Francisco Chronicle, “Researchers say the Rod gers Creek Fault that runs from San Pablo Bay North through central Sonoma County was responsible for the Tuesday night shocks.” The Rod gers Creek Fault is also a right-lateral strike-slip fault, which means there are vertical fractures in the Earth’s crust where the plates rub against each other. As the tectonic plates move, pressure builds until the plates overcome the friction and move causing an earthquake to occur.
COURTESY // calstate.edu
An email from CSU’s strategic communications and public affairs explains the award. “The CSU Trustees’ Award is the university’s highest recognition of student achievement. Each award provides a donor-funded scholarship to students who demonstrate superior aca demic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and inspirational goals for the future. The awardees have demonstrated a deep commitment to making a positive impact on their generation, as well as those who come after them,” the email said.
Matty Mookerjee, SSU Geology Professor and GEP Department Chair has the same opinion about a bigger earthquake being due soon. He did clarify that “soon” could be a few million years away, but as time progresses, the likelihood for a larger earthquake increases. Mookerjee said, “Generally speaking, paleo-seismologists believe that the Rodgers
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The caller allegedly stated that they heard a gunshot, followed by a yell. When of ficers arrived at the scene, they located one victim, of an unknown age, with an injury consistent with being shot. The victim was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.Officerswere unable to locate any more suspects(s) involved with the shooting. How ever, detectives were called to the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. As of now the identities of the victim and possible suspect(s) have yet to be established, and the victim’s injuries have yet to be disclosed.
DEVON BLY STAFF WRITER
Omayra Ortega, an SSU Mathematics professor, encouraged Cabrera to apply for the CSU Trustees Award, even if she doubted her likelihood of getting chosen. Thinking Or see SERINA CABRERA on pg. 4
SSU Trustees’ Award winner shares her inspirational story
Rene Cassano, a senior Communications major had a similar reaction to the earthquake like the alert that was sent out. Cassano said, “My reac tion to the Tuesday earthquake was to stop and wait. It did not feel like a really big earthquake and I wasn’t sitting in a dangerous spot so I waited to see if it got stronger.”
SEPT 20, 2022 - SEPT 27, 2022 VOLUME 87 // ISSUE 3
A public statement from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety explained that at approximately 11:00 p.m., officers responded to a call of a possible altercation on the Copeland Creek Trail. The attack occurred in the area of the Santa Ana footbridge, approximately 2 miles from Sonoma State’s Campus.
Cabrera is currently a senior at Sonoma State majoring in Statistics with a double mi nor in Biology and Chemistry. She is the President of her sorority, Lambda Theta Nu, Vice President of Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Secretary of Pi Mu Epsilon club and Math/Statistics club, McNair Scholar, Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Honors Member, works in the Mathematical Epidemiology Research Group, is a Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) Statistics Tutor, and is an SSU cheerleader,
The Chronicle also said, “Scientists estimate that these connected faults have a 33% probability of experiencing a major earthquake of mag nitude 6.7 or higher before 2043.”
During an interview with the Interim Director of Communications, Delfin Vigil, Cabrera recounted her reaction to discovering she’d won the award. “I felt so happy and thankful my story was able to get this award, and how Sonoma State thought that I was the embodiment of this award,” Cabrera said.
STAR // Adriana Gonzalez
Santa Rosa Fire department kept people up to date with the effects of the earthquaken via Twitter, Tuesday night. “Santa Rosa Fire has re sponded to multiple reports of odors of gas, gas leaks, fire alarms as well as stuck elevators. No reports of any injuries related to the quake at this time,” SRFD
JHERY MAE MONTEZA STAFF WRITER
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KAYLE NORRIS STAFF WRITER
During the ongoing investigation, The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety is asking members of the public to avoid the area of the Copeland trail between Seed Farm
AccordingTweeted.totheSan
Copeland creek shootingconcerns students
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Serina Cabrera is Sonoma State University’s 2022 Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galinson scholar.
The Rohnert Park Police Department is investigating a shooting which occurred on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 on the Copeland Creek Trail.
see EARTHQUAKE on pg. 4see SHOOTING on pg. 4
Cabrera was initially supposed to graduate in May 2022, but a car accident put her out of school for a month. After re-evaluating graduate program timelines, Cabrera decided it would be best for her to graduate in May 2023.
erina Cabrera, a first-generation student, woman of color, and senior STEM major was honored to represent Sonoma State University in receiving the 2022 California State University Trustees’ Award.
Right as the shocks hit, an Emergency Alert was sent out by the Unit ed States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert to mobile devices that read, “Drop, Cover, Hold On, Protect yourself.”
SSU shaken up earthquakefollowing
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Soccer The Kitchens offers cooking classes for students with Executive Chef Don PAGE 5. Want to learn to cook?
Copeland Creek trail sign taken where the trail meets Snyder Lane.
onoma State University students were rattled by a 4.4 earthquake, and subsequent aftershock of 4.3, that happened Tuesday Sept. 13 at 6:39p.m. The quake’s epicenter was about two miles north of Santa Rosa. Many students were worried about what could happen next. Some called friends and family to make sure they were okay. Malia Carinio, a senior Psychology major said, “I immediately called my mom because she’s the first person I talk to when something like that happens.”
