalist Club in spring 2014. The club’s main objective is to develop a connection with nature.

The club meets outside of Baker Hall every other Tuesday at 5 p.m. to plan for hikes, camping trips and volunteer work.

The club consists of a diverse group of students who are adventurous and curious about nature. “We have some drop in members but a central crew that have been consistent,” Swanson said. “The next meeting is March 31.

All are welcome.”

The club allows students a break from school and other responsibilities. “I absolutely love being outdoors, for both the exercise and the aesthetic beauty of it all, and find it best when these experiences are shared with other members of the club,” Cordova said.

The Naturalist Club will be representing the realm of environmental health at the Spring Wellness Fair on April 24 from 7-11 p.m. at the Bertolini Center.

For more information on upcoming hikes or activities, students can get on the mailing list by emailing: srjcnaturalist@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ srjc.naturalist.

adventure Maci Martell

Assistant News Editor Lungs burn with each labored breath. Legs start to ache and quiver. But we keep pushing forward, telling ourselves “You can make it. It will be worth it.” The reward is so much more gratifying than we could have anticipated.

These are the moments members of the Santa Rosa Junior College Naturalist Club live for. We’re all different in so many other ways. There are biology majors, engineering majors, photographers and writers. But the one thing we all hold in common is our complete admiration of nature.

It was Feb. 14 when a couple of us from the club ventured through the Big Loop trail in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. We had hiked for just over eight miles through all sorts of diverse terrain.

We saw little charming creatures like garden snakes, southern alligator lizards, furry caterpillars and honeybees hard at work. We marveled at the vibrant red colors of the Indian paintbrush flowers and the deep purple of the cool manzanita trees.

We gain our second wind, quickening our pace as we see our destination within reach.

We reach the peak and our eyes widen and glisten with a newfound wonderment as we gaze upon the stunning visage. A collective “wow” is murmured under faint breaths and all of our prior pain has been forgotten.

It’s 6:05 p.m. at the top of Bald Mountain. All talking has ceased as we gaze at the swirling red and orange sky directly in front us. It looks like a beautiful work of art painted by Nature herself just for us.

The wispy clouds blend with the colors of the sky and the setting sun to create hues that we didn’t know existed. We can see the sparkling lights of the city far below. It seems as though we’re distant from all civilization and the view is all we need.

Sit on top of the mountain in the soft grass with the first cool breeze of the night washing over everything, and listen to the croaking song of frogs in the distance breaking through the calm silence.

If only we had our sleeping bags at that moment, we would have stayed there all night, looking up at the starry night sky and listening to the charming melody of the frogs and the occasional hoot of a majestic owl.

The animals, the plants, the atmosphere and most of all, the fun and inquisitive people – this is the spirit of the SRJC Naturalist Club.

Do you feel that women are represented enough in text books?

Jackson McCormick , 21, nutrition and wine studies.

“It’s progressing slowly. The longer we go in time women are probably gonna get more and more of a greater impact. Times are changing.”

Paula Gallegos, kinesiology.

“I think it’s getting better because we’re making more of a stand for ourselves and I think we’re getting recognized for that.”

Angel Palominos 23, undeclared. “ I can’t even tell you a couple of people. I mean, Rosa Parks. I can’t think of anyone, I don’t know why I can’t think of anyone. But it feels like they should be represented more.”

It all started in Santa Rosa

Fighting for Continued from cover

whole way to promote the campaign and to encourage support throughout the country,” MacGregor said.

In 1986, Women’s History Week expanded to a full month, with a total of 14 states declaring that March would be Women’s History Month. “We went to Congress and said we know you want to be on the leading edge so we’re asking for a resolution that March be declared as National Women’s History month and perpetuity, and they went for it,” MacGregor said. Ever since 1987, March has been National Women’s History Month.

The biggest obstacle they faced when making Women’s History Month a reality was convincing people that history was not boring.

“When we talk about history, we’re talking about people, their stories, their lives, what they did,” MacGregor said. “We’re talking about the fact that

Andrew Cousins, 20, fire technology.

“Honestly I don’t know if I can give you a definitive answer, because I’ve read history books and yeah, I guess no they don’t. You do hear more about female protagonist like Hillary Clinton, but it’s not progressing much.”

Andre Revoloril, 19, kinesiology.

“Not really I haven’t see that much.

I’ve seen Martin Luther King, I’ve seen a lot of people but the only major I’ve seen is Rosa Parks and I think that’s it.

I haven’t seen a lot of men but not a lot of women.

Courtesy of Metroactive.com Top picture: The cofounders of National Women’s History Project, Molly Murphy Macgregor, Paula Hammet, Mary Ruthsdotter and Maria Cuevas. Bottom picture: Women from all over unite to march in New York City in 1970 for the rights of women everywhere.

we have the kind of society and culture today beca of the work of the people who preceded us.”

Of course this was the most challenging asp because many considered history a boring sub to learn. “So they just assumed that wom history would be just as boring and what they di understand is that when you talk about wom history, you are talking about the stories of peop lives and it becomes real to you,” MacGregor sa Of course, it helped to bring a perso experience to history and explain the importa of women in history.

One of the first actions MacGregor recalled embracing the idea that knowing women’s his could change the world. “Knowing the strengt women that preceded you made you feel stron braver, bolder and for men it gave them a m deeper sense about who women are and a be respect,” MacGregor said.

MacGregor and the women at the NW have made huge strides for the advancemen women’s history in the last 35 years. It contin to this day, as they try to enlighten people ab women’s accomplishments.

According to MacGregor, women at the NW have faced challenges from the begining of t establishment. They continue to form ideas provide information to counter current iss “Sometimes people need to hear things three, f five times before they actually begin to underst what you’re saying. Talking about women’s his in no way demeans the accomplishments of men. can talk about both.”

The NWHP still promotes Women’s His Month. Every year they honor specific women show the many accomplishments of women from different cultures. This year, the 35th anniversar the NWHP, they have chosen to honor the histor for the work they’ve done in telling the stor women’s lives and feats.

Winner of the Santa Rosa Junior College 2 National Institute of Staff and Organizatio Development (NISOD) Excellence Award, S

Victor Hall, 18, computer science.

