Issue 9

IN THIS ISSUE

Visit the “Witch House” Blind Scream is hosting a haunted house in Santa Rosa.

PAGE 5.

Fall Fest fun

Read up on how to celebrate Halloween safely this year.

PAGE 8.

COVID-19 safe Halloween ASP put on an eventful Fall Fest for students to celebrate Autumn.

PAGE 6.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 87 // ISSUE 9 OCTOBER 26, 2021 - NOVEMBER 1, 2021

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

COVID-19 vaccine mandate for schools met with protests ISABEL EPSTEIN STAFF WRITER

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STAR// Isabelle Barkey A walking trail near Evergreen Elementary School in Rohnert Park was flooded with water this past Sunday after a powerful storm arrived.

Cyclone hits Bay Area; flash flood warnings issued

ine months after the vaccine rollout, students grades K-12, attending both public and private schools, will be required to be vaccinated for in person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine.

On Oct. 1, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, visited a middle school in San Francisco to announce the new emergency order. Shortly after the announcement, displeased parents banded together to take a plan of action. Last Monday, parents opposing the vaccine mandate kept their kids home from school and took part in protests across the state. Some parents even decided to take their child to protest with them. Here in Sonoma County, approximately 200 parents and children protested at the Sonoma County Office of Education.

According to an article written by the Press Democrat, Jessica West, a mother of three and protest attendee said, “We just want to be able to choose for our children what is put into their bodies and be able to research it and not be a part of the research as it’s going on.”

Local parents organized the protest at the Office of Education through a Facebook group called Sonoma County Parents Stand Up For Our Kids. The group reported to have reached over 1,100 members in the 11 days following the mandate announcement.

One of the moderators of the Facebook group, Jennifer McGrath, said in an interview with the Press Democrat, “[The group members] are not anti-vaxxers. A lot are vaccinated, but don’t want their kids vaxxed. They’re not all Trump supporters; they’re not all conspiracy theorists.”

Sonoma County’s superintendent of schools, Steve Harrington, was concerned with the choice parents made on keeping their children home from school. In a message Harrington sent see COUNTY RESIDENTS on pg. 4

ISABELLE BARKEY PHOTO EDITOR

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wo days ago, a cyclone developing off the Northwest coast rolled into Sonoma County and multiple flash flood warnings were issued throughout the day. Nearly 25,000 Sonoma County homes and businesses lost power as a result of more than a dozen separate outages, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Roadways, hiking trails, Sonoma State’s campus, and more spots around Rohnert Park were flooded, accumulating to a total of more than 7 inches of rain water, KSRO reported. A graph from the National Weather service shows that the flood peaked around 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

On October 24 at 1:20 p.m., Residential Advisor Dottie Aschwanden received a text from their supervisor warning of potential flooding on campus. “We were warned that we could lose power and in the event that happened, we would need to do rounds and go on fire watch, which didn’t happen luckily,” they told the STAR. “RA’s were told to move cars in the key areas of flooding… [if] someone had forgotten their keys in their room we were given permission through the student to enter their room and access the keys to move their cars and avoid damage.”

The creek next to Cabernet Village, the parking lot between Sauvignon and Verdot, the parking lot between Verdot and Zinfandel, and the Madeira and Loire lot were all identified as key areas to watch out for flooding.

Later that day at 1:50 p.m., students at Sonoma State received an email from Director of Emergency Services and Associate Risk Manager Missy Brunetta and Police Chief Nader Oweis addressing the quickly rising water levels. “The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Rohnert Park. Sonoma State Police Department (SSPD) and Facilities Management are actively monitoring Copeland Creek (which traverses the northern end of the campus) and campus roadways, and are responding to flooding and debris issues,” the email stated. It continued to provide a list of possible road closures along with a reminder to students that while campus was not technically closed, community members were advised to stay home on Sunday see CYCLONE on pg. 4

COURTESY // @meltunikula on Instagram Sonoma County locals gathered outside the Sonoma County Office of Education this past weekend to protest the new vaccine mandate.

Grant for HSI schools awarded to SRJC, excludes SSU SIERRA HARVEY STAFF WRITER

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STAR // Isabelle Barkey Nichols and Carson Hall experienced electrical difficulties which led to the closing of these two halls for a few days last week.

Electrical incident forces shutdown of campus halls MARY HELEN ROWELL

STAFF WRITER

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unday, Oct. 17, an electrical incident at Sonoma State University led to the temporary closing of two buildings on campus.

An email was sent to SSU students and employees Sunday evening in which Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Karen Moranski, and Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance, Stan Nosek, provided more information on the incident which impacted both Nichols and Carson Hall.

On Sunday afternoon, smoke was reported inside of Nichols Halls. The Rancho-Adobe Fire see NICHOLS on pg. 4

his week the Department of Education gave out scholarships to HSI- Hispanic Serving Institution- certified colleges and universities with the intention of helping Latinx students pursue STEM majors that might otherwise be inaccessible. Hispanic Serving Institutions are universities and colleges with over 25% Latinx students in their student body. While Sonoma State is an HSI-certified university, it was not one of the 12 institutions awarded the grant, but another HSI in Sonoma County was.

The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) was awarded the HSI STEM grant on Oct.13 for their proposal to provide more “pathways” to STEM majors that would be more accessible to Latinx students, low-income, and first generation students. The grant will award SRJC $4.69 million over a period of five years per their announcement.

In the abstract of their grant award, SRJC is “to address the challenges faced by Hispanic, low-income, and first generation students while strengthening the infrastructure of the college to serve future generations of students.” The proposal goes on to address the “roadblocks” faced exclusively by Latinx, low-income, and first generation and how the funds will be used to provide pathways to success.

For this proposal they partnered with a number of local universities and colleges in which the funds provided to help new STEM majors would allow them to transfer to universities for further education. These universities and colleges included: Humboldt State University, Pacific Union College, and Sonoma State University.

Their partnership with Sonoma State and other institutions is to “create articulation and transfer pathways for new STEM degrees” as quoted from the SRJC’s announcement of the grant. However, Sonoma State did not release any news of this grant, nor was there a response for an information request to the administration.

Sonoma State was the latest CSU to be certified as an HSI. In 2017 Sonoma State became the 21st accredited HSI. That same year, SSU received a grant that was designated for the foundation of the PUERTA program which is designed to prepare more Hispanic and Latinx students for the path to become future teachers.

Nataly Hernandez, the Senator for Diversity at Sonoma State, and a first generation Latinx student herself, acknowledges that financial strain of attending university. It is a big part of why what would be first generation pioneering Latinx students don’t make it to university.

“Adding the grant to the Latinx, first generation, and low income students in STEM majors at SSU would improve diversity in that a lot of students don’t attend college because of the cost” Hernandez said.

The STEM majors inaccessibility for many students is a primary reason that it lacks diversity, as Hernandez addressed, saying, “The STEM major is also extremely expensive, which may be the reason why the STEM majors hold a huge disparity in diversity, because other students may have a better background or living situation to be able to afford college. This can see STEM GRANT on pg. 4

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Older buildings on campus due for renovations

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

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:

“Blind Scream returns to Santa Rosa with ‘Witch House’” Read the article on page 5.

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.

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hen prospective students take a look at Sonoma State’s campus for the first time, whether it be through selfguided tours or pictures of the school online, many don’t expect there to be so many issues with the campus buildings and their management. In just the past few years, there have been sustainability issues with on-campus buildings, such as asbestos in Stevenson Hall and other buildings around campus, and recent “electrical incidents” due to transformer failure.

