Spring 2023, Issue 5

Dreaded Duo Stolen goods ‘Va-va Bloom’

Know the signs, save a life, save a seawolf

MARIAH FORSTER STAFF WRITER

Trevor Leopold was only 15 when he was introduced to cannabis. After a three year battle with addiction, Trevor was found dead in his dorm room after taking a pill containing a lethal amount of fentanyl. He was just 18 years old.

Four years later, Trevor’s mother, Michelle Leopold returns to Sonoma State for the first time since her son’s death to educate students, faculty, and the community about fentanyl.

“It’s weird”. Said Leopold referring to being back on campus. “Last time I was here, I was at the police station picking up two boxes of evidence”.

Leopold describes Trevor as an adventurous boy. His spirit animal is a “mountain goat.”

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for young people in America. It is linked to psychosis, suicide, and driving under the influence. Many teens and young adults are purchasing drugs containing Fentanyl on social media platforms, according to Parents Together Action.

The event “One Pill Can Kill” is part of a series of programs that are part of SSU’s Save A Seawolf: Fentanyl and Other Drug Awareness Month. The focus of the event was to spread awareness and provide tools for students to use to help others.

“This month is part of a larger effort to educate on Alcohol and Other Drugs and is in part, hosted by the AOD Committee In the Division of Student Affairs,” stated Mo Phillips, director of student involvement.

While the fentanyl epidemic is continuing to grow, there are ways students can help

fects of fentanyl or other opioid drugs.

Narcan is available for free at the Student Health Center on campus stated Laura Williams, director of CAPS. To obtain Narcan, all that is required is a brief training on how to use it.

Leopold believes that Trevor might still be alive if only his friend who was with him had narcan and knew the signs of fentanyl poisoning.

“I’m going to get Narcan from the health center,” said Vita Dean, third year communications student who attended the event.

Leopold explains in her presentation that marijuana today contains a higher pH than what it used to have and often has fentanyl in it.

Jayden Uhl, a third year history student states that he knew today’s marijuana is different from previous generations, however, he did not understand the extent of this difference.

While students were taught about drugs in ninth grade health class, fentanyl didn’t really exist which is why many young people today are unaware of its deadly effects.

Leopold advocates for students to be educated users if they choose to use substances like maijuana.

“I believe in education… sharing what happened with him and hoping other people should learn from their mistakes…young adults should learn from their mistakes, not die from them,” said Leopold

Leopold hopes that people learn to say “K-N-O-W” and understand what is in the substances they are putting into their bodies.

“Speaking out about Trevor keeps him close at heart, and I also share his story to keep other parents from being part of this horrific club no mother or father

Santa Rosa high schools face more alarms than one

CÉLIA ALINE AMARAL STAFF WRITER

Around 11 a.m. on Monday, March 1 a fight broke out in an art classroom at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa leaving 16-year-old Jayden Pienta dead and another student injured.

According to Santa Rosa police, a teacher and several teacher’s aides were able to break up the fight. However, moments later the fight continued and the freshman student, a 15-year-old boy, pulled out a folding knife and stabbed the two boys. The fight occurs between a freshman student and two juniors whose names were not released because of age.

Police responded within four minutes after being notified by the 911 dispatcher. At the press conference held by Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan, “both the

students were alert and conscious and were providing initial statements.” He added, “our medical staff arrived on the scene and quickly started treating the students and they were transported to a local hospital.” Pienta succumbed to his injury later at the hospital. He suffered from three stab wounds in his upper body. The other student, also 16, was stabbed once in his hand but is expected to make full recovery.

The suspect fled the room after the incident but was found 40 minutes later by Santa Rosa police and the Sonoma county sheriff. He was taken into custody and is being charged with voluntary manslaughter, as authorities believe there was an element of self-defense to the stabbings. The weapon has not been found with the supect

SONOMA COUNTY MOURNS on pg.4

Protests arise amid De Santis’ change to course material

SACHA WEDNER STAFF WRITER

OnFeb 28, the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) president, Kaye Wise Whitehead, released an email statement in regards to Florida governor Ron De Santis’ attempts to delegitimize AP African American Studies curriculum and pressuring the CollegeBoard against making revisions to these courses. This isn’t anything unique, as similar instances over the last two and a half years have seen courses focusing on similar subjects being targeted for supposedly being “woke”. These actions were not met without opposition. In light of De Santis’ action, thirty LGBT advocacy groups signed a letter calling for the resignation of CollegeBoard CEO David Coleman. The reasons for this are the College Board lacked the clari

ty needed when talking with the Florida Board of Education, and failed to realize the harm of accusations of a “woke” agenda among curriculum until it was too late.

The NWSA stated that they “write now as part of a broader campaign to keep pressure on College Board and elevate the wider crises of appeasement.” College Board would initially deny that politics had no influence in the decision to approve these course revisions, contradicting the words of a spokesperson that exposed College Board for admitting that they relinquished the term “intersectionality” in response to the campaign against “woke” concepts being discussed in the classroom.

Whitehead said that similar logic may have played a part in “expungement of oth

Catalytic converters in danger of getting stolen from parking lots at SSU.

Seawolves blossom with joy while making floral arragngements.

COURTESY // srcschools.org

Montgomery Highschool in Santa Rosa was the sight of a fatal stabbing March 1.

THE STAR

Editorial Board

Rosalee Padilla, Editor-in-Chief

Nicholas Roth, Copy Editor

Ana Fingerson, News Editor

Mikayla Fritzemeier, Opinion Editor

Adriana Gonzalez, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Cec Fernandez, Photo Editor

Zachary Gonzales, Student Life Editor

Javier Hernandez, Sports Editor

Corinne

Seawolf safety comes first; a call for more protocols

Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers

Célia Aline Amaral, Rene Cassano, Mariah

Forster, Tito Fuentes, Mia Garcia, Elias Kaplan, Olivia Keeler, Kathleen Mootz, Alec Padilla, Cooper Perry, Kylie Perry, Bernardo Ramos, Jake Renteria, Justin Simpson, Ally Valiente, Sacha Wedner

Photographers

Dennae Taylor and Malia Teran

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Telephone: 707-664-2776

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Publication

The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR Editorial Board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.

