Volume72 issue14

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Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 14

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

MAY 6 - MAY 12, 2014

Shooting, stabbing occurs near campus Kayla Galloway News Editor

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onoma State University and the Rohnert Park Police Department are warning students and the community about a series of criminal incidents that have occurred recently along the Copeland Creek trail near Rancho Cotate High School and SSU. It was reported to the Sonoma State Police Services on Tuesday that on April 17, at approximately 11 p.m., several teenagers were approached by a dark, male figure in the Rancho Cotate High School parking lot who began

shooting multiple gunshots toward them.

Despite none of the individuals being struck or injured by the gunfire, the incident still proved to be frightening to those involved.

The attack appeared to be random with no motive or known local gang connections, according to police. A bullet did however strike one of the teenager’s vehicles.

Days after the shooting, a man was approached by a man wearing dark clothing and stabbed with an unknown weapon on the Copeland Creek trail near Commerce Boulevard and Seed Farm Drive in Rohnert Park.

It is undetermined if these incidents are

related, but Sonoma State Police Services and Rohnert Park Public Safety warns students to be aware of their surroundings, especially after dark.

Rohnert Park Police Sgt. Jeff Nicks said in an interview with the Press Democrat on Wednesday, “We want the public to be aware, but we don’t want people to be scared. Be vigilant.”

The stabbing victim, a 20-year-old male, reported he did not know who his attacker was and why he was attacked. The victim’s injuries are not life threatening.

Anyone with additional information re-

garding these recent attacks is asked to contact Sonoma State Police Services at (707) 664-4444 or the Rohnert Park Police Department at (707) 584-2600.

Sonoma State Police Services encourages students and community members to report siting of suspicious person(s) to police services, always walk with a purpose, be aware of surroundings and avoid distractions concerning music and cellular devices.

Always reach out to the SSU Police Services if in need of a safety escort while on campus, and if a crime is witnessed or in a time of emergency, always call 911.

Greek organizations safe after recent incidents Megan Kleszcz Copy Editor

A facebook.com Sonoma State University’s Model United Nations earned awards representing Cuba in New York City.

Model United Nations wins awards in New York Cara Fuqua Staff Writer

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onoma State University’s Model United Nation students recently endeavored on an adventure that will impact them for the rest of their lives.

Over 5,000 students from all over the world gathered in New York City to submit and debate resolutions and solve global problems.

The Sonoma State student delegation represented the campus proudly and was presented three different awards for their abilities in debating on current real-world United Nations issues.

Model United Nations students were interviewed by the head of the program, professor Cynthia Boaz, and given the unique opportunity to travel across the country and represent the country of Cuba.

At the end of the interviewing process, 26 students were invited to participate in the National Model United Nations simulation that took place in New York City from April 13-17.

“I had a great time representing Sonoma State in the Model United Nations conference this year in New York,” said Nick Grave, junior and political science major. “I learned in-

valuable skills like using diplomacy to break language barriers and how to work together with all different ideologies to address worldwide issues like the need for sustainable development of biofuels.”

Representing Cuba is a challenge in itself due to its distinct geopolitics.

Despite the challenge, the Sonoma State participants came prepared.

Model United Nations students interviewed the Cuban Permanent Mission to the UN and spoke with Cuban representatives about policies and current issues in preparation for the fiveday conference.

Junior and political science major Mercedes Mack told the STAR, “Model UN highlighted my skills as well as my potential. It’s five days, completely out of your comfort zone, working with people from around the world, with very little sleep. By the end, I felt empowered, with a deeper understanding of politics and UN bureaucracy.”

The 26 students were divided into 13 committees that researched different topics.

These topics were deliberated and solved by all of the other nations present.

When asked what the most challenging part of being at the simulation, junior and sociology major Jackie Leon

said, “Being able to collaborate ideas with other nations was the most challenging aspect of it, because at the end of the day, we just wanted a resolution.”

Sonoma State was presented three distinguished titles for their efforts: a Third Place Award for Overall Delegation, Best Position Paper Award for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Committee and Outstanding Delegate Award for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Committee.

Associated Students Fall 2014 President Anthony Gallino was among the 26 participants.

