IN THIS ISSUE
Elon Musk
COMS Department
Faculty/Student Protests
Tesla founder and billionaire Elon Musk purchases Twitter, facing controversy. PAGE 3.
Students and faculty protest to express their concerns with SSU. PAGE 1 & 4.
Communications professors speak to recent criticism on STAR reporting. PAGE 2.
SINCE 1979
VOLUME 86 // ISSUE 12 MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER
@SONOMASTATESTAR
Misuse of fees sparks faculty and student protests NOAH CLARKE & RACHEL YETSO STAFF WRITERS
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fter learning that their student fees staff alike are protesting. Chalk and were used to pay $250,000 of the signs written in Seawolf Plaza read, $600,000 retaliation settlement to former “enough with the cover-ups… Judy Sakaprovost Lisa Vollendorf, who relayed sex- ki out with you,” and, “our money is not ual harassment complaints about Presi- hush-money.” dent Judy Sakaki’s husband, the campus Last week campus members gathcommunity flew into action last week ered in the Seawolf plaza and spoke their with angry campus protests. minds on the matter. The event was orSonoma State University sent out an ganized by M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Esemail to the campus community on April, tudiantil for Change and Advocacy) and 25 announcing that $250,000 of SSU B.S.U. (Black Student Union) with the funds would be used to pay the insurance intent to give SSU members a platform to deductible for former provost Lisa Vol- express their opinions and feelings. Third-year Biochemistry student, lendorf’s $600,000 retaliation settlement. Trinity-Paris Foster was one of the stu“Sonoma State University’s contri- dents in attendance who delivered a bution (insurance premiums) to CSUR- speech. MA and its deductibles are, in fact, fundFoster expressed her feelings on the ed through revenue sources that include recent news, “I’m not going to sit here student tuition and fees, and enterprise and feel numb, not wanting to be here beactivities such as parking, student houscause of sexual harassment, discriminaing fees, professional and continuing edtion, the process of it being handled, and ucation, and retail functions,” read the being pushed to the side like you have an email. agenda. We are put on a schedule for a Many students are angry that their STAR // Khanh Dao tuition money is helping pay for the set- year-long process of this pain. Enough is enough, SSU.” tlement. All over campus, students and Students and faculty march together on Thurs., April 28 demanding overhaul of SSU’s Title IX policies and prioritizing students and academics. see PROTESTS on pg. 4
Wine Business Institute celebrates 25 years JAKE MORRISSEY STAFF WRITER
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onoma State’s school of business decided 25 years ago to offer an undergraduate degree focused on the business of wine, making them the first school to do that in the United States. To celebrate, there will be an event held at the Wine Business Institute (WBI) on May 31. In their 25 years, the WBI has had three major achievements that they wish to celebrate. These include awarding 257 wine MBAs, the launch of the Global Wine EMBA and the opening of the Wine Spectator Learning Center, where the event will be held. The WBI was created by Gary Heck of Korbel Champagne Cellars and according to him, he wanted “to create a program that would prepare the next generation to run our businesses, a viable succession plan for the wine industry,” via news.sonoma.edu. “Great grapes and great wine were already the norms,” said Heck. “Professionalizing the business of wine was the next frontier to tackle.” After 25 years of operating, the WBI has quite a few accolades to celebrate during their anniversary. According to the WBI website, they have awarded a total of 270 wine MBA degrees and 1610 wine business bachelor’s degrees. They rank number one in California for wine production volume and wine production value. The wine business program currently has 12 different professional course offerings and a 22-1 ration of graduate students to faculty members. Over their 25 years, the WBI has also gained 25 board members. For students who are undeclared or contemplating switchin their major, the wine business program is a great choice. The wine business program has led to great careers for many SSU alumni such as Claire Hobday, the CFO of C. Mondavi and family, or Felicia Prater, the founder of The Urban Taste. The anniversary celebration event will take place on Tuesday, May 31 from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at the Wine Spectator Learning Center on campus. Prior registration will be required to attend the event.
STAR // Maych Rowell Students stood outside Lobos with signs demanding President Judy Sakaki and her husband, Patrick McCallum, be held accountable.
Senate approves putting Sakaki ‘no confidence’ vote to faculty this week
WILLOW ORNELLAS STAFF WRITER
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n the most recent Sonoma State University Academic Senate meeting on Thursday, April 28, faculty, staff, and students shared their thoughts on the President Sakaki Scandal and the vote of no confidence referendum. The Senate did not vote no confidence in Thursday’s meeting, and the purpose of the senate proposal was to approve allowing the faculty to vote at all. Lauren Morimoto, Chair of the Faculty, is actively working to schedule another forum to give people the space to discuss and hear from others prior to the vote opening on May 6. The current schedule of the vote may need to be adjusted if the forum isn’t able to occur prior to that vote opening to ensure room for open conversation is made. Lack of transparency has been a continued issue around this situation creating a culture of fear of retaliation on cam-
pus.
In the Senate meeting, professors Talena Sanders and Florence Bouvet, and Ben Smith introduced their reasons for drafting the proposed referendum such as high faculty turnover rate, poor financial decisions made by the President, and a lack of transparency. Voters were given the opportunity to voice their opinions as to whether or not faculty should be allowed to vote on the referendum; however, conversation quickly devolved into debates surrounding President Sakaki’s merits. Some faculty members started defending the racism and sexism Sakaki has endured over the course of her career. Professor of Art History/African and Diasporic Studies Janet Hess said, “I would just ask us to be mindful of the racism and sexism that are intersectional when we critique the
see NO CONFIDENCE on pg. 4
2 Guest Op-Ed THE STAR Editorial Board Myles Grabau, Editor-in-Chief Maych Rowell, News Editor Emily Cripe, Opinion Editor Cléa Upcher, Arts & Entertainment Editor Isabel Epstein, Student Life Editor Nicholas Roth, Sports & Health Editor Dana Scacco, Photo Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Advisor Staff Writers Willow Ornellas, Addison Smith, Ana Fingerson, Payton Mullaney, Rosalee Padilla, Jacqueline Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Rachel Yetso, Jake Morrissey, Olivia Doane, Danny Serrano, Montana Lahey, Mikayla Fritzemeier, Noah Clarke
Photographers Holly Durfee, Khanh Dao, Tanner Ivey
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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.
