issue 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Go Greek!

SSU panhellenic recruitment week has begun.

PAGE 7.

Stop and smell the flowers The Happy Dahlia Farm is in bloom and camera-ready.

PAGE 5.

Creativity on campus The Makerspace on campus has unvieled brand new equipment.

PAGE 7.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 85 // ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 14 - SEPTEMBER 20 2021

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

COURTESY // Facebook

Firefighters and investigators had to comb through 15 sites for clues after suspicious fires ignited around Healdsburg last Monday.

Arson suspected as at least 15 brush fires break out in one night across Healdsburg

MARY HELEN ROWELL STAFF WRITER

C

al Fire investigates multiple potential arson cases after 15 small brush fires broke out around Healdsburg the night of Monday, Sept. 6.

Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit and other fire agencies across Sonoma County were first alerted to a fire off Bailhache Ave. at around 8:10 p.m. Monday night. Over the next couple hours, at least 14 additional fires began popping up around the Healdsburg area.

According to a Cal Fire news release, posted to Twitter on Sept. 7, from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, “The final fire was reported off West Dry Creek Road just before 10:00 pm. By 11:30 pm 15 fires were located and contained after burning approximately 6 acres. The largest fire of the night was located off Chiquita Road and was contained after burning approximately 2 acres. At the peak of firefighting operations approximately 80 fire personnel were assigned to the fires including 20 fire engines, 6 water tenders, and 3 bulldozers.”

Reserve Battalion Chief Mark Basque, with the Healdsburg Fire Department, reported in a statement for ABC7 Bay Area News that “fire crews were really stretched thin due to the number of fires. It went on for probably 90 minutes. Every 20 minutes another fire was set.” Fortunately, no evacuations were needed and there have been no reports of injury or property damage.

While investigations are still underway and the cause of the fires has yet to be definitively stated, many community members and officials suspect arson as the cause due to the unusual volume of the small fires and close timing in which they were discovered.

California State Senator Mike McGuire posted about the fires on Twitter Monday night describing them as “suspicious” and prompted residents to “stay alert” even after the fires were extinguished.

One of the last updates posted to Twitter by Sonoma County Scanner Updates stated that arson is suspected to be the cause behind the fires and encouraged the community to report any suspicious activities they may have seen.

Kent Porter, a climate photojournalist with the Press Democrat who was following the fires, posting images and updates to his Twitter account, said in a quote for The Press Democrat, “I’ve been here 34 years and have never seen a night like this, with eight to 10 fires started within 30 minutes to an hour of each other.”

ABC7 News Reporter, Amy Hollyfield, reported to Twitter the morning after the fires that “firefighters are staged throughout Healdsburg this morning after responding to at least 10 fires last night. They suspect someone

see SERIES OF FIRES on pg. 4

Stevenson Hall is still under construction this Fall 2021.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey

Returning Seawolves react to construction and tree removal on campus

ISAAC LOPEZ

STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing Sonoma State University’s decision to allow students back on campus for in-person classes, the school offered a different look for the returning Seawolves and the new freshmen. Starting at the end of August of 2020, workers began the removal of over 200 of SSU’s eucalyptus trees that bordered its campus. Not only that, but SSU students also returned to on-campus classes to find that construction has already begun on Stevenson Hall for a renovation project that would modernize the largest academic building on campus.

With their transition from virtual class to on-campus class, returning students were surprised to see the removal of many of the enormous trees that bordered East Cotati Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road.

Starting in the middle of last year, Sonoma State announced its decision to cut down the trees in order to reduce the fire danger for the campus and its neighboring see STUDENTS EAGER on pg. 4

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Residents of Rohnert Park display their opinions on Measure D.

Fireworks ban on ballot sparks local controversy JESSICA STERNFELD STAFF WRITER

B

esides recalls, there is one other item that rounds out the Rohnert Park September 14 ballot: Measure D. Voting yes on Measure D enacts Ordinance 954, which prohibits the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks.

Ordinance 854 was passed by the city’s council in April, but was suspended after a referendum petition was submitted.

“Safe and sane” fireworks are any fireworks that do not fly into the air. They are also known as ground, or non-aerial, fireworks.

The main argument in favor of Measure D are simple. “Fireworks, especially in a fire prone wildland-urban interface community like Rohnert Park experiencing tinder dry conditions during an extreme drought, are anything but safe and sane” proclaims the “in favor” section on the ballot.

So if this measure is about fire safety, then why are those on the ballot against it coaches, volunteers, and pastors? see ROHNERT PARK on pg. 4

2 Editorial THE STAR

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Students’ safety at risk due to lack of COVID-19 precaution

Editorial Board

Kylie Rose Lawrence, Editor-in-Chief Callie Adams, News Editor Moragh Graf, Opinion Editor Cheyenne Carroll, Arts & Entertainment Editor Myles Grabau, Student Life Editor Emily Cripe, Sports & Health Editor Isabelle Barkey, Photo Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Jayline Alvarado, Alexis Gonzalez, Jhery Mae Monteza, Adrienne Moon, Jake Morrissey, Pedro Ortega Perez, Nicholas Roth, Mary Helen Rowell, Dana Scacco, Joshua Silva, Addison Smith, Jessica Sternfeld, Clea Upcher, Daniel Dinerman Photographers Ileana Aleman, Diana Ortiz

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

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

“Campus pay disparities among staff cause students surprise” Read the article on page 4.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to hear from you!

The STAR welcomes letters to the editor

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.

W

hile Sonoma State students move back into the dorms and return to in-person instruction, their newfound sense of normalcy hangs in the balance as the university’s COVID-19 prevention protocols continue to fall short. Daily wellness checks, proof of vaccination, and a green check on the health center page seem to be ineffective in preventing infection, as emails detailing new COVID-19 cases on campus are sent out multiple times per week.

In an email to the entire campus community on Sept. 1, Director for Emergency Services and Associate Risk Manager Missy Brunetta explains that the rise in COVID-19 cases is not due to increased transmission rates, but to the rise in campus occupancy. The email states, “When we factor in the number of people who are now on campus, the rate of infection has decreased. In Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 the average rate of infection on campus was 4.0 per 1000 people, while the rate of infection for Fall 2021 thus far is averaging 2.5 per 1000 people.”

This seems to be a sound argument, the only problem being that, according to Brunetta, “Campus-wide notifications will not be issued for exposures that occur off campus or in private residences, including those that occur solely in the residence halls.”

Arguably the most concerning aspect of this statement is the fact that the university is omitting information about residence hall exposures, which are still technically on campus. The email explains that only students known to be directly exposed are notified, which leaves an alarming amount of residence hall occupants in the dark. Who’s to say students in the same village as a person who tested positive for COVID-19 don’t deserve to hear about it? While the daily wellness check forms are in place in the dorms to track exposures, they don’t do much to inform students and keep them safe.

The daily wellness survey is one of the biggest COVID-19 prevention measures SSU has adopted thus far. Students visiting campus or living in the dorms are required to fill out these forms each day, in order to help the university track exposures. While they had good intentions in implementing this practice, there is little to no accountability involved on the receiving end.

