Spring 2022 - Issue 11 by Sonoma State STAR

IN THIS ISSUE

STI Stigma

Students address stigma behind STI’s and the factors regarding discourse. PAGE 3.

4-in-a-Row

Carnegie Hall

SSU’s choir performs at the legendary Carnegie Hall on April 17. PAGE 5.

SSU’s baseball team continues their win streak with victory over CSULA. PAGE 7.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 86 // ISSUE 11 APRIL 26 - MAY 20, 2022

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

SSU students victimized in new form of online sexual harassment RACHEL YETSO STAFF WRITER

ast month, one Sonoma State alumna and one student fell victim to the internet’s newest sexual harassment trend: “cum tributing.” This alarming trend has caused new concern to arise within the SSU community surrounding internet safety. Tributing is a form of online sexual harassment where predators screenshot a photo of their victim from their social media account, photoshop the photo to make the figures look nude, and send videos to their victims of themselves masturbating to the photo. The name comes from the harasser’s belief that doing this is a form of tributing their attraction to the victims In the case of the SSU students, an Instagram account under the name @jneqqtty took a photo off one of the victims’ public Instagram. They photoshopped the original picture to make the students appear nude, and sent it to them via Instagram direct message. After sending them the photo, they proceeded to send an array of

predatory messages and videos of multiple different men masturbating to the photoshopped image. The victims immediately recognized it was a photoshopped picture due to the background of the image, however, to an untrained eye the picture looks real. The private Instagram account is still active on the social media platform, following 55 other accounts. One SSU victim spoke to a criminal attorney, who stated that the case would not qualify as sexual harrasment. They explained that the case also would not qualify as criminal, only civil, as they would have no way to track down the owner of the private Instagram account. The attorney then explained that the crime itself would not be worthy of arrest and sent the victim on their way. As of now, federal and California state authorities have both criminal and civil laws for COURTESY // calstate.edu online sexual harassment. In criminal cases, onlineharassmentfieldmanual.pen.org states, “Law Academic Senate set to vote on no confidence resolution for President Judy Sakaki on Thursday, April 28.

see “TRIBUTING” on pg. 4

Sakaki faces vote of no confidence WILLOW ORNELLAS STAFF WRITER

A STAR // Holly Durfee Students from various organizations and groups around campus showed up to welcome incoming students on Seawolf Decision Day.

Seawolf Decision Day welcomes incoming students NOAH CLARKE STAFF WRITER

onoma State University opened its arms to potential incoming freshmen Saturday, April 23, for Seawolf Decision Day. The event, hosted by the university, acted as a campus open house to incoming freshmen. Undecided or not on choice of college, soon to be high school graduates had the opportunity to meet current students, faculty, and staff, as well as SSU alumni.

The event included sessions and presentations about various aspects of the school such as academic programs, student life, campus housing, and financial aid. A strong highlight of this event was the featured academic departments and their presentations. Many visitors attending got to explore options into different studies and learn about each program that SSU offers. Various programs such

see DECISION DAY on pg. 4

referendum vote of no confidence resolution regarding Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki’s leadership is on the Academic Senate agenda for Thursday, April 28. The resolution requesting a Vote of No Confidence in President Sakaki’s leadership was drafted by a group of faculty from Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Business & Economics and discussed in last week’s Executive Committee meeting with a Time Certain of 3:35 p.m. This meeting was described as a public forum and “open to all,” however, reporters from The STAR, the LA times, the Press Democrat and the KCBS SF Radio Station weren’t permitted access to join the “open forum” Zoom call until 54 minutes into the meeting when conversations surrounding the scandal, Title IX issues, the retaliation allegations and discussion about support for transparency had already concluded. A vote for turning the meeting into a closed session arose when the resolution was first brought forward according to Arts and Humanities Associate Professor, Talena Sanders who attended the meeting as one of the presenters of the vote of no confidence. The executive committee voted to keep the session open almost immediately. Sanders has been a part of the group that’s worked to draft the referendum vote of no confidence. She explained that a vote of no confidence in President Sakaki’s leadership is largely symbolic; it doesn’t carry any actual power with it. The vote is about expressing the faculty position and to strongly suggest, as a full faculty, that President, Sakaki resign. Ultimately, no one has to resign, no matter the outcome of the vote. In 2007, 73.4% of faculty voted no confidence in the referendum vote of no confidence for former SSU President, Ruben Arminana. While President see SAKAKI on pg. 4

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Myles Grabau, Editor-in-Chief Maych Rowell, News Editor Emily Cripe, Opinion Editor Cléa Upcher, Arts & Entertainment Editor Isabel Epstein, Student Life Editor Nicholas Roth, Sports & Health Editor Dana Scacco, Photo Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Advisor

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022 sonomastatestar.com

STAR editors emphasize goal of providing voice to students

Staff Writers Willow Ornellas, Addison Smith, Ana Fingerson, Payton Mullaney, Rosalee Padilla, Jacqueline Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Rachel Yetso, Jake Morrissey, Olivia Doane, Danny Serrano, Montana Lahey, Mikayla Fritzemeier, Noah Clarke

Photographers Holly Durfee, Khanh Dao, Tanner Ivey

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

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 ALMADEN. 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. To send a letter to the editor, email star@sonoma.edu.

