Spring 2023, Issue 7

‘EveryBody’ joined together to celebrate what makes them unique.

Budget deficit leads to cuts in staffing and repurposing spaces on campus

MARIAH FORSTER STAFF WRITER

At a recent budget meeting on March 16, it was announced that Sonoma State is in the process of cutting back on staff. Sonoma State University President Mike Lee confirmed these staffing changes in a memo to all SSU employees on March 10 in preparation for the budget forum.

Since these vacant positions are not getting refilled, Lee said in the memo that shared services and new approaches are critical. These shared services are believed to have benefits including the reduction of administrative expenses, improving services, increasing efficiency as well as reassigning and relieving the workload in overtaxed units.

Lee announced on March 10 in a letter to staff that the University’s administrative reorganization plan, through the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP), did not meet their savings goal and instead experienced a deficit.

and with attrition and VSIP, we have reached $5.2 million, covering less more efficiently.

“The entire process of delivering services is being re-looked at,” said Vice President of Administration and Finances, Monir Ahmed.

“The Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) ended with a total of 47 participants, of which 7 were faculty and 40 were staff. The salary and benefits associated with VSIP and vacant positions added up to $4.3 million to use for the operating fund deficit minus any rehires that I authorize. Our goal was $9 million from all personnel reduction, see DEFICIT on pg. 4

When asked if there will be a list provided of staff from departments that are being cut. Ahmed stated that there is no direct correlation of which staff is being cut and that a list can’t be provided at the moment for privacy reasons.

“The list is available in the way of function in departments and not necessarily individual,” said Ahmed. Many of the positions that will be let go have not been

Post COVID-19 causes decline in enrollment

SACHA WEDNER STAFF WRITER

Lives were flipped upside down on March 13, 2020. What was initially announced as a short two-week break, transformed into a lockdown that spanned over a year and affected the lives of billions.

Of the countless number of people that were affected, students worldwide suffered a brunt of the impact, having their entire academic careers flipped upside down. As a result, many had to make do with the circumstances, and some dropped out of school or took a break to pursue other ventures.

Lack of appliances noticed on campus

RENÉ CASSANO STAFF WRITER

Being a student comes with its own assortment of challenges that can be increased by living off-campus. Sonoma State’s Transfer and Advising Center has recently found another one you would not immediately think of, which is a lack of available microwaves.

Students that live on-campus all have a microwave at their disposal at any time in their dorm, but for off-campus students, it’s not so easy. The Transfer and Advising Center was seeking out information to create a flyer that would lay out where to find microwaves on campus for transfer and off-campus students. After looking into this, they found that there were only two public microwaves on campus, both of which are located in the Student Center.

Recognizing that commuting is a strain on time management, transfer advisor Veronica Gonzalez said, “As a past commuter student myself, I recognized that this resource could be beneficial for students who need to be resourceful with their time.”

Gonzalez also noted that “We have seen a trend of commuters these past few years so it is possible that in the past there was no need for additional utilities.”

There is no doubt with the recent years of the pandemic and the persistence of online instruction, a greater number of students at SSU have opted to live

In terms of the amount of students that “disappeared,” either dropping out or transferring to other schools elsewhere, the Cal State University system overall saw a noticeable drop in enrollment. Between the fall 2020 and fall 2022 semesters, 24,000 currently enrolled undergraduate students would drop out of the California State University system. Some of these students never got the opportunity to finish school, and this missed out on the opportunity to graduate and earn their degrees because of missing bits and pieces. This loss of students would also result in millions of dollars being lost as a result of missing admissions money. In the wake of the crisis, many have blamed the CSU system for a lack of flexibility with struggling students who were forced to drop out.

Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Heather Brown says that reasons behind this mass exodus of students isn’t just applicable to Sonoma State University, but in the CSU system as a whole. Financial factors, personal or family health demands, and academic difficulties are some examples of the myriad reasons for students leaving the system.

Brown mentions that, “During the pandemic, the main reasons for decline in enrollment here at SSU was lower new student enrollment, not a loss of current students. On our campus, retention rates actually increased during the pandemic, which means that more students stayed enrolled on our campus than before the pandemic.”

The impact on school life was also impossible to ignore. All in-person extracurriculars were postponed from March 2020-Aug. 2021, being all online just like classes. There were also students living in the residence halls during this time, but the numbers were low. However, there has been significant improvement since things started to reopen in the Fall 2021 semester.

In regards to the re-opening process, Robert Eyler, the interim as-

Sonoma State University Interim President Mike Lee announced on March 10, the university’s plans for budget cuts

STAR // Rosalee Padilla

A few hidden appliances found in The HUB Cultural Center, located on the second floor of The Student Center.

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 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

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928

Telephone: 707-664-2776

Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com

Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

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.

Inclusivity more important than comfortability

Prior to the re-opening of Stevenson Hall, the Sonoma State campus had a total of 19 gender-neutral restroom stalls, which left nine out of 16 commonly used buildings on campus without gender-inclusive restrooms.

Unlike other buildings, which simply had the signs on their original disabled and family restrooms changed or edited, the plan for the new Stevenson Hall design always included the installment of gender-neutral restrooms in its blueprints. In fact, The HUB Cultural Center on campus has been advertising the 34 genderless bathroom stalls since September of 2022, even though Stevenson was set to open in December of that year.

When it was announced that Stevenson Hall would dominantly feature gender-neutral restrooms for use, students immediately had opinions. Similar to public concerns about restrooms, students found themselves considering their safety and comfort when it came to the way the restrooms would function.

It is noticeable upon entry into Stevenson that safety, privacy and comfort were all taken into account when designing the restroom. The stalls feature floor-to-ceiling stall walls, and stall doors with roughly an inch gap at the top and bottom. These privacy features are without a doubt more considerate of privacy compared to the 13inch gaps you can find on all three walls in any other restroom stall on campus.

