Volume 81 // Issue 13

IN THIS ISSUE

Baseball season

QSA club

Air quality

Read about how the team hopes to improve as they gear up for the new season on PAGE 10.

Discover more about how the QueerStraight Alliance wrote holiday cards for the incarcerated on PAGE 9.

Find out more about the university’s decision to keep campus open with smokey skies on PAGE 5.

VOLUME 81 // ISSUE 13 DECEMBER 4- DECEMBER 10, 2018

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

Rise in campus rapes, but not in warnings

BRADEN CARTWRIGHT NEWS EDITOR

D

espite a 100 percent increase in reported campus rapes in 2017, Sonoma State students have received no campus-wide communication of any sexual assault or rapes for over two years.

The last timely warning sent to students regarding rape occured on September 25, 2016 and there have been no timely warnings regarding sexual assault or rape since. However in the 2017 Annual Security Report, University Police reported 10 rapes.

One case in 2017 involved an unknown and unidentified male suspect attending a dorm party, who sneaked into a bedroom and raped a student victim, according to the case summaries provided to the STAR. University police said they have no suspects.

Another 2017 dorm room rape, this one of a drugged victim, involved a 23-yearold male suspect who was not a student, and was reported right after it happened.

The suspect was labeled as a “friend of a friend invited to the victim’s apartment by the victim’s suitemate,” according to university police statements released to the STAR after two public records requests.

A third reported rape in the dorms, “by force/fear,” involved an 18-year-old male suspect and 18-year-old victim where both were students, and acquaintances with each other. This rape was also reported soon after it happened.

A fourth reported rape of an intoxicated female victim involved two 18-year-old students who had a prior dating relationship.

A fifth rape was reported a month after it occured when the Student Health Center reported suspicious injuries to University Police. The suspect didn’t attend Sonoma State and was invited to the victim’s dorm room after they met on an online dating site.

A sixth reported rape in the dorms, “by force/fear,” involved an 19-year-old non-student male suspect, who was a guest of the victim’s suitemate, and 18-year-old student victim.

“These cases did not meet the criteria for a timely warning,” Chief of Police David Dougherty said, referring to all campus rapes reported to police in 2017. The university does a case by case analysis to determine if an ongoing or continuing threat to the community exists.

All these cases were reported to the federal government under the requirements of the Clery act, a federal law that requires colleges to disclose campus security information, including sending out

STAR // Braden Cartwright The number of reported rapes doubled last year, according to Sonoma State’s Annual Security Report. timely warnings when there is an ongoing threat to the campus community.

The university summary of 2017 rape reports was only provided to the STAR following two Public Records Act Requests, the first of which was denied by University Police. The summary only included six of the 10 campus rapes reported to the federal government in 2017.

Sonoma State police would not release information into whether there were any arrests in these cases. They also wouldn’t say if there was any disciplinary action taken by the university.

The webpage where all crime alerts, bulletins, and timely warnings are normally posted hasn’t been updated in over two years.

Sonoma State has sent out six timely warnings in 2018 and three in 2017, all of them for burglary or theft.

Most of the rape cases in 2017 involved two people who knew each other, ranging from acquaintances to people who previously dated.

In previous years, timely warnings were often sent out even when the people involved were acquainted with each other. A timely warning sent on Nov. 14, 2015, said “Police and Safety Services is investigating a possible sexual assault… according to a third-party report of this incident, the female victim was acquainted with the suspect.”

Timely warnings generally don’t provide specifics, beyond what can prevent the crime from happening again, but are supposed to inform students of crimes and threats to safety.

Missy Brunetta, the Clery coordinator for Sonoma State, said University Police are the ones making the decision if a timely warning is appropriate because they see the crime details, trends, and have the investigative tools.

“I am confident the police are making the right decisions,” she said.

Brunetta sees an opportunity for the university to communicate on-campus sexual assaults outside of timely warnings, because not every case meets the criteria.

“Every situation is different,” she said.

“Timely warnings aren’t the only way to have access to this information,” she said. Crime alerts, bulletins, and emails are other ways to inform students.

Chief of Police David Dougherty said the University Police department is currently working to update the maintenance of the webpage where all crime alerts, bulletins, and timely warnings are supposed to be posted.

Regarding the uptick of rapes, Brunetta said she “hopes that more people are coming forward instead of more horrible things happening.”

Sexual assault affects many people at Sonoma State.

Laura Williams, the director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said that this school year there has been an increase in people coming in for sexual assault and in people saying they had been sexually assaulted. She said the numbers in the crime report are very low based on data from CAPS. The number of reported rapes on campus this year hasn’t been made available.

University Police removed the daily crime log from the police webpage for months prior to August 2018, so it’s difficult to know the total amount of reported rapes so far this year. But since August, there have been at least six rape cases, as defined by the Clery act, and no campuswide communication of any of them.

“We are constantly striving for ways to better serve our students and are open to constructive feedback,” Dougherty said. “Aside from continuing to utilize the timely warning process and web-based daily crime log, the university police department periodically strives to connect and communicate with our community.”

SSU purchases employee housing

LUKAS BROWN STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State University has purchased a $42 million apartment complex in Petaluma in an effort to provide housing for employees. The California State University Board of Trustees unanimously approved the acquisition of the 90-unit Marina Crossing Apartments adjacent to the Petaluma Marina.

The 2-acre property is approximately ten miles south of campus and is close to downtown Petaluma. Sonoma State has lost roughly 1 in 5 candidates in their recruitment process over the past year due to the cost of housing.

The employee housing project was created in hopes to provide rental rates that will meet various income levels across campus.

“Having talented faculty on campus is paramount to providing a quality education to our students.” said Vice President of Administration of Finance Joyce Lopes. see HOUSING on pg. 5

COURTESY // Basin Street Properties An artist rendering of the 90-unit apartment complex located next to downtown Petaluma.

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Kendall Grove, Editor-in-Chief Braden Car twright, News Editor Luis Mejia, Opinion Editor Ashley Napier, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Haley Kara, Student Life Editor Brennan Craig, Spor ts Editor Alyssa Archerda, Photo Editor Lukas Brown, Adver tising Manager Christine Von Raesfeld, Social Media Manager Savannah Lizarraga, Copy Editor Gillian Chaffer, Copy Editor Mandela Linder, Copy Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Morgan Arancio, Jessica Bennett, Analy Bravo, Kaylie Boettner, Kelly Britton, Lukas Brown, Madeleine Brown, Nicholas Ceschin, Gillian Chaffer, Mar tin Contreras, Christian Francisco, Alex Funchess, Ashley Gieseke, Teresa Maria Gulli, Amanda Hadley, Emily Hoffman, Laurie Kelso, Mandela Linder, Nina Lopez, Mariah Maldonado, Carly Olsen, Kathleen Perry, Joseph Piombo, Kailey Priest, Mariah Ponce, Renee Rodgers, Alison Snider, Natalya Swensen, Michelle Tadlock, Emily Twisselmann

Photographers Emiliana Mar tinez, Luis Madrigal, Natalie Dolan, Jennifer Spence

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

SSU should notify students of all campus rapes

S

onoma State may be able to scrape by the letter of the law with minimal campus-wide communication on sexual assaults and rapes, but it would be false to say that Sonoma State is making student safety its highest priority.

The Sonoma State STAR first began investigating rapes that occured on campus after the 2018 Annual Security Report was released by Sonoma State this October.

The STAR’s inquiries to University Police about 10 rapes on campus that were reported in 2017 in the Annual Security Report were initially unsuccessful.

It took two Public Records Act requests to obtain even general case summaries from the university that detailed the circumstances of six of the 10 reported rapes.

None of these six rapes that occured on campus received a timely warning because, according to University Police, they did not meet the criteria for a timely warning to students.

In fact, University Police haven’t sent timely warnings or campus-wide communication regarding any sexual assault or rapes that happened on campus since September 25, 2016, despite the fact that these crimes were reported to the federal government via the Jeanne Clery Act. The story of Jeanne Clery is at the heart of this law. In 1986, when Clery was 19 year old, she was raped and murdered in her college dorm at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Her parents were left without answers since campus crime reporting did not

have any regulations at that time.

The Clery Act was created to make sure the parents and students are aware of the crime occurring on a campus before knowingly choosing to go to that college.

Although the Clery Act was supposed to increase transparency and transform communication between campus officials and the campus community, it allows for varying degrees of discretion by campus officials and police.

In the wake of unanswered inquiries, the STAR learned that that University Police solely decide if a rape or sexual assault calls for a timely warning and that no other entity is involved in the decision process.

This accounts for the subjectivity of the timely warnings.

Of the six rape summaries that the STAR received, three were reported within a day of the rape and all three alleged perpetrators were acquainted with the victim or were acquainted with someone the victim knew.

