Issue 8 Sonoma State STAR Fall 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

Dance

Student Spotlight

‘High School Musical’ star KayCee Stroh led SSU students in a virtual dance lesson.

PAGE 8.

Fourth-year Baltazar Pulido and the SSU rugby team navigate an unprecedented year.

PAGE 11.

Opinion Contradictory information leaves public questioning President Trump’s health.

PAGE 3.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 85 // ISSUE 8 OCTOBER 13, 2020 - OCTOBER 19, 2020

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

STAR // Isabelle Barkey A view from the backyard of a house that was victim to the Glass Fire at the end of Beaumont Way in Santa Rosa on October 9, 2020.

SEAN KENNEALLY STAFF WRITER

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Glass Fire scars deeper than burnline

verall, four million acres have burned during this fire season in California, and the number of acres is still growing. Despite the sheer physical magnitude that this statistic presents, this fire season will scar more than its burnline. From carbon monoxide poisonings, tainted water supplies, and the sheer emotional trauma, the Glass Fire pressed Sonoma and Napa County residents to their breaking points.

Over the past years, Sonoma and Napa Counties have dealt with great emotional pain and trauma from fire season. Many historic and treasured structures, wineries, and family homes have been incinerated by the fires.

“Every drop of wine was like a miracle this year, the viticulture was so hard,” said Jean-Baptise Rivail, general manager of Newton Vineyard, in a New York Times inter-

view. “It’s almost like losing a living thing. And it’s violent, to go back on site to find ashes and gutters full of wine.”

In light of the Glass Fire, 16 firefighters were tested for carbon monoxide poisoning, with one being transported to a hospital in Santa Rosa. The other 15 were released from testing.

Scott McLean, a spokesman for CAL FIRE, told the Los Angeles Times that the poisoning occurred at the base camp, near the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. McLean did not provide other details, but he said, “...time will tell” for the lone hospitalized firefighter.

see GLASS FIRE SCARS on pg. 4

STAR // Natella Guy Senior Joelle Joyner-Wong picked up a computer at the library to do her schoolwork at home.

Sonoma County ranks fifth in the state for COVID-19 transmission rates

MORAGH GRAF STAFF WRITER

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OVID-19 continues to spread throughout the U.S. almost a year after its original appearance in the country. Locally, the amount of Coronavirus cases rises every day, as the transmission rate grows. Out of the 58 counties in California, Sonoma County is among the most concerning.

“Behind only Shasta, Lassen, Inyo and Amador counties,” Sonoma County ranks fifth in the state for COVID-19 transmission rates, according to The Press Democrat.

On Oct. 8, there were 1,621 active COVID-19 cases in Sonoma County, increasing by 72 cases in just 24 hours. see SONOMA COUNTY BATTLES COVID-19 on pg. 5

COURTESY // FreePress.org In Washington DC, Protesters gathered after The New York Times published an article about Trump’s chronic losses and years of tax avoidance.

The New York Times exposes Trump’s murky tax records and impending debts

KRISTINA SCHMUHL STAFF WRITER

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bombshell report by the New York Times, published two weeks ago, exposed that Donald Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and also his first year in office. He “...paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years--largely because he reported losing much more money than he made,” according to the New York Times article.

The article also claimed, through documentation provided by sources with legal access, that Trump was “...personally responsible for loans and other debts totaling $421 million, with most of it coming due within four years.”

Trump could imaginably declare this debt as part of his financial losses in the future, like he has in the past, to keep his federal tax bill continuously low. see TRUMP’S TAXES on pg. 5

2 Editorial

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020

sonomastatestar.com

Framed debates exclude critical thinking

THE STAR Editorial Board

Travis Gillmore, Editor-in-Chief Kylie Rose Lawrence, News Editor Maria Pineda Contreras, Opinion Editor Christy Chew, Arts & Entertainment Editor Devon Pique, Student Life Editor Noah Philpott, Sports Editor Brandon Sparks, Photo Editor Taylor Clark, Digital Editor Kevin Flores, Editorial Cartoonist Isabelle Barkey, Distribution Manager Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Taylor Clark, Emily Cripe, Sieanna Narine, Samuel Sayer, Jayline Alvarado, Sarah Ramos, Katelyn Dodge, Isabella Simoni, Nancy Insua, Edgar Zavala, Max Robinson, Myles Grabau, Moragh Graf, Amanda Koba, Rachel Gonzalez, Kristina Schmuhl, Vincent Spence, Ryan Weiner, Eliseo Fragoso, Sean Kenneally, Sarah Gallagher Photographers Isabelle Barkey, Natella Guy, Samantha Billingsly

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:

“Letter from Trump shows up in school lunchboxes” Read the article on page 3.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to hear from you!

The STAR welcomes letters to the editor

Publication The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Sonoma Media Group. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR Editorial Board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.

Letters to the Editor

Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 400 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication.

A

fter decades of fraudulent politics, outright treachery, deceit and corruption, the 2020 election is proof that no matter how bad things appear to be, it is highly likely that they will get worse if the American people continue to allow the system to be run by habitual liars, conmen, and hypocritical politicians.

Thanks to a lack of interest, herd mentality, and cognitive dissonance, many people remain blissfully unaware of the malfeasance at hand, as the corporate media mesmerizes the masses with slick programming and manipulative productions. Modern mainstream media has devolved into a cesspool of repetitive, carefully curated soundbites and relentless propaganda, perpetuating monumental myths that simply defy logic, and anyone capable of critical thinking is rightfully turned off by the entire process.

While the 24-hour news cycle offers an abundance of opportunity and potential, especially considering the number of hours that need to be filled, there never seems to be any time to explore topics in-depth. Producers cater to the lowest common denominator of attention spans, and hosts and guests alike are constantly hurried and told there’s no time to continue this conversation, only for the station to cut to a scandalous Kars4Kids commercial and a slew of trashy sales pitches.

The debate moderators guarantee that this time crunch carries into the debate format and complicates the process by distracting and redirecting the line of inquiry. Questions are selected that frame the debate and minimize independent perspectives, and artificial time constraints prevent any meaningful conversation from taking place.

The initial strategy is to limit the participants in the debate to the Republicans and Democrats, at the expense of all independent thinkers and at great detriment to our society. Third parties have been essentially blocked from the debate stage, and this is in direct contradiction to the spirit of revolution that founded this nation.

As George Washington wisely warned in his farewell address, “Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.”

John Adams said, “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties...”

After editing out all outside opinions and narrowing the field to candidates suitable to the eco-

STAR // Kevin Flores

nomic interests that control this nation, the debates are severely hampered by the lack of relevant, intelligent questions that lead to discussions about policies that will dictate the quality of life for generations. Instead, superficial talking points and ad hominem attacks have taken the place of substantive, intellectual debate.

The only thing Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris could agree on during the debate is that they both hate Iran, and as is always the case with the candidates that are allowed to grace the debate stage this late in the game, perpetual war is not a topic to be discussed nor debated at all.

Both sides posture for votes with no real talk about the bloated military budget that’s supporting this nation’s fairytale, house-ofcards economic system.

Pence demonstrated that he was so out of touch with reality that he couldn’t feel the fly on his head or the millions of people laughing at him around the world. His manner is so unnaturally calm and cold that it appeared the fly was debating whether or not she had landed on an acceptable corpse in which to lay her eggs.

Lies and distortions of reality are to be expected from the current administration, but Pence’s attempt to legitimize the last four years and the atrocious decisions that emanate from his and Trump’s administration is despicable. It is unconscionable that these people act the way they do and expect the public to respect them.

Money and power have trumped decency and respect, at great cost to the environment and humanity. This is the leadership that generations of greedy, aloof, and irresponsible citizens have manifest for the rest of us to deal with.

Unfortunately, the deck is stacked against the people, and we have much more to deal with than just a narcissistic commander-in-chief.

Senator Harris’ performance at the debate included her deceptive, cleverly worded promise to “decriminalize” and “expunge records” related to cannabis arrests, but this hollow proclamation falls on deaf ears, and millions of activists that worked to bring society to the brink of cannabis legalization are rightfully concerned that a Biden/Harris administration will not be good for the cause.

As a prosecutor, Harris is well-aware of how to split legal hairs, and decriminalization is a far cry from legalization. The facetious war on drugs provides a revenue stream to government agencies that is as addictive as

the drugs they claim to fight. Neither party is willing to kill their golden goose, and Harris is signaling that nothing will change here, other than semantics.

