IN THIS Sports Read about the Women’s volleyball team sweeping over the weekISSUE end in Hawaii. PAGE 11.
Free Bowling
News
Come out to free bowling the first Thursday of every month. PAGE 6.
Check out SRJC’s new Public Safety training center. PAGE 5.
SINCE 1979
VOLUME 83 // ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 10 - SEPTEMEBER 16, 2019
THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER
@SONOMASTATESTAR
COURTESEY // Google An example of some of the vegetables from the 2018 National Heriloom Expo and Pure Food Fair.
Petition Heirloom expo celebrates sustainable living, real food against 120’s
TRAVIS GILLMORE STAFF WRITER
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he National Heirloom Expo and World’s Pure Food Fair, features the world’s most extensive collection of heirloom fruits and vegetables -- over 4,000 varieties, 100 plus speakers, 300 vendors, and 150 exhibitors, will take place Tuesday through Thursday, September 10-12 from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. All profits from the Heirloom Expo are donated to The School Garden Network, a non-profit located in Santa Rosa with a mission to “grow healthy students, families, schools, and communities through garden-based education.” Since 2003 the School Garden Network has “awarded $260,000 in grant funding to 60 local schools” and helped seven schools affected by recent wildfires and flooding events, according to their website. After its inception in 2011, the Heirloom Expo has grown to become a world-renowned pure food festival. As the largest event of its kind, thousands will travel to Santa Rosa from around the world this week, and visitors will rub shoulders with industry leaders and the brightest minds in the sustainable, real food movement. The Heirloom Expo is a family-friendly event with activities and educational opportunities, and the Kids’ Pavilion is open all three days for youngsters to explore. The Cool Bean Swap is a chance to learn about the importance of saving seeds and is a great hands-on experience. Heirloom Expo representative Lisa was excited to announce a new living soil exhibit and invited all to explore the inner workings of soil ecology. The International Heirloom Conference is held all three days at the Expo and features a list of high profile speakers, including Dr. Vandana Shiva, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Jeffrey Smith, Rachel Parent, Zen Honeycutt, Ocean Robbins, Joseph Simcox, and many more.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, and his work as an environmental activist and attorney documenting the links associated with glyphosate exposure and NonHodgkin’s lymphoma led to the groundbreaking verdicts that have awarded over $300 million so far, with thousands of more lawsuits remaining. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be featured in a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, September 11 at 11:30 a.m. with Dr. Vandana Shiva and Bob McFarland, moderated by Mary Jacob. The Heirloom Expo is the creation of the Gettle family and the Baker Creek Seed Company, and the annual event highlights sustainable farmers, chefs and activists while celebrating heirloom crops, seeds and foods. The Expo has become the premier non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) event of the year. Mendocino County led the nation by becoming the first County to ban the planting of genetically modified organisms, also known as GMO’s, in 2004. Sonoma County voters followed suit in 2016 with the passing of Measure M, which prohibited the planting of genetically modified crops in unincorporated Sonoma County. The leadership exhibited by voters in these counties makes the area the perfect home for the Heirloom Expo, as the festival celebrates non-GMO activism. The Heirloom Expo includes a Giant Pumpkin Contest, a gorgeous collection of flowers in the Dahlia Show with cash prizes awarded in several categories, an International Seed Swap and Seed Circus, live music all day long, and a collection of halls filled with discussions, round-tables, and exhibits. Admission is free for ages 17 and under. Tickets are available at the gate. One Day Pass $15, Three Day Pass $30. For more information, visit TheHeirloomExpo.com, and don’t forget to take a picture in front of the gigantic squash tower.