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MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
sonomastatestar.com
Communications department responds to criticism of STAR reporting
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n the wake of news coverage of two major stories on the SSU campus – accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation involving our president and her husband; and coverage of a leaked budget report recommending foundational cuts and consolidations – our student reporters at the SSU Star have faced both praise and criticism. In addition, there have been efforts to silence and disappear their work, as was reported in the Press Democrat on Saturday and in the Star this last week. The praise is – in our opinion as former journalists – well deserved and earned. These reporters did their due diligence and put each story through a journalistic process. They sought to verify facts, secure comment from all relevant sources, and write fair and ongoing coverage that does its best to represent the perspectives of all parties while providing context. The criticism, however – while expected and even welcome when it seeks to improve – has been surprisingly problematic, at times. The most problematic aspect is that some of the criticism about poor or unfair coverage began before any coverage had been published as an effort to downplay and discredit that coverage before anyone had a chance to see it. On top of that, reports that newspapers were removed en masse from some kiosks, and that the middle sections of some papers were taken out, rise to the level of disturbing, and beg questions of suppression and censorship. This is deeply concerning to us, because journalism is a foundation of democracy and an informed society. What we’re experiencing here on campus is unfortunately a microcosm of the news media experience in the U.S., where we grapple with journalism’s role. Are the news media supposed to be objective observers? Or, are they supposed to hold power to account, afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, and shine a light on issues important to the public? We wholeheartedly say the intention of journalism is to play the latter role – the voice of the people. A free press, as enshrined in the First Amendment, is often considered a fundamental pillar of the American Experience and is expected to serve as the voice of the people. Yet attacks on the news media by those in power are also deeply rooted in our history as a nation. While often quoted for his comments defending a free press, President Thomas Jefferson once wrote “nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper.” During WWI, President Woodrow Wilson unsuccessfully pushed for the authority to censor the press, because he did not want critical coverage. In the 1970s, The Nixon administration launched a concerted public attack on the Washington Post over its Watergate coverage, accusing the paper of
making wild, untrue accusations and having a liberal bias against the media. Instead, that coverage ended up enlightening the American people to the problematic actions of their president, leading Nixon to resign. More recently, President Donald Trump labeled the news media as an “enemy of the people” and attacked them for publishing what he called “fake news.” This so-called “fake news” was usually sound reporting that he did not like about topics he did not want scrutinized. Does the news media make mistakes? Absolutely. In those cases, the news media can and should seek to correct any mistakes. But unfounded accusations of bad reporting are often used to intentionally discredit a reporter or their media organization doing good work. While media professionals often face these types of attacks, student journalists are an especially easy target. After all, these journalists are still learning their craft and working in a dual environment of newsroom and classroom. In addition, there may be confusion – among staff, administration and even some faculty – about the role of a student newspaper – whether it should be run as an independent outlet, or prevented from critically covering campus administration. To clarify, it’s the first – to cover our campus community – good, bad and ugly. The key is that our student journalists are learning by doing, and learning alongside instructors and mentors who worked in the industry and can guide them through the work – and the response. Responses from administration and the wider campus community are also lessons – in this case, lessons in how those in positions of power may respond when challenged or held accountable; and lessons about honing and defending journalistic work. The most important thing our student journalists are learning is how to find their voice and responsibly use it. Students can sometimes feel marginalized in a university system. A campus newspaper allows students to express their opinions and write about things that matter to students. This can help improve campus climate and help students feel heard. When writers and editors at The Star do make a mistake, they are encouraged by faculty to listen and be open to constructive feedback and dialogue. And many times over the years, students have asked those who criticized their reporting to meet and talk about their concerns. In fact, students have extended this invitation in the wake of recent criticism. It is sad to report that, all too often, critics do not take student journalists up on this offer. In an institution of higher learning, we should be accepting of students having a voice and exercising their First Amendment rights. In fact, we should be celebrating it - even when they are reporting on controversial stories. Especially then.
This Op-Ed letter was written in part by two members of the COMS department. Ed Beebout is Chair of the COMS Department and a former print & broadcast journalist. Gina Baleria is an assistant professor in the COMS Department and a former broadcast & digital journalist.
Opinion 3
MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
sonomastatestar.com
Uninformed staff and students deserve transparency
MONTANA LAHEY STAFF WRITER
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s usual at Sonoma State, the students are in the dark about all that is happening behind closed doors. It has been over two weeks since the news first came out in the Press Democrat about the $600,000 settlement involving Judy Sakaki and the sexaul assault case involving her husband. Since that article came out, there has been a shift in energy on the Sonoma State campus. At this point, if you haven’t been keep-
ing up with local papers like the Star and the Press Democrat, you probably have no idea what’s been going on lately. The University has yet to release a statement or even acknowledge that there is a crisis unfolding right in front of us. SSU student Emma Liao said, “Why am I hearing all of this from social media and other news sources like the Press Democrat not from Sonoma State? They’re not providing us with any emails or newsletters about what is happening.” The school still hasn’t released any information, and Sakaki has said even less, if that’s possible. The students are upset and want to know what’s going on, but also they want to hear from Sakaki herself. She has released a tone deaf email or two and has shared a pre-recorded video of her speaking at the Academic Senate meeting, but other than that, where is she? The President used to be out and about on campus all the time. Taking pictures with students that didn’t want pictures with her, pretending to listen to people’s concerns, you name it, and yet,
where has she been? This past week, a group of students went to her office to voice their concerns Unfortunately, they were just met with empty “I hear you”’s. An anonymous SSU student said, “We’ve gone to Sakaki’s office three times this week, and every time she just says ‘we hear you, we understand’. It’s not feeling like she does though, because if she did, where’s the action, where’s the accountability, where’s the transparency?” In order to move forward, the campus community wants to be given all the information that’s missing as well as a statement live and in person from Sakaki herself. Last Thursday, there was a rally held on campus put on by the California Faculty Association. A good turn out of students and staff were there to join together and make some noise across campus demanding change, accountability, integrity, and transparency from Sonoma State leadership. Students and staff alike gathered at the rally, supported one another and listened to each other.