However, University Police insinuated that rapes where the victim knew the alleged rapist or had an acquainted connection to them do not require a timely warning because the alleged rapist is not an “immediate or ongoing threat.

This is like saying “date rape” or rape that occurs around a dorm party is not real rape.

Gross misclassification of rapists who knew the victim explains how Sonoma State’s disregard for student safety is allowed and kept buried within the annual safety reports and daily crime log.

The 10 buried rape reports from 2017 are not an anomaly.

Just since August this year, there have been six cases of rape reported in the University Police daily crime log, but the campus community received no notifications.

According to national statistics, seven out of 10 rapes are committed by someone known to the victim and 33 percent of rapes are committed by an aquantinece, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

One of the rapes reported here the day after in 2017 involved the rape of a drugged female victim who was raped by a 23-year-old male, nonstudent friend of a friend who was invited to the their dorm.

A college university, where social encounters and new situations abound, should err on the side of caution and transparency when alerting students to the frequency of sexual assaults and rape on campus.

In comparison to other campus crimes, RAINN reported that college women are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted than robbed. However, Sonoma State has no issue sending out burglary timely warnings and have sent out multiple in the past two years about burglary with tips on how to combat it.

Sonoma State’s disregard for student safety should be alarming for everyone who lives, works and learns here.

Regardless of the law, the disturbing pattern of rapes that have gone without campus-wide notification needs to be addressed.

Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article:

“Holiday cards for incarerated queer folk” Staff writer Mariah Maldonado discusses how the QSA club is making a positive impact this holiday season.

Read the story on page 9

Corrections/Clarifications The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.

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

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.

Letters to the Editor Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 400 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 and clarity. 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.

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.

Opinion 3

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Fake reviews rise while consumer trust begins to drop

KAYLIE BOETTNER STAFF WRITER

W

ith the holiday season nearing, Amazon is reminding everyone why it is one of the largest online retailers worldwide with new product reviews flooding in everyday.

Many users look at reviews before they decide whether or not to purchase an item online since they themselves may have never used it before. So since customers rely so heavily on reviews while online shopping,

they deserve the truth about the product instead of paid lies.

The Washington Post claims, “of the 47,846 total reviews for the first 10 products listed in an Amazon search for “bluetooth speakers,”’ two-thirds were problematic, based on calculations using the ReviewMeta tool.”

Consumers are putting their trust and their wallets in the hands of other apparent consumers. The whole reason people even look at reviews is because they want to make sure they are investing in a good product.

When paid reviewers leave fake product reviews it breaks the trust of not only other reviews but also that particular company, whether it be for trolling purposes or to promote a certain consensus about a product.

Companies like Amazon have been cracking down on suspicious reviews and banning people from its site that have broken reviewing protocol; i.e. confrming buyers via check marks next to their names.

But according to ABC 7 News, fake reviews have not stopped some sellers from recruiting reviewers on social media sites, reporting that in February there were “near-

Christian missionary killed by isolated tribe had it coming

ALISON SNIDER

STAFF WIRTER

A

merica has an outrageously unfortunate background with spinning the truth of history to come out on top.

In the eyes of U.S. history classes, the Pilgrims are generous, Christopher Columbus is a genius, Andrew Jackson is one of our greatest presidents and General Custer is a war hero. The much harsher reality is that America has dehumanized and slaughtered millions of native people over the years, and that even beyond our borders, the fear of that continues today.

So our history books have told us a few lies, but those lies have very serious real world consequences. Missionary work, while seeming generous and holy on the outside, is much more of the attempt to wipe out other religions and cultures that do not fit within the Euro-Evangelical mold.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says that the point of missionary work is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.”

What a beautiful way to say that the purpose of a missionary is to convince others that that their native religion is not valid because it better suits your own faith. That is exactly what got into the head of the 26-year-old Christian missionary from Washington in his desperate quest to convert the isolated people of the North Sentinel Islands.

The Sentinelese are an indigenous tribe off the coast of India that have refused all contact with the outside world.

It is also illegal to travel to the North Sentinel Islands and make contact with the Sentinelese. It is entirely within the rights of the Sentinelese to want absolutely no interaction with the rest of the world, especially because they do not have immunities to Western diseases.

According to “Guns, Germs & Steel” by James Diamond, 90 percent of Native Americans were killed by exposure to smallpox, influenza and measles, all of which were indigenous to Europe.

But in his quest to illegally convert the Sentinelese, missionary John A. Chau very well may have doomed the population of a previously protected population. Chau bore very little regard to the wishes, rights and safety of the Sentinelese in order to further his self-righteous agenda.

According to the Washington Post, Chau actively broke several laws and cultural boundaries, including traveling as a tourist instead of obtaining a missionary visa, and trying to interact with the Sentinelese three times before the tribe lost its patience and put its own people’s safety first by shooting him with an arrow.

There is no way Chau could have been ignorant to the fact that his arrival among the Sentinelese could effectively wipe out the entire island. The fact of the matter is, Chau, along with many other missionaries, care far more about their self-indulgent messiah fantasies than the people they claim to be helping.

Missionary work today is about as equivalent as some suburban high school volunteers that use up more resources than they give back, post a couple Instagram pictures with some “ethnic” kids with the caption “this little buddy changed my life,” then go home after a week and cheer on Donald Trump as he talks of building a wall.

This is not to say that absolutely all missionaries are evil colonizers, but the tough pill to swallow is that missionary work is much less about helping others and much more about fanning the flames of your ego.

ly 100 Facebook groups, one with 50,000 members, for the purpose of sourcing positive reviews for certain products.”

Many have accused influencers of being a new but just as impactful addition to this problem. Many YouTubers and Instagrammers are paid to mention a product or use it for their followers to see.

The problem with this is most of the time, influencers will only “love” the products offered to them, because they are free and would like to prolong financial relationships with the companies that contact them, basically meaning influencers are in the hands of any brand that wants to compensate them, even if it costs them their credibility.

Many of the followers of these influencers trust their word and end up wasting their money on subpar products that leave them feeling robbed. Of course the influencers did not force their followers to purchase the item but that is not the point. They promote the product in a positive light whether or not they truly like it. They are, in essence, scam artists ripping off their following.

Sugar Bear Hair is a prime example of this scam. The Kardashians have promoted

several bogus products but Sugar Bear Hair is by far the most popular. Sugar Bear Hair is a blue gummy hair vitamin meant to help hair growth. There have been studies on whether or not it actually works or if it is even necessary.

Nutritionist Lyndi Cohen, meanwhile, did not have anything positive to say about these famous gummies. Cohen said, “I think we’re quite obsessed with getting healthy and the idea that you could thicken your locks and get really perfect, shiny hair just by adding in a multivitamin is too good to be true.”

Not everyone feels bad for misleading customers who are trying to gain knowledge on a new product, but online retailers need to be as aware as shoppers this time of year to make sure they know exactly what it is they are buying. Considering the social and cultural power influencers have acquired lately, their responsiblity is tangled in here as well.

A great rule of thumb for anyone promoting a product is if you are not willing to use your own money to purchase what you are selling, then don’t expect your followers to do any different.

Migrant caravn reaches US border . . . now what?

NINA LOPEZ

STAFF WRITER

A

fter months of heated conversation over the Central American caravan traveling North towards the United States border, the mass amount of Guatemalan, Honduran and Salvadoran citizens have finally neared the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico.

With what little time Mexico and the U.S. had to effectively handle this dilemma, the migrants who’ve been traveling since October are now occupying space in El Chaparral plaza, waiting for the U.S. to open their borders.

Unfortunately, this won’t be occurring any time soon.

According to the Press Democrat, as of now there are roughly “2,750 migrants from the caravan in Tijuana” and estimates made by Mexico’s federal government “indicate the number could approach 10,000.”

Physically and mentally exhausted from their journey, some of the migrants who could no longer wait for their fate to be determined, decided to rush the border last week, some of which began to throw projectiles at American troops. This led to Ameri-

can authorities firing tear gas at men, women and young children.

Since then, a photograph taken

by Kim Kyung-Hoon of a woman desperately trying to drag two children away from the gas has been circulating the internet, receiving mixed responses from American citizens.

While leftist were angered by the photograph, those on the right believed the migrants could have avoided the situation, had they not tried to enter the country illegally.

Upon hearing of the violence that has occured at the border since the migrants’ arrival, President Trump has failed to offer tangible solutions to deal with the current situation that requires immediate attention.

At this point, Trump continues to advocate his wall. However, the migrants are already here at the San Diego border, and the quick-fix solution of creating the wall will not solve anything.

“Republicans and Democrats MUST, come together, finally, with a major Border Security package, which will include funding for the wall. After 40 years of talk, it is finally time for action. Fix the Border, once and for all, NOW!” Trump tweeted.