tudent-run papers are an essential part of campus communities, sharing the voices and concerns of students and faculty, holding administration accountable, and reporting on issues both on and off campus. The Sonoma State STAR is a fully student-run newspaper, composed of editors and writers who work diligently to create an interesting and informative paper each week. In light of recent events, it has become increasingly clear that some members of the SSU community do not take the STAR seriously or hold much respect for the students working hard to make it happen. SSU, as a university, prides itself on fostering “collaborative relationships” between students, faculty and staff. However, the STAR has faced many barriers when trying to connect with staff and faculty on many articles, especially those addressing large news events regarding the campus community. “It seems like there is a trend at SSU that faculty and administration are afraid to speak out about any breaking or important campus news. I am not sure why, but it seems like they might fear retaliation from higher-ups. There is no reason campus faculty/administration should be afraid to talk to or share information with the campus newspaper,” said Kylie Lawrence, recent SSU graduate and former Editor-in-Chief for the STAR. The job of a student-run paper is not to make a university look good, they report the truth and share the facts as they have been presented. The STAR does not actively want the university to look bad, however, the lack of communication and cooperation with the STAR makes it extremely difficult to have open and honest conversations about university issues. Lawrence continued, “I do think the STAR tends to be a bit more biased than other outside news sources because students are reporting on things that directly affect them and may make them upset. They are directly affected by what they are reporting on, which is different from an outside source observing issues and reporting on it.” Above all else, the STAR aims to be an incredible learning opportunity for students interested in

COURTESY // northbaydigital.sonoma.edu

journalism. Whether that be writing, editing, or photography, the STAR gives students real-world experiences in reporting, communication, public relations, and writing. On top of this, the STAR provides a voice to SSU students and allows for students to voice uncensored concerns about the school. Shelly Gomez, the senior HUB program executive for SSU, touched on the importance of a journalistic perspective within the campus community. “A school newspaper can serve as a powerful learning opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience in journalism and prepare them for a career post-graduation,” stated Gomez. “I also believe that there is always room for improvement. As an education institution, it is important to support our students and provide feedback to help develop their critical thinking, communication and core skills.” As a student-run and student-published paper, it is inevitable that mistakes may be made, that is how students learn. However, students can’t learn if the community is not willing to work with them and actively shuns them instead of giving them powerful and truthful information that is relevant to the campus community. Within the past 10 years, “fake news” has almost become a trend, with a number of news sources publishing news stories with little factual information. The STAR does the due diligence of reporting real stories on the campus with the most accurate information available. As stated on the STAR’s website, “The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.” Our student editors stand by this statement, and encourage any readers to reach out with comments, questions, or concerns. The STAR cannot work toward fixing its own issues along with university issues if the SSU community is not willing to be involved and transparent. Student editors encourage open communication between the staff, faculty, and students, but issues can’t be resolved without effort coming from both sides.

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

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022 sonomastatestar.com

President Sakaki’s baggage too heavy for SSU

MONTANA LAHEY

STAFF WRITER

hings never seem to be as they should here at Sonoma State University, but lately the unrest on campus has not been due to power outages, pandemics, flooding, or fires for once. Last week, news broke in publications as large as the Los Angeles Times about President Judy Sakaki’s husband, Patrick McCallum, being involved in a $600,000 settlement in a retaliation case filed by the

university’s former Provost and Executive Vice President, Lisa Vollendorf. Sakaki has handled this news becoming public knowledge in a manner that can only be described as embarrassing, not only for her, but for the entire campus community. With the attention on her, Sakaki has been trying her best to make sure she is seen in a good light, especially since this news conveniently broke just weeks before Seawolf Decision Day, an event SSU hosts for potential incoming freshmen each year. With over 14,000 first-time freshman applicants, a huge improvement from the past two years, it is clear that SSU needs to uphold their image in order to keep application rates rising. To prepare for upcoming events, Sakaki was out and about on campus following the breaking news. She went out into the Seawolf Plaza during rush hour last Monday to show her school spirit and, more importantly, take lots of good publicity pictures. Despite her efforts, many organizations

requested the photos not be posted. Some flat out refused to be in a photo with Sakaki. It’s interesting that she made a campus appearance on a tabling day with a camera crew, just days after she was all over the news. In an email to the campus community just days after the STAR published the breaking news, Sakaki attempted some major damage control. “As your President, I have the ultimate responsibility for doing everything possible to maintain a community that is free of sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation,” Sakaki said. This seems like a bit of a contradiction, seeing how she has known about this case for years. In 2018, the CSU conducted their own investigation into the issue, which included speaking to Sakaki in 2019, thus informing her. The email went on to describe, in great detail, everything Sakaki has accomplished in her time as president. Beneath the surface, this seems like nothing more than a rush to patch things up

before the Academic Senate’s vote of no confidence meeting comes to fruition. When talking with students about what is going on and how they feel, the majority consensus is that they are done with her. As SSU student Matthew Lizarrage put it, “Fire her and her scum husband.” An anonymous SSU faculty member said, “Trust has been shattered on this campus.” Sakaki isn’t the most liked person on campus, but she’s never had an issue of this caliber arise.” An anonymous accounting student said, “If Judy Sakaki is going to be at graduation, and I’m supposed to shake her hand, I will not be walking at the ceremony.” Most students are over Sakaki and her baggage. The stand against her at graduation most likely will not be the only one that’s going to happen if she retains her position. To prove she hears us and cares, she should take the necessary steps to prove that and resign.