Yes, Sonoma State is a small school, and not a lot of juicy gossip often happens, however when it does, the Sonoma State Star does its job of reporting the facts. Lately, as the Star has been diligently trying to keep up with the rapid fire of stories, it seems like some members of the faculty don’t like what’s being reported, yet they continue staying silent rather than bringing their concerns forward. When talking with Emma Molloy, a Communications student who created a petition to remove Sakaki from office, she said, “How everything has escalated and everything that has come from all of this, I’m really disappointed in the university to be honest.” In order to restore SSU, there needs to be accountability taken by Sakaki. There needs to be transparency between the university leadership and students. Above all, there needs to be a transformation throughout the university to ensure students feel safe and heard, while also feeling supported by those leading the students to their next chapter.
SSU students feel like the university does not care about the well-being of students, and that using tuition money to pay the settlement is unacceptable. Morgan Newens, a third year Criminal Justice and Criminology major said, “I think that lack of student representation shows our schools true colors. They don’t really care about the students but rather about how much money we bring in. It definitely feels like students are just walking dollar signs to this administration. I think that COVID-19 definitely plays a role in the disconnect between administration, faculty and students, but it’s no excuse to completely disregard student input, especially about such a huge financial matter. I am spending over $20,000 per year, students better get a say in how our money is spent.” The students that should be vocal about these issues are the ones that aren’t saying anything. Those in Associated Students (AS) should be
speaking up about Sakaki, as their mission statement reads, “The mission of the Associated Students of Sonoma State University (AS), a student run, student led auxiliary corporation, is to enrich the lives of students and build a sense of community.” There is no sense of community at a school where those with voices and platforms don’t stand up with or for the students who don’t. On April 27, two weeks after the news of the settlement was released, AS announced a Seawolves Speak Series, which is open to all students to talk about concerns and issues at SSU. Though this does open the door to communication with AS, it has come after students publicly expressed their opinions with signs and protests on campus. Multiple messages written in chalk also appeared on campus on April 26, calling for Sakaki’s resignation. Some of the messages read, “How
many more?” “Consent matters y’all,” and “Lobo would never approve.” One message was written outside Sakaki’s office, but was washed off by maintenance early in the morning. On April 26, communications major Emma Molloy started an online petition demanding that Sakaki be held accountable for her actions. The petition has received over 1000 signatures from SSU students. One student wrote as their reason for signing, “As if paying full tuition during a pandemic while having 0 access to campus wasn’t bad enough, we are now paying for her husband’s behavior. Students didn’t do this. He did. Why are we paying for it?” Another student wrote, “Sakaki is hurting more than her fellow faculty. Student voices need to be heard and she was supposed to be responsible for addressing our needs. The best thing she can do is own up to it and move on.”
SSU student voices drowned out by controversy
MIKAYLA FRITZEMEIER STAFF WRITER
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ith recent news of Sonoma State University’s President Judy Sakaki using student tuition money to pay part of a $600,000 settlement and the lack of student representation in a budget committee tasked to remove $5.5 million from the budget, it seems like SSU does not value student voices or opinions.
Will Elon Musk’s leadership cause Twitter’s ultimate demise?
JACQUELINE GARCIA STAFF WRITER
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n April 25, Twitter and Elon Musk announced that the billionaire would purchase the social media platform for $44 billion. As a result, users are feeling anxious about what the future holds for the platform. Musk’s purchase of Twitter comes
as the company finds itself treading a narrow path between enabling free speech and policing dangerous content, such as COVID-19 misinformation to harassment to posts inciting political violence. Musk is a self-described “free-speech absolutist,” leading to speculation about what changes he would bring us, the new private owner of the company, which had previously been a public company held by shareholders. While Twitter’s active user base of 330 million falls far short of rivals Facebook and TikTok, it influences its numbers. Politicians, journalists, activists, and intellectuals are particularly active on the site, which means it influences public debate and the media. “ I think for me, Elon buying Twitter exposes an underlying problem … There are just too few companies that have too much power over what can be seen and heard and done online,” said Veronica Bell, a third-year sociolo-
gy major. According to the Pew Research Center, more than two-thirds of Twitter’s US users say the platform is an important — if not the most important — source of news. Twitter’s agenda-setting power seems precise to what interests Musk and what makes his control of the platform potentially disruptive. Musk’s main critique of Twitter today is that it is too restrictive. Under his ownership, Musk has suggested Twitter would treat content more permissively, pivoting away from content removals and account bans. One of the most significant underlying questions is whether the company will restore Trump’s account privileges. “If Twitter welcomes back banned accounts, I’m hopping off. There’s no reason I should have to deal with those accounts. They were banned for a reason,” said Tony Green, a freshman music major. Musk stated that he hopes even his strongest
critics will remain on the platform in his first tweet after the big purchase, “...because that is what free speech means.” However, some users have threatened to leave Twitter, while others have already quit. In her last tweet, actor Jameela Jamil stated she “[Expects the platform to] become an, even more, lawless, hateful, xenophobic, bigoted, misogynistic space.” It’s important to recall that social media platforms are a highly iterative space and that, in reality, these sites have always had a lifespan of 15-20 years. No one remembers their Myspace or Friendster logins, yet we survive. These are private companies subject to the vulnerabilities and vagaries of private capital. More critical than anxieties about this purchase is thinking soberly about what we want all social media to represent in our public spheres.
