Volume 75 // Issue 2

Student Life: New app rivals Google Docs and Snapchat.

Pg. 9

In this issue: Opinion: Is our campus safe?

Pg. 3 A&E: New photography displayed in University Art Gallery. Pg. 6 Sports: Women’s Volleyball defends title in Hawaii. See Pg. 11

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 75 // ISSUE 2

SEPTEMBER 8 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

Associated Students looking to fill open positions Anna Kehrlein Staff Writer

F

STAR // Connor Gibson Sonoma State University junior TJ Perez breaks away from his defenders in this weekend home openers for men’s soccer against Simon Fraser University and Fresno Pacific. The men’s soccer team remains undefeated with a 2-0-0 record.

Men’s soccer begins season undefeated See the full story on page 10

University District to bring residential, commercial developments Joseph Encinas Staff Writer

C

anadian powerhouse Brookfield Residential has entered phase one of the new Rohnert Park housing developments known as the University District. The 300-acre district lies across the street from the Green Music Center, hugging the streets of Rohnert Park Expressway and Petaluma Hill Road.

“Phase one [of the district] consists of 399 units that are officially under construction and are expected to take two to five years,” said Mary Grace Pawson, acting development services director of Rohnert Park.

These new housing developments will serve the large population of Rohnert Park. According to the general plan released by the city, from the year 1965 to 1999, the population grew from 4,412 to 41,000 people.

“In the 1990s, it was a huge question as to how big Rohnert Park would grow to be,” said Rohnert Park City Councilmember Jake Mackenzie. “This [University District] is how Rohnert Park would meet population re-

quirements.”

Since then, the Rohnert Park area has experienced a period of population stability with a current population of 41,398. Brookfield Residential, based out of Calgary, a metropolitan city in Alberta, Canada, first presented the proposal to the city in 2006. The plan was approved, but the project was delayed due to a stunted economic system that is starting to see progression since the days of the recession.

Now that the project has the green light, Sonoma State University President Ruben Armiñana said, “It seems to be moving quickly and efficiently after many years of having stalled due to the lackluster economy.”

More issues that concerned the City Council involved water usage and if developing such a large community was practical with the resources available.

“The developer incorporated a significant amount of water conservation technology, which aligns with the mentality of the surrounding community,” said Pawson.

Very similar to Sonoma State, which lies directly across the street from the new developments,

water conservation remains a top priority for developers and city planners alike, especially due to the drought in California.

This master-planned community consists of 12 neighborhoods with varying living styles including single family homes and townhouses. These new homes will reflect the influence of its surrounding area; the impact of the local music, art, and education all go into the recipe that will create the vision that is the University District.

Creating homes for the citizens of Rohnert Park is an obvious benefit to the local community, but Sonoma State can also expect positive return from having new neighbors. Students will have the option to live in the district, but the price will be known closer to the opening of the community. It is rumored that a hotel will occupy a portion of the available commercial space.

“There is the possibility in the future of a hotel which could be accessed by parents and students visiting campus, especially around commencement,” said Armiñana, “The [UniversitySee CONSTRUCTION on Pg. 4

ollowing last spring’s Associated Students election, newly-elected student representatives were tasked with the job of filling the vacant positions of executive vice president, School of Business Senator and School of Education Senator for which no student ran for.

Appointed at the end of the spring semester, Kate Chavez, political science major, serves as executive vice president. Whether Associated Students will find any nominees for the remaining vacant seats remains unknown.

The current Executive Vice President was elected through an appointment process, involving an open application for all students on campus with advertisements urging students to apply online during the two-week application window. A committee consisting of Associated Students President Mercer, the Vice President of Finance and several other Associated Students representatives reviewed the resumes and decided on a candidate, to be nominated by the President and approved by the Associated Students Senate.

Some students think that the reason for multiple vacant positions may be pinned on a lack of enthusiasm in student government by the Sonoma State students, Mercer believes that isn’t the case. According to Mercer, while the number of candidates decreased, voting participation is as strong as ever.

“It’s just a fluke this year that isn’t going to be repeated in the next couple years. It’s just an anomaly issue,” said Mercer.

However, the views of the students don’t necessarily match the views of the student government. When asked for his opinion on Associated Students, sophomore Danny Avery said, “I didn’t even know that they existed.”

On the other hand, many incoming freshman expressed excitement to see such an active student body and an eagerness to get involved. Many of these students had fond memories of leadership and student

government in high school, invigorating a passion for student government that they wish to carry through college.

“I went to the student government meeting and ASP meeting and am looking to get involved,” said Freshman Carly Solberg who served class president of her high school. “The student government seemed very, very, active – a lot more active than high school.”

According to Mercer, Chavez stood out as a candidate due to her previous experience on the Executive Board of her Sorority and with Sonoma State’s Lobby Corps.

In addition, she has been a part of several political campaigns, and according to Mercer, boasts a calm, yet innovative attitude.

The two other vacant seats, the School of Business Senator and the School of Education Senator, are expected be addressed in a similar fashion, with the same open application process as before.

Any student can apply for these positions as of Sept. 2.

The only difference is that the internal affairs committee run by the Chair of the Senate will appoint the nominee rather than the president.

Whether this process will be as successful as the Executive Vice President election process remains in the hands of the students and how many decide to apply.

Associated Students plans to avoid another drop in participation through their invigoration campaign: “make bold changes.” This campaign involves focusing on making huge impacts on students, such as reducing the price of student parking passes and reevaluating how the Green Music Center should get funded.

“I think we’re going to see this first semester, how [the campaign] grapples with students,” said Mercer. “But so far, my emails been blowing up the last few days with students that want to get involved, students that are seeing the Associated Students in a different light this semester and they want to be part of it.”

To apply for the vacant positions, students can visit orgsync.com/116121/chapter.

Recreation Center remodel to be completed this week

S STAR // Kaila Sanders Sonoma State University’s Recreation Center remodel is scheduled to be finished Sept. 10.

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Aubrey Anzelmo Staff Writer

onoma State University’s Recreation Center is currently being remodeled, however, the student body can look forward to the end of the renovation. The Rec Center, which opened in 2004, was in much need of a new floor, particularly in the Fitness Center - otherwise known as the open weight room. The floors of the weight room were starting to become unsafe due to 11 years of continuous use. According to Rec Center staff, the flooring was begin-

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ning to form bubbles due to the large number of weights being repeatedly dropped.

Peter Neville, director of the Campus Recreation Center said the goal of the project is to provide users with a functional and safe physical environment.

“The project was originally slated for summer, but unanticipated delays occurred [so the process began in early August],” said Neville, in regard to the delay of the remodel.

“The fitness center will reopen the evening of Sept. 10.”

Neville also stated the front

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desk area of the Fitness Center would be installed at a later date as a follow-up project.

Student employees of the Rec Center have been trained to accommodate the needs and requests of the guests of the facility.

“Reconstruction will enhance our facility in a positive way, and students and the public can look forward to new great floors in the open weight room, as well as possibly a couple of new pieces of equipment,” said Amber Vang, a campus See REMODEL on Pg. 5

Visit: sonomastatestar.com

Page 2

Editorial

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Editorial Board Brandon Stachnik, Editor-in-Chief Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Jenna Fischer, Opinion Editor Ashley Mar tin, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Shannon Brown, Student Life Editor Kory Arnold, Spor ts Editor Brennan Chin, Photo Editor Edward Goquingco, Copy Editor Kyler Khan, Copy Editor & Marketing Director Jalissa Tello, Adver tising Director Connor Gibson, Distribution Director Eddie Blake, Editorial Car toonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Aubrey Anzelmo, Natalie Aro Justin Barrientos, Nikki Bridges Thomas Call, Francisco Carbajal Jerri Cohen, Sean Curzon Samuel Davis, Nicole Detmers Christine Edwards, Joseph Encinas Noe Felix, Brendan Finn Justin Freeman, Ryan Green Florencia Hasson, Olivia Hunt Anna Kehrlein, Olivia Lucchese Rachael Newman, Cassandra Owens Lawrence Ricardo, Kayla Sanders Aubrie Tolliver Photographers Megan Corcoran, Kaila Sanders

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’ s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “Men’s soccer off to a perfect start” The beginning of the soccer season brought the Sonoma State University men’s team two victories at home.

Sports writer Aubrie Tolliver writes on the two games with brilliant play-by-play reporting.