Meanwhile the mayor of Tijuana, Juan Manuel Gastélum, has been

given the responsibility of either relocating or compensating the Central Americans, calling it a “humanitarian crisis,” according to KPBS. He has since asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the Central American migrants who have arrived in the city.

With approximately 1,500 more migrants arriving in Tijuana within the next few days, simply disallowing caravan members into the country while applying brute force to fend our border will not stop them from coming.

Mexico has offered asylum to some of the migrants residing in their borders, many of which have refused.

In the meantime, the city has done it’s best to provide shelter, sleeping pads, food and basic medical care to the caravan members. Unfortunately, Gastélum worries about how long Tijuana will be able to support them.

Many of the people who have made this treacherous journey don’t know what to do once making it to the San Ysidro Port.

They need to be educated about their options on how to move forward from this situation., whether that be applying for citizenship in the states or possibly seeking asylum in another country in order to escape the violence back home.

Sonoma County not a stranger to human trafficking

GILLIAN CHAFFER

STAFF WRITER

A

girl is heading home from San Diego on a pleasant summer evening, enjoying the breeze from her open windows when an old, beat up car catches up to her. The driver is an older man with sunglasses on and a bandana tied around his neck. The girl speeds up, and so does he. Realizing a dead end is coming up, the girl quickly pulls in, but the man uses his car to block her from getting out.

Panicked, she locks her doors as he begins to hobble over. The only thing the girl can do is floor it over the hill by the side of the road, race home and call the police, only to be informed this is not the first time the area has heard reports about a strange man approaching women.

Human trafficking is a prevalent epidemic in Sonoma County, as well as in many college towns around the world. Since students often struggle with financial issues, this makes them the perfect target for traffickers to lure them into their dangerous

traps. Knowing the warning signs of trafficking and what to avoid can be a lifesaver for many young men and women who could be vulnerable.

Contrary to popular belief, not all human trafficking is solely sexual. It is literally a form of enslaving people to do a variety of different lude and inhumane acts.

According to Anti-Slavery International, “people can be trafficked for many different forms of exploitation such as forced prostitution, forced labour, forced begging, forced criminality, domestic servitude, forced marriage, and forced organ removal.”

Also, trafficking can be done in the area that a person is taken from— it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be sent across seas or borders.

The people that are at the highest risk are those suffering from poverty and financial insecurity. Traffickers are extremely manipulative and will use job offers and promises of a better life to trick people into being enslaved.

For single mother Sophie of South Wales, these promises seemed legitimate, and once she moved in with her so called new friend, she was forced into labor and prostitution, BBC reports.

“Sophie was given no money, blackmailed and forced to have sex with various men . . . Sophie and her young children were also being effectively starved.” The horrors of these events are often overlooked by outsiders as a person with long hours and little money. But unfortunately people are being trafficked everyday in silence.

According to the Sonoma County Gazette, 43 percent of human trafficking in California takes place in the Bay Area. With this large and surprising statistic, young people are at a high risk, especially college students.

To stop this epidemic, knowing the warning signs to look out for are key to protecting individuals in the community of all ages from falling into slavery.

In an era where the internet contributes to one’s everyday life, exciting job offers may appear that could be too good to be true, or meeting up with an online date or long distance friend could be deadly.

Watching out for potential red flags like extreme anxiety, little to no money, long work hours, substance abuse, and physical injuries could all point to potential human trafficking in a loved one.

The stereotype that all people who are enslaved are doing sex work or are being transported around the world isn’t true, and looking out for people in the community with these red flags could save lives.

Living in a world where these things exist is horrific. The fact that many individuals have to automatically not trust someone when we are told to is difficult. However it is always better to take extra precautions than to end up in a situation where there is no way out.

January is human trafficking awareness month, and Sonoma County will be putting on various films and campaigns to bring awareness to this the rising issue in our community.

4 News

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

New learning center merges academic resources ANALY BRAVO STAFF WRITER

T

he new Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) is hosting an Open House Showcase on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the LARC, first f loor of the University Library.

“We welcome all students, staff, and faculty to come check out the LARC, enjoy some food and see what LARC programs have been doing this semester,” said LARC director Loriann Negri. The event is targeting all members of the campus community for celebration.

The LARC houses the Writing Center, the Tutorial Program, and the Supplemental Instruction Program. This space is primarily a place for students to be writers, scholars, and learners through free students support services. Students are able to use this space for studying, researching, and printing.

The Writing Center is meant to help students, faculty, and staff with developing their writing skills for class papers or for instruction, and producing documents. The Tutorial Program offers free peer tutoring in over 50 courses each semester. The Supplemental Instruction Program is a peer-led academic assistance programs that helps students succeed in specific course sections.

The LARC is the product of many people, both in Academic Programs and Student Affairs to bring together academic tutoring and support for students in one location on campus. Tutors are available for those who need assistance in studying or assignments in subject specific tutoring through the Tutorial Program and Writing Center tutoring.

COURTESY // Loriann Negri Top: A student is tutored by math tutors Emil Guzman (middle) and Ryan de Leuze (right). Bottom left: Writing tutor Shannon McEntee (left) tutors Anna Banzer (right). Bottom right: A student goes over his work with music tutor Jocob Rosales (right).

Seawolves Speak!

Do you feel safe at Sonoma State?

AMANDA HADLEY STAFF WRITER

Marcus Ray

Ashley Vontillow

Sawyer Lebkuecher

“Yes, because the dorms have good safety, and there are RA’s all over the place ready to help out when needed.”

“Yes, expect for getting out of classes late at night. It was also unsettling when the murder happened on campus because it was only three dorms down”

“Yes, because only we have access to our dorm, which is nice.”

Julia Pritchard

Kristyn Lerma

Kyle Vontillow

“Yes, because it’s a small campus and a friendly community, and everyone watches out for one another”

“Yes, for the most part, but at night it gets a little scary because there’s not that many lights.”

“No, especially because there’s a lot of dark pathways. And there’s been a body found on campus and a murder within the two years I’ve been here.”

Freshman Business and marketing

Freshman Psychology

Sophomore Business

Junior Business

Freshman Computer science

Transfer senior Business

News 5

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Health center burglarized

LAURIE KELSO STAFF WRITER

O

n Nov. 15 between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7:30 pm, the Student Health Center pharmacy was broken into through a window. A day later on Nov. 16 police responded to another report of attempted burglary at 2:43 a.m.

The two attempted burglaries resulted in a campus-wide timely warning being sent out.

The university police are still investigating both crimes. Patricia Drier, the Medical Co-Chief at the health center said they “instituted additional safety measures” but didn’t say what those measures were.

David Dougherty, the campus police

chief, assured that the campus was safe. “Dedicated UPD officers are on-duty 24/7 and work diligently to provide a safe environment and perform investigations when crimes do occur.” Dougherty said. He said a low dollar amount was stolen from the pharmacy. When asked what was stolen and if the incident was caught on camera, Dougherty said “providing this information could compromise investigative efforts.” Dougherty said that “if our community finds items on or around campus that one would typically associate with a pharmacy they are asked to not touch the items and call UPD.”

STAR // Luis Madrigal The waiting room of the Student Health Center on Nov. 30.

Sonoma State recieves grant to teach STEM courses in rural high schools

MANDELA LINDER STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State recently received a $4 million federal grant from the Department of Education to expand its “Learning by Making” program, which teaches STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education courses to rural high school students. “Learning by Making” is a part of Sonoma State’s Education and Public Outreach.

According to the Sonoma State website, Lynn Cominsky, the project leader, said “We are thrilled that the Department of Education has recognized our work on our innovative 9th grade integrated STEM curriculum by awarding us funding to continue to develop the Learning by Making curriculum for another five years.” Cominsky is also the Department Chair of Physics and Astronomy and the Director of Education and Public Outreach.

So far, Sonoma State’s “Learning by Making” program is being taught in some Mendocino county high schools, according to the Sonoma State website. The site reports that Cominsky said many rural schools

tend to be underserved in STEM education because low student population leads to a lack of AP courses and a lack of credentialed teachers in the sciences.

The program helps the schools overcome the lack of resources by educating teachers and integrating the program to meet students where they are, and teaches them to create, perform, and evaluate their own experiments. According to the website, the program’s former director Susan Wandling said that the evaluation of the program “demonstrated significant gains in science learning and improvements in mathematics skills” among the rural students.

This grant will allow the “Learning by Making” program to be extended to Lake and Sonoma counties. The Mendocino county high schools that it’s currently being taught at include Ukiah, Point Arena, and Round Valley. According to North Bay Business Journal Sonoma State has a goal of getting the program into 12 schools regionally within the next five years, and testing the curriculum at some urban schools. “Although the project is targeting rural schools, the curriculum also will be tested in selected urban schools, including Roseland Uni-

versity Prep and Healdsburg High School, to measure the student learning outcomes in different settings,” North Bay Business Journal reports.