Since the opening of the new and improved Stevenson Hall, students have interacted with the new restrooms in different ways. Some students walk in and out of the double-doored multi-stall restroom with ease, while others have been seen avoiding the multi-stall gender-neutral bathrooms and instead are seen waiting in line outside the single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms.

When seawolf Clarissa Tolsen was asked about which restroom she uses, she

explained that she uses the multi-stall restroom because they’re more user-friendly than the single-stall restrooms which have automatic doors. Tolsen made a comment that the double doors were confusing initially because she didn’t know where they would lead, especially with the intention of them being gender-inclusive. She recalls her first time using the multi-stall restrooms and stated, “I went in and there was a guy there, I was like ‘oh hi’ and then I used it and it was fine”

Tolsen goes on to explain how it’s not the first public gender-neutral restroom she’s seen. In fact, many people take this into consideration when discussing the relevance of gender-inclusive restrooms. Nonetheless, while people continue the argument of whether or not such restrooms are necessary, they often forget that the toilet in their home is also gender-neutral. However, among the opinions of cisgender students, it’s also important to consider the opinions of those who have been waiting for more gender-inclusive bathrooms. In fact, student Chance Lujan-Garber expressed how he feels singled out when he goes to use the gender-neutral restrooms specifically in the Student Center. Lujan-Garber said, “Something about having to walk the complete opposite direction of the other restrooms feels weird. Like it points out that I feel I don’t belong there.” The multi-stall gender-inclusive bathroom now allows students with similar feelings to feel less excluded when it comes to using a restroom that is comfortable for them. While Sonoma State continues to listen to student voices and update its campus, it is important to consider the population of SSU and how the campus should accommodate it. While students may remain to have mixed feelings about the gender-inclusive bathrooms featured in Stevenson Hall, this feature is intended to make the student population feel welcomed and acknowledged.

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.

STAR // Rosalee Padilla

Guardian,

request a walking buddy to escort them at night? In a recent poll conducted by the STAR, 91% percent of students said that they would feel comfortable using an app that provided a safety escort service.

make it there on time and de-active the timer, Guardians or campus safety will be immediately alerted.

STAFF WRITER ALLY VALIENTE

W

While the use of the Emergency Blue Light Call buttons scattered throughout campus seems nice, it is unfortunate that it is not accessible through every part of the campus. These buttons only serve as a way to report known or suspected crime, especially in emergencies.

But what if students were able to

According to End Violence Against Women, data in 2021 showed that one in two women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a busy public place, compared to one in five men; four out of five women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a park or other open space, compared to two out of five men.

hen students leave their evening classes, the sky is either a gradient of dark blues and oranges or it is entirely pitch black. For students taking night classes, the walk from Carson Hall to Lot E that is usually a nice, leisurely stroll during the day can suddenly feel like an unsettling and eerie walk.Fortunately, in moments where students feel vulnerable or even a little scared to walk across campus to their cars, students can now request services using an app called Rave Guardian, unveiled by the Office of Emergency Services. This allows students to access various safety services both on and off campus.

The app’s most important feature is called a Safety Timer which allows the student to set a timer with their current location if they feel unsafe, indicating where they are going and when they should arrive. If the student does not

“I didn’t even know the feature, or the app, was an actual thing,” said Magdelina W., a fourth year pre-nursing student. “Last semester I took several evening classes and it was so creepy walking alone at night so I think it’s a great idea. It might even help save lives.”

“It for sure should be implemented everywhere. It’s kinda ridiculous that it isn’t a normal thing for colleges, especially for ones bigger than our university,” said Erin Gorko, second year sociology student.

Although it is not implemented in every university, the idea of a student safety service isn’t entirely ludicrous; in fact, UC Davis has recently implemented a system that allows students to request a safety escort from their classroom to their car called Safe Rides.

According to the official UC Davis website, Safe Rides drivers are trained Host Security personnel who have been background checked, fingerprinted, and are in compliance with

the California DMV pull system. All drivers also have valid California state driver’s licenses. Each Safe Rides employee has completed the Safe Driver Awareness course administered by UC Davis Learning and Development instructors.

In 2016, Rutgers University also launched their own safety escort program called SafeHalo. This allows students to text the SafeHalo phone number with their current location and where they would like to go. Communication begins immediately and continues until two student volunteers meet up with the student, who must provide a short code to confirm the text, according to the Rutgers website. However, it is not meant to replace the police.

These apps and programs help students feel protected, and SSU’s students can feel a little safer walking through campus at night with the use of Rave Guardian’s features. Kelsea O, a second year art student said, “I have the app downloaded already. I haven’t tried the [Safety Timer] feature yet, but I think my parents will be relieved to

Put the phone down; social media is rotting your brain

ELIAS KAPLAN STAFF WRITER

Do you look at your phone when you wake up and before you go to bed? Do you find yourself checking your instagram or tiktok a little too much throughout the day? Excessive use of social media is detrimental to users brains, negatively affecting other aspects of their lives.

The internet became a place to connect with other people when websites like MySpace and Tumblr launched. Then in 2004, Facebook changed the game. Soon after, other platforms like

Twitter and Reddit followed, and people started to spend more time on their phones than ever before. People love to use social media, but it has more pitfalls than it does benefits. Sure it can be a place for users to connect online with their friends, other students and post about what they’ve been doing, or not doing, with their lives. People also use it for networking, now what could be so bad about all of this?