Read the story on page 10

Corrections/Clarifications In a story titled “Fall semester brings changes to campus dining,” published in the Sept. 1 edition, it was inccorectly said that Charlie Brown’s Cafe will be offering an evening menu featuring exclusive items this fall. It is in fact Lobos that will be offering the evening menu, not Charlie Brown’s Cafe.

Publication The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Sonoma Media Group. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

STAR // Eddie Blake

If UC can raise wages, why not CSU?

T

he University of California system announced in July a plan to increase the minimum wage of their employees to $15 an hour by Oct. 2017.

This plan will include primarily students who work more than 20 hours a week and contractors.

The UC system is California’s third largest employer, only falling short of the Federal and State Governments in California. If the UC system can do it, why can’t the California State University system?

Concerns of tuition or other core expenses being raised after the new plan is implemented have been communicated, but the UC has explained that the funds to increase wages will come from some of the self-sustaining businesses within the system, such as bookstores and dining services.

“Through its education, research and public service missions, the University of California’s students, faculty and staff have made us into a world-renowned institution, and our community does not exist in a vacuum,” said UC President Janet Napolitano said in a prepared statement.

How we support our workers and their families impacts Californians who might never set

foot on one of our campuses.”

The CSU system may not be as large of an employer, but it certainly has an impact on California’s economy. Listed in the 2014/15 CSU revenue report was a $237.4 million budget increase for operations, enrollment growth, and programs; in the fine print, employee compensation is included in operations.

So, if the UC system can do it on extra revenue alone, why can’t the CSU system do the same.

All California State Universities have bookstores and a cafeteria; most campuses have even more. Sonoma State University, in particular, has two restaurants, two cafes, a cafeteria, a bookstore and the Green Music Center.

The Green Music Center often holds sold-out shows, and Lobo’s is a popular restaurant. How hard would it be to redirect some of the revenue gained into employee wages?

Even if the CSU as a whole can’t adopt a new system to raise wages, Sonoma State certainly could.

By giving the employees higher wages, they are given more power in the local economy. At $9 an hour, the current minimum wage in California, an employee working 20 hours a week would only make $720

a month before taxes. That doesn’t nearly cover average rent in Rohnert Park, let alone groceries.

Even though many employees are students who live on campus and don’t pay a monthly rent, they still need to be able to have enough funds to cover books, food and any tuition that isn’t covered by financial aid or loans.

The average student will spend roughly $500 a semester on books and anywhere between $3000 to $450 for tuition, depending on offered loans.

Even if the CSU just upper the wage to $12, $2 less than what the UC is doing, the employees working 20 a week would be making $960 a month before taxes.

That extra $240 a month could make the difference in getting the essential needs for school.

It would boost employee moral and also be beneficial for the CSU system to follow in the UC’s footsteps with this new wage program. Taking some of the revenue and putting it into the community would promote further economic growth.

It’s time the California State Universities step up to the plate and do what’s best for their employees.

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers. The board encourages readers to write letters to the editor about all topics, including the editorial.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to read it.

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.

The STAR welcomes and encourages letters to the editor

Letters to the Editor

and guest submissions. For more information, read the left

Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length. Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. To send a letter to the editor email star@ sonoma.edu.

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Opinion

Sep . 8 - Sep . 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Fear of the dark, a reality for students

Francisco Carbajal Staff Writer

“T

ext me so I pick you up.

I don’t want you walking back to your dorm alone.” I heard this conversation from a couple of girls as I was walking to my car by the flagpole.

While searching for my keys I thought to myself “What could be so scary about walking from the gym to Tuscany or Beaujolais?” Maybe she’s just lazy. I’ve made that walk before and it’s not the worst. I shortly realized her fear was probably not because of the far walk or the ache from leg day at the gym but of what has happened in the last few weeks.

The Santa Rosa Junior College was recently the location of a violent rape in the middle of campus. The female victim was raped in the bathroom of Barnett Hall at about 9 p.m. by a masked man who pushed her in the restroom and assaulted her. He is still at large. Reading this news made me wonder about how prepared Sonoma State University is. We’re just a stone’s throw away from the junior college.

Barnett Hall in the SRJC is in the middle of

campus. It wasn’t a section of campus that was hidden or that there wasn’t much traffic. Joseph Cox, a sophomore who attends the SRJC campus spoke about Barnett Hall’s condition, especially at night.

“There’s really no lights there, I had a class there last semester and it’s not lit up really. Honestly, it looks like the place a rape would happen,” said Cox. I decided to check out the school website to see what we have prepared for sexual assaults and I saw many good helpful resources listed. Helpful Tips include “ Be aware of your surroundings, avoid isolated areas, avoid putting music headphones in both ears, and walk with purpose” What if the girl at JC was following these steps? There’s only so much a person can do against an attacker. Is the college at fault for not having lights shine throughout?

Luckily at Sonoma State we have emergency phones sprinkled around campus and we can call for escorts at any time we feel unsafe to walk somewhere. But is that enough?

The United States Department of Justice reported “One in four college women report surviving rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime and 43 percent of rapes occur between 6:00 p.m. and midnight.”

Reading these statistics is very alarming. If these attacks happen at night then lights brightening up the campus should be everywhere. I went

out to go see how the Art Building looks like at night. Joseph Cox and Audrina Sablan, a senior, came along to compare Barnett to the Art Building.

I’m sure the ever changing colorful lights of the Green Music Center are not enough to light up the whole campus.

At first sight we noticed that there is only one emergency phone on the side closest to campus.

Meaning if you aren’t on the path and you are attacked or need help, you need to get on the path by Carson to press the button. Most of the other departments have more than one emergency phone and most are actually next to the building. As we parked, we saw that there is a sign saying the Copeland Creek Path is closed from dusk to dawn which wasn’t there last year.

That path next to the building was completely unlit. We crossed paths with two students who were only visible because we were face to face with them. If there had been lights on that pathway we could’ve seen them ahead of time. Kristelle Pliez, a senior who sometimes works during finals at the Art Building till 3 a.m. by herself sees the lack of lighting and the only ad-

dition of the sign to be a lack of negligence by SSU “We (students) see this as a statement from the university saying that if you walk on that path after dark, it is your fault if you get attacked by someone who should not be occupying that space, and the school is not liable for your injury.

It was very upsetting that the school is not willing to light that part of the path.

Not only is there an entire department back there that stays unlit at night, it’s also a common path for students to use going to and from the GMC parking lot.

It’s still just as unsafe as it was before with or without the sign,” said Pliez.

We walked around a bit more and saw some dark areas inside the studio that were unlit or not bright enough just like the ones at Barnett Hall were.

While we were in the parking lot I never saw a police officer car roam the area at all not even the parking lot.

SSU has great precautions for sexual assault and rape such as the emergency phones and many courses to educate its students. But there is a lot of room for improvement.

A street lamp costs about $7000 or less including man hours according to PG&E. I’m sure SSU can find a way to get the costs to be lower. There simply isn’t an excuse. Do we have to wait to fix things after we become the headline? Because I’m sure the ever changing colorful lights of the Green Music Center are not enough to light up the whole campus.

Universities: Businesses or educational centers?

Florencia Hasson Staff Writer

T

he United States prides itself in being a country that provides equal opportunities for all.

However, how can this be the case if the root to an equal opportunity begins with having an equal opportunity for a higher education, no matter what economic class one belongs to.

Public institutions should be among the best ranked in our country.

According to Forbes 2015 top ranked universities in the country, the first public school to appear on the list is the Military Academy at eleventh and sadly, there aren’t many more public institutions included on that list. Of those public schools, some of the cheapest tuitions are University of Wisconsin with an estimated total annual cost of $40,644 for out-of-state students.

UC Berkeley, positioned in thirty fifth place, has an estimated total annual cost of $57,234 and $35,850 for out-ofstate students tuition and $12,972 for in-state students.

Sadly, our country’s private schools are considered to be among the best but cost the same amount of money one could use for the down payment of a house. Stanford charges $60,749 (this includes $13,166 that is attributed to room and board) per year to both in and out-of-state students. This allows universities, or as I’d rather call them at this point: businesses, to be as selective as they want.

Although institutions that have such a vast gross income, such as Stanford’s, have the opportunity to provide hefty financial aid to students in need, how can one not expect to be discouraged when acceptance rates circle around 5.1 percent. This only makes one wonder if the 1 percent of Ameri-

cans that are attending these schools do so because they have earned their 5.1 percent chance of being there or if it’s thanks to Mommy and Daddy’s line of high end hotels in the Caribbean.