Kamala Harris’ record as a prosecutor speaks for itself, as her office arrested and charged thousands of non-violent Bay Area citizens with cannabis charges during her time as district attorney, and her actions contributed to a disproportionate number of young minorities being imprisoned for victimless crimes.

As California’s Attorney General in 2014, Harris’ office oversaw an operation that sent Department of Justice agents, in coordination with secretive Major Crimes Task Force operatives, to conduct warrantless raids of cannabis gardens in Lake and Mendocino Counties. Identification of the state’s perpetrators and class-action lawsuits stopped these tactics, but the lesson to be learned from these examples is that Harris is more than willing to reinterpret laws as needed to fit her agenda. Harris laughs off questions about her cannabis record, but now she’s begging for votes from those that support criminal justice reform.

Status quo Joe’s support of the 1994 crime bill and his role in the country’s mass incarceration plague are no stark contrast with Trump’s Nixonian “law and order” mantra. It should be obvious at this point that there are no progressive horses in this race.

We are left with two condescending administrations that refuse to upset the moneyed interests that control the system, and while many will argue that it is best to vote for the lesser of two evils, that line of thinking has failed repeatedly, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

If the nation is to cease being a debt-ridden, farce of a democracy, the two-party system needs to be abolished, Citizens United overturned, and term limits imposed for all public office.

Debate and conversation should not be limited to what satisfies advertisers and donors, and debates should be hosted and moderated by independent, nonpartisan organizations to make the process more inclusive and more relevant to the population.

Anything short of a complete overhaul of this failed experiment is merely kicking the can down the road at this point, and it is beyond time that society demands real change, social justice, and equitable treatment for everyone.

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

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Letter from Trump shows up in Oakland school lunches

MYLES GRABAU

STAFF WRITER

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mid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no secret that many families are desperate for food, money, or just any type of support that they can get. The Oakland Unified School District has been distributing produce, dairy, and other food items in boxes to give to students’ families in need during the pandemic. However, just a month before the 2020 Presidential Election, letters marked and signed by ‘President Donald Trump’ on White House stationery started popping up in these food boxes.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s $4 billion Farmers to Families Food Box Program has helped to distribute more than 100 million food boxes since May. Their goal is to redirect meat, dairy, and produce products that

might typically go to restaurants and food-service businesses, and instead give back to struggling families during the pandemic. However, last week, the Agriculture Department has begun mandating that these millions of boxes include a letter from the President, claiming credit for this program.

This letter comes in both English and Spanish, featuring Trump’s signature in bold: “As President, safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest priorities,” it reads. “As part of our response to coronavirus, I prioritized sending nutritious food from our farmers to families in need throughout America.” However, many Americans have not forgotten the delayed coronavirus response from the Trump administration in March.

Trump is once again attempting to rewrite history for the sake of reelection, and this time through families that rely on receiving these food boxes to survive.

There has been increasing criticism regarding these letters, as there are reports of these letters appearing in food boxes distributed in Hayward, CA, as well as at other food banks and schools nationwide. John Sasaki, the district spokesperson for the Oakland Unified School District, stands with

Oakland families and understands why these letters can be alarming given the president’s verbal attacks made against Oakland. “We have one of the most diverse communities in the country, and his immigration policies haven’t been exactly welcoming to countries where many of our families come from,” Sasaki said in a statement.

This is just one attempt of many to politicize things that should not be politicized. Families are in dire need of supplies, and for the President to take advantage of someone’s kindness in an attempt to take credit for these food boxes is merely stepping out of line. It is somewhat ironic for someone who comes from a family of wealth to sign his name on letters that go to families in need, but it is doubtful that he would even bat an eye toward Oakland if he did not need their votes in the election.

“Nobody wants a political message in their food,” said Sasaki, “We want our families to be comfortable with the food they receive.” Among others, the school district is continuing to distribute these food boxes but is pulling the letters immediately. Food banks and school districts nationwide have consulted lawyers to ensure they do not jeopardize their nonprofit tax status or violate any election laws.

President Donald Trump’s health is in question

MAX ROBINSON

STAFF WRITER

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ince Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test results on Oct. 1, this topic has dominated the news cycle across the country, as sources give conflicting information regarding his health and treatment. There is a lack of cohesive evidence to definitively say how the coronavirus has affected the president. Information provided from various sources is incomplete and often confusing.

One of the primary sources of information for Trump’s health has been Dr. Sean Conley, Trump’s physician. However, there are doubts about the integrity of the information he is providing, as he has contradicted previous statements regarding Trump’s health.

On Oct. 3, reporters asked Conley if Trump had been given supplemental oxygen during his treatment, to which Conley said that none of the medical staff administered any supplemental oxygen. But the next day, Conley backtracked, saying that on Fri., Oct. 2, he had administered

supplemental oxygen to Trump.

Conley said he was “trying to reflect the upbeat attitude” of the president and the medical team.

Concern over the validity of the information provided by Conley is deepened by an NBC News article from reporters Carol E. Lee and Courtney Kube which revealed: “Trump required personnel at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to sign nondisclosure agreements last year.” Two doctors at Walter Reed refused to sign and were subsequently not allowed to be involved in the president’s care. The involvement of a nondisclosure agreement is unusual because the doctors are bound by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act agreements, which should already keep the president’s private medical information safe.

While Conley gave an optimistic report of the president’s health, a source familiar with the president’s health said that, “the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care,” according to Elana Lyn Gross from Forbes.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows added that Trump went through a “very concerning time.”

Another point of concern has been the president’s record of negative coronavirus tests. “I’m not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the president’s tested,” said White

House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. White House director of strategic communications also refused to provide the date of the president’s last negative test.

The amount of information White House officials are withholding from the public is concerning for many, including Michael Joseph Mina, physician and professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s school of public health. “At this point, it’s just so strange that they’re unwilling to give us the information.”

Conflicting information regarding the president’s coronavirus testing has been an ongoing problem for reporters and the public alike. McEnany has said that Trump was tested “multiple times a day,” referring to him as “the most tested man in America.” But Trump contradicted her, saying that he does tests every two to three days.

People deserve news that reflects reality. That goal is impossible to achieve when the information from official sources is contradictory, confusing, and outright falsified. Misleading information creates mistrust of official news sources, and withholding accurate information regarding the health of the president is a disservice to people concerned about the president’s ability to lead the nation. At the very least, white house officials should be sending out consistent, clear information that keeps people from questioning the truth.

Conservative justices criticize decision on same-sex marriage

SARAH RAMOS STAFF WRITER

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hould religious freedom take precedence over same-sex marriage? Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said the answer to that question is yes. Same-sex marriage is being put to the test once again, and now it is against a shifting political balance in the Supreme Court.

The two justices issued a joint opinion on Oct. 5 criticizing the Supreme Court’s earlier 2015 decision on Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed samesex marriage to become legal in the U.S. They suggested that people of faith could potentially be subject to censorship in their lives because of this decision, saying it “enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots. . .” Justice Thomas expanded this further by adding, “Obergefell will continue to have ‘ruinous consequences for religious liberty.’”

Thomas and Alito wrote this opinion in response to the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear Davis v. Ermold. For those who do not remember, Kim Davis worked as a clerk in Rowan County five years ago. Davis made news headlines in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Multiple couples sued her for violating their rights in the famous case Miller v.

Davis. Davis did not win, and the Supreme Court upheld Obergefell v. Hodges.

The judges’ statement comes at a very critical time for the Supreme Court. The death of former justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left a vacancy right before the next presidential election. President Trump is moving quickly to fill that role and recently announced his nomination: Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She is well-known for her conservative views, and if Barrett is confirmed, many civil rights victories like Obergefell v. Hodges will be in danger of being overturned.

From the Washington Post, Robert Barnes wrote about this potential conservative shift saying, “The stinging opinion from Thomas renewed the debate over how established the court’s Obergefell decision should be seen.” He added that if Barrett is confirmed, “That would give the court a 6-to-3 conservative majority, and Barrett in the past has expressed skepticism about the Obergefell decision.”

It is not difficult to imagine that another case like Miller v. Davis will cross paths with the Supreme Court in the future. The questions we should be asking now are what kind of court will it face— and will Obergefell be there to stand in its way? It has been a mere five years since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the LGBTQ community’s rights, and now that same community is left wondering if their rights will be taken away from them again.