“No not at all. I haven’t seen much of women. We don’t get to see how they evolved in our society.”

Domanique Lloyd, 19, business.

“Not at all. I am a women and I also believe that women contribute to a lot in history and they haven’t been acknowledged the way they should have.”

Tony Navaoni, 19, child development.

“I don’t really remember hearing much about women in history books.

History was never really my topic, but form what I do remember obviously I don’t remember as many women as I do men. The textbooks I’m reading now do cover a decent amount about women.”

Katie Bradley, 24, biology.

“I guess I cant think of an example, I feel like they didn’t have enough opportunity.”

1848

Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote Declaration of Sentiment.

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Women gain the right to vote.

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history instructor Laura Larque appreciates how far women have come in history. “As a woman and a historian, when you look even just a few decades ago, so much has changed because now women are occupying different roles in society,” Larque said.

Larque feels that society still oppresses women, though it’s not nearly as bad as it was 40 to 50 years ago. “That is why I think young women especially, and women in general, have no idea how much those who paved the path before have had to work to be where we are as women,” she said.

One of the biggest accomplisments was in the 1920s when women gained the right to vote, but Larque said there are changes many women in current society don’t realize are a privilege. “How about the right to form unions, the right to receive an education, the right to seek employment? Whatever employment the woman wants to do, not just necessarily the employment that was assigned to women in the past,” she said. “Teachers, nurses, caregivers and domestics— those and the textile industries were the only areas where women could work.”

Larque considers abortion the biggest struggle women face today because, in her eyes, women are gradually losing the right to have an abortion due to people she classified as “pro-life crazy.”

“Women have the right to decide what to do with their bodies,” Larque said. “Sometimes women are not ready to have a child. It doesn’t have to be only young women. Regardless of the age and social economic background, a women should decide when and how she wants to be a mother, if she wants to be a mother.”

Domestic violence is another issue that Larque said still plagues women today. Even though the judicial system has come a long way to support women, it still has a long way to go. “Many women are still dying by the hands of their husband or boyfriend because they are not believed when they say they are being abused,” she said. “Or the poor women don’t have many resources if they decide to leave that relationship.”

Throughout history, countless women have made big impacts in women’s history, but two stand out to Larque. “Margaret Sanger, she was from the 1910s, 1920s. She was a nurse and she wanted for women to be able to practice birth control. She even opened a clinic of birth control in New York,” she said. “A labor organizer, Emma Penayuca, she worked day and night in the 1920s to be able to organize men and woman in unions.”

Larque said it’s important to understand how far women’s rights have come because women’s hard work and persistence, not because rights were just given to them. She thinks many women don’t realize that things like being able to choose their own major or engage in sexual relationships before marriage were things society discouraged women to do 50 years ago. “It was because women began to organize and fight for the very same rights men had been enjoying for centuries,” she said.

According to Larque, sexism has become more complicated in the United States than most people realize. “We think we have achieved equality, but not really because women’s bodies are still heavily exploited—in media especially,” she said.

As a history instructor, Larque thinks that understanding the past is an important step others

60 Food and

g Administration oves birth control.

1963 by

1973 Supreme Court

establishes women’s right to safe and legal abortion.

Congress passes the equal pay act.

Courtesy of The NWHP.

The National Women’s History Project’s 2015 honorees for the year. Top left: Delilah L. Beasley, Historian and Newspaper Columnist. Top right: Gladys Tantaquidgeon, Mohegan Medicine Woman, Anthropologist and Tribal Elder. Bottom right: Eleanor Flexnot, Historian and Independent Scholar. Bottom left: Darlene Clark Hine, Historian and Educator.

must take. “We need to truly understand what happened in the past without omitting any facts or any truth about the past,” she said. “The problem is if we don’t really study [them] we don’t understand what the previous men and women did to pave our path and build a better future.”

Though Larque said most people in the country have come a long way, there are a lot of changes she would like to see globally. Other societies are more sexist due to religious beliefs, especially ones that view women as mere objects. “We still have a long path to cover to truly achieve the same equality as men,” she said. “How nice would it be if women in other countries would view and respect women the same level as they respect men.”

SRJC social science instructor Erik Bruce echoed Larque’s sentiment, “I think that all of the history months are a great idea because they raise awareness about peoples history. Whether it’s black history month, women’s history month, etc. and I think our raising awareness of people’s history we get to know each other better and this makes us ultimately better neighbors and better people.”

Bruce continued, “I think that there is a real problem with the modern generation rejecting the word feminism and seeing it as pejorative, a bad word, and that feminism historically has been about empowering women, but it has evolved into embracing being a women. And so, can we not all embrace women and celebrate women for who they are, and not something that someone should tell them to be? And just simply except women for who they are?”

1986 Supreme Court finds sexual harassment to be an illegal job discrimination.

1980 Women of

Santa Rosa establish Women’s History Month.

1992 Most

SRJC Women’s History Month Santa Rosa Campus: Women in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement Monday, March 9, 1:30-3:00 p.m., Doyle Room 4245 Do Your Parents Know… (that you are Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, uh…Different?)

Wednesday, March 11, 1:30-3:00 p.m., Doyle Room 4245 The Adventures of Tina Modotti: Seamstress, Actress, Lover, Muse, Artist, Revolutionary Monday, March 23, 9:00-10:30 a.m., Doyle Room 4245 What is Rape Culture?

Tuesday, March 24, 12:30-2:00 p.m., Doyle Room 4643 Feminism & Islam: The Patriarchal Hijacking of Early Feminist Reforms Thursday, March 26, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Doyle Room 4245 The Consequences of Being Female in Central America Monday, March 30, 12:00-1:30 p.m., Doyle Room 4246

Petaluma Campus: She Built This City Tuesday, March 10, 12:00-1:30 p.m., Call Room 656 The Chicana Feminist Movement Wednesday, March 25, 9:00-10:30 a.m., Call Room 656

1994 The Violence

Against Women Act tightens penalties for sex offenders.

number of women elected in congress.

2009 President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter fair pay restoration act.

2013

Congress lifted the ban on women serving in a combat role.