As many students have seen and experienced so far this semester, nobody is checking vaccination status or daily wellness forms on campus. According to Zero Carey, residential advisor and fourth year Anthropology major, “The cafeteria doesn’t even ask you for [proof of vaccination/wellness clearance] anymore and there’s no checking done during in-person classes.”

Additionally, students could easily lie on wellness checks in order to avoid missing class or being sent to isolation, and there’s no way to ensure everyone is being truthful. Students are not being incentivized to be truthful about their health, partly due to attendance grades.

COURTESY // Sonoma.edu

Some courses outline a policy stating students are only allowed to miss a certain amount of classes before it begins to affect their grade, with little sympathy for suspected illness or exposure precautions.

Carey went on to say, “There’s room to be dishonest and people don’t want to go through the system and not get cleared.

There’s no incentive to be honest.”

In the midst of a pandemic where the incubation period for the virus is two weeks, the fact that there are professors unable to muster up more than a two or three excused absences is absurd. Attendance is beginning to come before personal and group safety in the minds of students, and nothing is being done to remedy the situation. What happened to “person first, student second”?

Another seemingly helpful safety precaution the university has employed this semester is the vaccination requirement. This was a huge step in the right direction for the entire CSU system in theory, but the requirement does not seem to be maintained well at SSU. When visiting SSU’s COVID-19 information site, there is a vaccine FAQ tab where one would find information about vaccination requirements on campus and how they work. When clicked, there’s just an error message, preventing students from accessing important information on how to get cleared and how everything works.

Sonoma State had nothing but good intentions in implementing these COVID-19 safety protocols, but they are not working as intended and peoples’ lives are at stake as a result. The solution to this problem is to start holding people accountable. Professors need to be checking wellness screening statuses before each class, vaccination status needs to be checked and enforced, and the university needs to keep a closer eye on the systems they worked so hard to get up and running. If safety is the number one priority like every campus spokesperson claims, then why are administrators skipping out on important safety precautions and allowing students to slip through the cracks?

COURTESY // 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

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

Texas abortion law causes disapproval through Sorority recruitment the nation continues despite

JAYLINE ALVARADO

O

STAFF WRITER

n September 1, Texas passed an anti-aborton law, S. B. 8 which makes it illegal for people to have an abortion after six weeks. This law is in total contrast to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the landmark case of Roe v. Wade which protects a person’s choice to have an abortion.

Not only is this law a heinous restriction of human rights, it also creates an incentive for citizens to go after clinics and anyone involved in the medical procedure through lawsuits.

This new law will force women to go across state lines to receive safe care. Basic medical care is now farther out of reach for women. They may not be able to afford costs for child care, transportation to an abortion clinic, or taking time off from work to care for a child or to have the procedure. A harrowing image is that of women

who don’t have access to abortion clinics taking matters into their own hands through home methods.

According to an article by the Texas Tribune, this new law “Prohibits abortions once a ‘fetal heartbeat’ — a term medical and legal experts say is misleading — can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many people know they’re pregnant,” and that it “prevents at least 85% of the procedures previously completed in the state.”

Women who don’t yet know that they’re pregnant aren’t allowed to terminate a pregnancy that they may not have planned for. However, they should be allowed to dictate their own bodies which includes the decision to terminate a pregnancy.

This new law has created a dangerous environment for establishments that facilitate the procedure. Private citizens, which is any person from anywhere, may be incentivized to sue those who aid women that are seeking to end a pregnancy, regardless of the circumstances. There’s no exception made if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

The New York Times reports, “The law allows them to collect cash judgments of $10,000 — and their legal fees — from those they sue. If they lose, they do not have to pay the defendants’ legal costs.”

Anyone involved in the procedure besides the woman seeking

an abortion are able to be sued by someone who believes the proceedure has taken place, even if they don’t know for certain whether it has happened. South Dakota and Florida are also looking into implementing S. B. 8.

The Supreme Court has also turned their backs on Texans by refusing to block the legislation, which is something that the court has done over and over again in the past to protect women’s constitutional rights. NPR reports that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer delivered a scathing dissent stating, “A majority of Justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand… Because the court’s failure to act rewards tactics designed to avoid judicial review and inflicts significant harm on the applicants and on women seeking abortions in Texas, I dissent.”

This new Texas law is just a way to circumvent Roe v. Wade and make it that much more difficult for women to have access to abortion clinics. Those clinics and their individual employees face being sued by people for providing safe medical care just because someone else believes they have a say over a person and their body autonomy. Those vigilantes aren’t the ones caring for or raising those children. This legislation is undoubtedly going to be challenged in the courts in the future and might even make its way up to the Supreme Court once again.

Pyramid schemes: Is the quick buck worth it?

PEDRO ORTEGA PEREZ STAFF WRITER

A

s college students, juggling it all is stressful: family life, social life, school, work, and mental health.

Working a part time or even full time job takes up a portion of the day that could be used for homework or unwinding.

So, when some students are presented with an opportunity to make money fast with minimal work, a pyramid scheme might seem like the best method at hand.

A pyramid scheme is a model used to make money without a product being sold. It costs an initial fee to join and requires you to recruit others to join and pay a fee as well. The creator of the game will be the first to make a profit.

It is known as a pyramid scheme because often the game mimics a pyramid with different layers.

The founder or creator sits on top and recruits others to contribute a fee, which completes a full cycle. After the cycle is complete, the founder is paid out and the next person in line becomes the new participant to make a profit.

But in order to continue making a profit, more recruits need to join in with the fee, ultimately continu-

ing the same method until available participants run dry. The members at the bottom of the pyramid lose money while the ones at the top gain a profit.

The most recent popular one occurred during the earlier stages of the pandemic, though it was more of an octagon rather than a pyramid. The “octagon” splits, allowing for the first two people to be placed in the winning position.

“The pyramid scheme required you to recruit people and the goal was for you to make it into the middle and then you would collect and get your money’s worth and more.

The more people the whole group -usually seven or more- added, the closer you would move in the circle. Before you reached the center, the circle would split and you would start your inner circle,” stated an anonymous student formerly involved in a scheme.

According to another Seawolf that would like to remain anonymous, it was hard to resist the urge to join.

It was all over Snapchat and other social media platforms.

“I saw it all over the place. Some at higher costs than others. People kept promising that it works, but it would only work if we all contributed. They really knew how to market it, too. They would post stuff about the pandemic being hard and making a little extra to help

out the family. Some would post screenshots of their accounts or just cash that they had made. They called it an investment. It seemed like really easy money.”

Another Seawolf who would like to remain anonymous voiced how it was hard to resist joining, “I began to see that people I knew were winning money and then people began to reach out to me. I gave in and that was my biggest mistake, I let others persuade me to join.”

Not only do most people lose in these schemes, participating in or creating one is illegal. It is best to just sit on the sidelines and watch it all unfold.

If a method of making money asks for a starting fee or is marketing to the individual to join, most of the time it is either a scam, or the possibility of making a profit is slim to none.

