Veterans and military students feel overlooked, lost at SSU

majority of people in my classes are younger than me.” said Jessica Bergler, a fourth year psychology student and a veteran.

Navy veteran Sean Pentecost, a third year business major and econ minor, says he didn’t go to the welcoming events put on by SSU because he couldn’t bring his wife and children.

If you don’t pay your tuition in time, you risk being dropped from your classes. Sometimes, the VA isn’t processed on time which can cause a panic in students.

“They really hammer on it but never once talked about any exceptions,” said Pentecost.

ture, goal-oriented, mission-driven, experienced leaders.” explained Alison Lightball in an article about student veterans.

MARIAH FORSTER STAFF WRITER

At SSU, the voices of veterans and military affiliated students can become lost because their experiences are different from the average student population. According to the U.S Depart ment of Veteran Affairs, “Only 15 percent of student veterans are the same age as traditional college students.” Most often, student veterans are older between the ages of 24-30. Some of these students have families of their own.

“Being a student here I am very aware of my age since the

“Really they were thinking about students trying to separate from their parents for the first time and didn’t want parents there. But older students weren’t considered”.

Military affiliated students often get overlooked on campus which results in them having to find the resources they need on their own.

“I feel alone when relating to others about the difficulties of being a student that gets benefits from the VA,” said Shawnia Ard, third year business administration student and the president of the Student Veterans Club.

Pentecost thinks there should have been a part of orientation focused on students using VA benefits.

If you’re using VA benefits, the school will put a hold on your account rather than being dropped from classes. Information like this is often hidden which leads to students having to scramble to figure out how to deal with their VA benefits.

One campus resource that can help students using VA benefits is MAVRC, which stands for Military and Veterans Resource Center. However, military affiliated students feel that it needs to be expanded.

“We have MAVRC but the size of it is insufficient for the amount of military affiliated students we have,” said Bergler.

Military affiliated students set an ex ample for other students on campus. “They are emotionally ma -

Bergler credits the military for helping her be successful at SSU. “The military taught me how to be disciplined, and how to manage my time.”

Pentecost went through two years of difficult schooling to be a nuclear operator for nuclear reactors on submarines. “I had to learn different study techniques that worked for me so I could become certified as an operator…Those study techniques I carry with me today.”

As midterms and finals approach, college students are often stressed out about preparing for exams or writing essays. For veterans like Pentecost, their experience in the military allows them to not get overwhelmed by school.

“In the navy, the stakes were a lot higher,” says Pentecost. Therefore, it makes the challenges in school easier to manage.

Is marijuana use more dangerous because of edibles?

CÉLIA ALINE AMARAL STAFF WRITER

Recreational marijuana has been legal in the California since 2016, but not many people know the risks of marijuana use.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), “Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6”.

As a reminder, use of cannabis in not permitted on campus, including in the dorms. According to Sonoma State Police Chief Nader Oweis, “Anyone caught may be subject to disciplinary actions through the Dean of Students Office”. He also explained that under federal law, cannabis is illegal in the United States. Smoking cannabis in public is prohibited, especially where the use of tobacco is also prohibited.

The legal aspect of cannabis and the casualness of its use makes people forget that it can potentially be dangerous and life threatening. There are a lot of risks related to marijuana consumption. According to SAMHSA, those risks include health issues such as brain damage and mental health issues, “Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes.”

Risks related to cannabis are am plified when it is consumed in an edible form. Cannabis can be in be gummies, baked goods or even beverages. According to Oweis “Many people who consume edibles are unaware of the dangers associated with their use. The amount of THC is difficult to measure and is often unknown in many edibles. Many products contain significantly more THC than labeled and people who consume these edibles can be caught off-guard.”

He also touched on one large dif ference between smoking marijuana and consuming edibles, “The most prominent difference…is the delayed onset of effects associated with edibles -- it can take up to two hours to feel the effects. Unfortunately, this causes some people to consume a greater amount of drug before it has taken effect”.

Some Students at SSU are ap - parently not aware of these risks. The police have reported being called on “acute marijuana intoxication”, which is the term used to describe marijuana overdose. The symptoms from edibles are usually more severe than the one from smoking according to Oweis. He also expressed that students should call 911 if someone experiences those symptoms which include but are not limited to vomiting, anxiety, panic attack, agitation or paranoia.

Students may be nervous to call the police, but they ensure that students safety is always their top priority.

Lastly, the chief encouraged stu dents to join the discussion about drugs and alcohol, “One Pill Can Kill” that will take place on March 6 in Ballroom A. The one thing students can’t overdose on is information.

Rihanna’s halftime performance included an unexpected guest

Trends, Rihanna was searched on google more than 10 million times with the most popular searches being “Is Rihanna pregnant?” and other phrases involving her speculated pregnancy.

ing,” said Jadwet.

STAFF WRITER KYLIE PERRY

As Rihanna took the stage on Superbowl Sunday, Feb. 12, to perform live at the halftime show, there was a lot of speculation on whether Rihanna was pregnant or just holding on to some baby weight from her last child, who she had nine months ago. The rumors of Rihanna being pregnant were confirmed to be true with lots of rubbing and holding of her belly and later the confirmation in words by her publicist.

According to Google

Rihanna’s outfit was designed per fectly by her stylist to either conceal or reveal her pregnancy as he didn’t know she would be revealing it until the last minute.

A few SSU students watched the halftime show and had a couple of things to say on the performance and the pregnancy announcement.

“The pregnancy announcement was kinda over the top like why not be a normal person and post it on instagram?” said Aadil Jadwet, 24.

Paulina Vaclav, 21, thought the complete opposite. “I thought it was a great way to show off that she’s pregnant.”

Both students had something to say on the theme of the show. “The theme of the show resembled the game Super Smash Bros. I was dy-

“It definitely puts the viewers’ perspective strictly and easily onto Rihanna with the colors. The theme was great, I mean it was a little sad since I knew her mainly for her music and thought she would drop a new song but, it was a great way to throw back and show off her amazing music that everyone knows and loves,” said Vaclav.

When asked about what she thought when first seeing her on stage, Vaclav said, “Immediately I thought she was pregnant, but as I’m working on changing my perspective about that stuff, I then resolved to her just being her ‘baby fat,’ as others like to put it.”

Jadwet said, “When I saw her at the halftime show I automatically said to everyone she was pregnant and we were all in shock.”

Vaclav had a great time watching Rihanna’s performance. “I was having a great time listening and watching her perform. I was only like 14 when her last album came out so listening to her music choices that day brought back so many memories.” Jadwet thought that some things could be improved. “The halftime show could have been better in my opinion. She could have brought out Drake and Jay-Z.”

While Jadwet thinks that Rihan na’s music is “just as relevant today” and doesn’t make much of a difference to him that she didn’t release music in so long, Vaclav has a different perspective. “It might be hard for her since it’s been like 7 years, picking anything back up from 7 years ago is never easy for anyone but I’m proud of her.”

Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement was certainly unexpected and shocked a lot of people watching the show. It was definitely an eye-catching performance that caused a lot of speculation and is still being talked about by viewers of the show and people who didn’t get the chance to watch it.