On Oct. 19, an electrical incident on campus caused both the Nichols and Carson Halls to temporarily close, causing faculty to work remotely and reschedule any potential classes.

In a recent email from Sonoma State’s Facilities Management department, the State Fire Marshal stated that “a transformer overheated and failed on Sunday evening, and the cause of the failure is still being determined.” While this incident took place on Oct. 19, both of these lecture halls have been reopened as of Oct. 22, per a recent email. However, this incident leads students and faculty to wonder just how long these lecture halls will hold up, and if they are safe for students to attend in-person classes for much longer.

Nichols Hall was built on SSU’s campus almost 50 years ago, in 1975, making it one of the oldest buildings on the campus, and it’s age is certainly starting to show. Along with Nichols, other buildings such as Ives, Carson, PE and Art Buildings, are well overdue for remodels, as they have gone widely untouched for over 40 years. Unfortunately, these types of changes are few and far between, as they are hard to do when most of the buildings are in use. While the campus is active for most of the year, renovations have to be strategically planned to cause minimal disruption to students and faculty.

When asked about how SSU plans to deal with these building management issues, Julia Gonzalez, who is the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications, stated that “[SSU] submits our capital funding maintenance needs to the CSU Chancellor’s Office for review by the Board of Trustees and the Gov-

STAR // Morgan Mitchell

ernor’s Office.” She followed up this statement by encouraging both students and faculty to submit work orders, which can help to address these types of issues proactively.

Issues with the buildings on campus in the past few years have left students wondering how the buildings are going to hold up for the rest of their time attending Sonoma State, and if the building management on-campus is up to par with other California State Universities. When students in the CSU system check the Facilities Operations website, they are greeted by a brief introduction about how the office is able to “work collaboratively with departments, campus services and management to facilitate construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings and grounds.” Locked behind a paywall, however, are the results of the APPA FPI (Association of Physical Plant Administrators Facilities Performance Indicators), which is a sustainability questionnaire that campuses are supposed to be surveyed on yearly. This questionnaire, along with other reports, programs, and assessments, is used by the CSU system to evaluate how campus buildings are holding up. However, with the latest sustainability questionnaire dating back to the 2019-2020 school year, it leaves students wondering if Sonoma State is going to be able to receive the financial help they need to keep buildings on campus up to date.

From a student perspective, it’s hard to know what is really going on behind the scenes with building management. All students can see is how the buildings are aging, and they are reminded of this every few months when another issue with building management occurs and their classes are cancelled. It’s easy to criticize the CSU system and how they are managing their funds without understanding the full story, which is why more transparency from SSU about building upkeep and plans to renovate older buildings is necessary. It is important for Sonoma State to be as transparent as they can with the campus community about what is going on, so that students and faculty aren’t left questioning their safety within buildings on campus.

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.

COURTESY // ah.sonoma.edu

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers. The board encourages readers to write letters to the editor about all topics, including the editorial.

Opinion 3

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma County celebrates National Netflix stages walkout over Dave Chappelle’s Friends of Libraries Week new special

DIANA ORTIZ

STAFF WRITER

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n the minds of many people, libraries have become outdated or even expendable.

However, this could not be further from reality. Despite the growing developments of technology and the belief that libraries are becoming obsolete, public libraries are still one of the most fundamental aspects that make up a community.

The third week of October celebrates National Friends of Libraries Week, and for Sonoma County, this is a perfect time to honor and celebrate library branches across Sonoma County.

The Rohnert Park-Cotati Friends of the Library group supports a number of resources and services at the Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library that many people are not familiar with.

“No matter who you are in the community, the library has something for you,” said Sonoma County Library Public Information Officer and Communications Manager, Ray Holley. Holley has been working with the Sonoma County Library for nearly three years now, and is a firm believer that libraries add substantial value to communities.

Holley recalls a time before the internet, when people always went to the library to learn about new things. He states that even though today’s technology

makes it so visiting a library is not the number one option when seeking information, libraries are still essential to communities.

Holley emphasized that libraries are open and free to all people. Despite a person’s race, ethnicity, religion or gender identity, the library welcomes all community members. In fact, Holley expressed that libraries are also open to unsheltered people. By supplying resources and services free of charge, libraries play a major role in providing resources to underrepresented communities that do not have readily available access to the resources libraries offer.

When people think of libraries, they automatically associate them with books.

Although libraries hold hundreds and hundreds of books, they also offer a number of other resources. These resources include paper and 3D printing, both educational and non-educational movies, as well as help with job interviews or tool boxes available for check out as part of the library’s Energy and Sustainability Division (ESD) Tool Lending Library (TLL) program. Holley believes it is because of people’s lack of knowledge about these extra resources that many people may think that libraries are not as valuable as they have been in earlier times.

The role of Friends of Libraries includes providing support through advocacy, volunteerism, contributions and book sales. They also work to raise awareness about the importance of libraries and help introduce people to resources they may not be aware of. According to Hol-

ley, about 47% of Sonoma County residents have library cards, and in order to continue raising awareness about services, the Sonoma County Library runs advertisements in English and Spanish on both radio and newspapers. Before COVID-19, Holley describes how library staff members would often attend community events where they would set up informational tables to speak with community members and help them become aware of the services libraries offer.

When asked about the future of libraries in five to ten years, Holley was enthusiastic about what the Sonoma County libraries may look like in the coming years. Holley believes libraries will incorporate more technology into their services and also begin new programs such as book clubs and virtual reality. Regardless of what the future holds, Holley is confident that libraries will continue to play a crucial role in the community.

Libraries are a true representation of a supportive community. They are welcoming and open-minded, and offer resources to people that do not have easy access to them.

National Friends of Libraries Week helps highlight the ongoing basis that Sonoma County libraries serve as community hubs that provide opportunities for all members.

Despite what the future holds for libraries across the nation, it is clear that in today’s day and age, libraries continue to provide beneficial resources to underrepresented groups and play a foundational role in communities everywhere, especially here in Sonoma County.

SSU campus police discuss more transparency through police scanner updates

ALEX GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

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hen it comes to safety, students have mixed feelings about walking through Sonoma State’s campus. Some may feel comfortable walking around campus, while others feel that they cannot walk alone due to the poor lighting among other factors.

There has been concern in the past regarding the transparency of SSU’s campus police and what crimes students are informed of. Many are questioning whether or not the campus police scanner reports should be publicized or more easily accessible to ease students’ minds.

Through Sonoma State’s website, students have the ability to view crime and arrest logs on campus. The arrest logs are official records that document arrests that happened on and near the SSU campus.

The crime logs are also official reports, which document all criminal activity or alleged

criminal incidents within the general vicinity of campus.

Nader Oweis, the campus police chief of Sonoma State, explains that not only is it California law, but part of the Clery ACT, which allows police to post details of a crime.

This allows anyone from newspaper sources like the Press Democrat, The Argus Courier, and The Community Voice to implement this information to inform their readers.

Sonoma County’s police scanner updates are posted through a variety of social media platforms. On Instagram and Twitter, residents can receive fire and crime updates through @sonomascanner. It is all perfectly legal and helps residents feel more confident in knowing the goings-on in the county.

Chief Oweis further states, “Under the state and California law, we do post information about crime and the arrests we make on our website.” Regarding publication of police scanner information, he added, “We are in discussions with a vendor to be able to put crime mapping on our website as well.”

Crime mapping technology is used by law enforcement agencies across the U.S. It allows them to inform the public about recent crime activity and incidents in areas around them by marking down such an event

in the specific spot that happened. This will allow citizens to view information relating to the area in which they live or are planning to visit, move to, etc.