“My biggest take away is to not trust what you see on social media and to not give into things easily.

I learned to be vigilant when scrolling through social media and to not let others, whether I know them or not, convince me of something I have knowledge about,” stated another anonymous student.

Better ways to invest money can be done so through trading stocks. A recommended book for those looking for more information is “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.

Some common tips are to always research and resist buying into things that are already popular, such as AMC Entertainment, without reading up on the reason for the popularity.

Buying stock low and selling high, or holding, also helps. Holding allows one to see the performance of the stock in order to continue holding, buy more, recuperate a loss, or simply decide it is not worth it.

It is also recommended to never use money that will be needed for crucial expenses, instead use money that one is comfortable losing.

Index funds like the S&P 500(SPY) tend to be safer as the return rate tends to be pretty constant. In this case SPY tracks 500 companies, meaning that some of the companies might fall as others might rise. The gains and losses balance either out since it is a multitude of companies instead of just investing in solely one company.

Therefore it makes it a lower risk stock, essentially putting your eggs in many baskets instead of one.

Ultimately, if a financial endeavor requires someone to provide money upfront or utilizes a form of marketing to get someone to join, it is normal to feel unsure of it. Amble research should be done, a quick google search or testimonials even. This in efforts to mitigate risk and prevent others from falling into a financial trap.

COVID-19 setbacks

ADRIENNE MOON

STAFF WRITER

W

hile classes have returned to campus, sorority recruitment remains online due to sororities wanting to make it accessible for everyone non local or not living on campus. Currently, there are 100+ girls going through recruitment. The theme for the potential new members (or PNMs) for this year’s recruitment is flowers, displaying playful peonies, serene snapdragons, and many more.

The sororities at Sonoma State include: Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Sigma Sigma, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Omicron Phi, and Alpha Gamma Delta. Each group has two recruitment counselors (RCs) that help the recruitment process run smoothly.

The RCs help guide and even listen to the PNMs potential issues but they are neutral to every sorority as to not influence any of the PNMs decisions. They are still active members of their sorority but their loyalty lies with the Panhellenic council during recruitment.

The Panhellenic Council is an umbrella organization for the 26 national women’s sororities all throughout the USA and Canada. It is the premier support organization for new members to experience sorority life.

Recruitment is held over the span of three days, during which PNMs are able to see which sorority they get along with the best, and where they can find their forever friendships and sisterhoods.

The first day was held on Friday, the 10th and began at 5 p.m. and went until around 10 p.m. It consisted of six rounds in which each PNM got a feel for each sorority and what Greek life is all about.

Each sorority handled their Zoom meetings differently. For example, one sorority first showed their recruitment video, then had one-on-one time with an active member. Some sororities had one-on-one time with an active member, showed their recruitment video, then came back for some more bonding.

The second day is known as Philanthropy Day, which highlights each sorority’s philanthropy. The day allows sororities to express their passion for their philanthropy and how they are involved.

This helps PNMs get a sense of what their potential sisterhood is all about and grow closer to each other.

The last and third day is the most serious day and it is known as Preference (or Pref) Day. The amount of chapters that you can be invited back to is two.

The dress code of recruitment is different for each day. Day one was comfortable but still casual cute, day two was a more polished look from the previous day, and day three was business casual attire. It is valued that each day, members and PNMs are still expressing their own unique style while getting to know each other.

Each vibe of the sorority is very different, but they all highlight sisterhood and having someone that you can form a genuine connection with. Sisterhood in a sorority is someone that you can go to for advice, or someone that you can ask for help if you ever need it. Essentially, your sisters will be there for you, through thick and thin.

Yes, there may have been some technical difficulties. But in the end, there is always a whole group of people working together in order to make this a memorable and fun event for all the lovely PNMs.

4 News

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

continued from pg. 1

STAR // Isabelle Barkey In addition to tree removal and the Stevenson renovation, the SSU campus has undergone parking lot repairs and repavements.

COURTESY // Instagram President Judy Sakaki smiles with a student and the campus Seawolf mascot.

Campus pay disparities among staff cause students surprise JEFFREY AVINA STAFF WRITER

R

ecently, Seawolves have taken an interest in the salary disparities between the higher and lower-paid campus faculty. In the midst of a national demand to raise the minimum wage, many are taking notice of other professions that some believe do not receive compensation proportional to the amount of work they require, while other professions receive salaries that are higher than some expect. Most students here at Sonoma State are even still unaware of the pay difference between the professors and President Judy Sakaki.

According to CalSalaries.com, in 2019, Sakaki made about $514,667 in total compensation, whereas the average salary for an arts and humanities professor at Sonoma ranges to about $70,000 $110,000 a year with benefits. This does not include the adjunct faculty, whose salaries are dependent on how many units they are teaching that semester.

Adjunct professors, or part-time professors, are untenured professors that do the same type of work as tenured or full time professors, but for a lower salary. In order to supplement their pay, some professors on campus also teach at colleges like Santa Rosa Junior College or Napa Valley College--in some cases, both.

“Adjunct lecturers are the hardest working faculty we have, some of the best I’ve ever met,” said Hollis Robbins, the dean of the School of Arts and Humanities earlier this week. “It would be great if we could pay our lecturers more, but we are limited by the state.”

Students are divided on this conversation, with some saying a position like Sakaki’s seems to earn a disproportionately high salary compared to other hardworking faculty, and others saying that the work of a university president warrants such a salary.

However, one thing most students have in common is that they are unfamiliar with the specific duties of a university president. Phrases like ‘ambassador for the school’ are the only descriptions that came up when students were asked.

“I figured that the president of the university would make more than professors, but I didn’t realize that’s how big the gap was,” said one fifth-year student upon learning the difference in pay for the professors on campus.

While some students on campus were also somewhat unsure of the type of responsibilities that the president held, more seasoned students remember pre-COVID-19 pandemic ‘“walk ‘n’ talks” that the president would hold.

During these walks, Sakaki would personally interact with students in order to connect with them and discuss campusrelated topics. Still, students are seemingly hard-pressed to understand what Sakaki does on campus.

Being back on campus after being away for so long due to COVID-19 has students questioning the nature and process by which things are done. The past few unconventional, remote semesters have made students curious about how their tuition is used, as the repercussions from a global pandemic have raised financial questions for many. Students worry that not enough of their tuition goes to paying their professors.

“When I think about it, it makes me think we should pay our professors more,” said a first-year student.

As this discussion over campus salary disparities develops, students will wait in earnest to hear what campus staff thinks about the matter.

Names of students quoted in this article were withheld due to the political and public nature of their comments.

Series of fires in Healdsburg raises arson concerns continued from pg. 1 started the fires. They got them out quickly – the fires were small and did not damage any homes or buildings.”

Despite the overwhelming suspicion of arson, each fire is being investigated individually.

“Every fire is its own unique event,” said Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls in a quote for The Press Democrat, “We would be remiss in not using the scientific method that we are trained to use as fire investigators.