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Adriana Gonzalez, Cec Fernandez
Samuli continued, “at times, my teachers and counselors were so negative about col lege admission I didn’t even think I would get in anywhere. If they had been more positive and supportive I think my class mates and I wouldn’t have been so stressed during senior year.”
The transition from high school to college can be a trying time for many students. The many unknowns that go along with this ascension into adulthood can be met with unwanted anxiety. At the ripe age of eigh teen, students are expected to leave home and fend for themselves. This can mean ap plying for jobs, paying rent for the first time or simply just learning to budget money. It’s understandable that these things are learned with hands on experience but shouldn’t high school have better prepared us for adult hood?
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Determination.IraniaGuerrero Diaz, a post-grad stu dent at Sonoma State, talked to the STAR about what AVID taught her, “During high school I participated in AVID and my then teacher taught my class and myself how to be successful in our college careers. I learned how to search for financial aid and how to start the college application pro cess.”Seeking a higher education should be a fruit ful experience, one full of promise and overall excitement. If high schools attempt ed to teach practical skills like; balancing a checkbook, budgeting money, how to pay taxes, or even how to properly use a credit card, there would be less scary un knowns. High school teachers should also stay more in touch with the times and paint a happier picture of what college may look like. Adulthood wouldn’t be so scary if we had an accurate understanding of what’s to come.
STAR // Montana Lahey
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Students are not only stressing out about life after high school graduation but they may also have a negative perception of what it means to be an actual college student. All around, it seems that high school’s should alter their curriculum to ease looming anxiety about what the fu ture may hold for their students. There are some programs, that are offered as elec tives, put in place to better prepare these teenagers for university life. For example, many schools offer AVID programs, which stands for Advancement Via Individual
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Adulthood is a tricky thing to maneu ver through, especially without any prepa ration. High school courses are made to prepare students academically for college but the material lacks any practical appli cation. Elizabeth Orona, a third year at SSU, offered her thoughts on the topic, “I wish high school would have taught me about everyday/adulting things. For exam ple learning about budgeting. I feel like the sooner I would have learned about manag ing money, the more comfortable and con fident I would be with my funds and spend ing. Especially because as college students we have to put money aside for things like housing, textbooks, groceries and more.” College life is different for everyone and there can be many different questions that arise regarding what it is really like. At times it also seems that high school teach ers put unrealistic ideas of what to expect from college. There are these stereotypes of severely strict professors and mountains of homework that accompany each course. But the reality of attending a university is far from bleak. It is a space to expand your horizons and study topics you may genu inelyInenjoy.an interview with the STAR, Hutchins liberal studies major Alyssa Sam uli, discussed what it was like applying for college, “There was a lot of fear around it.”
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In a story last Issue on page 6, we incorrectly iden tified the sponsor of the event. JUMP students volun teeered at the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
Why does growing uphave to be so scary?
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Queen Elizabeth II has been Britain’s national symbol for several decades. Al though the monarchy doesn’t rule the coun try anymore, Queen Elizabeth has been by her country’s side for over 70 years through difficult times. In a world that was rapidly changing, the queen served as a consistent and graceful presence not only to the U.K. but to the world.
She also believes that the concerns shared by students like Yetso and Smith are somewhat universal. “This isn’t new, students have always felt that they are not as prepared as they should be when enter ing the workforce,” she stated.
Nothing the royal family does affect any of us here in the United States.
Since we have no loyalty to the British monarchy anymore, royal family gossip is entertainment for Americans.
The full extent to which online learn ing will impact student and alumni career outcomes remains to be seen. For now, it’s important for pandemic degree earners to do their best to fill in any gaps that they feel a partially remote education may have left, and for employers to be considerate and nurturing when hiring and training them.
Pandemic degrees are still valuable, despite student concerns
The desirable skills Young referenced include critical thinking, oral and written communication, teamwork, digital tech nology, leadership, professionalism and work ethic, career management and global and intercultural fluency.
Rachel Yetso, a communica tions and media studies major and summer 2022 graduate, is one of a growing number of pandem ic degree earners who share this concern. Yetso stated, “I feel less prepared to enter the work world in person…I definitely feel further behind than other college graduates
MARIAH FORSTER STAFF WRITER
the fact. “I would say I feel a bit less pre pared, but I’ve taken steps since gradua tion to ensure I’m more up to speed with everything, like job searches and so on,” he stated.Young added that her department can help with these sorts of steps, stating, “There are many ways for students to gain hands-on experience post-graduation to enhance their skills, and they can connect with the career center to figure out which path is best for them.”
fied with the sneak peek. The teaser was picked apart from the cinematography, the quality, and most notably the change in Ariel’s race.
Videos of children reacting exciting ly to the anticipated release flooded so cial media timelines.
In particular, many young black chil dren were overjoyed to see another black character represented in a Disney fairy tale.A
the world mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, including many Americans, there are some who question the relevance of the British Monarchy, particularly here at SSU.“I feel indifferent with the queen dying because I have no relation or attachment with the royal family. I don’t think she’s rel evant because she has not impacted my life,” stated Azucena Ferrusca Lopez, fourth year communications major.
According to Becky Sandoval Young, SSU’s career advisor and personal rela tions specialist, “Students are struggling with their self-confidence…but the reali ty is that most employers are looking for eight main skills.”