Editorial Policy

The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers.

Correction

In last weeks issue on page six we misnamed Aaron Estrada.

Weare only 66 days into the new year and the United States has already experienced 94 mass shootings. From the get go, more than 50 mass shootings occurred in the month of January. Year in and year out, the number of incidents continuously increases. Every university seems to be holding their breath; will our campus be the next one targeted?

Mass shootings pose a threat now more than ever. Recent news in 2023 includes the Monterey Park shooting in LA that killed 10 people and the Michigan state incident leaving multiple casualties for a college community to mourn. While hearing news reports and simultaneously being a student, it’s nerve-racking to see that most of these tragedies share something in common; the majority occur on school property.

Michigan State and Sonoma State are both public schools, which means anyone has the freedom to walk onto campus. The culprit behind the MSU tragedy had no affiliation to the University; could this have been prevented if the school was closed off to outside guests?

Our school is lacking physical barriers or preventive measures such as metal detectors for academic buildings. On top of that, students do not receive guidance on how to respond to an active shooter/assailant. Although faculty are required to do online training, it seems like they’re leaving their students in the dark on how to react in case of an emergency.

During orientation, at the start of every Seawolves journey, there must be guidance from the school on how to navigate potentially deadly scenarios at this place we now call “our home.” Instead of emphasizing what the Seawolf commitment is, or the motto of our university, SSU needs to show that preventing danger is one of their top priorities.

Last week in Santa Rosa, the neighboring city of Rohnert Park, a stabbing occurred killing one student and severely injuring another. Montgomery High School is just seven miles from the SSU campus. With this horrific incident recently occurring in

Sonoma County, this could be a teachable moment to revise, learn, and continue to adopt safety standards so the University can remain a positive environment for everyone.

Growing up in a digitized generation, we have been exposed to countless amounts of media coverage involving mass shootings. Tragedies that have occurred nationwide are being headlined on news networks, front and center on every family’s living room TV. Violence seems unavoidable within modern day media. Hashtags began to trend with messages such as #26angels to commemorate the 26 lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary or #vegasstrong for the city where 56 music festival goers were brutally murdered. These sensitive topics have not left the newsroom-in fact, they are still on the rise.

Although students are protected by the law and policies such as penal code sections 626.9 where it is illegal to bring a firearm onto campus, it’s essential that our University Police Department (UPD) is also present. UPD aims to protect us at all cost. With our 269 acre campus, they have a three to five minutes response time which is above average compared to various police across the CSU system. Even though they provide a level of protection, fellow Seawolves can still be susceptible to danger.

The Sonoma State STAR had the opportunity to interview University Chief of Police Nadar Oweis. Although he is the new chief in charge, Oweis has 26 years of campus safety under his belt from UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. In case of an emergency, the police encourage the person in distress to call 911. Nadar emphasized how important it is to call, “Allow [the police] to get involved, even if the scenario may seem benign.”

As a Seawolf within SSU, we believe that accountability is required as a community. It’s up to us to preserve the non-violent culture our university encourages. We need to keep vigilant and always be informed on what is happening at school. In order to remain safe we must depend on each other and continue to live in preparedness not fear.

Letters to the Editor:

Letters to the Editor are encouraged and will be considered for publication based on relevance, accuracy and timeliness . Submit letters of up to 300 words no later than the Friday before the publication date. Send letters to star@sonoma.edu, include your full name, year in school and city of residence.

Duo Mobile continues to annoy and inconvenience students

your school email, it will ask you if you’d like to use a push notification or enter a code generated by the app to log in; you are logging in twice to make sure it’s you.

ELIAS KAPLAN STAFF WRITER

Due to an increase in attempted hackings of Sonoma State University’s websites and accounts, the Duo Mobile service was employed in the Spring semester of 2022 as multi-factor authentication for students and staff. But is there something this service can offer that would make it more convenient to use?

The Duo Mobile app works in a rather tedious but successful way. Much like the design of the SSU’s student portal, it gets annoying to navigate through it. When logging in to canvas and other websites with

SSU’s website has a page titled “Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for Students” in which it walks the reader through the ins and outs of how the app works and what users will see and do in making use of the Duo Mobile service.

This includes a section about unexpected push notifications, which is described as “an indicator that someone has your password” and is trying to log in to your account. Once the user denies the request, it will prevent you from logging in for 24 hours, or if it is a weekend it can last until Monday, some instances require contacting IT. What if you needed to use canvas to do homework or take tests within that time? How would you be able to log in if Duo Mobile is preventing you from doing so?

MFA has many benefits, as does

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), which you may have heard, but Duo Services uses multi-layered security here. Who doesn’t want more security for their passwords and online information? MFA protects users from hackers, guarding their personal and financial details, and preventing anyone else but the user from accessing it. With the increase in hacking that has occurred recently, it’s clear why SSU has employed it as another security measure for its students and staff.

When asked whether they thought the Duo Mobile service was necessary, student Ben Beeman said “People hacking the school servers was a huge issue and now in 2023, tech is more vulnerable than ever. I think it is worth it just to have another little bit of security.” Beeman then goes on, “in situations where you need to access something quickly, it can be a pain.” He also noted that there are multiple SSU pages that require a Duo login, adding to the frustration. This a very common complaint

amongst students.

Another issue worthy of mentioning is how little time it takes before you have to re-login on multiple devices. Sophomore Connor Trujillo mentioned that he would prefer that time be doubled to 24 hours, adding that it’s also irksome to log in through each device every 12 hours.