Spending hours upon hours on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms, damages users’ brains in ways many don’t realize. Some spend so much time on it that a dependency builds, turning into an addiction. This can be seen in people constantly picking up there phones to check for notifications or getting distracted by endlessly scrolling. A person’s brain gets used to this constant stimulation, negatively affecting your dopamine levels as users go back in for more every hour of every day.

A study published by SpringerLink in 2021 explored the effects of social media dependency on high school students. The research findings from a survey of 1,274 students concluded that this addiction was “positively correlated with conduct and emotional problems, attention deficit/hyperactivity, peer problems, and poor sleep quality,” which all negatively affect prosocial behaviors and sleep efficiency.

Now as one reflects on these effects, imagine how much the Covid-19 pandemic increased how detrimental constant social media binging is for them. This has so clearly affected people of every age, not just Gen Z or millennials, and young children seem to be at a higher risk than those born in the early 2000s.

Freshman Dylan Hardy said, “when people were locked in their house they start to notice the small things like how many likes and comments they get, instead of caring about how they actually

feel.” Hardy even noticed his own mental health declining as a result of the dependency on social media forced upon him by the recent pandemic.

In an article published by the California State University, Dr. Ofir Turel, a leading researcher in technology addiction and an associate professor at CSU Fullerton mentioned “To some extent it’s like wine: it’s OK to use a little bit, but when it becomes too much it creates problems. When we use technology we need to create boundaries around its use.”

Students should be more conscientious about the time they spend on social media, for it may be a bigger problem than they would assume. There are even ways to limit users’ usage of apps on your phone. For example, on iPhones there is a section in the settings called “screen time” and users can set limits for how much time they want to spend on any application they want.

Bank collapse worries students of future bank failures

had. Silicon Valley Bank was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) after more than $42 billion were withdrawn in a single day but, was recently acquired by First Citizens BancShares, a family-run bank based in North Carolina.

people are now apprehensive of more banks failing. First-year Business major Mario Sonata said, “I think it was a freak thing. Maybe they made some poor investment choices but it obviously takes away some confidence that I had in my bank.”

O

So don’t withdraw everything from your bank and hide it under your mattress just yet. News that the bank famous with startups and venture capitalists might be in trouble spread after some realized it had unrealized losses on treasury bonds it had purchased. This caused the bank’s clients to start withdrawing everything they

n March 10, Silicon Valley Bank, which was a major lender for tech startups in the bay area and the 16th largest bank in the U.S., was shut down. Since then, panic and doubt in the banking system has spread among the public but, there could be hope.After Silicon Valley bank’s failure it left many businesses unsure of what might happen, many not knowing if they would be able to make payroll. The FDIC only insured up to $250,000 but many businesses had much more than that in their accounts. Luckily for Silicon Valley Bank depositors, on Sunday March 12 the Biden administration announced that all depositors will have access to their entire funds. The administration wanted to assure everyone that Silicon Valley Bank customers would be able to access their funds at no expense to taxpayers. This would be done through a system that banks already pay into incase of situations like these. Still many people are now skeptical of the banking system.

Even though the Biden administration has moved quickly to try and contain any possible domino effect some

Not only have people lost confidence in their banks but also in the regulators that are supposed to keep things like this from happening. Silicon Valley Banks’s red flags were obvious to those that know what to look for but lax bank regulations and poor management lead to such a terrible event.

Silicon Valley bank’s collapse is the largest bank failure since 2008. Even though it was just one bank it had repercussions that some of our students felt. Natalie Romo, a second-year nursing major was able to share how on March 10 when the FDIC shut down Silicon Valley Bank her boss made her go home early. Romo said, “I was kinda scared my manager called a team meeting and nobody knew what it was about then she just told us that the company’s bank just shutdown so we

had to close early.”

Unlike the other students first-year Psychology major Luke Murphy wasn’t concerned or affected by the situation he said, “I don’t work for a startup and I don’t believe that bigger banks would fail so I’m not worried about it.”

Silicon Valley Bank wasn’t the only bank to fall. Signature Bank also failed and the FDIC and other federal departments stepped in before things got worse. Both banks had liquidity problems meaning that it did not have the cash on hand to pay the large amounts that its clients were withdrawing once it heard about its other problems. The makeup of both Silicon Valley and Signature banks assets also didn’t align with the industry average of having 13% of its assets in cash. Silicon Valley had 7% and Signature only had just over 5%. It’s unlikely that major banks like JP Morgan Chase or Bank of America could collapse like Signature and Silicon Valley because of the amount of liquidity they have. So for the time being students shouldn’t worry too much about their banks.

Students show excitement for body positivity event

Administration seeks new possibilities amid future staffing cuts

continued from pg. 1

uncovered, according to Ahmed.

Ahmed emphasized that the university is “realigning the programs creating shared services opportunities…partnering with systems or offices for broader shared services.”

The plan for repurposing buildings and sharing services will rely on feedback from staff from all levels at SSU. Karen Moranski, who is the provost, vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer, states “The conversation needs to happen at the unit level, school level, and department level.”

The process for collecting reorganizing ideas from staff will include different methods such as surveys, chats, and forums.

SSU announces AS Election results for 2023-2024

Sonoma State has elected new associated student representatives for the 20232024 school year.

The newly elected student body representatives for SSU are Cassandra Garcia as president and Angelina Melissa Lopez as executive vice president. Clayton Trent and Vanessa Sanchez were both re-elected as VP of finance and senator for diversity. Taylor Frickman was elected as senator for government affairs and Greta Fast as senator for student resources.

From March 13 to March 14, students were encouraged to vote for a new slate of officers. The results were officially announced the following day, March 15. A total of 990 students voted allowing for a 16.75% turnout.

At SSU, the associated student organization, which is referred to as “AS” is student led and is in charge of creating a feeling of community on campus. According to their official page on the SSU website, their goal is to “provide a positive, fun, and inclusive programming experiences throughout the academic year that are free or low cost to the SSU community.”