After four years in the mak ing, the live-action, “The Little Mermaid” film had its first teaser release but critics weren’t satis
The first time news broke that Halle Bailey, singer, and actress would be cast to play the role of Ariel was back in 2019. Public responses to this news varied, and these conservations started back up again after the trailer’s release. As the views of the teaser grew, the backlash and hashtag #NotMyAriel were captioned on many posts.According to Jon Jackson, a reporter for NewsWeek, the video received over, “1.5 million dislikes on YouTube in the first two days after its release.” The num ber of dislikes is no longer visible.
TikTok video by user @nickyk nackpaddwack captured the true sur prise and joy of a little girl’s reaction. She shouted, “Mommy! She’s brown like me.”Students were also able to get a glimpse of the teaser. Deja Crockett, a bi ology major at Sonoma State University said, “My initial reaction was to play it again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. I was overcome with so many emotions at once and I didn’t know how to react.”
This could explain why when you’re standing in line at the grocery store, there’s always at least one magazine with the latest news on the royals.Since we don’t have roy
classes that benefit from hands-on experi ences have less experience than the prior alumni.”Rachel Donham, a biology professor at SSU, agreed that her department was heavily impacted by remote learning, but stressed that employers should be compas sionate and accommodating, since they themselves were forced to learn many new skills during this period. Donham stated, “I think employers likely had to reorga nize, change common practices and adopt new policies as the pandemic progressed. Given this, I would hope they have a solid understanding that there may need to be a bit more hands-on training with a new hire.”For Addison Smith, a communica tions and media studies major who gradu ated this Spring, online courses were both a “blessing and a curse.” “[Remote learn ing] really helped me focus on academics since I wasn’t going anywhere, but I also feel as if it didn’t hammer certain prin ciples in my head as much as I would’ve liked,” Smith stated.
The queen’s death is significant to the world because it marks the end of a long era. She is a historical figure who has reigned for many generations, becoming a familiar face to the world.
The original animated film itself will always be treasured no matter how many remakes are made. But having the live-action be transformed the way it has is groundbreaking on so many levels. It is essential to have stories on Disney that kids of all races can identify with. With the original version of the film being fic tional, creative freedom can be expressed and explored. This upcoming version is doing just that for black children every where.
For most of us, our understanding of the British Monarchy mostly comes from the media’s fascination with the royal family. Even if you couldn’t care less about which British royal was getting married, you’d have to be living under a rock to not hear all the buzz and excitement surround ing theSincefamily.thepassing of Queen Eliz abeth II, there has been nonstop live coverage of the royal family in the media, including updates on the up coming events to mourn the beloved queen of WhileEngland.thereare millions around
STAFFWRITERWRITER
College students and alumni who completed much of their degrees remotely during the pan demic proved themselves to be uniquely adaptable and commit ted. Now many fear their lack of hands-on learning has left them unprepared for their future career.
According to Renee Graham from the Boston Globe, America is envious of Britain having royalty. “The nation left the monar chy but never fully let go,” stated Graham.
MARIE’SA RUMSEY STAFF
Crockett later said,“ I feel like it has a big cultural impact amongst the black community. It is inspiring and gives joy to little black girls around the world. I definitely think Disney made the right decision when making this movie.”
alty in the United States to obsess over, the British royal family is the next best option since once upon a time, we were ruled by the monarchy.“Americans like to focus on others. Drama is part of our culture and listening to what the Queen does or doesn’t do intrigues Americans,” stated Lopez.
But while it’s undeniable that skills taught in certain courses and majors trans lated to an online learning format better than others, students and employers alike should still view these degrees as indica tive of job qualification and readiness.
TYLER MELOAN
Some alumni, like Smith, have also had to supplement their education after
Respectfully, the British monarchy serves as a decoration of the past in the pres ent time. The Monarchy is kept alive for the sake of Aftertradition.all,the American Revolution was basically a rejection of the Monarchy, so why does the queen’s death impact Americans?
Why are Americans fascinated by the royal family?
Opinion 3SEPT. 20 - SEPT 27, 2022 S onoma STaTESTar . com
It is a possibility that America’s fasci nation with the British royal family comes from how much we value fairytales.
Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reign ing monarch in British history, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. Taking the throne in 1953, the queen has witnessed not only the United Kingdom change but the world as well.
“I do find it quite sad that Queen Eliz abeth II died; she ruled for over 70 years. After the death of her father, King George VI, she became queen. Her life has been full of experience in this world, having met thir teen presidents of the United States. There is no denying the queen’s importance. She will always be remembered,” said Dao.
who didn’t experience online learning.”
Although Cassidy Lieberfarb, a ju
nior at SSU, isn’t a big fan of Disney remakes, she explained why she didn’t agree with critics who wanted the race of Ariel to remain the same as the animated version.Lieberfarb said, “It’s a story about a mermaid who collects forks and sells their soul to a squid, humanity should not be debating about the accuracy of Ariel’s race. Besides, Halle Bailey started off as a successful singer and has experience acting in Disney shows, she is exactly what you want out of an actress for Ari el.”
It is not surprising that most of these critics were adults. Kids aren’t outraged by the race change of the mermaid. After all, the original animated film is based on fiction and fantasy.
“It is a common American pastime to read romantic stories about kings, queens, princes, and princesses. We have clearly demonstrated this in our books, movies, and television shows. Even Disneyland show cases all the fantasies of a monarchy,” said Khanh Dao, fourth year communications major.While it’s true that Ameicans love dra ma that doesn’t affect them and fairy tales about kings and queens, there must be a deeper reason for this fascination. Why was Queen Elizabeth II such an icon to the world?