While the younger generations seem to be creating an increasingly sex-positive society, they still have a hard time digesting the topic. STIs nowadays have come to function as mere punchlines or ways to diminish someone’s worth. They are so stigmatized that creating a conversation around them often causes the discourse to end before it truly begins, thus preventing people from getting the information they need. The discourse around STIs stems from a combination of sociological and psychological factors. A recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation stated that a large portion of the population is blind to the fact that over half of the people in the U.S. will become infected with an STI in their lifetime. This finding pairs hand-in-hand with internalized STI stigma. “I had a cold sore last week, and everyone made me feel like it was a life sentence,” said Patrica Moreno, a second-year nursing major.

Separating people into the “guilty” and the “innocent” by shaming someone with chlamydia while not batting an eye at someone with a urinary tract infection, even though both are cured with antibiotics. “The way people describe those perceived to be or claim to be free of STIs is quite demeaning like ‘don’t worry, she’s clean,’” said Natalie Castilo, first-year music major. The unspoken implication of testing clean is that someone with an STI is dirty. This language is just an extension of the “purity” language that promotes the concept of appropriate sex . Feeding into the harmful belief that only a “certain kind of person” can receive a positive STI diagnosis—upholding stigma by shaming people for their health status or sexual activities, which is both disgusting and ridiculous. It’s essential to pay attention to the language and narratives used by those diagnosed with an

STI. Removing clean from the STI vocabulary is an excellent first step. Further attempts to destigmatize STIs can be found in shifting terminology. Many health care professionals, sexual health advocates, and others believe the term sexually transmitted disease is itself stigmatizing and push for a shift to sexually transmitted infection, considering that infections are less stigmatized than diseases. “To normalize STIs, we talk about sexual health. Sexual health is part of overall health and well being. So, getting diagnosed and treated for an STI is simply a way of taking care of your health,” said Daniel Ortiz, a fourth-year computer science major. There still have a long way to go in the ways sex and sexual health are discussed. There’s no logical reason to stigmatize STDs. This type of judgment is not only irrational. It’s highly counterproductive to promote sexual health and prevention awareness.

and released 27 films and 5 television series, with 5 films and 5 series planned to be released in the next year and a half. This rapid expansion of the MCU means that new films or shows require the audience to have watched hours of past content. “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness” is expected to have many cameos of other characters from previous MCU projects, as well as bringing characters from other Marvel projects from different entertainment companies. The MCU has introduced the multiverse, which allows them to bring in characters from previous films, even if they were released years before the MCU began. At the start of the MCU, the films were all connected, but they were not as intertwined as they are now. To provide necessary context for the upcoming “Doctor Strange” film, audience members will have to have watched two films and three

shows which is a little over 20 straight hours of content, and that is not even including every movie that the characters have been in. From 2008-2019, Marvel Studios implemented phases one-three of their MCU film franchise and phase three ended with “Avengers: Endgame.” Phases one-three include 23 movies made over the course of 11 years with a total runtime of 50 hours. Phase four kicked off with “WandaVision” premiering in January of 2020 on Disney’s own streaming service, Disney Plus. In a little over a year, Marvel Studios has released five shows and four films, adding 36 hours to the MCU runtime. The total runtime of all MCU content is 86 hours. In other words, it would take three and a half days to watch every show and film, back to back. This might turn potential new fans away and since new MCU content comes out every few months, catching up on all the movies

and shows can seem daunting. There is only more planned for the future. Marvel Studios is known for planning very far in advance for their upcoming phases and films. Alex Vargas, communications major at Sonoma State University, said, “That was their plan the whole time. After phase three ended, Marvel announced they were implementing shows and movies and they already had a whole plan set already. I wouldn’t be surprised if they released a plan for phase five soon.” Long form content is great for detailed and complicated story telling, but some casual viewers of the films may not be able to enjoy upcoming theatrical releases, as you need to have watched many of the Disney Plus exclusive shows to understand the stories. Marvel’s box office numbers definitely fwon’t suffer from this idea, but thier longevity could.

up across the state since, making weed accessible to the public. It is super easy to get marijuana products nowadays, yet some still get worried and uncomfortable when they step into certain dispensaries. Nico Schwartz, a fourth year early childhood development major at Sonoma State University said, “I don’t go into many dispensaries because of how intimidating they can be. I am a generally shy person and having to go up to someone behind a glass instead of getting to shop around myself makes it difficult for me to want to learn about different strains and products. I’d rather just order online or buy off of others than go to a dispensary.” There are many dispensaries in Sonoma County that allow you to walk around and touch the products. These shops tend to make people more excited about buying weed in person. When a customer is more comfortable in their environment they are more comfortable asking questions or just socializing in general. Nobody really enjoys

feeling like their every move is being watched. If someone is buying weed for medical reasons or anxiety, they shouldn’t feel scared or overwhelmed to access it in the first place. Of course, having everything locked up in glass cases is a safety precaution and helps prevent stealing. It just starts to make less sense when there are usually a bunch of employees around as well as security guards on site. Purchasing marijuana, especially for younger adults, is already a daunting experience. Society looks at it negatively because of its possibly negative risks on one’s state and life including impairment, memory loss, and more. Yes there are valid risks, but there have been many instances where people have had positive outcomes using marijuana as well. Dispensaries are supposed to make customers feel less judged and a part of a community, especially when societal judgement can be so crippling these days. Having security is important, but there can be a balance between having enough

and also making the shop feel inviting. Some people really enjoy their time in the store to be as uninterrupted as possible. This doesn’t just go for dispensaries, but grocery and retail stores as well. Walking around a dispensary and getting to browse the products helps ease shoppers anxiety. There are many dispensaries where you can only look at products through a glass case. You can’t read the labels or look close at the products without having to get assistance from an employee. Dispensaries like Flora Terra, located in Santa Rosa, Ca, know how vital a shop’s environment can be to a company by finding ways to draw in the public and make sure buying weed doesn’t feel scary, illegal, or taboo. They created a place where they are opening up the cases and allowing people to shop around the store. This is a step forward in changing the stigma found with marijuana use. It makes business better for the company and enjoyable for the public.