Cassandra Garcia, the newly elected Associated Students president shared some information about herself to the SSU community. She said that as a first generation student studying psychology, being involved on campus made her realize that she wants to help students’ voices be heard. “My objectives are to be there for students by listening to their concerns. I also want to make every student feel safe here at SSU.”

Garcia decided to run for president because she wanted to make a change and get more involved. “I saw a community of students that truly cared about change and involvement. I was always afraid of rejection and the thought of never being good enough. I have surrounded myself with a great support system that has made me realize I have what it takes to make a change.”

AS helps to provide programs and funding resources to organizations and clubs on campus. The elections are a way to make sure students can also be invloved in that process.

Where can I find a microwave?

continued from pg. 1

off-campus and are missing out on some core benefits of on-campus living.

The rising cost of living on campus is also probably a contributing factor. Since the 2019-2020 school year, the housing rates for a Beaujolais single dorm room went up by over $200 a month. In 2019-2020 it was $1,533 a month and it is now $1,755 a month for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Fourth-year sociology major David Rodriguez-Mellin said, “honestly I think 90% of [the average student’s] diet is microwavable food so the school should probably fix this problem as soon as they can.” He added, “I think that’s messed up that we don’t have enough microwaves. The school should have as many microwaves as students need.”

An anonymous student source that moved from on-campus housing to off-campus said “It got to a certain point where I didn’t see much of a reason to stay on-campus when I could live somewhere just a few blocks away and save a bunch of money. I also get way less hassle now than I did from RA’s living at Sonoma.”

With the cost of living being a major reason why students live off-campus, lower-income students are more likely to be affected.

If a student has a full-time or even part-time school schedule, they are likely to attend more than one class a day, so it becomes a necessity to eat something between classes.

Though the two currently available public microwaves on campus might be enough to adequately service students, SSU is a fairly large school, so if a student has to stop at the Student Center before a class on the other side of campus, the walking commute time can be a detriment to their schedule.

At the current moment, it is not apparent if the lack of on-campus microwaves is a major issue for Seawolves. Gonzalez said, “in the future I believe we could inquire if students would want additional utilities and find campus partners who may be open to supporting the cause.”

In response to the staffing cuts, Julia Barns, who is the director of Business and Operations for the school of Science and Technology, expresses her concerns saying “In 60 days, I have six people walking off the job…I need to advocate for those that are left, we need to know what is going to happen a little sooner in the business side of things.”

There is no definitive plan that the university has to ensure a smooth transition once staffing is cut. However, Lee and Ahmed reassured concerned staff that there will be a task force to assist departments on campus with these changes.

Lee stresses the importance of cutting back on staffing to address the budget deficit despite the fact that it won’t completely solve the problem.

“We can’t put staff in every office,” said Lee.

Some students have weighed in on the upcoming cuts in staffing. Chance Lujan, a third year transfer student studying history stated that there could be more stress to those in positions not being cut.

It was not addressed at the budget meeting how these cuts and repurposing of buildings will affect students. However, students are hoping that the budget deficit does not impact them tremendously.

“Students should not have to pay the price for enrollment decline,” stated Lujan.

COVID-19 mandate restrictions lift, along with some concerns

continued from pg. 1

sociate vice president for government and regional relations, says that the approach to reopening taken by SSU was one that was strategically planned, doing so by “using the safety protocols of the county, growing the percentage of in-person courses each semester, maintaining more online coursework at the upper division level, where students were most interested in having that mode, and reopening services and food venues as quickly as we could restaff.”

For example, the percentage of in-person classes was 43%. By Spring 2023, that number shot up to 77%. Other noticeable changes to campus include more food venues being opened, as well as a decline in students.

Even with the end of the COVID vaccine mandate on March 2, people are still skeptical about if this new policy will actually help the student populations of SSU and other CSU schools bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.

Fourth year finance major Chris Strouse says that there won’t be that much of an uptick in student population in the aftermath of the mandate’s end. “Some students will possibly come as a result but I think the majority of students got vaccinated in order to attend a CSU and made it an incentive.”

“It is unlikely to change the gap significantly on its own,” states Natalie Kalogiannis, director of admissions, “some students may return, but that assumes they left primarily because of the vaccine mandate, which is unlikely to be the prime or only reason students stopped their academic journey.”

COURTESY // sonoma.edu

Happy seawolves seen walking walking through campus near Ives Hall.

CÉLIA ALINE AMARAL STAFF WRITER

STAR // Malia Teran

A seawolf pictured jumping for joy at the ‘EveryBody’ body positivity event held at the Seawolf Plaza on March 16. See page 6 for the full story.

MIA GARCIA STAFF WRITER

Arts & Entertainment 5

Sonoma State Senior Projects debut

Before spring break the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance showcased their Senior Projects on Tuesday March 16. Theater put on two plays, “Moving Through Grief” by Maya Pratt-Bauman and “The PTA Meeting” by Phi Tran. In dance, Moriah Costa showcased her very own choreographed dance called “Her.”

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance utilize Senior Projects so the seniors can be expressive and proud of what they have self-made throughout the semester. It allows students to write a script, direct, act, and choreograph. Each performance had a content warning because they were all so emotionally charged. All three allow the audience to interpret what each of their pieces means.

“Moving Through Grief” consists of eight short plays that describe a loss. Director Maya Pratt-Bauman’s goal was for the audience to interpret their own meaning of loss and how emotion controls them. Many people who saw these plays reported that they made them cry because they made them connect with their emotions. Braumans felt that opening night was a success, “I am so happy for what we were able to accomplish.” Braumans continues to say that the audience reaction was so “loving,” and it “hit home for some folks.”

