IN THIS ISSUE
BSU’s Representation Black Student Union weighs in on Sonoma State’s representation. PAGE 3.
Lobo’s Pizza & Pub
Restaurant Week
SSU’s favorite on-campus pub reopens for the first time since March of 2020. PAGE 6.
Sonoma County’s Restaurant Week aims to highlight local restaurants. PAGE 5.
SINCE 1979
VOLUME 86 // ISSUE 4 MARCH 1, 2022 - MARCH 7, 2022
THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER
@SONOMASTATESTAR
COURTESY // Garry Knight Londoners stand in protest against Vladimir Putin and Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine which began mid-February.
SSU students and faculty react to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
COURTESY // @ssupuerta on Instagram Oswaldo Moya Diaz passed away after a seven-year battle with Leukemia.
Campus community mourns death of C Oswaldo Moya Diaz
WILLOW ORNELLAS STAFF WRITER
OLIVIA DOANE STAFF WRITER
onoma State University mourns the death of 20-year-old Oswaldo Moya Diaz who tragically passed away on Feb. 15, after a Sseven-month-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Many members of the SSU community were first alerted of Diaz’s passing on Thursday, Feb. 17, when Diaz’s fraternity, Nu Alpha Kappa, shared a tribute post via their Instagram, honoring their brother. The post read, “On behalf of the Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity’s Three Gamma Chapter, we regret to inform you that one of our own has left us to join our fallen brothers at the Omega Chapter.” Diaz was a bright soul who had endless amounts of love and compassion for everyone around and was said to have been an amazing brother to his Nu Alpha Kappa family. Diaz’s sister, Paola Moya, created a Gofundme page on Feb. 16, to help relieve the costs of his medical bills along with other costs that come with losing a loved one. “On February 15, 2022, God received another angel into his realm. After 7 long months of an arduous battle with AML Leukemia, our dear Oswaldo has left us with heavy hearts,” read the Gofundme page.
onstant hostilities from Russia regarding political relationships with Ukraine have been going on for years, but the threat of war has become more real than ever before. Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, began his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24, an invasion many are now fearing could lead to the next World War. Amid violent attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has refused to flee Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, despite declaring martial law. When martial law is in effect, the military commander has unlimited authority to make and enforce laws. “We are here, in Kyiv, we are defending Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said while surrounded by several top officials demonstrating the country’s leadership didn’t flee. On Feb. 25, Zelenskyy requested help from the rest of the world to defend Europe. “In all countries, in all cities, take the streets and demand peace for Europe, peace for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” U.S. President Joe Biden said hours after the Russian assault began on Ukraine, “Today, I’m authorizing additional strong sanctions and new limitations on what can be exported to Russia. This is going to impose severe cost on the Russian economy both immediately and over time.” Dr. Diane Parness, Political Science professor at Sonoma State University with concentrations in comparative politics, European politics, and Russia, understands that this conflict will have significant consequences for the U.S., both politically and economically. Parness cleared the air for students worried about getting drafted. “The last time a draft took place in the U.S. was 1973. We’ve been involved in a significant number of conflicts since then without any call for a draft. A draft would be politically unpopular for obvious reasons. It would be the last recourse of the Chief Executive,” Parness said. Parness also summarized where Putin is coming from in his attack on Ukraine, “This conflict could challenge many assumptions about post-Cold War Big Power confrontations. Putin is very powerful, but he is not omnipotent. In the past, when faced with confrontation and protest from his own people and the international community, he has paused, backed down, negotiated, and made
see OSWALDO MOYA DIAZ on pg. 4
see RUSSIAN INVASION on pg. 4
Daily COVID-19 case notifications halted after ‘overwhelming’ pushback ADDISON SMITH STAFF WRITER
n Feb. 21, the Sonoma State University COVID-19 Monitoring and Compliance Team released a statement about the numerous O COVID-19 case notifications students have been receiving on a daily
COURTESY // www.nbcbayarea.com Firefighters battling the 2019 Kincade fire which destroyed 77,758 acres of land.
PG&E faces 30 criminal charges for 2019 Kincade fire ANA FINGERSON STAFF WRITER
acific Gas & Electric Co. is currently facing over 30 charges related to the 2019 Kincade fire which, “ignited when equipment broke on a high-voltage transmisP sion tower in a fire-prone area of the Mayacamas Mountains. Prosecutors accused
the company of reckless conduct in its operation of the tower and also charged it with environmental crimes stemming from the fire’s noxious smoke.” stated Julie Johnson, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. Sonoma County prosecutors began laying out evidence and pursuing criminal charges against PG&E this month, on Feb. 8 and 9. However, Judge Mark Urioste offered Sonoma County and PG&E more time to allow for an agreement that would settle the case. The attorneys from both sides agreed they needed more time, but we’re coming to a resolution. The trial is scheduled to begin again on Mar. 14. The prosecutors of this case continue to make sure PG&E is to be held accountable and see PG&E TRIAL on pg. 4
basis over the last two years. The monitoring team intends to lessen the amount of notifications sent out each day in efforts to make students feel more at home on campus and less worried about the lingering threat of the pandemic. This change comes after multiple surveys and discussions with students and staff alike found that a majority of the campus community viewed the amount of notifications as unnecessary, concerning, and overwhelming. The statement, which was sent out by Associate Vice President for Risk Management and Safety Services, Tyson Hill, read,“Sonoma State University is changing the notification process in order to provide a single online location where information regarding potential COVID exposures is located. Students will no longer receive emails but…Close contacts and individuals who attend class with a COVID-19 positive individual will continue to be individually notified by the COVID Monitoring Team about the exposure and what steps are required or recommended. ” After a few months of research, the monitoring team felt that the change was necessary, “This change was prompted by conversations our office has had with students and employees about the process and our desire to provide the best information to the most people in the most convenient way.” While many SSU students and faculty were relieved by the news that the notifications were being scaled back, others were left feeling uncomfortable, despite the information being available to the public on the COVID-10 Case Information website. One of these students, Andrea Vanderschoot, a fourth-year Criminal Justice major said that she doesn’t think that many students realize that the case information is now available online, “I didn’t even know about it until you told me, but I feel like it’s not very fair in a sense that the majority of students don’t realize it’s on there so it’s giving false pretenses in a way. see CASE NOTIFICATIONS on pg. 4