Just as much as there was backlash there was also an influx of positive re sponses to the trailer.
For anyone who has grown up a Disney fan, it is always excit ing to see any newly crafted pieces of work. With the new technology available, the magical world of Walt Disney classics can be explored in unimaginable and unique ways. But as of recently, the new change has caused friction and discomfort.
“Students still learned these skills during online learning, it just looked dif ferent,” Young stated. “Our role is to help them understand their skills and translate them for Youngemployers.”didacknowledge that for some, a few knowledge gaps may exist that will require some post-graduation support to fill in. “We know those students in science
‘The Little Mermaid’ trailer receives mixed reviews
Churchill believes that the land acknowledgement is only the beginning of a much larger process and we must recognize there is more to be done. “It’s a first step in a process of coming to terms with our settler-colonial history and how non-Na tive people continue to benefit from land theft and genocide. Without actual steps to make changes today, in particular returning land to Native Americans, then land acknowledgements can become mere performances that maintain the status quo.” Churchill said via email.
Shakemap for the 4.4 and 4.3 earthquakes. The star marks the event’s epicenter.
Multiple earthquakes rattle Sonoma County
As it is not a University enforced policy, it seems there aren’t many professors currently including this land acknowledgment in their syllabi; Fatemi is one of the few. Considering the strides CSEB has made in honoring Indegenous People and land, some professors like Fatemi are curious why Sonoma State doesn’t do the same.Mary Churchill, an adjunct SSU faculty member in Native American Studies, said, “I encourage the SSU administration to require a land acknowledgement in course syllabi and to integrate land acknowledgement more thoroughly into campus life, such as at official events and meetings, in signage, and on the web.”
COURTESY // Dr. Darius Fatemi SSU Pyschology Professor Darius Fatemi has begun including a formal Tribal Land Acknowledgement at the bottom of all of his syllabi.
With the money she received from the award, Cabrera plans to put some of it away for graduate school and use the remaining portion to pay her brother back for the sup port he’s provided over the years.
One of the detectives assigned to the case, Detective Kopsherer, was asked about the investigation, however he declined to comment.
COURTESY // earthquake.usgs.gov
Something she wants fellow POC to remember is to always believe in yourself, especially when others do not. “There will always be challenges and times where you don’t know if you’re going to make it or continue pushing yourself but you have to keep reminding yourself of your goals. It is okay to not be okay all of the time even when you feel you have to be strong otherwise you’re considered weak. Be patient and loving with yourself. You weren’t meant to be your biggest critic, but your biggest fan,” Cabrera said. “As a POC woman, you will be treated differently, you will have different expectations compared to others. This comes with so much pressure and re sponsibility, there will be moments when it seems no one is in your corner but if you’re in your corner then no one can stop you.”
continued from pg. 1
Darrius Fatemi, a Psychology professor both here at SSU and CSEB, said, “The land acknowledgment at Cal State East Bay shows up as an automatic attachment to a lot of staff and faculty emails. They’ve been doing that for a while before it became a mandatory part of the syllabus this fall semester.”
SSU acknowledgesprofessortriballand on syllabus
In his email, Fatemi expressed how he agreed with the CSEB land acknowledg ment requirement so much, he carried it over to his SSU course syllabus.
Shooting suspect is still at large
On the home page of the SSU Associated Students site, the school’s land ac knowledgement text can be found. Included beneath the text is a link to the Graton Rancheria of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo people’s website.
This is the second reported violent crime to occur near Sonoma State’s campus during the fall semester. Given the crime’s proximity to campus, some SSU students are treating the event as a reminder to stay safe.
Cabrera’s childhood was difficult, but school was always her biggest motivation. She recalls financial struggle and her father’s addiction being prevalent during her younger years. As a result of her upbringing, Cabrera was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Drive and Commerce Boulevard.
Megan Lettow, a fourth year business major said, “I mean it just goes to show that the Copeland Creek Trail is not a safe place, I will be avoiding that area at all costs.” Some students were surprised when they caught wind of the shooting news.
Cabrera started classes at SSU when she was just 17. The nature on campus and location is what first attracted Cabrera to the University. At the time, her parents were going through a divorce and her father was recently sober, so she didn’t want to attend a school that was too far away from home. Currently, her relationship with her parents is better than ever and she talks to them everyday.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to call the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Dispatch at (707) 584-2600 and refer to Case #223609.
“My upbringing has shaped me to be the person I am today. I have super high expectations for myself to do everything I can due to that fact of being put down my whole life which is why I’ve managed to be involved in so many things and create and receive so many opportunities that I’m truly grateful for,” Cabrera said.
Trustees award winner shares what motivates her
Sasha Wedner, a third year Communications Major, had this to say, “Honestly it caught me off guard. This is the last thing I’d expect in this area. But on the other hand, I know this campus has seen its fair share of crime.”
ome Sonoma State University professors have begun including tribal land acknowledge ments, recognizing Indigenous Peoples and tribes as the traditional stewards of the land, on theirSSUsyllabi.islocated on the traditional homelands of the indigenous peoples collec tively known as Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo but is far from the only Califor nia State University institution with Native roots. Other CSU programs and faculty members have taken to formally honoring America’s Native people and their land that we reside on.