10

A&E

March 9, 2015

American Night: Craig Gettman Staff Writer How do you tackle the issue of immigration to America in an educational, funny, moving and interesting way? You write a play about it.

“American Night: The Ballad of Juan José,” written by Richard Montoya, known for his use of humor with the group Culture Clash, takes on this hot button issue. He then adds dashes of humor to its informative and intriguing script.

The plot centers around Juan José, a Mexican immigrant who escapes corruption in the police force. He wants to become an American citizen but needs to study for his citizenship test. The majority of the play highlights the events of the fever dream Juan José has the night before the test.

This is one of those plays that seems like it’d be fun to direct or act in. It’s safe to say the cast enjoyed performing the play while taking the issues presented in the script seriously and staying true to the source material. Director Reed Martin selected a cast that gels well, including both hilarious and dramatic standouts.

Marcos Rivas Sanchez shines as Juan José, the hopeful, determined, honorable immigrant wishing to find a home in America for his loving wife

and their new child. Throughout the play, Sanchez conveys the almost boundless optimism of the role with ease, and his range is incredible.

He can go from serious to comedic in a flash, and his ability to emote is undeniable. He makes use of a Mexican accent throughout the play, but it’s never in poor taste, even when it’s used for comedic purposes such as when the actor mispronounces the name “Sacagawea” on purpose.

Sanchez is also quite adept at physical comedy, and this lent credence to his role as an immigrant in the midst of a fever dream.

Another standout is Raina Pope, who plays the role of Juan Josés’ wife, Lydia, but also takes on other parts.

This promising young actress did everything from a cross-gendered bit to playing Sacagawea as a bubbly, well-educated teen.

Although Pope takes on many characters, you get the sense that she’s supposed to be Lydia in disguise the entire time. Someone playing this many parts has to be capable of doing so, and Pope is more than capable; she can not only act but sing well, and dance – which makes her a triple threat. Her presence in the play both lightens the mood and provides the audience with an anchor to the real world beyond the fever dream the play focuses on.

These two aren’t the only standouts.

The others include Danny Banales

www.theoakleafnews.com

SRJC Theatre Arts Department presents an educational and entertaining look at the issue of immigration.

Jeff Thomas/ SRJC Theatre Arts

Marcos Rivas Sanchez, Raina Pope, Cooper Bennett and Allegra O’Rourke perform in “American Night: The Ballad of Juan José,” currently playing at Burbank Auditorium at SRJC. The actors perform in multiple roles during the play.

and Allegra O’Rouke. Banales, who has a role as Teddy Roosevelt, also serves as comic relief throughout the play, even showing up as a sumo wrestler at one point. O’Rourke is hilarious as Mrs. Finney, but also takes on several other characters.

The entire cast does well, and all of the actors held their own in this play, helping the audience through a somewhat chaotic plot. Although an interesting, educational and poignant play overall, there were times that “American Night” was

hard to follow, especially due to a large number of characters. There were also jokes in the script where it was hard to believe the author decided to “go there.”

In the end, the play is redeemed by having an astounding cast. Under the capable direction of Reed Martin, the actors bring this informative, captivating and funny play together, and it’s easy to overlook the minor flaws. Do yourself a favor and go see it, but act fast because the play closes March 15.

American Night: The Ballad of Juan José Written by Richard Montoya; Directed by Reed Martin March 11, 12, 13, 14 at 8 p.m.

March 14 and 15 at 2 p.m.

General - $18, Senior (age 62 and up) - $14, Student - $14, Youth (age 12 and under) - $10 Show contains some light swearing, simulated gunfire and strobe use.

Astrology -Haley Elizabeth Bollinger , A&E Editor

Aries:

East, south, north or west? Left or right? Back or forward? Follow new directions because it’s time to move on. Limitations are illusions.

Leo:

Taurus:

Slowly moving into the shallow end of a pool appears easier, but jumping into the deep end headfirst is a better choice. Dive into your fears and you’ll soon be comfortable in the unknown.

Virgo:

Gemini:

Libra: Pebbles skip across Aquarius:

Your childhood picture is framed and sits on your parents’ mantel. Make yourself proud by adding a new picture. More people than you realize care about your achievements.

Release your anger without your scorching wit.

Or buy a ticket to Burning Man and watch the man burn with the pyros and hippies attending - it may vibe some calm into you too.

Think thrice before bad logic deludes you into believing what happens to someone else could never happen to you. Advice is a suggestion but comes from experience; maybe take it once in a while.

a frozen sea. Jealousy is tearing your heart of desire.

Take ahold of your manic frustrations before a bridge that was meant to be crossed burns and creates a new destiny.

Cancer: Spring is close but, Scorpio: ironically, hibernating seems suitable right now. Create an exercise routine and you’ll feel fit and full of newfound energy; the couch is not your friend right now.

Peace is confusing because it implies a utopia. But peace doesn’t occur without a fight. Duel with life and destroy your struggles; peace is waiting after the destruction.

Sagittarius:

Being caught in a dilemma is like being stuck at a red light.

Don’t run the light and catch a ticket, wait your turn and you’ll be at your destination soon.

Capricorn:

Don’t overwhelm yourself with worries that aren’t going to be earthshaking in the long run. Ground yourself in the present and focus on what matters.

Relax, unwind, go to a garden shop and play with the wind chimes. While you’re there, buy a plant and watch it grow. Seeing something develop over time helps keep with life’s flow.

Pisces: Illuminate the positve thoughts you possess. Detach yourself from the demands blocking your perception and clogging the formation of resolutions.

www.theoakleafnews.com

A&E

March 9, 2015

SRJC alumnus releases “Unspoken” Kyle R. Schmidt Staff Writer Santa Rosa Junior College alumnus Austin Smagalski, 21, wants to make a difference. He is in production for his new project “Unspoken,” which portrays the struggles of children who are sexually and physically abused.

The highly anticipated short film, which debuts May 14 at the Capstone Festival at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), conveys the message that it is important to voice your personal abuse and the dangers of not doing so.

“When incidents of abuse happen it becomes a part of your psyche; it affects you forever, and you never have the chance to conquer that and move on,” Samgalski said.

