Issue 7

IN THIS ISSUE

Women in art

Festivals make a comeback

Seawolves share their projects in honor of Women’s History Month.

PAGE 6.

The COVID-19 vaccine brings hope for upcoming festivals.

PAGE 7.

Presidential promise

Biden promises all adults eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine by May. PAGE 10.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 87 // ISSUE 5 MARCH 16, 2021 - MARCH 22, 2021

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

SSU Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement temporarily suspended

GABRIELLA HERMOGENO STAFF WRITER

O

STAR // Genesis Botello The COVID-19 pandemic, a cut in funding from the Government, and decreasing enrollment numbers have served a blow to Sonoma State’s overall budget.

Budget deficit and enrollment down at SSU, but officials remain optimistic

CALLIE ADAMS STAFF WRITER

S

SU is suffering from a $9.2 million deficit as a result of a trend of declining enrollment that began after enrollment peaked in 2015. While the University is not alone in its struggle to attract greater numbers of incoming students, with Humboldt and San Francisco State Universities also experiencing low enrollment, SSU is certainly being hit the hardest.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of schools in the California State University system saw increases in enrollment, according to EdSource, a journalism group focused on California education. Sonoma State University was not among those, and the recent budget cuts are not helping the situation either.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom siphoned away CSU funding in order to fund efforts to offset the effects of the pandemic, a decision made on behalf of the state but to the detriment of state universities. The budget cuts, in combination with pandemic-related losses, such as drops in campus populations as students moved home for online learning, struck a blow to Sonoma State and its sister schools.

Now, Newsom has promised to restore $299 million to the CSU budget, which Julia Gonzalez, SSU spokesperson and assistant vice president of strategic communications, called “welcome news.”

“The Governor’s announcement to restore $299 million in budget cuts to the CSU...will help the campus make progress on reducing our budgetary shortfall,” Gonzalez said. “It will, however, not entirely repair our current structural deficit, which is a challenge the campus needs to face for the next several years as enrollment rates recover and we continue to align the expenditure of resources with the University’s strategic plan and priorities.”

It seems as though restoration of the CSU budget may not be enough to solve SSU’s budgetary issues, especially those related to enrollment. Some people may ask why enrollment is down in the first place.

When asked this question, Gonzalez responded that there is “a combination of factors” responsible for the issue.

n Feb. 23, the California State University system authorized the temporary suspension of the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). They also reported that any high-stakes examinations be suspended.

Sonoma State University’s Advising Center announced to students that the GWAR is now temporarily suspended, making the Writing English Proficiency Test (WEPT) cancelled this semester and the Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) requirement no longer applicable towards graduation. Students who will apply or applied to the Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022 terms will not be required to fulfill the GWAR in order to graduate.

Before the temporary suspension, students who reached the level of junior standing were considered to be eligible to take the WEPT or can choose to take WIC courses to complete the GWAR The WEPT was designed at SSU to test students on their ability to write persuasive articles, essays, or letters on a selected topic that the university chooses.

While other CSU campuses require writing portfolios, university wide English exams and WIC courses, SSU developed their own exam, the WEPT, for students to have an option in order to fulfill the GWAR. The test is scored based on its structure, content, clarity and expression. To receive a passing score to graduate, students must rank a score of eight or higher out of 12 points.

Additionally, WIC courses will not count as a graduation requirement in correspondence with the GWAR, but the course’s units will still count towards the required number of total units in order to graduate. These courses are all upperdivision classes that aim to expand the writing skills of students due to the CSU Board of Trustees noticing a decline in students’ writing skills. The GWAR required every campus in the CSU system to have all students demonstrate writing proficiency at the upper-division level.

Although students are temporarily not required to take the WEPT or WIC courses to fulfill the GWAR, the The Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) still encourages students to keep writing and strengthen their writing skills for the future. Director of the Learning and Academic Resource Center see CSU REMOVES on pg. 4

see NEW TACTICS on pg. 5

Courtesy// Instagram Some argue that Bennet Valley golf course has valuable open recreational space that should not be replaced with housing.

The future of Bennett Valley Golf Course raises issues about inequality

BRYCE GALLAGHER STAFF WRITER

A

he Summer 2021 Olympics, already postponed from 2020, is experiencing yet another setback. Japan’s Government officials decided to ban foreign spectators from watching the event being held in Tokyo at the end of July The Summer Olympics will officially start on July 23, and officially end on August 8. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympics had been postponed for the first time since World War 2. With Japan’s prior Olympic hosting experience, officials in Japan are working hard to abide by COVID-19 guidelines to ensure a safe Summer Olympics is going to happen.

With the games being postponed in 2020, Japan’s officials have been very hesitant to host the Summer Olympics but are determined to make it happen.

According to CBS News, “Tokyo Olympics bosses in Japan and the International Olym-

fter a tremendous amount of opposition from the surrounding community, the city of Santa Rosa has decided to put a pause on their evaluation of the Bennett Valley Golf Course. Last month, the city made the decision to assess the status of the course in hopes of replacing it with either more recreational space or affordable housing.

After the decision was made, community members from all over Santa Rosa and Sonoma County rallied together to show support for the club, which inevitably led to the project being put on hold.

Mayor of Santa Rosa, Chris Rogers, announced the decision in a Facebook post on March 2, stating that he will be putting together a case by case committee of councilmembers, who will review both logistics and public comments, and ultimately make the final decision On their website, savebennettvalleygolfcourse.com, a statement on the matter says, “This is where the rally cry must be heard. As stewards of this peaceful and happy place, it is now up to us to keep and protect it! It is up to the people of Sonoma County to hold space for the BVGC, not only for the ‘NOW’, but for generations to come.”

However, not everyone in the community is excited about the new decision. Salvador “Pocho” Sanchez, a photographer and self-proclaimed revolutionary, feels like there are much bigger issues in the city that need to be addressed.

“If we’re speaking honestly, f**k golf,” Sanchez said, “I don’t care about the golf course at all. It’s not about the golf course. It’s about the idea of saving material over people.”

Sanchez, who was very vocal about his opposition to the “Save Bennett Valley” movement, took to Facebook to bring awareness to the issues, he said, his community has been struggling with for decades.

“If you would like a history lesson in white privilege look at the two different Santa Rosa’s. West side; we are trying to stop police from killing us, so we are saving ourselves, but in Bennett Valley, they don’t even know who Andy Lopez is. Think about that,” said Sanchez Andy Lopez was a 13 year old from Santa Rosa who was fatally shot by police in 2013 while holding a toy rifle. He is just one of many people in the area that Sanchez says are victims of this divide.

“These people are more into saving some old golf course that makes no money, than helping families live by nature,” Sanchez said, “Thousands of people would love to live in Bennett Valley and enjoy the schools there, but it’s not about that. It’s about keeping us on

see OLYMPICS on pg. 4

see GOLF COURSE on pg. 4

COURTESY // Instagram A masked man walks in front of the official “Tokyo 2020” Olympics sign. The event, already delayed one year, will now ban foreign spectators from visiting.

The 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will not host foreign spectators

QUINN MCKIBBIN STAFF WRITER

T

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board

Kylie Rose Lawrence, Editor-in-Chief Kristina Schmuhl, News Editor Katelyn Dodge, Opinion Editor Christy Chew, Arts & Entertainment Editor Myles Grabau, Student Life Editor Emily Cripe, Health & Wellness Editor Brandon Sparks, Photo Editor Gil Chaffer, Copy Editor Bryce Gallagher, Distribution Manager Devon Pique, Format Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

The mental health pandemic: COVID-19’s psychological toll has resources drowning

Staff Writers Callie Adams, Ileana Aleman, Emily Alvarado, Jayline Alvarado, Julia Blair, Zena Bounsall, Kaitlin Breen, Cheyenne Carroll, Katlyn Dodge, Casey Fabbri, Sumiko Fong, Bryce Gallagher, Gabriella Hermogeno, KC Holtemann, Olivia Hughes, Nancy Insua, Willy Lepori, Quinn McKibbin, Morgan Mitchell, Caroline Morales, Sondra Ottenstein, Samantha Pezzola, Noah Philpott, Anthony Pilotti, Mary Helen Rowell, Matthew Smith, Vincent Spence

Photographers Isabelle Barkey, Pammy Meyers, Andrew Savedra

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:

“Virtual Club Fest allows students to find ways to connect during the pandemic” Read the article on page 9.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to hear from you!

The STAR welcomes letters 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.

O

ver a year into the worst global health crisis since 1918, student’s mental health is at a record low and therapy offices are shutting their doors in the faces of new clients.

America, as well as many other countries, has always had a severely underfunded mental health program, and now, the pandemic is exposing the extent of said underfunding. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “20.6% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019 (51.5 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.”

Now, according to Mental Health America, “The number of people screening with moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety has continued to increase throughout 2020 and remains higher than rates prior to COVID-19.”

A year filled with isolation, uncertainty, and tragedy will take a toll on just about anyone’s mental health. The expectation that everyone should continue going to work and school virtually while watching the world shut down is harmful in itself, but to do so for a full year is simply unheard of. Humans are designed to socialize and interact with one another — we weren’t built to withstand conditions like these and with no clear end in sight, a mental health pandemic was bound to ensue.

Despite the growing need for long-term treatment for varying degrees of mental instability, mental health professionals remain inaccessible to the vast majority of people seeking treatment.

“I’ve had a hard time getting a physiatrist and finding private spaces to have therapy literally all of quarantine. I’ve left messages, met with doctors, and been turned down because they didn’t have space for me and I still don’t have a psychiatrist. They rarely get back to me and when they do, either my insurance doesn’t fully cover it or they don’t do telehealth and I’m not in their area,” SSU student Zero Carey

COURTESY // Sactown Magazine

said.

There are many ways the mental health industry has attempted to adapt to the world’s growing need, such as offering remote therapy, hotlines, and smartphone apps. For example, NAMI offers a helpline for anyone looking for free information about resources and treatment.