We need to draw the line at letting discrimination be so freely rampant. In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Erwin Chemerinsky talked about the consequences of not preventing this: “Then could Kim Davis or another clerk somewhere refuse to issue a marriage license for an interracial couple? Or could the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop claim that a religious belief kept him from serving African Americans?”

Religion should never serve as a justifiable excuse to discriminate against someone. Too often, this has not been the case, and countless people have suffered for it as a result. Obergefell was a landmark victory for same-sex couples across the U.S., and it deserves to be upheld despite what Justices Thomas and Alito argued in their opinion. Everyone should have the right to marry whom they choose regardless of sex or gender. Religious freedom cannot come at the cost of that right.

Tesla might suffer from income dependency on credits

JAYLINE ALVARADO

STAFF WRITER

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ow that Gov. Newsom has planned to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, car manufacturers will need to make the switch from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. One electric vehicle that comes to mind is Tesla.

Tesla has been making money from the credits it receives from different environmental agencies like the

Environmental Protection Agency and selling them to other car manufacturers that have produced high amounts of emissions, so they are not hammered with hefty fines.

The primary sources of these credits are the Zero-Emission Vehicle program, federal standards like the Greenhouse Gas emissions regulation standard set by the EPA and Corporate Average Fuel Economy set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the fourth being the European Union’s CO2 emissions targets.

These four regulators penalize companies that do not meet standards that have been set like the proportion of gas-powered to electric vehicles or carbon emissions and reward companies that surpass those benchmarks with credits that can be traded with companies that have yet to make the switch to electric vehicles.

According to Fortune magazine, Tesla receives the most credits and has sold them to customers like Honda,

which has “enabled its permit customers to sidestep heavy fines while delaying introduction of low-margin EVs, and packing their f leets with lucrative, gas-guzzling SUVs, trucks, and vans.”

In that same Fortune article, it is noted that Tesla’s biggest hurdle will be the production and sale of Tesla vehicles. Elon Musk himself admitted that their earnings have been low, even with more than “$1 billion in revenues from regulatory credits.” Another issue is the availability of charging stations and the affordability of electric vehicles.

According to a report from the New York Times, “Last year, only 8 percent of the nearly two million passenger vehicles sold statewide were battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. Transportation remains California’s largest source of planet-warming emissions, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gases from human activity.”

Matthias Smith, an independent auto analyst in Berlin, stated that while

it was a good idea for Tesla to sell these credits, “the biggest source will go away as the European market goes electric, and that’s happening fast. Tesla isn’t talking about it, but that will put tremendous pressure on them to sell a lot more cars, a lot faster than is happening now.”

As car manufacturers are being pressured to switch to electric vehicles, Tesla will suffer from its income dependency on credits if car companies switch to electric sooner rather than later. It also depends on how fast, not just Europe, but the world at large makes the switch to electric cars. However, if Europe can make the switch to electric cars, then it does set a precedent that the world can follow and creates a demand for a company like Tesla to supply electric vehicles and meet that demand. It would also be a step in the right direction in the fight against climate change despite obstacles like switching from gas-powered cars to electric cars and creating incentives for it.

4 News

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // Flickr.com On May 29, 2020, Minnesota State Patrol troopers stood in formation near the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct, while the Minneapolis Fire Department battled blazes at Lake Street businesses, following George Floyd’s death.

New information surrounding ex-officers charged in George Floyd case ISABELLA SIMONI STAFF WRITER

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early fives months after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, new updates surrounding his case have come to light regarding Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer who has been charged with Floyd’s murder.

Chauvin posted a $1 million bond this past Wed., Oct. 7, and was allowed to leave the Oak Park Heights prison to await his trial. Facing both manslaughter and second degree murder charges for the death of George Floyd, Chauvin must wait until March of next year to hear his verdict. Along with Chauvin, the three other individuals also facing charges are ex-officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng.

All three individuals were charged with aiding and abetting manslaughter, as well as second degree murder.

In light of his posting bail, Chauvin was also granted permission this past Thursday, Oct. 8, to move to a neighboring state until the day of his trial, as concerns for his safety arose since his release from jail prompted new protests.

The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, released a statement on Oct. 9, in which he voiced his discontent asserting, “The fact that Derek Chauvin is being given special treatment out of concern for his safety demonstrates how stark the contrast is between the two justice systems in America.”

While Chavin was originally required to stay within the borders of Minnesota, the new court ruling that was given this past Thursday seems to have

News in Brief

Courtesy // Web-dev-chris The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are quietly revealing digital currencies in a move that could mark the beginning of the end for cash and coin currencies.

Courtesy // Ken Schwarz Billionaires are laughing all the way to the bank, as their total accumulated wealth has increased to record highs of $10.2 trillion.

angered individuals across the country even more. According to an article written by Vanessa Romo for NPR, the ruling also comes with a specific set of rules that Chauvin will have to abide by until his trial. The rules are as follows: he must have a phone with him at all times and he must keep in contact regularly with his conditional release officer.

In regards to the case itself, the ex-officer has not entered a plea. And it seems as though none of the other individuals involved with the case have entered a plea either. Kueng’s attorney stated self defense, and Thao’s and Lane’s attorneys called for a dismissal of the case altogether. In an article for the Wall Street Journal, Joe Barret writes, “Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill has said he hopes to rule by Oct. 15 on motions for and against holding one trial for all of the defendants, motions by defendants for a change of venue and whether to sequester and protect the anonymity of jurors.”

Until then, Chauvin will be moving a state over, with his address completely underwraps and only shared on a need-to-know basis. Chauvin, and his attorneys have declined to speak about anything regarding the case to any news and media outlets.

Barret also writes that in the event of the trial next year, the National Guard will be brought in to assist in any disturbances or unrest that should follow the trial.

Glass Fire scars burn deep continued from pg. 1

STAR // Isabelle Barkey The remains of 5258 Beaumont Way (left) next to a neighbor’s home (right) in Santa Rosa that was mostly untouched by the Glass Fire.

Along with firefighters’ lungs being poisoned, water supplies were also tainted by the fire debris.

According to an article by CalMatters, drinking water has been contaminated throughout the years, most recently with the Glass Fire and CZU Lightning Complex. The concern is greater for rural neighborhoods and homes, like ones located in Sonoma and Napa Counties.

Kody Petrini, of Napa County, is one of the many citizens dealing with water contamination.

In an interview with CalMatters, Petrini says, “If the water is messed up, we understand. We had a catastrophic fire up here, we understand that. But just let us know why.”

The cost of water contamination affects communities economically and environmentally in the long term. CalMatters states the cost of fixing the damage to water systems could be up to $150 million in some areas. In addition, scientists and public officials must work quickly before the rain season starts.

Newsha Ajami, director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford University, warns, “Every drop of water in a watershed...is moving towards that outlet, and if they’re not cleaned up, all those pollutants and contaminants and toxins can end up in our water system.”

With a race against time and nature, scientists and officials are worried of possible algal blooms from the organic debris. Even though chemical cleaners prove effective in water treatment, they are often carcinogenic and cause other health issues.

Even after containment, it is often difficult for planners and developers to circumnavigate the prior issues. In the CalMatters article, California Director of Clean Water Action Jennifer Clary said, “It’s virtually impossible to build a potable water system that can also fight megafires.” In addition, Napa County Engineering Manager Christopher Silke notes, “Rural residential community public water systems were never designed with the intent to provide a line of wildfire defense to save structures.”

As of Oct. 10, according to CAL FIRE, the Glass Fire has burned 67,484 acres, and it is 82% contained. The cause is still unknown. Like McLean said, “time will tell” how the fire season will end and whether survivors will remain resilient until next year.

News 5

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // Flickr.com Harris and Pence debate through clear glass screens in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on October 7, 2020.

Harris and Pence face off in the first and only vice presidential debate

NANCY INSUA

STAFF WRITER

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n Oct. 8, the candidates for Vice President of the United States, Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence, took the debate stage in Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. The pandemic has transformed the way we see presidential and vice presidential debates. Precautions included a socially distanced audience, safety shields in front of each of the candidates, prior screening for COVID-19, temperature checks and face mask requirement for all people entering the debate hall.

The debate was mediated by Susan Page of USA Today. She asked questions about some of the issues Americans are considering most important before this upcoming election. The debate topics included COVID-19 and President Donald Trump’s recent positive testing for the virus, climate change, tax reform, economics, healthcare, crime, voting fraud, abortion, presidential candidate Joe Biden, the supreme court vacancy and foreign policy.