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tega was right, Cabrera applied for the award. Writing her personal statement for the award was one of the hardest parts of the process. In the statement, Cabrera ex pressed her truth and deepest darkest secrets, crying during the whole process. “I felt it was time for others to know my story and what made me the person I am today.”
Lucas Wilson, a third year biochemistry major said, “The beginning of this [school] year has been full of reminders that just because we live on campus, [does not mean] we are immune to harm. While there is security in the fact that we live in a relatively isolated community, we must keep our heads on straight and make choices that keep our peers safe.”
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4 News SEPT. 20 - SEPT 27, 2022 S onoma STaTESTar com
The Copeland Creek trail crosses Sonoma State’s campus, near the Cabernet Vil lage. Given this fact, Nadar Orweis, Chief of Sonoma State’s Campus Police Depart ment, sent an email to notify Sonoma State students providing them with resources for campus safety, and stating,”We are not aware of any Sonoma State students, fac ulty or staff being involved in this incident. Nonetheless, we recognize that members of our community may still be impacted.”
During her first semester at SSU, Cabrera struggled with the transition and was on academic probation. Being a first-gen student, she struggled a lot because she didn’t have a good learning foundation established from high school. Luckily, the community of Sonoma State supported and helped Cabrera navigate her way through it all.Cabrera has grown so much at SSU and especially wanted to thank her family, MESA for guiding her through the STEM world since she was a first year, LARC for employing her and helping her grow as an individual and McNair for being uplifting and providing resources to her such as applying to grad school. “Little Serina would be so proud of how we’re still here against all odds and how we’ve overcome the most hardest times in our lives,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera acknowledges she couldn’t have accomplished this alone. It takes a vil lage to raise someone and guide them through their journey. Obstacles like the ones Cabrera has faced are difficult to traverse alone, but she’s stronger because of it.
Creek Fault (the one closest to campus) has the highest likelihood of having a large earthquake of any of the other Bay Area San Andreas-related faults. It would not be surprising to see a magnitude 6+ earthquake on the Rodgers Creek-Hayward Fault System in the next few decades.”
The Redcross website suggests experiencers of an earthquake to find a doorway and wait the shaking out if they can’t make it outside. However, some doorways are no stronger than any other part of your house so it’s best practice to also get under a sturdy piece of furniture for protection.
Cal State East Bay has rolled out a recent initiative to honor the Native land the school is located on. CSEB faculty, staff, and departments have adopted the inclu sion of formal land acknowledgment within all their syllabi.
NOAH CLARKE STAFF WRITER
Sonoma State professor Hilary Homize is releasing her 17th children’s book, “If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders from Around the World” featuring the stories of almost 40 princesses. A nonfiction, informa tional, and very diverse book that turns around the concept of what a princess is or what she represents, the princesses in this book are coders, Olympic athletes, MD/PhDs, inventors, professors and astronomers.
The students there had varying cooking experiences. Some of the peo ple in attendance had gone to previous Chef Don cooking classes. Trans fer student Jocelyn Vasquez stated that she previously attended a cooking class where they made an Adobo pork belly. When asked about the cooking class, Vasquez said, “This is my second semester as a transfer student, [the events] definitely make my Sonoma State experience better.”
The pizza class took place on the far end of the cafeteria, at the cook ing station that was originally known as, “Passport”. Within The Kitchens, Passport was a station where students were able to try tasty cuisine and rec
Although Professor Homzie wasn’t always interested in princesses, she
Louie Pelaez, Human Development major and senior, is part of the Sonoma Senders Club. The Senders are a rock climbing club that travels all across the bay area to climb. Pelaez mentioned that part of the motiva tion for coming out to the event was that they wanted to raise funds for the club. They were looking forward to winning the prize in order to pay for
Associated Student Productions hosted “Chalk the Plaza” on Sept. 12 at the Seawolf Plaza, offering SSU clubs the chance to win a donation of two hundred dollars for the best drawing. A dozen clubs competed for the prize; fraternities, sororities, the Anime Club, and many more showed up to participate. Teams were given 2 hours to complete their drawings and after they were done, the judges walked around and voted for the winner. In the end, the Filipino American Association of Sonoma State University won the competition. All the clubs put a lot of time and effort into their drawings, but according to the judges, it was FAASSU that was best.
STAFF WRITER
STAR // Cec Fernandez Seawolves proudly show off their pan pizza creations during Chef Don’s class on Wed.
DANNY SERRANO
The Anime club finished in second place, with what seemed like a well thought out piece of art. Their picture included a mix of school spirit with anime characters. They drew Lobo next to beautiful trees with red leafs and birds atop of the branches. I asked Brumm what the thought process was behind her team’s art that she created and she said, “ We just wanted to incorporate some anime related references with Lobo and mesh the two. So we included some of our favorite characters and different references from each of our own favorite anime pieces.”
Seawolf Clubs compete to ‘Chalk the Plaza’
Hillary Homzie: Professor by day, author by night
said, “I blame my fascination with all things royal on living beneath the Lewes Castle at the age of six, when my family was living in England (my dad was a professor at the University of Sussex at the time). Sure, the castle was in ruins, but every day, when I got out of bed and trundled off to school, those crumbling towers loomed over us… it made the whole history of the monarchy much more of a reality.”