NAMI is also a safe place for anyone struggling to cope in the moment, as they have trained employees ready to take calls and talk through any issues. Locally, there’s the Jewish Community Free Clinic in Santa Rosa, which offers free solution-based therapy and free counseling. For SSU students, Counseling and Psychological services offers free therapy appointments and has removed the cap on the number of visits each student is allotted, due to COVID-19. There are organizations like these all around the United States, and while they are a huge step in the right direction, they all provide more short-term, generalized counseling, compared to what a normal therapist’s office would.

On top of the fact that mental health professionals are currently inaccessible for first-time patients, the conditions for current patients is definitely not ideal to say the least. Due to COVID-19, therapy sessions have moved to Zoom for the last year, and for many patients, it just isn’t the same. There are clear issues with virtual therapy-such as, patients having trouble expressing vulnerability over the phone, a lack of accessibility to the internet, and issues with creating a secluded, safe space to share one’s innermost thoughts.

When asked about his experience with virtual therapy, Carey went on to say, “I’ve honestly given up and just dealt with the fact that my sessions are never truly private. I miss being in the office where I would cry a lot more because I felt more safe.

I’ve cried once in my telehealth therapy sessions in the last year.”

There is also the issue of how these mental health facilities are deciding who to treat and who to turn away. The answer to the question “are you suicidal?” shouldn’t be the reason a person does or does not qualify for specialized, individual care, but due

to the overwhelming demand for mental health services, this has become the standard practice.

Even before the pandemic, non-suicidal folks seeking help were asked the golden question and sent home with a bottle of overpriced medication that may or may not work.

A person doesn’t need to be at their absolute breaking point to benefit from therapy, and to ask such a question in order to decide who gets the help they need is a direct insult to those asking for help.

SSU student Kay Aschwanden recounts a time in which they were turned away from an outpatient care center based solely on their lack of suicidal thoughts: “I was dismissed so quickly my heart dropped. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying in front of this woman who just invalidated me in so many ways by implying the only way I could get this level of care is if I told her specifically I was suicidal. She gave me one paper to the office of the psychiatrist I was already seeing, and I was back in my car.”

Mental health needs to be prioritized now more than ever, and while everyone continues to fight for a place in line, there are still options out there for those feeling hopeless. When professionals turn someone away, the best thing that person can do is turn around and keep self-advocating. Fighting for treatment, even after being turned away at every door, can help one practice self-advocacy when seeking psychological help.

Self-advocacy is essential to the process of seeking help, and it will prove to be invaluable in obtaining the attention of tentative mental health professionals.

SSU senior Deja Whitney said, “In the beginning, finding a therapist felt impossible, but I never gave up. Just keep trying and it’ll happen. If you feel comfortable, reach out to friends or other professionals for help, and remember you don’t have to do it alone.”

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

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

‘Vaccine Passports’ in development to bring back normalcy

SUMIKO FONG

STAFF WRITER

L

iving in this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many individuals to crave the idea of normalcy. Traveling is an aspect of the pre-pandemic lifestyle that after a year, people are wanting to go back to. However, traveling during this time has been the cause of controversial conversations as to whether it’s safe or not. So, with the development of a vaccine passport, there may be a safe way to pave travel even during the pandemic.

Currently, the vaccine passport does not exist, but the idea is being seriously considered by several travel corporations. According to CNET, the vaccine passport will most likely be in the form of digital documentation

to show proof that each traveler has been vaccinated. In addition to traveling, it was also mentioned that schools could use vaccine passports to allow students and teachers to return to in-person classes as well.

The vaccine passports, also being called the vaccine pass, will be monitored on a mobile app. There will most likely be a scannable barcode so places can use it to let individuals enter establishments.

The app will have functions that will allow users to not only show their passports as proof of vaccination but also check the necessary entry requirements for travel destinations. This app would also show the results of a user’s most recent COVID-19 test. As of now, these apps will only monitor COVID-19 vaccinations, however, it could expand to other illnesses in the future.

Having vaccine passports are a positive implication that society can get closer to the end of this pandemic. There is a possibility that having a vaccine pass could be required for everyone if they want to enter a public establishment. Nick Careen, Senior Vice President for the airport, passenger, cargo and security at International Air Transport Association (I.A.T.A.) spoke

with the New York Times about the future need for vaccine passes. Careen stated, “sporting organizations, concert venues and tourism agencies have all reached out for identification tech support to implement vaccine passports when they have been developed.”

Currently, there are multiple organizations that are in the process of developing these vaccine passports. According to CNET, “The I.A.T.A. is developing an app called Travel Pass that would let users upload documentation that proves vaccination status.” The Travel Pass would also be utilizing identification measures such as fingerprints or facial recognition. IBM is also creating a Digital Health Pass that will “enable organizations to verify health credentials for employees, customers and visitors entering their site based on criteria specified by the organization.” Lastly, the app Clear, “the registered traveler program that allows you to speed through security at US airports, is pushing the Health Pass feature in its app.”

Having a vaccine passport does not excuse individuals from following social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures. Wearing masks and staying

6-feet away from others not in your party is still required by everyone, even if you are vaccinated and have acquired a vaccine pass in the future.

While the vaccine pass could be a false hope since it does not guarantee immunity from the virus, the pass could open the door for behavior that could make the pandemic worse. It could influence more out-of-state travel and larger public gatherings that are not socially distanced.

However, it would allow countries to have a positive incline in their economies, more establishments could be allowed to reopen. Vaccine passports are an opportunity vaccinated for intriguing those who might be more skeptical about the vaccine.

Offering the opportunity for them to return to a more similar pre-pandemic state with a tap of a button.

Having more people vaccinated with vaccine passports can be beneficial for everyone, especially for those who are frontline workers and those who work in healthcare that is dedicating their time to fight against the virus. Also, it could ensure that society is on an upward trajectory to the awaited return to a pre-pandemic lifestyle.

Meghan and Harry expose racism in the Royal Family British tabloids and royal members, and

further when the royals not only in-

this was simply the “lifestyle” as royal.

the strain the crown put on her mental

formed Harry and Meghan that they

It takes an immense amount of

health. Markle told Oprah about how

would not be taking a traditional photo

courage to ask for help and no matter

the royal family had concerns about the

showing off their newborn son, and that

who the individual is, anyone’s mental

darkness in skin color of Prince Harry’s

he wouldn’t be given a title or security.

health is just as important as the next.

and Meghan’s first child, Archie. Nei-

The decisions came with no explana-

The responses they received were not

ther Meghan nor Harry shared who

tion. The queen’s statement also in-

only discouraging, but also insensitive.

started such conversation. “So we have

cludes her saying that “Harry, Meghan,

From watching the interview, it is clear

RACHEL GONZALEZ

in tandem the conversation of you won’t

and Archie will always be much-loved

that the crown may have been embar-

O

be given security, he’s not going to be

family members.’’ If they were con-

rassed to allow Markle to get help with

n March 7, CBS aired a Prime-

given a title, and also concerns and

sidered beloved family members, then

her mental struggles, and afraid that the

time Special of Oprah inter-

conversations about how dark his skin

why would they be denied the birthright

British tabloids may write a negative story regarding her and the crown.

STAFF WRITER

viewing Meghan Markle and

might be when he’s born,” said Markle.

of prince? Actions speak louder than

Prince Harry. Prince Harry is a member

Queen Elizabeth, Harry’s grand-

words, and from what was gathered in

Being apart of the British royal

of the British royal family, who began

mother, made an official statement:

the interview, love and acceptance were

family seems like a luxurious lifestyle,

‘courting’ the American actress in 2016

“The issues raised, particularly that of

never a priority. Especially when it was

however, Meghan and Harry both con-

and eventually announced their engage-

race, are concerning. While some recol-

needed the most; when Markle was not

firm this is not the case. The interview

ment in 2017. The interview was based

lections may vary, they are taken very

only facing racism but struggling with

with Oprah cleared the air with ru-

on clarification of the relationship be-

seriously and will be addressed by the

her mental health.

mors, like how Markle was being de-

tween the couple and the crown. Oprah

family privately.” When the Queen re-

Markle continued, sharing that she

scribed as being a mastermind of tak-

set the stage for Meghan and Harry to

fers to the racist instances, it seemed to

and Harry struggled to find help within

ing Prince Harry away from the crown.

disclose their experience when they

be a form of gaslighting. She tried to in-

the institution. When Markle began

Also, Meghan and Harry were allowed

decided to take a step down from the

fluence Markle to feel as though she was

to feel suicidal, there was no help of-

to share their perspectives of being

crown.

misremembering the moment and that

fered to her. Harry went on to say that

apart of the crown without the fear of

Though being part of a royal family

her emotions are unneeded. This was a

he went to the people and places he

the British tabloids, which was likely

may seem like a fairytale, Markle

discussion that was blatantly based on

thought could help his hurting wife, but

a beneficial and freeing experience for

shares with Oprah that this was not the

the concern of introducing a prince of

they were denied assistance. When it

them. With all that was shared, it is no

case. Markle discloses her intimate ex-

color as a part of the royal crown.

came down to it, he and Meghan were

surprise that Meghan and Harry would

denied access to any resource because

attempt to step down from the crown.

periences; like facing racism from the

The racist concern reveals itself

Burger King UK causes an international uproar following sexist remarks female employees to follow their culinary

sional chefs in U.K. kitchens are women

UK, and Burger King UK surely has to

dreams. The clarification, however, did

and to help change that by awarding culi-

understand why this tweet caused such an

not stop Twitter users from getting the

nary scholarships. We will do better next

uproar. Even though Burger King UK did

wrong message altogether. While their

time.” While it seems like Burger King

apologize, this is not the first time an inci-

goal message may have been good-willed,

UK could have started by explaining their

dent like this has happened.

the delivery was way off. It became ap-

scholarship program, at least they later

With continually evolving news and

parent that Burger King UK was not put-

clarified that their initial tweet was sup-

the return to in-person activities, it seems

ting out the right message when they re-

posed to help shed light on their desire to

no one is getting too hung up on one

ANDREW SAVEDRA

sponded to the backlash with, “We think

get more professional women in the in-

post. Nonetheless, Burger King should

B

it’s weird that women make up only 20%

dustry.

be better monitoring their content. This

STAFF WRITER

urger King UK caused an in-

of chefs in the U.K. restaurant industry.”