Citizens were seeking a debate with more order and answers after the disastrous first presidential debate held on Sept. 29 of this year. CNN aired the event and reported that despite the candidates at times cutting into each other’s time , they spoke for nearly the exact same amount of time over the ninety minute run time of the debate--with only a 3 second difference in favor of Pence.

Issues surrounding the handling of COVID-19 by the Trump Administration sparked a heated debate between the candidates. “The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our coun-

Sonoma County battles COVID-19 continued from pg. 1

While the county has had almost 6,500 recovered cases since the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S., active cases make up a little less than 1% of the population, which is around 2,000 cases, according to SoCo Emergency. The county has performed about 200,000 tests.

As for Sonoma State University, COVID-19 cases have been both confirmed and continuously suspected on campus.

According to an email from Missy Brunetta, Director for Emergency Services and Associate Risk Manager, the first positive COVID-19 case was confirmed on Sept. 17. The case caused the Schultz Information center to temporarily close.

Sonoma State Star released an article on Sept. 21 that discussed an email correspondence with the Interim Public Relations Officer Robert Eyler.

He gave notice that “So far, one student and two employees who have been on campus have tested positive since the Fall Semester began.”

On Oct. 5, another email alerted the Seawolf community that there is a more recent suspected case of COVID-19 on campus, causing Darwin Hall to temporarily close.

Throughout the entire Bay Area, Sonoma County remains the least likely to fully reopen due to the transmission rate. This causes an increased risk for residents, as the potential for a stronger second wave of cases becomes more probable. However, the cause of the high transmission rate isn’t totally clear. A number of factors, including Labor Day celebrations, could be at fault.

“It could also be from our fires and evacuations,” said Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer. Evacuation centers, while necessary during fire season, create a massive risk for new infections in the county.

Though there are many possible contributors to the continuous outbreaks, there are some cases that seem almost inevitable following establishment reopenings. In late September, there were outbreaks in 13 care centers and schools across Sonoma County. An outbreak of this sort is guaranteed to push-back the county’s re-opening, which has proved to be stressful for residents.

“Most of the children who were infected were 6 years old and younger. Ten members of school staff and 27 family members were also infected,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Mase continues to stress the importance of child care, especially as people will gradually be going back to their jobs, despite the risk of the care centers infecting those very families.

However, Mase has been clear in encouraging social distancing in education for the time being, though many facilities have requested to reopen.

Health officials must first clear a school’s plan for safely reopening before approving a request.

The hesitation to reopen schools throughout the nation has been ongoing since the start of the pandemic. While certain schools in some states have decided to fully reopen for students and faculty, there is concern around the idea. The outbreak among schools in Sonoma County gives a major hand in the decision to hold back for the time being.

“We have COVID-19 cases in every sector, so it’s not at all surprising that we have these cases in day care and early learning centers.

COVID-19 is not selective that way. I don’t think it’s surprising, but I do think it’s something that gives us a little pause when we think about reopening schools,” said Mase.

try. And, here are the facts. 210,000 dead people in our country in just the last several months. Over 7 million people who have contracted this disease. One in five businesses closed. We’re looking at frontline workers who have been treated like sacrificial workers. We are looking at over 30 million people who in the last several months had to file for unemployment,” Harris said when addressing the question of how the Coronavirus pandemic was managed by Trump and Pence. She continued by discussing the importance of a “plan” in the coming months, something that the Trump Administration lacks in the eyes of the Biden Administration.

Pence defended the Trump Administration’s handling of Coronavirus, since they first heard about the virus in late January. When discussing the future and how this country is going to proceed with the pandemic, Pence stated, “The American people have demonstrated over the last eight months that when given the facts, they’re willing to put the health of their families, and their neighbors, and people they don’t even know first. President Trump and I have great confidence in the American people and their ability to take that information and put it into practice.” He seemed to suggest that no further changes are necessary or are being planned.

The next presidential debate was scheduled to commence next week, but has been canceled due to Trump’s recent case of COVID-19. Trump has refused to participate in a virtual debate.

continued from pg. 1

Trump’s taxes raise questions

COURTESY // Flickr.com Trump delivered a speech on May 30, 2020, to an arena packed with people, some maskless.

Despite paying almost no taxes in the United States, Trump did pay a combined $317,822 in taxes for his overseas companies in Panama, India and the Philippines.

In 2019, a Times investigation found that while Trump touts himself as a self-made billionaire, he received at least $413 million in today’s dollars from his father. Much of that money was also made through tax dodges.

This information has sparked a multitude of reactions from supporters and critics alike. Alan Garten, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, said, “Most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate.”

An anonymous former Trump supporter wrote for the Boston Globe saying, “He has aggressively manipulated those losses to reduce or negate his federal income tax payments. For 10 of the 15 years previous to 2016, he paid no federal income tax at all.” The author also wrote, “Trump didn’t drain the swamp. His administration has been a bonanza for industry insiders and politically connected opportunists.”

In a 2016 presidential debate against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump openly bragged that his capacity to get by without paying taxes “...makes [him] smart.”

Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif), brought up Trump’s taxes and debts during her debate last week against Vice President Mike Pence. She said, “Donald Trump owes and is in debt $400 million. And just so everyone is clear, when you say in debt, it means you owe money to somebody.”

Harris also touched on his $750 federal tax contribution saying, “When I first heard about it, I literally said, ‘You mean $750,000?’”

According to an article from Business Insider, the most common national adjusted gross income is between $50,000 and $75,000, and those individuals paid an average annual income tax of $4,688.

In Sonoma County, the average household income was approximately $101,449 in 2019, so the standard household paid $8,800 in federal taxes that year. The average Sonoma County resident paid $8,050 more than the President in taxes during 2019.

Santa Rosa City Council member Chris Rogers said, “I think the tax code benefits the people who write it, and that doesn’t mean middle class folks in our community. The President is the poster child for a broken and inequitable system.”

Just last week, Trump was the topic of media coverage for his contraction of COVID-19 and a hospital stay at Walter Reed Medical Center. A popular tweet criticised his ability to have access to top-ofthe-line free medical care, while not contributing tax dollars. The tweet, by Adam Burke, said, “The President is going to show us all how easy it is to beat this disease and all you need is a private helicopter, 12 of the best doctors in the world, and every single drug available at a moment’s notice.” Walter Reed Medical Center is a United States military medical center run by federal taxpayer dollars.

The new tax information presented by the New York Times is sure to shake up what is an already divisive election. The Times indicated it would be releasing more articles and information in the coming weeks. It is assumed that they strategically timed this to coincide with the highly contentious 2020 election only 3 weeks away, to make the most political impact.

6 Arts

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // BLINDSCREAM Blind Scream Haunted House in Santa Rosa is sad to announce they will not be opening in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Haunted houses disappear from Sonoma County this year

TAYLOR CLARK STAFF WRITER

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OVID-19 restrictions put in place by the state have taken away Sonoma County’s haunted houses, specifically Blind Scream located in Santa Rosa. What was once a month long event, for locals to get reacquainted with spooky season, has now been cancelled.

The Blind Scream Team alerted their supporters on their website by saying, “It is with a heavy heart we have to announce that Blind Scream Haunted House will not be opening in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.”

With that being said, Drew Dominguez and Judy Groverman Walker, owners of Blind Scream, stated that they are not being deterred from scaring people just yet. They plan on joining forces with the Splash Express Car Wash on W. College Avenue to provide a haunting experience during the evenings from 6:30 to 10 p.m., from Oct. 22 through Halloween. Walker stated that, “This will allow our actors an opportunity also to “get their scare on” which is what they all look forward to every year.” Dominguez and Walker are also crossing their fingers that the county is opened up a bit more in Dec. because they are planning a

“Haunted Christmas spooktacular” event.

While haunted houses are typically known for their often frightening appearances, Dominguez and Walker have found that while that is true in many cases, it can also be a place of romance and laughter. They have encountered two marriage proposals within their haunted houses, which gave them the opportunity to help set the stage. Walker continued to say, “Our actors are great, with a little advanced notice they were able to change up their routine and make the moment special for both couples taking that big step.”