The Sonoma State website reports that “The project fuses mathematical and computational learning by focusing on solving real-world scientific problems - with students and instructors working together. Explorations into earth science, biology, chemistry and physics are undertaken by students who learn to code in Logo, an easy-to-learn programming language.”

The program meets the requirements for area “D” lab sciences for the UC and CSU systems.

According to the STEM Universe website, the grant awarded to Sonoma State is part of $279 million in grants awarded to STEM programs nationwide.

The site reported that the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, said, “It’s important that all students have access to a high-quality STEM education. These discretionary grant programs and this Administration’s increased focus on STEM will help ensure our nation’s students are exposed to STEM early in their lifelong education journeys and will have the tools needed for success in the 21st century economy.”

Students upset about school reopening despite poor air quality MICHELLE TADLOCK

to the “hazardous” range. Thus we closed campus through the weekend and continued to distribute masks to all who asked for them at the Student he Nov. 8 Camp Fire in Butte county is the deadliest Center.” wildfire California has ever seen. According to Cal Top university officials kept a close watch on Fire statistics there were 85 fatalities and 153,336 structhe AQI throughout the holiday weekend and contures destroyed, 13,972 of which were residences, 528 tinued to keep campus closed until then. On Moncommercial, and 4,293 were other buildings. day, Nov. 12, it was announced that classes will Smoke from the fire billowed across Northern Calcontinue on Tuesday, Nov. 13th following a three ifornia, closing down campuses due to the air quality. day weekend.

Sonoma State closed campus on the afternoon on the Although the air quality was still close to the day the fire started because the air quality index went 200 range, university officials decided to meet from being in the 50’s to 168 to over 200 by the end of again on Tuesday at 6 a.m. to make a decision. the day.

Gullixson said, “When we met at 6 a.m., we Paul Gullixson, the associate vice president of saw that the conditions were improving, and the strategic communications at Sonoma State University AQI continually improved all day--from 188 at 5 said, “Conditions were so bad the AQI in our region a.m. to 167 at noon to the 150’s in the afternoon.” reached 294 at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, which is close Surrounding local school districts decided to keep campuses closed, includcontinued from pg. 1 ing Tech High located on Sonoma State’s “Further, the housing will be available to Sonoma State faculty, staff, and students. campus and Santa The demand study we conducted last spring indicated over 200 students had interest in STAFF WRITER

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HOUSING: Available to rent next year

rental housing that provide opportunities for students with families.”

Attracting qualified candidates has become increasingly difficult due to Sonoma County’s housing affordability crisis, which became even worse after last year’s destructive wildfires. The university’s purchase of the 90-unit apartment complex is the first step in combating employee’s needs for housing. 118 employees and over 200 students indicated need for affordable rental housing and the university is expanding its efforts to overcome this issue.

Sonoma State is not only working to provide affordable living options for employees, but has also developed a team to begin the planning for student housing to meet the president’s commitment to house 50 percent of the students on campus, which is currently housing 30 percent.

The university said it plans to pay for the Petaluma property with reserves and state bonds and will be owned and managed by Sonoma State’s housing services office.

Operating costs are expected to be covered by income generated from rent collected from apartment tenants.

The new apartment complex will have five different floor plans from studios to three-bedroom apartments. The average apartment measures 825 square feet and will be available to rent for $2,200 to $3,500, but the university has not decided on final prices yet.

“We are still working on the final rates which will be tiered based on unit amenities. We will be sending out information with the rental rates, the unit specifics, and the application process in the next month,” said Joyce Lopes.

Some Sonoma State students are upset with the university’s decision to invest such a large amount of money into one apartment complex. Nick Honrada, a senior kinesiology major at Sonoma State said, “The university’s plan to invest $42 million on an apartment complex is absurd. The university could spend the money on making improvements around campus, such as, updating classrooms, on-campus housing, or even creating incentives like employee bonuses.”

Purchasing the Petaluma apartment complex will address Sonoma State’s housing needs four to six years sooner than if the university built it. The apartments will be finished in December and ready to rent in January 2019.

Rosa Junior College. This prompted Sonoma State students to be outraged and concerned for the safety of their health. According to Gullixson, the school received over two dozen phone calls and emails from concerned students and parents regarding the smoke.

In addition, they received over seventy Facebook comments from more concerned students and parents.

Many students were incredibly upset with the decision to have campus be open.

Chase Overholt, a junior at Sonoma State University, created a petition to demand the university issue an apology and to create a student voice to be appointed on the committee which decides these actions. The petition has 1,067 signatures with a goal of 3,000. Sonoma State hasn’t to this petition.

Although the air quality was dangerous for sensitive groups, it was well below where it began in the previous week and conditions improved as the week went on. “We recognized that the air quality was still poor, which is why we continued to cancel outdoor activities, posted signs to keep windows closed and continued to encourage students, staff and faculty to wear N-95 masks when outside,” Gullixson said.

STAR // Natalie Dolan The smoke-filled sky above the Rec Center on Nov. 9.

6 Arts A hidden treasure among downtown Santa Rosa

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

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MADELEINE BROWN STAFF WRITER

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hidden treasure located in old courthouse square, Santa Rosa. Perch and Plow seems to be a small and funky venue from the streetside, however you are delighted as you walk up the stairs into a beautiful, charming and cozy space.

With an evolving menu and historic location, Perch and Plow is the next best spot in downtown Santa Rosa to indulge in locally sourced food, warming cocktails, and exquisite food.

One of the many amazing aspects about Perch and Plow is its versatility. Right off the bat, you are welcomed by the hostesses.

This restaurant and cocktail bar is the perfect place for walk in’s or if you want to plan a nice sit down meal.

You have the choice of seating yourself at either the bar serving drinks or the bar overlooking courthouse square with a view of the grand Empire Building and clock tower and delightfully decorated giant Christmas tree.

The atmosphere is modern, yet casual with sleek characteristics and an earthy vibe resulting from the numerous hanging plants around the room and natural wood walls, tables, and f looring. The murals on the walls are quite interesting and somewhat unfitting with a giant colorful octopus on one wall and an abstract design on the other. The dining room is separated by wood planks which absorbs sound to keep noise levels to a minimum because no one enjoys screaming at your dinner mate across the table.

What’s even better than the ambience, is the food. Their crispy house fries with truff le oil ($7) are mouthwatering, as is their house burger with bacon jam that has a unique sweet and savory finish to a perfectly cooked burger ($16).

However their variety of plates and meals has something to please everyone. They’ve got snack plates, amazing raw fish options, fresh salads and small plates for those without a big appetite. They also have larplates with a variety of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, and of course a dessert menu for those indulging. The best part about the main courses are that they are not too large. The presentation is beautiful without it being an overwhelming amount of food that many American restaurants now cater to. The orecchietti pasta ($20) with crispy brussel sprout leaves and sausage, drizzled with pesto and topped with cheese is incredibly appetizing and the perfect portion of food; just enough to fill you up without putting you over the edge.

Although Perch and Plow is not necessarily within the college budget, their happy hour is one to fantasize over. With five dollar mouthwatering appetizers ranging from rock cod tacos with pineapple salsa and chipotle aioli, the cheesiest mac n cheese topped with bread crumbs, to a vegetable crudite, there is something for everyone on this l menu that won’t break the bank.

Not only is their happy hour food delicious, but their nearly half off drink menu is eye catching as well. Perch and Plow has a variety of unique house cocktails ranging from four to seven dollars.

Cocktails ranging from a chamomile daiquiri, or a cucumber gimlet, for those wanting to change it up. Or familiar, such as a peach margarita, a manhattan or an old fashion. Grab a friend or many and head to Perch and Plow from 3 to 6 pm Monday through Friday and enjoy delectable food and tasty drinks for under 20 dollars.

STAR// Madeleine Brown Perch and Plows large plate of Orecchiette Pasta served during happy hour.

COURTESY// Perch and Plow Perch and Plows delectable 2 Fish Tacos meal on their Happy Hour menu.

Ariana Grande’s music video does not dissapoint TERESA GULI

STAFF WRITER

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riana Grande’s unexpected name dropping single, “Thank you, Next” released a jaw dropping, highly anticipated music video that is breaking the internet.

After spending weeks of previewing fans with celebrity teasers and a trailer, it has finally arrived.

There are four iconic chick f licks with Grande playing the lead role.

Grande’s favorite films from the early 2000’s inspired this music video combining “Mean Girls,” “Bring it On,” “Legally Blonde” and “13 Going on 30.”

Each recreation pays homage to the originals with 15 celebrity cameos including some from the original cast of the movies and friends of hers.

Hannah Lux David, the director who has worked alongside Grande directing “Bang Bang” and “Side to Side” is back with another smash hit and created a cinematic masterpiece.