guage, but many do not continue after that requirement is met. On top of that, there isn’t much variety in foreign language classes offered in the first place. Most American schools only offer Spanish, French, and one other European language like Italian. Early language learning increases cognitive benefits and has positive effects on memory and problem-solving. According to research done by Barbara Lust, a developmental psychology and linguistics expert and Sujin Yang, her postdoctoral research associate, the most effective way to learn a second language is by putting children in situations where they are surrounded by it. Another issue here is the fact that the way highschools in the United States teach language isn’t effective enough to benefit the student for the future. Languages are taught in a manner that almost separates them from the culture they originate from; American language classes don’t connect students to the culture whose language
they’re trying to learn, which is half the battle. “We find that children learning a second language in an immersion setting show an overall success rate of grammatical knowledge similar to English monolinguals,” says Sujin Yang. They also state that the earlier a child learns that second language, the more likely they are to attain native-like language proficiency. In a research article by Nienke Meulman, it was found that the first few years of life are the easiest time during human development to grasp multiple dialects. Developing these skills at an earlier allows the child’s brain to hold onto those abilities longer. When traveling to another country, there are many times American citizens make little effort to educate themselves about the language or culture before they go. Yet, this country puts so much importance on what it means to be American in society. It’s disrespectful and shows how much privilege this country has. In fact, it has been shown that the public school system in the US
prioritizes knowing English to the point where it can become disruptive to English learners. Grace Swanton, a fourth year anthropology major at Sonoma State University, said, “ESL learners are pulled out of class to work on their English, even though they speak it fine and can communicate, because it is not their primary language. This causes students to miss out on vital class time and coursework. Although being bilingual is extremely beneficial for kids, our country’s school systems are so messed up and leave children behind.” If we start teaching children about the world around them at a younger age, they are going to grow up not only with the skills and benefits of knowing a second or even third language, but with the ability to coexist with the people around them. As humans, we get to pride ourselves in our differences and own ways of thinking and being, but there is a point where it becomes ignorant and harmful.
Americans need to prioritize learning second languages
ANA FINGERSON STAFF WRITER
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t is seen across many European countries that children as early as three years old are required to learn a second language. Having the skill of knowing multiple languages allows for new perspectives as well as a greater appreciation and understanding for the people and world around. Some highschools in America require at least two years of a foreign lan-
4 News
MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
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‘Academics and students first!’ continued from pg. 1
mindful of her humanity and not succumb to the brutalism that we’re seeking to criticize here.” Associate Professor of Cognitive & Developmental Science Wendy Ostroff spoke to the issues with the Title IX process as well as the sensationalized news reporting surrounding this case. Ostroff said, “I’m also troubled by, in the case of President Sakaki as well as our former Chancellor, Chancellor Castro, that the person who’s going to take the fall is a person of color and a fellow first-generation college student who’s been put in an impossible situation by a system of hegemony and hierarchy and forced to sign documents and make deals by corrupt lawyers and corrupt power structures. So taking these people out does not help the problem, it does not change the system, in fact the office it is often the case.” West Below, a 21-year-old Computer Science major and Chapter President of Young Americans for Liberty for Sonoma County wrote in the Zoom chat, “No matter what race or sex you are, using student tuition money for personal legal settlements is equally abhorrent. If people are being defended solely because of their skin color that is a real problem.” At the end of the zoom meeting, several members of the AS brought up their desire to share a pre-recorded video statement made by Sakaki. In the lengthy video, Sakaki began by highlighting her family history as Japanese indentured servants, picture brides, and her life as a Buddhist; pointing to these as reasons she would never retaliate. Sakaki made it clear she finds the opinion that she’s looked the other way with harassment offensive because she’s also a victim of harassment. Sakaki went on to cover some of her accomplishments at SSU before discussing the allegations. “Let me turn to the issue of allegations of potential harassment or other misconduct. I’ll restate how repugnant I find this behavior because I have experienced it myself, but let me be as clear as I can be, I wasn’t informed about any allegations or any investigations till about one year after the allegations and investigation was conducted by the Chancellor’s Office,” Sakaki said. Sakaki reinstated the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing and she “did not put her finger on the proverbial scale”. SSU is going to implement a President’s Advisory Committee as well as a Restorative Justice Program to assist in working through the Title IX issues. “I have chosen to speak from the heart today because I find so much of the current narrative to be so wrong and in many cases simply untrue. I do not tolerate harassment or discrimination and reject the suggestion that I, unlike my male counterparts, should have my career on the line because of alleged actions of my spouse,” Sakaki said. A victim of McCallum’s sexual harassment anonymously wrote to the STAR and said, “None of that background mattered to her White male husband who felt entitled to touch my face and hair in public without my permission.” As a feminine presenting non-binary person who uses they/them/she/her pronouns, SSU Professor Sanders has experienced sexual harassment throughout every step of their own professional career. They
feel disappointed in the president’s lack of accountability for creating a culture of fear of retaliation on our campus in service of shielding a man who predated on her own colleagues. “I don’t doubt that President Sakaki has faced an extraordinary uphill battle as a woman of color throughout her professional life to the position of power she now holds. However, this new strategy to insinuate that legitimate critical inquiry of her professional behavior as our leader is equivalent with racism is a cynical use of contemporary dialogue around race. Utilizing this dialogue in this way quickly chills protest and criticism, but I believe our students and colleagues will see the truth behind the strategy,” Sanders said. Earlier on Thursday, Sonoma State students, faculty, and staff rallied to demand officials restore SSU by revising Title IX and placing students and academics first from noon to 12:45 p.m. on the grass field next to Seawolf Plaza. Students, staff and local press gathered to listen to three brief speeches delivered by CFA (California Faculty Association) members Ellen Carleton, from the Kinesiology department Dr. Lynne Morrow from the music department, and ChristineKelley from theater, arts and dance which highlighted the group’s goals of overhauling the Title IX Office, as well as their commitment to shared governance and putting students and academics first. On Tuesday, April 26 in the Seawolf Plaza SSU student, Trinity-Paris Foster argued the tuition money used in the McCallum-Sakaki settlement be returned to students, that Title IX be revised, and Judy Sakaki resign. Foster’s words about transparency and intersectionality brought some audience members to tears. “Judy Sakaki, I’m sorry, you gotta go. This is not seawolf pride, this is not what a seawolf does,” Foster said. She concluded her speech by stating, “Enough is enough. Treat me like I’m a human, talk to me to my face. No more zoom links, no more interviews, speak to me like I am a human. Treat me like I am supposed to be treated. I am a student here at SSU. Treat me the way I’m supposed to be treated and I’ll treat you the same way.” Communication and media studies third-year student Emma Molloy started a petition to hold Sakaki accountable. “I’m really disappointed in the President, especially as a woman, and feel that students should feel safe, protected by and confident in their university leader—as should faculty and other university employees,” Molloy said. Within the first few hours of publishing her petition, she had already received hundreds of signatures. Many people left comments alongside their signatures like, “take out the trash,” or explained that the situation had brought up suppressed feelings about unwanted attention from other faculty on campus. Molloy plans to take the list of signatures to the CSU Board of Trustees in an effort to place pressure on the system to let Sakaki go. “She should just resign and cut her losses,” Molloy said. The petition to hold Sakaki accountable currently has 1050 signatures as of Sunday night.