Smagalski, winner of the Sunset Rotary Emerging Artist Award, developed the idea for “Unspoken” while watching a video on YouTube.

The video displays a man alone with his camera who refers to himself as “Spider.” Unable to voice his own earlylife experiences without breaking down in tears, “Spider” uses flashcards to reveal his lifelong secret of being sexually abused as a child.

“After seeing that video I, literally within five minutes, got on my computer, started writing down the script and had the first draft immediately. It’s a matter of getting justice but it’s also a matter of being able to come to terms with something like that,” Smagalski said.

“Unspoken” portrays the life of

Staff Writer Every year there seems to be multiple movies following the exploits of superheroes, and with good reason.

Comic readers have been enjoying the madcap adventures of these largerthan-life characters for nearly 80 years.

It makes sense that moviegoers would love them just as much.

The movie-going public has grown to love Batman, Superman, Iron Man

In the KNOW A calendar of upcoming events at SRJC Mason Smith Staff Writer

March 10 “SRJC Accreditation External Evaluation Team Forum:” Q&A forum with SRJC accreditation team - 3-4 p.m. Doyle Library, room 4245, free

March 11 Kyle R. Schmidt/ Oak Leaf

Director Austin Smagalski and cinematographer Khalil Omer are preparing the perfect shot. Bottom: “Unspoken” poster.

Danny, played by Ethan Paisley, and his experiences at a Christian camp that focuses on training homosexual boys to be straight. During his stay at the Bible summer program, his pastor, played by Raymond C. Duval, abuses Danny, causing permanent emotional and mental scars. “I could have chosen any instance of abuse, but there was something about this one that stood out to me,” Smagalski said.

“Unspoken,” filmed solely in Sonoma County with Petaluma-based actors, is in post-production.

Smagalski is using money out of his pocket and equipment from CSUMB to create the film. His goal is to alter

the lives of those who were abused in the past by encouraging them to speak out to their loved ones. Smagalski said the film does not convey an antiChristian theme, but it is a message for those carrying secrets that are too heavy to hold.

Smagalski is launching a #SafetoSpeak campaign on Facebook and Twitter and aims to create an environment where those who want to can voice their hidden thoughts.

The “Unspoken Short Film” Facebook page can be found at www.facebook. com/safetospeak/ and is constantly updated with further information pertaining to the film.

and Spider-Man. However, something appears to be missing: why are all the superheroes male?

There are just as many female heroes deserving the big picture treatment. Power Girl, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Huntress, SheHulk, Black Canary, Dagger, Hawk Girl, Wasp, Star Girl, Vixen, Zatanna and of course Wonder Woman. That’s a long list isn’t it?

One could argue that most of these characters aren’t well known enough to warrant a film adaption. The same

courtesy of therpf.com, right: courtesy of travelerstoday.com

Left: Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Right: Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

could have been said of Iron Man and Thor. Before 2008, no one knew who those characters were. But of course it’s the male characters that get a shot at their own films.

Let’s look at the most prominent female characters: super spy and avenger, Black Widow. She has appeared as a side character in “Iron Man 2” and “The Avengers.” While she does get some good development in “The Avengers,” it’s still not a starring role.

Marvel has no plans to make a Black Widow movie despite fan demand and interest from Scarlett Johansson for the character to get her own film. However, even if Black Widow got her own film, it would not be enough. While Black Widow is an awesome character, she is more of a spy than an actual superhero.

It’s not the lack of super powers that doesn’t make her a superhero. Batman doesn’t have any powers, but he is still a superhero. Black Widow is closer to James Bond or Jason Bourne than she is to Iron Man or Spiderman. It’s a slight difference but an important one. Black Widow lives in a world of superheroes and fights alongside them but is not one. She’s one of the most important female characters in a superhero film franchise, and she isn’t even a superhero.

In the X-Men film series, the films bring to life some of the X-Men’s greatest superheroines like Storm, Jean Grey, Rogue and Kitty Pryde. Except Jean Grey is severely depowered and focuses on her love triangle with Cyclops and Wolverine. Rogue loses her flying and super strength, long

“Let it Shine: The 6,000 Year Story of Solar Energy:” A discussion of the history of solar power and its contemporary uses - Noon-1:15 p.m. Newman Auditorium, free “Plant Sale:” Proceeds benefit Environmental Horticulture Program and students - 10 a.m.

- 2 p.m.

“SRJC Accreditation External Evaluation Team Forum:” Q&A forum with SRJC accreditation team - Noon-1 p.m. Doyle Library, room 4245, free

Where are the leading roles for superheroines?

Sean Curzon

11

considered part of her powers, to make her a damsel in distress. Kitty Pryde is regulated to small cameos throughout the film series.

Wonder Woman is finally coming to the big screen in a supporting role in the Batman vs. Superman movie. But she will get her own film June 2017, directed by Michelle MacLaren, best known for work directing episodes of “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead” and “Game of Thrones.” Why wait until 2017 for a Wonder Woman film and focus on making a movie for characters who have starred in a combined 14 films?

On a similar note, Captain Marvel will get her own film in November 2018. This is after two more Avengers movies, an Ant-Man movie, another Captain America movie, a Doctor Strange movie, another Thor, yet another Spider-Man film and a Black Panther movie. Sensing a pattern here?

Hollywood is reluctant to make superhero movies with female stars because producers and writers are reluctant to have female leads in movies, especially in action movies.

The studio executives dismiss every female lead success such as “The Hunger Games” and “Aliens” as flukes.

The fact there hasn’t been a major female lead superhero movie is ridiculous. Women, young and old, need to see themselves standing equal to the male heroes. They deserve to be seen more than just love interests or bit players. There is currently no lack for demand, or a lack of characters. It’s time that a superheroine gets the spotlight.

Cinema Series: “The Children’s Hour:” - Film - 6 p.m. Ellis Auditorium, Petaluma Campus $5 General Admission “Do Your Parents Know…(that you are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, uh… different?):” Discussion of timing, feasibility and nature of the issues one can expect when coming out - 1:30-3 p.m. Doyle Library, room 4245, free

March 12 “30 Years of SRJC Printmaking” Artists Reception - 4-6 p.m.