Many students, such as Nathan Khalili, feel like it’s a start in feeling more safe roaming around campus. Khalili states, “It would definitely feel a lot better and a lot easier to ease the tension between the police and students if there is [publication of police scanners], as it will leave more openness.”

Ryan Harris, a third year student at Sonoma State, has mixed feelings regarding such an inclusion, commenting, “I feel like on the one hand it could make people nervous if they know about crimes, but on the other hand I feel like it’s important because maybe it can change the way people act or think and change they way they feel towards the police too.”

Making the crime and arrest logs have more of a public presence, such as posting on social media, would be a step in the right direction in regards to easing the unsettled nerves students have with their safety. Students are more inclined this day in age to check news through many different social media platforms, and posting through them will give students more transparency.

JESSICA STERNFELD STAFF WRITER

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everal weeks of discussion and outrage culminated in a large crowd of Netflix employees and others staging a walkout on Wednesday. The employees, going by “Team Trans’’, were angered by comments made by comedian Dave Chappelle in his new special “The Closer,” which premiered on the streaming platform in early October.

In Chappelle’s set, he called himself both a “transphobe” and “Team TERF,” referring to trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

Terra Field, a trans Netflix employee, says the LGBQT+ outrage for the special is about “the harm that content like this does to the trans community (especially trans people of color) and VERY specifically Black trans women.”

Despite the vocal outcry, Chappelle is “standing by his art,” said a representative to Yahoo! Entertainment.

Others have turned this into a matter of freedom of speech. In an article about Chappelle, Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune wrote about author JK Rowling, who was also mentioned in Chappelle’s special for making transphobic remarks.

Page said of Rowling, “I don’t share her [views], by any means, but I do defend her right to express it without being viciously attacked.”

Rowling’s comments which were made on Twitter exist in a completely different space than Chappelle’s.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about how freedom of speech applies to social media. Too many people seem to forget that these are private companies with terms of service and that the first amendment was made to protect citizens from the government, not companies. Or as Chappelle puts it in his special, “Twitter is not a real place.”

However, both of those things are irrelevant when looking at Netflix. Netflix is a media company, not a social media company. People can’t post whatever stupid thought comes into their mind on the site. They produce and stream shows and movies.

Everything that is on there was okayed by some head of some media company, be it Netflix or the CW or CBS. Chappelle’s special, though not as scrutinized as scripted productions, is no exception. It was part of a deal signed in 2016.

This brings up the bigger issue that exists within media production. For the most part, the media is made by those who have the money and power to fund it with their views at the forefront.

Joey Soloway, a nonbinary writer, and producer for the Amazon Prime show Transparent, who participated in the Netflix protest, said they “wanted trans representation on the Netflix board. A trans person on the f-ing Netflix board this f***ing week.”

For minorities to be represented, they have to be part of the conversation, in writer’s rooms and on production boards.

Chappelle may claim he is not “punching down” when he is making jokes about trans people, but despite leaps of progress being made over the last decade, they are still at a clear disadvantage.

Chappelle normalizing transphobia and TERF ideology through his specials is not helping.

Chappelle ends his set on trans people talking about Daphne Dorman, a trans comedian friend of his. Chappelle said she was “one of the coolest people [he] ever met.”

He goes on to describe a show he did where Dorman was the opening act. After her set, she sat in the audience and (drunkenly) talked to Chappelle during his set, “and then the show became something cooler than a show,” Chappelle said. “It became like a conversation between a Black man and a white trans woman and we started to get to the bottom of s**t.”

That story is how representation should be: All sides getting to have their say. It should be a conversation.

Chappelle ends his special with the promise to “not [tell] another joke about [the LGBQT+ community] until [they] are both sure [they] are laughing together.”

Maybe Chappelle should have followed that advice before this show because the Trans community is not laughing with him.

Trans voices need to be heard, and these protests show they want to be part of the discussion.

Chappelle should use his platform to create this conversation, not tear it down further.

4 News

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Nichols and Carson Hall temporarily closed due to electrical issues continued from pg. 1

COURTESY // @SAVSSonomaVillages on Facebook Sebastopol Community Church volunteers built huts for the homeless.

Sebastopol and Petaluma creating housing for the homeless JHERY MAE MONTEZA

STAFF WRITER

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n Sonoma County, the homelessness rate is at an all time high consisting of at least 3,000 people.

Nearly two-thirds of that population lived in the area before losing their homes, and 62% are continuously without shelter. As a solution to this ongoing problem, volunteers from Sebastopol Community Church built huts, and Petaluma is currently searching for $24 million in state funding to buy multi-tenant housing.

A church member involved with the project, Peggy Porter, stated, “Apparently, having a place where they can lock a door on their belongings and lay down to sleep and stand to dress has made a huge difference for people without shelters,As far as being able to get a job and getting on to a better life, it’s made a huge difference to the people up in Oregon, so I’m hoping it will for our folks, too.”

The community church of Sebastopol created two Conestoga huts to try and combat the problem of homelessness. In the church’s safe parking program, anyone in need will be able to use the structures being provided while they are looking for a permanent home to stay in. Each resembles a covered wagon and about 60 square feet accommodating a bed and limited storage space. People who stay have access to toilets, showers, and kitchens. Approval for stays will be time-limited, although the team is considering the options of having renewals and a six month approval. Furthermore, they expect anyone staying to maintain a relationship with social services as a first step in securing long-term housing.

A church member involved with the project, Judy Davidson stated, “This is just our church, the outreach committee looking into needs of the unsheltered population in Sonoma and wanting to give this a try to see if this would work, and maybe be a model for other places, other churches — a lot of churches with big parking spaces that they could certainly put some of these up in.”

Volunteers used a miter saw to cut pieces of lumber to size, which they then connected to form a structure, painted the front of the hut, and finally laid panels of flexible insulation over the roof. Compared to other temporary homeless shelters, these huts are cheaper to make.

Porter got the design from a nonprofit in Oregon called Community Supported Shelters. Their first step was acquiring a permit from the City of Sebastopol to build two units. Afterwards, they purchased the construction manual from the nonprofit and raised funds to cover the cost of materials. Compared to other temporary homeless shelters, these huts are cheapest to make, coming to about only $2,500.

In addition to Sebastopol’s efforts, Petaluma has been trying to address the increasingly high homelessless crisis. In a unanimous vote, Petaluma City Council members urged city officials to collaborate with housing developments nonprofits for funding through Project Homekey. In July 2020, California launched a $750 million program to help communities obtain motels, hotels, and commercials for people who didn’t have homes during COVID-19. Throughout the state, 94 projects had housed 9,000 people by December 2020.

At the moment, Sonoma County is allowed to buy and convert hotels for permanent supportive housing for their unhoused neighbors. The county received $16 million to buy hotels in Downtown Santa Rosa and Sebastopol that totaled up to 75 units. Project Homekey is very popular therefore the program is getting another $2.75 billion to keep it going.

Karen Shimizu, a city housing manager reported, “This would be a project that would provide the permanent supportive housing units, which is very important to our continuum of housing, so we have our street outreach and we have our interim housing solutions - people would be living there for about six months and then moving into permanent supportive housing.”

As of Sept. 2021, Petaluma City Council will use $338,000 out of the $1.7 million to proceed with the “tiny homes” plan building 25 interim housing units. By January, the project should be completed along with a program assisting residents with mental health, substance abuse treatments, and other on-site services. Currently, there are no possible sites for the project, but city officials are required to put down a location to submit the application that is due on Jan. 31. They are trying to move as quickly as possible because it is a competitive program.