The stigma around STIs needs to be addressed

JACQUELINE GARCIA

STAFF WRITER

ounger generations are becoming more comfortable with uncomfortable conversations—topics like mental health, politics, or even sexuality that were once taboo. Still, a hard line is drawn regarding sexually transmitted infections.

Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe getting overcomplicated?

MIKAYLA FRITZEMEIER STAFF WRITER

arvel Entertainment, bought by The Walt Disney Company in 2009, has created an epic cinematic universe that is expanding rapidly, but it may be too much, too fast. In the past 14 years, Marvel has created the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

Dispensaries: Inaccessible and unwelcoming environments

ANA FINGERSON

STAFF WRITER

annabis dispensaries are making way for more freedom and an easier time buying weed but these products not being accessible in store only influence the discomfort it brings. Although the legalization of recreational and medical use doesn’t give full protection against the federal law, it opens up many opportunities for the cannabis industry. Dispensaries have been popping

4 News

SSU celebrates incoming Seawolves continued from pg. 1

Arminana and others offered presentations led by department Deans and Chairs. A club fair was also hosted in the seawolf plaza for visitors to explore various clubs and affiliated groups.SSU organizations had the opportunity to connect with visitors and showcase their group’s general purpose. SSU Fraternity and Sorority Life coordinator, Abbie Paige shared her thoughts on Decision Day and the impact organizations had on the event, “Our fraternities and sororities, sport clubs, and general student organizations played a significant role in highlighting the Seawolf experience by sharing their own stories and the importance of getting involved. It just takes one person, one club, or one event to help a student find meaningful connections and establish a sense of belonging.” Kelley Kaslar, the Welcome Center Manager at Sonoma State shared her thoughts on the day, “It has been incredibly rewarding to plan and coordinate Seawolf Decision Day. It’s inspiring to see our entire SSU community come together in making this day special for our prospective students. And while Decision Day is an open house for new students, it is also a celebration for all of us: students, staff and faculty” Kaslar continued, “This is our time to showcase our amazing and unique campus. Our campus has a lot to offer, and my hope is that all of our guests feel the Sonoma State spirit throughout the entire day.” The spirits were certainly running high through Decision Day, especially with the addition of SSU Baseball and Softball teams playing games over the course of the day. The two games were available for viewing to all visitors and students. If athletics didn’t fall under interest for visitors, then on campus housing departments were offering tours and informational sessions. Sonoma States residence halls are ranked first in the CSU system for best on-campus housing. These on-campus housing tours were made a popular feature during Decision Day. Villages that were available to tour were Sauvignon, Verdot and Zinfandel. Visitors were expected to get hungry and with that in mind SSU culinary services offered a reduced priced all you can eat pass into the kitchens. Other on campus locations offered food services to visitors such as Sip Cafe and Lobos Pub. A huge component of the event were the current SSU students that attended decision day and connected with visitors. Fourth year student Connor Howard shared his experience at Decision Day, “Saturday was a lot of fun, it was super exciting seeing some new faces come out and explore what SSU has to offer. It was especially fun getting to table and represent my organiza-

Academic Senate to vote on future of Sakaki’s presidency continued from pg. 1

Arminana didn’t step down, he quickly implemented changes alongside an issued response. “The overall call is that there is a crisis of leadership and it’s not just the Scandal. It’s a continuing crisis of leadership,” Sanders said. “She [Sakaki] does not participate appropriately in faculty governance and delegates roles that were traditionally a part of the President’s work to subordinates.” The draft resolution for a vote of no confidence in President Sakaki contains heavy handed statements including describing Sakaki as lacking active leadership, failing to engage with faculty and faculty governance in a substantive way, abrogating responsibility for shared governance and failing to lead Sonoma State. Earlier in the week, on Monday April 21, Sakaki issued a campus wide statement. The email opened stating, “It’s springtime, a season that symbolizes new beginnings and transformations.” Most students were expecting an apology, but rather they received a long letter highlighting Decision Day as well as thoroughly outlining four areas of priorities Sakaki plans to focus on: Title IX, strategic enrollment, budget stability, and new initiatives. The email ended, stating, “As we look ahead, you have my promise that I will work every single day for the best interests of our faculty, staff, students, and our larger campus community. It is an honor for me to be your president.” On April 18, California State Senator Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued a statement regarding Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki’s handling of sexual harassment and retaliation claims made by a former campus provost involving her husband, Patrick McCallum. “The reports are a significant distraction for the university at a critical time, and raise serious questions about her leadership and judgement,” said Sen. Dodd. “It is concerning and deserves close scrutiny by the CSU chancellor and board of trustees as to how the interests of students and employees can be best served going forward.” Despite the University’s attempts to smooth over this scandal, news surrounding Sakaki and her husband McCallum seems to be continually developing, preventing SSU from escaping negative headlines.