Doyle Library, free

March 13 SRJC Planetarium presents: “The Sun!:” - 7-8 p.m. Lark Hall, room 2001 -$8 General Admission

March 13, 14 “American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose:” A hilarious and moving satire of what it means to be a “real” American - 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. - Burbank Auditorium - $10-$18

March 23 “How the Internet has Changed Our Culture, World and Brains:” - Noon-1 p.m. Newman Auditorium, free

March 27 SRJC Jazz Night - 7:30 p.m.

Burbank Auditorium - $8 General Admission

A&E 12 Living a culinary dream as an SRJC educator March 9, 2015

Devin Schwarz Staff Writer Twenty-three years ago, one young chef scored her first job at Apple Valley Convalescence Hospital feeding patients. Little did she know she would be feeding people for the rest of her life.

Santa Rosa Junior College Culinary Arts Instructor Shelly Kaldunski’s culinary career began at a young age.

She grew up heavily involved with 4H, a national youth organization that provides opportunities for young people to experience raising livestock and crops. Kaldunski’s parents often encouraged their children to experiment in the kitchen and to be self-sufficient when it came to food, Kaldunski said.

Baking drew her attention, and has been her specialty since she began cooking in her youth. Kaldunski grew up immersed in the art, allowing her to develop and perfect it. “I have a desire to always be organized,” Kaldunski said, attributing her enjoyment and skill in baking to this habit.

Four years after her first job at Apple Valley she got her second cooking position at the Bohemian Men’s Club where she cooked primarily meat, potatoes and other “manly” foods. In 1998, she began her five-year career

at Charles Nob Hill working under Rob Siegel, America’s first Iron Chef, with three other women in their early 20s who were later dubbed “Charlie’s angels.” She then moved on to The Inn at Little Washington, a châteaux in Virginia that serves as a getaway for D.C. politicians.

Kaldunski’s final position before coming to SRJC was by far the most noteworthy. She worked as a ghostwriter for Martha Stewart Living and wrote a comprehensive cookbook titled “Martha Stewart Baking Handbook.” She was given two years to write the book - an incredibly long time in cookbook terms, and more than enough time to test each recipe up to 100 times.

She enjoyed this sharing of recipes and knowledge so much that she went on to write five cookbooks of her own: “Cupcakes,” “The Ice Creamery Cookbook,” “The Art of the Cookie,” “Ice Pops” and “Sweet Scoops.”

Kaldunski described her experience writing her first book as “fast.” Her publisher needed the information in just three months, a jarring change compared to the two years she had to write Martha Stewart’s book.

For the past seven years, Kaldunski has been enjoying her job teaching at SRJC. She spent her first four years as an adjunct faculty member and her

www.theoakleafnews.com

Catherine Ramirez/ Oak Leaf

Kaldunski holds her book “The Ice Creamery” at the SRJC culinary center, where she’s been a faculty member for three years.

past three as a full time instructor. As far as a teaching philosophy, Kaldunski borrows the words of Father Joseph M. McShane, president of Fordham University: “I will never insult you with low expectations.”

Kaldunski said, “It is important to instill in my students high standards and high expectations.” She teaches

a handful of classes each semester in SRJC’s culinary department from introduction to baking to meat and sauce preparation, and said that choosing a favorite class would be “like a mother choosing a favorite child.”

Kaldunski is relatively new to the world of college teaching. She said she feels at home in this learning

environment because of its similarity to working in a restaurant, with constant collaboration and growth of the employees as they learn to synergize with the people working around them.

Kaldunski has no plans to change her profession. “I feel as though I have arrived at my dream job,” she said.

Eyes open to the sun

Writers fight oppression New Planetarium show Rebecca Dominguez

Nikki Goetz Staff Writer

Many people think of the sun as a big, hot star that makes us sweat, but at the Planetarium show “The Sun” on Feb. 27 in Lark Hall at the Santa Rosa Junior College, people of all ages learned there is more to the sun than its excessive heat.

Travis Job, the presenter of the show, took the audience to a new world. The lights were shut off and effects of stars and the sun were shown right above the viewers’ heads as Job talked about the sun.

“We compared it to the other kinds of stars,” Job said. “We talked about features of the sun, things that it does, how it affects the planet.”

Energy from the sun is important to Earth; it heats the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. Job hopes that viewers will learn to appreciate the sun more.

“It’s very prominent,” Job said.

“It’s also something that is very taken for granted in a lot of ways.

It is a source of energy that is for everything on the planet Earth.”

SRJC student John Veu said, “I

really liked the sizing, the Earth compared to the sun.” If you could put the sun and Earth side-by-side, Earth looks the size of a speck, hardly visible next to the giant star.

Many children came to view the show. One viewer, Danielle Barnsdale, suggested a kids’ night for upcoming events.

“Where [the show] points out different stars they could see in the sky.” Barnsdale said. “It was cool, I liked seeing the stars.”

The show opened the viewers’ eyes to how important the sun is to our planet.

Courtesy of NASA

The sun is in a period of high solar activity as shown in this solar prominence eruption captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory.

Staff Writer

The pen is definitely mightier than the sword, especially for some Iranian-American women fighting oppression through literature.

Dr. Persis Karim’s lecture “Women and the Emergence of IranianAmerican Literary Landscapes” March 2 in Newman Auditorium was the first of a number of events celebrating Women’s History Month as part of the ongoing Arts and Lectures series. It highlighted the importance of women’s voices in an oppressive society.

Karim focused on IranianAmerican women’s writing. She spoke about Iran and America’s strained history and the struggle for women’s rights in Iran. “It’s really important that we not take for granted the lives of women and the struggles that they have to gain equality,” Karim said.

The lecture talked about the function of literature for women in Iran and in America. She said writers use it as a way to question male privilege and patriarchy, especially in a place where the rights of women are restricted.

“My cousin was 16-years-old during the revolution and she was in the streets demonstrating shortly after the establishment of the Islamic republic.

She, like many activists, was arrested and put in jail. She was in jail for four years for resisting the call to veil,” Karim said.

According to Karim, exploring other cultures help battle the stereotypes people have about the Middle East.

“Literature has kind of been one of the most important vehicles by which we’ve humanized Iran,” she said.