Sonoma County is very proactive when it comes to the problem of homelessness and constantly making new changes to their plans. City officials are doing everything they can to decrease the rate of homelessness in the counties.

Department was called to the scene and was able to quickly determine that while there was no immediate fire threat, the smoke was likely a result of an electrical issue within the building.

In response to the incident, and in order to prevent future damage, campus electricians shut off the electrical grid, turning off all power for Nichols and Carson Halls.

“Electricity was shut off in Carson Hall because it is on the same electrical grid as Nichols Hall… The buildings have been locked and no one will be able to enter while the electrical issue is being investigated and corrected,” read the email sent on Oct. 19.

The buildings were predicted to remain closed Monday, Oct. 18, and Tuesday, Oct. 19, following the incident. Faculty within the building were prompted to work from home for a few days and classes held in these two buildings were either moved to different buildings or temporarily moved online until the buildings could re-open.

The two buildings are where a majority of the classes, for the University’s School of Arts and Humanities and the School of Science and Technology, are held.

While there were no classes this semester in Nichols Hall, according to SSU’s Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications, Julia Gonzalez, two classrooms in Carson Hall were impacted by the incident, affecting the three Chemistry classes and one Geography, Environment, and Planning class taking place in those classrooms.

“The number of students enrolled in these classes combined is 137. While the transformer replacement was being installed, the Chemistry labs in Carson Hall were moved to Darwin Hall, and the Geography, Environment, and Planning course moved online,” wrote Gonzalez in an email.

A second email, from Moranski and Nosek, was sent to the campus community on Tuesday, Oct. 19, providing an update on the electrical incident. While there was no new information on when the buildings may be able to re-open, the email confirmed that the incident was caused by a transformer failure.

“The State Fire Marshal has confirmed that a transformer overheated and failed on Sunday evening, and the cause of the failure is still being determined. A temporary transformer will be installed outside Nichols to restore power to the two buildings until a replacement transformer can be procured and installed,” read the email.

On Friday, Oct. 22, Gonzalez confirmed that a temporary transformer had been installed Thursday evening and that the buildings would be ready to re-open by the end of the day.

Built in 1975 and named after SSU’s founding president, Ambrose R. Nichols, Nichols Hall is one of the older buildings on campus, which is why it comes as less of a surprise that an older building like this would experience some electrical issues.

When asked if there was anything that could have been done to prevent the electrical incident, Gonzalez stated, “The transformer was inspected two years ago, and no issues were found. The cause of the transformer failure is being investigated, but sometimes equipment fails.”

Cyclone washes over Sonoma continued from pg. 1 unless absolutely necessary.

Another email was sent out at 2:30 p.m. that instructed residents at Sonoma State University to move their cars if they were parked in the Police Services lot or in the corner of the Beaujolais parking lot. The email also advised those living on campus to check doorways, windows, ceilings, and patio doors for signs of water leakage, to keep flashlights and batteries on hand, and to charge up all electronic devices in the event of a power outage.

A final email was sent at 9:40 p.m. from Karen R Moranski, the provost and vice president for academic affairs; Wm. Gregory Sawyer, the vice president for student affairs; and Senior Associate Vice President for University Personnel Jeff Banks. This email confirmed that while “[Sunday’s] heavy rains have led to flooding, evacuations, and disruptions to internet access and power in some areas”, the school has decided that “there are no plans to change the class schedule for [Monday]. Classes will continue in person and online as scheduled.” The email reminded faculty to be “flexible and supportive” and told students to let their professors know if they have trouble getting to campus or need accommodations of any sort.

Seawolves have made it through numerous disruptions over the years and this storm was just one more. Marking the end of fire season, some saw the cyclone as a blessing, while others saw it as a curse, due to power outages and flood damages that were felt across Sonoma County.

County residents protest student vaccine mandate continued from pg. 1 to families in an effort to get parents to reconsider keeping their children home, he said, “We understand that families and students may have strong emotions and questions about COVID-19 safety measures, including vaccine and testing requirements. However, keeping children home from school to protest the COVID-19 vaccine requirement announced by Newsom, as posts on some social media outlets are suggesting, would only result in more lost learning time for our students.”

Early childhood education major, Annaliese Van Sickle, shared her thoughts on the protest and vaccine mandate: “For an entire year, these same parents have been demanding in-person classes yet when the time comes for the schooling systems to accommodate them and their children’s needs, they pull their children out. Children are already required to have certain vaccines to attend school anyways so why is this now an issue. As a child, I never had chickenpox, mumps, or polio because I was vaccinated, as were my peers.”

Similar to these parents’ apprehensiveness, when the California State University system announced that college students would need to be vaccinated in order to attend in person classes, there were concerns about the legal and ethical ramifications of this decision. Earlier this semester, there was a form circulating through some college campuses and it eventually made its way to Sonoma State. The form consisted of 12 statements to be filled out by authorized personnel at the students’ university and then signed by that person, the student, and a witness.

The closing statement on this document is as follows: “As the legally authorized officer of the college or university, I have read all of the above information, have provided my students with all of the information that the FDA requires be provided to recipients of the Covid-19 injections, and do hereby agree to assume 100% financial responsibility for covering any and all expenses from adverse events, including death, through insurance coverage or directly. In addition, I affirm that the student shall not be denied access to school should they decline to receive a Covid-19 injection.”

The origin of the document and how much weight the form actually carries is unknown.

Despite the controversy that surrounds this topic, it is likely that the California student vaccine mandate will not be in effect until the start of the 2022-2023 school year as the projected approval date is between Jan. 22 and July 2022.

COURTESY // news.sonoma.edu Two students collaborate on a project for Sonoma’s STEM Program, which did not receive the grant to help Latinx and low-income students.

STEM grant awarded to HSI schools; skips SSU continued from pg. 1

increase diversity by being a relief for students who fear attending college because of financial stressors, bringing in a wide variety of students, not just from the Latinx communities.”

This financial stress was only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic causing already declining enrollment rates to drop further.

“The university is going through a period of low enrollment because of COVID. The only and best way to diversity and grow those numbers is by being of assistance to the students that don’t attend college because of lack of resources/financial support,” Hernandez added.

While the SRJC’s pathways for STEM major transfer students will go a long way to providing more accessibility and diversity in Sonoma State, the university itself will have to make a plan to reach more Latinx, low income, and first generation students. On this Hernandez said “Of course there are more methods to diversify the student body. Not just through grants, SSU is currently working a lot on outreach.” Outreach and funding to oncampus organizations like CAASE, Center for Academic Access and Student Enrichment, which provides aid to low income and first generation students are ways Sonoma State is getting involved in aid to marginalized students and hopefully moving towards an even more inclusive future.

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1 , 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Arts & Entertainment 5

Blind Scream returns to Santa Rosa with “Witch House” JEFFREY AVIÑA STAFF WRITER

S

anta Rosa’s Blind Scream Haunted House returned after two years of being closed due to wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Located at the corner of First and A street in the old Sears Auto Center is where this year’s Blind Scream is making its home. This year’s “Witch House” brings to life a Halloween experience that is not for the faint of heart.

Blind Scream opened on Oct. 8 and is open every weekend through Halloween night. According to Judy Walker, marketing director behind Blind Scream, “We built it in 2019 and were able to keep it up and work on it throughout the year hoping to open in 2020.

But, COVID hit and Sonoma County never opened up for indoor events, so we are very happy that we are able to open this year.”