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Online harassment grows through new methods like ‘tributing’

COURTESY // @adamrdodge on Instagram

which cases to investigate and prosecute, and their decisions can be shaped by implicit and explicit biases. Law enforcers are sometimes more likely to help if the person being harassed is a public figure.” Civil cases allow victims of online harassment and abuse to sue their abuser for tort claims. “Tort claims include intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and defamation.” There are also laws surrounding Nonconsensual Intimate Imagery (NCII), instances when sexually explicit images are shared without consent, “States, like California, provide a civil claim specifically for NCII, under which victims can sue the person who distributed intimate images.” Although these laws are great progress to protect people online with their intimate photos, none of these laws actually address the issue of tributing, since it is a widely unknown form of online sexual harrassment. The anonymous victims decided to report the situation to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety following their experience with the attorney. Their experience was less than ideal. The first victim states the officer, “...talked to me like I was a child. He was not sympathetic or respectful, and made me feel stupid for going to them… I was crying when I got home.” The police told the two Sonoma State victims that the case was out of jurisdiction, and to report the account that sent them the photoshopped nude picture through Instagram, and file a complaint about breaking community guidelines. They filed a full report of the situation to Instagram headquarters, and waited for a response. Instagram responded to the situation, saying, “Because of the high volume of reports we receive, our team hasn’t been able to review your report.” Instagram’s community guidelines state, “we don’t allow nudity on Instagram. This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content,” but this only applies for posted images, not photos shared through Direct Messaging. Nude or sexual photos shared through DM will be blurred, but not prohibited from being sent. Instagram claims they promise to, “remove… content that targets private individuals to degrade or shame them, and repeated unwanted messages,” however, for reasons unknown this case was not prioritized to be put under review.

“This is the reason a lot of women don’t come forward to to talk about sexual harassment or assault because it’s so difficult to actually have anyone listen to you or have anything be done about it.” The second victims shares, “This is the reason a lot of women don’t come forward to to talk about sexual harrasment or assault because it’s so difficult to actually have anyone listen to you or have anything be done about it.” Despite the lack of punishment being done by Instagram or Law Enforcement, one of the most important things being done with this case is the spread of awareness. The more victims that speak out, the closer we can get to understanding how online sexual abusers and harassers are finessing their ways around online harassment laws.

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Arts & Entertainment 5

SSU choir performs at legendary Carnegie Hall

ADDISON SMITH

STAFF WRITER

sembles rehearsed during the day and were allowed some time at night to explore the city and walk around. Sunday, the day of the show, the choirs rehearsed right before taking the stage at 2:00 p.m. The atmosphere in the hall during their pieces was, “...Phenomenal…the grandeur and beauty of Carnegie Hall was also breathtaking during the entire performance,”said Bent. One student, Abbigayle Samuels, a fourth-year music major, said, “The atmosphere was electric, it was such an amazing honor to perform on that stage and leave our marks on this important landmark in music history.” During the songs, Samuels performed the main solo for the piece, Dark Night of the Soul, and other students provided the harmonies and melodies for both songs. Once the concert was over the students were overjoyed yet sentimental about performing on one of the greatest stages in the world. Andrew Cedeno, a fourth-year SSU “The atmosphere was electric, it was such an amazing 4/25/22, 2:21 PM IMG_6374.HEIC student and vocal performance major, said, “Seeing that this is my last semester at SSU, honor to perform on that stage and leave our marks on this performance was an amazing way to wrap up my college career. It also made me remthis important landmark in music history.” inisce about when I performed there before with my high school band.” Now back at Sonoma State, the chamber singers, now known as SonoVoce and the Kirstina Rasmussen Collins respectively. Each school had their own training sessions, with SSU Concert Choir are in final preparations for their spring concert, entitled, My Spirit Bent joining Reedley’s sessions via Zoom, and the SRJC joining the Sonoma State choir Sang All Day, which premieres on May 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Weill Hall at the Green Music team during their rehearsals in the months leading up to the Carnegie Hall production. Center. The two classical pieces performed were, Johannes Brahms “Schicksalslied, Op. 54” and Ola Gjieilos’ “Dark Night of the Soul” which were chosen by Bent for the concert. Each piece, according to Bent, “...deals with fate and redemption, yet the differences between the musically Romantic style of the Brahms and the modern compositional elements of the Gjeilo are striking. Both are breathtakingly beautiful, yet appeal to our senses through very different musical means.” Each hour-long, weekly rehearsal was vigorous and strict, as each school prepared to perform for a large auditorium of up to 3000 people. Month by month, the students painstakingly rehearsed every facet of their songs, from the high notes to the clashing, tonal voices heard throughout each piece. After their rehearsal sessions were done, the students anxiously counted down the days until their trip to Carnegie Hall. The plane ride was cramped, but fun, according to some of the student performers; they said that overall it was a quick flight because they got to bond with one another. Once the flight landed, students from all three schools met up to rehearse for the conCOURTESY // Dr. Jenny Bent cert. During their two days of final preparation, Friday and Saturday, the combined en- Members of SSU’s choir smile for a selfie at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan, N.Y. n June of 2021, Dr. Jenny Bent, Director of Choral Activities at SSU, began preparing for a performance that was almost one year away, on April 17, 2022. Bent, along with the SSU chamber singers SonoVoce, the SSU concert choir, as well as choirs from Santa Rosa Junior College, and Reedley College, had been hard at work in the months leading up to the concert, which took place during the New England Symphonic Ensemble’s performance on Perelman stage at the infamous Carnegie Hall . The concert, conducted by Bent, and performed by these groups from three different schools, was a culmination of the schools’ efforts to perform in the legendary Carnegie Hall. The collaborative project between the schools; Sonoma State, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Reedley College; was under the direction of Bent, Jody Benecke, and Dr.