“The unique thing about Model UN is that it’s one of the few programs I’ve been apart of that directly links experiences outside of the classroom with what you learn inside the classroom.

We need more of those programs at this institution,” said Gallino.

SSU celebrates its fourth year in attendance and ninth award at the National Model United Nations simulation.

Being that only 10 percent of all delegations present win awards, it is truly a proud moment for the university.

For more information on National United Nations visit www.nmun.org, or their Facebook page.

fter speaking with Adam Rosenkranz, president of Interfraternity Council (IFC), and Samantha Mraz, president of Panhellenic Council, some new developments have come forth in regard to the recent issues surrounding the Sonoma State University Greek life system. Rosenkranz had an hour-long conversation with President Ruben Armiñana regarding some of the instances that had occurred in the Greek community.

“He explicitly expressed that he felt the Greek community does so many positive things for the community as a whole,” said Rosenkranz. “He was the one that said, ‘you guys need to be careful because you can do 15 things right and one thing wrong, and that is what will attract attention.’”

One of Rosenkranz’ biggest frustrations was he wanted to emphasize that Armiñana in fact stated the Greek community is not in real harm of being shut down.

“I asked Armiñana if we are in jeopardy of being suspended or getting kicked off the campus and he said explicitly no,” said Rosenkranz. “He said he would look into it some more, but at this time he does not believe it is a remote possibility that the Greek community will get kicked off campus.”

Rosenkranz said they recognize the Greek community does have instances of over

consumption of alcohol, and those instances are concerning to the organizations. The problem Rosenkranz recognized is how one negative incident can impact and harm the reputation of the entire Greek community.

Mraz was frustrated with the Greek community being classified as a whole. She does not think it is accurate to refer to the Greek community as one. Some people make poor decisions and others make wise decisions according to Mraz.

“These problems are prevalent campus wide.

It’s not isolated in the Greek community. We just get highlighted for it.”

“We are disproportionally scrutinized in my opinion compared to the other clubs on campus,” said Rosenkranz.

“These problems are prevalent campus wide. It’s not isolated in the Greek community. We just get highlighted for it.”

Rosenkranz believes the best way to change the perception of the Greek community is by changing the culture and educating the new members.

Both Rosenkranz and Mraz are looking forward to the future to educate the SSU campus about the positive attributes of Greek life rather than being recognized for a few negativities of the organizations.

The “Amazing Spider-Man 2” Baseball headed to Nationals, SSU Alumna publishes “The entertains crowds claim CCAA Championship Aftermath of Forever”

Check out review on Pg. 8

See the full story on Pg. 10

Read more on Pg. 5

Page 2

Editorial

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Fall 2014 Editorial Board

Dylan Sirdofsky, Editor-in-Chief Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Rachel Keigley, Opinion Editor Brandon Stachnik, A&E Editor Alexis Mills, Features Editor Kayla Webster, Sports Editor Connor Gibson, Photo Editor Megan Kleszcz, Copy Editor Gino Mascardo, Online Editor Amanda Saiki, Advertising Manager Anika Jess, Marketing Coordinator Eddie Blake, Editorial Cartoonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Advisor

Sonoma State STAR (707) 664-2776 – Salazar Hall 1053 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Advertising Information: (707) 664-2714 Or Email sonomastatestar@gmail.com, attn: Amanda Saiki.

Other Information: star@sonoma.edu.

Subscribe to the STAR!

Get Sonoma State’s student-run newspaper delivered straight to your door next semester.

Perfect for families, friends and alumni of Sonoma State.

star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “Student Spotlight: Katie McDonagh” Hard work, dedication, and a great attitude are some of the simplest ways to describe our good friend and editor for the Sonoma State STAR. Staff Writer Claudia Jambor explores the life of Katie McDonagh and her inspiration for becoming the person she is today. While the STAR must continue on without her, she will surely be missed.

Turn to pg. 9 for the profile Letters to the Editor

A letter to the editor forum will be open to the expression of fact or opinion that will be of interest or importance to readers of the STAR. Letters which fit within the scope of First Amendment protection, and that meet other stipulations spelled out in this document, will be published on a space available basis as explained below.

Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available.

Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available.

Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Thursday 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 editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length.

Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. The STAR will honor requests for anonymity at the editor’s discretion.