Topics such as gender inequality, in-

harmful and sexist language is still up on

ternational uproar when they

Whoever was posting these tweets must

tersectionality, and racism have become

Burger King UK’s Instagram and being

released a tweet on March 8,

have thought everyone already heard

hallmarks of this new decade. It is vital

used in print ads. It must be questioned,

that stated, “Women belong in the kitch-

about the scholarship program. If a Twit-

to be respectful, considerate, kind, and

was it actually unintentional, or was it us-

en.” A plethora of critics immediately

ter user saw this tweet with no context,

clear when communicating a message, es-

ing outrageous language to garner more

shamed Burger King UK for imposing

which was the case for many, they would

pecially in today’s political climate. If a

media attention. Because the world is so

sexist ideals. Others used the tweet as an

have an excellent reason to assume Burg-

major company does not follow these ba-

diverse, it essential for companies to mar-

example of primitive, old ways of think-

er King UK was knowingly sexist.

sic rules, there is bound to be a backlash

ket themselves on these platforms as con-

Soon after Burger King UK released

of some sort. No company is safe from

siderate and understanding. Burger King

the initial tweet, they released an apology

politically correct backlash; Dr. Seuss’s

UK was ignorant and hurtful to many. A

Burger King UK made a half-heart-

for the original sexist tweet, “We hear

books, Aunt Jemima, and Pepe Le Pew

tweet like this is never ok, and Burger

ed clarification that their tweet was sup-

you. We got our initial tweet wrong, and

were scrutinized because of their offen-

King UK will have to consult within their

posed to promote their women’s culi-

we’re sorry. Our aim was to draw atten-

sive content. Twitter users were entirely

team to ensure their tweets are consider-

nary scholarship program which allows

tion to the fact that only 20% of profes-

within reason to get mad at Burger King

ate in the future.

ing that need to be forgotten and unmerited.

4 News

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

CSU removes writing requirement for graduation, calling it ‘burdensome’ continued from pg. 1 (LARC), Loriann Negri stated in an email, “Good writing skills can make the difference between getting a job or not, enhancing personal relationships, and communicating with elected officials. Therefore developing writing skills, especially writing skills relevant to a student’s specific field of study or major is beneficial both personally and professionally.”

The Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) plans to coordinate with the school’s registrar to clear the GWAR from the Academic Requirement Reports (ARR) of students who are eligible for graduation during the semesters referenced above. Students who are eligible will be notified from the school once this task is completed and the status of the semesters beyond Spring 2022 is still being determined by the Chancellor’s office.

The Chancellor of the California State University decided to temporarily suspend this graduation requirement across all CSU campuses as a response to help students graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic and to follow social distancing guidelines. According to Executive Vice Chancellor of the California State University, Loren J. Blanchard, her memorandum states, “The temporary suspension is sought to facilitate student progress toward degree completion while faculty redesign curricula to ensure students have the instruction and practice needed in order to achieve university writing outcomes without the use of in-person testing.”

In relation to the California State University’s Graduation Initiative 2025, the CSU aims to help students graduate by dismantling procedures and policies that are seen as administrative barriers. According to the California State University’s web page for Graduation Initiative 2025, “Administrative barriers can include unnecessary or overly burdensome policies and procedures that may delay the graduation process.”

The SSU Advising Center encourages students to contact their advisor with any questions regarding plans for graduation.

With the WEPT being cancelled during this semester, the university plans to refund the fees back to students who have paid and notify all test-takers from this semester about the cancellation. The LARC’s web page for the WEPT states, “All Spring 2021 WEPT exams have been canceled and all test-takers will be notified and have their fees refunded.”

To find more information or to get in touch with an advisor, visit the SSU Advising Center’s website (http://advising.sonoma.edu/).

COURTESY // Flickr.com Although delayed a year, Tokyo prepares to host the 2021 Summer Olympics.

Rescheduled Olympics will continue without foreign onlookers continued from pg. 1

pic Committee have been steadfast in their determination to pull the event off — while always cautioning that some constraints would likely have to be made.”

According to an article called ‘Japan to ban foreign spectators from Tokyo Olympics by The Hill’, “The decision is being made between Japan, the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, Tokyo 2020 and Tokyo Metropolitan Government. ” The decision was talked about by multiple official corporations, and ultimately it was decided that the safest way to go about hosting the Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic was to ban foreign spectators from visiting in-person.

Since COVID-19, Japan has had major success, with fewer than 500,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and under 10,000 total deaths, compared to the United States death toll at over 500,000.

Tokyo’s densely packed city, with over 30 million residents, has mostly steered clear of the virus with impressively low numbers for such a populated city. They have been practicing wearing masks and social distancing. Tokyo is the largest metropolitan city in the world behind other cities like Delhi, Mexico city and Sao Paulo. And have had major success compared to other densely populated cities.

Some spectators and fans were wondering whether or not they’ll be able to attend the event, and were upset when the formal announcement was no foreign spectators. But others agreed that the decision was most likely the best thing to do give the current state of the global pandemic.

Sonoma State student Kristen Monteverde, a lifelong Olympic Games fan, said, “The decision made by foreign officials seems like the safest thing to do with the ongoing pandemic.”

Japan has hosted the Olympic Games a total of four times, two which were in the city of Tokyo. Their first time hosting the Olympics was in 1964, and at that time they were the first Asian city to host the summer games.

Although delayed a year, the 2021 Summer Olympics will have a wide variety of games and even add some new, never before debuted sports. The 2020 Games will see the introduction of new competitions including 3x3 basketball, freestyle BMX, and madison cycling, as well as further mixed events.

With the introduction of these new games, we’ll also see original Summer Olympic Games such as surfing, karate, climbing, skateboarding and more. These summer Olympics will also have baseball and softball, which they haven’t included since 2008.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Former Sonoma State student, Jamie Dennis, picks up an order from Arby’s while working for Door Dash. Delivery drivers have been one of the victims of car thefts.

Car thefts on the rise in Rohnert Park; pandemic may be a catalyst

SAMANTHA PEZZOLA

STAFF WRITER

Amidst this pandemic, reports of car theft have seen a surge all over California and have been especially on the rise in the Rohnert Park area. Auto theft has been on the rise during 2020 and is still an issue in 2021 across the U.S. This begs the question: Have car thieves gotten more clever with being able to break into cars? The short answer is no.

With a significant number of people staying at home during the pandemic, there have been many cases of car thieves stealing cars due to drivers leaving keys inside their cars. Also, individuals who attempt to steal cars may notice the same daily routine of cars parked at home and may try to find ways to break into the vehicle, giving them a higher likelihood to steal the car, especially when keys are visible to a thief.

While there has been an increase in deliveries this year, there has also been an increase in delivery drivers leaving their car running while making deliveries - contributing to car theft as well.

A 6% rise in carjacking has increased from the previous years, which suggests that the pandemic is a window of opportunity for car theives.

Crime Analyst, Jill Kemp of the Rohnert Park Police department, shares her insight into the rise of auto theft in Rohnert Park, “Stolen vehicles have increased in 2020. Looking into 2021, they have also increased. Looking at the causes, it’s really a mixed bag. What we are finding is the opportunity that in several cases, folks have left keys and have left the car unlocked.

Maybe not intentionally but sometimes they are. Some leave their cars unlocked and some have keys in the ignition…please don’t leave your keys in the vehicle and please secure it.”

In addition to this surge in car theft, many work trucks are stolen, according to Kemp, “These kinds of trucks and work these people have to require them to have their tools in the back that are attracting folks to those kinds of vehicles.”

The work trucks have toolboxes drilled open, attracting thieves to this type of truck and carjacking has been a frequent target for landscape trucks for a long time.

In most cases of stolen vehicles, the theif had easy access to the keys. In other instances, someone could have watched their daily habits and knew where they placed their keys lending a chance to take them. There are examples of former employees who know where a key is kept, or upon meeting in various places will get a hold of the victim’s keys and drive away.

Due to fast action of the police, there has been a high recovery rate in Sonoma County and Marin County.

Luckily, there has been a quick turnaround for victims having reported their vehicles stolen, who were in most instances able to retrieve their vehicles with a 86.9% recovery rate, according to California Highway patrol.

Kemp, wraps up how the rate of cars stolen can be reduced following these key steps: “Key takeaways to avoid this surge in auto theft are to always have keys on your person, keep keys within your reach only when with acquaintances, and take keys out of the car and lock it in order to dodge a break-in.”

With more people at home due to this pandemic, always lock your car and always keep your set of keys and spares inside your home.

STAR // Morgan Mitchell One of many signs surrounding the Bennet Valley Golf Course urging people to help save the land from future development.

Potential golf course closure spurs activism from residents continued from pg. 1

our side of the freeway.”

Above all, one of the most important obstacles Santa Rosa is facing is income inequality, which Sanchez says affects not only the physical well-being of the people, but the emotional too. Sanchez’s daughter and her mother live in Sebastopol with other family because it is a more comfortable living situation, and Sanchez claims this is a huge blow to him as a father.

“There’s an extreme intimacy problem going on, with fathers not being able to be with their children because they can’t afford to live in the space that they deserve... I got two damn master degrees and I can’t even afford to live in a home here. It’s just not right.”

According to Data USA, the median household income in Sonoma County is just over $80,000 while the median home value is $655,000. The site also reports that Sonoma has a 10.8% poverty rate.

For now, it looks like the decision to reevaluate the space is on hold, and those who use it are more than ecstatic about the verdict.

“I am excited for what can happen with the community coming together with our leaders to make the BVGC/Galvin Park and the event center a success for years to come,” shared Santa Rosa native and Sonoma State Alumn, Cathy Slack in a Facebook post.

While the wealthier community celebrates the saving of the golf course, Sanchez is looking further ahead, in an attempt to influence the future of the city.

“I’m going to teach my daughter and my friends who will teach their children, through all of my art,” Sanchez said, “We’re going to raise a generation in Santa Rosa that’s going to transform the paradigm, and this place will never be the same.”