STAR // Khanh Dao Signs posted around campus in protest for student funds being used for the deductable.
Students upset over use of funds continued from pg. 1
STAR // Dana Scacco Foster continued, “What are you doing to hold yourself accountable? Taking our money? No, I want all of that back. Every student deserves to get whatever they took out back Because we had nothing to do with the case. As a student body, it shouldn’t impact us this way. It shouldn’t have to impact us this way, we deserve so much more.” Many students gathered in the Plaza to show support for their fellow students and listen to what others had to say. Anisya Lustig, a Political Science and GEP student attended Foster’s speech. Prior to the event, she said, “I am pissed because I don’t like the fact that our own money is being used to pay for a settlement that first of all we had nothing to do with but also something that impacts our own faculty and us.” Lustig continued, “I think that our entire Title IX system, personally, is BS. It doesn’t really help survivors, it doesn’t help faculty that have faced instances of sexual harassment, and so the fact that the school is trying to cover it up is just a diss to everyone who has survived something in this realm and a diss to anyone that will experience something like this because it does happen on college campuses way more than it should.” Students getting ready to graduate have varied opinions about Sakaki’s attendance at the 2022 Commencement ceremony. Graduating psychology major, Angelica Serrano, said, “I will not be participating in shaking President Judy Sakaki’s hand at commencement. Her lack of responsibility and willingness to fight for justice does not represent Sonoma State.” As for Serrano’s opinion on the settlement scandal, she says, “It is unfortunate that she demonstrates how it is acceptable to retaliate against victims, and then to slide the injustice ‘under the rug’ by paying a settlement.” Others are more forgiving; Emily Shannon, an English and French double major said about Sakaki, “She is still our University’s president, after all, I think she should attend. There are most certainly recent decisions she has made where she should not have signed and agreed but… I sympathize with her for being met with all this backlash when she was not the one who committed the heinous act.” An anonymous alumnus who graduated with a degree in political science looked back on his experiences with Sakaki as University President. “I remember when she kept the campus open and classes in session during the fall 2018 fires. SSU was the only school open in all of Sonoma County at this time. The fact that she’s still President of SSU is astonishing.” Other alumni offered a different perspective on the issue and wanted to talk about Lisa Vollendorf, the former provost at Sonoma State who filed reports against Sakaki’s husband. The Press Democrat explains Vollendorf’s, “claim stated Sakaki retaliated against her in response to reports Vollendorf made of sexual harassment complaints by SSU female employees against Patrick McCallum, Sakaki’s husband.” Emily Hinton, a former Associated Students President and thereafter a CSU trustee, who worked very closely with Vollendorf shared, “ I’m not saying she’s lying… but Lisa was one of the worst University Administers I have ever experienced and was absolutely horrible to students in AS for the time she spent at SSU. She was… motivated by her own agenda to advance her career.” Vollendorf will be receiving $500,000 personally, and the other $100,000 is to cover her attorney costs. Through all the chaos surrounding Sonoma State’s University President, Judy Sakaki, students are trying to find some sense of normalcy, as they have to continue going to classes and preparing for finals.
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Arts & Entertainment 5
Students showcase their talents at the 2022 Spring Performance Festival
OLIVIA DOANE STAFF WRITER
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onoma State’s Department of Theater Arts and Dance made its debut of their Spring Performance Festival this past weekend. The event is held at Person Theater on campus and will continue through May 5-7. The performances feature students’ senior projects, dance performances and Eurydice, a performance piece. The Senior Project Festival is student driven and gives students an opportunity to showcase all of their talents. There will be five senior projects performed during the event, including dance pieces and a theater arts performance. Each senior project is unique, showcasing the talents of each individual. The performers for the senior projects include Alessandra Balestrieri-Jennings, Jay Haralson, Marissa Salinas, Gabe Fernandez, Terra Bransfield and Jasmine Kaiulani. The Spring Dance portion of the event is run by SSU faculty Christine Cali and Kristin Daley. They invite professional guest artists each year to collaborate, express and perform dance pieces that will also feature student performers. This year’s guest artists include Byb Bibene and Farrah McAdam. “The one thing I ask from the body of dancers I work with is to remain curious and open-minded because the magic in creative dance dwells outside the comfort zone and developed habits,” said Bibene, a passionate dance educator, performer and choreographer. SSU’s website includes biographies from both facility members and this year’s guest artists, on their personal experiences through expressive dance and performance. Jennifer Martuscelli, a sophmore performing in the festival, expressed her gratitude about being able to be on stage again after the pandemic: “It’s nice to be back in person, to interact and vibe with the audience. I was excited to get to perform with a large audience.” With the reality of COVID-19, the performers had concerns that this would affect the Spring Performance Festival. “I honestly didn’t think [the performance] would happen because of the pandemic. Now that it’s here, I’m very proud and I’m looking forward to everyone being able to see our work,” said one student, requesting to remain anonymous. After having to stream their performances last year, being able to be back on the stage has been anticipated for many of the performers.