“Mean Girls” sets the scene as the Plastics walk the halls with Grande’s former “Victorious” co-star Elizabeth Gillies portraying Cady Heron and original cast member Jonathan Bennett as his character, Aaron Samuels.

It cuts to the next scene in the music video re-creating the iconic Jingle Bell Rock performance with the supportive mother, also known as the “cool mom” in the crowd.

The unexpected Kris Jenner, in a pink sweat suit recording the show.

The next scene showcases the iconic burn book where Grande shows respect towards her exes with comments displayed throughout.

Most notable and laughable comment that was easy to miss on Pete Davidson’s page displays “Sorry I dipped” and “HUUUGEEE”.

The scene soon shifts to “Bring it On” where she is seen with another previous Victorious costar, Matt Bennett as they recreate the iconic brushing teeth scene, and a cheer performance where she creates an X formation in the routine while singing to about her exes.

Grande then gets into character for an emotional scene as Jennifer Garner did in “13 going on 30.”

Grande recreated Matt’s wedding scene and reminisces over the magic doll house and lost love, showing exact emotions that were once experienced in the movie.

Lastly, Grande recreated “Legally Blonde.” Grande strolls down the street with her dog Bruiser, embodying Elle Woods in a similar outfit to the original film from the pink trench coat to the fury tops.

Jennifer Coolidge makes a cameo, recreating her character Paulette Bonafonté, showing the iconic dance move the bend and snap incorporated into the choreography.

Youtube Sensations such as

Gabi DeMartino, Troye Sivan and Colleen Ballinger were all shown in this music video, grabbing an even bigger demographic of watchers.

While pulling on the childhood nostalgic strings, Grande shows the importance of self-love and female empowerment.

It is important to see this in music

videos, as women are normally depicted to cater a man or for the male’s benefit.

There was no romance depicted in the music video, which is significant to the heartbreak of Grande and how the characters in the various movies overcame it.

COURTESY// ARIANA GRANDE Ariana Grande (middle) poses as Regina George for her new music video ‘Thank U, Next’ alongside original ‘Mean Girls’ cast member Jonathan Bennett (second right) and former ‘Victorius’ costar Elizabeth Gillies (far left).

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

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Entertainment 7

Tanja Geis talk inspires change CHRISTIAN FRANCISCO STAFF WRITER

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ast Thursday, October 29th the Green Music Center hosted a talk with Tanja Geis, a well-known artist who graduated from the University of California Berkeley for her research-based painting and art.

The inspiration for her art is the effect human civilization has on our ecosystem. Tanja’s talk showcased many projects she has been working on over the years about the remaining beauty of nature whilst still showing that our way of living is destroying the very ecosystem that has been here for millions of years. Her talk was not only inspirational but more so eye-opening for those who attended.

Geis explains her motivation for her work saying, “I make my work to explore new ways of seeing.” This talk showcased five of Tanja’s projects, all different and all inspiring in their own ways. The five bodies of work included a video, paintings, pictures, and murals. All created in their own specific way to illustrate the overall message.

The first body of work was a compilation of videos. the saturation on the video made it seem like the camera was just above the water but that was because of the filter.

In reality, Tanja had to hold her breath to get a view right below the surface water. With the camera just below the surface, it created a visual experience that made you realize all the natural and unnatural components the ocean has. The compilation of videos showcased different varieties of water, where some were in the middle of the ocean and some were filmed through a riverbed.

Going along to the next project, Tanja was inspired to draw a painting based on what she had seen on a beach one day called “Seabird”. Tanja explains, “when I just graduated from college, I was awarded a studio right next to the ocean.” She would continue to say, “As soon as I moved in, I made it a habit for myself to walk along the beach every time I was there.” After a week or two, Tanja explains that she would end up seeing bodies of birds being washed up shore. Tanja would see the bodies multiply to the hundreds as the number of birds became overwhelming. What she was witnessing would be called a “seabird dive,” where the birds were dying because of the warmer temperature of the ocean and there food

supply migrating elsewhere. she would take videos and pictures of this tragedy but use this as inspiration for her next project. The paintings would mimic what these birds looked like washed up on shore while adding a sense of beauty by the different shapes and patterns. This could be described as dark beauty, an underlying theme Tanja has for her art.

One of Tanja’s bigger projects was a collection of items she had chosen while walking the beach. The compilation of different items based on their shape and size were chosen to represent how human civilization is slowly ruining our ecosystem. Because of our use of plastic and not being able to efficiently dispose of these items, they are slowly being rooted into the microbiology of the planet.

This collection of art shows the different miscellaneous items we have in our ecosystem. From different shells, rocks, feathers, and Black and Mild plastic tips, seeing this body of work would give a harsh realization to those viewing this piece. Tanja would call this collection, “In 500 Years, What Difference Will it Make”. She is conscious that plastic takes hundreds of years to biodegrade, that is COURTESY// TANJA GEIS why this piece is so meaningful. The mistake of human civilization not properly dis- This Geis piece entitled ‘See Bird’ is a mirrored ink drawing posing of these hazardous materials into our of the seabirds that died of starvation from prey migrating away from the warming oceans. ecosystem are shown in this piece.

Geis’ bodies of work showcased were not only beautiful to look at but rather should be seen she has, Tanja’s overarching goal is to create art that inas a catalyst for students to take responsibility for our spires new ways of seeing.

This effort by Sonoma State, to bring artists that inecosystem and promote action to raise awareness about climate change. Tanja Geis focussed on how to relay this spire students to become the change the world needs to message through her art and the inspiration for her work see, Tanja Geis was very resourceful for those who attended this talk and in hopes, they become the catalyst to is found all over the world.

Tanja explains, “Our waste is fragmented all over make change for our ecosystem in the future. our world” and her bodies of work represent the vision

The podcast you didn’t know you needed KAILEY PRIEST STAFF WRITER

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he new podcast that is making men all over “Call Her Daddy,” is an explicit and brutally truth-filled podcast that follows vlogger Alexandra Cooper and her best friend and roommate, Sofia Franklyn, as they cover everything from their social lives in NYC, embarrassing moments, to sex life 101; it’s the podcast you didn’t know you needed.

Get ready to learn something new and possibly feel a lot better about your life as Cooper and Franklyn lay it all out there on the table for everyone to hear every Wednesday. After only knowing each other for sixmonths, the first day they met, Cooper and Franklyn signed a lease for an apartment and the rest was history.

Their first four podcast’s dropped on October 2, as they partnered with Barstool Sports, a popular satirical blog for sports and pop culture. The podcast “Call Her Daddy” talks about do’s and don’ts for women and men starting off with their first episode that dives right into it, talking all things sexting and dishing about some hilarious stories that come along with it.

Each episode is just as wild and crazy as the last, if not more, making it hard to stop listening. But at the same time you can’t help but think, “what am I listening

to?” It’s the best of both world.

The rollercoaster that is “Call Her Daddy” also dishes on some very interesting lingo. From the “Gluck Gluck” to the “Gluck Gluck 3000 v 9000,” you most likely want to start listening from the beginning to be able to keep up.

The rise of Podcasts has been a recent trend that everyone seems to want to be apart of. Who can blame them thoug?, with it being so easy and incredibly accessible everyone thinks they have something to say. Once a hobby for most people, the term “podcaster” is a real job-title and there is money to be made in this business.

Streaming podcasts used to be a hassle, however with the line of communication now completely open to stream, having to download podcasts from itunes and then having to wait for them to download is a thing of the past. Apple has created the podcast app on every iphone, with thousands of podcasts to choose from everyone can find their niche and hop on the trend.

According to MarTech Podcast listeners “listen up tp an average of seven shows per week, which is up 40 percent since 2017.” They also discuss the the “top 5 genres of podcasting being society & culture, business, comedy, news & politics and health.”

MarTech also states that “Apple Podcasts now features more than 550,000 active podcasts and over 16.5 million episodes including content in more than 100 languages”.

From crime podcasts like “The First Degree,” and society and culture podcasts like “The Lady Gang,” there really is a podcast out there for anyone and everyone. It has been made very clear just about everyone is listening to one podcast or another. For many, nowadays it is their business. Take Cooper and Frankly for example; while Cooper was already in the social media scene, Frankly, before dedicating her full time to making “Call Her Daddy” episodes, was working at a well established marketing firm.

Podcasters are typically paid by how many downloads they receive on an episode. With most podcasts being free, it is inevitable there will be an advertisements within the episodes, however they tend to be short, sweet and to the point.

With podcasts being all the rage right now alongside the wide variety they have to offer, there is no doubt that you will find a podcast that is right for you .

ALS takes the life of Stephen Hilenberg MARTIN CONTRERAS STAFF WRITER

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or some, the name Stephen Hillenburg just sounds like any other name, yet for others who recognize it, the name brings back beloved childhood memories as they know that Stephen Hillenburg was the artist that created the every popular animated cartoon series titled “Spongebob Squarepants.” Hillenburg passed away on November 26, 2018 at the age of 57 due to his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. His death came less than two years after he announced to the world that he was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2017. After making his announcement he added that he planned to continue working on the show “for as long as I am able.”