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

Letters received in any format other than by email will not be published.

Corrections/Clarifications

In the Issue 13 article, “Greek community rocked by substance abuse incidents,” President Ruben Armiñana did not warn all Greek members of a possibility of suspending Greek life. Read more on page 1.

Publication

The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Healdsburg Printing. 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.

STAR // Garett Knight

Goodbye: A Seawolves’ year review

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f there was ever a time to feel like we’ve individually grown to become different, happier people, it would be at the end of a long and prosperous year of college. This year has been one to remember for many of us, and with so much happening in just nine months, we thought it would be a great time to reflect on what we’ve learned, and what to expect as future Seawolves.

Something incredibly important we agree on is to surround yourself with genuinely good people in your life, as it’s something that can work wonders for a college experience. Most of us wouldn’t be the people we are today if it wasn’t for those that have stuck around through all of the hardships.

As a campus, Sonoma State University has done its fair share of growing up as well, albeit, with some minor setbacks that need to be addressed. There is still much concern over the availability of getting classes, especially for sophomore and freshman students. Registration seemed to go by a bit smoother this semester, but there were a few cuts that needed to happen.

With the overwhelming response

against the Academic Success fee, the result may have forced us to go without several kinesiology courses that will be missed by plenty of student-athletes.

While we have yet to see the full backlash of not implementing the fee, next year definitely holds many new opportunities and chances for our campus as a whole.

What the fee really proved was that all the students have a say in what happens in our school. It’s hard to think of a recent time where our community stood up together and reached out to make sure something didn’t happen, and really tried to be more aware of the issues surrounding us overall.

The Student Center’s official opening had to be the biggest accomplishment, despite the controversy surrounding some of the expenses and the amount of times it was pushed back. Seeing all the work that was done while walking past the construction, with the finish product making its presence felt, it definitely made us proud to call ourselves Seawolves.

One thing we aren’t proud of, and still have a long way to go for improvement, is the amount of excessive drinking and drug use that continues to plague our campus.

Although, an argument can be made that this issue will always remain a problem, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be something we need to be more aware of in the future.

Another thing that could never be stressed enough is the importance of getting involved, and we aren’t just saying that because of our positions on the newspaper. We do feel it’s OK to mess around for a while before getting serious about college or a career, but can’t truly explain how rewarding of an experience it is to do so, despite how little we go out these days.

With our campus population continuously rotating year in and year out, it makes it even more important for us to be able to send and receive necessary information throughout the school. Getting involved was one of the best decisions we could have made, especially when we’re able to bring people together to be more active citizens.

We know Sonoma State University will continue to push forward and become an even closer community in the future, and could not be more ecstatic for the coming year—but we are also excited about enjoying a well-deserved summer break first.

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.

Answers to the last crossword

Opinion

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Young Adult fiction not a damsel in distress Olivia Rose Guest Contributor

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n the past month or so there have been several different articles online that say that “so and so young adult author is the new ‘savior’ of young adult literature.”

Lately it’s been John Green, author of the immensely popular “The Fault in Our Stars” and Veronica Roth, author of the “Divergent” trilogy that have received the title of “savior” and really, there is a major problem with people claiming this.

If we exclude taking into account the genders of both of the above authors (because that could be a whole opinion piece in itself and others on the Internet have exhausted that argument), what is left to want to know is why people lately have even been looking for “saviors” of young adult literature. What lately has even suggested that it needs saving?

Are people tired of hearing about all the dystopian, paranormal, contemporary, romance, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror and historical fiction coming out of the young adult market that it needs something “fresh” to save it? Because those aren’t the same book genres that exist in middle grade and adult books?

To assume that the young adult market needs help is pretentious. It has been doing pretty fine by itself without anybody having to assign the best of the best of the market.

Millions of people around the world read young adult books, so where in any of those millions did someone scream “we need to be saved?”

Young adult literature is not a damsel in distress, and it does not need one supreme author to validate the market as a whole for people who don’t even read young adult books or write them.

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To even assign a “savior” is discrediting every young adult author’s personal achievements and pretty much says “sorry so and so author, but you haven’t made enough of an impact on your market. You’re not important enough.”

Which is honestly more than a little messed up, because tons of authors/books in the market have inspired so many different people, and everyone has different tastes in what they even like to read within the young adult section.