If a university is going to be charging such an absurd amount per year then it’s only natural for them to want to accept students based on their family’s income; is this fair?

At what point did we stop believing that education should be free?

When did we decide it was more important to allocate 23.91 percent of our taxpayers dollars to our military and only 3.59 percent to our education?

Having incredible public benefits for things such as health care and education is what will put us ahead as the exemplary society we strive to be.

Sonoma State charges $7,324 a year for in-state students. This excludes housing, of course, and not to mention all the other miscellaneous necessities people and students need to survive and thrive. Expensive books that, lets be honest, half of us don’t even end up reading, or opening for that matter.

Food, gas, campus parking passes, student ID’s; Sonoma State charges more for a renewal of a student ID (for students living on campus) than the DMV does for a new license. The list goes on… and on top of all these fees, we are struggling with graduating on time due to largely impacted classes. Yet, somehow we’ve managed to accept the largest freshman class Sonoma State has ever had. Just more fuel to the fire, and more reason to argue universities have stopped being an educational center as their first priority, and have evidently made being a successful business their main concern. Students working for dining are being paid minimum wage, $9.00 an hour, even in our high-end restaurant, Prelude. There isn’t much incentive to work your hardest or do your best when the reward is a petty $9 dollars that later has to undergo taxes.

“People can’t afford school anymore, and there’s a big turnover rate because of that. So much stuff you have to deal with for such a low pay that you constantly see people filtering in and out, which doesn’t make for good business,” said Sam Hayman, a manager at Prelude.

The Green Music Center has brought a lot of prestige and importance to our school, which in turn requires for it to be run in a manner equal to that. If students are being paid low wages, the service will reflect that, and that’s not the message we want to send out to the venues valued guests.

Our public universities are the same price as private universities in other countries. Shouldn’t education should be free because we all deserve the same opportunity? Of course it’s irrational to ask or expect a completely gratis education. However it should not be far fetched to expect to pay a tuition that corresponds to what one chooses to study. It only makes sense to charge more for a career that will later give one the means to pay back that debt.

Why are we charging the same amount to students who study art or massage therapy than those whose desired professions are to become doctors or lawyers. Where is the logic? Our country has a growing economic gap between our upper and lower class; where the middle class is slowly disappearing and will continue to do so if we continue to expect our students to live their lives with an unreasonable amount of bills. Where is the incentive to further one’s education if a future of debt is what lies ahead? I believe this is a large ethical dilemma which our country struggles with and has not yet come to terms with how significant of an impact it can have on our society if we choose to ignore the “struggling student.”

And the problem doesn’t seem to be getting any better. According to statistics presented by CNN; following the recession starting in 2008, the tuition of public universities has increased as much as 83.6 percent in Arizona. Hawaii, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida and California had an upsurge that ranged between 62.2 to 70 percent. The article attributes this vast growth to the recession and suggests that, “The vast majority of state funding for these schools has yet to recover. States provide about 53 percent of the revenue used to support public schools, according to the report. Without the funding, many schools are forced to make up the difference with higher tuition.”

Page 3

Voting: Why should you care?

Ryan Green Staff Writer

T

he number of voting college students has been in decline for the past decade. After some quick math from the US Census Bureau, I found that 58 percent of the 66 million total college students are either not registered voters, or just don’t take the time to vote. So why aren’t college students voting? And, more importantly, why should they?

Voting is something that all eligible Americans should do, no matter your place. Some families don’t teach their children the importance of voting at a young age, and so those children, now students, have no reason to get involved.

Most college students only recently became adults, and have not yet created their political identities. Even I had to ask my parents who to vote for and why. Voting is a new thing for rising adults, and it’s difficult to suddenly have to keep track of politicians, candidates and the most recent legislation.

However confusing politics is, voting is still the heart of our democratic process. This country was founded on the principle that its citizens can decide their government’s future, and it’s a right that shouldn’t be shrugged off by a lazy generation.

What I’m trying to say is, college students should vote, and here’s why.

No one votes with college students in mind.

Most people are more interested in health insurance rates than tuition and student loans. That’s why it is our job, as college students, to speak up for ourselves and stand for what we believe. It may be difficult to do, but think about your future. Casting your ballot now could change your life for the better in five years.

If you prefer to live in the moment, think about who you are. You’re very likely a college student, trying new things and broadening your horizons, getting experience in the real world. So wouldn’t it be hypocritical to say you’re finding your place in this nation, but aren’t contributing to the driving process of democracy?

Actually, your vote could change your future as soon as next year. Forbes reports that presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is working to “make college tuition in public universities and public colleges free.” The Department of Education states that the Obama-Biden administration “has dramatically boosted Pell grant funding by more than $40 billion”, making Joe Biden another worthy candidate.

By voting, I don’t mean only federally. Voting on all levels counts, even for city ordinances and community propositions. Even voting for the president of your housing village can change your own well-being for the next year.

College students are an enormous constituency, and have much more political power than any of us could imagine. And even though 58 percent of college students don’t vote, that still leaves more than 27 million of us. Think about how much power we’d have if we got all 66 million together.

So, I encourage those of you who aren’t registered to register to vote. The Registrar of Voters is just up the road in Santa Rosa. Voting is the foundation of this country, and if the foundation falls, the structure falls.

STAR // Jenna Fischer

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News

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

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Campus crime creates fear in student safety

O

STAR // Megan Corcoran The start of a new semester brings a wave a bike thefts and car break-ins.

Nikki Bridges Staff Writer

nce the sun goes down, classes are let out of session and Sonoma State University students return to their homes, criminals lurk in the shadows looking for valuables to steal.

“My bike was stolen in the night last week,” said Keira Daneh, a sophomore Hutchins major. “It is an extreme inconvenience to me considering I ride my bike to and from class everyday.”

Sonoma State University Police Services has been going to local bike stores to see if any of the reportedly stolen bikes from campus were sold to the shop for money. Sonoma State police recommend students use campus bike racks scattered throughout the campus, securing bikes with a u-shaped lock and reporting suspicious behavior. Students can now register their bikes for free online which will give police services a better chance of finding stolen

bikes.

“We have reported seven bikes being stolen [as of this semester] and have identified a suspect that we are bringing to the DA to press charges against this criminal,” said Nate Johnson, Sonoma State Police Chief and Executive Director for Enterprise Risk Management.

Amanda Klein, a junior awomen and gender studies major, had her car damaged in the middle of the night in a parking lot just one week before the fall semester began.

After she realized what happened, Klein called the police services to report the crime. Her car was then dusted for fingerprints and a written report was filed.

“I don’t know exactly how they got in, however, there was over $300 worth of merchandise stolen such as an old phone and wires necessary for my car,” said Klein, “They also ripped my dashboard attempting to hot wire my car.”

Students who’ve been affected by crime on campus have access to many resources at Sonoma State to help cope with traumatic experiences including the Student Health Center and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

In 2013, the university announced they were introducing the Jeanne Clery act, an annual report showing crime on campus.

This report requires the university to provide crime statistics, police services recommendations on safety and crime prevention, as well as how to report crime on campus. The report will be published on Oct. 1.

The campus is also equipped with blue stands that, when used, will alert the on-campus police department and will send an officer to escort you to your car or on-campus dorm.

Whether students are leaving a late night class or feel uncomfortable walking home students can rely on this service to ease their worry.

Online scheduling program intended to ease stress of registration Rachael Newman Staff Writer

S

onoma State University students will soon have a new and improved scheduling system called the Seawolf Scheduler to assist with class registration for the spring semester.

Last week, the Associated Students Senate saw a demonstration for the new software that has been approved for use in spring 2016 registration this November.

Kim Baptista, a junior, dislikes the current system used for class registration and has experienced many difficulties in her time at the university so far.

“The system is not user friendly and it’s hard to navigate around.

You need lots of criteria to find a class,” said Baptista. “If you are a

freshman or a transfer student, the system is not intuitive.

It is hard to pull up the entire catalog, and you can’t seem to simply look up the necessary class. There are too many steps involved just to find a class.”

A common frustration among students is trying to find a class to fit your schedule or even finding an open one.

Many students work, have sports practice, extra curricular activities so finding a class to fit one’s schedule can be difficult.