Dominguez and Walker said that one of their favorite parts of putting on a haunted house is “hearing the laughter and screams when people are going through the haunted house - often even before they step foot inside the building.” They also mentioned that they enjoy having creative construction and artistic direction. They add new themes, animatronics, artwork, and props seemingly every year. In addition, they also enjoy scaring a wide audience, ranging from seven year olds to 80-year-olds.”

Blind Scream has gone a step further these past

few years by reaching out to Sonoma State University student groups and clubs. They offered them the opportunity to scare for the night, they “fed them dinner, gave them scare training, put them in costume and make up, and they went to work scaring,” said Walker. Students from other countries that do not normally celebrate Halloween even took part in scaring others, and were able to tell their family and friends back home all about it.

Tyler Chase, Sonoma State senior, took part in the festivities during the past year and said, “It was nice to go out and help support the community in a fun way for kids and teens.”

Walker recounts that “Blind Scream has become a North Bay tradition for many, many people and their families. We usually see people from throughout California who look forward to their visit to the “Good Doc” at Blind Scream. It is very difficult for us to not open and for that tradition to have to take a pause this year. We love what we do and always want to show off our work to the community. We are very proud of the scenes, the sets and our dedicated actors and builders.”

‘Savage X Fenty,’ a celebration of body types, ends with an apology KATELYN DODGE STAFF WRITER

S

avage X Fenty, an all-encompassing fashion show featuring Rihanna and her desire to make all bodies feel accepted. Featuring intimates and lingerie that are marketed as a collection that fits more than one body type, it fits real people and not just models. Most lingerie fashion shows only feature women that are rail thin and go along with the accepted ideal beauty. Shows, such as Victoria’s Secret, struggle to show a single plus-sized woman as an angel in their yearly show. Rihanna has made sure to include women of all colors and shapes in her Savage x Fenty lineup, the dancers highlighting how we can all look different but feel comfortable in our own skins.

The lineup this year included a plethora of performances and cameos made by musicians and actors alike.

The key performances began with Rosalía singing her own song “Relación”. The song is beautifully sung while also featuring men of varying sizes in the Savage X Fenty boxers, smoking jackets, and satin pants, once more showing the versatility in the brands sizing, from extra small to triple X, the brand has created clothing to comfort and feature every body type.

There are interviews with dozens of women, actresses that show a vulnerability unseen from their normal stage presence. From Cara Delevingne to Jazzelle Zanaughtti, interviews explaining what it means to hide inside yourself, the impactful statement came pouring out as emotions many may have hidden up inside. Glimmers of hope sliding through though as for a hopeful future among those hurt emotions, “You know if she gets to that to be continued ellipsis part, I think that she’ll have a lot of hope in her heart for you know, what’s to come,” said a heartfelt Zanaughtti. More artists used their amazing talents to bring tears to the eyes of the audience with Ella Mai’s “Not Another Love Song”. Featured songs “Ballin” and “High Fashion” performed by DJ Mustard and Roddy Ricch were performed alongside Ella’s own piece. “Yo Perro Soy” sung by performer Bad Bunny got a spotlight as well as “Adorn”, “Funeral”, and “Waves” by Miguel side by side with his wife getting its place in the show.

Though the show featured so many creators, artists, and people, there was some backlash that came over a song during the show. Times writer Cady Lang explained where the heat came from. “The show used the song “Doom,” a track by musical producer Coucou Chloe that samples a hadith, a sacred Islamic text,” stated Lang.

COURTESY // SIGMA Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty show is avaiable now on Amazon Prime.

These texts were used in a fashion that insulted Allah’s name as LA Time’s staff writer Nardine Saad explained, “In Islam, it is considered haram, or forbidden, to use Allah’s name, the words of the Quran or the prophet Muhammad impolitely.”

These words have brought much more heat to this year’s fashion show than in later years. Since the show released on Amazon Prime, Rihanna has since issued an apology to her fans and the Muslim community. “I’d like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our Savage X Fenty show,” Rihanna wrote in a post shared on the Savage X Fenty Instagram page Tuesday. “I would more importantly like to apologize to you for this honest, yet careless mistake. We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and I’m incredibly disheartened by this! I do not play with any kind of dis-

respect toward God or any religion and therefore the use of the song in our project was completely irresponsible.”

Since then, the video has since been edited to remove the offensive song in question, as has it been pulled from a multitude of streaming platforms.

Rihanna’s whole creation of this show revolved around one idea, to be as inclusive as possible. While the show featured glamorous ideals, there were unfortunately other issues that held back what could have been a perfect showing for Savage X Fenty. The original idea should remain the image of the show, as Rihanna states during the 2020 fashion show, “I want to make stuff that I can see on the people that I know, and they come in all shapes, sizes, races, religions. Whether that comes from my household and my childhood, to the circle of family that I’ve created around me. I really care that they be a part of what I do,” expressed Rihanna in a tender tone.

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

A hit is ‘Among Us’

SAMUEL SAYER STAFF WRITER

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hen first shown the colorful, bean-shaped characters of “Among Us,” one’s first thoughts might be of the other incredibly popular game that took 2020 by storm, “Fall Guys.” Instead of a party game that’s all about flashy, social obstacle courses, “Among Us” is a quiet murder mystery set on a lonely spaceship.

While the game has exploded in popularity as of Aug. 2020, “Among Us” was actually released by developers Innersloth in Nov. 2018 on Windows and Mobile.

The mobile version is free with the option to pay and remove ads, whereas the windows version is $5. On top of that, the game also offers a handful of purchasable costumes, as well as small “pets” that follow the player around as they play the game.

The game itself follows a formula reminiscent of games like “Mafia,” “Town of Salem,” “Secret Hitler,” or other social deduction games. With anywhere between 4-10 players, the premise is simple: all the players are on a spaceship as crew and have to maintain the ship. However, one of those crew members is not who

they seem. That crew member is the “Imposter”, whose goal is to lie, sabotage, and kill the other crewmates.

The crewmates, on the other hand, have to perform simple tasks to maintain their spaceship while also trying to deduce who the imposter is, and then convince their fellow crew members of who the imposter is and that they should be voted out.

While “Among Us” had seen small pockets of growth in it’s two years of release, it didn’t grow explosively until this July. Through a combination of several popular streamers stumbling across it and playing it in front of large audiences, as well as the very accessible nature of the game lead to a sudden, delayed burst of popularity. While the multi-platform numbers haven’t been released, the player count on Windows alone has reached a peak of 438 thousand concurrent players and settling at a consistent average of 200 thousand since.

The game itself is very quick to learn, and players can get by with the touchscreen or only the mouse on their computer if they like, with all the tasks being simple mini-games like sorting and color matching. The

real bulk of the game lies in the interactions with the other players, specifically the meetings. Meetings occur when someone finds the body of a crew member that was killed by the imposter, or if someone presses the “Emergency Meeting” button. The meeting is the one part of the game where players are able to communicate with each other, and because of it the meetings often become a mob of the imposters trying to sow discord and cast suspicion on an innocent crewmate, said crewmate trying to defend themselves, and the rest of the members of the meeting just trying to figure out who to trust.

This game has already had a rapid rise in popularity, and looks to be a new permanent fixture in the industry, as the developers plan to continue adding new content for players to sink their teeth into. While it doesn’t have much potential to become an eSport due to the largely quiet and secluded nature of playing, it’s ease of play and social aspects make it the perfect game to pick up and play with friends, especially those who can’t meet up in person during the pandemic due to social distancing.

COURTESY // ALEX795 Among Us has become the new viral game, featuring a new take on the hit game Mafia from the safety of your home.

American Film Institute goes virtual with ‘AFI Fest’

RACHEL GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

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n Oct.6, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced its 2020 Lineup for the American Film Institute FEST. Tickets become available Oct. 7 and the festival itself will go live Oct. 15 to Oct. 22.

According to their website, AFI will be presenting 124 films. AFI offers two forms of attendance; passes and tickets. Passes range from $100 to $140 per person, where they include “passholder access” to certain films, packages, meet and greets, and much more. Tickets range from $8 to $15, depending on whether the participant wants a ticket for individual films and events or wanting to attend special presentations.

Once a film is available for viewing, those who chose to purchase tickets will have “...48 hours to begin watching the film and then 48 hours to conclude viewing.” according to the AFI website On their website, AFI introduces themselves as a non-profit educational organization that was created in 1967 and is “...dedicated to educating and inspiring artists and audiences through initiatives that champion the past, present, and future of the moving image.” stated on the AFI website.