On top of all this, what if a student or staff member’s phone dies? Or if they don’t have their phone at all? There is no option to do it through email so users wouldn’t be able to access it on other devices without their phones.

There are many services that offer 2FA and MFA services for educational institutions, among those Duo Security is often ranked high up. According to G2.com, a very popular and widely trusted software marketplace, Duo Security ranked third behind Google and Microsoft Authenticators. However, amongst SSU students it seems to be an annoying and inconvenient process.

Student loan forgiveness plan uncertain; Seawolves worried

STAFF WRITER ALLY VALIENTE

If you’ve been taking more than two classes at Sonoma State, chances are you might have used financial aid such as FAFSA to help with the cost of tuition, books, or even housing on campus. In more severe circumstances, you might have even taken out a loan.

According to Forbes, there are currently 43.5 million borrowers with the average student racking up to at least $37,000 in debt. To put it in another perspective, around 17% of the nation’s population is in debt. Last year, the Biden-Harris administration rolled out a plan to

help ease those debts with a Student Loan Forgiveness Program. The plan includes loan forgiveness of up to $20,000. The plan is part of the final extension of the student repayment pause, which started when the pandemic hit, and it also aims to help low and middle income families. However, the plan has now been blocked by Republicans and as of Tuesday Feb. 28, there has been a court hearing to determine whether Biden overstepped his powers as president.

And while students watch the Supreme Court hearing, it’s interesting to think about how the government would rather doom students to a lifetime of poverty than aid them.

“If the Student Loan Forgiveness program panned out, all my debt would be erased in one go. That’s life changing stuff. And now they wanna take away hope from students on top of everything? It’s heartless,” said K. Reubens, a sixth year biology major.

Other students such as third year business major Westfield G. said that

although he doesn’t have any debt accumulated, he still feels bad about the students whose debt forgiveness is in limbo. “I feel bad because it’s scary how a group of people can determine their future. Even though I myself don’t have any debt, that doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone in my life. I have family members and friends who either have debt, or are still trying to pay it off.”

According to the Associated Press, 26 million people have already applied for student loan forgiveness with 16 million already approved. Although hearings began last Tuesday, a decision is not expected to be announced for a couple months; the earliest it would be announced would be until April, although the latest would be June.

As hopeful as students have tried to be, the fact that the Supreme Court is dominated 6-3 by conservatives does not promise an outcome in our favor. Furthermore, the Biden-Harris Administration has not announced a

plan B in case the forgiveness program falls through.

Baby boomers and Republicans make up the majority of those staunchly against the idea of loan forgiveness, according to Politico. Those against the program will argue that Gen-Z and Millennials, the two groups most impacted by student loan debts, should “work harder” and “save more money.” Both arguments are futile considering that there are bills to be paid on top of paying for tuition, gas, and housing. The idea of saving money and having a little extra to ourselves sounds great, but in the end it’s easier said than done.

In reality, the majority of people against the idea of loan forgiveness are the same ones who went to college on their parents’ dime. The argument that it is up to the student to take sole responsibility for their education is simply egregious and classist. The fact of the matter is that millions of students’ lives will be impacted, regardless of the outcome.

Netflix and bill; service cracks down on password sharing

BERNARDO RAMOS STAFF WRITER

It’s no secret that many people bum a Netflix account off a friend or family member, blissfully watching all the service has to offer without having to pay a cent. Unfortunately for them, Netflix has a plan to change that and force them to pay for their content. For the last year there have been rumors of Netflix cracking down on password sharing. However, last month on Feb. 8 Netflix implemented their new policy on those regions. Netflix users will now only be allowed to share their account with people that live in the same place as the ac-

count holder. That means if you are a college student living away from home and your parents are the primary account holder you will no longer be able to use that account unless you pay for an extra account. Netflix will be able to make sure users are in the same household by tracking IP addresses and device IDs so there is no way around the crackdown.

The ability to share passwords for streaming services among friends and family has been a huge help to many college students who may be struggling financially. The added cost of another streaming service that they were originally not paying for because of password sharing would add difficulty to struggling students’ pockets.

Kevin Valencia, a fourth-year Span ish major who watches Netflix for much needed breaks said, “College students depended on Netflix for mental health breaks with this new ban, more stress is added as it becomes another monthly expense.

Which can be hard for a college student with no job.” It could also be tough on parents who might be financially supporting their students with essentials and an added Netflix fee would put even more of a burden on them.

Still it seems that not everyone is planning on leaving Netflix. Some die hard fans and those who never intended to share their password will still remain. One such person is Joshua Walker who voiced his thoughts on Netflix’s new policy, “I think it’s fair. It’s not like I also share my debit card with friends.”

Netflix has acknowledged that they expect to see a dip in subscribers after the change but users like Joshua are the ones that Netflix is hoping stick around.

Although Netflix plans on combat ing the expected mass exodus of subscribers once the new policy hits the rest of the world at the end of March by offering different price plans it still may not be enough. Sec-

ond year nursing student Abby Wilson said, “If I can’t use my friend’s Netflix account anymore I guess I’m only going to pay for my Amazon Prime subscription which has a student discount and gives you access to Amazon video for free.” Competition like Amazon, Disney, HBO, Crunchyroll and Hulu are all after the same viewers and by not allowing password sharing outside of a household Netflix has opened the door for these platforms to swoop in and take their customers.

Perhaps if Netflix is able to outcompete other streaming services in price plans and quality content they could make the policy change irrelevant. By offering a student discount similar to Amazon Prime it could get college students to pay for the service but not break the bank of those who are already struggling. And those who never planned on switching will get to enjoy higher quality content. Still it would have been best if Netflix never changed the policy at all.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

Catalytic converter thefts ironically

still shocking

RENÉ CASSANO STAFF WRITER

If you don’t have a garage, leaving your car on the street can be worrisome. Third-year art studio major Tanner Fonoti experienced a troubling danger when he got back to campus with the Sonoma State University baseball team from a tournament on Feb 26. He had left his Honda in H lot for three days, and when he started it up, Fonoti said “it sounded like a hot rod.” That was when he knew his catalytic converter had been stolen.