Director of Records Reports and Analytics Sean Johnson said the new software is designed to address some of the issues students have when registering for classes.

The program will not take away anything from the current system but will have some added

new features.

“The Seawolf Scheduler is going to allow you to put in the courses you want to take for the term, and it is going to allow you to put in the times when you cannot take courses,” said Johnson. “[The Seawolf Scheduler] will give you a list of all the possibilities of course schedules that you can have based on what is there in the system.”

The program is part of the E-Advising initiative, and will eventually be included in the new scheduling system. EAdvising is set up to help students make important decisions for their plan when they need them. “[E-Advising] is designed to help get information into students hands so that they have the ability to make critical decisions about their own academic plans

when they need them,” said Johnson. “That information is at their fingertips when they need it, so they are able to make decisions to move toward graduation.”

E-Advising will make class scheduling more clear and will show the classes you need or the prerequisites you have to take before entering into a more advanced course.

Johnson said other California State Universities are currently using this scheduling software.

“Students love it, faculty love it and the administration will love it.

It has been great at other campuses and we expect that here as well,” said Johnson.

Student Nickolas Kling ended up in courses he didn’t necessarily want to take but desperately needed units and hopes there are courses

sonoma.edu Associated Students is introducing a new program, the Seawolf Scheduler, aimed at easing the process of registration.

that will be beneficial to his academic plan.

“The online list of classes I needed for my major was somewhat clear but when I transferred, trying to add a class was abnormally complicated,” said Kling.

“Getting in touch with my adviser and clarifying everything was much more difficult than I anticipated.

I am enrolled but not

exactly happy with the outcome.”

The Seawolf Scheduler will hopefully remove the stress and confusion students experience when registering for classes at Sonoma State.

To find the Seawolf Scheduler, visit sonoma. edu and log into your student account and visit MySSU.

RECREATION CENTER: Expect improvements with remodel Continued from Pg. 1

STAR // Megan Corcornan Construction of the University District has barely begun, yet the developments are expected to bring commercial and residential communities to the city.

CONSTRUCTION: District to bring new neighborhoods to RP Continued from Pg. 1

district] will add commercial space that can be occupied by services useful to our students such as restaurants and stores.”

The goal of this district is to create a mix of residential, rural and commercial developments that will ultimately intertwine the Rohnert Park residents and spur the economy of the city. One of the reasons this project commenced after an unsuspecting halt due to economic turmoil was the pub-

lic push for some new developments. With the aid of the citizens of Rohnert Park, the city council and Brookfield Residential have made strides in creating a connected community that serves a residential and commercial purpose.

The district will connect residents to Sonoma State University, the local middle and high schools and the Green Music Center via three miles of trails for pedestrians and bikers alike.

For more information on the University District, visit liveuniversitydistrict.com.

- recreation employee of four and a half years. Vang, among other staff, worked over the summer and have been aware of the construction plans and execution process.

The semester began on Aug. 25, and there have been an excessive number of students attempting to utilize the Rec Center during this time of remodel.

Because of the pushback of the remodel, many students anxiously anticipate the date for the construction to come to an end.

“I am eager to see how the reconstruction turns out because the temporary location of the machines is a little bit awkward,” said junior Melanie Yeoman. “Upstairs is crowded, and I know of a few people who have purchased gym memberships from other facilities due to the remodel.”

Although the construction has disrupted normal function of the Rec Center, it has not completely stopped students from using it. The facility

“I am definitely excited to see the new weight room, and also the other changes they made to the Rec.” has remained open at normal operating hours during this time. Workout machines have been moved to the front lobby area, making it possible for some to still utilize the facilities.

“The reconstruction makes it difficult to complete a workout without feeling overcrowded,” said sophomore Max Hull. “I am definitely excited to see the new weight room, and also the other changes they made to the Rec.” In regard to how the remodel was funded, Neville said the Recreation Center has a reserves account from which the project was financed and currently there will be no change in the fees paid by members of the center.

News

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

News in Brief Santa Catalina Island, CA Michael Harris, son of former 49er’s CEO Peter Harris, died on Sunday in a boat collision off the coast of Santa Catalina Island in Southern California. According to his family, Harris had just recieved his masters degree from Santa Clara University and was starting a new job as a high school counselor. In the boat were three other passangers, two of which suffered minor injuries and the third is recovering from a head injury.

San Juan County, CO A small plane crashed in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado on Monday, most likely killing everyone on board, according to authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board reports that five people were on board the plane when it went down at 4:35 p.m., but according to the San Juan County Sherriff’s Office who sent crews to the scene, only four people were on board the aircraft. The victims of the plane crash remain unidentified.

New Hampshire A recent survey by NBC News/Marist Poll on presidential candidates shows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders taking the lead by nine percentage points over Hillary Clinton with backing from 41 percent of democratic voters in New Hampshire. The same survey conducted in July showed contrasting results, with Clinton ahead of Sanders by 10 percentage points. The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for February 2016 with the New Hampshire primary election following.

Anne Arbor, MI A 21-year-old college student at the University of Michigan has moved into a 170-square-foot tiny house he built himself. The student, Christopher Cerk, lived in the dorms at his university during his freshman year of college and after an unenjoyable experience living on campus, he decided to build a house himself. The “tiny house” cost Cerk roughly $13,000 to build and he said he hopes the house will ultimately save him money over his next two years of college.

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New study: Marijuana use up in college Christine Edwards Staff Writer

A

ccording to a recent University of Michigan study, daily marijuana usage is the highest it’s been since the 1980s, and findings suggest that Americans are simply just becoming more accepting of it.

Students have noted that marijuana has little to no recovery time, and is a good, safe way to relax with friends. The study revealed that 5.9 percent of students across America’s college campuses are daily marijuana smokers, compared with only 5 percent being daily cigarette smokers.

With Sonoma State being situated in liberal Northern California, where medicinal marijuana has been legal since the passing of Proposition 215 in 1996, students are certainly more exposed to marijuana than other college campus communities. Seniors Jake Duncan and Wes Koenig agree.

“I know a lot of people that smoke pot,” said Duncan. “I’d say it’s probably higher than 5.9 percent at Sonoma. I’d say 30 percent use daily [at Sonoma State].”

Koenig believes the reported percentages would be much higher in California.

Conversely, alcohol consumption can have severe consequences especially if the individual decides to get behind the wheel under the inf luence.

A DUI sentence will usually include at least a couple dozen hours of community service, at least $1,000 in fines, as well as losing your license for six months, and sometimes for more than a year. A DUI will stay on your record for 7-10 years and can interfere with getting a job in the future.

The University of Michigan study showed that binge drinking is way down. “[The consequences] are way more risky- jail time, paying penalties, for weed there isn’t that much,” said Duncan, comparing the consequences of alcohol with marijuana use.

The media have certainly

played a role in these all-time low statistics of college-aged tobacco users. Anti-smoking campaigns such as “Truth” are having an effect on young adults and how they view cigarette smoking.

The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) “Tips” campaign created the graphic ads featuring individuals living with long-term and life threatening health issues as a consequence of smoking. The campaigns have left a lasting impression on college students like Duncan.

Posters and commercials declaring “Don’t forget to cover you stoma”, feature a middle-aged man shaving while covering the gaping hole in his neck with a rag.

According to CDC.gov, the Tips campaign alone has motivated 1.6 million smokers to quit and smoking among teens and college students is becoming less and less prevalent.

Koenig and Duncan say they don’t know many people who even smoke cigarettes on campus.

“Cigarettes give me a headache and [smoking] is way worse for your health [than marijuana],” said Duncan. “Maybe there’s not enough studies on weed, but as far as I’m concerned it seems pretty chill.”

With the current marijuana regulations being passed in other states such as Colorado and Washington D.C., the general consensus is that marijuana is no longer seen as a harmful and addictive drug.

According to students on campus such as Koenig, “It’s socially acceptable”. Marijuana has been on the ballot a couple of times in the past decade in California, with the most recent being Proposition 19 in 2010; it was shot down in a narrow margin with 53 percent voting “no” to legalization for recreational use.

“Even though it’s not quite legal, I think it’ll be on the next ballot,” said Duncan.

The answer to whether California will see the legalization of recreational marijuana in the near future still remains unclear and will ultimately be decided by voters, including college students.