“The PTA Meeting” is a short play that displays the hardships of gun violence, suicide, and child loss.

Director Phi Tran wrote a play that demonstrates how both adults and children continuously deal with these intense traumas. Writing and directing a play took longer than usual according to Tran. However, he and his team got together and really worked hard to produce a great play. The audience was engaged and felt the emotion actors were portraying. Tran said, “everyone on stage found a rhythm and energy and ultimately it paid off.”

“Her” was choreographed by Moriah Costa, it demonstrated what life is like through the female gaze and what it’s like to be loved by a woman. The dance was joined by a background of videos and a monologue describing the thoughts of what a woman feels about herself. Costa said, “I started it a couple of years ago when I was a sophomore and I plan on continuing the video as years go by.” Costa felt that her opening night was really exciting, she said, “I love performing and it was a blast every time.”

These performances seemed to really resonate with the audience. Fifth-year chemistry major and dance minor, Paulina Gonzalez said, “The performances were beautiful. A lot of tears were shed. It tugs at your heartstrings.” The Theatre Arts and Dance program is an inviting place where students can support one another. All students are welcome and all shows are free for all SSU students. Check out their Instagram @ssutheatreartsanddance or on their

events.

‘Tuesday Night Trivia’ at Lobos

into teams of five to compete in order to win 1000 points per correct answer on questions such as “most streamed artist,” “guess the song,” “the hometown of country music” and “first Nintendo video game to use an orchestra for their soundtrack.” The diversity of the questions made it engaging for students with different musical interests to compete.

As the teams correctly answered the trivia questions, they cheered and hollered from every table in Lobo’s. Excitement filled the room when people wrote down their answers on their whiteboards to hold up when the time to answer came.

to race to the answer to see who’s the first to hold their board up.” Gabby Davis, a third-year Hutchins major, talked about what she liked most about trivia night, “Davis continued to say that one fun fact that she learned during trivia night was “The first Hard Rock Cafe was in London, England not Nashville, Tenn.” This answer seemed to shock many others in the crowd as well.

Onthe evening of Tuesday, March 14, Associated Students Productions (ASP) hosted “Trivia Night.” Seawolves gathered in Lobos to utilize their knowledge of a variety of music topics. People got

Curtis Manley, event director for ASP shared what he wished Seawolves would get out of trivia night, “I think hosting events is important because it adds to the college experience and gives students something to do on a weekday night that is free for them to attend.” Manley went on to say, “I come up with events by trying to use my power to implement what I would like to see. My goal with Tuesday Night Trivia was to try and build the culture of Sonoma State. I love trivia and thought that trying to make a bar-styled trivia night would not only be a fun change for campus life but could also appeal to those who aren’t 21.”

“I like how competitive it is. It’s just fun trying

Mika Rios-Casseco, a third-year English major, gave her opinion about the game, “The competition is really fun, I just like to quiz my knowledge especially since I like music a lot. I end up realizing I don’t know as much as I thought I did.” Rios-Casseco praised how much fun the event was and how she had also gone to trivia night last month. “It is a fun way to get out and play trivia. You get to test your knowledge and I know this event is one of the most popular ones to go to.”

Sasha Omholt, a third-year Communications and Media Studies major learned something new and interesting during trivia night, she said she learned, “More about different music artists and how they got their start in the industry. For instance, I didn’t know that Justin Bieber was first discovered by Usher!” Osmholt said what she loved most about trivia night was “How it brings people together. I feel very proud to be a part of this school’s community.”

Jazz Forum: SSU Latin Band with guest clinician

Jazz is constantly breaking the rules. This was a big topic at the forum on Wednesday March 15, when SSU’s Latin Band welcomed guest alumni Dave MacNab to participate in their jam session. Most weeks, Doug Leibinger invites a guest to the jazz forum to engage with the students and participate in the music played and the discussions.

“It’s as much about cultural exchange and development as it is about education,” said Johann Clapstein, a music education major on the instrumental track who is a transfer student attending their first year at SSU. This forum had the audience very engaged as ideas and perspectives were passed around in a friendly discussion. It went from about 1-3 p.m. in Schroeder Hall.

Clapstein said about attending the event, “Latin Jazz is an interest of mine.” Many of the audience members were music majors or had some sort of interest in music. Clapstein plays the tuba and congas and participates in many ensembles at Sonoma State. “Music to me is a method of communication and a communal experience,” said Clapstein.

Jomei Greer, age 20, who is a junior at Sonoma State with a jazz studies major, agreed with this statement.

“It’s one universal language everyone speaks a different way.” Greer said that there is an “expected sound” at a jazz jam. He likes to see the different influences musicians bring to jazz through their different musical backgrounds.

When opening the forum, Kendrick Freeman said that everyone should feel free to ask any questions, and this is just what happened.

There were five people playing the first song, and later guest MacNab joined in on guitar. Hector Altamirano also played the guitar. Freeman played the drums, Justice Jones played the piano, Brian Reed played the saxophone, and Sajan Maharjan played the congas.

There were about seven or eight audience members in total, and they were very interactive. One discussion that was brought up was match grip versus traditional drums. The match grip is when the stick is held the same in each hand. The traditional grip is when the stick is held differently in each hand, as seen on Wikipedia. It was discussed that the grip style doesn’t matter, just the approach.

Jazz is something that can be played a number of different ways. There are many different variations and

ways that you can change the music while still respecting the framework. One of the discussions brought this idea up and someone mentioned that you have to have some sort of framework before making it your own. By learning all the songs, styles, and variations, you are able to take what you have learned and put your own style into it.

The history of Jazz and where it originated was also discussed. They brought up Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington. Ellington was brought up from his saying that there are only two kinds of music, “good music, and bad music.”