Although Hillenburg will most likely always be known as the genius who created “Spongebob Squarepants” it’s worth mentioning a part of his life that many don’t know, a side that ultimately helped and influenced him to create Spongebob. Before creating “Spongebob Squarepants” Stephen Hillenburg wasn’t know as the animator, screenwriter or director, he was better known as Stephen HIllenburg the marine biology teacher.

As a child he grew up in Southern California and developed a love and passion for two things: art and the ocean. In 1984 Hillenburg graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in natural resource planning and interpretation, with an emphasis on marine resources. After that he became a marine biology teacher

at the Orange County Marine Institute where he would often use his drawings and illustration as teaching aids.

One such teaching aid, entitled “The Intertidal Zone,” was an informative comic book about tide pool animals that would eventually become the characters and concepts for Spongebob Squarepants.

After two years of teaching at the Orange County Marine Institute, Hillenburg stopped teaching to enroll in the California Institute for the Arts where he would eventually earn a degree in experimental animation in 1992. Hillenburg released two successful short films in 1992 entitled “Wormholes” and “The Green Beret” that would eventually earn him a job at Nickelodeon working on the animated series “Rocko’s Modern Life.” In 1994 Hillenburg began to use the characters, themes, and stories in The Intertidal Zone, for what was to become “Spongebob Squarepants.”

“Spongebob Squarepants” has been on air since 1999. In 2004 Hillenburg released “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” which he intended to be the series finale but Nickelodeon wanted to keep on producing more episodes, because of the disagreement Hillenburg parted ways with the network. After working on various short films, Hillenburg returned to the franchise and agreed to co-write and act as executive producer on “Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water.”

While Spongebob isn’t going to be what it once was due to Hillenburg’s death, it is still has a prominent place in pop culture. The fact that is has aired for nearly two

decades is a testament to the genius that was Hillenburg, he captivated an audience for years. Stephen Hillenburg was a passionate artist, a gifted storyteller and a great man that will be missed by many and remembered for his contribution to society.

COURTESY// The Straits Times Hillenburg poses infront of his two most popular characters, Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star.

8 Student Life

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

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QSA holds candlelight vigil for transgneder community

MARIAH PONCE STAFF WRITER

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ith the transgender community experiencing strong feelings of hardship and a disconnect with society, the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) has teamed up with the HUB to hold an event remembering those who have been killed for being transgender.

Violence against the transgender community has been an ongoing issue and the statistics continue to rise with each year that passes. According to the organization Human Rights Campaign, “In 2017 advocates tracked at least 29 deaths of transgender people in the United States due to fatal violence”. According to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) article, a survey done by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that “one in four transgender people have been assaulted for being trans.”

Another statistic from the Human Rights Campaign found that “2018 has already seen at least 24 transgender people fatally shot or killed by other violent means”. The rising trends of violence against the transgender community motivated the HUB and the QSA club to work together.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, the combined effort of the QSA and the HUB culminated in the event called “The Transgender Day of Remembrance”, which gave people the opportunity to pay their respects and hold a moment of silence for all those in the transgender community who have lost their lives.

“The Transgender Day of Remembrance” was lead by the president of the QSA club, Kendall Andrews. Andrews, as well as their club members, held this event so other Seawolves could remember and support those of the transgender community.

The event was located at the HUB on the second floor of the student center and was a safe place for anyone that wanted to express their thoughts and feelings towards the issue.

The air was filled with sorrow and disbelief at the continued violence against the transgen-

der community. This ongoing issue was agreed on by everyone in the HUB that it is unjust, cruel and causing people to be afraid of their safety in this world.

At the HUB, the QSA club had many open seats for anyone that wanted to come and remember those who have passed as well as a safe space for people to speak freely. Seawolves, Sonoma State faculty and members of the QSA club filled the seats. A feeling of sadness filled the air with remembering those who have passed.

People who attended got the opportunity to go outside of the student center and stand in a circle holding candles. As the candles gleamed, Andrews listed off the names of those in the transgender community that have recently passed.

To pay respect to those who have passed, participants stood in a moment of silence.

Devon Szantos, a junior Psychology major, stated, “I witnessed the people standing in a circle with their candles. Once I heard them start reading off the names it broke my heart to hear numerous people that have been killed for being what makes them happy”.

Many students like Szantos got to watch the candle vigil and hear the names of those who have passed. It was a heartfelt way for the QSA club and participants to show Sonoma State University what cruelty is being enforced towards the LGBTQ+ community.

The president of the QSA club knew this event would be impactful, but more needs to be done. Andrews stated, “Seeing living, breathing people face such violence for simply expressing and living their gender the way that is necessary to their survival is a very frustrating and sickening thing that makes everyone in the trans community afraid to exist as trans… We need cisgender people’s help to create change”.

The QSA club remembered those who have passed as well as showcasing the need for a safer community for those who are apart of the LGBTQ+ community. With the hopes of a better and safer world, the QSA club and the HUB will stand together to stick with the community that is being brutally treated just for identifying and being who they are.

STAR// Natalie Dolan Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington quieting down the room during his presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 28 in the Student Center Ballrooms.

“Diversity, Equity and Exclusivity” brings SSU up to date

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ampus change is important for every university to become better.

Because of this, Sonoma State University welcomed back Reverend Dr. Jamie Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 20 to give a talk about what we can do as a campus to be more inclusive.

Washington has played an active role in higher education for roughly forty years and has been speaking at different universities for twenty years.

He has previously spoken at Sonoma State University, but this new program, “Navigating Diveristy, Equity and Exclusivity at a 21st century Public Univeristy”, focuses on how we can create a better, more diverse learning environment.

One of his main intentions with this program is to deepen the level of authentic conversation and engagement about difference.

Vice president of Student Affairs Dr. Gregory Sawyer is a friend and colleague of Washington and invited him to come speak at Sonoma State.

They have known each other for years and Sawyer thought there was no one better for the job.

“At Sonoma State University, we really do want to make a difference. President Judy Sakaki also recognizes that there needs to be a change in terms of access, diversity and inclusivity,” said Sawyer.

Sawyer continued to say “I also think it’s important that we as a community learn how to trust and be authentic and instead of ‘acting’ in our relationships, we learn how to actively engage with one another.”

Washington delivered a very engaging presentation, in which he had the audience of students and faculty get up

from their seats and talk to other people in the crowd using a bingo card of conversation starters.

Washington also requested that they sit next to someone new. This had the audience get out of their comfort zone from the beginning and gave them the chance to meet new people.

Washington stated that this new person you sit next to will be your high-five buddy from now on. He stated that when you see them around campus, you should high-five that person and tell them to work their strengths or the good qualities they have and to take them out into the community.

Washington went over certain learning community agreements, saying each person should try to work on open and honest communication, the ability to listen respectively, being open to new perspectives and many others.

Not only were many staff and faculty moved by Washington’s speech, but students were as well.

“I really liked Dr. Washington’s speech, it was extremely interesting and he really engaged with the crowd and included us,” said student Alexis Martinez. “It was cool how he was able to get staff, faculty and students interested in the same concept and everyone was able to come together in that way. The most important message I took away from his presentation would probably be to become more aware of what’s going on around us.”

Washington really enjoyed speaking at our school and hopes our campus can work to become even better.

“I think the most important message for people to take away from my speech today is that we all matter. I believe the role of higher education is to prepare the next generation

STAR// Natalie Dolan Student Shelly Gomez and Provost Dr. Lisa Vollendorf speak during Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington’s presentation. of leaders to lead effectively within and across difference to help us be better.” Washington

said. “It’s important to understand that if we aren’t teaching them to do that, they can’t.

So that’s why faculty and staff must equip themselves to prepare their students.”

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Annual Xi Man brings laughs and donations MORGAN ARANCIO STAFF WRITER

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riday night was filled with laughter and cheers as the sorority Alpha Xi Delta - the Theta Beta chapter, supported the organization Autism Speaks by holding their annual Xi Man event.

Xi Man is a male pageant where one male represents each participating fraternity. Alpha Epsilon Pi was the proud winning chapter in last year’s competition. This year’s Xi Man pageant was hosted in the Cooperage on Friday Nov. 30. All of the proceeds were donated to Autism Speaks.

Autism Speaks is an organization dedicated to promoting solutions and offers advocacy and support to families who have member with Autism.

They work to increase acceptance and understanding of people on the Autism spectrum.

Autism Speaks is one of the nation-

al leaders in raising awareness and help for those with Autism. Autism affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys. Boys are five times more likely to be diagnosedwith Autism than girls.