Since then Fonoti has missed classes and baseball practice without any transportation. His new catalytic converter cost $4,000. Another catalytic converter theft occurred in L lot on the same day Fonoti got back to his car. Fonoti advised: “protect your cars; watch where you park.”

Catalytic converters are an important part of cars because they filter harmful toxins. Thefts have been on the rise nationally since the COVID-19 pandemic. When speaking to WBUR news station about the rise in thefts, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, David Glawe explained how the pandemic affected the value of precious metals that converters are made of “investors, during times of crisis, gravitate towards investing in these, so the price for these precious metals to be stolen or extrapolated out of the catalytic converters is very valuable.”

According to a car-sales website CoPilot: “only certain elements can be used as catalysts, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium.” Those three metals have all seen spikes in their worth in recent years. Palladium and platinum both peaked in worth last March, with palladium valued at $3,339 per oz and platinum at $1,1152 per oz. Rhodium is expected to cost $11,182 per oz according to Trading Economics.

Rohnert Park police warned citizens in September 2022 to watch out for catalytic converter thieves following an attempted theft on San Simeon Drive. The Press Democrat reported three suspects were trying to steal a catalytic converter before being spotted by a witness and driving away.

For what types of cars are more at risk, according to car reviews company J.D. Power: “Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius have higher standards for cleaning emissions, so their converters are more expensive and are primarily targeted by thieves.” Cars that have a larger clearance, i.e. are higher off the ground and have the converter closer to the edge of the car are easier to steal from.

On preventative measures one can take to protect their car, SSU Police officer Jason Hight recommended “parking near or under light poles,” and noted, “they make a catalytic converter cover that can be installed on cars that will prevent thefts.”

Additionally, J.D. Power suggests “use extra bolts and cables, or weld the converter to the bottom,” and “engrave the [Vehicle Identification Number] on your converter.” According to Officer Hight, there are no distinguishing markings on catalytic converters that identify which car they belong to, so engraving would be helpful for recovering a stolen one.

Staying vigilant is also important, as Hight said “having students call the police when they see suspicious activity in the parking lots is a huge help.” The cases of stolen catalytic converters at SSU are still currently under investigation. Call (707)-664-4444 or e-mail at police@sonoma.edu. Call 911 for emergencies.

NWSA fights censorship

er important terms and concepts from the course, such as structural racism, Black Lives Matter, and Black queer studies”.

Fourth-year human development major Melina Osmundson, said that the “woke” label is a positive one because it entails anyone, regardless of background or education level, to accurately inform themselves about important subjects. However, she also says that the label “woke” is a main reason for why mostly right-wing legislatures will attempt to censor these subjects.

“Regardless, these are subjects that should be taught in all schools’ ‘, said Osmundson, explaining the importance of being informed in order to bring about positive changes to society.

Whitehead states that College Board’s attempts at appeasement to the organized effort to scratch out key ideas and concepts from African American studies and public institutions, is making history and scholarship subject to the preferences and “anti-woke” sentiments. Instead of going along with these restrictions, the College Board should lead by example and oppose these restrictions and anti-equity censorship, as well as restoring the state of AP African American studies to as was originally envisioned by reinstating the key concepts and terms that have been removed from these courses.

Lena McQuade, says that censoring African-American histories, and other histories that analyze relationships of race and power, are detrimental to everyone regardless of racial background.

“Everyone is enriched when we learn the full complexities of history,” said McQuade. “These complexities include the ways power has been abused to racially dehumanize people and the ways people, especially African Americans, have always fought back and invested in their own humanity and freedom.” In response to this censorship, the NWSA went public with an open letter to fight “anti-woke” censorship on March 1, the first day of Women’s history month. The open letter is accessible through a bit.ly link at the bottom of their newsletter, as well as providing a QR code to access five other open letters to sign. In addition to signing and starting petitions, contacting government officials that have any say regarding power and censorship is also a viable option. McQuade also said students can take WGS and Ethnic Studies courses to be better prepared and educated in the fight against censorship.

In regards to the term “woke”, McQuade said it is simply a recent term often used by people being more aware of injustice and a desire to change the conditions around us for the better.“Developing critical thinking and working to address some of the most complex issues facing our society such as the persistence of racism, sexism, homophobia,” said McQuade. “This is the kind of knowledge and action that can liberate all of us.”

Sonoma County mourns violent death at high school

continued from pg. 1

and the police are still hoping to retrieve it. Police Chief Cregan, described it as “a folding knife with a black handle and an approximately 4-5-inch blade”.

According to another 16-year-old student present at the press conference, whose name is also confidential due to age, previous problems were present between the students but nothing has been done by the school. This senior expressed her frustration and blamed the school for the incident. “It’s their job to keep us safe,” said the student.

A week prior, this same student brought a weapon to school according to a parent, Maria Cervantes. She adds that the same 15-year-old freshman also slashed Pienta’s tires last week.

The school district did not make or return any attempt to get comments.

Parents point out the fact that the police had been removed from campus in the summer of 2020 after the killing of George Floyd. Yet, according to Santa Rosa police Sgt. Christopher Mahurin, they had received “97 calls for response from the school in the past 12 months. There were 945 calls for police response for all Santa Rosa schools in 2022,” he said.

Safety concerns have arisen among parents as other schools might face violent interaction in the future.

That same day, minutes before the fatal stabbing, police were called for another incident at a different Santa Rosa high school, Maria Carrillo. A student was reported to the authorities for bringing a gun to school.

According to Santa Rosa police “After briefly speaking with the student, the student ran from the building and tried to avoid the officers.” During this time, the student tried to get rid of the gun and did not have it with him when he got arrested. However, the weapon was located the next day close to where the student was caught.