News 5

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Beauty among the destruction left behind by the Glass Fire, which scorched more than 67,000 acres in Santa Rosa in October 2020.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Kristine Sullivan, a local homeless woman, shares her struggles with the STAR as she stands outside her makeshift home in Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa ranked 10th happiest city in America despite ongoing social difficulties

ISABELLE BARKEY STAFF WRITER

I

n October of 2020, a STAR reporter visited a homeless camp at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. There was a community of tents set up across the grounds, one of which belonged to a woman named Kristine Sullivan. She had a tent set up next to her car with a tarp hanging between them and a dog poked its head out of the rear window of her car while the woman and the reporter talked. “We really need help,” she pleaded, “I’m trying to get my kid back and the fire took everything.” How could this conversation be taking place in the “tenth happiest” city in America?

On March 8, Wallethub, a personal finance website based in Washington D.C., posted an in-depth research report on the happiest cities in America. Santa Rosa was ranked the tenth happiest city in the country, five below San Jose and ten places below the top city: Fremont, CA. The report rose questions for many: Happiest based on what data? Was every demographic equally taken into account? How can Santa Rosa really be the tenth “happiest” place in America?

Wallethub came to these conclusions after comparing the most populated cities in the country. “We examined each city based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day,” explained Adam McCann, a financial writer on the Wallethub website.

The cities were each ranked under three subjects: Emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. Emotional and physical wellbeing were weighted more than the other two categories and included statistics like suicide rate, depression rate, adequate sleep rate, food insecurity rate, sports participation rate, and life expectancy.

Income and employment looked at income growth rate, poverty rate, job security, unemployment rate, commute time, job satisfaction, and 4+ star job opportunities per total people in the labor force.

The category for community and environment, on the other hand, included WalletHub’s most caring cities ranking, separation and divorce rate, hate crime incidents per capita, ideal weather, and acres of parkland per 1,000 residents.

When looking at the individual scores you can see that the “happiest” city in America, Fremont, ranked first out of 182 cities in emotional and physical wellbeing and fifth in community and environment. Santa Rosa was ranked lower in community and environment with a rank of 33 out of 182, but was ranked seventh from the top when it came to emotional and physical wellbeing.

For many, however, it has been hard to grasp how Santa Rosa was ranked seventh in the county for physical and emotional wellbeing when for the third time in three weeks, homeless residents of Santa Rosa have been forced from their encampments and told they had to find new homes.

The Santa Rosa Police Department declined to make a statement on the homeless camp removals, but they respond automatically to those who contact them with, “If you are inquiring about a homeless encampment within the City of Santa Rosa, please know that the City of Santa Rosa is working on this situation. If you would like further details and the latest updates regarding encampments in Santa Rosa, please visit Homeless Encampment Assistance Program [(HEAP)].”

The report on the SRPD website says that the outreach team was only able to successfully engage with 31 of the estimated 50 to 60 residents from the community. In an article published at the Press Democrat by Will Schmitt, one man that was living at the Industrial Drive camp “chafed at the lack of options being offered to him, given his medical situation — he has suffered through cancer and hepatitis C. He was hoping for a roof, or short of that, a government-sanctioned campsite.”

According to the same article, Sonoma County has more than 500 chronically homeless individuals in Santa Rosa, which also has one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness among suburban communities across America at 33 homeless adults per 10,000 people.

According to a report on Yahoo Finance, the national homeless rate is 17 people per 10,000 and “Boston, Massachusetts has the highest rate of sheltered homelessness at 99.1 people per 10,000, [while] San Francisco has the most unsheltered homelessness at 59.8 people per 10,000.”

The 2020 Sonoma County Homeless Census Comprehensive Report stated that there were 2,745 homeless persons in Sonoma County with a confidence level of 95%. The police administration page also mentioned plans to clean out another encampment on March 9 at Jennings Park.

Publishing the fact that Santa Rosa is the tenth happiest city in America has proved controversial to many, including residents of the city itself.

According to Elissa Chudwin at the Press Democrat, “The individual criteria that pushed Santa Rosa to the top of the list was its adequate sleep ranking (#9), income growth (#29), sports participation (#34) and hours worked per week (#35). But Santa Rosa did not fare as well in other categories, including job security (#141), separation and divorce rate (#104) and hate crime incidents per capita (#104)”.

Anonymous users are able to post their thoughts on the Press Democrat’s website under the article and many took the chance to share their thoughts. One, who’s screen name was “FedUp” wrote, “And if you are caught robbing or selling drugs you can rely on being out of jail [the] same day! What a joke this survey is. We are specifically known for record wildfires and homeless[ness].”

Another going by the name of “Wakeupamerica” added, “More like the best places to buy drugs and/or get robbed, maybe on the same day.”

According to Macrotrends, a research platform for long term investors, “the Santa Rosa, CA crime rate for 2018 was 466.75 per 100,000 population, a 14.01% increase from 2017” and crime actually increased steadily in Santa Rosa from 2015 to 2018.

The same site shows similar statistics for rape reports, which also sharply increased between 2015 and 2018 and aggravated assault reports which in 2018 was “297.18 per 100,000 population, a 8.74% increase from 2017”.

While the validity of a personal finance website with only 50 employees may be questionable when it comes to the correct ranking of the happiest cities in America, it does make one wonder what would make a city the “happiest” place in the country and how did Santa Rosa--with all its homelessness, crime, and fires--made it to tenth on the list.

At Sonoma State University, administrators are attempting to make up for a $9.2 million dollar deficit from decreased enrollment.

STAR // Genesis Botello

SSU administation trying new tactics to combat decreased enrollment continued from pg. 1

“One of the main underlying factors is the distance from home. For the CSU, 67% of students come from within a 50-mile radius. Sonoma State is a bit different at only 41%,” Gonzalez said. “Many of our students come from farther away, and that has made the last few years difficult. Across the country, students are staying closer to home, so campuses that have traditionally attracted students from farther away are now seeing fewer students go more than 150 miles from home. That tendency to stay closer to home was increased exponentially by the pandemic.”

Speculation that SSU could have earned itself a poor reputation due to persistent wildfires, or that marketing for the University could be lackluster, is also unfounded, according to Gonzalez.

“Sonoma State has a great reputation,” she said, “We are #1 among the 23 CSU campus systems in

two-year transfer graduation rates and #4 in fouryear first-time first-year graduation rates. Sonoma State also has the #1 rated student housing in the CSU. We have a lot to offer students, but the changes in enrollment are really a shift in college-going trends worsened by COVID.” Gonzalez continued to add that the university is employing new techniques to increase enrollment, focused on local populations in order to attract students from the surrounding areas.

“Our new enrollment strategies, geared more towards students in our immediate service region, are already helping, and demand is surpassing expectations in certain areas. In looking at our applications for Fall 2021, Sonoma State already has the highest number of transfer admitted students in the last seven years,” Gonzalez stated.

With those words of optimism, it seems univer-

sity officials believe the enrollment situation may improve soon.

As for what can be done by the state to alleviate present concerns, Gonzalez suggested, “Support from the Governor and the legislature to restore state funding and invest in the CSU, especially in Graduation Initiative 2025 and Basic Needs categories, would allow the CSU and Sonoma State to continue our work on student success and retention and further our progress on graduation initiative targets.”

The university also hopes that current students can play a role in fostering growth for SSU. “Students can help to increase enrollment by talking about their positive experiences to friends, former high school teachers and guidance counselors, and others who may be looking for a smaller college with great majors and lots of support for student success,” Gonzalez said.

6 Arts

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Students Spotlight of the Week: CHEYANNE CARROLL STAFF WRITER

T

Women in art

o highlight projects students are working on that empower and focus on women for Women’s History Month, the STAR spoke with students from the music and dance departments to talk about their projects.

Fourth year dance student Estefania Gutierrez started teaching a heels dance class recently to empower women and the LGBTQ community in their bodies and identities.

She started her class to “help women find that divine feminine energy that they all carry, but they’re not invited to share… in society. There’s a lot of hate towards women’s bodies, so I’m trying to... [help women] start feeling comfortable and sexy, and in my classes, I do see that happening,” she explained.

“I think all womxn should embrace their bodies and sensuality, sexuality because it is a part of us, so we shouldn’t be asked to ignore it or be put down for it, because men aren’t,” she continued.

Jasmine Kailulani Lee, a hip hop dancer at Sonoma State, talked about an embodied research project called ‘CODE EM- Revisited: Reimagining Realities Through Embodied Exploration’ that she and three other womxn students, and faculty member Farrah McAdam are working on.

The current project includes “four different pieces… [that test or challenge] the modality of society today, and specifically with the current events going on with Black Lives Matter and it being a double pandemic for a lot of Black lives and racism and systemic racism,” she said.

“Being that we all are BIPOC, as well as womxn with an X, there’s a certain type of intersectionality that happens even more so with this embodied research and is just as much [a] driving factor for a message that we’re trying to get across,” she continued.

Lee also worked on a piece for the filmed Fall Dance ‘Unity Through Movement’ production called ‘Recognition’ that communicated her journey as a woman of color.

“The piece itself was an homage to myself, and my changed self... who I am as a woman, who I am as a person of color,” Lee said.

The Women’s Jazz Band and the vocal department at SSU are developing projects that celebrate women musicians of the past.

Madeline Hansen, a student who plays the alto saxophone in the Women’s Jazz Ensemble, explained that they’re working on, “Melba’s Blues” by Melba Liston and, “In the Land of Oo Bla Dee,” by Mary Lou Williams.

“Both songs were chosen by members of the group, and were composed by women. Each member of the group also has the space to give a presentation on a female jazz musician of their choice, and everyone learns through this experience,” Hansen explained.

Students in the Opera Scenes class are producing a filmed podcast entitled ‘Project Pauline’, which focuses on the opera ‘Cendrillon’, or Cinderella, written by Romantic Era musician, composer, and singer Pauline Viardot. The project will consist of eight episodes that will be released on YouTube from late March to early May. The class chose to focus on Viardot and ‘Cendrillon’ because “Pauline’s female characters are written to be more three dimensional than a lot of women were in operas at the time… Everyone knows Cinderella… and we can get it out to more people through the digital platform,” explained Abbi Samuels, the student who plays the title character of Cendrillon.