The subject of women in Iran is paradoxical. Women have been restricted in their professions, clothing and education since the establishment of the Islamic republic. Despite this, Iran currently has the highest literacy rate among women since 1980.

“People have this idea of people riding camels and wearing veils, very sort of stereotypical images, but women in Iran are among the highest educated in the Middle East, and at the same time they don’t have the same rights and privileges as men,” Karim said.

Through technology, the youth have become more involved with literature, according to Karim. Youth are more vocal about their freedoms, and writers reflect that. “More writers are registering in their writing the desire to be free personally, to have personal freedom and to express certain things that may be not aligned with sort of Islamic values,” Karim said.

One of the most important functions of literature is giving a voice to the voiceless. If people are willing to listen it can change the way they understand things.

“I think that if we could turn off the rhetoric and really climb inside the hearts and minds of artists and writers from places like Iran, we might actually learn a lot more about what people are thinking and doing rather than just the loud shouts of government officials,” Karim said.

There will be more events on the Santa Rosa and Petaluma Junior College campuses celebrating Women’s History Month throughout March.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Sports

March 9, 2015

13

From injury to triumph

SRJC Ice Hockey player shows true heart of a champion Anthony Sosa

reconstructive knee surgery. The doctor said he wouldn’t be able to get back on the ice until the middle of March 2015.

Staff Writer “I was in shock, because I’ve never n South Lake Tahoe, Santa Rosa been out for a long time like that,” Junior College Polar Bear hockey Nisja said. defenseman Niklis Nisja suffered a Hearing all of this bad news could knee injury Sept. 6 during the second have brought down any young athlete, preseason game of the year against let alone a first-year college hockey Tahoe Blue. The injury required player, but this only fueled Nisja’s fire reconstructive knee surgery. Since and made him desire the game he loves then, his return to hockey has been a to play even more. “Once I got past the triumphant one. shock [of the injury status], I thought, During the game, Nisja was ‘what’s it going to take to get back out unnecessarily hit by a Tahoe Blue there,’’’ Nisja said. player that sent him Head coach down on the ice. He Mike Kovanis immediately tried thought the worst to get up and hurry when he heard “You have to never back into play, not the news. knowing he was hurt “When the injury give up and know at first, but quickly happened and there are going to realized he couldn’t we learned the because of the pain in severity of it, I be hills and valleys.” his knee. thought his season “I tried to pop was lost for sure, -Niklis Nisja up like it was just but he made up another hit, but his mind that he when I couldn’t do would do rehab that I knew it was bad,” Nisja said. “In and try everything possible to get back my head I thought, ‘Why can’t I get up? on the ice for the second semester,” What’s wrong?”’

Kovanis said.

Nisja received the news later that Hockey is Nisja’s life, and he wanted week that he would have to endure to do whatever it took to get back on

I

the ice and play again. “Hockey’s a drug and it’s addictive,” he said.

Nisja made it his goal to get back on the ice before the expected return date of March 24. With the help of constant rehab and physical therapy, he was able to take baby steps to achieve his goal. Nisja needed hockey back in his life. Without it he was having major withdrawals and missed the sport he’s played for so long. “Not being able to play hockey for that long was not good at all, I really needed to hit someone,” he said.

Polar Bears defenseman Eric Zagacki saw Nisja work hard to get back onto the ice. “He showed up for practices to start working out again as soon as his doctor gave him clearance to skate, even though he wouldn’t be able to play in any games for a while.”

With hard work and determination, Nisja beat the odds and returned Jan. 17 against Stanford University. This was two months earlier than doctors believed he would.

“It was the best feeling ever,” Nisja said.

He even scored a goal in his first game back. Nisja’s resilience and belief in getting back out there as fast as he could helped him recover and return quickly.

“He showed tremendous resolve and

Misplaced ridicule of athletes Parker Dangers Oncken Staff Writer

Opinion

O

ne man beat his wife. One man abused his child.

And one man used performanceenhancing drugs. Which of these men deserves the most ridicule? Decide for yourself. Who deserves the least ridicule? The answer to the question is blatantly obvious, but Americans are getting it dead wrong.

“To the fans, I take full responsibility for the mistakes that led to my suspension for the 2014 season. I regret that my actions made the situation worse than it needed to be,” said Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez in a handwritten letter addressed to fans after his return from suspension.

These words fell upon deaf ears. No one believes a word he says anymore, because we have turned him into a larger-than-life villain. Judging by the level of hatred fans have towards him, a person without prior knowledge of the situation would be convinced he killed someone.

A-Rod deserved the season-long suspension he served. He violated MLB’s substance abuse policy; no one is arguing that fact. The punishment fit the crime. The level of hatred fans have towards him does not.

As sports fans, why are we treating A-Rod’s mistake as though it is more heinous than domestic or child abuse?

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and Minnesota Vikings

Photo curtesy of battingleadoff.com

Alex Rodriguez is suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

running back Adrian Peterson are no longer under the microscope of public judgment as a result of all eyes and anger directed at A-Rod. Ray Rice beat his fiancé, knocking her out cold before dragging her, unconscious, out of the elevator where the assault occurred.

Rice was suspended for the remainder of the season after video evidence of the assault was released.

For most of the general public, that is the last we have heard about Ray Rice.

Peterson has also escaped the spotlight and the ridicule of fans.

Even in the weeks immediately after he was found to have disciplined his young son using a tree branch, people defended him, even pushing for his return to the playing field the following week, because it was a “big game.” A federal judge has since ruled that Peterson should be allowed back into the NFL, which paved the way for his return.

The day after the news came out, there should have been screams of

ridicule, but there was hardly a whisper.

The way we have reacted as a society, treating Alex Rodriguez as a criminal, while turning a blind eye upon two men convicted of violently assaulting people they claim to love, is an absolute embarrassment.

Each of us needs to get up off the couch, stare at ourselves in the mirror, and rethink the direction we have thrown our hatred.

Photo Courtesy of Donn Nisja

Left: Polar Bear defensemen Niklis Nisja shows off the outcome of his near season-ending knee injury. Right: Niklis Nisja skates during the Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association championship game after making an earlier-than-expected comeback from a knee injury.

determination to get himself back to not only just walking again, but playing competitive collegiate ice hockey way ahead of schedule,” coach Kovanis said.