Following the Spring Dance and senior projects, Eurydice is the final piece of the performance and is presented by Sarah Ruhl. “Eurydice reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice from Eurydice’s perspective with contemporary characters, boldly imaginative images and lyrical language”, as described on Sonoma State’s Theater Arts website. “After she dies on her wedding day, Eurydice journeys to the underworld, where she is reunited with her beloved father even as she struggles to remember her time on earth with Orpheus, who is crossing from the land of the living to find her. Eurydice is a hallmark play by this great contemporary American dramatist.” This piece will be the final performance concluding the Festival, on May 7 at 2 p.m. The Spring Performance Festival not only lets students and faculty showcase their talents and hard work, it brings them together as a community by working together and performing on stage to create a unique experience for the audience. “I was most excited to actually get to be on stage again because live performances give me so much adrenaline and I feed off the audience’s energy to really give the performance my all and leave it all on stage” said performer Aleen Phelps. With the final weekend of the showcase coming up, tickets for this event are available online at https://tickets.sonoma.edu or by calling 707-664-4246. Admission is $12 but tickets are free for students, faculty and staff.
STAR// Khanh Dao Dancers leap across the stage in front of a packed house during the Theatre Arts & Dance department’s Spring Performance Festival 2022 at Person Theater.
SSU artists present their work at the BFA Exhibition
ADDISON SMITH STAFF WRITER
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or the past year, Sonoma State art students have been diligently curating different pieces to showcase their best work at the yearly Bachelors of Fine Arts exhibition held at the Sonoma State Art Gallery in the art building from April 23 to May 22. The current graduating class of seniors gets a chance to display their art for the Sonoma State community and beyond. “The BFA exhibit happens every spring to proudly show off the work the students have worked so hard to create over the years and give them the opportunity to have it displayed in a professional art gallery setting,” said Jennifer Bethke, the Interim Director of the University Art Gallery.
STAR// Holly Durfee SSU artists present their work during the BFA Exhibition at the University Art Gallery.
STAR// Holly Durfee Art enthusiasts view the assortment of pieces showcased at SSU’s 2022 BFA Exhibition.
This year, the Gallery presents the work of six graduating students: Jacob Brown, Anthony Davi, Axel Koenig, Jose Sanchez Chavez, Raven Akasha Sandoval, and Carlos Vega Aguilera. When students walked into the SSU art gallery, they were greeted by graphics of the artists’ names hung up on the wall facing the door at the entrance to the gallery, as well as light refreshments and snacks for all to enjoy during the reception. Multiple pieces were hung up from the six artists, as well as statements from each artist about the work they have put into each art piece. When entering the gallery, one of the sections featured a darkroom where fourth-year art major Anthony Davi said, “The inspiration behind my dark room projects happened over quarantine, I wanted to work with multiple layers of different moving points which was what ultimately made me decide to go with the GIF format, one was 40 frames over 30 seconds and the other was 128 frames over 90 seconds which really allowed me to project multiple images in a short span of time while also keeping the focus on one center object with both.” Beside the dark room was another collection of Davi’s art which he selected to reflect on his journey during the pandemic. Just past Davi’s pieces, set up on the far wall, were fourth-year art major Carlos Vega Aquilera’s artworks. Many of the portraits displayed were portraits of his family or friends back home or in Mexico. Aquilera said those pieces were his “... passion projects, and a way to show my family and friends back home what art can do for them and how it can really uplift them in a way that they might not have thought of before.” While he started the pieces in 2019 for his class, the collection quickly turned into his own side projects for his family and friends. Another artist present for the opening reception was fifth-year art major Axel Koenig, who had three huge pieces along the wall by the front of the exhibit. One of the pieces, entitled “Gun Control”, was particularly large as it was three wooden canvases fused together to create one large area to work with. The piece features a large, multi-colored background with symbols of the three branches of government painted into the wood. The piece also featured three interconnected circles created by bullet casings to further visualize the three branches. Koenig explained it as “…A reflective, yet unifying piece that personifies gun control in all its different forms. The goal of my piece is to show people not only do the three different branches of government have control over these laws, but you as an individual have the power to lobby for change… [The piece] speaks to a lot of people due to [its] sheer size and how you can see yourself in the resin covering, which was my goal. It was something I took a long time with and something I am proud to present both as a commentary piece and something that shows off my art style.” The yearly BFA exhibition is held every spring for graduating seniors and is available to the public from April 23 to May 22 in the art building.