Jennifer Silvera, a student working on the project, said the students “are incorporating extra songs written by Pauline and her contemporaries,” to encapsulate female talents of the past.

Kristina Ibarra, who plays the ghost of Pauline Viardot in the project, said “By putting on this project, the Sonoma State Opera Scenes class will be celebrating the life and work of Pauline Viardot on the 200th anniversary of her birthday.”

“Pauline was so well known within her lifetime,” Samuels said. “But much of that was lost after her death due to historical biases and what people chose to document.”

COURTESY // Abbi Samuels Abbi Samuels has continued to work virtually, including wokring on the podcast ‘Project Pauline’.

COURTESY // Instagram Despite the pandemic, Gutierrez has continued her passion of teaching dance.

‘Quetzal’ inspires Sonoma State through music

NANCY INSUA

STAFF WRITER

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ast Thursday the Grammy award winning band

‘Quetzal’ was a guest in The Green Room, a space reserved for revealing conversations, personal con-

nections and compelling performances inside of the Green Music Center. The Green Room has transitioned itself into a space for the Green Music Center to hold their virtual events during the Pandemic. Quetzal’s visit consisted of vibrant performances of songs from their newest album Puentes Sonoros.

The digital livestream hosted by Jacob Yarrow, Executive Director of the Green Music Center, featured conversations about the bands origins in activism focusing on a range of topics affecting society. Raised by activists Quetzal Flores says his parents raised him with strong ideals around social work and its importance, when realizing his desire to pursue music professionally he knew from the values instilled in him that it could never just be music. The bands’ origins are in East Los Angeles, they formed together to begin making music and took the name Quetzal in 1994. Their activism and inspiration centered around the Chicano community, and the issues facing their community in East LA. The bands blend of social activism and art can be heard in the strength and artistry of their music. Their band features two female showrunners and as a whole exude a sense of diversity that compliments their music. Dr. Alex Chavez summarized the bands influences by stating “You hear students of Chicano rock, rhythm and blues, JB funk, Cuban batá, punk, and Motown soul. You hear a band that has cut its teeth organizing, that has

COURTESY // Sondra Ottenstein ‘Quetzal’ performed in connection with the GMC’s virtual event space, The Green Room, last Thursday. More photos of the event are on Page 12.

worked to fight forms of oppression in the communities they

a unique look at the bands style. Interviews that predicted the performances in which social implications and the song’s origins

are connected to. And in pursuit of forging these creative and

allowed for a greater appreciation of the music as one could really get a sense of the artists personalities. Kiley Cardamone,

political bridges, you hear artists who are at the epicenter of

Sonoma State senior and Communications major watched the concert, “ I had never seen a Green Room performance before

the transnational world of son jarocho.”

and I enjoyed the way it was set up to get further insist on their music with the interviews throughout the performance and to

Their performance in The Green Room featured five

introduce the songs, Quetzal was a group I had not heard of but it was inspiring to learn about their activist roots and helped

songs, including La Vuelta (The Turn) that highlighted wom-

me enjoy their music”. The choice to space the interview over the duration of the concert was engaging and lended itself for a

an empowerment and El Perdon (Forgiveness) one of their

deeper appreciation of the group’s music.

hits off the new album, that showcased the talent and reach

While the shift to virtual performances, especially musical ones has been unfavorable, The Green Room has taken ad-

Quetzal has from performances in a variety of spaces, includ-

vantage of the opportunity. They have transformed the Green Room into a space that allows for more intimate perfor-

ing their home, the intimate setting of the concert allowed for

mances and gives a space for artists such as Quetzal to be showcased in an innovative way.

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

COURTESY // Sonoma State Sonoma State will be celebrating Women’s History Month with special events geared toward past work and accomplishments of women.

SSU celebrates Women’s History Month

JULIA BLAIR

STAFF WRITER

M

arch is Women’s History Month, a time that celebrates women and their contributions to American history and society over time in a range of areas. The National Women’s History Museum states that the month originally began as Women’s History Week, the holiday fought for more recognition and declared March as Women’s History Month in 1987.

Each year, the organization chooses a theme, this year’s being, “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” Sonoma State University is aiding students to celebrate virtually this year with various events ranging in subject matter to celebrate female figures.

Opening up virtual spaces for students to openly share their experiences during this time is invaluable, and the University has opened many spaces for students and faculty this month. On March 16, Umoja Queens, the University’s mentorship group for students who identify as Black Womxn within the Pan African Diaspora will be hosting a virtual meeting to connect to faculty who also identify as Black Womxn. This event will serve as a space for conversation as well as for students and faculty to relate to and learn from one another.

Another event coming up is on Wednesday March 17, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., the Women of Color Collective will be welcoming guest speaker Dr. Erica Tom, who is both a writer, and a teacher. Seawolf Living states that, “The WOCC is a weekly dialogue space co-facilitated by Womxn of color staff members from CAPS and The Hub that offers support, resources, laughter, and friendship to students who identify as WOC.” This is an important resource that the campus is able to provide virtually for their students to join in community and discuss various challenges. Despite physical closures, the University is creating virtual spaces that are open for many voices.

CAPS (Counseling & Psychological Services) at Sonoma State is also holding a virtual discussion event on March 18, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will include a wide variety of conversation topics. The discussion is geared towards relationships, stress, and emotional wellbeing. This event is for SSU womxn and is being held by Dr. Elisa Vasquez. The accessibility to confidential conversations for students off campus may be limited and the University is taking responsibility and ensuring they

will be able to provide that space for students regardless of their proximity to campus. On and offline, the staff is making efforts to make their presence available during this time and they are continuing to look for avenues of connections within their student and faculty community.

All of these events can be found, along with others online on the Seawolf Living page. This is a network of various events and information surrounding Sonoma State and various departments’ efforts to improve student wellbeing. There are ample opportunities for students to connect with their peers and faculty, and similar events are occurring on a regular basis. With events surrounding subjects such as gender identity and some discussing alumni career experience, there is no subject off limits as the University seeks to open avenues for all members of the Sonoma State community to collaborate.

This month is focused on recognizing the paths women have paved for others to continue to break barriers in many male dominated fields. Ultimately, the University continues to host events and share resources to their students and they are committed to including their students through multifaceted approaches.

virtual tastings. “You know, the wine is great, the wine’s terrific, but how do we provide a little bit of an escape or more of an experience. How do we make this new and unique and different and really embrace the medium to really have a good time with it,” said Marketing Director at Adobe Road Winery Alex Parra.

While it may not be the full wine tasting experience people are used to, the reactions to the virtual tastings have been greatly positive.

Sadie Gaus, a senior and Communications major at SSU wrote of her experience with virtual wine tastings, “The one thing I have come to love most about virtual wine tasting experiences is that of personal touch and personalization. I can easily recall one of my favorite virtual wine tasting experiences with girlfriends. We were a group of three and as a result of being such a small group, the sommelier was able to steer the tasting experience in whichever direction we’d like and go ‘off-script’. The sommelier dedicated extra time to explain in-depth information that one might not receive on the winery grounds. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. One will make what they make out of virtual wine tastings.”

Gaus goes on to write that as great as her virtual tasting experiences have been, they are not without their disadvantages. She writes that the biggest drawbacks have been the high prices, ranging from $200 to $300 a tasting, and the inability to create the same sort of atmosphere at home that one would get at a winery.

These higher price ranges may be much more difficult

for students or those, interested in participating in these virtual wine tastings, to meet in comparison to the $20 to $30 price of most in person wine tastings.

As places slowly begin to open up again, many wineries are confident that this virtual format of wine tastings will continue.

Take a trip with virtual wine tasting

MARY HELEN ROWELL STAFF WRITER

W

hile the opportunities for travel and relaxing getaways have been greatly limited in the last year, many of Sonoma County’s most popular wineries began offering virtual wine tasting events, giving people the chance to experience a piece of wine country from the safety of their homes.

For almost a year now, Sonoma County wineries like Buena Vista, Alexander Valley, Adobe Road, and Hoopes have been hosting a range of private virtual wine tasting events. Whether for small groups of friends or large corporate gatherings, these wineries offer fun and interactive opportunities to try some great wine and stay connected from afar.

Office and Marketing Administrator for Alexander Valley Winegrowers, Pam Bell, wrote in an email, “The thing about virtual tastings is that people can watch from all over the country, or globe for that matter. And from the comfort of their own home or office. This opens up a whole new relationship possibility between consumer and winemaker. The winery or winemaker can inspire new fans of people that have never even been to the region.”

Many of these local wineries offer a variety of packages customers can purchase and customize to their liking.

These virtual experiences have drifted away from traditional wine tastings to include more interactive and inclusive experiences for participants.

Wineries like Adobe Road have begun incorporating trivia nights, celebrity chef appearances, and conversations with the winery owners and wine makers into their

STAR // Sarah Gallagher Virtual wine tasting has become a popular trend during the pandemic.

Festivals announce 2021 dates

JAYLINE ALVARADO STAFF WRITER

A

s the pandemic continues despite the vaccine rollout, one announcement that came out was that of this year’s festival lineups.

The Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas has recently announced their lineup including Billie Eilish, Green Day, Tame Impala, and ASAP Rocky as some of their headliners. The festival goes from Sept. 17 to 19 with tickets already sold out and single day tickets to be released soon.

In a statement, under the Life is Beautiful Health and Safety page they state that there’s an inherent risk for COVID-19 and that in order to get a ticket, attendees should be aware that they need to follow federal, state and local guidelines. They’re also working with state and local officials for the festival to happen safely and would update their page on how they’ll create a safe environment for concert goers.

Local festival with dates lined up but no announced lineup is Napa’s BottleRock scheduled for Sept. third to fifth. The only suggestion of this is the early registration for tickets once they’re available and having announced that the festival would be returning for 2021 last December.