To assume that the young adult market needs help is pretentious.

Are we really going to exclude the hundred of authors that came before Green and Roth because these two just so happened to be popular currently and their books just opened to garner movie deals?

Because of that, it’s really impossible to say who has been doing the best. Yes, some books/authors have ended up more popular than others, but that doesn’t mean they’re “saviors.” It just means that a lot of people liked those books and were inspired by them.

So really, we need to stop with the whole “saviors” thing. Young adult literature didn’t ask to be “saved” and the people who actively read/write young adult books don’t appreciate being told that their preferred area was dying to begin with.

The young adult market will keep marching on like it always has, because it’s the hero of its own story. Let people decide for themselves which books influence them, and don’t assume everyone will share the same “savior.” Like we even need one.

Perks and pitfalls of Greek life

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Rachel Keigley Opinion Editor

hey say you have to be in it to understand it, and luckily I have. I’m talking about Greek life, which 20 percent of student body is a part of. But is Greek life all it is cracked up to be? The stereotypical phenomenon is that Greek life consists of parties with sorority girls and frat guys who value “going out” over getting grades.

But with the fraternity and sorority GPA being higher than the overall collegiate GPA, I believe some Greeks would beg to differ. My personal experience of being in Greek life for three years was an experience that had both its ups and downs. You have a built-in family, which is just what I needed after moving away from home. But as time continued on, I felt I was sucked into the endless drama, and I did not want it to control my life anymore.

It is definitely all about surrounding yourself with good people within your chapter, since it is usually made up of 150 plus girls. It may work out better for a person than another, but there’s nothing wrong with giving it a shot. And if you don’t like it, there’s always a way out.

The one thing that made my decision to become an inactive member in my sorority was the power control. There are elected leaders in each sorority who become obsessed with ruling over the other girls in the chapter. It became more of a tattle-tailing group rather than having each other’s backs as sisters.

[Greek life] is a built-in family, which is just what I needed after moving away from home. But as time continued on, I felt I was sucked into the endless drama.

The city of Rohnert Park is aware, and also many Greek life members know that sororities and fraternities do not have the best reputation. There have been instances of disruption from parties in the neighborhoods, and a lack of respect from the Greek community.

It could definitely be beneficial for the students involved in Greek life to show more courtesy to their fellow neighbors. Either by letting them know they will be throwing a party, rather than leaving trash on the streets for the neighbors to wake up to.

One thing I can say about Greek life is that I was extremely involved in community service. It felt good to give back and have opportunities to help people. In college it is easy to get wrapped up in personal needs, but Greek life does make the time to reach out to the community.

Fraternities are a whole different ball game than sororities. While I cannot speak on behalf of them, I have seen that their brotherhood is undeniable. It could be because men are somehow genetically altered to have each others backs more than woman are, but I rarely hear a brother speak badly about one another.

We are supposed to be adults at this age, and I found myself right back in high school at moments during my time in a sorority.

My hope is that everyone has a fulfilling experience during his or her time in Greek life. Luckily, I was able to make connections with people that I wouldn’t have if I decided not to join. While it did not ultimately work out for me, there are countless opportunities within Greek life. College is about taking risks and figuring yourself out as a person, so take all the chances you can get now, before asking yourself “what if” in the future.

STAR // Eddie Blake

NBA should call foul on Clippers owner Gian D’Ambra Staff Writer

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magine having an owner that privately disliked over 70 percent of the workforce you were a part of. Now imagine that owner’s private disliking becoming public.

Donald Sterling, current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, believes in pre-emancipation racism in a field of over 70 percent African American workers. As many coaches and players in the NBA have publicly stated, there is no room for him in their game, and I believe he should step down as owner of the Clippers.

Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, has quickly become a player-favorite. Upon hearing the recording of racist comments by Sterling, Silver knew he had to come up with a punishment. The maximum fine allowed under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement for such behavior was a $2.5 million fine and a lifetime ban from the NBA. Silver dropped the hammer on Sterling and gave him the maximum punishment; an instant gratification to the players.

Commenting on Silver’s ruling, Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade said, “For the players, the league as a whole, we felt great. We feel he is the commissioner not only of the owners, but the commissioner of the players.”