Page 6

Arts

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

University Art Gallery focuses on photography

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Justin Freeman Staff Writer

s the sun began to set, the final touches were being made to the room. Bottles of wine had were lined up on one of the tables to welcome the guests who enjoyed their drinks while perusing the exhibition they came to see.

Several dozen photographs hung silently on the walls, some the size of books, others the size of large television screens. These pieces would soon be contrasted by a noisy crowd of photography lovers, whose mutual appreciation for the camera would bring them all to Sonoma State’s University Art Gallery on this particular Thursday.

“Focus on Photography: Selections from the Gallus Sweet Collection” attracted quite a turnout. Most of the crowd was constituted by swaths of expensively dressed older folks, but, a decent amount of Sonoma State students were also in attendance. Work by a number of heavy-hitting names from the photography world, such as Ansel Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Tina Modotti was on display.

All of these photos came from the collection of Fay Gallus and Dr. Richard Sweet, who both reside in Sonoma County. Dr. Sweet, who first began collecting photographs over forty years ago, believes that photography “captures the importance of history.” Dr. Sweet went on to say that photographs “can capture a moment and the emotions associated with them very realistically.”

Shannon Benine, a Sonoma State assistant professor of photography, was very impressed with the exhibition. Benine said it was “one of the most comprehensive collections of historical and contemporary photographers that I’ve seen in a long time,” and that for photography majors, “The opportunity to stand in front of Ansel Adams really teaches you something

that looking at a website just can’t.”

The exhibit covered a vast range of human emotions. The Santa Fe, by Richard Misrach, captured a lonely train making its way across a desolate desert horizon. Meanwhile, Sebastio Salgado’s Serra Pelada, Brazil (Cast of Thousands) gave a view of a lively Brazilian quarry, populated by hordes of workers, who seemed to cover the carved stone walls like ants.

Perhaps the largest photograph in the room was Lynn Davis’ Wave Rock, Hyden, Western Australia. This photo depicted an enormous wall of rock, which bore an eerie resemblance to a humungous tidal wave, what with its smoothed edges and wavy patterns.

When people were asked to comment on the photographs, “phenomenal” was a common word used. Aryan Chapell, a Sonoma State alumni and photographer, called the exhibit “a treat” and added that “A great photo can be taken anytime of day or night or anywhere.”

He also added that photography was special because it is such “an immediate medium.” Sonoma State student Victoria Mihatovic shared this sentiment, assuring that photography “can document a single moment in time and place,” and that photographs “preserve memory.”

A commonly spread rumor caused many people to believe that the exhibit would be featuring the works of Sonoma State students. “You could put Picasso up here, and people will ask about the student who made it,” said Carla Stone, the University Art Gallery’s exhibition coordinator.

Anyone who arrived expecting student photography was surely surprised when they came face to face with the works of masters. These will be open to the public at the University Art Gallery until October 25. Until that date, Sonoma State will be the home of this collection.

facebook.com Wes Craven, director of the popular “Scream” horror films and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” died on August 30.

Wes Craven: a horror legend to be remembered Sean Curzon Staff Writer

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he world of horror films lost an icon when director Wes Craven died August 30th of brain cancer in his home in Los Angeles. Craven was a noted director, writer and producer. His films include “Last House on the Left,” “The Hills have Eyes,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream.”

While not every movie he made was a classic, he did create two of the biggest horror franchises in Hollywood. “A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)” owned the eighties and “Scream (1996)” defined nineties horror. His legacy spans across nearly four decades, his influences can be felt even today.

“Last House on the Left (1972)” and “The Hills Have Eyes (1977)” were Wes Craven’s first shots at directing. They are both low budget horror movies. “Last House on the Left” is about parents who avenge the murder of their daughter by trapping and killing her killers. “The Hills Have Eyes” is about a family on a road trip who are attacked by a cannibalistic family. Both films were made for less than $1 million.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is arguably one of the best horror films in history. It tells the story of a group of teens who are haunted by the ghost of serial killer Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) who can kill people in their dreams.

The film was also Johnny Deep’s first acting role. The dream world is filled with strong dark shadows, while clever edits blur the line between dream and reality.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” has one of the biggest, most wellknown horror villains, Freddy Krueger. Everything about him became an icon. The glove with the blade fingers, his hat and sweater, his burnt face. Craven came up with the character by mixing the nightmares he was having and memories of a school bully.

To this day, Freddy Krueger stands as one of the great villains of cinema along with Darth Vader.

“He brought so many different things to a film. In “Nightmare on Elm Street” he brought the characters to life,” said Matt Nichols, a sophomore music education major, “I don’t know if anyone else can do that.”

Craven also directed all four “Scream” films.

The film series follows Sidney Prescott (Neve

Campbell) as she and her friends are stalked by a serial killer. The premise in each film involves a killer who would kill by horror tropes while the cast, being fans of horror movies, are aware of them.

The opening scene with Drew Barrymore being taunted on the phone is an iconic moment in movie history.

The first “Scream” film, which was filmed in Santa Rosa, CA, was a parody of slasher movies in general, while the second one was a parody of horror sequels, and the third one was based off the idea of trilogies and the fourth one playing off the idea of horror reboots. The franchise was notable for its use of meta-horror. The films also introduced the popular “ghostface” mask.

While ghostface didn’t match the popularity of Freddy Krueger, the mask became a staple for Halloween costumes.

Wes Craven directed numerous other films, some good and others not so good. The comic book adaption “Swamp Thing (1982),” “Music of the Heart (1999)” and the psychological thriller “Red Eye (2005)” are a few of the films that were not as celebrated by his fans. Wes Craven will always be known as someone who made the world a little scarier.

Miley Cyrus continues to perplex Jerri Cohen Staff Writer

M

Courtesy // Gustavo Vasquez Sonoma State University students, faculty and community members gather in the University Art Gallery on Thursday to view an art collection consisting of pieces of works by many photographers.

Review

while Cyrus’ new priority seems to be to shock the public with her newest and most creative ideas, or so she thinks.

“I honestly think her new album is ridiculous and nothing like her old work,” said sophomore Sara Citti.

After Miley presented a scandalous performance during the 2013 VMAs, the innocent country girl fans all knew and loved from the teen girl obsession, “The Last Song” had officially left them for good. She now prefers to sing about how intoxicated she is.

“After seeing Miley’s music evolve into what it is today, I no longer look up to her.

She mainly just confuses me,” said senior Tessa Altshuler.

To say that the general public found Miley’s newest album terribly confusing and frightening would be an understatement.

The negative attention does not seem to tear down or discourage the motivated, young professional, nor will it for her work to come.

iley Cyrus continues to shock and confuse her fans with the release of her perplexing new album, “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz.” Cyrus released the news that she will be dropping this album during the 2015 VMAs. The artist started off her career by starring in her television series, “Hannah Montana” in 2006. Cyrus went from being a teen pop culture sensation to an abnormal creature with such a quick rise to fame.

The young pop star has evolved drastically as represented throughout her repertoire of albums.

As Cyrus has progressed, she has been recognized for her amazing vocals. The artist never had a hard time demonstrating how talented she really is by hitting outstanding notes in every song of hers. As of late, after having listened to Miley’s new work, some are left confused and offended. “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz” features unusual lyrics and song titles such as, “I’m so Drunk,” with the only lyrics being “I’m so drunk, I can’t even explain what I feel right facebook.com now.”

Cyrus released her newest album Although Cyrus now targets an older “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz” demographic, younger fans still remain, August 30.

Entertainment Seawolves SPEAK!

Page 7

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Cultural Appropriation in Entertainment

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Cassandra Owens Staff Writer

ornrows: a traditional African style of braiding and plaiting the hair in narrow strips to form geometric patterns on the scalp. Men and women have styled their hair in such a way to allow further growth and upkeep, while expressing culture and identity.

By 2010, the hairstyle had made its way to the entertainment industry, where African American Hip Hop and R&B artists continued to expressed themselves with these traditional hairstyles. White entertainers soon started to sport the traditional hairstyle themselves.

This is only one example of the many times actors, singers and other stars have taken cultures other than their own and exploited it to seem “different.” Cultural appropriation can be seen throughout entertainment. There

facebook.com “Transporter Refueled” released on Friday, earning $7.1 million in the box office.

‘Transporter Refueled’ recycles a favorite, fails Noe Felix Staff Writer

R

Review

ebooting a franchise is no easy feat. Filmmakers want to be able to bring new life into the franchise but simultaneously stay true to the roots of what made the original franchise so great.