Police wrote “This handgun was similar to what MCHS students reported may have been on campus. The 16-year-old student was later booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Center for possessing a firearm on campus and obstructing/delaying a police officer.” This student also got in trouble prior to that day as he was arrested for on-campus incidents earlier that week.

A week prior to that incident, first responders were called to Maria Carrillo High School after a fire broke out on the rear of the art building that was potentially set by another student who later got arrested for “suspicion of arson”.

Santa Rosa high school students arranged a walkout on Montecito Boulevard as a sign of protest Friday afternoon to express their concern about safety. There are possible plans for more walkouts throughout the week.

The Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, Amie Carter, issued the following statement: “We will be engaging in dialogue with Santa Rosa City Schools, law enforcement, and our other school districts to ensure we are doing everything we can to improve student safety.”

A student pictured walking through parking lot J on SSU campus.

COURTESY // sonoma.edu

Michelle Leopold photographed aside her son Trevor Leopold who died from fentanyl.

Analy High School Ensemble joins SSU Jazz Orchestra

The night started out with Analy’s Jazz Ensemble, directed by Casey Jones, playing “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” a song arranged by Rich DeRosa. The crowd was very engaged and many were moving their bodies to the rhythm. Director Jones came out a few minutes into the first song and received a lot of applause from the audience. He gave credit to each soloist after they played their piece and helped to project the instruments by adjusting the mics to get right up in the horns.

Casey Jones gave a special thanks to Sonoma State and also acknowledged Doug Leibinger, the director of the SSU Jazz Orchestra, as someone who he had learned from. “It was an absolutely wonderful experience going through those Jazz classes,” said Jones.

After the last song was played, Jones gave a shout-out to the students and all the hard work and time they put into not only the performance but the many practices they attended. “Give it up for these amazing students,” said Jones.

The next set of the night, by the SSU Jazz Orchestra, started with the song Tangerine by Johnny Mercer and Victor Schertzinger and was arranged by Doug Leibinger. The audience was again very engaged and excited by the performance.

Analy

Following this song was “Satin Doll” by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Johnny Mercer. This song featured the first vocalist of the night, Michaela

Thomas. Michaela did an amazing job and had the audience very excited.

At the end of this song, Leibinger said he’s a firm believer that “Each Jazz concert should have one Duke Ellington.” This concert had two pieces by Duke Ellington, the other one being C-Jam Blues ala Mambo, the last song of the night.

After “Satin Doll” there was another song with a vocalist. Our Love is Here to Stay was sung by Melody Rose Neal, another crowd favorite. Neal was very in sync with the rhythm and the instruments.

The next song of the night, “Solar” was arranged by Leibinger. He noted that most people probably know the writer of this piece as Miles Davis who copyrighted it in 1963, but it was actually written in 1943 by Chuck Wayne, originally called Sonny. “This is our version of Solar.” When the last song ended, the Orchestra received a huge round of applause. Many people enjoyed the show.

When asked how Jazz makes you feel, June Ivanetich said “I like it a lot.” Ivanetich is in the Concert Jazz Ensemble that had played the previous night. “Jazz is the music that allows you to do what you like despite all the rules in music. You can ignore the rules in Jazz. It’s freeing.”

When commenting on both performances of the night, Kristina Lawson said, “They did a great job.”

SSU students come together at Paint and Sip

MIA GARCIA STAFF WRITER

Feeling artistic or in a creative mood? Paint and Sip is one of the events that ASP (Associated Students Productions) hosts once every semester. Students receive all the materials needed to create any artwork for free.Also, Panera was offered during the event while the students painted. Students have the opportunity to express their creativity and make new connections.

Paint and Sip have not always been free paint activities. Ellie Orona, an ASP staff member explained, “Traditionally it’s them following an instructor, but since I have taken charge it’s more of a free for all.”

Orona emphasized, “It’s interesting to see all the different artwork that students come up with because we have super creative students at SSU.” Students don’t have to be artists to come, many are there to have a good time and hang with friends. When asked, fellow seawolf, Kenyana Hughes what she was painting she responded, “I don’t know going with the flow. I’m painting my spirit.”

Students should come to Paint and Sip because it’s a “free paint party,” said Madison Bryant. Bryan also emphasized how she wanted to be here to make new friends. The event gives you all the sup-

KATHLEEN MOOTZ STAFF WRITER

plies you need: a canvas, acrylic paint, a water cup, and paint brushes. ASP worker, Curtis Manley, said, “Well it’s not something you usually do every night. It’s completely free too. That’s the best part: you get Panera and all the supplies to paint a picture.” Seawolves should take advantage of this free and fun opportunity.

ASP makes events like Paint and Sip to create a student community and try to get everyone involved. Orona said, “I’ve seen it before when a student comes alone and when they sit next to each other they talk the whole night.”

Many students love to come to Paint and Sip, it’s been one of the popular events. Manley said, “I can see it happening more next year because of how popular it’s been. I think we have had 80 people show up tonight and last semester we had a similar number. The more students we get the better. It’s nice to see almost 100 people come out to this.” Students should watch out for other Paint and Sip events.

“Other seawolves should come just because they can see what ASP is all about. They will see our workers out there doing their thing and also it will attract them to come to other events that we all put on,” said Orona. Paint and Sip is one example of the

many fun events that ASP hosts and many more to come. ASP organized events like this to strengthen the student community. For more information, go to the ASP website at as.sonoma.edu or follow them on Instagram @as_sonoma.

A night of Jazz at Schroeder Hall

On March 2, on a cool winter evening in Schroeder Hall, music department faculty Ian Carey directed an event called Jazz Combos. Seawolves and guests attended to enjoy an evening of lighthearted jazz music. It featured eight students performing works of jazz by composers such as Carla Bley, a local composer/ pianist from Oakland, California that was an influential artist in the 1960s Free Jazz Movement.