When asked why her club, the Anime Club, decided to participate, fifth year and Liberal Studies major Mackenzie Brumm replied saying, “We wanted to show school spirit. We also thought it would be a fun activity for us to do together. We wanted to give it our best shot and try and win. The two hundred dollar prize would be appreciated as well. We could use that for events in the future that our club wants to hold.”
STAFF WRITER ZACHARY GONZALES
With the success of her 16 other children’s books, Homzie has landed herself on The Today Show and has been featured in the LA Times. In this story, “The information about the lives of the princesses is presented in sidebars, so the main story, of three girls who want to learn about princess es, can be read to a very young child as well as to a primary school student. The main story exhorts kids to stand up for themselves and to give to oth ers… New research by Sarah Coyne at Brigham Young University shows that children involved in princess culture are more likely to advocate for female empowerment as they become older.”
An aerial shot shows the Seawolf Plaza adorned with SSU clubs’ chalk masterpieces.
STAR // Danny Serrano
gas expenses for their trips. Pelaez also said that they were very proud of the drawing they and their club put together. They also mentioned, “ I think our drawing shows the beauty of nature and being outside. I think its a very good way of connecting with our friends and nature.”
However, Chef Don and Culinary Service are always aiming to provide cuisine that students want. Aside from the four week menu cycle of food, Cortes is excited for what is to come at the Cafeteria. He explained starting in the end of September, Passport will feature four food trucks that are partnering with SSU until Thanksgiving break. These food trucks will be specialized in Filipino, Latino, Japanese and Jamaican cuisine. The food trucks will be present at The Kitchens from Monday through Thursday every week.
Up next, ASP will be hosting a free “Culture and Conchas” event on Thursday, Sept. 22 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. at the Seawolf Plaza. They’ll be giving out free conchas to those who attend and watch the performance by the Ballet Folklorico Sarita.
In order to sign up for events like these, be sure to browse the Sonoma State website for information. Chef Don plans to have future cooking class es that will be held in the same place with dishes such as chicken enchiladas and Kung Pao chicken.
ipes that are found all over the world. At the moment, Passport has not been operating. Cortes explains the difference between SSU before the Pandem ic versus now at The Kitchens, “We don’t have enough participation… Just like businesses all over the US, I am affected by labor shortages.”
NICOLE AWWAD STAFF WRITER
Cooking classes at The Kitchens
Wednesday afternoon seemed like a typical day in The Kitchens, with the Culinary Services seen preparing dinner specials. However, right be side them on the other side of the sneeze guard, 10 students were eagerly ob serving Executive Chef Don Cortes and his method of cooking a pan pizza.
Professor Homzie is rather proud of this project. It is the first book to feature the achievements of actual princesses, past and present, from all around the world, from Jordan to Korea, from the Netherlands to India. She said, “It seemed like such an obvious idea that I was shocked that it didn’t already exist, but it really shouldn’t be that surprising. Women’s contri butions have been long overlooked, and this includes historical as well as contemporary female rulers from royal lines, especially those who are nonwhite and non-European. Of course, with Queen Elizabeth’s passing, there is renewed interest right now in the contribution of women royal leaders in general, which is a good thing. I’m all for reconstructing and documenting women’s experiences.” She has an important message that you don’t have to be royal to be brave, to achieve big things, or to serve your community.
Her goal is to inspire children of all nationalities to embrace their cul ture and find their inner beauty and talent within themselves, emphasizing to kids that you don’t need a crown or a gown to hold your head up high.
“I don’t want to offend anyone’s Italian Grandmother because this is not an authentic Italian recipe,” Cortes joked. For this pan pizza, Cortes taught the class how to bake the pizza dough on a stove top. The recipe differs from a traditional way of making dough as well as cooking it. He believes the personal pan pizza (on the stove) makes it more flavorful and crispy. Cortes broke down the components of the dough: flour, yeast, water, and oil. The students observed how Chef Don carefully kneaded the dough. After watching the demonstration, the students put their skills to the test.
On Sept. 14, Culinary Services provided a cooking class to a group of students who signed up through Seawolf Living. Fourth year Executive Chef Don Cortes instructed a class on how to make his favorite personal pan pizza. Cortes’s quick wit, funny demeanor, and culinary knowledge kept Seawolves engaged.
Students learned how to create and design the pan pizza to their liking. Organized at the cooking station were toppings such as peppers, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, basil, bacon and even pulled pork.
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Logically it all makes sense why this is happening, but a solution feels less straightforward, because it’s not as simple as reopening everything. The outcome is going to depend on how quickly the culinary staff can get back to full strength. Hope does seem to be on the horizon, as students returning to campus has led to an increase in student employment.
After an hour, the last bingo match came to an end with all of the grocer ies claimed and a majority of participants having something to take home. There will be other opportunities for students to get their hands on free groceries and other supplies throughout the semester. Grocery Bingo was only one of the first events to help those in need, campus staff organizes various events and gives contributions to seawolves yearly.
It can be overwhelming for all staff in the area. Student Center Info & Tickets Desk Assistant, Ian Dougherty, emphasized “at certain times the line fills up the room and we can’t hear anything we need to.”
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Students and culinary staff alike hope to see lines at SIP and Lobos go down soon. The recent reopening of W&B should provide some amount of relief. In the slightly longer term, the return of Charlie Brown’s and Toast should give students much more flexibility, and the culinary staff less stress, officially returning campus to its pre-covid, functionality.