In the past, the Theta Beta Chapter on Sonoma State campus hosted AmaXing Challenge in support of Autism Speaks.The fundraiser was a competition with different obstacles to get through and complete. Starting in the spring of 2018, Theta Beta began their first Xi Man pageant.

The participating fraternities and their representatives were Patrick Stack from Phi Delta Theta, Jonathan Melgarejo from Nu Alpha Kappa, Ben Parness from Pi Kappa Phi, Jake Maloney from Alpha Sigma Phi and Joseph Avrahamy from Alpha Epsilon Pi. The room was packed with eager students ready to support their friends and excited to see the show. Some had to stand in the back because there were not enough seats.

Jalin McGee, a sophomore Kinesi-

STAR// Emiliana Martinez (left to right) Contestants Joseph Avrahami, Patrick Stack, Ben Parness, Jonathan Melgarejo, and Jake Maloney and MC Renee Rodgers.

ology major, stated “It was such a high energy and exciting event. There was never a dull moment of the night… I’m so glad I decided to go and will definitely try to make sure I can attend next year”.

The night started off with the talent portion. Maloney did stand-up comedy, Parness performed a dance number, Melgarejo did an art demonstration, Stack had a dance routine and Avrahamy serenaded a guest brought onto the stage. All of the men had the crowd cheering and roaring with laughter.

Next was the swimsuit runway and personality portion where the contestants were asked personal questions as well as Autism Speaks questions.

Melgrejo’s art piece was created upside down and when f lipped upright, it was revealed it was a painting of Bob Marley. The piece was so loved by the audience there was an auction for it, which ended up being purchased for $90 by Emery Horn.

This year’s winner and newest Xi Man was Jake Maloney from Alpha Sigma Pi. Other awards went to Ben Parness for Mr. Nice Guy, Jonathan Melgarejo won Best Talent, Patrick Stack won People’s Choice and Avrahamy won Mr. Funny.

Micayla Luddy, a graduating senior Communications Major, was excited for her first Xi Man performance.

Luddy was intrigued by all the videos shared from last year and has a friend that was a contestant in this year’s Xi Man. “It was so much fun. The boys did such a great job and each one of them had very different talent’s which was fun to see. This is an entertaining and different event which I give Alpha Xi Delta props on,” Luddy said.

The second annual Xi Man Male Pageant was a huge success as it raised money. Not only did the event sell out, but it raised roughly $600 just from venmo donations.

STAR// Emiliana Martinez Jake Maloney of Alpha Sigma Phi was crowned the 2018 Xi Man.

Holiday cards for incarcerated queer folk MARIAH MALDONADO STAFF WRITER

W

ith the holidays arriving this month, the usual holiday preparations and actions can be seen all around. Present’s are being bought, lights are being strung, and the holiday cards are sent out for delivery. They are sent to those that are loved and made to keep up the holiday spirit. But not everyone receives cards this time of year, especially those who are incarcerated.

To remedy this, the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) recently held an event at The HUB on Wednesday, Nov. 28, called “Letters to Queer Incarcerated Folks”. Their purpose was to invite every person to send holiday cards to members of the LGBTQ community that are currently incarcerated through the online site blackandpink.org Black and Pink is an organization that supports the LGBTQ community from both inside and outside of prisons. With a mindset that offers advocacy, education, and direct service. On their website, members of the free world, those that are not detained, are able to sign up to find their own permanent LGBTQ prison pen pal.

The purpose is to use this pen pal program to build open and inclusive relationships with in the LGBTQ community and those who have struggled with similar problems. Black and Pink believe in giving the power to those that are incarcerated, giving them leadership roles and taking into consideration their observations from inside the walls when making decisions.

The organization’s purpose as a whole is to abolish the prison reform complex and instead create alternatives that don’t focus on the idea of punishment but instead focus on a non-reformist view. According to their website, “Our work toward the abolition of the prison industrial complex is rooted in the experience of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We are outraged by the specific violence of the prison industrial complex against LGBTQ people.”

Third year student and President of the QSA, Kendall Andrews, joined club members and guests to The HUB to write holi-

day cards, enjoy treats and also invite them to sign up for the pen pal program Black and Pink.

Opening with an informational powerpoint about the prison industrial complex and the LGBTQ community, Andrews then had the attendees sign up on the Black and Pink website and find a pen pal on their mobile devices. To sign up, one applies their information, then looks through a list of people searching for pen pals. The pen pal search can be separated into groups based on different criteria such as age, interest and preference. Those who signed up were able to have their letters sent to The HUB’s address instead of having to put their own.

This pen pal program assists in building relationships to those that are incarcerated. According to a Reuters article, people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual have a presence in prisons and jails nearly three times higher than people who don’t identify with the LGBT community.

Nalin Wangel-Komisar is a fourth year Sociology Major and member of the QSA. Wangel-Komisar shared, “The Queer Students Alliance is all about building connections. It’s really important for queer folk to create community because of the social isolation and lack of support that comes along with marginalization. Prison only exacerbates these conditions.”

Some attendees came to this event as a requirement for a class, but were interested and wanted to expand on the prison industrial complex and its ties with the LGBTQ community.

Juan-Carlos Mungia came for his criminal justice class and was able to make new connections he hadn’t realized before.

“As a criminal justice major I’ve been able to evaluate the prison system from a lot of different viewpoints. Oddly enough, I’ve never thought of the LGBTQ community stance or approach until today. This was a really eye opening and mind triggering topic to talk about.”

If one would like to sign up for an LGBTQ pen pal, visit blackandpink.org or reach out to the Queer Student Alliance Club on campus.

STAR// Luis Madrigal The HUB workers and students work on their Letters during “Letters to Queer Incarcerated Folks”

STAR// Luis Madrigal SSU Students discuss how to chose pen pals.

10 Sports Seawolves Hope To Continue Success On The Track T

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

ALEX FUNCHESS STAFF WRITER

he Sonoma State Women’s Track & Field team plan on qualifying for the conference races this spring. With the fall semester coming to a close, runners on the team prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

A few members on the team qualified for the CCAA Championship last season. While members of the team have their own individual goals, the team hopes to send more runners and throwers into the postseason. The team’s senior track captain, Taylor Townes, is optimistic about her upcoming season.

“Every runner will always face challenges, it’s that little voice inside our head saying. ‘You can’t do it’ or ‘everything hurts’. It never goes away,” said Townes. “Ignoring that little voice and being able to push my body to limits I’ve never experienced before will be challenge.”

Townes and other runners try to remain focussed in preparation for the season.

“There’s so many little things that go into our training,” Townes added. “From our sleep schedule and school to food, workouts, runs, it’s always a challenge being a student-athlete to keep up. This team works so well together, we’re one big happy family.

We’re all very close, push each other during practice everyday, and help one another when it’s needed.”

It’s crucial that all runners maintain their motivation during the offseason and remain healthy. With spring right around the cor-

sonomaseawolves.com Second year Alyssa Renteria vaults over the bar during the steeplechase

ner, the team’s chemistry should help carry the team to the conference races. Surely, this will come with a few obstacles as the team captain expects the team to overcome their struggles.

“We lost a few strong runners and a thrower last year,” Townes said. “But we have a great amount of talented athletes returning as well as newcomers already working hard for this upcoming season. Each year I feel our team getting stronger and better and I have no doubt that this will be one of our better seasons.”

New and returning members are expected to fill empty roles on the team while remaining strong and injury-free. Jasmine Casillas, a Junior distance runner, emphasized the importance of her team staying healthy this season.

“This past cross country season had a lot of setbacks with injuries and illnesses,” explained Casillas. “We didn’t get to perform as well as we had wanted. So for track, being able to stay healthy and strong throughout the whole season would be great.” Hoping to remain injury free, Casillas has her eyes set on qualifying for conference races this spring.

“Even though last year’s conference race wasn’t what I wanted to be, we got a lot girls to qualify for the races,” Casillas noted. “Getting to qualify is hard. Everyone has their own individual goals, so together we make the team goal to do better than we did last year. Getting some personal records are always on the list.”

The Sonoma State Women’s Track and Field team can’t wait for the season to start. Coming off of a promising season, all runners and throwers are eager to beat their personal records. All new and returning members are hoping for a shot at the conference races. While each member focuses on conquering her personal goals, the team will encourage one another as the Seawolves finish the fall semester. Best of luck to our Seawolves and we can’t wait to watch them shine this spring!

Seawolves baseball anticipate upcoming season A JESSICA BENNETT STAFF WRITER

s the fall semester comes to end so does the winter sports. However, with winter sports ending spring sports are preparing and getting ready to begin their seasons, and take some wins home.

More specifically, the 2019 Sonoma State Baseball team.

Their 2018 season ended with the team finishing in 7th place.

Since their season ended last year the members of the baseball team had 10 Seawolves that were highlighted in the spring all-academic team.