SSU hosts inaugural Native Fest through the HUB

ROSALEE PADILLA STAFF WRITER

n April 22, the HUB Cultural Center put on Native Fest, a celebration of Native American and Indigenous culture. This event welcomed around 13 different Native organizations to SSU to discuss their programs and what they do for the community. There was also live music from Sonoma State’s own Paul Steward, who has been a Native American Studies professor at SSU since 2016. The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center was created to spread awareness to the masses about California Indian history and culture. They offer a multitude of resources and programs for the community, including the Tribal Youth Ambassadors program. Laura Inong, who works as a community outreach and education coordinator for the museum, discussed what the Pomo and Miwok youth advocate for in their community. “We attended Native Fest to promote the work of our Tribal Youth Ambassadors program, specifically three of their most current projects: bear conservation, cultural gathering, and Acorn Bites.” Inong went on to discuss what “cultural gathering” entails, “The ‘Culture Card: Tribal Member Education Handout’ is extensive research completed within our tribal community to create a guide to harvesting and gathering safely in public spaces.” A representative from Pepperwood, which is a local preserve in Santa Rosa, was also in attendance. Their mission is to protect wildlife and encourage people to connect with nature through the different resources they offer. In an interview with the SSU STAR, Margaret Boeger, Education Director for Pepperwood, offered more information about their mission, “Pepperwood was honored to take place in the inaugural Native American Heritage Day at SSU. Pepperwood’s mission is to inspire

Students and faculty gather to celebrate SSU’s inaugural Native Fest.

STAR// Khanh Dao

conservation through science, and we strive to connect people with the land through our classes, events, hikes, stewardship days, art programs, and research.” Pepperwood has continued to observe the effect of climate change on the environment. Boeger also discussed their affiliation with the local Indigenous community, “Our Indigenous Education Coordinator, Clint Mckay, gave a blessing in his native Wappo language urging young Indigenous folks to continue to study Native American history, culture, and heritage.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xVWHhAoPtEwMVVKzS6dBO-BXz3L8e9iR/view Senior HUB Program Executive, Shelly Gomez, discussed her collaboration with the Director of Native American Studies, Dr. Erica Tom, to invite Native organizations to attend Native Fest. Tom is well connected with local Indigenous communities, and Gomez said that with Tom’s help she was able to easily contact organizations, and create the first Annual Native Fest. The event, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., was free for students to attend. Most tables were equipped with free goodies for students to take home and enjoy. This event gave students the opportunity to engage with the Native American and Indigenous communities one on one. Student Involvement and the HUB also have a partnership called MOCA which allows for students to get further involved with different cultures. MOCA stands for Multicultural Organization Club Alliance. This allows multicultural clubs to gain more access to resources on campus, and the HUB allows for a safe space to gather as a community. The HUB will offer another opportunity to learn more about Native American and Indigenous people with their social justice documentary series on April 26. The film that will be shown is called RISE, which discusses the oppressive concept known as environmental racism. The film screening will be from 3 to 5 p.m. on the second floor of the student center.

STAR// Khanh Dao Members of the HUB welcomed everyone to SSU’s first Native Fest on April 22.

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Student Life

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Queer Student Alliance hosts Queer Prom 2022 PAYTON MULLANEY STAFF WRITER

his past Friday, Sonoma State University’s Queer Student Alliance (QSA) hosted Queer Prom 2022. This was a night designed for fostering community among queer students, complete with food, dancing and wearing their own unique attire. Students and their guests gathered together in the Russian River Valley room from 7-10 p.m. to indulge in a special evening of celebrating themselves and their community. Queer Prom aimed to create a welcoming environment for everyone in attendance. On Sonoma State’s website, The QSA states that, “our club is a safe place for queer students to find support from each other at the university. As a club, we promote acceptance throughout Sonoma State via events focused around the LGBTQ+ community.” An anonymous student shared their experience at Queer Prom, stating that, “in highschool I was scared to attend prom because of who I wanted to bring as my date. I was excited to be able to attend a prom where I can just be myself, and the QSA has been a great outlet for me in college.” It is so imperative that queer students have a place where they can be themselves and that is exactly what QSA aimed to provide. A night like Queer Prom helps to avoid all of the uncomfortable interactions that can occur at a high school prom made for heteronormative people. Queer students constantly have to worry if someone will make a rude comment about the way they choose to dress, who they bring as a date or if someone is ultimately not going to respect them as a person. The event was not designed just for QSA club members, as all members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies were encouraged to attend. The club presidents and event organizers were thrilled about the turnout of the event. Ares Marx, the president of QSA, stated that “I think the event went really well and we had way more people come than we expected. We planned for a maximum of 45 people, and the turnout was over 100 students, so I am honestly just grateful for everyone who contributed and made this event possible. I’m glad that we were able to create a fun and safe environment for people who never got to have a prom due to COVID-19 or couldn’t be out in high school.” Olivia Blades, a student at SSU, stated that “I recently got involved in QSA because I have friends who I work with at the HUB, who are in QSA. My experience at Queer Prom was so fun and it was nice to hang with new people and make new friends.” Developing new relationships in college is something that many people look forward to, and the QSA helps students by providing a welcoming space for queer students through the HUB. Throughout their mission at SSU, they have truly made a historically marginalized group of people feel respected, valued and heard. Quattro Daly is a third year transfer student who spent their Friday night meeting new people and socializing at Queer Prom. They said, “Last semester was my first semester