Not only did Nisja return, he played a big role in helping SRJC capture its third straight PCHA championship.

Nisja played solid defense for the squad, with a few key blocked shots in the championship game. “Nik’s return was a big boost for us as we were very short on defensemen for the second semester; he was able to come in and contribute right away for us there,” Kovanis said. “To come back from

injury and then fill in a position of need for us, rather than where he had been playing earlier this season was huge.”

Ironically enough, the championship game took place against UC Davis on the same ice where the injury occurred. Although his first experience was not great there, he made his next trip memorable by capturing a championship.

With this injury Nisja was able to learn a lot about himself, hockey and life. “You just have to never give up and know there’s going to be hills and valleys,” Nisja said.

Hillel Job Opportunity

H

illel is looking for an outgoing, hardworking Jewish SRJC student to join our intern team. This paid internship would include attending weekly meetings, promoting Hillel events on campus, and working with our vast Jewish network and resources to help plan and execute interesting, engaging, and fun programs.

If you or someone you know would be perfect for this job, please contact Hillel Director Ilana Stoelting at

director@sonomahillel.org or at 707-795-5464.

14

Sharks, all in or down and out Travis LaBrucherie Staff Writer

T

Sports

March 9, 2015

Opinion

he San Jose Sharks did very little to bolster their lineup prior to the NHL trade deadline March 2. With just four trades, maybe they’ve made just the right lineup tweak or maybe they’ve given up on the season. Seems like they feel great with the guys they got, and I’m glad they kept their big name, key players.

After a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators, center Joe Pavelski said, “Obviously it’s the game before the trade deadline; does something need to change in here? Yeah, we got to start winning; got to win, bottom line. Get a little better, find ways to score.”

An interviewer interrupted with, “I’m talking in terms of personnel,” Pavelski responded, “Next question.

We like the guys in here; the guys have done a good job. They’re all capable; it’s about doing it together.”

Prior to the deadline, the Sharks upgraded their defense by trading Jason Demers and a draft pick for Brenden Dillon Nov. 21.

Then they made the classy move of trading for long-time Sharks’ goalie Evgeni Nobokov from the Tampa Bay Lightning so he could retire as a Shark.

With little deadline activity, it will be interesting to see how the four trades will pan out.

Forward Freddie Hamilton went to the Colorado Avalanche for defensemen Karl Stollery, who will most likely spend most of his time in the American Hockey League and serve as a backup.

He hasn’t scored a point in seven career NHL games, making this trade a definite headscratcher.

Continued on Page 15

SRJC Basketball: ending the season with a 14-14 record. This crucial stretch of the schedule kept the defending champions out of the playoffs.

With six returning players from a state championship team, the roster had experience but lacked the consistency needed to make the playoffs.

“It’s obviously a disappointment going from the top to not making the playoffs. I’ve always set my goals high and this year came up short,” said Corey Hammell.

There were some bright spots such as Hammell’s play throughout the season. He averaged a double-double and scored 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Sophomore point guard Davone

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Men’s andWomen’s teams finish season with a .500 record

to start games slow. There was a handful of occasions where it took four to five minutes to score their first Assistant Sports Editor bucket. However, strong defense and he Santa Rosa Junior College rebounding kept them in most games. men’s and women’s basketball Jenna Dunbar led the team with 13.1 teams had a roller coaster season points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per with major ups, dropping into major game. downs; both teams couldn’t muster Dunbar had a huge game in the any real playoff run.

Bear Cubs’ lone playoff win, scoring 21 Men’s basketball played .500-ball points and 11 rebounds. Vai Thompson all year, starting 7-7. They never could also pitched in with 11 points and eight put a winning streak together to get rebounds, many of which came at a over the hump. Finally, playing better, time when the team struggled. the team was 12-10 going into the The two players’ efforts helped vault final month of the season.

SRJC to a playoff victory, coming back Then, as the coaster peaked, it from an 18-point deficit to win 57-54, inevitably dropped off. The team Feb. 25 at Haehl Pavilion. lost four of its next six games, “I feel like it was all a matter of wanting it more than any player on their team, and being prepared to change the energy of the game at any moment,” Thompson said.

After riding a huge high from the comeback win, the team traveled to Chabot College in Hayward for the second playoff game Feb. 28. The high was short-lived. Chabot thwarted the Bear Cubs’ efforts in the 79-70 loss.

In the final game Alicia Mehtlan had a monster game, scoring 29 points and snagging seven rebounds. Though she had eight turnovers, it did not take away from a stellar performance.

While Dunbar led the team all year, Mehtlan was the second leading-scorer at 9.8 points per game, tied with the reserve spark plug of Brooke Santandar.

While the team made the playoffs, it was an early exit for a team that at times lacked consistency and saw their season end in a hard-fought game.

“Well it’s definitely disappointing that we weren’t able to play on and reach our goal toward state, but I wouldn’t consider this year a Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf disappointment,” Thompson said.

Left: Santa Rosa Junior College women’s basketball team ends the season with a 15-15 record and lost in the first round of playoffs.

“We all agreed that we are certainly not Right: Santa Rosa Junior College men’s basketball team ends the season with a 14-14 record and did not make it to playoffs. the team we were back in September.”

Matt Rubel

T

Oliver was also a key piece, scoring 13.3 points a game. Sophomore Parker Farris averaged 13.3 points and led the Bear Cubs with 1.1 steals per game.

With a solid core, the team lacked the one piece that kept them from reaching that next level. Next year the team brings back six players, with a total of 53 starts between them.

“We were missing a true center and our maturity at times, but the good thing is there’s a solid core coming back next year,” Hammell said.

The women’s basketball season was a similar cycle of up-and-down play; the records were eerily similar, starting 7-8 and finishing 15-15.

The Bear Cubs had a tendency

Captain’s Edition Ben Crabb Swim and Dive

Chrisitne Lewis (on the right)

Swim and Dive

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Megan Warren Swim and Dive

Nike or Under Armor?

Under Armor

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The Dark Knight or Avengers?