Nicholls emphasized that no conclusion has been made in regard to the cause of the fires saying, “We don’t want to get sucked into a confirmation bias. It’s not infrequent to have fires that are lining up with one cause only to find out that it was some fluke or some curveball.”

Regardless, in a community annually devastated by fires, residents were shaken by the thought of another arsonist in the area, especially given that Cal Fire reported on their Twitter account back in May that “the first 4 months of 2021 Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers have arrested 44 Arson Suspects, an average of 1 arrest every 3 days.”

Since then, Cal Fire has reported that this number has risen to 103 arson-related arrests have been made this year in California as of Sept. 1.

The Northern Sonoma County Fire District thanked the community and the other agencies that assisted in combating the fires in a Tweet posted Sept. 7 which read, “Thank you to our community for being so vigilant and remaining calm during this unusual event. We have all lived through more than one stressful fire here in Sonoma County and everyone reacts differently. Please be kind to your neighbor, friend or acquaintance who feels traumatized by this event, we have all been through so much.”

Students eager for campus construction to conclude

communities following Northern California’s wildfire problems. According to officials, the stringy bark that the large eucalyptus trees produced is extremely flammable and susceptible to spot fires.

The trees were planted in 1970, just four years after SSU opened its doors to the public. With these trees containing highly-flammable leaf litter and government agencies viewing the plants as a threat to the state, SSU decided to get rid of them.

However, this decision caused some controversy, as many students believe the trees added “character” to campus.

“I liked the trees because they added to the scenery and made the campus look a lot better”, said first-year student Hayden. “The way they bordered the parking lots made it feel safer, more secluded, and prettier.”

When asked about where he stood in the argument of them cutting down the trees, the first-year student answered, “I think they shouldn’t be cutting down the trees, but because of the fire risk, I guess I can understand them cutting down the trees or hiring someone to clear out the brush underneath.”

Not only have the missing trees caught the attention of students, but so has the in-progress construction on Stevenson Hall. The renovation of this building serves to increase classroom size, improve and modernize classroom functionality, as well as relocate the administrative offices to Salazar Hall, to make Stevenson an all-academic building.

While the renovations have many students excited and eager to see the results, some also expressed their concerns.

“The construction is a little bit annoying because I have a class at the International Hall, which is right next to it, and it can get a little bit frustrating with the loud noises,” said Kyla, a first-year. “But I hope it is going to be really cool in the future.”

If everything goes according to plan, Stevenson Hall is set to finish its renovation by the Spring semester of 2023, with many Seawolves feeling excited to be able to fully enjoy campus again.

continued from pg. 1

COURTESY // Instagram Under the current law, Rohnert Park Police and Fire Departments promote only the use of fireworks deemed “safe and sane,” and only in permitted areas like residential neighborhoods.

Rohnert Park to vote on fireworks ban

Many of Rohnert Park’s non-profit organizations fundraise by selling safe and sane fireworks. Those arguing against Measure D on the ballot place the possible loss of money from these fundraisers at $324,000.

Impacted organizations include youth sports, Cotati-Rohnert Park Project Grad, and Cavalry Life Church, according to the Change.org petition.

The city has a plan in place to help these non-profits for at least the next year by establishing a Replacement Funding Program. The money for this program comes from donations from Graton Rancheria Casino.

The No on Measure D organization is backed by American Promotional Events Inc, also known as TNT Fireworks. They have contributed $100,000 dollars this year to the campaign, according to the campaign statement filings submitted on Sept. 1.

While the official Facebook group for No on Measure D has only 153 followers, the Save Rohnert Park Fireworks public Facebook group has over 800 members. So while the group may have corporate backing, it also has real public concern.

The No on Measure D spent $10,000 advertising on Facebook.

The fight over Rohnert Park fireworks has been linked to a fire in a garbage can involving planted fireworks at Council Member Willy Linares home in July.

The rebuttal against Measure D, on the ballot, mostly consists of arguments that banning legal fireworks would actually increase the number of illegal fireworks. “Illegal fireworks are already illegal! Measure D simply makes Rohnert Park less safe! Other communities have tried and it backfired,” reads the ballot.

Other arguments made for Measure D include that fireworks can be triggers for those who may have PTSD involving explosions or fire, and that fireworks can terrify pets.

Those supporting the prohibition of fireworks include former mayor Gina Belforte and Cal State Firefighter Association Legislation Chair Matt Epstein.

Rohnert Park is one of only two remaining cities in Sonoma County that allow the use of such fireworks, the other being Cloverdale. Sebastopol was the latest city in Sonoma County to prohibit all fireworks. They had similar concerns about wildfires.

Whether you consider safe and sane fireworks to be the best way to fundraise or environmental hazards, it is clear that they are a hot button issue in Rohnert Park.

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

Arts & Entertainment 5 Spotlight of the Week

DANA SCACCO

Rileystreet Art Supply

STAFF WRITER

R

We offer a fantastic art education schedule in both stores, including free demonstrations virtually every weekend. Plus all of our staff are practicing artists or have visual art degrees.”

Rileystreet offers a 10% discount to SSU students and holds an annual two month back to school sale in the fall, where everything is 25% off. This year’s sale began during the second week of August and goes until Sept. 30. Students need to show their SSU ID card and can bring in an art course syllabus for assistance on finding required supplies.

Diana Argueta, a Rileystreet employee and former SSU alumni student, said SSU students visit the store frequently, “An SSU student comes into the store nearly every day, if not three times a week. Art students shop in between classes all year long and many of these students are enrolled in painting, drawing, and printing courses [at SSU].”

Argueta, who graduated as an art studio photography major, shared her experience with the store, “I started shopping here as a freshman, since most teachers recommend this store. I shopped here a lot as a student and got lucky with landing this job after I graduated. I even helped my coworker get a job here and she was a former SSU art student too.”

Rileystreet warehouse worker Dave Lindgren described that the staff enjoys assisting SSU art students. “We try to be as helpful as we can. We all really enjoy helping students that are just starting out in college level art courses,” said Lindgren.

According to fourth year art studio student Lexi Geren, “Rileystreet is the most suggested and recommended art store for SSU students to go to. I usually go at least once a semester and I like how fairly easy it is to find everything.”

Fourth year studio art minor Jenna Zager shared why Rileystreet is her favorite spot for art supplies. “I usually go for paints, panels, and paint brushes. I really like how wide their selection of supplies is, and I always feel comfortable going to Rileystreet for projects of different mediums. The pricing is also pretty good and there’s usually a sale on top of the student discount,” said Zager.

Art teachers contact Rileystreet and use the shop as a place to promote and hold art classes for the public. The shop also supports local artists by advertising flyers inside the store that showcase different art galleries and art events.

Rileystreet sells handmade pieces from local artists, such as postcards and facemasks. The store also accepts art donations from the public, and is decorated with the donated pieces.

STAR // Dana Scacco Rileystreet has one location in Santa Rosa and another location in San The Rileystreet Art Supply store in Santa Rosa is a local haven for SSU art students.