With COVID-19 still plaguing our lives, Blind Scream is adhering to Sonoma County guidelines of masking up indoors and social COURTESY // Steven Knudsen Photography distancing throughout the haunted house. The actors inside wear Characters in the Blind Scream Haunted House included werewolves and witches. masks as well. There are hand sanitizer stations throughout the experience and is largely “touchless.”

Walker did express minor concern with the mask mandates thinking that the masks would “ruin the look” of the actors in costume.

“We really have been able to disguise the masks so that they look like part of the costume or we have added a veil or other piece of material over the mask to complete their look,” said Walker.

The haunted house featured many tight corners and turns that housed all types of spooky characters. The maze is configured in a way that makes it impossible to know which way you’re facing.

Witches and their cauldrons, spiders and their webs, werewolves and their prey were hidden throughout the maze. The experience also includes a walk through a spinning cylinder to mark the end of the haunted house.

According to the press release put out by Blind Scream, Builder and Designer Drew Dominguez said, “This is by far the best haunted STAR// Ileana Aleman house that Blind Scream has brought to life. There have been reThe Blind Scream Haunted House parking lot is easily located with big lit up sign. markable changes and upgrades since 2019… We are proud to be able to present this level of entertainment to the North Bay!” Blind Scream began in 2010 when Drew Dominguez and Judy Walker met at Transworld; a Halloween attraction and trade convention held in St. Louis, Missouri. Both had been working at haunted houses in Fresno and Santa Rosa and found that they worked well together and then decided to open Blind Scream together.

“We go to trade shows and costume shows in the off season and Drew is always tapped into what is happening in the industry - new props, new animatronics, trends. We are generally a temporary haunted house since it is difficult and expensive to find warehouse space to own year round for a one month event. But, sometimes we get lucky and can stay in a space for more than one season,” says Walker.

Fourth year English student Haley Hernandez went to the attraction Friday night and said, “I love haunt walks and Halloween, it’s my favorite holiday. [Blind Scream] was worth it.”

COURTESY // Steven Knudsen Photography For more information and ticketing prices, visit www.blindThis year’s Blind Scream Haunted House is open every weekend through Halloween. scream.com.

General admission for the maze is $25 and $35 with a fast pass.

Comedy play “Noises Off” featured at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park

ADRIENNE MOON

STAFF WRITER

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he comedy play “Noises Off”, originally written by Michael Frayn, was performed at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park, from Oct. 8 to 24 from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

It is widely considered to be one of the best comedy plays written.

The storyline is a play-within-a-play plot, and follows the trials and tribulations of a scattered theatre troupe touring their production of the fictional comedic play “Nothing On”.

The play was set on different days at different fictional theaters, and set in 1982. For example, Act I was at the Limelight Theater in Gilroy on Monday, Jan. 14, while Act II was at Hanford Civic Auditorium in Hanford on Wednesday matinee, Feb. 13, and Act III was set in Palm Canyon Theater in Desert Hot Springs on Saturday, April 6.

The director for the play was Sheri Lee Miller, the costume de-

STAR// Adrienne Moon The Spreckels Performing Arts Center hosted performances of the comedy play “Noises Off” on the weekend of Oct. 8.

signer was Pamela Johnson, the stage manager was Cecelia HamiltonLee, and the lighting and set designer was Eddy Hansen. The scenic artist and prop master was Elizabeth Bazzano, the sound designer was Jessica Johnson, the stunt captain was Kevin Bordi, and the Fall Stunt Choreographer was David L. Yen. The main reason why the director wanted to do this play was because “It was the funniest show I had ever seen in my life… As we are still struggling through a very difficult time in our country and the world, we felt it was the perfect time to just… laugh. Great, big, cathartic belly laughs. So ‘Noises Off’ was the clear choice.”

Attendee Christina Fernandez commended the stage hands for their work. She said at the beginning of Act II that “the stage hands were able to set up very quickly,” because during Act II the setting is completely different from the first act.

The cast consisted of Eileen Morris as Dotty Otley, Matthew Cadigan as Lloyd Dallas, Zane Walters as Garry LeJeune, MacKenzie Cahill as Brooke Ashton, Taylor Diffenderfer as Poppy Norton-Taylor, Kevin Bordi as Frederick Fellowes, Maureen O’Neill as Belinda Blair, Brandon Wilson as Tim Allgood, John Craver as Selsdon Mowbray.

Lissa Ferreira, an attendee, said, “My favorite character is Brooke because the actress playing the character has to have depth to the dumb blonde character. Like [the actress] has to play the dumb blonde within the play, and outside the play. Also her mannerism and behaviors are spot on, that the performance makes it feel believable and realistic.”

Attendee Harlow Shinn said their favorite character was Belinda because “the character is fascinating, because there are brief moments of her supposed ‘kindness’ as being believable. Along with the fact that the character calls everyone an affectionate nickname; however, she is responsible or feels responsible for all the actors and actresses within the production.”

Another attendee, Lehua’s favorite character was Dotty because “the character is so different from myself as an individual in the way that she is desperate for love and affection, yet she looks for it in all the wrong people, and places.”

6 Student Life

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Associated Students host “Hallowingo” event for the spooky season

DANA SCACCO STAFF WRITER

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n Tues., Oct. 19, Associated Student Productions hosted a “Hallowingo” event, which was a Halloween-themed bingo for all students. At the end of the night, all winners were awarded with cash prizes totaling $500 dollars.

The event was presented in a hybrid mode, and roughly 60 students competed against each other in the university ballrooms, while about 40 students competed virtually over Zoom. It went on from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m, and students that attended in-person were required to show their student ID and COVID-19 clearance screen upon entering the ballrooms.

The game was played in four rounds and each round awarded three winners in first, second, and third place. First place winners won $60, second place won $40, and third place won $25.

The “Hallowingo” was set up in a virtual format so students could play in-person and remotely through their phones or computers. Students that participated were provided with a link to a bingogenerator website that contained the bingo cards. Each tile on the cards represented a popular Halloween song, and the songs played in the ballrooms and through the Zoom. Students guessed the proper song, matched up the sequences on their cards, and ASP checked for correct bingo patterns in-person and virtually.

ASP uses college event planning and entertainment company, Neon Entertainment, to help organize and host SSU events and activities. Comedian and actress, Katie Kusiciel, works with Neon Entertainment and partnered with ASP to host and moderator the bingo night. Kusiciel provided insight about working with SSU and said, “ I’ve hosted at Sonoma State a few times now and it’s always really fun! I’m greeted by the student staff and they always have a big smile and are ready for a great night. The students enter the room with high energy and congratulate each other when they win- it’s a really positive experience.”

Kusiciel detailed the night by going on to say, “ the students really got into the Halloween spirit with me. I passed out cat ears to a few students which made them really happy! We all enjoyed being festive and spooky together and jammed out to some of our favorite songs. Making people laugh and bringing some levity to a really serious year is really fulfilling, and specifically working with SSU has made me smile. I always look forward to coming back.”

ASP Event Director and third year psychology student, Jocelynne Leon, was the head ASP organizer for the bingo night. Leon described her experience working with Neon Entertainment and mentioned the success of night by explaining, “last year, I came across game shows provided by the company, Neon Entertainment.

I was immediately attracted to the Hallowingo, and this year, I was able to work with the vendor and have them host the bingo in a hybrid mode on campus! The event went great and we had over a 100 students participate, which is a record yet for the game shows we have organized. Students seemed pumped to win and we had some students tell us they had fun as they were leaving the ballrooms.”

Leon conveyed why the event was special to her and talked about the importance of awarding students with cash prizes. “The best part about the Halloween bingo was that I know the winners will get the money and have the chance to buy everyday necessities.