Student Life SSU celebrates AAPI month in April 6
MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
sonomastatestar.com
PAYTON MULLANEY STAFF WRITER
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he month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month. However, Sonoma State has a tradition of celebrating in April so that students, faculty and staff can truly appreciate all this month has to offer. SSU also recognizes the importance of providng a full month to acknowledge the Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander communities we have on our campus. According to the 2022 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month homepage, SSU states that, “We want to particularly begin this month by bringing attention to and condemning the violence and hatred that has been directed at the Asian and Pacific Islander community.” The website goes on to say, “The 2022 AAPI Heritage Month Planning Committee will be hosting and co-sponsoring events for SSU students, staff, and faculty in solidarity against racism, coming together as a community, and celebrating the richness of Asian American Pacific Islander communities.” The AAPI community aims to provide a space for education and celebration to take place for a marginalized community, while also creating an opportunity for them to share their experiences and rich heritage. Faculty Co-Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander American Faculty and Staff Association Lauren Morimoto said, “15 years ago there was not much involvement when I came to Sonoma State. Unfortunately, diversity and inclusion work takes place on top of working a regular full time job so it was hard to create a sustainable program.” Morimoto went on to say,“now there is an office, institutional support and we are able to partner with the community.” The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) of Sonoma County is one organization that partners with SSU to help run the campus events that take place during AAPI month. This year, JACL hosted a live mochi pounding demonstration which is a Japanese New Year tradition. Some other events that took place this month include AAPI heritage month opening ceremony where local water and climate justice advocate, Sheridan Noelani Enomoto was the keynote speaker and “IN/VISIBLE: Asian American Feminism at SSU” where attendees got the opportunity to hear from several Asian American campus leaders who have made great contributions to classrooms, advising and campus organizing. “I think the most important thing I learned [from this month] is that I am not alone. I had never really found any connection to my culture or heritage on cam-
pus until this month. Being able to meet and learn about all of the positive and powerful Asian American staff and faculty on campus as well as being empowered to be able to do my own event was really amazing,” said fourth year and HUB intern, Sachiko Keller. Keller put on her own event on Tuesday called “Reconnecting with your heritage” where she facilitated conversations about Japanese American heritage. Keller additionally shared her family’s story and her experiences of being a Japanese American. When asked why she works so hard to make this month special, Morimoto said, “A student just came up to me today and said one of the events took him right back to feeling like a kid. It is a community and a sense of home.” Some upcoming events for AAPI month include sushi making on May 10 from 4-6 p.m. and AAPI bystander intervention training on May 12 from 12-1 p.m. To learn more about past events and AAPI month, head to http://diversity.sonoma.edu
STAR // Khanh Dao The Japanese American Citizens League showed students how to make mochi from scratch.
Seawolves travel to Oracle Park
ROSALEE PADILLA STAFF WRITER
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onoma State students got the chance to watch the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s go head to head in the annual Battle of the Bay on April 26. The crowd was roaring in anticipation of the game while SSU students made their way to the bleachers to watch the action unfold from leftfield. This event, put on by Student Involvement, had a limited number of tickets for any Seawolves to purchase. Nicholas Lerseth, an English major at Sonoma State, offered his thoughts on attending the Giants game, “My favorite part of the trip was being able to get out and go to a major event like this. It reminded me of the way things were before the pandemic hit. I loved when the crowd went absolutely insane after the Giants hit their first three-run home run of the game.” Lerseth then went on to share how the crowd was so overwhelmed with excitement, everyone began high-fiving. “If there is another getaway trip, with the Giants involved, sign me up.” The home run ball that Wilmer Flores hit was caught by a fan sitting in the same section as all of the Sonoma State students. Later on in the game, by a stroke of luck, Giant’s player Austin Slater hit another three-run homer. Eventually the Giants defeated the A’s 8-2. Sonoma State student, Laura Lacalle, discussed her experience on the getaway trip, “This is my second getaway trip and they’re so much fun. You don’t have to deal with things like driving or paying for parking, it is extremely convenient and way cheaper. Plus it is a great way to enjoy a game with friends or meet new people from campus.” Before the departure to San Francisco, students met in front of the SSU police station. Two sprinter vans transported everyone to watch the Giants play the A’s. Upon arrival, students were able to discover Oracle Park freely. There were many different food options to choose from, like famous Gilroy garlic fries and Ghirardelli ice cream sundaes. There were also vendors walking up and down each section with hot dogs or other snacks for fans to purchase. Solomon Marcus, another student that attended the getaway trip, shared his favorite part of the game, “I have always loved going to Giants games throughout my life, but it was very fun to go with other people from Sonoma State. I absolutely would attend another getaway trip because I’ve had so much fun on all of the other SSU trips I’ve gone on.” Seawolves were offered transportation to and from the game included in the purchase of the $28 ticket. This offered an opportunity for students to get
connected and interact with one another. Student Involvement’s main goal is to help and encourage students to get further involved on campus. Seawolves can access the “Get Engaged” tile via Online Services to find events to attend as well as club organizations to join. The next getaway trip is a free event on May 7. Sonoma State students will travel to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve to hike. This will give students an opportunity to discover more of the Guerneville area. Anyone who is interested can sign up for this event on the first floor of the Student Center or can get tickets online at tickets.sonoma.edu.
STAR // Rosalee Padilla The Giants Battle of the Bay game is just one of the many opportunites students have to explore fun things to do off of campus and away from Rohnert Park.