Rafael. Visit either of their locations or check out their website, rileystreet. com, for more information.

ileystreet Art Supply is one of the most popular local spots for Sonoma State art students to buy their art course materials. The store supports SSU students and local artists by providing a variety of discounted art supplies, selling handmade artwork, and offering in person art classes.

According to Rileystreet’s website, their Santa Rosa location “has been voted the Best Art Supply Store in Sonoma County for the past 22 years.” The site states that the store “has always carried the widest selection of artist materials in the North Bay, many of which are discounted from retail everyday.

Local dahlia farm aims to be community hub during COVID-19 and beyond

CLÉA UPCHER

STAFF WRITER

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weddings, and flower workshops. [We do] herbal medicine workshops…[which teaches visitors about] the medicinal properties of flowers, and how we can work with them… We try and hit a wide range of folks…” she continued.

Kozlov recommends the evening yoga sessions for students in particular, as well as the sound baths, “...Relaxation for students, come on!

The sound baths are good to recharge, reset and chill out. You don’t have to talk, you don’t have to do anything. Come with a sleeping bag and just relax for an hour and a half.”

Other events students can attend are the live music concerts from local bands on the weekends, and movie nights projected in the flower fields.

With the breeze gently blowing the dahlia stems and the color-coordinated rows expanding across the property, the flowers are in their peak season. From September to mid-October, the dahlias are at their brightest.

The Happy Dahlia Farm’s other farm manager, Jeff, explained his experience working at the

farm. “I just love growing; I’ve been growing for a lot of years. [Guests can expect] beautiful flowers every day,” he said while attentively watering each plant.

As far as the build-your-own bouquets, visitors have over 150 different dahlia varieties to choose from. The flowers are harvested by staff members every morning at 6 a.m., and kept in a temperature controlled and organized by color.

“Each dahlia is like a piece of art… The beautiful colors and uniqueness of each one make you want to take endless photos…” said Celine L., a visitor at the farm.

“We’ve been trying to get the message out there and [encourage] some Sonoma County kids to come visit us. They can just enjoy being back in nature and being back outside, which I think is huge...” Kozlov said.

The dahlia farm is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit their website or check out their Instagram page, @thehappydahliafarm to learn more.

STAR // Ileana Aleman The miniature flower shop located at the entrance of the Happy Dahlia Farm gives customers a chance to take a piece of what is the beautiful Happy Dahlia Farm home.

STAR // Ileana Aleman The dahlia farm has a wide range of different dahlia varieties, including bright pink dahlias in full bloom.

or six years, the Happy Dahlia Farm in Petaluma has connected locals to their environment against a vibrant floral backdrop.

After the pandemic, the flower farm’s goal is to reconnect with their community through hosting a wide-variety of events and selling build-your-own dahlia bouquets.

Farm owner and former makeup artist Megan Major, reimagined her farm to be a COVID-19 community hub, and her tight-knit staff is excited about their upcoming events which include anything from yoga sessions to herbal medicine workshops. “[Prior to COVID-19] it was just cut flowers… people could walk through, but it wasn’t a destination. [Major] wanted to make it more of a community space,” farm manager Nika Kozlov explained. “[Now] we do yoga on Tuesday nights. We do sound baths… relaxing in the grass while people play different instruments [like] Tibetan bowls, harps, gongs. We also do baby showers here,

6 Student Life

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Student assistant Amy Kerfoot helps students with cashless printing (via Wolfbucks), which is available to all students on the first floor of the Schulz Library.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey

SSU Library introduces cashless printing JHERY MAE MONTEZA STAFF WRITER

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or several years, cashless payments have been in the works at Sonoma State Library, and the library has always wanted to give students an easier way to pay for their printing necessities.

The library is introducing some brand-new upgrades, starting with finally introducing Wolf bucks as a new form of payment to replace cash-only machines.

Wolf bucks only work with student IDs, and are used for dining on campus or buying school supplies in the student store. It made a lot of sense to offer it as an option when it comes to printing, because there now isn’t the need to carry loose change.

Hilary Smith, a research and user services librarian at Sonoma State, disclosed that the main benefit for students is that they don’t have to remember to carry coins on their person at all times. Especially at a time like this, people tend to avoid giving and taking cash due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Smith spoke about how many services and purchases are processed using some kind of form of cashless or touch-free payment, and how the library finally made a choice to adapt to these innovations as well.

Strictly using coin machines was detrimental to library staff as well, because they were constantly having to fix the finicky machines or jams in the coin slots. Students are often left waiting for their print job to finish, and as a result aren’t happy with this experience. Through printing with Wolf bucks, this can be avoided.

Wolf bucks printing is up and running available for students to use today. On the first floor of the library, there are both black and white and color print stations. The second floor contains two black and white print stations.

When students are ready to print their documents, they can log onto any of the library computers, find what they want to print on

Canvas or Google Docs, for example, and send it to the print stations. The printer stations have a computer terminal and card swipe.

Students will swipe their ID to call up their print job(s) and it will display the available Wolf bucks to use. The library staff hopes to add more features in the future, which include the ability to print from a mobile device, and more.

Currently, the library is only accepting Wolf bucks as a form of payment. There isn’t an option or ability to pay with a different method of payment. If students ever run out of money they can add more to their Wolf bucks account. Students can find more information about it on the Wolf bucks website under “How to Add Funds.”

Even though most of the printers are set up for Wolf bucks Printing, the coin machine is still an option and available for students with the first floor printers. Anyone who does not have access to Wolf bucks can pay for printing with cash on the first floor.

Along with the addition of Wolf bucks printing, the library has some other new technology to offer. They have recently added four new flatbed scanners where students can upload scans directly to their Google Drive or attach it to their Gmail. If students can’t make it to the library during the hours they are open, they have also installed smart lockers outside the first floor entrance as pickup locations where students can request items to be placed in the lockers for pickup anytime. These pickup lockers are provided as a safe place to keep items after hours at the library.

The library has been working hard to update their equipment, in an effort to adapt to the advanced technology on campus and also make it easier for students. Wolf bucks Printing is available today for students to use, so that they don’t have to worry about carrying loose change, and are instead able to pay using their student ID.

Culinary Services partners with Grubhub and makes other updates

DANIEL DINERMAN STAFF WRITER

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s students return to school, we begin the transition from our virtual pandemic lifestyle at home, back to the busy and bustling on-campus life at Sonoma State.

While things seem to be changing almost every day, classes have picked up and turned busy for all students overnight.

However, one thing stays the same: Seawolves are hungry.

While many students would stumble into The Kitchens at late hours or hit Lobos, looking for a nice restaurant feel whilst maintaining the college budget, many new students will need to wait for their favorite food places on campus to open up.

Sonoma State’s campus has made a variety of accommodations to allow all students to safely enjoy their favorite foods on campus. Lobos is currently closed, and The Kitchens hours have changed from 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Mon. - Thurs. and 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. from Fri. - Sun. The Student Center offers a variety of snacks and beverages, leaving Sip as the only other place to grab a bite on campus. Sip is open 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Monday - Friday.