PAUL MUNOZ STAFF WRITER
Those four options, plus the two that are currently open, made it much simpler for students to get food during quick breaks between classes. Now students are forced to go to SIP or Lobos no matter where they are or may be headed to on campus. All these forces have resulted in an extreme ly backed up line at SIP that goes throughout the student center lobby, and lasts from about 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., creating a chaotic atmosphere for everyone in the lobby.
One of the only spots open for Sonoma State students, besides SIP, to dine in on campus is Lobo’s Pizza & Pub.
Seawolves participate in grocery BINGO
It’s been over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic first began to change our world, and since that time many facets of our lives have re turned to normalcy. That is not the case for the school’s culinary staff, which has faced a slower return back to full-staffing levels. This has led to many popular campus eating spots remaining closed despite a full stu dent population now back on campus. As a result, lines at the spots that have been open, Sip and Lobos, are typically long for customers and over whelming for workers.
CalFresh food program assistance. The pantry is supplied by Grocery Outlet and other sources, tak ing any donations they can get. Lobo’s Pantry is located in Zinfandel Village. During these hard times, Seawolves are being provided with any support they can get especially when it comes to getting food on the table.
The culinary department’s website, culinary.sonoma.edu, currently lists both Charlie Brown’s, and Toast as only temporarily closed, this leaves hope that there may be a return of both of these establishments. There is no mention however of Stomping Grounds, leaving its near future uncertain.
There used to be four other eating locations available to students around campus; Charlie Brown’s, Toast, Weyden & Brewsters (W&B), and Stomping Grounds. “It’s a missed joy,” said Senior Spencer Hall. “I miss being able to go all-around.”
he fall semester is now in full swing and Sonoma State students are adjusting to adulthood. This involves budgeting finances and making frequent runs to the grocery store. With the rise of inflation, groceries are becoming more expen sive than ever before. According to the USDA, in 2022, food prices are predicted to increase anywhere between 8.5% and 9.5%. To help address the financial issue at hand, while also keeping spirits high and promoting an entertaining environ ment, SSU staff members hosted a Grocery Bingo.
The event took place on Sept.17 in the W&B room located on campus. All Seawolves were welcomed to grab a bingo board and take a chance on win ning groceries which ranged from different foods to assorted toiletries. Morgan Newens, one of the callers, which are the individuals who randomly select what numbers are called in bingo, said she thought the event wasn’t just a good social gathering but also a big help to those students on campus who can’t drive to the grocery store. The closest store is over a half hour walk away from Sonoma State.
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Transportation is not the only problem, some students just do not have the financial means to buy enough groceries. A Sonoma State student offered their thoughts on the Grocery Bingo saying that the event was a “last minute miracle,” they proceeded to say that books this semester were expensive and since they live off campus and commute daily, gas was also something to take into account when Sonomabudgeting.State is attempting to help out its students as much as possible. Grocery Bingo seemed to be one of the most attended events since the beginning of the 2022 Semester, bringing in all sorts of students who live on and off campus. A group of Seawolves rushed to grab a table right after their dance rehearsal saying they weren’t gonna miss up on a “fantastic opportunity.”
Giveaways are created via social media, welcoming all to participate without having to leave the comforts of their rooms. And for those who prefer not to partake in social events, there is a distribution of groceries once in a while through Lobo’s Pantry. Lobo’s Pantry provides help by providing nutritious foods for those experiencing food insecurity and invites students to enroll in the
Staff shortage leads to temporary closures
CALVIN ZELJAK STAFF
Students gather in the W&B room to participate in a BINGO game where they could win groceries and assorted
COURTESY // canva.com
toiletries.COURTESY
// restaurantguru.com
Some immediate relief has come from the reopening of W&B. Anoth er option the culinary department implemented last year to help was Grub hub. This allows students to order their food and drinks from SIP, Lobos, and W&B ahead of time. Grubhub has been a simple, yet helpful tool. This was summed up simply by senior Isabel Magat who said “I like Grubhub.” It’s the perfect option for anyone looking to get something quick between classes, or who just simply want to avoid a long line. On top of that, it puts less stress on the culinary student staff.
WRITER
After a few months, Bomarito is not disappointed, stating, “I really like it here.”After such an early accomplish ment, resting on one’s laurels would be easy. But that’s not the case with Bomarito. The freshman runner de scribed the mindset, “After last week, I was really happy about it but then after I really just put it in the past and then started focusing on now and what I can do in the future. Training hard, working consistently, and then really focusing on health and recov ery.” This mindset is something Law erence preaches to his athletes, “From that perspective, it’s just a matter of keeping the team focused on what we need to focus on to go from there, whether it’s a freshman coming in and running very well the first race or you know a sophomore or junior, we praise each other within our own program, and then we move on.”
Sonoma State Women’s Cross Country Freshman Gianna Bomarito didn’t waste any time, breaking a re cord in her first month with the team. Bomarito moved into fifth place in the program’s history in the women’s 6k with a 21:42.6 on Sept. 10.
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“Rieniers penalty save was huge,” said head Coach Ziemer. “He read the shot correctly and got his fingertips on it to put it off the post and then made himself big for the follow up shot. That was definitely a key moment in the game.”
Seawolf midfielder Ulysses Vega broke the game open in the twenty eighth minute of the game when he scored a stunning free kick for Sonoma. The Penguins instantly returned the favor as Lex Bernier assisted Christopher Barrios for a goal in the twenty ninth minute. The atmosphere in the stands was very intense as fans from both teams were pulling heavily for their respective team.