IndieWire quoted Sarah Haris, the Director of Programming for the AFI FEST, saying that “AFI FEST is committed to supporting diverse perspectives and new voices in cinema and this year is no different.”

AFI Fest will be presenting work from a wide range of creators such as women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+.

“While we wish we were able to be together in Hollywood, this year’s festival is an opportunity to celebrate the many great films yet to be discovered by audiences across the nation,” said Haris.

The Los Angeles Times reported on the American Film Institue on Aug.11 with Michael Lumpkin, who is the director for AFI Festivals, describing the possible trials and tribulations the virtual fest may have encountered, such as a reduction in titles.

“AFI Fest will likely only have a 10% to 20% reduction in the number of titles presented if any reduction at all,” said Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Mark Olsen.

Olsen reported that in 2019, AFI presented over 140 titles. This year AFI will only be screening 124 titles. Olsen also mentioned Lumpkin describing the result of the pandemic shifting festivals and the film industry to change. “...We were all in the same boat, everybody’s faced with this new reality that we had to adjust to, whether it’s festivals, filmmakers, distributors, studios — everybody. We’re all in this together and together we’re figuring this out.” said Lumpkin on the Los Angeles Times.

COURTESY // WIKIPEDIA The American Film Institute will become a virtual festival starting Oct. 15.

Though making the festival virtual and getting hit with a reduction of titles to screen, Lumpkin added to the Los Angeles Times article that there is an advantage to making the festival online and easily accessible to those who couldn’t make it.

AFI is not a source of entertainment, but it is also an opportunity to view art and be able to participate in conversations that arise after viewing these films. As Lumpkin stated to Olsen, “I think there is such urgency for some of these great films and voices to be heard.”. AFI is excited to provide a virtual festival for those who are staying home during COVID-19, as well as many new films for those who would like to participate.

8 Student Life

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Election Day events on campus

EMILY CRIPE

STAFF WRITER

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s Election Day draws closer and closer, Sonoma State University is working hard to provide as many resources as possible can to make voting accessible to all students.

Throughout the next month, there are a variety of scheduled informational events centered around informing students, and there is now a ballot box on campus for Seawolves and locals to safely submit their absentee ballots.

The ballot box, located by the f lagpole at the front entrance, is a result of long-time collaboration between SSU’s Center for Community Engagement and Sonoma County, according to Director of Community Engagement Merith Weisman.

When asked where the ballot box idea came from, Weisman said, “We had long noticed that students struggled with getting their ballots in and on time. The county was excited to put a ballot box here and everyone at SSU has been encouraging and supportive.”

The best part of the ballot box is that it doesn’t require a parking pass for access, so anyone in the community can take advantage of it.

“I love that there is a ballot box on campus, because in prior years I did not have a car and finding a place to mail in my ballot was difficult. The ballot box makes it much more accessible,” said Lydia Maldonado, an SSU student currently living in the dorms.

A virtual event being put on by the students in POLS 484 on Oct. 12, “It Matters: California Ballot Measures”, is one of many virtual informational meetings happening within the next month. During the event, students in the POLS 484 course will be providing nonpartisan information on each California proposition, including funding, supporters, and possible outcomes. According to U.S.News, unbiased political information is the key to informed voting nowadays, and this event provides student voters with just that, giving them complete freedom to make informed decisions on their own accord.

If anyone cannot attend this meeting, but would still like nonpartisan information on ballot measures, the Department of Political

The Salazar Hall sign had an orange tint due to the recent fires.

Science’s Election Resource Center is linked on their website.

SSU is also involved in a statewide initiative put on by California’s Secretary of State: the Calif. University and College Ballot Bowl. The Ballot Bowl is a yearly competition put on by the California Secretary of State, and according to SSU’s Director of Associated Students, Erik Dickson, the competition, “Encourages all eligible students to register to vote and participate in the election.” There are a total of 45 colleges and universities involved, and the institution with the most voter participation wins, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

STAR //Isabelle Barkey

For remote students, voter support may look a bit different than it has in the past, but it remains accessible to anyone and everyone at SSU. Many SSU organizations have gone out of their way to create virtual events and informational graphics to keep everyone informed and engaged no matter their location. A full list of events for the remainder of the year can be found on the Seawolf Living website. “There are so many important issues and races on the ballot this year that will impact Sonoma State students. Students should take advantage of all the resources to learn about what is on their ballot and then vote,” Dickson said.

Students can destress with ‘The Struggle is Real, So How Do We Deal’ workshop SIEANNA NARINE

STAFF WRITER

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r. Irene Wise at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Sonoma State University is holding a mindfulness workshop entitled: “The Struggle is Real, So How Do We Deal.” This workshop provides an opportunity for students to learn and experience mindfulness and self-compassion practices when dealing with intense or difficult emotions. It also gives students the tool to navigate challenging relationships and softening the hard critic inside students’ heads. The event will consist of six independent modules ranging from activities such as methods to calm down, meditations, and journaling exercises.

There are six weeks starting Tues. at 11 a.m. from Oct. 13 to Nov 17. The weeks each have a corresponding theme ranging from a different personal issue that students may be facing during this pandemic.

Some of these modules include Week 1’s Mindfulness: A Foundational Coping Skill (10/13/2020), Week 2’s Loving-Kindness: Care for Ourselves and Others (10/20/2020), or Week 6’s, Navigate Challenging Relationships with Self-Compassion (11/17/2020).

Wise said, “Research has shown that practicing mindfulness and self-compassion has many benefits, including alleviation of symptoms of depression and anxiety, reduced perceived stress, and enhanced wellbeing. With a worldwide pandemic, taking remote classes, navigating relationships during social distancing orders, and social unrest, students have a lot to feel stressed over.”

She believes that this was the perfect workshop to give students a better understanding of themselves in the current state of the world. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has continued to increase in the state of California in the last seven days with 21,113 cases according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention date tracker for COVID-19. For now, the pandemic is raging on and the students at Sonoma State have dealt with multiple traumatic events since stepping on campus for the fall semester of 2020 including: the fires, the toxic air quality from the fires, and the pandemic. This workshop will be beneficial to learning methods to support the mental health of students so that they are able to finish out the semester strong and skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

Shannon Clemons, a third year student said, “I have used the services at CAPS before and love how accommodating they are. I am ecstatic that they are holding this workshop over Zoom for me to access at home.”

Wise and CAPS at Sonoma State hope that “by attending one or more of these workshops, students will learn and experience helpful practices to help them deal with these difficult times. I hope that students who attend will feel more empowered, grounded, and excited to learn about themselves.”

Asking a couple of students if they will attend the event, Kobe Manguil, a third-year student said, “The workshop seems extremely beneficial to me. I love that they included activities such as journaling because I love to write and learning

STAR // Brandon Sparks “The Struggle is Real So How Do We Deal” workshop is a collaboration between Dr. Irene Wise and Counseling and Psychological Services how I can use to benefit me and my mental health is a plus.”

CAPS at Sonoma State University is creating this workshop in hopes of giving guidance to students online because it cannot be in person. They are also offering several opportunities for students to learn more about mindfulness including a weekly drop-in group on Fridays at 1 p.m.

Student Life 9

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY// Instagram REVIVAL Zine is a feminist student run magazine and one of the many organizations Seawolves can join.

COURTESY // Instagram Members of the Filipino American Association at SSU pose for a snapshot

COURTESY // Instagram Hillel of Sonoma County has adapted to online learning by providing online events for members.

Clubs get creative through an online forum

AMANDA KOBA

I

STAFF WRITER

n a normal setting, students would have been able to walk through Seawolf Plaza and see countless clubs tabling on any given day, with club members flagging down students with flyers, trying to get them to sign up to join.

Unfortunately with everything virtual this school year, students are forced to not only do classes online but find ways to get involved.

Clubs now have to find new ways to connect with students, meet with current members and host events. Mon., Oct. 9 kicked off a week long event called ORGtober. The virtual student organization fair let students and clubs come together to meet. Each club had a virtual table that students could click on to get a Zoom link. The event held a variety of student organizations on campus with themes related to culture,spirituality, politics, sports, academics, social justice, activism, and everything in between.

When asked her opinion of the event, International Education and Exchange Council member, Azucena Carlos Montesinos said, “I think any event that brings exposure to different clubs and organizations on campus is helpful.

ORGtober gave us the opportunity to reach a larger portion of the SSU population which is extremely helpful.”