STAR REPORTERS
A
new petition aimed at eliminating the dreaded “120” citations that student households can get for making noise, is gaining steam among students who think the ordinance unfairly discriminates against students.. A 120 is a noise citation that is issued to households with more than 10 people present that a neighbor has reported as excessively loud. This unique type of ordinance was passed by the Rohnert Park City Council in 2013 in an effort to placate neighbors of college households. How it works is if people are living in a house and they have people over with loud music, the Rohnert Park Police Department comes and delivers them the 120. For the police to come to a residence they need a complaint, generally from the neighbors. If they deem that there is too much noise, they give them the 120 to display in the front of thier house, usually in a window. After the first citation, a $500 fine is issued. The petition started by Luke DeWilde is calling for an end to the 120’s, saying that it creates a hardship for any sports team, greek organization, or club to gather outside of campus. The controvery comes though with how proportionately these 120’s are being issued to all members of the Rohnert Park community. The point expressed in the petition is that, generally speaking, a house full of college kids is going to get one over a house filled with middle-aged people. The amount of people and noise volume can be the exact same, but since 120’s were designed against Sonoma State students the college kids are going to get the noise violation. According to language on the petition, it boils down to the notion that if Rohnert Park really is the “friendly city” and if they want to keep the large amount of college students in their community satisfied, something has got to change.
Sonoma County
Santa Rosa Junior College to offer
warns of the
unique hemp cultivation program
dangers of vaping CLARK FAHRENTHOLD STAFF WRITER
O
n Saturday, September 2nd Sonoma County health department issued a health alert that warned of the lung injuries that are and have been related to vaping and the use of other E-vapor products. Dr. Celeste Philip, the head of Sonoma County health office was responsible for the issuing of the alert last week. Warning of the possible health risks of the use of e-vapor and other vaping devices. The Health alert came out only a few days after the warning issued by the California Department of Public Health had issued its own statement on the use of vape products. According to the California State of Public Health, “Since June 1st, there have been 36 cases of vaping-associated lung illness that have required California citizens to be taken into medical care throughout the state.” According to Dr. Celeste Philip, “Although the Health Alert document is for clinicians, we want all residents and visitors in Sonoma County to be aware of these serious lung injuries.” Though The Sonoma County Medical Alert was only intended for clinicians and other medical professionals, Dr. Phillip said: “We want all residents and visitors in Sonoma County to be aware of these serious lung injuries that these products can cause.” see VAPING on pg. 4
CHELSEA PINKHAM STAFF WRITER
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anta Rosa Junior College will soon become the first community college in California to offer hemp agriculture courses. Beginning this spring, students can enroll in hemp production classes within the Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture programs, but by fall 2020, SRJC hopes to launch a specialty degree program focused entirely on hemp. Introduction to Plant Science, Soil and Plant Nutrition, Integrated Pest Management, and Organic Crop Planning and Production are just a few of the many classes that will be included in the program. “Hemp is a versatile plant at the center of a multi-billion dollar legal industry for medicine, fiber, oil, seeds, textiles and more. We are preparing our students with the knowledge and skills to be competitive in the workplace,” said SRJC’s Dean of Agriculture Benjamin Goldstein in an interview with Bay City News Service. Contrary to some common misconceptions, the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa L.) contains less than 0.3% THC, and cannot be used as a psychoactive drug. Hemp and marijuana plants look and smell exactly alike, and are commonly mistaken for one another. Hemp, however, is a highly sustainable renewable resource that is utilized for a wide variety of purposes. In recent years the crop has skyrocketed in popularity, with hemp-based clothing, hemp-based paper, and food products such as hemp seeds and hemp milk becoming increasingly widespread. Hemp can even be used as an alternative to plastic, a product, so many conscious consumers are currently attempting to move away from. It is a high yield, fast-growing crop. The National Hemp Association proudly calls it “the only plant that can feed you, house you, clothe you and heal you.” While students will not be growing marijuana on campus, the knowledge gained from these courses is applicable for doing so. SRJC does not take a stance on how students will choose to apply their expertise in the future. “Hemp is a dynamic crop with a myriad of uses. It is ideal for teaching plant science and plant propagation techniques in indoor and outdoor environments while addressing the tenets of agro-ecological sustainability. As a plant science instructor, I am thrilled to utilize hemp in my classes as an educational tool,” said SRJC faculty member Dr. George Sellu in a statement. Despite hemp’s immense popularity and high profitability, hemp cultivation is currently illegal in Sonoma County, likely in part because of the crop’s close resemblance to marijuana. Many local farmers hope to eventually add hemp plants to their agricultural operations, bringing in extra profit and diversifying production, but are unable to do so because of current regulations. SRJC received an exemption from the current ban due to its program see HEMP CULTIVATION on pg. 4