“The Transporter” series has always held a special place in the hearts of action movie fans everywhere.

The movies are known for the great lead, Jason Statham, as well as great fight choreography and highspeed chase sequences.

They were action packed movies that people thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Unfortunately, “The Transporter Refueled” lacks the qualities necessary to live up to its predecessors, and at times, becomes unbearable to watch.

The movie revolves around Frank Martin (Ed Skieren), a former special ops agent who is now a hired mercenary. While eating dinner with his father (Ray Stevenson), he gets a call from a mysterious woman named Anna (Loan Chabanol) and is offered an elusive job. Hesitant, he accepts the job and then, plot twist, everything goes wrong.

Anna, along with her three partners in crime, take Frank’s father hostage and forces him to work for them.

The movie’s plot is very dull, and worse, doesn’t do a good job of pulling a viewer in.

There were countless times during the movie where this a STAR reporter rolled his eyes, silently asked himself “are you serious?” and laughed at the fact of how bad the movie was. There are times where scenes are attempted to be recreated from the original trilogy, but end up failing horribly.

The producers, director and actors fail to capture the spirit of the original films.

However, the reuse of the iconic line “Seatbelts, please,” was a nice nod to the previous films.

It’s hard to imagine a Transporter movie without

Jason Statham. He is the biggest reason the movies are so memorable to action movie fans.

He was an instantly likable and charming lead and unfortunately, newcomer Ed Skeirn fails to achieve the heights that Statham set before him.

Skeirn never appeals to the audience, and often times, comes off as trying too hard to be cool.

Furthermore, Skeirn strives to be exactly like Statham’s portrayal of Frank Martin. This is an entirely new start to the franchise and because of that, there is no reason why he couldn’t try a new portrayal of the character.

The movie is about Frank Martin, so shouldn’t he be the character the audience likes the most?

Of all the characters in this movie, he was the least likeable. Even the supporting characters were more likeable than the protagonist.

It’s like the director decided to give all the charm to his father, and give Anna and her cohorts the emotional pull of the movie.

Since the Transporter movies have always been about action, that is where they shine the most. Ironically, “Transporter Refueled” fails in that important aspect. There was no sense of awe whenever an action scene came up, as they lacked spectacle.

The opening car chase scene left a lot to be desired, and used way too many slow motion shots. It didn’t have the same sense of adrenaline as its predecessors did.

When it came to the fight scenes, they seemed stiff and unexciting. They were not well choreographed, and sometimes, it felt as though Skeirn needed more time in rehearsal.

If there were an option to refund people’s money after seeing this movie, they would take it. This movie is not enjoyable at all.

It doesn’t seem to remember what made the originals so fun to watch.

In short, they fail to capture the spirit of the original, and worse, don’t stay true to the series.

are many examples, including recent controversy regarding Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift.

Upset at being snubbed for a Music Video of the Year award, Nicki Minaj began tweeting about the injustices in the entertainment industry. At first, she goes on about celebrating black women and compares them to the “slim bodies” that were nominated.

“I’m not always confident. Just tired.

Black women inf luence pop culture so much but are rarely rewarded for it,” tweets Minaj regarding the VMA nominations.

Often times, many people who demonstrate aspects of their personal culture are criticized, while people who are not of that ethnicity or race will take pieces of it if they consider it “different,” “cool,” and “stylish.”

Sonoma State University students were asked their opinion on cultural appropriation

“[Minaj] is a very creative person, and people see that and are shocked by her. If it’s Katy Perry or Taylor Swift doing something, they are praised. I am not sure if it is because of race, but it is overlooked because it is Nicki Minaj who is out there and she may make people uncomfortable. Taylor Swift is more relatable as a country girl who is seen as innocent.”

- Stephanie

“I dont think that is what [the feud] is about. Beyonce is a strong African American feminist who wins awards. I am not a huge fan of Nicki Minaj and I know that cultural appropriation is not right, but it is also not the bias for an award. Miley may have went a bit overboard. I can see Nicki’s frustration.”

- Thomas

“I don’t think the styles and actions that some people are using should be considered ‘stolen’ from black pop-culture. If we are accusatory of cultures exchanging ideas then our society may be even more unable to move past remaining racism. If Miley Cyrus is not allowed to do anything considered ‘black’ then what about Nicki Minaj doing anything considered ‘white?’ Like Kylie Jenner’s cornrows, everyone should be allowed to do everything- you can’t coin a hairstyle.

The more outlandish you make it, the more it draws attention. I definitely think there is a line, but as long as these cultural ideas are not used in a negative way, it should be fine.”

- Grace

“I definitely notice this with the examples of twerking, Nicki is seen as ‘ratchet’ when she twerks and when other girls like Miley and Taylor do it, it is funny because the white girls are doing it.”

- Mariana

Page 8

Student Life

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Student spotlight: Demarcus Luckett Samuel Davis Staff Writer

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s Demarcus Luckett looked into the crowd of thousands of people from all different parts of the world carrying mugs of beers, he knew he made the right choice to travel abroad. It was going to be a day he would remember for the rest of his life.

Luckett had many more highlights from his trip to Germany than just Oktoberfest. He made life-long memories with people he would have never met otherwise. “Oktoberfest was only one of my acmes of traveling abroad,” said Luckett.

“I think the best feature that came from it was the lifelong friends I have accumulated and the experiences we have had together. I have also gained an outside perspective on what it is to be American, and also how the rest of the world views us in a mixture of awe and disappointment. I was able to expand my personal perspective of how the world works through distinctive lenses, particularly of the differentiating educational systems globally.”

Luckett describes how hard it is to be away from everything he has ever known, but he assures that it’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone. “As with anything, studying abroad has its ups and downs,” said Luckett. A couple of the downs are very obvious, such as homesickness or not being able to see your friends and family for that allotted time, and missing a sense of familiarity where you know all of the social norms. It was an exciting challenge to live somewhere that I did not have any hands on experience about, and the only form of knowledge that was apparent to me was what I have learned through the readings of the history books.”

Luckett explained how studying abroad opened his eyes to new views of other people and countries. He got to see first hand how people in different cultures interact on a daily basis.

“I know I have certain stereotypes about many different countries and Germany is no different. Now that I have actually been there, I am gaining a sense of understanding and getting to know the people who are originated citizens that live in the country of Germany,” Luckett said. “This particularly was very eye opening and it really expanded my horizons. I unable to speak for the other people who studied abroad, but I know that I had an amazing time and I cannot wait to go back for another adventure in a different province.”

Luckett explains how studying abroad is not what students typically view it as. During his first semester he was involved in rigorous courses with material that required he spend five days a week in the classroom.

Despite the toughness of academia, every adventurous students dreams to study aboard. For most, the first thing that comes to mind is money and how these expenses will be settled during travel to a specified foreign region.

This too was the case for Luckett and to account for these expenses, he worked at an elementary school in Germany and taught students to speak, read and write in English. Along with being a student, he was also an employee who was paid ten Euros per hour to incorporate his teaching skills.

There is also an alternative method of income as an option for students study-

STAR // Brennan Chin

Demarcus Luckett studied abroad in Germany and was able to attend Oktoberfest and teach English to German students. ing abroad. They are given the right to voluntarily speak at local high schools and colleges in regards to current events such as gun control, human rights, human trafficking and anything that may be of interest to that specified class. For this the student speaker is also paid, as they would be if they were to take up a traditional job.

From seeing the true culture of Germany through a pint of beer at Oktoberfest to learning how to speak German and teaching children how to speak english, studying abroad opened Luckett’s mind to the world.

For more information on studying abroad, visit International Hall or go to a study abroad information meeting which will be happening throughout the month of September. For meeting dates and times visit seawolf living.com.

STAR // Kalia Sanders Students gather around while eating to enjoy live music by fellow seawolves at Open Mic Night. The event is free to attend and occurs on the first and third Wednesday of every month at Lobos.

First open mic at Lobos showcases student talent Lawrence Ricardo Staff Writer

T

he first and third Wednesday of every month in Lobos isn’t the typical atmosphere that one is used to seeing at Lobos. There’s no sports on the TV or a line at the pool table, instead, Open Mic Night takes hold of the venue.

Sonoma State University kicked off the school year with the first open mic night on Wednesday. Seawolves arrived with curiosity and excitement for hearing student talent fill the room. Gabe Duran, live performance coordinator of Associated Students Productions, is responsible for anything student performance related at Sonoma State.