Virtual club and organization fairs are becoming the new norm in attempts of getting students involved. Without being able to table and interact with students in person, organizations are heavily relying on social media to promote themselves. Katherine Breeher president of REVIVAL Zine said, “helped us tremendously with gaining members and general interest in our organization.”

Entrepreneurs United was a club that was new to campus. Andrew Savedra, president of the club, said, “I have been reaching out to SSU students through my Zoom classes. Also, for the students who showed initial interest, I have been asking them to talk to their friends who might be interested,” when asked how he’s been growing the club.

While trying to gain exposure to new students, clubs have also been trying to maintain their organization similarly to before the school year went virtual.

Most continue to hold meetings regularly and often invite students to join. Katelyn Castro, member of Filipino American Association at Sonoma State University said, “Meetings are a good way to stay informed about the club and upcoming events, also a great way to see some new faces and make great connections.”

Other than hosting meetings regularly, another way members are connecting is through virtual events hosted by their respective organizations. Sara Feinman, president of Hillel of Sonoma County said the club still held weekly events.

“The first and most important is Shabbat- which is a Jewish tradition/holiday we celebrate every Friday evening, its a time to connect with family (or in our case other Jewish students) and decompress from the week with prayers and dinner provided by Hillel of Sonoma County...and we do prayers,” said Feinman.

Clubs have been adapting to this new form of meeting.Normally the Filipino American Association at Sonoma State University (FAASSU) would go to Cal State Fullerton to participate in an event called Friendship Games where Filipino clubs come and compete while celebrating spirit, pride, unity, and friendship (S.P.U.F). Castro said, “...the organization has done a fantastic job in organizing a virtual event for all the clubs so we can still compete and enjoy the feeling that friendship games give all of us.”

With the transition to online, students aren’t the only ones adapting. Clubs and organizations have found ways to continue to hold meetings and events while following California guidelines. If Seawolves are interested in joining a club there is a directory on Engage@SSU with all recognized clubs at Sonoma State.

Seawolves turn Wildcats for the night with the ‘Pop, Lock, Jam and Break’ event

SARAH GALLAGHER

STAFF WRITER

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onoma State University students got the chance to channel their inner Wildcat at “Pop, Lock, Jam and Break,” a virtual dance class and Q/A session with Disney Channel star KayCee Stroth, who played Marth Cox in the world famous movie series “High School Musical” (HSM). Seawolves got to ask their deepest, darkest and most burning questions about HSM and also learned the choreography to “We’re All In This Together” one of the most well known songs of the series.

The event was held on Oct. 6 on Zoom from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. This virtual get-together was put together by Emily Hicks, a member of Associated Students (AS) here on campus, and gave students the chance to ask anything they always wanted to know as well as truly learn the dance they grew up seeing on TV. It was a special opportunity for Sonoma State students to really work up a sweat and become their own Troy Bolton.

“When I was planning this we were in the middle of quarantine and I thought about what would be a new and exciting way to get students moving but still having fun so what’s better than learning the iconic High School Musical dance,” Hicks said.

Students were engaged and loved being able to take it back to when they were younger for the night.

“What made me most proud of the event was bringing a new event to the students. We have already overcome so many obstacles this semester and having a program where students could join in and forget about some of those stressors we all have been facing really made it memorable,” said Hicks. The AS team wanted to bring a little fun and entertainment for the school to enjoy themselves. Seawolves got to interact as a community and all were able to bond over something in the midst of online learning.

The event was planned by AS in order to continue to bring the connections from in person to online even if that means belting out some Disney throwbacks. Hicks also commented on working with Stroth and her team to make this event worth wild. “It was a smooth time working Kaycee, her team was very responsive and were easy to communicate with. I was excited to converse with them because I knew students would really like this idea, but never felt any pressure, just excitement to bring this experience to students.”

Questions that the Disney star included: what was her favorite movie to film, who she was closest to on the cast, her favorite song to perform in the movie and even if she wasn’t playing Martha Cox who she would want to play. The Seawolves definitely got a feel into the behind the scenes as

STAR // Sam Billingsly KayCee Stroh’s animated story telling enchanted Sonoma State Students on Oct. 7th over a virtual zoom call while she went into exquisite detail of her involvement in ‘High School Musical’.

well as gained some insight on what it is like to be in the spotlight and on stage.

Some students were able to ask questions and asked a few of them what their experience was about the event and what it was like to ask someone they used to watch on TV as kids answer their question. When asked, Ashley Hartley, a junior and an Early Childhood major, the impact of High School Musical made on her life, she said, “High School Musical had a huge impact on my childhood! My sister and I were obsessed with the movies she even played with the barbies and even had the HSM sheets!” Talk about a big fan.

Hartley also talked about how the event went overall. “I had so much fun learning the iconic ‘We Are All In This Together’ dance from KayCee. I have always wanted to learn it growing up, and learning from an actual High School Musical actress was honestly surreal,” she said. Hearing that famous “Pop, Lock, Jam and Break” was definitely everyone’s favorite part and made you feel like you were almost apart of it all. Even with on-

line activities, she thought the event went smoothly and it still was like you were learning the dance in person with little to no technical difficulties.

The last student asked was Megan Bitler, a sophomore, and she said, “Asking KayCee my first question made me so nervous! I’m normally never one to ask a question because I’m nervous, but I knew I would regret it.”

Everyone seems to be getting out of their comfort zones this week; at SSU all they had to do was get their head in the game and realize we are all in this together.

“Working on High School Musical was a dream come true, I was one of the lucky ones, but you still have to work hard at what you want and throw yourself in there and dream big,” said KayCee Stroth as her final few pieces of advice for Seawolves. Sonoma State really got to see an in depth and real view of life behind the screen and we hope to do it more often. For more online and Zoom events check seawolfliving.com and their social media.

10 Sports

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Atlanta Falcons use sanitizing drones to clean Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their fans return

VINCENT SPENCE STAFF WRITER

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s the National Football League gets underway with the 2020 season, each organization is coming up with new ideas to keep their fans and facilities safe.

The Atlanta Falcons have partnered with a company called Lucid Drone Technologies, that uses disinfecting drones to help sanitize the stadium. The NFL has been following strict COVID-19 guidelines, and this is just another step in making fans experiences as safe and enjoyable as possible.

This Sunday, the drones will be in use for the first time in the Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers game. There will be two drones in use to prepare the stadiums with all the safety guidelines before and after the game.

“This stadium is incredibly large and as we begin to slowly welcome fans back, these drones allow us to maximize the time between games and private events to thoroughly sanitize,” Jackie Poulakos, manager of building operations, told ESPN. “We are always challenged by leadership to continually innovate, and this new technology is the ideal solution to effectively disinfect and sanitize our stadium in an efficient manner.”

Lucid Drone Technologies was founded in 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The company describes its work as a developer of industrial drones designed to improve antiquated processes. The company’s first drone technology platform simplifies exterior building cleaning by allowing on-ground pilots to operate a drone, it is manufacturing disinfecting drones, purpose-built to apply sanitation chemicals to surfaces, providing its users with drones that are capable of spraying safe, yet effective, chemicals to remove stains.

The Atlanta Falcons are the first team

Courtesy // 11alive.com The Atlanta Falcons try out a new drone-based sanitizing method for the expected return of fans.

in the NFL to use the drones, but are not the first to use a sanitary system. The Carolina Panthers have been using a “Xenex Lightstrike Robot” or referred to by the President of the team Tom Glick, “germ-zapping robot.”

Glick said that, “What you put in an operating room at a hospital, we want to make sure we have a locker room and weight room in our suites and restrooms. We’ve been using them all summer and we’re using them in advance and after the game on Sunday.”

The drone technology will be mainly used for post game cleaning, cleaning the seating, handrails, and glass portions of the stadium. The company described that using

the drones will reduce the time needed to clean the stadium seating by 95%. In an article by Alive it said,”The drones will be using a non-toxic Hypochlorous Acid solution used is in compliance with the environmental protection agency (EPA) for maximum effectiveness without being harmful.”

As the year goes on, teams will slowly but surely start to allow fans into the stadium. It will be imperative that areas are extremely clean to slow the spread of the virus down.

The Atlanta Falcons look to bounce back from a slow start to the season. The team is 0-4 and looking to get its first win of the season against the Panthers in week 5.