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omore, Alex Boyle. Did this cause any tension among the teammates? The answer was no. Bomarito put it this way, “we’re all really supportive of each other; we’re all happy for each other for every success that we get, and I think when we’re all becoming such strong runners, we help push each oth er to be the best runner we can be.”
“Ulysses Vega is on a mission and he’s been working a lot on his free kicks so it didn’t surprise me when he buried the first one. The penalty kick to win the game was definitely a pressure situ
A runner of this caliber had many options when it came to school selec tion. Bomarito, a Fresno native shared
Another thing Bomarito believes that has helped her in the early going is a tightened focus on “health and recovery”. Bomarito shared how she has improved this aspect of her train ing, “during high school, I didn’t put it as much of a focus, so coming into this year, I’m really holding myself to it.”
The start of the 2022 season has had its highs and lows as the team has an overall record of 3-2-2. The competition has been tough for the Seawolves who have faced both NCAA and CCAA opponents. But coach Ziemer believes the team is headed in the right direction.
The first half of the game belonged to the Penguins as they were more aggressive and were setting the tone for the game. Coach Marcus Ziemer mentioned how he talked up his team at the half to try to change this.
Seawolves take down Penguins
Head Coach David Lawerence
The Sonoma State Seawolves fought hard in their win against Domini can University this past Wednesday at Seawolf Field. This was a spe cial day for the Seawolves as they encountered some adversity against the Penguins but ultimately fought through it and came out on top.
here’s a new kid on the block.
STAR// Adriana Gonzalez Junior Johnnie Dodge passes the ball to teammate Lucas English during the team’s 2-1 victory over Dominican University.
“I’m happy with our progress so far this season. Our defense has been solid and we are starting to create more chances in the attack and score more goals,” Coach Ziemer stated. “We are getting to the part of the sea son where we have two games a week so a lot of our focus is on keeping everybody healthy and ready to physically perform in games. We do a lot more tactical work, which isn’t as physically taxing, but prepares the players for the games.”
shared his thoughts on the matter, “you’ve gotta understand with Sono ma State Track and Field, and Cross Country it’s more or less like a sis terhood of girl power and things of this nature and we all root for each other and we kind of go from there, so there’s no kind of like ‘oh my god who is this?’ there is no ‘oh she’s bet ter than me,’ there’s no riff-raff, we don’t do Bomaritodrama.”credits the early suc cess at SSU to a few things. The first is coaching. The Fresno-native went into detail about it, “They’ve been re ally supportive, giving me the train ing that works best for me, and I feel like in such a short time span that I’ve been training with my coach, he’s re ally helped me get so far, and we’ve only just gotten started.”
what led to the decision, “I’m from Fresno, Calif. I went to Clovis North, and I really wanted to get out of the area and go more to like somewhere that fit me; I felt like. And when I saw Sonoma, I thought the area was really nice, and I thought it fit me and my style, and I really liked the program.”
CHASITY SPADY STAFF WRITER
CHARLES BARRETT STAFF WRITER
Freshman Gianna Bomarito (pictured third from left) has been a stellar addition to the Sonoma State women’s cross country squad.
Athlete Spotlight of the Week: Gianna Bomarito
COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com
Who did Bomarito move ahead of on the list? It was her teammate, Soph
As the second half continued the Seawolves maintained pres sure and ultimately broke through in the seventy sixth minute of the game with a penalty kick goal. It was once again Vega that scored for the Seawolves as he stepped up to the box and buried the PK in the bottom left corner. This ultimately sealed the deal for the Seawolves as they won the game 2-1.
A crucial moment in the game was goalkeeper Reinier Ter Ri et’s huge penalty save about 15 minutes into the second half. Rei nier showed great athleticism as he made two great saves within seconds of each other. He first saved the penalty shot with his fingertips which led to the ball ricocheting off the post. He then got up and saved the rebound shot. This was one of the biggest mo ments of the game for the Seawolves as it kept the score tied.
ation but he was calm and read the keeper’s movement and just put it in the back of the net.”
“I thought Dominican worked harder and won a lot of the 50-50 balls in the first half, but we challenged our guys at halftime and they really responded in the second half. We showed the kind of grit and desire that it takes to win tough games” said Ziemer.
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Students share a laugh while placing pizza toppings during cooking class in The Kitchens Sept. 14.
STAR // Adriana Gonzalez
Seawolves step into The Kitchens for pan pizza class
Meredith Denton, Shaela Alejandre, and Mykayla Louie at the Success Fair tabling for CAPS on Thursday Sept. 14.
STAR // Cec Fernandez Student cheer after the dough is perfectly flipped on the grill during cooking class in The Kitchens on Sept. 14.
STAR // Adriana Gonzalez
SSU Success Fair at Seawolf Plaza
STAR // Adriana Gonzalez Michael Gray runs with the ball to pass to a fellow teammate at the Men’s Soccer game on Thursday, Sept. 14 vs Dominican University .
Johnnie Dodge guards his opponent during the SSU Men’s Soccer game vs Dominican University on Thursday, Sept. 14.
SSU Men’s Soccer takes on Dominican
Students at the Success Fair winning prizes at the Trio table on Thursday, Sept. 14.
STAR // Adriana Gonzalez
STAR // Cec Fernandez