COURTESY // @qsaofssu on Instagram Queer Prom created a space for queer students to attend prom without fear of judgment. here at SSU. I’m friends with a couple ambassadors from the HUB and QSA, everyone I’ve ever interacted with from there has been super kind to me.” Daly later discussed their experiences with QSA, as this is the first on-campus event that they have attended at SSU. This was solely due to their schedules and online classes, so they were excited to finally gather and hang out with their friends in person. As a transfer student, it can be hard to meet groups who have already established relationships, but QSA is focused on welcoming students with open arms. When surrounded by friends and people who have gone through similar experiences in high school, going to an event like Queer Prom can help to calm the anxieties that come with attending an event like this.

Seawolves SPEAK!

“What are your thoughts about the retaliation and sexual harassment claims against President Sakaki OLIVIA DOANE

and Patrick McCallum?”

STAFF WRITER

n April 13, The Press Democrat and the Los Angeles Times released articles discussing the $600,000 settlement claim given to Lisa Vollendorf, Sonoma State’s former Provost and Executive Vice President. This settlement was in response to Vollendorf reporting several sexual harassment claims made against SSU President Judy Sakaki’s spouse, Patrick McCallum. The news came as a shock to the SSU student body and many have strong opinions on the entirety of the situation, however many conversations around this issue have been mainly dominated by staff and faculty. We reached out to Sonoma State students to hear their opinions and commentary on the situation. “I personally think that the president and her husband should not be affiliated with Sonoma State anymore. I understand that you want to do right by someone that you believe might be telling the truth but at the end of the day you should be believing the victim, especially with things like sexual harassment cases.”

“It just feels so hypocritical that Sonoma State is constantly pushing Title IX to the student body and then when it’s the President’s husband who commits these acts, the school tries to cover it. It angers me that this had to make national news and that the school didn’t deal with it correctly the moment it happened.”

- Kelsey Noble, Senior, Psychology Major

- Brayden Woodward, Junior, Communications Major

“I’m less so concerned with President Sakaki’s alleged reactions than I am critical of the misconduct of the Cal State chancellor’s office. I believe that Cal State mishandled the case and consequently compromised Vollendorf’s career at SSU. The misconduct of Cal State completely undermines my faith in the purpose of the Title IX committee. It appears as though these systems are set in place to defend the institution itself rather than protect the individuals that enrich it.”

“He should no longer be able to be a volunteer and should be banned from the school. Actions have consequences and for his situation, clearly his actions don’t have consequences. By allowing him to stay, Sonoma state is showing the students that they don’t take sexual harassment seriously and don’t care. They side with the abuser rather than the victim and that is ridiculous.”

- Joscelyn Courtney, 5th year, French major

- Maddie Jio, Senior, Communications Major

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

Sports

Dupuis’ no-hitter highlights senior day

NICHOLAS ROTH

SPORTS EDITOR

enior weekend for Sonoma State softball saw two brilliant pitching performances from seniors Camille Rodriguez and Jesse Dupuis. After Rodriguez set the tone for the day with a one-hit shut-out against Cal State East Bay, Dupuis capped it off with a no-hitter in her last outing on Seawolf diamond. These two dominant performances helped guide the Seawolves to their fourth straight CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) conference sweep and improved their winning streak to 12 games. They have now won 20 of their last 21 games and are 34-14 on the season. “Jesse throwing a no hitter on our last home game ever was truly a mic drop. We are extremely excited and proud of her. She is an absolute stud,” said Rodriguez on Dupuis’s no-hitter. Dupuis’s no hitter was the first seven inning no hitter since 2015 when Amanda Llerena did it against Cal State San Bernardino according to Sonoma State athletics. “I feel really lucky that this game was my last on the field at Sonoma State. I had my family in town so it was really awesome that this was the game they got to see,” said Dupuis about what this performance meant. Dupuis is no stranger to throwing no-hitters. In her first college game at Monterey Peninsula community college she threw a no hitter against Feather River college. “I haven’t thrown one (no-hitter) since that first game so it was really cool to finish my career the same way,” said Dupuis. Her no-hitter came the day after she shut down East Bay in the second game of Friday’s double header where she threw a one hit shutout winning 8-0, before one upping herself on Saturdays second game. “Obviously any no-hitter is truly special, but to have one on your senior day to close out the final game to secure a four game sweep of a team, especially at this point in conference when we are racing for a top spot finish, makes it that much more special,” said Head Coach Jennifer Bridges. Before Dupuis would no-hit the Pioneers, Rodriguez had quite a day herself in the first game of the double header. She threw a one hit shutout while only walking one batter which makes it nine straight victories for Rodrigues and 12 in a row for the team. “Camille is always so hyped and dialed in. She brings so much confidence to the field and is in so much control. Pitching after her is amazing cause the team is always on a high. Camille dominated that first game and it made everyone so confident for the second one,” said Dupuis about pitching behind Rodriguez. Rodriguez has been a consistent bright spot for Sonoma’s pitching staff for her four years at Sonoma with this year being her strongest yet. She is 14-4 on the season with a miniscule 1.50 ERA in 116.2 innings pitched. “Watching Camille’s career from freshman year till now has been fun. She has really grown and each year got new knowledge and really strengthened her game from all aspects,” said coach Bridges. Bridges also added this about both seniors: “Jesse and Camille are both true compet-