Andrew Emer, the jazz bass instructor, mentioned building a “rhythm sandcastle” and what that means. All the musicians are building the same sandcastle, this being the overall sound and structure of the music they are creating. Freeman talked about not stepping on each other’s part, or as Emer said jokingly, “Don’t kick sand in my face dude,” referring to the rhythm sandcastle. Freeman showed an example with Maharjan the conga player while he played drums. He showed how to find another part to sound good together and not overstep bounds.

KYLIE PERRY STAFF WRITER

KATHLEEN MOOTZ STAFF WRITER

STAR // Dennae Taylor Alessandra Jennings, Madyline Jaramillo, Moriah Costa and Olivia Keydeniers in “Her” by Moriah Costa on March 16.

STAR // Kathleen Mootz Students gathered at Lobos for trivia night on 3/14.

MARCH. 28 - APRIL 3, 2023

Jillian Van Riper: ‘Black and Brown in Blue’

Jillian Van Riper sat down with Sonoma State Police Chief Nader Oweis to tell her life story and discuss the struggles that come with being a woman in the police force.

The conversation began with Van Riper explaining how she got into law enforcement because her father suggested it to her at a young age. Although she was apprehensive about it at first, Van Riper embraced her decision. She would later enroll in the Petaluma Police Department as a trainee while attending SSU and eventually joined the police force after she graduated.

Fatima Contreras, a student ambassador who works with the University Police Department (UPD), was in attendance for the lecture. The fellow Seawolf views the on campus police station as her second home and felt that the lectures were a safe space for her to learn about law enforcement. Contreras aspires to be an officer in the future and came to the event excited to see and hear the experiences of a female officer. She felt that through these conversations, she was able to learn about policing and get to know more officers to make connections with.

plorer Programs, which allow for young people to get their foot in the door when it comes to law enforcement. She talked about the importance of police forces continuing to do ‘back to school days’ where they go to schools and advertise the career of enforcing the law. She thought that what they do by going to elementary, middle and high schools and showing students their cars and equipment was a great way to excite the youth about policing.

The STAR also talked with Officer Van Riper about the hesitancy of attending these events and she acknowledged that although these are uncomfortable conversations they are essential. She also explained how she likes to be put on the spot with difficult questions that make her “thinking gears” turn on.

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Before we all departed on spring break seawolves met for the 12th session of the lecture series titled, “Black and Brown in Blue.” On Wednesday, March 15, Officer

OLIVIA KEELER STAFF WRITER

Contreras said, “I think I can personally relate to how she was talking about the difficulties of being a woman in law enforcement, having these conversations will open up more conversations with other women too.”

The STAR was able to catch up with Officer Van Riper and ask about how to promote programs like Ex-

The lectures host, Chief Nader Oweis, also sees the great importance of community engagement. He explained that the importance of these events revolved around building trust between those in blue and the community that they serve. He understands that some people might feel uncomfortable interacting with the police but feels these lectures offer a safe space for students to ask questions and get comfortable with the UPD. When talking about the importance of asking questions, Chief Oweis also stated, “I think we’re going to get to the realities a lot faster and then we will break down some of those barriers.” These conversations can serve as an opportunity to build a safe connected community.

A new yoga class eases midterm stress

Are you feeling overwhelmed by classes and all of your other responsibilities? A Stress Reduction Class is now being offered at the Recreation Center and is a laid-back yoga class focusing on relaxation and breathing. The class is on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and is led by Kim Purdy, an executive assistant at Sonoma State, who is also an experienced yoga instructor.

There were about 15 students in attendance and all equipment was provided. Typically, the class is brought back around midterms every semester to combat stress. Purdy mentioned how she wants to keep the class going for the entirety of the semester rather than limiting the stress reduction class to midterms. In unison attendees explained that they would benefit from the year long class.

It seemed as though students were very comfortable and calm in this class, and the desire to regularly attend is understandable.

According to The American Institute of Stress, eight out of every ten college students experience frequent stress. While it may seem like a part of the normal college experience, chronic stress can lead to neg-

ative impacts on health. Rajita Sinha, PhD, director of Yale Medicine’s Interdisciplinary Stress Center, states that chronic stress can lead to low energy, unfocused or cloudy thinking, change in appetite, and emotional withdrawal. Stress is inevitable, especially among college students, but managing stress can lead to an improvement in health.

Sinha also states that, “Building stress reduction skills,” is key to the management of stress. The class that is offered at SSU is a way to build upon Seawolves stress reduction skills.

There was calm music, the lights were dim, and the atmosphere was very quiet besides the vocal instruction of Purdy. Upon observation Students were focused on the breathing exercises. The science behind yoga and stress relief is backed with medical evidence and isn’t just an assumption.

A study done at the Ilam University of Medical Sciences found that, “Yoga has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Thus, it can be used as complementary medicine.” While serious stress and anxiety disorders do require formal treatment and med-

ication, yoga can be another form of treatment, with or without medication.

With COVID-19 restrictions ending, the world is still recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that, “In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%.”

The WHO also reports that young people and women had the largest increase. Transitioning back to in-person can be a difficult time for some students, but this class is a resource open to any and all students

If stress reduction isn’t something of interest, Purdy also instructs a “flowy and intense” yoga session on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at the Recreation Center. The Stress Reduction Class is meant to unwind and relax, while the Monday session centered around aerobic exercise.

Stress and anxiety is normal, but finding ways to combat it will improve your health. For any questions regarding the class, contact Kim Purdy kimberlypurdy@ sonoma.edu.