Not only is Open Mic Night one of the biggest events Duran is responsible for, but he also coordinates the Tunes at Noon. Duran, as well as the other students who help run these musical events, want to foster an open environment within Sonoma State so that everyone has a community to belong to.

Returning student Ang Ross holds these open mics near to her heart. “It’s very accepting. You meet a whole bunch of people from different backgrounds, but we all have a common connection, which is music,” she said.

Various students across Sonoma State attend this event. Regardless of a student’s major, talent and age, everyone is welcome to watch and/or participate at these events.

Starting at 7:30 p.m., students were able to sign up on a first-come first-serve basis. Attendees trickled in, grabbing food and beer from the bar to enjoy the night

of talent. The night consisted of performances by a wide range of songs like John Mayer’s “Daughters,” Beyonce’s “Halo,” to Frank Ocean’s “Thinking Bout You.” Audience participation only added to the lively atmosphere. As students performed, the student audience swayed, clapped along, sang along and even participated in a “call and response”. One student sang Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me” which naturally prompts others to respond back “hey, must be the money” periodically throughout the song.

Freshman Hannah Hobbs performed an acoustic rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You” which entranced the crowd. When asked what brought her to perform tonight, Hobbs said, “I’ve loved to sing ever since I was two years old, so it’s kind of like second nature. And I thought, why not wing it and do something that I will remember and be proud of.”

Freshmen aren’t the only ones who enjoy this night. This is the first time that fifth-year Kelsey Thompson attended this event. Between being a Kinesiology major and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, her busy schedule doesn’t necessarily allow for any other extra-curricular activities.

However, she finally had some spare time and showed great excitement as she attended the event. “I’ve never been to open mic night, but I’ve always wanted to go. This is the first semester I’ve had free time and there’s so many things that I’ve been wanting to do, and this is one of them,” said Thompson.

As Thompson shows, age and year don’t make a difference in attending these events. They’re open for everyone and Duran and all of ASP are working to create entertaining events. Catch the talent again at the next Open Mic Night taking place every first and third Wednesday.

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Swoodle app introduces new way to collaborate Olivia hunt Staff Writer

U

p-and-coming collaboration app, Swoodle aims to promote college student to “scroll together, edit together, chat together, create together, review together [and] work together.”

Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Swoodle team aims to supply consumers with a simple, yet effective app that prioritizes group collaboration on assignments while providing students the ability to work together in real time. This allows for quick editing across a range of devices, and is conveniently free.

Other features of the app include a free messaging tool that incorporates text, voice calling and video calling which assists in the group work dynamic.

The app allows for photo sharing and document editing, much like Snapchat and Google Docs.

Kris Nixon, Content Crafter for DisplayNote Technologies described an advantage of the app. “[It] essentially allows a team of students working together on a project to do so from the comfort of their respective homes, whilst having the same level of input and interaction that they would get from arranging a time and place for a face to face meeting,” said Nixon.

Swoodle provides an easy way to avoid unproductive group meetings between classmates and it is a constructive

way for people with busy schedules to promptly contribute without appearing as a ‘slacker.’

“I could see myself using Swoodle if I was doing a time-sensitive group project and I was unable to make in person arrangements,” said Sophomore Kristen Santos.

For people already struggling to find free time in their schedules, using Swoodle can be the difference between staying up all night surrounded by empty coffee cups and getting a solid 8 hour sleep after an exhausting day.

Paul Brown, CEO at DisplayNote Technologies, said, “We wanted a way to be able to share actual content with each other live on a mobile device, not a screen share, not an emailed copy and for all of us to be able to make changes live and to chat to each other at the same time all in the same app. In essence, we wanted to get stuff done quicker, be more productive and not waste time.”

Swoodle promotes collaboration, communication, productivity and teamwork using a simple and modern outlet that doesn’t require much effort to learn.

Although the components of Swoodle give it great potential to be a popular app, it might be a little late in the game, seeing as there have been other companies to create similar inventions such as Google Docs.

Nevertheless, there is a chance that due to its contemporary abilities, it will rise in the market and be in high demand.

Student Life

Page 9

Student Life Calender WEDNESDAY,

FRIDAY,

Sept. 9

SEPT. 11

SEX SIGNALS

SSU

AT STUDENT

IMPROVAHOLICS

CENTER

MIDNIGHT SHOW

BALLROOM

AT IVES 76

7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

11:55 p.m.

THURSDAY,

SATURDAY,

Sept. 10

SEPT. 12

JEAN AND

SCENE IT

CHARLES SCHULZ

BIG SCREEN

INFORMATION

OUTDOOR MOVIE

CENTER’S 15TH

NIGHT: DOUBLE

BIRTHDAY PARTY

FEATURE WITH

(JEAN AND

JURASSIC PARK

CAHRLES SCHULZ

AND JURASSIC

INFORMATION

WORLD

CENTER)

AT GREEN MUSIC

4:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m

CENTER LAWN 6:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M.

AMIR NASR AND MY ISL@M (THE COOPERAGE) 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. SEAWOLF DAYS PRESENTS: SEAWOLVES SCANDIA TAKEOVER (SCANDIA) 10:00 P.M.-11:55 P.M.

STAR // Kalia Sanders Newly introduced app Swoodle hopes to make document sharing and group projects simpler and more effective.

Page 10

Sports

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Men’s soccer off to a perfect start Aubrie Tolliver Staff Writer

I

t could have been the packed stands.

It could have been the sense of confidence surging from a team returning with all but one player from their previous season.

One thing was certain; there was an undeniable feeling of anticipation and excitement as the Sonoma State men’s soccer team took the field for the first time in its season-opener last week.

The Seawolves found themselves victorious in their first two matches of the season, defeating Simon Fraser 3-1 on Thursday, and Fresno Pacific 1-0 on Saturday.

The offense was electric in their season-opener Thursday, with senior Brenton Frame leading the attack.

Frame contributed two of the three goals for the Seawolves in the 3-1 win over the Clan.

The first goal was scored almost as soon as the whistle blew, coming in just under two minutes into the game on a free kick where Frame buried the ball in the corner of the net.

The ball was kicked so hard; it was deep in the net before the Clan’s goalie could even react to it.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, junior forward T.J. Perez scored a goal of his own, after stealing the ball away from a Simon Fraser defender in SFU territory and chipping it over the head of the goalkeeper.

The Seawolves added one more goal in 59 minute when a corner kick by Josh Sanchez perfectly set up Frame, who tapped it into the net.

The Clan offense was relentless in the second half, shooting nine of their 11 total shots during the last 45 minutes. However, sophomore goalkeeper Mitch North was just as unyielding.

Four of his six saves came in the last half. Only one of the SFU shots found the net in the 67 minute.

After the 3-1 victory, SSU hoped to maintain their undefeated status heading into their Saturday match against the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds.

Unlike Thursday’s game, scoring was kept to a minimum. Throughout the first half, the Seawolves outshot FPU with 11-7 shots on goal, but neither team could find the net.

Heading into the second half, the Seawolves looked to make adjustments against the Sunbirds.

“They had a slower defense so we just looked to expose their outside backs and just get by them,” said junior Armando Coronel.

“In the second half, we figured out how to break

“In the second half, we figured out how to break them down.” them down.”

Coronel gave the Seawolves a lead in the 66 minute after finessing the Sunbird goalkeeper for a wide-open shot.

With a hint of desperation, FPU started firing at the Seawolves’ net. They did so 11 times in the second half.

However, none of the attempts were successful thanks to North, who made eight saves during his shift defend-

STAR // Connor Gibson Juior forward TJ Perez advances on the Fresno Pacific defenders as the Seawolves went on to beat the Sunbirds 1-0. Perez scored a goal in the Seawolves’ 3-1 season-opener against Simon Fraser University.

Water polo head coach leads junior national team to gold

sonomaseawolves.com Sonoma State University women’s water polo Head Coach Coralie Simmons, far left, led the Americans to their second striaght gold medal at the FINA Junior World Championships in Volos, Greece.

Olivia Lucchese Staff Writer

C

oralie Simmons will return to Sonoma State for her eighth season as head coach of the woman’s water polo team. Through her experiences as an assistant coach for UCLA and the University of Hawaii, along with playing in college at UCLA and professionally on the United States National Team, Simmons brings knowledge and experience to the SSU women’s water polo program to help the girls succeed and play their best.