COURTESY // @sonomastatesoftball Seniors Jesse Dupuis, Briana Avalos and Camille Rodriguez enjoyed a two game sweep on their senior day behind strong pitching performances from Rodriguez and Dupuis.

itors on the mound. Sometimes that’s all you need. Even when they are not always on top of their game that day, they still find ways to win through a tough mentality and competitiveness.” Although that may have been their last innings pitched on Seawolf diamond, their season continues with what might be their toughest test of the year, four games at Chico State this weekend. Sonoma is in third place in the CCAA behind Chico and San Marcos. “This next series is very important for us. We have been playing very well and it would be great to continue this series before postseason starts. Chico is a tough competitor and no matter what this series is going to prepare us well for the postseason. If we continue playing this tough and competitive, then this will be a very fun series to end it,” said Dupuis.

SSU takes home win in fourth straight series performance earned Roth his second win of the season as he now stands at 2-2 for the year. In the eighth inning, sophomore Hogan Weaver came in for relief and closed out the last two innings, finishing with two strikeouts while giving up zero walks and runs. The second game of the series was game one of a doubleheader, and the Seawolves lost a close one as the Golden Eagles took the game 8-6. The team fought hard, but unfortunately couldn’t come away with a game two win. With this being game one of the doubleheader, the Seawolves had to quickly regroup and get ready for game two, as they were shooting for a crucial win. Junior Michael Benz was given the start for the third game of the series and he did not disappoint. Benz had an absolute gem on the mound as he pitched a complete game and only gave up four hits. He went seven innings while striking out seven and didn’t give up a single run or walk. The Seawolf offense was led by senior Josh Lopez and freshman Sean Pauly as both went two for three, Lopez having two RBIs and Pauly having two runs scored. The final score of game three was a Sonoma State 2-0 victory over Cal State LA. “In the fourth, they tried to run a suicide squeeze and thankfully they popped up the bunt back to me and we were able to get out of the inning clean. Again, COURTESY// Evan Roehrig focusing on the present moment helps keep high stake situations from adding Chris Wright and Logan Douglas jump for a shoulder bump after the Seawolves win pressure,” said Benz. “Pressure is completely made up, and in those situations, the series 3-1. you have to accept that all you can control is the pitch you make and the result is JAVIER HERNANDEZ the result.” STAFF WRITER The Seawolves wrapped up the series Sunday morning in a convincing fashion as they won 8-2. The offense was led by junior Otis Statum and seniors Josh Mehe Sonoma State baseball team continued their hot streak this past dina, Nick Simmons and Cole Brodnansky. All four batters had two hits, Statum weekend as they took a series win against the Cal State LA Golden leading the way with a go ahead solo home run blast in the seventh inning; his Eagles. The Seawolves won three out of the four games and extended sixth home run of the season. Freshman Blake Janowicz started the final game of their series win streak to three in a row. This past weekend put the team at the series and had a solid outing as he went for 6 innings and only gave one run. 16-16 in conference play as they made their final push towards the playoffs. Freshman Blake Janowicz started the final game of the series and had a solid outThe Seawolves opened up the series with a dominant 16-2 win over the ing as he went for six innings and only gave up one run. In the seventh, sophomore Golden Eagles. The offensive explosion was led by sophomore Lucas Tanner Fonoti came in relief and wrapped up the game as he went three innings Townsend, juniors Torreahno Sweet and Logan Douglas and senior Nick while striking out three and only giving up one walk and zero runs. Simmons. All four Seawolves had multi-hit games with at least one run and The team will now prepare for their four game series against Cal State Dominone RBI. Junior Nick Roth got the nod from Head Coach John Goelz to start guez Hill on April 29. For more information on the team and upcoming games, the series. Roth had an excellent showing on the mound as he went seven make sure to head over to sonomaseawolves.com/sports/baseball innings with three strikeouts, only giving up one walk and two runs. This

Photo

APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2022

sonomastatestar.com

SSU welcomes students during Seawolf Decision Day

STAR // Holly Durfee Local Sebastopol sister’s embrace and snack on candies at the annual Easter egg hunt at Ives Park. STAR // Holly Durfee SSU staff leads prospective students by providing an in-depth tour of the university.

STAR // Holly Durfee Students and staff table and inform prospective students about SSU programs and organizations.

Blooming flowers bring springtime joy on campus

STAR // Khanh Dao Several trees on campus display pink mesmerizing flowers.

STAR // Khanh Dao Spring has sprung on our beautiful SSU campus.

STAR // Khanh Dao A ladybug enjoys the springtime sun while sitting on campus flowers.

Native Fest celebrates Indigenous life and culture

STAR // Khanh Dao The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center made an appearance and showed their support during SSU’s Native Fest.

STAR // Khanh Dao Native American and Indigenous artwork was sold at last week’s Native Fest.