Sports
MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
sonomastatestar.com
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Softball and baseball earn weekly honors
COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com From left to right: Michael Benz earned CCAA pitcher of the week following his complete game shutout, Anna Zoia-Buescher earned CCAA player of the week, Jesse Dupuis earned softball pitcher of the week after her no-hitter on senior day. JAVIER HERNANDEZ STAFF WRITER
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ultiple Sonoma State athletes’ shined this past week as three different athletes were named player of the week in their respective sport. The first two are softball players Jesse Dupuis and Anna Zoia-Buescher. Dupuis won CCAA(California Collegiate Athletic Association) Pitcher of the week for April 19-24, her second time receiving the award this month. While Zoia-Buescher won CCAA Player of the Week for her offensive firepower. The third athlete that took home some hardware was baseball pitcher Michael Benz as he also took home the CCAA Pitcher of the Week award as well. “It was awesome to see softball sweep the weekly awards the same week, they’ve been playing great ball and I think we’re all inspired by what they’ve been able to achieve up to this point and will continue to achieve,” said Benz. Dupuis’ Pitcher of the Week award came as she had two gems on the mound during the team’s four game series against Cal State East Bay. Dupuis started the second game of the series and threw a one-hitter with three strikeouts and only two walks. She followed up the one-hitter with a no-hitter in the last game of the series as the Seawolves swept and won their twelfth straight game. Dupuis is now 12-2 for the season and is in the top eight for both ERA (Earned Run Average) and wins in the CCAA. “My favorite part of the season has been the last couple weeks. This team has shown real grit and completely turned it around from where we started. We are the strongest we have ever been right now and that’s an amazing way to go into the postseason” said Dupius. Zoia-Buescher success on the offensive side of the ball during the Cal State East Bay series led to her winning her CCAA Player of the Week award. She batted
.615 for the week with a triple, double, four stolen bases and five runs scored. Zoia-Buescher has been dominant the whole season as she has the fifth most hits in the league with the sixth best batting average. “It may sound cliche to say, but I credit my teammates and coaches. I am new to SSU but this team has welcomed me with open arms since the first day I came here. Over the fall and thus far into the spring, we have and keep building this very competitive environment where we are always competing and pushing ourselves day in and day out to get better individually and as one unit. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now without them,” said Zoia-Buescher. “They make me want to bring my best self to the table every day. I am truly grateful to be a part of such an amazing group of people.” Benz received his Pitcher of the Week award after his exceptional performance during the team’s series against Cal State LA. Benz pitched a complete shutout game wit seven walkless innings with seven strikeouts and only gave up four hits to pick up his fourth win of the season. This was only Benz’s sixth start of the season as he is typically a reliever for the team but when his number was called he did not disappoint. “Being named pitcher of the week is definitely an honor. It’s one of those things where you can be happy but definitely can’t be satisfied,” said Benz. “In baseball and in all sports you have to be able to take the good and bad in stride and know that the most important game or play is the next one, not anything that happened in the past.”
Seawolves drop road series to the Toros
STAR // Tanner Ivey Jared Esparza and Sean Pauly share a handshake before the Seawolves road series. TANNER IVEY STAFF WRITER
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his past weekend, Sonoma State’s baseball team faced the Dominguez Hills Toros in a four game series, one that was crucial for the Seawolves. The Seawolves would go on to lose the series 3-1, but they are still tied for the sixth and final playoff spot with Cal State East Bay. The series started off with junior Nick Roth, who made his eighth start on the mound for SSU this season. Roth has been a staple in the team’s rotation, boasting the team’s second lowest ERA (Earned Run Average) with a 3.40. In the first two innings, Roth struck out two batters before giving up a two-run home run in the third. Big hits from Josh Medina and Torreahno Sweet kept the game close, but the Seawolves would go on to lose 10-4. The Seawolves batting average leader, Braeden Holliday, joined the team this weekend in their contest against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Holliday went on to share his opinion on this weekend’s games, stating that “the team
fought hard this weekend. Of course we’d like to win the series but we are going into San Bernardino with our heads held high.” After losing game one of Saturday’s doubleheader 10-7, the Sonoma State baseball team secured a much needed split. With ace pitcher Michael Benz on the mound for game two, the Seawolves were in good hands. Benz would pick up where he left off last week with a six-inning performance, earning him his fifth win of the season. Benz is coming off of a seven-inning complete game shutout against Cal State LA, for which he would pick up where he left off last week, where he won pitcher of the week. He earned the win by surrendering three runs on seven hits without walking a batter. Joshua Medina would come in to close the door and make his ninth appearance of the season. On just eight pitches, Medina retired the Toros in order to secure the Seawolves twentieth win of the season. Cole Brodnansky and Logan Douglas both had two hits, Brodnansky led the way with three RBIs. On Sunday, the SSU baseball team lost in the series finale to the Toros in another fiercely contested slugfest. The Seawolves battled but were unable to pull out the victory. In the finale, the Seawolves bats got hot and proceeded to impress, out hitting the Toros 14-11. Over the weekend, Otis Statum Jr. had yet another multi-hit game, and senior outfielder Torreahno Sweet had a career day at the plate, finishing 5-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. With multiple hits in six of his previous seven games, Sweet increases his batting average to .300, and he finishes the weekend with a home run, nine hits, and seven RBIs. Sweet has been lethal in the lineup these past few series, and especially this weekend against the Toros. Sweet went 9-14 with a whopping .643 average on the weekend including a towering homerun. “I just felt confident,” said Sweet. “Ever since Friday’s pregame batting practice my approach has stayed the same, right center gap and focusing on not trying to do too much.” Sweet’s approach paid off, topping off the day of the finale with a 5-5 day. According to Sweet, a big part of his success is his mentality. “Keeping calm is a huge part of my game,” said Sweet, “No matter how big the moment is, being calm, cool, and collected does me nothing but good.” The final home series begins Thursday, May 5 at 1 p.m. against Cal State San Bernardino with a chance to earn a playoff spot. For more information on the baseball team, make sure to head over to sonomaseawolves. com/sports/baseball
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Photo
MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2022
sonomastatestar.com
Students join faculty for “Restore SSU” protest
STAR // Khanh Dao STAR // Holly Durfee SSU faculty members began the protest with cheers, chants, and beats from the drums. Campus members energetically protest the current state of affairs on Thursday.
STAR // Holly Durfee SSU staff leads prospective students by providing an in-depth tour of the university.
STAR // Khanh Dao Students and faculty ban together and march through the campus during the protest.
STAR // Khanh Dao Faculty take turns sharing speeches on their thoughts about restoring SSU.
SSU cultural clubs lead powerful student protest
STAR // Tanner Ivey Two of SSU’s cultural clubs, MECha de Sonoma and the Black Student Union, hosted a student protest together in Seawolf Plaza.
STAR // Khanh Dao Student clubs actively participate in the student rally by using their voices and speaking their truth.