Most notable was her jazz opera “Escalator Over the Hill.” Edward Ellington, better known as “Duke,” raised in Washington, D.C and known as a successful composer who was one of the greatest jazz bandleaders of his time. He was one of the originators of big band jazz and led his band for more than fifty years and composed thousands of scores.

Some songs that were performed at the event were “Ad Infinitum” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If you Aint’ Got that Swing).” The performance featured harmonies,

rhythms, and most of all, improvisation. Students used a variety of instruments such as flute, piano, drums and guitar while two students sang vocals.

When asked why they had decided to attend the event, Aiyana Evans, a second-year student, replied: “I am in History of Jazz and I am taking it for my upper division GE class and part of that class is having to do concert reports.” She goes on to explain “you go to the concert and write notes during the event and then we have to take each song, do a little bit of background research, and talk about what you saw.”

The student performers were happy to comment on how much they loved performing and how they thought the performance went. “It was awesome. I am the house pianist and in this combo, every year” states second-year and Music major Jomei Greer. After the performance, they went on to say “I guess the only thing I’d add is how proud I am of the group for performing as well as we

did considering that most of the ensemble are not jazz majors!”

June Imler, a third-year student, went on to add “It was very fun. It isn’t the most I’ve prepared for a concert, but the nice thing about jazz is that there’s more leniency if you make ‘mistakes.’ As long as everyone visually communicates and we can come together on a chord or the head, it will all work out! We were able to ‘keep swimming’ despite it all.”

At the end of the event, students praised how they liked the performance. “I prefer jazz over classical because I find the way the drum and the piano play very fascinating just to hear and definitely more interesting than classical, in my opinion” states Delaney Hopp, an English creative writing major. The audience marveled at how well the performance went for it being the first jazz show the ensemble had done this semester. The next jazz performance can be found on the SSU website.

High School Jazz Ensemble joined the SSU Jazz Orchestra at the Weill Hall in the Green Music Center on March 3. The performance had a big turnout.

KYLIE PERRY STAFF WRITER

STAR // Dennae Taylor

Swing Into Spring with special guests: Analy High School Jazz Band in Weill Hall on March 3.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

A student works on their painting at Paint & Sip Feb. 23.

Getting cozy with blanket making

ALEC PADILLA STAFF WRITER

Sonoma State InterVarsity hosted a blanket-making workshop this past Saturday evening at Weyden and Brewster. At the event, there were upwards of 20 students that came to make their own throw/ tie blanket. This event was endorsed by Seawolf Living but it was hosted by InterVarsity, a Christianity-based fellowship.

Upon arrival, students start making their blankets by first selecting a fleece pattern base. Seawolves were given straightforward instructions on how to make the blanket. InterVarsity staff members were there to assist students in the process as well as keep them company and chat. It took participants about an hour to cut and complete the blanket. The blanket making workshop was an opportunity to let go of some stress from the week. The finished product was a comfy throw blanket that was yours to keep free of charge.

The Sonoma State STAR spoke to the Campus Minister for InterVarsity, Sarah Estrade. She explained that this IntraVersity sponsored event was not just for Christian students, attendance was open to the entire student body. Estrada said, “[the club] looks to see how we can create spaces where people

can connect authentically.” Estrade mentioned how she was grateful and honored that they got to host this event. She also said, “our primary objective is to be a part of what student life is doing which is trying to deepen relationships within the community.”

While working the blanket, freshman Maddie Baytoshe was interviewed and asked about her experience. She talked about how it was a great place to get out and meet new people. She felt the event was very successful and also said “making these tie blankets helped me get an escape from all of the assignments and work I needed to do.”

Baytoshe’s roommate, Remi Gemigniani, was also there making her own blanket. She enjoyed the process and told the Sonoma State STAR that she felt like this was a very nice activity instead of watching tv all day. She added that “It was nice to get out of the dorm and do something that doesn’t involve my phone.”

This event was made possible in part by the resources of Seawolf Living. On seawolfliving. com students can find a wide array of events open for everyone to attend. These events include clinics such as yoga, rock climbing and lifting clinics

as well as day hikes, and different on-campus open mics and concerts. The arts and crafts events are held weekly every Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in Weyden and Brewster. Blanket making was this week’s craft and next week’s crafts will be self-care body scrubs.

First-generation students find safe space

On the first Thursday of every month, the Sociology Club at Sonoma State holds the First-generation College Student Conversation series. A first-generation speaker is usually present and discusses a variety of issues including social issues and politics.

This week, things were a little more casual. The meeting room, Stevenson Hall 3900, was filled with paint supplies in preparation for the meeting. Students gathered around the tables ready to paint and socialize with each other. It was nearing the end of the day, the room in the new hall looked over Sonoma Mountain with the sun slowly dimming the outside surroundings. The setting was very relaxing and welcoming.

Greeting fellow students was Treasurer of the club, Matt Jacobs, as well as the President of the club, Angelina Torres who are both sociology majors. They explained that the guest speaker fell through for the week so they wanted to take this chance to unwind, socialize and paint. The students in the club were very welcoming and over-

all, contributed to a positive group environment. According to their page on SSU’s website, the club aims to, “create awareness of the discipline of sociology, facilitate social interactions within our department, promote social justice, encourage community involvement, and student activism.” The club does cover some socially heavy topics because of the scope of study, so students had a lighter week with painting being on the agenda.

Matt Jacobs, a fourth year sociology major, said, “Sociology tends to have a lot of heavier subjects so we like to have a chance to unwind.” Students work very hard to be in a certain position, but first-generation students have it even harder, he added.

Most of the time was spent painting and getting to know some of the members of the club and what they want to do with their major, but a lot was learned about the First-generation College Conversation series.