SSU celebrates body positivity with ‘EveryBody’

“EveryBody”was put on by Seawolf Living as an event supporting Women’s History Month. Seawolf plaza was lively with the sound of music and smiles were seen on many Seawolf faces. Students floated around from table to table looking at the various activities and potential prizes to win. Each table brought their own unique twist on how they wanted to engage students.

The campus Recreation Center brought out a mini basketball hoop and challenged the students to shoot the ball in order to win a water bottle. Student Involvement encouraged people to write kind words about themselves or others and use it to enter a raffle for different kinds of prizes such as a Lego flower set. SSU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) had a wheel that was spun to win items such as putty and coloring books.

Kappa Confidence Campaign for the spring semester.

The multicultural sorority, Lambda Sigma Gamma (LSG), hosted a “create your own bracelets” station where students could make one for themselves, friends or loved ones. President of LSG Shirley Garcia stated, “To me, body positivity means being accepting and acknowledging that everyone is beautiful in their own way… Oftentimes we forget that our differences are what makes us all unique.” Garcia continued to say, “This event was a great success because it allowed students to create bonds & see their uniqueness as beautiful…I think the best part about our activity was that many students made bracelets for others with very kind words.”

JAKE RENTERIA STAFF WRITER

Students came to Seawolf Plaza on March 16th to see how clubs, Greek life and different organizations promote body positivity. The goal of this event was to bring the Sonoma State community together with a variety of activities and instructional ways to practice self care, self confidence and acceptance of all different bodies.

The volunteer service on campus, Join Us Making Progress (JUMP), was tabling to promote volunteer work on campus. Alpha Omicron Pi spread coloring books all over their tables and invited students to color-in as they pleased. The sorority Kappa Delta Zeta displayed two large decorated boards in front of their table. Written in big letters were the words “What is Confidence?” and members filled out the rest of their boards with their own unique answers. This was part of their

Junior Cassandra Garcia, also a member of LSG, said “our table helped show body positivity toward others, you could write something positive to yourself or a friend, make a friendship bracelet or pick up a sticker with a positive affirmation on it.”

Creating a warm and welcoming environment was what this event was all about. There was plenty of engaging activities to do between all the groups and every table made their own interpretation of what body positivity meant to them.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Officer Jillian Van Riper pictured smiling while discussing policing with Chief Oweis.

STAR // Malia Teran Olivia Blades makes a friendship bracelet with the sisters of Lambda Sigma Gamma

Sonoma wins first conference game

urday, the Seawolves were defeated 16-1. The Wildcats scored early in the second inning but were mainly getting their runs towards the middle innings. Both sides took advantage of bullpen struggles, keeping pitch count down, and key errors helping them set up the rest of the games.

Wildcats’ threat to take their final series game, 3-2. Starting pitcher for Sonoma, Fonoti, walked away with his first conference victory and Chase Banks grinded for the save.

The Sonoma State Baseball team recorded their first conference victory of the season over their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival, Chico State. This is the first time since 2018 the Seawolves defeated the Wildcats, ending a 10-game losing streak.

Splitting the series 2-2, Sonoma came out the gates swinging, managing to win the first game 9-5. Starting pitcher for Sonoma, Ross Goldschlag (3-1) record-

COOPER PERRY STAFF WRITER

ed his first conference win of the year, while Michael Panichi got the save. Chico State first got on the board with two runs while Sonoma tied it up in the fifth inning. Trading runs the next inning, Chico state reclaimed the lead for the last time in the seventh, 5-3. Rallying back, the Seawolves took advantage of walks and a key error leading them to their 9-5 victory. During the second game on Sat-

Tanner Fonoti is a third year art studio major, and starting pitcher for Sonoma. During game two on Sunday, Fonoti got his third overall victory. He said this weekend the team did great both offensively and defensively but have things that need to be worked and improved on. “We have some things to improve on as these first couple of games have been good learning experiences for everyone. Everyone can improve on their craft as no one is perfect in this game, it’s a team sport and everyone has to be focused and on the same page in order to win.”

On Sunday, Chico State and Sonoma State both held off rallies in their final innings of each game to split the CCAA series. During game one, Chico State held off Sonoma from rallying in the ninth inning to take game one of the doubleheader, 4-3. Yet, when the Seawolves went into the final inning of the nightcap, they returned the favor and stopped the

“Beating Chico is huge for us, not only because we broke the five year streak, but it’s great momentum going into the rest of our season. We can beat anybody as long as we believe in each other and play as a team,” said Chris Wright. The first baseman has been an offensive force for the team hitting .300 with 18 hits and three home runs. Wright also mentioned the focus this year is playing hard for teammates while winning as many games as possible.

Chico State and Sonoma State combined had 44 hits and 18 walks this weekend, while both ball clubs had to settle with not only another twinbill, but left the diamond with a CCAA series split. Sonoma State ends the weekend with 8-9 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

“It’s only up from here. One thing we are doing successfully is competing, there isn’t a moment where we do not compete; everyone on this team is a dawg as we will do whatever to win these ball games” Fonoti said.

Seawolves sweep Lumberjacks

Sonoma State’s Softball team’s fearsome reputation continues to make its rounds through the league. Four games were fought between Cal Poly Humbolt’s Lumberjacks and SSU’s Seawolves. It tested the Seawolves to their very limits until finally, the Lumberjacks started to cave from the Seawolf offense in the series finale as the Seawolves swept.

As the teams met for the first time on March 24, it was the Seawolves who came out swinging, scoring in the first inning to immediately put pressure on their opposition. In the third inning when the Lumberjacks tied the game, The Seawolves knew they would have to reassert themselves on top.

It took until the sixth inning for either team to break the deadlock. It was

then that Jordyn Martinez made it home off of Sklar Linnane’s hit, giving the Seawolves a narrow lead going into the final inning. With all to play for, Pitcher Charlie Johnson kept The Lumberjacks scoreless and earned a save.