Times have been hard financially during COVID-19, so knowing I might have helped a student afford a meal or basic necessities makes me so happy,” she said.

COURTESY // Mariah Atkins Associated Students’ staff welcomes students to their “Hallowingo” event, encouraging them to answer Halloween-themed trivia questions to win prizes.

Kat Shipton, a fourth year Communications and Media Studies student, attended in-person and commented her thoughts on the university giving out prize money. She elaborated that, “I think it was really cool that the school was giving out cash prizes and I think it made everyone more motivated to play. Students had a lot of fun at this event, and it would be awesome if the school continued doing in-person game shows and events because it was really enjoyable.”

Mariah Atkins, ASP’s Programming Coordinator, worked the event and shared her perspective by stating, “I loved this event. It was great to be there in-person and everyone had such great energy. Folks were boppin’ to the music, laughing, and having a good time. The comedian-host, Katie, also gave off good energy and really tied the program together.”

Atkins revealed future game-show events in store for students. She said, “ASP is currently planning three game shows next semester, including one where students in attendance get to vote on what game show they would like to see. The game show that gets the most votes will be the one we proceed with that day. I’m very proud of the ASP team and I’m looking forward to all the future events we are planning.”

“Fall Fest” kicks off as Autumn is in full swing CLÉA UPCHER

STAFF WRITER

STAR // Ileana Aleman Students at ASP’s Fall Fest had a chance to take pictures at the mini pumpkin patch individually, as well as in groups.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Haley Theaker (left) and Chris Sonntag (right) painted Halloween themed signs at Fall Fest.

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ith echoing music in Parking Lot D as students approached, the autumn weather was in full bloom, timed perfectly for the night’s event. The “Fall Fest” took place on Friday, Oct. 22, complete with festive activities for students to participate in and different food options as well.

Boasting a visit from a live DJ, funnel cake and Dippin’ Dots stand, pizza, carnival games, lawn games, pumpkin painting, and a costume contest, the “Fall Fest” was packed full of features for students to enjoy.

“A lot of hard work and a lot of planning [went into] our “Fall Fest” event… So students [could be] able to celebrate fall. Instead of [them] going to a pumpkin patch, we wanted to bring one here, so people don’t have to drive somewhere. We really wanted to make it a carnival theme, [so] we added a few carnival games as well. Our DJ we had at Sweet Escapes, so we wanted to bring him back again,” said Paige Carter and Maia Madrigal, who are both third-years at SSU and co-coordinators of the “Fall Fest”.

When asked what their favorite part of the event was, Luis Marquez, a fourth-year SSU student, definitively answered: “The food!” Steven Altadonna, a fifth-year SSU student, mentioned that their favorite part of the event was the games. “I think [events like these] are good for everybody,” they added.

“It was a pretty good turn out… the Dippin’ Dots and pizza ran out really quick, which is good. The funnel cake is still standing. I think people enjoyed the booths…“ said Molly Clemons, a third-year SSU student, who was working at the pumpkin painting tables. When asked if events like these are important for students, Clemons replied, “I think so, especially with the holidays. It keeps stuff festive, and with the seasonal changes… keeps it lively [and] encourages people to socialize.”

When asked what went into the event, Madrigal said, “When you plan big events like this, [there are] a lot of little details that you have to think about. That’s where Paige and I spent most of our time… It’s thinking, as a student, what would you want to see? [That] is what I think is really cool about ASP, it’s basically ‘students programming for students’. I know students are going to want pizza and Dippin’ Dots, not fancy food or anything.”

Although on-campus events look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all students’ day-to-day lives, these types of events give students the opportunity to get involved on campus and socialize safely.

“I think it really is important for students to still socialize during these times, and not really feel alone. I’ve seen a lot of people come in groups, and join groups, so I definitely think these types of events are really good for students to socialize,” said Tucker Jensen, a third-year SSU student. Jensen is also part of the team of students that helped to set up the event. “...When we started working in this job [at ASP], we talked about what our goals for the semester were. We’ve all been home for a year and a half, at least. So we want to bring these events to show students we’re slowly getting back to normal. Yes, we still have extra screenings and masks, but we are all still here together, and we’re all still a community. A lot of our events are about community building,” said Madrigal.

Location was also a factor for Carter and Madrigal when planning the “Fall Fest”.

Carter stated that she “...liked having the events here at Parking Lot D because it’s so close to the dorms… the students can hear the music… [They] can walk over and see what’s going on.Being locked up in quarantine and isolation for so long, I think people kind of forgot how to socialize… that’s why we really want to have big events like this so people can either socialize or just have fun with their roommates or friends, get the chance to know people and the vibe here at Sonoma.”

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

Student Life 7

Brown University professor educates students in Psychology Diversity Speaker Series

PAYTON MULLANEY STAFF WRITER

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onoma State takes pride in being a university that embraces diversity and different racial identities within its population of over 7,000 students. This past Weds., Oct. 20, SSU teamed up with Dr. Malik Boykin, a professor at Brown University, to offer a virtual lecture for students regarding the necessities of embracing a multiethnic campus community. Boykin has his doctorate in Social and Personality Psychology, and also works on creating music.

During his years in university, Boykin was heavily involved with his fraternity, and he believes that having been a part of a fraternity makes it much easier to relate to college students. He understands that prejudice alone in Greek life and other Panhellenic organizations affects many students of color yearly, and he went on to share his experiences with combating it throughout the presentation.

In another lecture series, Boykin discussed the fact that, “many of his fraternity brothers have fallen to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Black people are getting it the worst.” At this point, COVID-19 is something that all students and faculty are well familiar with, and the fact that Black people are experiencing prejudice and receiving less care during a public health crisis is something that cannot be ignored.” This is one of the many points that Boykin brought up to students, and was definitely one that sparked a lot of interest within listeners.

When asked about the prejudice that plagues students of color, Boykin said, “It cannot be fixed globally, and that there is more of a chance to fix it in your community. However, people are still going to do whatever they want.” He wanted the listeners to realize this is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, and also to not carry the anxiety of fixing people’s viewpoints. Boykin stressed the importance of understanding the psychology of prejudice, and spoke from a place of acceptance that people will view the world differently than him.

We know that racism and prejudice is not a problem one person can fix, but educating others on what it means to do your part within your community will make all the difference.

Boykin believes that we need to give back to our community and invest what we can, in order to create a better multiethnic environment for the future of Sonoma State. Boykin continued to stress the idea of leaning into service, and spreading positivity, as he knows that this is what our communities need. Although he has experienced prejudice throughout his life due to being Black, he has not let that get in the way of being a successful professor, hip hop artist, and person wanting to promote societal changes within our world.

Having Sonoma State bring in well-educated and passionate people like Boykin are great educational opportunities for students. Events like these are opportunities that our peers need to take advantage of, because the information that Boykin is spreading to students is important for all to hear. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought our world a lot of unwarranted changes, being able to hold Zoom conferences with insightful speakers has been a huge benefit. After all, it’s no guarantee that Sonoma State would be able to have these speakers visit the campus during the pandemic, so Zoom is a great alternative to be able to have these speakers share their stories.

With Psychology being one of the most impacted majors at SSU, many students have found Psychology-specific events interesting and engaging. Along with this, having a Psych professor speak was very timely for our campus community, as Boykin was able to share some very important knowledge with students. At the end of the Zoom event, students were given the opportunity to ask Boykin questions, and it is often easier to have your voice heard in Zoom conferences like this one.