An interesting upgrade for students is that SSU has recently partnered with Grubhub for their new “on-campus pickup option”. Beginning Sept. 20, students will be able to order their favorite coffee, pastry, sandwiches or snacks from Sip. While Sip will be the first feature available for this new upgrade, there is hope of the other campus restaurants to be added over the course of the new semester. This will allow students to pick up meals and eat them without having to go into the dining halls. All orders are done through the Grubhub App and picked up outside of Weyden and Brewster’s, which will be right outside of the student center. Students have the option to pay per meal using most payment methods, including WolfBucks and Bonus Dollars, with the option to buy meal plans.

It is hard to say when the Kitchens and the rest of the Culinary Services will be offered in full effect and at their maximum capabilities, but it is not hard to see why. “Normally we need 400 students to work all of the restaurants and jobs for the Culinary services. This semester we are looking for 120 students to smoothly run our current operation.

There are currently 68,“ said Nancy Keller, Director of Culinary Services. Things that used to be served in places like Charlie Brown’s Café and Stomping Grounds are now being offered at Sip, while the school remains at a low capacity of students. For some students with in-person-classes, it feels like life on campus is starting to come back, but it’s clear that we are still dealing with repercussions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Starting Sept. 20, students will be able to order from Sip via Grubhub and pick up their order outside of Weyden + Brewster’s.

Culinary services have also changed their benefits towards its employees. In the past, workers would get one free meal for every four hours worked, but now employees only need to work two hour shifts before getting a free meal. Culinary Services are using this as an incentive and opportunity to potentially earn and save students money, while also being able to help the food places on campus work properly to their full potential.

As we shift back into in-person classes, Culinary Services, food on campus, and a variety of things once considered normal, have been forced to change. The Kitchens are opened at different hours and new services have been made available to order off campus, and Culinary Services are trying their hardest to accommodate to all students on and off campus. All departments on campus have had to make changes due to COVID-19, and Culinary Services are struggling because of a lack of employees, resulting in the shortened hours of availability. Be sure to take advantage of the upgrades and changes to how Culinary Services will be operating on campus this semester.

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

Student Life 7

Greek life recruitment started this week for all interested students SIERRA HARVEY STAFF WRITER

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reek life is an integral part of Sonoma State’s legacy, and has helped many students find their community for years. During the first weeks of September, sororities and fraternities are beginning their recruitment processes, and students are very excited to meet the communities affiliated with SSU. Here at Sonoma State, we are right in the middle of sorority and fraternity recruitment/rush week. Just this past weekend, sorority recruitment took place, involving an extensive process of interviews and activities for hundreds of women. This

COURTESY // Instagram Alpha Delta Pi members table for their sorority and prepare for recruitment weekend, welcoming all interested students to start their Panhellenic journey.

recruitment process is designed to help students get to know the values and members of the sorority that they’re interested in, as the existing members get to know them.

Fourth year business administration major Piper Collins was recruited for Alpha Omicron Pi (AOP) in Fall 2020, after learning about the process from a friend and deciding to rush. While she was able to experience different types of opportunities and benefits of Greek life, she would put finding community and friends above everything else. When asked about how to counter the anxiety of the recruitment process, she stated that students should “trust the process, because you’ll end up exactly where you need to be.”

Third year student Sophia Swofford was equally outspoken about the different types of benefits of sorority life. She praised the social and academic support she received from her “Big Sister”, a mentor that helped to guide her through the first few months in the sorority. Collins and Swofford both saw immense improvements in their academic achievements, and credited this to having a community of students to study with.

Swofford advises unsure students to “just try it, because you might meet a chapter that you love, and the girls could be your mentors and best friends.” For those who missed this past weekend of sorority and fraternity recruitment, Continuous Open Bidding will be taking place in the Spring semester. It involves choosing a chapter and interviewing with them privately, which Swofford states is a “much more personal and laid back process.” Be sure to keep up with the SSU Panhellenic Instagram page (@ssupanhellenic) for more information regarding the recruitment processes to follow.

This semester, recruitment happened entirely through Zoom. The “shell”, a virtual outline, for this process of rotating zoom rooms was created by former SSU Greek life advisor Leo Serroto who is now helping teach this process to other colleges across the country as they transition to online rushing and recruitment. The transition to virtual recruitment has been a challenge for all, but has also benefited students in many ways. These virtual sessions allow rushing students to fully participate in Panhellenic events and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Fraternities will start their virtual rush events this week after bidding for sororities has closed. Which includes a similar process of interviews and activities designed to integrate new potential members with the fraternity. SSU’s student body also includes a number of Multicultural organizations that begin their recruitment process later in the semester with a virtual “world tour” to get to know these organizations. Students will discover their connection to each other, and how they celebrate culture and academic success at this event. You can find more information on the Seawolf Living website, or visit the tables in the Seawolf Plazaon Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

Mo Phillips, Director of Student Involvement, helped to give some insight on how recruitment operates and is organized on a virtual platform. “I have a lot of respect for the men and women that are able to both coordinate and take leadership roles,” Phillips says. She also went on to highlight the importance and difficulty of disaffiliation with your organization as a fraternity/sorority recruitment counselor in order to provide unbiased aid to students. While Phillips has never had personal experience with Greek life as a student, she enjoys seeing the extensive processes that students go through to uphold the values of what their chapter stands for.

Sonoma State advisors and students take pride in their Greek Life affiliations and during virtual classes and activities will continue to thrive.

Makerspace unveils brand-new equipment, encouraging all students to create ADDISON SMITH STAFF WRITER

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he Makerspace, located on the first floor of the library, has undergone renovations to accommodate students and new-comers alike in glorious fashion. Just this past year, faculty at SSU have decided to add brand-new 3D printers named Ultimakers, that can create larger prints.

For years, SSU students have used the Makerspace as a place to 3D print, do arts and crafts, embroider, label, and a whole lot more. Now that the library is open following the COVID-19 pandemic, students are welcomed back to the Makerspace safely as well. The Makerspace has always been known as a place to “dream, make, and innovate” on campus, but has been seemingly overlooked and undervalued for years. With new tools and upgrades, the library hopes to make the space a welcoming and exciting space for students to visit and let their creativity shine through.

Alexis Renelle, a student at SSU and library staff, stated that “Ultimakers allow students to make bigger 3D prints.” These brand-new 3D printers are truly the highlight for students who are looking to bring their creations to life. 3D printers were always the most popular attraction in the Makerspace, and adding two more will be sure to bring in interested students. With new innovations and upgrades, the Makerspace welcomes all students to try something new and create something interesting today.

Purchased for SSU through funding from a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Makerspace has helped students and faculty to innovate, create, and build, for years. Their overarching goal is to “encourage creativity and inquiry,” as well as “facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration,” which they have been doing for years by offering their space to students all around campus.

Another new addition to the Makerspace are sewing and engraving machines. Sonoma State has added a Brother embroidering machine, as well as two Viking sewing machines. With brand-new sewing machines and an embroidering machine, students are able to use the Makerspace to embroider clothes and fabrics, as well as sew them together. These additions just add to the types of crafts that students can create, as well as allowing them to find new hobbies and interests.