San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is also making a comeback this year and like other Health and Safety pages, they’re coordinating with officials to take place. Outside Lands will take place this year from August 6 to the 8.

Abe Lopez Ibarra, a junior said, “As much as we would love for these events to happen and for normal life

to go back to normal, it is still way too soon for events with such high amounts of people to happen,” and, “I have a gut feeling that it’s not actually going to happen and like it’s going to be cancelled when the events are around the corner.”

Other large festivals that are making a return this year are EDC in Las Vegas however, there is no word on what safety precautions they will take to make this event happen.

There’s even a waitlist despite it being a sold-out event.

Despite announcing a lineup in January, Miami’s Ultra Festival which attracts thousands of people from across the globe has been rescheduled for 2022. In a twitter statement in February, Ultra tweeted, “Given the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, in relation to mass gatherings and public health considerations we are deeply saddened to reschedule Ultra Music Festival...” Coachella, another popular music and arts festival in Indio was also rescheduled for 2022. However, they have not released a statement.

Junior Kiera Moran also says that “they’ll be pushed to next year” because “COVID is still a thing” and that “We should wait 6 more months before festivals like this, come to life.”

However, in an article for the New York Times Dr. Fauci said that if things are done right then concerts could be returning for fall 2021. CDC guidelines suggest to avoid poorly ventilated venues and opt for open air venues, getting the flu and coronavirus shots if possible, wear a mask and keep 6 ft. apart.

COURTESY // Instagram Life is Beautiful has recently announced their 2021 line-up and event dates.

8 Student Life Sonoma State hosts virtual grad fair MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

MATTHEW SMITH STAFF WRITER

L

ast week, Sonoma State held a virtual grad fair on March 10 and 11 for all students that will be graduating at the end of Spring semester. The grad fair is usually held in person, however due to the pandemic, this year the grad fair had to be held virtually.

In years past, the grad fair was held in person at the bookstore to get students prepared for graduation. Sonoma State Alumni Thomas Gahan recalled his time at the grad fair pre-pandemic: “The grad fair was an exciting event for seniors to prepare for graduation,” he said. “We were allowed to see the tassel color for our major, take pictures in a cap and gown, and were surprised with a class of 2020 lanyard at the end. It isn’t much, but it’s something to get you excited for graduation.”

This year’s grad fair is more informative and will not include photo opportunities. According to the grad fair website, the fair will allow students to “get information on cap and gown and how to order... announcements, college rings, and grad accessories will be covered.”

The main thing that was discussed at this year’s grad fair was the options for grad packs and what they entail.

At the grad fair, the representative from the bookstore, as well as the Herff Jones representative went over important information that students will need to know for when purchasing their grad pack for the upcoming graduation.

There are five grad pack options available, all of which include, “Cap, Gown, Tassel, Stole of Gratitude, and Zipper Pull.” The other packages have other options that can be added on including thank you cards, announcements, envelope seals, diploma frames, or other items like stoles, tassels, zipper pulls and keychains.

Other important information that was given at grad night was that the final date to order your grad pack is April 22 at 9:00 p.m. No orders after that date will be ac-

cepted. Another bit of important information is that the gown is a rental gown that has to be returned 6 weeks after the ceremony. Everything else students get to keep but the gown must be returned via mail to Herff Jones. There will be a return label that is shipped with your grad pack which you will use to send back the gown.

Sonoma State is planning on having a commencement ceremony for its graduating students, although it won’t be exactly as it used to be. Just like the grad fair, they have had to make adjustments to their ceremony due to the pandemic. According to the commencement webpage, “Sonoma State University will continue our celebration of the graduates of the Class of 2020 with a hybrid drive-thru and virtual commencement ceremony on campus the weekend of May 15-16, 2021.”

Although it may not be like normal, the fact there is a ceremony at all is a big plus for students. “After careful consideration of current public health guidance, the Commencement Logistics Committee thinks the best format for this important celebration is a hybrid drive-thru ceremony,” states the commencement page. “While current Sonoma County public health data indicates that large inperson gatherings such as commencement will not yet be feasible by May, a hybrid drive-thru format provides more of a community feel than a solely virtual format.”

People may be confused about what a hybrid drivethru may look like. A drive-thru ceremony will involve students driving up in their cars to receive their diploma rather than walking across the stage like in a traditional ceremony. Here’s what the commencement page had to say about the ceremony. “Each graduate will have the option to attend in person in a vehicle accompanied by family and friends,” they said. “Graduates participating in the drive-thru ceremony will have the opportunity to

exit their car to walk across the stage wearing regalia to receive their diploma cover and a commemorative program.” “ For students looking for information on commencement, take a look at commencement.sonoma.edu to stay up to date on new information. For information on grad packs and grad fair, sonoma.gradfair.herffjones.com will have all the necessary information laid out for graduating students.

COURTESY // Sonoma State SSU will celebrate 2021 graduation with a hybrid drive-thru and virtual commencement ceremony.

Redwood Forest Foundation hosts biochar event

NOAH PHILPOTT STAFF WRITER

T

he state of California is waging war against environmental issues such as severe catastrophic forest fire, drought, and climate change. Last week, the Redwood Forest Foundation hosted an informational Zoom meeting introducing a series called, “Dig Into Nature: Biomass to Biochar.”

This series discussed the characteristics and benefits of creating biochar, which is charcoal produced from plant matter and stored in the soil as a means of removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. This type of charcoal provides specific benefits to our forests, soil, and our climate. Biochar is rich in carbon, and helps to enrich soil for thousands of years.

Even during a pandemic, the Redwood Forest Foundation is set on “acquiring, protecting, and sus-

COURTESY // Redwood Forest Foundation The Redwood Forest Foundation hosted an informational Zoom meeting to explain the benefits of biochar.

tainably managing forestland” for the benefit of having a safer and more protected Earth.

With climate change comes drought, and with extremely dry conditions come extremely large, hot burning fires. Forest maintenance is crucial to fire prevention and mitigation, but it can also present its own hazards through the resulting debris. While there are several approaches to dealing with that debris, one has the potential to keep carbon from escaping into the atmosphere and potentially adding to soil health, without the use of heavy equipment. This creates the process of converting biomass to biochar.

The RFFI and the Sonoma State Ecology Center are taking it one step further to create prescribed burns for building healthier, fire-resilient forests.

They are creating fuel breaks and converting the removed slash into biochar within the forest. From there, the biochar will be placed in the forest as soil to improve nutrients and water retention, while being able to store carbon.

The Usal Forest, where this project will be taking place, is approximately 50,000 acres in Northwestern Mendocino County along the Northern California coast. The RFFI purchased this property in 2007 with the focus of restoration, as the property had experienced a lot of lugging in the 1940’s and 1950’s. With this forest’s history, the foundation is dealing with young, dense forests.

Chief Forester of the Usal Redwood Forest Company, Linwood Gill, says that they, “...have done a lot of work on road decommissioning located down near the fish streams, we have done some large wood installation in these creeks to really improve fish habitat, and we have also done work in the forest to improve forest condition for both future timber harvests and fire resiliency.”

Since 2010, the Sonoma State Ecology Center has been exploring the use of biochar through a series of fuel trials and education activities. The goal of this is not to encourage more open burning, but to take an existing practice and make it less polluting. “While this technique significantly reduces smoke pollution, it converts a significant amount of the carbon contained in the plant material into a beneficial form of carbon we call biochar. This is an improvement on the conservation burn technique. It reduces smoke even further and produces better biochar,” says Raymond Baltar, the Biochar Project Manager of SSU’s Ecology Center.

Kelpie Wilson, from Wilson Biochar Associates, came up with an efficient way to create biochar using something called a Flame Cap Kilm. It is a container that excludes air from the sides and bottom of the burn, while the f lame on top uses up all the oxygen and the char is well protected resulting in not being burned. There is also no bottom air which keeps the air close to the fuel. “One of the amazing things about biochar is it’s fairly easier to figure out what your climate impact is by weighing it and testing how much carbon is in it,” Wilson said.

What will some of the long term impacts be from putting biochar in the soil? Individuals are concerned about healthy soil because they help us contribute to clean water and crop reduction, reduced erosion, resilience to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Research soil scientist Debbie Page-Dumroese states that these long-term effects of putting biochar in our soil include increased moisture, the understory staying green for a longer period of time, and tree growth is not impacted.

For more information regarding the project, visit Redwood Forest Foundation’s website.

Mono tribe shares cultural knowledge of fire at Zoom event

KAITLIN BREEN STAFF WRITER

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his week, the Native American Studies Department kicked off a new lecture series, titled Fire on the Land and in Our Lives. Starting off this lecture series, Tribal Chairman of the North Fork Mono tribe, Ron Goode, presented “The Heritage, Perspectives, and Practices of the North Fork Mono Tribe.”

The event opened with a land acknowledgement led by Amal Munayer, who is an advisor for the Educational Opportunity Program at SSU. This opener acknowledged the stolen land that Sonoma State was built on, as the ancestral homeland of the Coast Miwok and Pomo Tribes of Northern California. These tribes are now united as the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Goode discussed an abundance of topics in relation to the North Fork Mono Tribe, focusing highly on cultural burning practices as part of land management, and tribal culture.

Casey Ditzhazy, SSU senior, attended the event as part of a class, stating that she “appreciated how we’ve been able to incorporate Indigenous voices into our courses and university culture.” Ditzhazy was also surprised by the high turnout of the event, around 70 people, and said “it’s cool that we can still have opportunities to do things like this during COVID-19.”

One of the main themes of the event was cultural burning practices of the North Fork Mono Tribe. Cultural burnings are small area fires which

are used by many Indigenous tribes, and guided by traditional ecological knowledge in order to help the forest to become more healthy, and help to combat the more severe effects of wildfires.

The North Fork Mono, among other Native tribes, believe that fire can be used as a tool and have seen the very real results of this belief in their homelands. To perform these cultural burning practices, members of the tribe determine whether or not a piece of land is essentially overdue for a fire. The land is then cleared of excess debris, tree limbs, and ground brush, and a small fire is started in the area, to cleanse the land.