Sonoma State will be offering lecture series throughout the semester with insightful and passionate guest speakers, in order to educate students about what is going on in our world through someone else’s eyes. These events aim to help students understand how to embrace diversity, as well as learn about the different types of prejudices that other people of color may face on a daily basis. Boykin was able to get his teaching across in a way that was clear and concise and made sense to students, and his background as a Psychology professor truly helped him get his points across to the campus community.

COURTESY // brown.edu/academics Dr. Malik Boykin, Psychology professor from Brown University, visits Sonoma State to educate students on the importance of diversity within campus communities.

Residential Housing Association now accepting applications from interested students PEDRO ORTEGA PEREZ STAFF WRITER

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he Residential Housing Association is a student-led organization on campus at SSU, focused on providing opportunities for residents to engage with the campus community, while encouraging a more pleasant residential life. RHA represents the students on campus and advocates for their residential needs, and there is currently an open application for students that would like to be a part of RHA. Anyone can join whether they are a first or fourth-year student, but it is helpful if the student resides on campus.

Representatives aim to meet the students’ demands in order to enhance the residential living experience. They do so by ensuring that students’ voices are being heard, and this can involve anything from ensuring that pools and hot tubs are at optimum temperature, or listening to student concerns regarding COVID-19 on campus.

RHA also hosts frequent events on-campus in order to create a more inclusive environment amongst the residential villages. These events allow students to interact with others in their villages and create new friendships through shared experiences. One past event was a spirit week in which all students and alumni could participate. The spirit week had different themes for different days. They had a beach day, holiday day, workout day, pajama day, and jersey day.

Elena Williams, who is a representative for RHA, stated that “RHA does focus on advocacy especially by giving a voice to the residents and building community within the villages and throughout the school. In the past, RHA has held events like a Silent DJ event and a Winter Ball” Along with events, RHA is working on bringing back the “sticker program”.

This program would allow the students to enhance their student experience outside of the SSU campus but within the local community.Jesse Magana III, who is the Student Government Coordinator for SSU, touched on what the sticker program is. “The sticker program is where students could come to pay for a sticker and get a T-shirt. Out of that, they get discounts to different local businesses around the area. We want to expand it to where students on and off campus can use them, but we want to figure things out logistically” Captain Decals, Orange Theory Fitness, Los Gallos Taqueria, Costco, and Cold Stone Creamery are among some of the local businesses where students are allowed to take advantage of the sticker program. Students can get ten dollars off of an elite or premier membership at Orange Theory, and they can also redeem a ten-percent discount at Cold Stone. These businesses offer a surplus of deals for taking advantage of the sticker program.

Joining RHA is a definitive way to further students’ leadership skills, as well as allow them to put their foot in the door with student government or other leadership positions on campus. Magana went on to state, “We look for someone who doesn’t necessarily have experience for advocacy, as it is not a requirement. But someone that wants to advocate, because it is not always easy to be a peer advocate for students on campus. But someone who is good at taking the initiative to do those things. Someone who is not afraid to put in the work but it is not an easy job. Someone who is willing to think outside the box, because this is a different year. So someone who is willing to address issues that are not typically normal”

COURTESY // housing.sonoma.edu SSU’s Residential Housing Association, student-led and focused on providing opportunities for on-campus residents to stay engaged with the campus community, is recruiting members for the RHA Executive Board.

When asked about what advice she would give to interested students, Williams stated that students should, “just go for it. You can become a voice for students, build connections, and overall it’s a great leadership opportunity.” Joining the RHA Executive Board can help students grow their leadership skills, as they are in charge of advocating for a group of students. Along with this, this helps students to expand their personal and professional development as they are able to easily network within the campus community.

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Health

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

How to have a COVID-19 safe Halloween

Wearing a face mask is an important part of keeping yourself and others safe this Halloween.

STAR // Emily Cripe

JAYLINE ALVARADO

STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing a press release put out earlier this month, Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase officially gave the green light for residents to celebrate Halloween and other upcoming holidays normally this year. That being said, it is still important to keep the safety of oneself and others in mind while participating in Halloween celebrations.

This time last year, Halloween and Día De los Muertos celebrations were prohibited in order to preserve the safety of county residents. Many were forced to hang up their costumes, buy their own candy, and wait for next year as the pandemic raged on.

While events like drive through haunted houses and contactless trick-or-treating still happened last year, it just wasn’t the same.

This year, all signs point to a normal as county officials encourage residents to go out and celebrate. In the press release from earlier this month, Mase states: ”Families can confidently enjoy outdoor trick-or-treating on Halloween and outdoor Día De los Muertos celebrations this year.”

While this is exciting news for many, it’s important to remember that “normal” should still include proper safety precautions. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends that people wear masks indoors and avoid crowded indoor spaces.

Due to the vaccine not being approved for kids under the age of 12 yet, families should still be taking precautions when going out on Halloween. Not going out when sick, practicing proper hygiene like washing hands, and social distancing are still rec-

ommended.

According to NBC Bay Area News, it’s advised to go trick or treating with small groups and to stay outside. It’s also advised that masks be worn under costume masks, because costume masks are not meant to stop the spread of COVID-19. Also, kids should wash their hands before they eat any of the candy. In general, activities that involve sharing or contact of the nose and mouth like bobbing for apples should be avoided.

Fourth year student Bryanna Alfaro will be celebrating Halloween and Dia de los Muertos this year. She plans to: “Get off of work early enough to go back home and see my nephew in his costume, and buy flowers for my mother’s altar at home, she keeps it year round.”

Alfaro also said that she isn’t taking other precautions because everyone in her home is vaccinated and wears masks. She will also be taking her nephew trick or treating. She said, “We live in a big family area, most have little kiddos of their own so I’m not worried.“ Now that Halloween can be celebrated and kids can go trick or treating, the county recommends residents hand out candy in individual bags instead of using large bowls as one way to keep things COVID-19 friendly.

The holiday season is approaching and gatherings are being permitted, so safety is as important as ever. Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and staying as socially distanced as possible will always be important, even on holidays.

STAR // Morgan Mitchell Climate change is an ever growing health issue, and Sonoma County residents are reaping the consequences with evacuations becoming more common during fire season.

Climate change: A global health crisis DANIEL DINERMAN STAFF WRITER

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ealing with wildfire, drought, and other effects of climate change has become the new normal for most students and faculty at Sonoma State. Things like evacuations, mandated water usage, scheduled power outages and the never-ending worry have become normal as Fall approaches each year. The bottom line is, climate change isn’t something to be swept under the rug any longer, as it is slowly becoming the world’s leading health crisis.

As members of the SSU community, dealing with wildfires has become a new normal for most. While trying to live more sustainably, cleaning up the community and using cleaner energy sources are great ways for individuals to help, the best way for anybody to make a difference on a grander scale is to get involved in both national and local elections and to choose representatives who will utilize governmental resources to make a difference. Now that health risks are beginning to surface, efforts to slow the effects of various climate disasters are becoming more and more urgent.

There are many different ways climate change can be harmful to humans’ health. The leading climate health crisis Sonoma County sees is the effects of fire season on heart and lung health of residents, for example.

Each crisis is unique to the region, as different parts of the world are affected by climate change differently.

As a resident of Sonoma Country and avid leader of the university’s student-run biology research programs, Sonoma State Biology professor

Dr. Lisa Bentley feels disheartened by some of the physical changes she has seen over the recent years due to climate change. While the changing planet is a difficult thing for people to embrace, and despite some of the sorrows that come behind results of scientific studies, Dr. Bentley feels hopeful.

As a scientist, Bentley has, “An important position because of the opportunity to use [her] research with SSU students to learn more about the effects of wildfire and forests, then apply that information to help improve forest health.”