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Kershaw or Bumgarner?

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Bumgarner. Best pitcher of this generation

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Favorite Ninja Turtle?

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Sports

March 9, 2015

15

Bear Cubs baseball undefeated at home Matt Rubel Assistant Sports Editor

D

espite leaving 13 runners on base, the Santa Rosa Junior College baseball team sent the Diablo Valley Vikings paddling back to Pleasant Hill in their 4-1 defeat March 5.

The game started strong for SRJC pitcher Garrett Hill, who put batters down one-two-three in the first inning. The bats started hot when Ryan Haug doubled down the third baseline. Then, Weston Bryan later drove in a double.

Hill mowed down batters through the second and third innings; however, SRJC’s offense also stalled leaving four runners on base without scoring.

“We just need to keep sticking to the process, watching the game to see how they are throwing. Just keep getting better in practice and learn from our mistakes and just keep getting on base,” Haug said about leaving runners on base.

In the fourth inning Hill got into trouble, giving up a leadoff double and walking two players to load the bases with no outs. But Hill buckled down, only giving up one run while striking out two to get out of the inning relatively unscathed.

“Once they got loaded I just focused on throwing every pitch to

Joseph Barkoff/Oak Leaf

Top: Mike Reynolds tags out the attempted base stealer with a perfect throw from catcher Jackson Leslie March 5 at Sypher Field in Santa Rosa.

Right: SRJC freshman Ryan Haug rifles the first hit of the game down the third baseline against Diablo Valley College March 5 at Sypher Field in Santa Rosa.

The sights, the smells, the rush

Continued from Page 14

Racecar season is near Robert Marshall

the cars, has a strong smell, a smell that not everybody can handle. I love the smell—mainly because Sports Editor I’ve been around it my entire life.

It brings me back to sitting in the Opinion grandstands when these cars blow nion rings, cigarettes, an engine or a crewman spills methanol, screeching gas while filling it up. Smelling it tire—these are a few of my while on the street brings me joy. It favorite sights and sounds that get reminds me race season is around me pumped for my favorite time the corner. of the year, race season.

The onion rings at the track are It’s always this time that Petaluma one of the best food inventions ever Speedway comes calling my name. made. I love the rings. Their sweet, The threecrunchy taste eighth mile dirt that makes my racetrack located taste buds dance. off Highway 101 I sit at the bus “It’s the place where at the Petaluma stop and get this Fairgrounds has aroma you will see me yell or sudden been part of my that takes me jump up and down.” life since I was 10. back to standing A sprint car is an in line and 800-horsepower breathing in the vehicle that rings. runs on dirt or pavement, usually Now the cigarettes, they’re bad, powered by 360 or 410-cubic inch but breathing in the second-hand engines, with awesome wings that smoke gives me a euphoric feeling stand on top, giving it ultimate that takes me back to the smokedown force that lets it slide through puffing old men that smoke outside the corners. The track plays host to the entrance to the speedway. weekly Saturday night races MarchI love screeching tires. They’re November with five divisions, while scary for some people, but music hosting special events like the 360 to my ears. Walking home and cars California Civil War Series and 410 peeling from the intersection when King of the West Series. the light turns green is awesome to Methanol, a type of gasoline for hear. Standing at the intersection

O

the right spot,” Hill said. “Luckily I got my job done as best I could.”

With a 1-1 tie, SRJC brought the bats out in the bottom of the fourth. After Jack Leslie scored on a Michael Reynolds ground out, Bryce Nagata came up with runners at the corners. Nagata fouled off six pitches in an epic plate battle, before finding a hole to the left side of the infield to drive in Jake Hedrick for a RBI single and 3-1 lead.

Hill’s day was done after the sixth inning, giving up only two hits, one run and five strikeouts. Matt Becker took the mound in the seventh and was lights out in the final three innings, striking out seven of 10 batters.

“I try to locate my pitches as best I can and change speeds,” Hill said.

“For the most part I was able to do that pretty well.”

SRJC put another run on the board in the eighth on a passed ball, for a 4-1 final score. Nagata finished the game two for three, with one run, one RBI and a stolen base.

Haug finished two for four, with a double, a walk and a run scored.

“It all starts with a plan. You have to walk up to the plate with confidence and get a pitch to hit hard,” Haug said. “It’s mine and the teams job to get on base anyway we can.”

The Bear Cubs’ record is 11-4 on the season and 6-0 at home; their next home game is at 2:30 p.m. March 12 at Sypher Field in Santa Rosa.

San Jose sent forwards Tyler Kennedy to the New York Islanders and James Sheppard to the New York Rangers for draft picks.

The trade that will impact the Sharks the most is the acquisition of forward Ben Smith, along with a draft pick, with Andrew Desjardins to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Smith will add depth to the lineup. Having won a Stanley Cup in Chicago, Smith knows how to win in the playoffs, which has been the Sharks’ Achilles’ heel. He can bring leadership to younger players and help on the penalty kill, which has been one of the Sharks’

weaknesses all season. In his first game as a Shark, Smith had a goal and an assist.

Since the trade deadline, the Sharks are 2-1 and have outscored their opponents 12-5. With such a tight race in the Western Conference, the Sharks still have a lot of work to do. They need to win more than two out of every three games if they want a chance for the Stanley Cup. The Sharks have made the playoffs consecutively for the last 10 seasons. But making the playoffs has never been the issue; it’s going deep into the playoffs that’s been difficult.

of Mendocino Avenue hearing or seeing the cars leave is like being at the racetrack when the modifieds, (a type of racecar) slam on the brakes under caution or to avoid a wreck.

The best part of the speedway is the screaming fans. They make it fun. If it wasn’t for us, there wouldn’t be racing, or for that matter, a racetrack.

The fans make everything worthwhile and we have fun doing it.

Whether we’re fighting, drinking, cheering for our favorite drivers, or booing, it’s what we do best.

CPR | AED | First Aid | AED Sales & Service Petaluma Speedway is another home for me. The Get supportive, quality training from track gets my American Heart Association certified instructors. adrenaline pumping every Student and group discounts • Weekly CPR community classes time I go there.

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I just can’t wait to go back.

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