Goode also discussed other cultural practices of the North Fork Mono Tribe, such as games played by the members of the Central Valley Native tribes. Some of these games include: archery, tree rag, buzz, and a bead guessing game.

The event concluded with a Q&A with Goode, and many students had questions to ask him.

When Goode was asked about what he thought the benefits were of events such as this one, he said “There’s a lot of folks out there like me, who are doing wonderful things and have a lot of knowledge,” but added that Indigenous Peoples are too often exploited for this cultural knowledge when they choose to share it.

He added that in the past, his claims have often been compared to Western science, as a way of trying to “legitimize” traditional ecological knowl-

edge, in the eyes of people who are unwilling to learn about it.

Goode believes this is why many Indigenous people can be “gun-shy” about sharing this type of knowledge, but he continues to do so because he wants people to try to understand what he thinks “the right way to do things is.” This event was a great way to kick off what is sure to be an interesting series about Native American perspectives on the fires that affect the lives of everyone in Northern California.

COURTESY // North Fork Rancheria Ron Goode speaks to SSU about the North Fork Mono Tribe.

Student Life 9

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

Virtual Club Fest allows students to find ways to connect during the pandemic CAROLINE MORALES STAFF WRITER

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ith nearly everything SSU-related going virtual, it’s become important now more than ever for students to connect with one another and get involved.

Many of our Seawolves took advantage of the Virtual Club Fest from March 9-11 in hopes of exploring the various ways to get involved with SSU online and offline.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonoma State would allow its various clubs to table on campus in the Seawolf Plaza or hang up posters throughout campus. SSU Student Involvement decided to mimic this idea of “in-person tabling” in a virtual format. The Virtual Club Fest hosted nearly 20 SSU clubs, allowing students looking to get involved to go in and out of Zoom breakout rooms to find out more information about the clubs SSU has to offer.

Jenna Lapuyade, SSU Student Involvement Marketing and Communications intern, said that “going to the Club Fest is beneficial for students who are looking to get involved or make new connections.”

Lapuyade then went on to explain that “The Virtual Club Fest is especially beneficial for first year students who have not had a chance to be on campus or meet anyone yet. Although it is hard to connect virtually, Student Involvement is actively putting on weekend events so students have an opportunity to chat and get to know new peers.”

Students who are already members of clubs found this event to be helpful in the sense that it allowed them to advertise their clubs to those looking to get involved with close to the same effects of tabling in-person.

Lauren Yagi, member of the SSU Cheer and Stunt Club, said “the Virtual Club Fest was the best way to do virtual tabling in order for potential members to see what the clubs are all about.”

Although they liked the opportunity to be a part of the Club Fest, other clubs on Sonoma State’s campus that are more major specific found the Virtual Club Fest to not be as effective as in-person tabling. “We found the Club Fest to be easy to access on the virtual format, but since we have a narrow subject type club, it was tougher to get students interested in the club unless the student is already a pre-nursing or nursing major,” Sonoma State’s Nursing Association Chapter President Katie Raney stated.

Many of Sonoma State’s clubs are still hosting virtual events as a way for students to connect and stay involved during these unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed clubs to find unique and creative ways to host events virtually.

“Our club has been hosting virtual game nights, painting nights, movie nights,

STAR // Brandon Sparks This year, clubs will be missing out on tabling for club fest due to COVID-19, but Virtual Club Fest is helping students get involved with SSU online.

and cooking nights,” German Club’s Madeline Hansen said.

Those involved in clubs used the Virtual Club Fest as a way to show those not involved how important it is to get involved on campus during these virtual times.

Hansen has found “club events to be the best way to keep the friendly and exciting campus culture alive during these virtual semesters.” Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs have done their best to provide SSU students with a sense of normalcy during the pandemic.

“The Running Club just started this past year, so it has been amazing to be able to create some kind of normal and a way to be involved with others during these challenging times,” says Rachel Spektor, president of the Running Club.

Being involved on campus is a great way for students to gain valuable leadership skills that they can bring with them into the future and friendships. “My experience in the SSNSA club so far has been enlightening, challenging, and fun. I feel like it has been a great way to learn leadership skills and to push me out of my comfort zone.

I’ve found it a good way to expand my social network especially in this tricky virtual environment we now find ourselves in,” Raney said.

SSU clubs remain optimistic that they will continue to serve as a way for students to get involved and feel a sense of connection to the Sonoma State campus, as well as other students.

Seawolves SPEAK!

PAMELA MEYERS STAFF WRITER

“What new hobbies have you picked up during the pandemic?”

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n the past year, there has been a number of changes to SSU students’ daily lives.

Classes have moved fully online, while students were forced to move off campus, as well as a number of other factors that make daily life just a little more difficult.

COVID-19 has forced us to adjust to a new way of daily life, where masks are mandatory and in-person communication has turned into video chatting.

Everyone has been abruptly pushed out of their normal routine; forced to find new hobbies, new ways to keep busy, and new ways to keep in touch with friends and family. Students at Sonoma State have had to leave our gorgeous campus and adapt to using Zoom for virtual learning and discussion with classmates. We have left behind our classrooms, peers, professors, and friends to help stop the increase in cases. Although it was an unanticipated change in our ordinary lives, we have persevered and evolved into a new way of life.

While people have been stuck at home, a lot of different trends have popped up to keep people busy and sane. Some have picked up the hobby of bread-making and used their old bananas to make freshly baked banana bread, for example some have filled their homes with new foliage and taken on the new role as a “plant parent.” Others have decided to tie dye their wardrobe to spice up their loungewear and fill the time. There was even a time where almost everyone was talking about the crazy, new show they just watched about a man, his tigers, and his shady background. The infamous Tiger King, was one of the “hot topics” during the course of the pandemic.

We reached out to the student body and asked them what they have been doing to keep busy and if they have picked up any new hobbies since the pandemic started, and here’s what they have to say.

“A new hobby that I have picked up since the pandemic started is custom T-shirt making.”

“I have started doing yoga and meditation on a more regular basis since the pandemic started.”

-Shane Clifton, Junior, Business major

-Nicole Martin, Senior, Psychology major

“A new hobby that I have picked up during the pandemic is tabata and yoga workouts!”

“During the pandemic, I have picked up bullet journaling, baking, and created a much more consistent workout routine!”

-Lilia Alcazar, Sophomore, Sociology major

“A hobby I’ve picked up during the pandemic is golf. I’m happy that I picked it back up because it’s so fun being able to play with my friends.”

-Gabe Russo, Senior, Business Admin major

-Nadia Jamal, Freshman, Undeclared

“During the pandemic, I’ve grown to love the outdoors more. One time, I even foraged for sea urchins to eat for dinner!”

-Dara Dado, Junior, Economics and Business Marketing major

10 Health

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

As vaccination rates steadily rise, President Biden announced that all Americans will be eligible to recieve the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1st.

COURTESY// Instagram

Biden promises all adults eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine by May CALLIE ADAMS STAFF WRITER

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n President Biden’s first prime-time television address last Thursday, he declared for all American adults to be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1 this year.

“First, tonight, I’m announcing that I will direct all states, tribes and territories to make all adults, people 18 and over, eligible to be vaccinated no later than May 1,” he announced in his speech to the nation. “Let me say that again. All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1. That’s much earlier than expected.”

As of last Friday, the United States has administered over 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations, and 35 million American adults have been fully vaccinated, making up 13.5% of the population, according to data from CNBC. Additionally, 66 million people have received at least one of two doses, making up around 20% of the population.

Plenty of Americans are still eager to get vaccinated as soon as they are able, but appointment slots fill up quickly. As of last Wednesday, in Sonoma County, 167,930 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been administered, with 50,889 citizens fully vaccinated, according to SoCo Emergency. 10% of Sonoma County residents have received all necessary doses of the vaccine.

In his address, Biden went on to clarify that his May 1 promise does not guarantee all adults will receive the vaccine by that date, but rather that all adults will be permitted to receive the vaccine by that date.

“And let me be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1,” Biden said.

“Every adult will be eligible to get their shot.”

Still, some Seawolves worry that Biden is promising more than can be deliv-

ered.

“I doubt this will be the ‘save-all’ everyone thinks it is. Vaccines have been out for a long time and we still don’t have it together,” said second-year student Shea Herrera. “I don’t think they will get enough vaccines to the places that need them.”

Herrera is referring to the widespread shortages of vaccines throughout the state and the country. Recently, appointments for vaccination in Sonoma County had to be cancelled due to a lack of available doses.

“I don’t think greater vaccine eligibility will fix much, because of the lack of vaccines,” Herrera added.

The Press Democrat called the vaccine shortages “incongruous with President Joe Biden’s pledge” in an article by Phil Barber, who also wrote that Sutter Health in Sonoma County is only being provided with two thirds of the amount of seconddose vaccines needed for healthcare workers and senior citizens.

However, in Biden’s speech, he stated that his administration has “been working with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson to manufacture and purchase hundreds of millions of doses of these three safe, effective vaccines” to combat the persistent shortages.

“Now, because of all the work we’ve done, we’ll have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May. That’s months ahead of schedule,” Biden said. “And we’ve been creating more places to get the shots. We’ve made it possible for you to get a vaccine at any one of 10,000 pharmacies across the country. Just like you get your flu shot.”

With his claim that there will be enough vaccines for all adults before June, Biden has ignited hope and skepticism among the American people, who are waiting to see if he can deliver on his promise.

Sonoma County still struggling to contain COVID-19 S EMILY ALVARADO STAFF WRITER

onoma County is one of two counties in the Bay Area remaining in the most severe tier of California’s COVID-19 case tracking system, the purple tier. In order to advance to the next tier, the two counties must maintain the metrics of the red tier for two weeks straight.

According to the California state COVID-19 website, California’s tier system is color-coded with the most severe being purple, or widespread, meaning that most non-essential businesses are not open indoors. The next tier is red, or substantial, and means that some non-essential businesses are not open indoors. The orange tier is considered moderate and means that some non-essential businesses are open with modifications. Yellow tier- minimal- means that most non-essential businesses are open with modifications.