The Seattle Storm win the 2020 bubble WNBA season EDGAR ZAVALA

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STAFF WRITER

his year’s highly anticipated edition of the WNBA finals featured the number one seed Las Vegas Aces versus the second seed Seattle Storm in a best of five game series.

The Seattle Storm took home the gold in a series sweep of 3-0 over the Las Vegas Aces. Led by Finals MVP, Breanna Stewart, and head coach, Gary Koppenburg the Storm won all games by double digits even though they lost to the Aces twice during their matchups in the regular season. This is the franchise’s second title in three years and their fourth overall.

This season, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the WNBA playoffs had to be held at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Players were forced to quarantine in a “bubble” after the regular season was postponed in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Players, coaches, referees, commentators, and any other staff members had to self quarantine in a hotel throughout the playoffs or whenever their team was eliminated from competition.

An odd season for the oddest of year, nevertheless, the Seattle Storm pulled forward throughout a very peculiar form of competition to get the coveted WNBA trophy.

The player that really stood out was Seattle forward Breanna Stewart as she received her second title as well as her second finals MVP. Stewart had to recover from an achilles injury during last season, so she could not win the playoffs. “I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be back to where I was,” Stewart said, “But to be here and see myself playing like this and having so much potential going forward, it’s exciting but also really appreciating what we were able to do this year.”

Stewart finished with 26 points and

Courtesy // seattletimes.com The Seattle Storm sweep the Las Vegas Aces in game three of a five game series to bring home a championship.

four rebounds to secure the final win in a score of 95-59, which was the largest win deficit in WNBA finals history. The six-foot four-inch number one pick, coming out of UCONN, averaged a total of 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists during the postseason. The star forward also broke the record books by becoming the first player to get at least 20 points in six consecutive games.

“You know, I remember where I was last year during the WNBA Finals -- I was in North Carolina with my family,” Stewart said, “and it was hard for me not to be upset because I wanted to be a part of the league.”

Stewart goes on to say that,”Obviously, I

wanted to be with my team and have the opportunity to be back and defend our title.

To be able to be here, to get through all that we’ve gone through as a team, obviously individually, it’s an amazing feeling. There’s so much of an unknown after rupturing my Achilles. I don’t know if I’m proud of myself but, you know, proud of what I’ve done ... really proud of just being able to be back.”, said Stewart in an interview with ESPN. Breanna Stewart and the rest of the Seattle Storm are very happy to win their championship and look forward to defending their title next season, hopefully in front of their fans.

Sports 11

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Student Spotlight: Baltazar Pulido

Courtesy // Kem Smith Senior Baltazar “Baltee” Pulido takes the ball and scores for Sonoma State.

ELISEO FRAGOSO STAFF WRITER

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s a fourth year undergraduate student, Baltazar Pulido looks to make an impact on and off the rugby field. Pulido grew up with athleticism in his genes and decided to major in Kinesiology. He is looking forward to graduating this fall to pursue a career in physical therapy. Pulido played fullback, outside wing, and center back.

Pulido grew up in San Jose, California and played football at his high school all four years as well as track and field. Coming to Sonoma State University, it was his first time that he potentially would not have been able to play sports. He spent his first year not playing anything, until finding out about rugby. The following year, Pulido decided to play rugby and illustrated that, “it’s been history ever since.”

The fourth-year has been playing on the rugby team since his second year at SSU and says, “It’s been a great ride playing with a great group of guys. Being able to play alongside some incredible athletes, as well as having an all-American rugby player on our team.”

Like many other sports, COVID-19 shut everything down and schools’ began to cancel seasons because of virus protocols. Some establishments simply could not afford it. The Rugby team would usually meet twice a week for a 2-3 hour practice and would normally have their games on the weekend, but that all changed after regulations were put into place with campus being closed.

The team has two different seasons. One in the Fall, which consists of teams with seven players, and the other season being in the spring, with each team consisting of 15 players. During the summer is when they have their offseason, and they use that time to workout and mentally prepare for the upcoming season.

Postponing the season has affected players, including Pulido, who says, ”Physically it has affected me because I haven’t been able to workout much due to a lot of the gyms being closed. So, I’ve gradually grown more and more out of shape. Mentally it just sucks because it was going to be my last semester playing rugby for SSU and now I will not get to have that chance. I would have really liked to have played my last semester of college.”

The fullback has many great memories during his time on the field, but he says, “... to travel with the team was a great experience ,too. We went down to San Diego to play in the National Sevens Rugby Tournament, where we placed in the top three against some of the best teams in the nation. I’d honestly say that more people should come out to play and support rugby.”

While at Sonoma, Pulido has not only had accomplishments in rugby, but the Seawolf also started the first multicultural fraternity chapter here at SSU, called Epsilon Sigma Rho. Pulido held the position of vice president for quite awhile and was able to still juggle sports and school to maintain a GPA above 3.0.

Florida seeks normality, allows full capacity for sporting events RYAN WEINER

STAFF WRITER

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ormalcy seems to be returning to Florida, as sporting venues are allowed to return to full capacity.

Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis lifted attendance restrictions at sporting events in part of phase three of Florida’s reopening after closures occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision gives three NFL teams: the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with several college football teams in the state the chance to fill their seats to maximum capacity for the rest of their respective seasons.

Governor DeSantis, and press secretary Cody McCloud stated, “Sports franchises can do as they please, they don’t need clearance from the state,” according to NBC News.

Currently, professional football franchises, baseball franchises, soccer franchises, and college football programs are playing in reduced-capacity stadiums, and plan to keep it that way for now. Despite the clearance from the governor, the Miami Dolphins want to keep attendance to a minimum. “We’ll continue to follow CDC guidelines and put everyone’s safety first and monitor things as we go,” said Dolphins Vice Chairman and CEO, Tom Garfinkel, in a statement released by the team on Wednesday.

The Dolphins currently limit home crowds to 13,000 fans and the Jacksonville Jaguars have vowed to fill no more than 25% of seats at TIAA Bank Field. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are only allowing long time season subscribers a chance to buy tickets to Raymond Jones Stadium, an office representative said last Thursday.

DeSantis’ decision also has many fans

of Florida’s college football teams wondering if increased attendance will be coming to a stadium near them. According to SEC Associate Commissioner, Herb Vincent, the conference allows schools to set maximum attendance. In response to the governor’s announcement, the University of Florida officials released their own statement about the stadium attendance plans.

“We will continue to follow the guidance provided by our experts at UF Health as well as campus officials,” the statement read, per Kassidy Hill, a reporter for the University of Florida. As far as recent attendance at home games has gone, demand for tickets has not been high. University of Florida made 17,000 seats available for the Gators’ home-opener against South Carolina, and they did not sell all of them. The normal capacity for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as The Swamp, is more than 88,000 fans.

Although the turnout for attendance was low in the Gators home opener, demand for tickets is expected to increase for their next home game when SEC West rival and defending nati,onal champion LSU travels to Gainesville on Oct.17.

According to NBC News, Florida has struggled to contain COVID-19, as Sunshine State residents are testing positive at a rate of more than 10 percent, while the World Health Organization has set a benchmark of five percent for local governments to safely reopen businesses.

Florida’s communications director Fred Piccolo published a tweet earlier this week stating, “Just to be clear... Sports franchises, like most businesses under phase 3 can do as they see medically and safety-wise in their best interests. There is no state clearance or anything of the sort.”

Courtesy // Creative Commons The Miami Dolphins and a few other teams benefit from new Florida rule allowing full stadium capacity.

12 Photo

OCT. 13 - OCT. 19, 2020 sonomastatestar.com

Glass Fire leaves many Santa Rosa houses destroyed

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Rubble sits on a heap on Beaumont Way after homes wer destroyed due to the Glass Fire, which has now burned more than 67,000 acres, in Santa Rosa.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey One wall of a house that was victim to the Glass Fire still stands tall in Santa Rosa.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Destruction left behind by the fires in the backyard of a house in Santa Rosa.

STAR // Natella Guy Senior Manny De Leon working a shift as an on call RA at SSU. Fifteen RAs were hired back to work on campus in Tuscany and Beujolais.

STAR //Natella Guy Freshman Rose Matthews heads back to her dorm with supplies to get her schoolwork done.

STAR // Natella Guy Sophomore Deisy Hernandez, who is living on campus this semester, walks toward home after finishing her laundry.

STAR //Isabelle Barkey A sign on Calistoga Road near where the Glass Fire left rubble behind in residential neighborhoods.