Sitting down with the President Angeli-

na Torres, she explained the most enjoyable part about the First-generation College Conversation series, “The best part is that it’s relatable. I am a first-generation student and I enjoy giving people hope. Hearing stories from other first-generation students that succeed gives me hope.” She added that they discuss people’s stories, have mental health check-ins, open discussions, and general ideas.

The next first-generation speaker will be on April 6. Speakers are explained to be very successful and inspiring, so if you are a first-generation student, or any student that needs motivation, this event could be for you.

If an interest is gained in the club, positions for club president and treasurer are open for the 2023-2024 school year. The conversations and closeness gave the impression that this was a close group of people that lifted each other up. While the first-generation speaker wasn’t present, a lot was learned about the mission they’re after. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Seawolves rose to the occasion with floral arrangements

night. The class was designed to help Seawolves express their creativity and learn how to make their own floral arrangements. After April showers bring May flowers, floral arranging will be a handy skill to have. It is a talent that fellow Seawolves can use throughout their life. Floral arranging is also much cheaper to make your own bouquets than to purchase them from a florist.

JAKE RENTERIA STAFF WRITER

Spring is around the corner and Associated Student Productions (ASP) took advantage by offering a floral arrangement workshop last week. The creatively named, “Va-Va Bloom” class took place inside Weyden & Brewsters (W&B) on Thursday

Eager to learn the art of Floristry, which is the art of all things flowers, the students filed into W&B as early as 5:45 p.m. in anticipation of the workshop. By 6:05 p.m. all 65 seats available were taken and unfortunately, some students had to be turned away. With W&B at its capacity of seats, it really showed just how much of a hit Va-Va Bloom was with Seawolves. The students were given an assortment of roses, baby’s breath and greenery to take to their seat along with a mason jar. Students then set to work creating their own arrangements with some guidance from Brittney Glor, the leader of the event.

The atmosphere inside the event was super lively and energetic, the students at the event seemed ecstatic to be there and everyone seemed to

have a great time learning a new skill. Glor walked around and helped any students that needed a little extra guidance with their designs. Student Haley Azevedo, who attended the workshop, said “The event was well executed and was a packed house full of energy, the workshop helped me learn a new skill while being able to take something home.” You could get a sense from the students just how well appreciated this event was. “It was nice to learn how to easily assemble a floral arrangement with few materials required” mentioned Junior Abram Huerta-Diaz. Free flowers was just one of the perks from attending this event.

When the STAR talked to Glor, the creator of the workshop, she emphasized how much of a success it really was. Glor said, “All the students loved being able to pick out their own flowers and were happy to be there learning something new.” When asked about the possibility of another floral workshop, Glor responded “I absolutely plan on doing another event like this… It was way more successful than I thought it would be.” So if you get the opportunity to go to Va-Va Bloom 2, make sure to bring your creativity and show up early.

STAR // Alec Padilla Maddie Baytoshe (left) and Remi Gemigniani (right) show concentration while making their blankets.

STAR // Malia Teran Jason Arellano (left) and Mathew Havo (right) get ready to arrange their flowers.

OLIVIA KEELER STAFF WRITER

Wells wins Player of the Year, SSU fights till the end

TITO FUENTES STAFF WRITER

The Sonoma State Men’s Basketball season came to a close this past week after being eliminated from the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament. Despite the loss, the team had plenty to be proud of after such a successful season that included a Conference Player of the Year Award for Jaylen Wells and a CCAA Honorable Mention for Austin Fadal.

Teammates Wells and Fadal both have had incredible success this year. Wells was selected for the All-CCAA First Team alongside his Player of the Year award. This is only the second time in program history that a student-athlete has earned the Player of the Year honor. Wells said, “It’s an honor to be able to be presented with this award. It’s a blessing to see that the hard work I’ve put in the off-season is paying off. This wouldn’t be possible without my coaches and teammates believing in me.” Wells was the conference’s leading scorer this year averaging 22 points a game, he was second in the conference for rebounds with 8.6 boards while shooting 52 percent from the field and 86 percent from the line. He also totaled 45 steals during the regular season. Wells added, “Winning this award only makes me hungrier and more focused. Individual awards don’t satisfy me, team awards like championships do.”

Fadal averaged 12 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line earning himself a

CCAA honorable mention. “It’s going to make me work even harder, I have goals that I want to achieve and I’m going to work to make sure I’m taking the right steps to achieving them. It’s going to be a great off-season of work,” Fadal said.

On Thursday, March 2, Sonoma State, No. 5 seed, faced off against Cal Poly Humboldt, No. 4 seed, and managed to outscore them 73-57, despite being down at the half 30-29. Jaylen Wells led all student-athletes with 29 points but had help as three of his teammates scored in the double-digits. Austin Fadal had 13 points and matched Wells with nine rebounds. Nick Medeiros added 11 points while Nick Klarman chipped in with 10.

After the first-round win, Sonoma State went on to play Cal State San Bernardino, the No. 1 seed, on Friday, March 3. The Seawolves were defeated 93-66 to set up the rematch of the 2022 championship game vs. Cal State San Marcos. The Yotes scored early on, opening on a 16-6 run, leading them to finish the half 45-26. The Seawolves weren’t counted out just yet, posting a 10-2 run cutting the deficit down to 11 but then CSUSB hit another scoring run leading to their victory. Sonoma closes out its season with a 13-18 record, but have plenty to show for. Coming back from last place in the

2021-2022 season, Head Coach Rich Shayewitz and his team fought hard to get to the playoffs this year. Predicted to finish twelfth in the conference, the Seawolves started slow with six losses. Turning it around after winter break is what earned them their spot as the number five seed, ending the season with a record of 11-11.

With nine new players added to this

year’s roster, coach Shayewitz knew it was going to be a transition but had belief in his crew. This year the players have been a high-percentage shooting team and excelling in free throws. Outside of the stat books, Shayewitz said that the group’s “togetherness” boosted up the rough times. “There’s a lot of pride and there’s a lot of belief in the locker room in one another every night on the floor.”