The tier metrics are determined by positive test rates and adjusted case rates as well as health equity scores. Adjusted case rates account for daily new cases per 100,000 people, which is adjusted for a county’s number of tests taken. Health equity scores reflect positive test rates in low-income neighborhoods.

In a community briefing on March 10, Sonoma Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said that Sonoma County could move to the red tier as early as March 16 if metrics stay the same. Mase said, “It’s just not that clear at this point exactly which day we could move into red, but we’re very, very close, I’m happy to say.” Sonoma County case rates as of the week of March 1 was 10 per 100,000 people according to an article by Kellie Hwang at the San Francisco Chronicle. In order to advance to the red tier, Sonoma’s case rates would need to be 7 per 100,000 people.

Previously, the prediction of Sonoma County’s move to the red tier was March 22, according to Hwang. The expectation has changed now because of a California state initiative to vaccinate people living in low-income neighborhoods.

Governor Newsom and the state have committed to setting aside 40% of all vaccinations in California for low-income communities. According to NBC Bay Area, communities are classified as low income based on things like household in-

STAR// Morgan Mitchell Despite the fact that Sonoma County remains stuck in the purple tier, customers can still enjoy places like the Redwood Cafe in Cotati.

come, education level and access to healthcare. People in low-income areas are most likely to get and spread the virus as they are in the most vulnerable positions financially and in regards to healthcare.

As reported by NBC Bay Area, Latinos make up nearly half of COVID-19 deaths despite making up only 39% of the California population. The state’s push for vaccine equity will hopefully help reduce COVID-19 cases in California.

By vaccinating people in these low-income areas, counties will see less cases on the rise. Because of this, when the number of vaccinations of people in low-income neighborhoods reaches two million, California state officials are planning to adjust tier metrics which could put Sonoma County in the red tier.

If and when Sonoma County moves into the red tier, businesses will be able to begin some indoor activities. NBC Bay Area says that restaurants will be able to host indoor dining at 25% capacity, gyms can open indoors at 10% capacity and grocery stores can increase capacity from 50% to full.

To find more information on California COVID-19 protocols, which tier counties are in and explanations of metrics used for tiers, the California state website covid19.ca.gov is a helpful resource. There is an interactive map of all of the counties in California that can easily identify which tier a county is in. The CDC website is also a valuable resource for keeping up to date with COVID-19 developments and vaccine updates.

Wellness 11

MARCH 16 - MARCH 22, 2021 sonomastatestar.com

CDC releases new guidelines for vaccinated individuals L

CASEY FABBRI

STAFF WRITER

ast Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new set of recommendations for fully vaccinated individuals moving forward into the pandemic. In a press release, the CDC outlined changes in activities that vaccinated people may participate in, hoping to create the first step of many toward returning to normalcy.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky stated in a NY Times article, “With more and more people getting vaccinated, each day we are starting to turn a corner, and as more Americans are vaccinated, a growing body of evidence now tells us that there are some activities that fully vaccinated people can resume at low risk to themselves.”

The CDC announced that those who have been fully vaccinated may hold indoor gatherings with other vaccinated individuals, or with unvaccinated individuals from one additional household, unless they are at high risk of severe symptoms of the virus. Vaccinated people are also not required to quarantine or get tested if they do not experience symptoms, even if they have been exposed to the virus. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last dose.

The CDC recommends that in public places vaccinated people should still wear masks, keep a 6-foot distance from others, avoid large gatherings, and follow CDC guidelines regarding travel.

“Therefore, the level of precautions taken should be determined by the characteristics of the unvaccinated people, who remain unprotected against COVID-19,” according to the CDC’s latest press release.

The CDC also states that the United States population is still at high-risk of contracting the virus, as only 9.2% of the nation is currently vaccinated. In order for circumstances to return back to normal, 85% U.S. population needs to receive the vaccine.

“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” Walensky stated. “As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.”

The United States currently has a major shortage of vaccines.

Sonoma County, in particular, is struggling to meet the needs of its community. Many facilities, schools, and businesses are awaiting an in-person return as telecommuting continues after a year of lockdown.

As college campuses are preparing for the return of in-person classes for the fall semester, there are many questions to be asked regarding the availability of vaccines and the hope that is arising amongst students and staff.

“I think for college students these guidelines give some hope to possible in-person classes as we can socialize with other vaccinated people,” stated Sonoma State student Carson Rasmussen. “I think these guidelines provide the reason as to why we are getting vaccinated and are a step towards a brighter future.”

Sonoma State University has released plans to reopen in the fall, if the circumstances are safe for students and the campus community. The Sonoma State Student Health Center is currently distributing vaccines for healthcare workers, childcare workers, agriculture workers, and those that are 70 years and older. The wheels are slowly turning as changes are being made on the national front.

When asked if the CDC’s press release gave her hope for the future, Sonoma State student Hunter Petretti said, “I think the CDC’s press release does offer hope for college students. For myself personally whenever I see positive changes happening I become hopeful that the end is in sight.”

These new CDC guidelines not only provide much needed information for those who have been vaccinated, but invoke positive anticipation among unvaccinated individuals who are waiting for their turn to receive the vaccine. For more information visit, https:// www.cdc.gov.

COURTESY// Centers for Disease Control The CDC released new guidelines allowing fully vaccinated individuals to gather with eachother and their unvaccinated loved ones.

Understanding the differences between the three approved COVID-19 vaccines in America CALLIE ADAMS STAFF WRITER

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ess than one year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, three different vaccines against the disease have been approved for distribution to the American public. While over 150 other varieties of the COVID-19 vaccine remain in development, the three that have advanced successfully through clinical trials are two mRNA vaccines and one viral vector vaccine, from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson companies, respectively.

MRNA vaccines differ slightly from viral vector vaccines. According to CDC data, mRNA vaccines are unlike traditional vaccines because they do not introduce any form of the disease into the body. Instead, mRNA vaccines provide the code for a special protein, called a spike protein, directly to the body’s cells. With the instructions for the protein’s construction, the cells can make and wear the harmless spike proteins and dispose of the instructions afterward.

The body acknowledges that the spike proteins are foreign, and therefore must be eliminated, much like how the body fends off harmful germs. It develops an immune response with antibodies to destroy the spike proteins, and this new immune response also works against any intruding COVID-19 particles.

“One of the tantalizing features of the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna is that making new vaccines with updated viral genetic coding should be very quick,” said Dr. Dave O’Connor, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The other type of COVID-19 vaccine currently available is the viral vector vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. The CDC explains viral vector vaccines as introducing a harmless version of the COVID-19 virus, known as a vector, to differentiate it from the malicious version of the virus, which then itself teaches cells how to make the spike protein used to develop an immune response to COVID-19.

“Several of [the vector’s] genes have been removed to make it ‘replication deficient.’ It’s basically a dead virus. It can’t mul-

COURTESY// California Volunteers My Turn California is a program that allows Californians to volunteer at vaccine distribution sites in exchange for vaccine eligibility.

tiply in the body or give someone COVID-19. The genes in the viral vector cannot and do not incorporate into human DNA.,” said Dr. Sarah Fryhofer of the American Medical Association.

Each of the vaccines has been approved as effective and safe for the public, but each also has a different percentage of efficacy against the COVID-19 virus. According to data from Stat News, Pfizer’s vaccine has shown to be 95% effective after both doses have been administered, the Moderna vaccine is considered 94.1% effective after both doses, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has only one dose, is considered to be between 66%-85% effective against moderate to severe cases.

However, officials warn that the vaccine trials were conducted at different times and were each limited in their trials, so comparing the three vaccines is a precarious business.

“Because of the difference in the trials, making direct comparisons is a bit like comparing apples and oranges,” said Helen Branswell in her article for Stat News.

After all this, what do students at Sonoma State University think?

Regarding which vaccine she receives, student Sidney Adame, who has yet to be vaccinated, says, “I do not have a preference. I just think that this is a step in the right direction for our world to go back to ‘normal.’ Many people have expressed their reasoning for not wanting to get the vaccine to be because of the possible side effects.

I think that we should be equally as concerned about the possible side effects of getting COVID in the first place.

I choose to put my trust into what the medical professionals are saying at the moment and pray for the best.”

Student Christina Gomez, who received Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, shared her experience with the vaccination: “On the day of my first appointment it was extremely easy. I just gave them my insurance card, waited 15 minutes, then I was able to get the vaccine,” Gomez said.

“It was almost painless, unlike other vaccines where there is more pain within the shot. The only side effect I had was a sore arm the next day. I go back for my second shot on March 26, and I am very excited about it. I am so happy I got it. I would recommend that everyone get the vaccine. I am finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Officials recommend seizing the opportunity for vaccination when it becomes available, regardless of which version is being offered.

“If your house is on fire, don’t wait until you have the perfect hose,” O’Connor said, “People should get vaccinated with whatever effective vaccine they have access to because this will help protect themselves and their communities by impacting the global viral load.

Continuing precautions like mask wearing and distancing even after you get vaccinated will have a much greater impact on how well the vaccine keeps you safe than which vaccine product you receive.”

12 Photo

MARCH. 16 - MARCH. 22, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Quetzal performs for the Green Music Center

STAR // Sondra Ottenstein Quetzal performed at the Tropico Union Studio in Los Angeles on March 11.

STAR // Sondra Ottenstein Martha Gonzales, the lead vocalist for Quetzal, performed live in Los Angeles.

STAR // Sondra Ottenstein Quetzal, a Grammy winning Chicano ensemble, performed live in Los Angeles on Thursday and streamed the performance to the Green Music Center.

Local eateries fight through pandemic

STAR // Andrew Savedra

STAR // Morgan Mitchell

On a sunny afternoon, patrons enjoy Cafe Mimosa in Rohnert Park, which has remained open for the majority of the pandemic.

Customers wear their masks so they can visit a Cotati Favorite, the Redwood Cafe.

STAR // Sondra Ottenstein Bud’s Custom Meats on Petaluma Hill Rd. Penngrove has remained open for pickup throughout 2020 and 2021.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Jamie Dennis works for DoorDash, a delivery service that has gained many new opportunities due to the pandemic.