In 2009, Simmons lead the team to a 9-22 record for the season. Simmons was named the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPA) Division II National Coach of the Year after leading the Seawolves to their fourth place finish in the Women’s Water Polo Association Championship Tournament.

This past summer, Simmons had the opportunity to coach the 20U Junior National Team in Greece and successfully lead the team to its second-straight gold metal.

ing the net.

The clock struck zero and the Sunbird players fell to their knees in disbelief while the Seawolves cheered.

The 1-0 score was final, and SSU raised their record to 2-0-0 on the season.

The Seawolves will play their next five games on the road before returning home to play rival Cal State Chico on Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.

“Playing in Greece this past summer was so unique, this group of girls was so talented and a nice combination between youth and college girls,” said Simmons.

“I got to experience the game tactically and play five on five, rather then six on six, so that was exciting and my coaching staff was an all female staff, the first one to win a national championship.”

Simmons continues to show her love for the game and is able to bring this experience home with her to help bring some new knowledge to the SSU woman’s water polo team.

Simmons said the trip to Greece was a professional development for her as she was able to have access to many other countries’ tactics and approach.

“I think it is great exposure for the school, as well as recruiting and puts us on the map not only nationally, but internationally,” said Simmons.

“I love being apart of my athlete’s lives here at Sonoma State and watching them grow; they balance school and sport so well, I love watching them fulfill their goals as athletes and as students.”

Seawolves Sports Thursday, Sept. 10

Men’s Soccer at Point Loma 11:30 a.m.

Women’s Soccer at California Baptist 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Soccer at Point Loma 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer at ConcordiaIrvine 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball v.s. Holy Names 7:00 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11

Monday, Sept. 14

Women’s Volleyball at Dominican 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Golf at U-Indy Fall Inivitational All day

Saturday, Sept. 12 Women’s Cross Country at Humboldt State Invitational 9:00 a.m.

Courtesy of

sonomaseawolves.com

Sports

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Scott Alexander makes it big Justin Barrientos Staff Writer

S

cott Alexander, former pitcher for the Sonoma State baseball team, was given the callup to come and play for the Kansas City Royals.

This was primarily due to Major League Rosters expanding from 25 to 40 players in preparation for the upcoming postseason on Sept. 1.

Alexander, a local product out of Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, played one season for the Seawolves in 2010, going 3-6 with a 4.50 ERA and 70 strikeouts before making the decision to forgo his senior season and pursue a career as a professional baseball player.

After making himself eligible for the draft, Alexander was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the

sixth round, number 179 overall.

After five seasons of working his way through the lower levels of the Royals minor league system, Alexander was called up to play for their triple-A affiliate Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League at the end of the 2014 season.

He remained with the Storm Chasers into the 2015 season. In 41 relief appearances for the team, Alexander had a 2-3 record while maintaining a 2.56 ERA, racking up 50 strikeouts and saving 14 games.

Last Tuesday, as Major League Baseball teams picked up 15 more players in order to provide depth for the postseason, several minor leaguers were given the opportunity of a lifetime.

Alexander was called up by the Royals who are 82-54, currently holding first place in the American League Central Division and

are poised to make a deep playoff run for the second consecutive year.

In two relief appearances for the Royals this past week, Alexander was called upon to finish the game for the team in which he succeeded both times, including getting the game ending strikeout against the Detroit Tigers.

In his two appearances, Alexander has given up three hits, two earned runs and has recorded two strikeouts in two innings of game time.

Alexander is only the fourth Seawolf to play in the majors, joining Marshall Brant, Tommy Everidge and Daniel Barone as a member of this elite fraternity of ballplayers.

As October approaches, Scott Alexander will look to make an impact for the Royals in the postseason, as they pursue a World Series Championship.

Page 11

BE A STAR 1

2

Gain photography experience shooting events and people all over campus

Shooting for a publication provides as an excellent résumé builder

3 sonomaseawolves.com Seawolf alumni Scott Alexander has been called-up to play with the Kansas City Royals.

Email star@sonoma.edu with a preview of your work to join the team!

Women’s volleyball set to defend title Thomas Call Staff Writer

S

onoma State University’s Woman’s Volleyball team is coming off their most memorable season in school history after being crowned champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association last season for the first time in the seventeen years the school has been in the conference.

Now, there is nothing they want more than to regain their title.

The team boasted a 23-7 overall record and finished with the CCAA conference championship, the NCAA west region championship, and an appearance in the Women’s Division II NCAA Elite Eight tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. All firsts for the university.

The Seawolves will try to build off this historic run in 2015. Seniors Caylie Seitz and Madelyn Densberger look to lead SSU all the way to the first ever CCAA women’s volleyball tournament hosted by UC San Diego in La Jolla, California at the end of the season.

Senior outside hitter Caylie Seitz, from Santa Rosa, California, looks to follow in the footsteps of her former teammate and Seawolves legend Kelsey Hull. Hull was the first ever Sonoma State woman to be named CCAA Female Athlete of the Year.

Even though these will be hard shoes to fill, Seitz is no amateur on the volleyball court. Seitz is a two-time AVCA All-American and was named the 2013 season’s most valuable player by the CCAA. Seitz led the CCAA with a 4.39 kill-per-set average, which was ranked seventh best in the nation last year. She finished with double digit kills in 28 of the teams 30 matches. Seitz looks to continue her great run in a Seawolves uniform by pairing up with her younger sister Calan, who is a Sophomore setter for the team this season.

sonomaseawolves.com Coming off of its first-ever CCAA and NCAA Division II West Region championships, SSU looked to defend their title as they competed in the Hawaii Invitational last week.

Now, there is nothing they want more than to regain their title.

In August, the CCAA released its preseason coaches poll and the Seawolves received the most votes for first place with seven but were picked to place second with 134 points just behind women’s volleyball perennial powerhouse Cal State San Bernadino who received 136 points in the poll.

Later in August, the NCAA released its Division II preseason coaches poll and had the Seawolves ranked 12 overall in the nation ahead of Cal State San Bernadino who was ranked 19 overall. The 12 overall ranking is the highest overall ranking in school history.

The Seawolves began their title defense with a trip to Oahu, Hawaii where

they played in the Hawaii Invitational this past week. The Seawolves split the first two games of the trip after they dropped the opener against the Hawaii Pacific Sharks in three sets. The girls then came out on fire against Saint Martins University in the second day of the Invitational and won the game in three sets.

That led to the premier matchup of the trip where the number 12 ranked Seawolves squared off against the the number 11 ranked BYU-Hawaii Seasiders on the third day of the Hawaii invitational in Laie, Hawaii.

SSU started off strong, taking the first set 25-17, when things took a turn for the worse.They dropped the next

two sets 25-22 and 25-23. The fourth set went back and back but the Seawolves would not go down without a fight, winning the fourth set 25-22.

With the match tied 2-2,the Seawolves went on a 7-2 run to finish off the Seasiders in the fifth set and win the match. Caylie Seitz led the Seawolves to victory with a match high 23 kills.

Sonoma State lost the final game of the trip to undefeated Chaminade University in four sets. They finished the trip with a 2-2 record.

The Seawolves will come back to California and prepare to face off against Dominican University, Friday, Sept. 11 in San Rafael, California. The defending champs will return to play on their home court at SSU on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. against Holy Names University.

Page 12

Photo

Sep. 8 - Sep. 14, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Kaila Sanders Sonoma State University students gather at Lobo’s to listen to live music performed by their fellow Seawolves.

STAR // Connor Gibson Armando Coronel, #18, dribbles the ball away from his defender.

STAR // Connor Gibson Sean Callahan, #8, looks downfield while surrounded by defenders.

COURTESY // Gustavo Vasquez Sonoma State art students James Blake and Simon Cherin-Gordon viewing “Muhammed Ali” by photographer Gordon Parks during the opening reception of Focus on Photography, a collection of photographs from the Gallus Sweet Collection on Thursday.

STAR // Connor Gibson TJ Perez, #15, saves the ball with a header.

COURTESY // Gustavo Vasquez Focus on Photography, a collection of photographs from the Gallus Sweet Collection, consists of photographs from iconic photographers.

Sonoma State art students view work during the opening reception on Thursday.

COURTESY // Gustavo Vasquez Art Studio student James Blake (left) and professor of art Kurt Kemp (right) view artwork during the opening reception on Thursday.