Meghan Berggren, a third-year at SSU, stated that “it’s nice that SSU has added so much to the Makerspace. I also really enjoyed learning how to sew with the new sewing machines this past summer.” Berggren was STAR // Genesis Botello able to use the Makerspace to learn how to sew, and she has picked up a Computer science major Dana Conard uses the Vive VR equipment in the Makerbrand-new hobby in the process where she will continue to put together space to paint in VR. her own types of garments and clothing.

The library at SSU welcomes all students to unleash their creativity While the Makerspace is free for all students to use, all students are in the Makerspace, where they are now able to embroider, sew, 3D print, expected to follow the library conduct policies, as well as using the and more.

Aiming to continue to innovate with new technologies, the equipment in the Makerspace in the safest fashion possible. Whenever Makerspace looks forward to future upgrades to allow students a chance training is available, students are encouraged to attend as a way to avoid to find their new passions. injury from using these brand new machines.

8

Health & Sports

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // Evan Roehrig Junior Amy Trephan executes a kill on the set from Freshman Brynna Slayton in the face of Dominican University defenders, leading them to their first of two victories on Saturday.

Seawolves triumph 3-1 in weekend tournament

NICHOLAS ROTH

STAFF WRITER

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he Sonoma State women’s volleyball team opened the Seawolf/Gator Classic with two 3-1 victories over the visiting Chico State Wildcats and Dominican University Penguins. The Penguins responded to the Seawolves first set victory with a tight win in the second, but Sonoma cleaned up their early mistakes and put it away with two straight set wins.

Sonoma looked a little shaky after losing their second set, and the miscues carried over into the third. Multiple serves hit the net and bounces didn’t go their way on good blocks from kill attempts at the net.

“After losing the second set it was all about going out and playing clean, keeping our serves in the court, and just letting Dominican make the mistakes,” Said senior Outside hitter Emily Eaton.

The score was still knotted at 11 despite multiple serves hitting the net and blocks by Sonoma that didn’t bounce their way. Then, freshman Setter Brynna Slayton and the Seawolves went on a tear. Slayton, in her 7 serves, had 5 aces and 4 straight to lead 19-11. After grabbing momentum on Slayton’s run of points, the Seawolves won the set in dominant fashion 25-15.

The fourth set was back and forth from the first point to the last with Sonoma pulling it out 29-27 to win the match 3-1. After a long rally with multiple diving digs from both sides, Sophomore Riley Beyma set the ball up perfectly for Eaton to slam it home and seal the point making it 17-11.

After a Dominican timeout, it looked like Sonoma had it wrapped up with momentum on their side. Dominican came out firing though with an immediate kill from senior Outside Hitter Tiffany Wong and an ace from Junior Libero Vanna Marquez to grab back momentum.

After being tied at 25, Wong and Eaton continued to trade kills running the score to 27-27. Eaton had seen enough, after a vicious kill Junior Setter Jennifer Trephan had a kill of her own setting up the serve for Eaton. It was a perfect ace to seal the first victory of the year for the Seawolves. “Winning that first game was a great start to the tournament this weekend after a hard fight, I know we all want it so badly,” said Eaton on the home opening victory.

For the second match of the Seawolf/Gator Classic, the Seawolves faced

off against CCAA rival Chico State. The Seawolves, who played their first tournament of the year in Seattle against tough opponents, felt ready for Chico State. “We are an extremely young team. We went to Seattle to play top teams in the region and get some experience at that level,” said Head Coach Bear Grassl.

“Chico will be a much better offensive team. We held Dominican to under 10 kills which usually is a win. We need to match Chico’s offense, and improve on the service line,” said Coach Grassl on what adjustments that need to be made.

It was clear they had made the necessary changes, as the Seawolves had 13 aces to Chico State’s 4.

After Sonoma won the first set 25-19, Chico State had everything clicking during the second. Placing kills almost at will, either hammering them home or gently placing them in between the Seawolf defense. It was clear from the start that this just wasn’t the Seawolves’ set to win; they lost 25-16.

Chico, riding high off their second set win, brought the energy, which is something the Seawolves needed to match in order to bring home the victory.

“Chico is an aggressive team, and of course a longtime rival of Sonoma. I think we need to come out with high energy, stay low error, and be ready to put up a good fight and we will be in good shape. And of course, we need our fans out there making noise for us in the stands,” said Eaton.

Sonoma was up to the task, as they came out aggressive and carried the match all the way to the end. In the end, the combination of Jennifer and Amy Trephan, Redshirt junior outside hitter, were too much. They accomplished enough kills to tie and seal the victory 28-26.

Yet again Sonoma was able to match Chico’s energy and were able to stomp out any momentum Chico thought they had. After being tied at 22, the Seawolves cruised to victory, capped off by a clean kill from Redshirt sophomore Leilani Hallman.

The Seawolves finished off the Seawolf/Gator Classic with a loss to Academy of Art 3-1, and a 3-1 win over Holy Names University. They’re back in the Wolves Den September 24 against rival Chico State.

Sonoma State’s sports teams stay COVID-19 safe ISABEL EPSTEIN STAFF WRITER

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ntil this year, none of Sonoma State’s sports teams had been authorized With these COVID-19 protocols set in place, some changes had to be made to play since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With sev- in regards to the way that certain sports are played. Being an inside sport, the eral reported positive cases of COVID-19 among professional sports women’s volleyball team has had to slightly adjust some aspects of the game teams, one might wonder exactly how safe is it for the university’s student- that they were used to. athletes to play this school year?

Since the start of the season on Sept. 3, there have already been several ocIn March 2020, the CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) casions where outside spectators were not allowed to watch the matches from made a statement that they were suspending all athletic activities indefinitely. the stands. Jessie Hobbs, a fourth year and middle blocker for the women’s volSeveral teams settled on holding their practices and trainings over Zoom un- leyball team said, “We also are not allowed to make physical contact with our til the CCAA announced in May that college sports teams were approved to opponents so we now wave to the other teams rather than high fiving before and compete in the 2021-22 school year. However, SSU’s golf team was granted the after matches.” approval to play their last season.

Despite the adjustments teams have had to make in order to keep games In order to play, several precautions have been put into place to keep ath- and practices safe, the athletes are excited to be back out there practicing with letes, coaches, trainers and other department faculty safe. The athletics depart- their teammates, competing and making SSU proud. Kennedy said, “Although ment’s biggest strategy in keeping infection rates down among student-athletes [our games] happen to be outside, please keep wearing masks. It makes events is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. like this still possible when everyones doing their part.”

Currently, the athletics department has a vaccine rate of 80%. Those athTo see a complete schedule of the Fall sports games, visit the SSU Athletics letes that are exempt from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination are required website. to test negatively twice a week and they must wear N95 masks while in an enclosed space with their teammates.

Additionally, the COVID-19 protocols are based on recommendations from the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the CCAA, so all of the Seawolves’ opposing teams will have taken the same precautions before competing.