Being highlighted means; that the California Collegiate Athletic Association, CCAA rewards student-athletes for their work in the classroom, while being an athlete.

These students have maintained a 3.3+ cumulative GPA while competing in a conference sponsored sport such as baseball.

From the 2018 baseball team; Michael Byerline, Tyson Canfield, Anthony Clyma, Alex Emerick, Noah Lyndall, Rayson Romero, Matt Stafford, Nicco Toni, Michael Warning, and Mitch West, were all recognized for their 3.3+ cumulative GPA. Some have had this honor in years past and a few even graduated Sonoma State this past spring.

Another exciting event that happened for the baseball team was their alum Scott Alexander being moved up to the 25 team roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the World Series.

Although the Dodgers lost for the second year in a row, they are having the privilege of being on a world series

team is a great honor.

Alexander played with the Seawolves in the year 2010 for just one short season before being drafted to Kansas City.

Head Coach John Goelz said, “It is an inspiration to the players in our program and gives hope to those who have the same dream.”

Many players on the Sonoma State team hope to follow in his footsteps on their way to becoming professional baseball players for any organization.

But as for this 2019 team preparing for this next season, they are eager and excited to get this season started.

After finishing in 7th place during their 2018 season, this upcoming spring they are ready to bring the heat.

Senior, right-handed Pitcher Michael Byerline states; “I think overall we are preparing really well for this season. We have had 6 am weights twice a week for the last few months, and everyone is putting in extra work either after practice or on their own.”

Being a senior, Byerline says his final year gives him mixed emotions; “I guess I would have to say my number one feeling is, wow time has f lown by.

It is hard to believe that this is possibly my last season of competitive baseball.

But, I am ready to go at it with whatever I got and see what happens.”

As for the team bonding in previous years, according to Byerline this team has the most chemistry he has seen since his time at Sonoma State which should correspond well on and off the field.

“A big part of this team is our team

chemistry has been amazing compared to the last three years I have been here. Everyone gets along great with everyone and I finally feel like we have a team that is pulling in the same direction,” says Byerline.

Although there is still a few more months until the official start of spring baseball, the players cannot wait to get back onto the diamond.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Top: Joshua Montelongo No.15 stands on first base, ready to catch the ball for an out.

Bottom: Pitcher Dominic Garihan, No.5, throws a pitch.

Sports 11 Athlete Spotlight: Lewayne Grant

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

NATALYA SWENSEN STAFF WRITER

A

fter playing basketball at Columbia College and being named the 1st Team All CVC, Lewayne Grant transferred to Sonoma State to pursue a major in American Multicultural Studies and join the men’s basketball team.

Grant grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and graduated from Deerfield Beach High School. He is currently a senior and a captain of the team.

Grant always played basketball for fun, but started to take the sport seriously in the eighth grade.

He played AAU for South Florida during the summer of his ninth grade summer along with AAU for the Florida Vipers during the summer of his tenth grade.

AAU, the amateur athletic union, is a club travel team that features elite, young players.

His love of the sport is supported by his family and friends, but his oldest brother was the person who inspired him to play basketball.

Similar to Grant, his brother went to college and played college basketball as well as professional basketball; Grant looked up to his older brother as a strong role model.

Grant has an extensive way that he prepares for each and every game. He wakes up early, eats a large breakfast, and takes a nap before the team has shoot around from 1-3 pm.

He proceeds to eat a carb filled meal and take another nap until going back to the school at 6.

To make sure he is alert and ready, he wakes up 45 minutes before and takes a shower; Grant never forgets to drink a Yerba Mate before game time.

It was difficult for Grant to choose his best memory from the season because so far everything has been memorable.

“Just being around the guys that we have is my favorite part. I haven’t been on a team like this where I enjoy being around everyone since high school. When I was in high school we had a very tight group, this year especially we play for each other and really love each other.”

Grant and his teammates put in 100 percent and they really want to win. His favorite game from this season so far occurred last Thursday against Stanislaus State.

It was a very close game and the Seawolves were down, but they got into overtime and brought home the victory.

“We did not play our best basketball, but we still played together and that is what made it so special. We were able to make big mistakes, but still make up for it and win the game.”

Grant’s favorite aspects of basketball are the moments, he is passionate about the sport and says that “playing good basketball is the best feeling. Just being in the moment of doing well at something you love to do is unexplainable, I love it so much.”

To elaborate Grant says that the best part of being on SSU’s men’s basketball team is “just being around people

that truly care about you. Just being around a family and around people that you can crack jokes with and even argue with, being a family oriented team is my favorite part.”

This team is very close and they support each other, which makes them that much better of basketball players.

Fellow teammate, Armani Nicolis said, “I think he is the engine that makes our team run, he sets the tone being out point guard offensively and defensively.”

Grants hopes for himself in this upcoming season is to stay consistent and to be the best teammate and captain he can be. He wants them to be a winning team and to “win it all,” but first win conference than make it to regionals.

Coach DJ Broome has similar hopes for Grant and the team as a whole.

“Our hopes as a team are for a conference title and make the tournament. ForLewayne, as a senior captain, we expect him to lead on and off the court and continue to make big plays for us and put us in positions to be successful. I think he has been doing a great job with that so far,” said Coach Broome.

Grant, a die hard LeBron James fan, aspires to finish out his senior year and get his Bachelors; that would be a huge accomplishment for him and his family. After graduation he hopes to play professional basketball in Israel or any other country.

After his basketball career Grant wants to go into personal training and skill development with basketball. “I just want to do anything that revolves around giv-

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves. com ing back and being a supporter for other kids growing up playing basketball, I want to make a difference.”

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Lewayne Grant, number 5, makes a move to the basket

Men’s volleyball club trying to get back to Nationals

JOEY PIOMBO STAFF WRITER

T

he Men’s Club Volleyball team was founded in 2010. For years, they have been competing in the Northern California Collegiate Volleyball League.

This league consists of many teams throughout California. This league is made up of schools such as the University of Pacific, University of California, Davis, Chico State University, Sacramento State University, and other local opponents. Throughout their years as a club, the team has had great success.

The club won the 2010 National Championship. An accomplishment many programs can only dream of. In 2013 and 2015 the club finished second in the nation one step away from winning once again.

The basic skills of Volleyball are pretty simple. The sport requires each athlete to have good hand-eye coordination in order to pass, set or hit the ball. Each team has six players on the floor at a time.

The maximum amount of hits per side is three meaning that after a team hits the ball more than three times in one given play, a point is awarded to the other team. A point is possible when the opposing team hits the ball in bounds hitting the floor or when the ball is not hit back by the other team. The point system is simple as well. The game is played in a best out of five sets manner.

The first team to score 25 points by a two-point lead margin wins the set. If the game does go into overtime, it is decided by an additional set.

In 2018 the club had a good year but did not meet their goal of winning nationals. The Seawolves beat some great opponents such as UC Berkeley, Stanford University and Fresno State University.

They ended up finishing in ninth place nationally.

The 2019 season is right around the corner as they will be competing early on in the spring semester. With a new year comes new hopes and goals to strive for. When talking to second-year player Andrew Abraham, it was obvious that the team has some high hopes for next years season.

He stated their goals when saying, “To win a league title and win the National Division II Championship”. This goal is not out of reach as the team has proved in years past. Achieving this goal would mean beating some top-tier programs in the area but the team is up for the challenge.

The team has been putting in the work this off-season. After last years finish, it was important for the club to stay fit and ready for the long season ahead.

When asked how the team was preparing for the spring season, Abraham described the teams work when saying the team was, “Getting a little better each day we are in the gym”.

The team will have their first home game after the holiday break.

The club’s first test of the spring season will come in the form of the UC Berkeley Club. Last year the two teams squared off in the regular season three times. The Seawolves won two of these matches getting the best of the Bears in last years regular season.

The club plays their home games in the Campus Recreational Center.

Visit nccvl.org for more information on the team’s upcoming season.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com

12 Photo

DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Alpha Xi Delta’s annual “Xi Man” pageant

STAR // Emiliana Martinez Renee Rodgers handing the mic over to Patrick Stack during the interview portion of Xi Man on Friday.

STAR // Emiliana Martinez Ashlyn Finkbeiner (left) and Joseph Avrahami (right) on stage at Alpha Xi Delta’s annual Xi Man pagent.

STAR // Natalie Dolan (Top) Genoveva Medina playing with homemade slime. (Bottom) Michaelyn Mullan filling a balloon with beads to make herself a stress ball.

Registration waits for no one.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Karen Schneider (right) gets student imput about the topic at hand.

WINTER INTER SESSION

2018

Don’t miss your chance to register. www.4seie.info/Winter2018 Classes run January 3 - 17 Registration open now.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Attendees breaking off to have group discussions in the ballrooms.