IN THIS ISSUE
Will you go?
Dobrik cancelled
Movie theatres are reopening with new safety protocols. PAGE 7.
Re-entering society
David Dobrik, famous Youtuber, receives backlash on social media. PAGE 3.
SSU students are experiencing social anxiety about returning to campus. PAGE 10.
SINCE 1979
VOLUME 87 // ISSUE 9 APRIL 6, 2021 - APRIL 12, 2021
THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER
@SONOMASTATESTAR
STAR // Genesis Botello Sonoma State students on campus in Feb. 2020, before the pandemic. SSU is hosting forums to discuss what repopulation in Fall 2021 will look like.
Sonoma State hosts series of repopulation forums for Fall 2021
EMILY ALVARADO STAFF WRITER
A
s Sonoma State University’s plans to lead a full return to campus for the upcoming Fall semester become more tangible, the Continuity Planning Groups at Sonoma State University are hosting a series of forums for faculty and students to discuss repopulation. Associated Students is supporting the Continuity Planning Groups open forums in an effort to have open discussions between staff and students about returning to campus. The first forum of the month took place on April 1 from 5-6 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting began with quick introductions by the 15 panelists from all over the SSU campus. Erik Dickson, the Executive Director of Associated Students, served as a facilitator of the discussion by reading questions from students in the Zoom chat. Students’ questions drove the discussion and covered a lot of uncertainties about on-campus housing. Associate Director of Residential Leadership and Development, Stacey Murray, was the main person answering questions regarding housing. When asked about dorm visitation rules, Murray said that while housing officials are discussing the logistics of visitation in campus residential communities, they are not sure if guests will be allowed from off-campus. They are currently working out how things will look with visits between residential communities. When asked if students living on campus will be required to get a Coronavirus vaccine, Murray said that students are encouraged to get vaccinated but not required. Missy Brunetta, the director for emergency services and associate risk manager, added that students living on campus that choose not to get vaccinated may be tested for COVID-19 periodically. Another hot topic in the meeting was free parking permits for students. Murray
COURTESY // @hateisavirus on Instagram The Instagram account @hateisavirus shared this photo of two women protesting the recent situation regarding the increase of Asian hate crimes in the United States.
Sonoma County passes resolutions to support AAPI communities
GABRIELLA HERMOGENO STAFF WRITER
T
he rates of anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by nearly 150% in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic and communities in Sonoma County are making efforts to show support towards Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. In an article published by NBC, data conducted by California State University San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism is highlighted and states, “It revealed that while such [hate] crimes in 2020 decreased overall by 7%, those targeting Asian people rose by nearly 150%.” Rohnert Park and Cotati recently addressed resolutions during their city council meetings on March 23 to show support towards AAPI communities. Cotati’s City Council unanimously approved a resolution in response to recent violence and hate crimes. The resolution states, “The values of the City of Cotati include diversity that ‘supports honesty and integrity in an environment
see FALL 2021 on pg. 5
see ASIAN COMMUNITY on pg. 4
Overdoses at all time high due to Fentanyl QUINN MCKIBBIN STAFF WRITER
A
onoma State engineering students and faculty are urgently requesting a waiver for the right to take over 120 units total, particularly in area A3, that is required to graduate from the major. The request took place at an Academic Senate meeting in early March. The waiver request is supported by the General Education subcommittee and also the Educational Policies Committee. Many engineering students have been forced to take an extra semester or even year to graduate due to these requirements. This creates a ripple effect for current students looking to graduate because of a lack of available classes. It also makes it more difficult for the engineering program to recruit future prospects to the SSU engineering program. This unit cap also greatly affects transfer students due to the fact they are required to take first year
s the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements linger on over a year later, overdose rates have risen over 20% in the past couple years. Isolation, stress and financial hardships are reported as main contributors to the problem. In a one year span, around 81,000 people have died from drug overdoses. That’s the highest number of overdose related deaths in U.S. history, and it’s 20% more than the previous all time high. Of 102 overdoses in Sonoma County in 2020, 94 involved the synthetic Opioid Fentanyl. With isolation and stress levels rising throughout the country, it has particularly been hard on certain segments of the population. Isolation and stress can be triggers to heavy drug use, which only worsens as those triggers linger on. According to RecoveryCentersofAmerica, “Loneliness or depression can result in using alcohol or drugs to deal with those feelings. Turning to the ‘comfort’ of alcohol or drugs becomes a way of coping with feeling alone, unloved, rejected, and confused.” Another trigger has been the financial toll the pandemic has brought to most everyone countrywide. People all over the country are left wondering how they’ll get payments in on time. All of these factors can lead to heavy drug use. In particular, Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic drug, has had a rise in popularity over the past few years. There are many people who have turned to using drugs within the time-span of the pandemic, and those new users sometimes run into new suppliers who lace their pills, stimulants and drugs with Fentanyl. Rural and urban areas have been hit hard with overdose rates in the past couple years due to Fentanyl use rising and being cut into other
see ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT on pg. 5
see INCREASE OVERDOSES on pg. 5
STAR // Brandon Sparks The Engineering Department is asking SSU to grant a waiver that will allow students to have more than 120 units count towards their major.
Engineering majors battling SSU for a change in unit requirements
WILLY LEPORI
STAFF WRITER
S