Jared Chasey, the deputy director of intercollegiate athletics said, “Our department has seen a very small number of cases among both student-athletes and employees... That is a testament to the diligence of everyone involved and their adherence to the various risk mitigation strategies in place”.

Keeping safe during games and practices in the time of COVID-19 is not the sole responsibility of our student-athletes. Coaches, trainers and other staff members have been doing a great job at enforcing safety protocols. All faculty are encouraged to be vaccinated and are required to wear masks during practices and training sessions, they have been persistent in cleaning equipment and keeping their exposure to people outside the athletic department to a minimum.

Cléo Kennedy, a transfer second year on the women’s soccer team said, STAR // Isabelle Barkey “I’m really proud of everything that’s been happening. I know my coaches are Team members of the Sonoma State Softball team have been meeting to practice really diligent about making sure their exposures are really low and they wear while wearing masks and social distancing. masks the whole time during practice”.

Health & Sports 9 Sonoma State welcomes new confidential advocate

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

JAKE MORRISSEY STAFF WRITER

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ne of the most prevalent crimes on college campuses across America is sexual assault. Over 24% of college females and almost 7% of males experience sexaul assault of some form during their time in college, according to Rainn.org (the worlds largest anti-sexual assault organization). Like many schools, Sonoma State University has a program that combats sexual assault and supports its victims, and they have just recently welcomed a new member to their team.

This year Sonoma State welcomes Sydney Casey as the new confidential sexual assault advocate. Casey received a bachelor’s degree of science in psychology and neuroscience from UC Santa Barbara and is currently working towards a master’s degree in social work CSU San Bernardino. She wanted to get into the field of confidential advocacy because of the large number of people she knew to be impacted by sexual or domestic assault while she was in college. Casey wanted to do something about this.

“In my new role, I really hope to increase student and staff engagement in awareness events and campaigns such as Domestic Violence Awareness Month coming up in October,” said Casey. “I hope to connect with student leaders to deliver more trainings and workshops on sexual violence and related topics to increase awareness on campus.”

After graduating college, Casey began volunteering for the Verity crisis hotline. Verity is a large company focused on eliminating all forms of violence, especially sexual and domestic violence. After about a year of working on the hotline, she joined the Verity team as an advocate. It is clear to see that Casey is passionate about putting an end to gender-based violence, especially on college campuses.

When asked what a typical day looks like as a confidential advocate, Casey stated that there really is no such thing as a typical day, everyday is different. However, most days are spent either supporting sexual assault survivors one on one or giving presentations on campus to raise awareness.

One on one support involves the confidentiality office working to get survivors all the resources they need to be successful. This includes providing confidential, non judgemental decision making support, counseling referrals, academic and housing assistance, accompaniment to medical or legal appointments, and support throughout the entire process or reporting if the survivor chooses to do so.

Outside of work and school, Casey really enjoys the outdoors.

She is passionate about hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing.

Casey even mentioned that she saw the rock wall in the campus recreation center and would love to give it a try.

“My top self care tip is to get outside and let nature decrease those stress levels,” said Casey in a comment on the @advocacyatssu instagram page.

COURTESY // Sydney Casey on LinkedIn Sonoma State’s newest Confidential Sexual Assault Advocate, Sydney Casey, is excited to explore her new role and meet new people.

With sexual and domestic violence being more relevant on college campuses than anywhere else, it is extremely important to have passionate people working in the field on these campuses. For any Sonoma State student who finds themselves needing confidential support, Sydney Casey is available to help with whatever is needed.

For support, do not hesitate to contact her or any part of the confidential advocacy office.

Right now, due to COVID protocols, Casey is only available via zoom, email, phone calls. She can be reached through email or phone, both of which can be found on the SSU confidential advocacy website. Casey also mentioned that for support during the evenings and weekends she recommends calling Verity’s crisis hotline at (707)545-7273.

Campus mask mandate indoors vs. outdoors ALEX GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

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urrently, masks are required inside all buildings on campus, but not outside when social distancing is maintained.

With Sonoma State having Lil Big Nite (one of the university’s first large outdoor events of the year), Nicole Rivera, a senior Biology major, said, “...There were people not wearing masks or wearing them improperly. It is a bit unavoidable since there’s a lot of attendees and only a few staff members, but this is where we as community members have the chance to step up and remind others to wear their masks.”

As it turns out, one individual who attended Lil Big Nite tested positive for COVID-19 and has potentially spread the virus to a great handful of students.

Sonoma State’s COVID-19 response team promptly sent out an email alerting students and faculty to the fact that, “If masks and all protocols were followed, the risk of transmission in this setting is relatively low.”

Marcos Peech, a senior Biology major at Sonoma State, gave additional input on the mask mandate.

He currently believes that the campus mandate is effective in combating the spread of COVID-19: “With masks on, we can do much more interaction yet decreasing the chance of getting the virus”, Peech states. Additionally, Peech believes the school’s current precautions with wearing masks inside all

campus buildings and sanitizing stations all across the campus is good.

Ella Gomez, a senior Biology major at Sonoma State at Sonoma State states “...the school should consider making free disposable masks more widely available to encourage students to wear properly fitting and effective masks”. With the recent Lil’ Big Nite event, having just occurred, Gomez also expressed frustration with outdoor events not having the same regard to mask policy as opposed to indoor practices of mask use.

Gomez went on to say, “There has been times when I was not fully comfortable entering a space because someone was not wearing a mask or because there were far too many people in that area.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, the opinion of students and faculty in regards to the University’s mask mandate has remained mostly positive. While the university has created policies to ensure students and faculty remain comfortable, Rivera and Gomez’s thoughts remain skeptical towards its effectiveness outdoors. “...Making people wear masks outside might be too challenging, but it should be mandatory for outdoor events,” Rivera said.

It’s difficult to predict how Sonoma State will adapt as time goes on, considering the pandemic has remained prevalent and students’ safety is at risk.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Freshman Annabella Silva on her way back from the only open cafe on campus on September 10, 2021.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Freshmen Devin Leeds (left) and McKenna Olson (right) go for a walk on September 10, 2021 around campus.

10 Photo

SEPT. 14 - SEPT. 20, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

The Happy Dahlia Farm is in bloom

STAR // Ileana Aleman The Happy Dahlia Farm is intended to create a safe communal space that welcomes all to sit down and enjoy live music while drinking some wine and taking in the view.

STAR // Ileana Aleman The entrance to the Happy Dahlia Farm flower shop is filled with fresh flowers, crystals, and other fun gardening gear.

STAR // Ileana Aleman The Happy Dahlia Farm stands out on the map because of their healthy flowers that come in all different colors and varieties for customers to enjoy.

SSU student favorite: Rileystreet Art Supply

STAR // Ileana Aleman Rileystreet provides most - if not all - that an artist may need for their next project.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Rileystreet Art Supply employee Dave Lindgren restocks and organizes the assortment of acrylic paints for sale.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Pat Fritz from Rileystreet Art Supply informs customers of product details and encourages customers to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Rileystreet Art Supply’s funky and colorful paintings and sculptures displayed all around the store give customers a unique shopping experience.