Men’s golf continues CCAA title defense

The Sonoma State’s Men’s Golf team pushed themselves to their very hardest this past week with another top five finish. Last year’s CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament champions showed their class on the grass at the Battle in the Desert in San Bernardino.

This spring so far we’ve seen the team maintain that championship pedigree with only a slightly slower start. Although things have just gotten started the roads are ominous ahead. “I have mixed feelings,” said Jules Lavigne. “We all felt like we shouldn’t be this far down the leaderboard… but the team is still tuning up and we haven’t been doing as well

as we can,” Lavigne said. This last go-around in the Battle in the Desert was a valiant effort but it came a little late as their last round push only jumped them up three places and left them still in fifth place. “Every time we go out to play it is to win, and we didn’t accomplish that… what I will take away from it is the mental toughness that we showed,” Lavigne went on to say. The exact same placement befell the Seawolves in their previous tournament too, leaving much to be desired. The team left these tournaments knowing their best days are on the horizon. Nikolia Friedman believes that, “The team needs to find a way to start hot early on, so we don’t

have to grind back after day one”. The team’s next test is on March 13 at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in Alameda. Mostly blue skies await them in this upcoming tournament which will be vital for improving their momentum in preparation for the CCAA tournament. Winning the CCAA Tournament once again is a chance to repeat history with 2009 being the only time this back-to-back feat was completed. The tides have shown to be shiftable in last week’s last round push up the ladder gave them a boost of confidence in these vital opening stages of the spring season. “We have a ton of talent and we are all shooting the

scores we need, it’s just not all happening at once”, Griffin Pace explained. Taken aback by this start wouldn’t be any way to describe the Seawolves’ attitude at all this season. Quite the contrary as consistency has become the focus. “I’m looking forward to the rest of this season,” said Pace. Lavigne added “we will be contending for trophies very soon.”

That last round energy is what the team is going to need to be a force in the rest of the campaign. As attention turns to the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in Alameda the team is ready to make strides in a young season. For more info on the team and their tournaments make sure to head over to https://sonomaseawolves.com/sports/ mens-golf

Seawolves star in CCAA Honors but fall in playoffs

On Tuesday, Feb. 28, three of our Women’s basketball players earned All-CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) honors. Forward Alli McDonald was granted First-Team All-CCAA honors while fellow Seawolves, Forward, Amanda Luckett, and Guard, Cielo Gonzalez were given Honorable Mentions for their hard work this season.

Senior power forward Luckett said, “It feels amazing, I truly wasn’t expecting anything. First half of the season I was playing through a pretty bad injury that had my numbers pretty low but I’m glad my perseverance paid off.”

Luckett continued, “I have to shout out my teammates, they had my back even on my worst nights and kept encouraging me to keep going. I also have to shout out my Coach Curry because she was always willing to get in the gym with me for extra workouts.”

Sophomore, Mcdonald was selected to the First-Team All-CCAA for her superb play this season, averaging over 14 points and eight rebounds per game. Alli said, on her selection, “I feel so honored to be named one of the top

players in the CCAA and I am honestly very proud of myself. I put a lot of work in during the off-season and I am so happy that it did end up paying off.” Despite her tremendous individual effort, McDonald credits her success to her teammates and coaches. “Without my girls, I would not be even close to the player I am today. We are such a tight-knit group and playing with them every day makes this long season so much easier. My coaches also played a huge part in my season in that they have a ton of faith in me on the court and always push me to be my best.”

Seawolf senior, Gonzalez was given an All-CCAA honorable mention and averaged over 10 points per game this season and attributes much of her success to the team as a whole. Gonzalez said, “We wouldn’t win games if it weren’t for everyone on the team giving their all and supporting each other throughout the season. Viewing others’ success as your own is why we are so successful.”

Cielo said her highlight of the season was, “Senior night, seeing everyone I love and admire in the same place all at once. Playing for a huge crowd

with my best friends.”

The Seawolves headed into the playoffs on Thursday against the No. 3 seed Cal State LA and were defeated 75-63. With two Seawolves injured early including McDonald, the Cal State LA Eagles built a 43-23 lead by halftime.

However, the Seawolves did not give up and went on an impressive 24-4 run late in the third quarter, bring-

ing the game within one point with a layup by Taylor Johnson. Luckett scored a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists, while Cielo Gonzalez managed to put up 12 points.

Despite their tremendous efforts, the Seawolves were unable to regain the lead and complete the comeback. The Seawolves finished their season with a 16-13 record and appeared in their sixth straight postseason tournament.

COOPER PERRY STAFF WRITER

COURTESY// Jeff Kettering

Jaylen Wells made the CCAA All-Tournament team after averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds a game .

COURTESY// Jeff Kettering

The SSU Women’s Basketballl team stand together before their playoff game.

COURTESY// Jeff Kettering Austin Fadal fading back on a jump shot against Cal Poly Humboldt.

Jazz Orchestra gets into the swing of things

Students trade Canvas for a canvas

Smiles blossom at ‘Va-va Bloom’ event

STAR // Dennae Taylor Seawolves singing and swinging.

STAR // Malia Teran Students were able to choose their flowers for their arrangment.

STAR // Malia Teran Addy Renard, Abigal Owen, Kila Carleton, Aiyana Hoffman, and Payton Gardenhire pose with their finished bouquets.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

The SSU Jazz Orchestra was accompanied by Analy High School Jazz Band Friday March 3.

STAR // Dennae Taylor The Jazz Orchestra consist of 24-pieces.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

Seawolves fill up Wayden & Brewsters on Thursday Feb. 28.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Sonoma State students go from seawolf to artist in just a matter of minutes.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Food from Panera was provided for students to enjoy while they painted and enjoyed their evening.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

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