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the environment had more of a chance to recover because people spent more time in their homes, used less environmental resources, and were less likely to interact and diminish the ecosystems around them. While this was good and gave many hurting environmental systems a chance to recover, these results were both unintentional and short lived. However, seeing things recover, bounce back, or just change for the better is something that brings hope on the subject.

Given the amount of recovery after such a short period of time, humans still have time to make an impact and turn around some of the bad things that face our planet into positives that will allow humans to persevere. By reducing the impacts of global climate change, the uncertainty of weather issues and their effects start to get in the way less often, meaning students are less likely to be put in danger, need to evacuate, or worrying about their future.

Sports

OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Third year outfielder Reagan Hunt stares down the pitcher in her at-bat. She and the Seawolves are looking to repeat the strong start they had in 2020.

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COURTESY // SSU Athletics Reagan Hunt and her teammates have worked hard during the offseason.

Athlete Spotlight of the Week: ADDISON SMITH STAFF WRITER

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Reagan Hunt

n the spring of 2020, Sonoma State’s softball team had an explosive start to their season, going 17-8 overall with a 12 game winning streak. After such a short-lived season, Sonoma State softball star Reagan Hunt is itching to get back out there and crush the competition. Hunt is a star outfielder on the team and is a third year student from El Dorado Hills, California, Hunt, a kinesiology major, has played softball since she was six years old and has loved the drive and competitiveness that her sport brings. She loves competition, and softball was just the perfect fit for her here at Sonoma. She explained the process behind her getting into the softball program at Sonoma, “After emailing lots of coaches and going to multiple camps, SSU softball liked what I could do in the outfield and kept in contact with me. I ended up going to a few camps here at Sonoma and they ended up offering me a scholarship!”

The softball training regimine is tough, and the Seawolves are training hard to do even better this upcoming season than they did before COVID-19 stole their thunder. Hunt mentioned that they’re in and out of the weight room, on the field constantly, and have frequent team bonding exercises to strengthen their relationship with each other.

A lot of the time, the offseason and all these exercises can be both mentally and physically exhausting, and it can be hard to keep up and stay motivated.

Hunt explains that she stays motivated by, “...making myself better everyday so I am prepared for when spring season rolls around. During the off-season, my teammates are my biggest motivator, because I see the work they put in and

it motivates me to work harder every day.” With softball being a sport of highs and lows, Hunt said, “My friends and family push me to work hard everyday and I always think of them whenever I need motivation during a tough game.” She mentions her family is a big part of her being here and being in softball as a sport.

Hunt had an outstanding start in her first year. As an outfielder she had a high of five put-outs in a game versus CSU Monterey Bay, a 1% field percentage overall, and 16 catches all in 14 games while she was an outfielder. She’s known more for her outfield positioning than her hitting on the team, but nonetheless, she excels in that area as well. A breakout game against CSU Monterey Bay on March 6 and 7, 2020 cemented her status as an all around player, where she hit a Run Batted In, allowing her teammates to score while she ran the bases. In the same series, she stole a base allowing her teammates to score and put more players up on the bases. Sonoma State dominated that series thanks to the efforts of Reagan and her team winning all four games.

Off the field, Hunt enjoys playing spike-ball or cards with her teammates or friends, she also enjoys hanging out with her co-workers at the recreation center. which helps her take her mind off of a busy day.

Overall, she believes that her and her teammates have been working hard to achieve great things come Spring semester. The official softball season kicks off in February, so the team will have to stick to training until then.

To learn more about SSU softball, visit the SSU Athletics webpage for a calendar of events and more information.

Men’s basketball team returns to court ISAAC LOPEZ

STAFF WRITER

The COVID-19 pandemic that has caused many cancelations of sporting events in an effort to reduce case numbers and protect the health of students and athletes. Now, with Sonoma State starting to resume its athletic programs for the 2021-22 year, many students and athletes are pleased to see sporting events return to campus. With November slowly approaching, it is now the Sonoma State men’s basketball team’s turn to make its first appearance since the 2019-20 year.

The men’s basketball team at SSU has struggled to make much noise in the NCAA Division II in its recent years. In their last season, 2019-20, the Seawolves had an overall record of 5-20 while also going 4-18 in their conference. Additionally, the men’s basketball team is finding that many past members are not returning. Players like Bryce Thompson, Eric Nielson, and their leading scorer, Isaac Davidson, are some of the members not returning this season because they have graduated.

Going into the 2021-22 season, the SSU men’s basketball team will also be welcoming a new figure at head coach. After finishing his third season as the women’s head coach for basketball, Coach Rich Shayewitz took on the position of running all basketball operations at SSU and serving as the head coach for both the women’s and men’s programs upon the upcoming season. Becoming just the sixth coach in the program’s history, Shayewitz and his team will be looking forward to returning to the basketball court.

Not only does Shayewitz have much experience in helping lead basketball programs, but he also has always been heavily involved with Sonoma State. Shayewitz came to Sonoma State University as an undergraduate in the fall of 1995 and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing in the spring of 2000. During that time, he volunteered as a Student Assistant Coach on the SSU men’s basketball team under head coach Pat Fuscaldo, where he later worked his way up to be the Associate Head Coach just before the 2006-07 season. In his long period with the men’s team, Shayewitz was a key part in helping the program reach four NCAA tournament appearances. In his last year, he even helped the Seawolves become NCAA Division II statistical champion in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, in which they held opponents to a nation’s-best: 57.8 points per game. He was also credited for his help in the team’s 2005-06 CCAA Championship run. He eventually was named head coach of the women’s squad in 2017 and holds a record of 38-43, while also making an

NCAA tournament appearance in each of his three seasons with the team.

With some of the preseason games being cancelled due to unexpected occurrences, the men’s basketball team is aiming to start off their 2021-22 campaign with a game against Dominican. It is scheduled to take place on Nov. 13. Fans are also eager to have the opportunity to go watch the team compete live once again.

“I think it’s really good for the school and just for us as students to be able to get our sports back,” says Manuel Ponce, an SSU student.

“One of the things that I missed last year was not being able to watch sports, such as soccer and basketball, but...basketball coming back to our campus...gives me another excuse to go hang out with my friends and to get back on campus... It should be fun, I don’t know if they will allow students to come in to watch, since it is an indoor sport, but if they do, I will for sure be out there rooting for them in some games.”

The team competes against Dominican on Nov. 13 in San Francisco.

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Center Wesley Gilbert, fourth year, goes up for a contested layup against Chico State last season.

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OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2021

sonomastatestar.com

ASP’s “Fall Fest” gets Seawolves ready for Halloween

STAR // Ileana Aleman

STAR // Ileana Aleman Students were excited to pose for pictures and to be able to take home a pumpkin of their choice.

ASP’s “Fall Fest” presented students with several opportunities to win prizes while having fun playing games that were set up around the lot.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Students painted and personalized fall themed wooden sculptures of their choice at “Fall Fest”.

STAR // Ileana Aleman Maia Madrigal (left) Tucker Jensen (right), ASP’s event directors, helped ensure students have their green screens in order to have a fun and safe night at “Fall Fast”.

Flood warnings issued across Sonoma County Sunday

STAR // Isabelle Barkey One of two creeks that flow under Snyder Ln. swelled with water as a warning to those still on the road.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Evergreen Elementary was one spot in Rohnert Park that felt the damages of last Sunday’s storm.

STAR // Isabelle Barkey Trails that run along Hinebaugh Creek were completely flooded with rain water on Sunday, preventing locals from taking their usual routes to daily activities.