Things would hardly get any easier for the Seawolves as later in that same day in their second meeting, The Lumberjacks would start to get the swing of it. They led the first inning 2-1 and managed to keep the next four innings quiet. That struggle would eventually culminate in a more than timely sixth-inning breakthrough; smashing home three runs to put the Seawolves up 4-2. Johnson again came in clutch, allowing zero slip-ups. Fellow pitcher Bailee Reed spoke about this start to

the series saying, “From the big hits, team offense, great pitching performances, pitchers having each other’s backs on the mound in the relief position, this was great for the team.”

The next day, in the third game of the series the Lumberjacks got off to a great start when they went up 1-0 in the third inning. In the following inning, the Seawolves tied the game up. This stalemate would go into extra innings as the Seawolves walked it off 2-1. It was once again Martinez as she hit a walk-off single in the eighth inning of the game.

With the dust starting to settle in the battlegrounds after the walk-off, the two teams still had one game to go. However, the constant drain of narrowly losing each game was clearly start-

ing to wear on the Lumberjacks. The Seawolves stamped the series sweep with 8-0 victory in the final game. Another triumphant victory improved SSU to a solid record of 22-4 this season as well as 16-3 in conference games. The series sweep brought the Seawolves winning streak to seven games.

“I feel that all four wins this weekend over Cal Poly Humboldt were truly team wins and every single person contributed to each win”, Reed said. “We are currently 1st place in the conference and ranked 13th in the nation…We have so much grit and pride, and we want it all.” Infielder Courtney Jack added, “I hope that we as a team can continue to grow in these coming days as we take on five teams in our upcoming Tournament In Turlock.”

Athlete Spotlight of the Week: Charlie Johnson

Even if we don’t throw the first punch and we are behind in the game, we seem to use each other for support in fighting back to jump back on top.”

Johnson has not allowed a run through 24 consecutive innings and currently leads the CCAA, ranking fourth in the NCAA Division II with a 0.47 ERA.

Johnson said, on achieving this title, “As a freshman, this achievement is a huge accomplishment for me and it definitely gives me a boost of confidence. This is also a huge step forward for my career.”

The freshman became the second Seawolf to earn CCAA Pitcher of the Week this year, joining her teammate Nichole Sarra, who earned the title on Feb. 20.

OnMonday, Mar. 20, freshman Charlie Johnson was named the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) Pitcher of the Week for her outstanding performance against Cal State Monterey Bay. Johnson helped the Seawolves pick up two wins against CSUMB and did not allow a single earned run over 14 innings during the doubleheader. She gave up only 10 hits and two walks and earned three strikeouts.

On Mar. 17 Johnson entered the game in the second inning and did not allow a single run over the next six innings, helping the Seawolves come back from a two-run deficit to win the game 6-4.

When asked about what the Seawolves have been doing well this season, Johnson said, “I feel like this team always fights back when the game gets tough. We all share the same goal of throwing the first punch of the game.

Johnson continued, “I credit this performance to all the work I’ve put in during bullpens within practices. I’ve also gotten a lot of support from my other teammates and Coach Bridges to help me find this confidence in my abilities.”

Johnson said that her goal for the season was to find a routine in warmups and in her game to improve her own play. She added, “Positive self-

talk has helped me prepare and has given me confidence throughout the game.”

With their impressive performance against Monterey Bay, the Seawolves moved up to thirteenth in the NCAA Division II rankings. These rankings are determined by a committee of 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the NCAA’s eight regions.

The Seawolves stayed dominant with a four-game sweep against Cal Poly Humboldt on Friday and Saturday. SSU shut out Humboldt 8-0 in the final game of the trip with an impressive performance by the senior pitcher, Nichole Sarra.

The Seawolves’ record now sits at 22-4 on the season and 16-3 within their conference. Their 11-1 record at home and seven-game win streak are great signs of the Seawolves’ success this season.

This weekend, the Seawolves will take on Western Oregon University on Friday in the Tournament of Champions, hosted by Stanislaus State in Turlock, Calif. The Seawolves will be looking to stay hot and keep their winnig streak alive in preparation for the playoffs next month.

TITO FUENTES STAFF WRITER

JUSTIN SIMPSON STAFF WRITER

COURTESY//Evan Roehrig

Fonoti winding up a pitch during his start on Sunday.

COURTESY// @sonomaseawolves on Instagram Johnson has a 5-0 record on the season with a 0.38 ERA.

From Sonoma State student to Petaluma Police Officer

SSU Alum Dave Macnab shares tips with Latin Band

Spring ‘23 senior projects have commenced

STAR // Dennae Taylor Brian Reed plays the alto sax and Hector Altamirano on the bass guitar at SSU Latin Band forum on March 15.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

Maya Pratt-Bauman and Josiah Pel cope with loss in “Moving Through Grief” by Maya Pratt-Bauman on March 16.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

Phi Tran, Ismael Armando Ramos and Tyson Miller process the fact that their children are in lockdown due to an active shooter in “The PTA Meeting” by Phi Tran.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Moriah Costa, Alessandra Jennings, Olivia Keydenier and Madyline Jaramillo in “Her.” by Moriah Costa.

STAR // Dennae Taylor SSU Chief of Police Nader Oweis hosts a Q&A session with Jillian Van Riper from Petaluma Police Department on March 15.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Van Riper is a 2019 Sonoma State Alumna who now does work with a non-profit restorative justice program for juveniles.

STAR // Dennae Taylor

SSU Latin Band members listen to advice from Alum Dave Macnab.

STAR // Dennae Taylor Kendrick Freeman demonstrating on the congas at SSU Latin Band forum.