Here comes the tricky part. After hearing the news of

his punishment, Sterling said the Clippers were not for sale. He is now 80 years old, and seems to have hit his midlife crisis too late to know how to properly deal with it.

Reports also came out this week that Sterling has been battling cancer for quite some time. Add that on top of dealing with a much younger girlfriend and now estranged wife, his comments must have solely been taken out of context, right? Wrong.

Some people may not know this, but Sterling telling his girlfriend to not publicly associate with black people is not his first incident with racism. He has had a past full of racist behavior, and this was just the culmination of the way he has secretly believed life should be for many years.

The owners of all the NBA teams have agreed to reconvene this week in hopes of figuring out a solution to this problem. As Sterling’s associates, they can come together and vote for him to be forced to sell the Clippers.

They will need a 75 percent vote out of the 30 owners to force Sterling to sell. People like Oprah Winfrey, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Earvin “Magic” Johnson, etc., have already come forward with interest in buying the Clippers. The best part about it, the names just listed are all of African American people. That would get under the skin of Sterling which would happily amuse me, and hopefully millions of others as well.

When the reconvening happens, the vote is expected to be unanimous, and all will be right with the world, or at least the NBA. I don’t think Sterling should wait for the vote to sell the team.

He is suffering from cancer, and has obviously heard all the reports I just gave you, and more. To make this process easier and not risk further public ridicule, Sterling should just take initiative and sell the Clippers, now.

Take advantage of summer Tyler Drinnen Staff Writer

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s we wrap up the spring semester, thus completing the 2013 to 2014 school year, the reality of those hot summer days begin to set into the back of our minds.

I’ve already felt a change in weather patterns but the daydreams containing grains of sandy beaches between my toes, or the sun setting in the distance with a Corona in hand, seem so much more important to me than what I’m actually doing right now.

While people are packing up their bags and traveling back to the places they call home, I’m still unpacking my life into the new place that I call home.

Establishing myself, including my goals and aspirations for the coming years is now the new journey I find myself taking on. Even if it has required me to change my current everyday routine, I know it will be well worth it even if it happens to be the most challenging ride of my life.

Now what cards will be dealt to me are merely up to the abundantly surrounding abyss, we call the universe. But I disagree; I believe we have the power to increase our opportunity by creating our own means to do so. I can create my own path and deal my own cards, even if it means dealing a third round of Kings Cup on multiple occasions.

But I wouldn’t be able to make the decisions and changes that I am now if I weren’t able ground myself by finding my happy medium this year, and from this tough semester I know that I have done just so. It has mentally prepared me for my future: the best and worst to come.

Keeping my options open for my final summer as

a college student is the most bittersweet, double-edged sword up until this point in my life. I know, how dramatic. Do I get an internship, possibly another job or two and take more classes, or do I live it up in a Malibu beach penthouse with strangers on some beach?

Whatever I choose, it is potentially going to be so much different yet better than what I am currently doing every single day of the week. With so many options to choose from why couldn’t I at least try to accomplish them all, especially when the time has allowed it to be over the next three months.

By landing a theoretically moneymaking position, I will not allow it to fracture me in terms of my student graduation, but as an additional opportunity of growth and development as a person, adding additional notches under my résumé belt was just the supplementary benefit.

I have successfully conquered multiple 20 plus unit loads over my years as a college student, while also working a full-time job. So, taking a life altering opportunity wouldn’t require a second thought.

Say I take two hard-core summer courses and pick up another job, I still plan on doing so with a smile on my face and here is the reason why. I know for me personally, it’s going to be an easy transition into the “after college work force” because I’ve already been doing it for multiple years effectively and enthusiastically and I will continue to do so until I feel like it is enough.

Chances are it may never be but one day I’ll look back, laugh and say hey, you did it.

Summer 2014 is going to be the main test of them all, but everything I’ve come to learn and love will be scrambled all into one and I am still looking forward to it. I will not only do so confidently and willingly but I will do so successfully, just because I know I can.

Cocky or confident, whatever you may call it, I don’t raise the white f lag, I just burn it down and raise my own. It’s time for another opportunity; it just happens to be over the potentially best summer any student could ever have.

Page 4

News

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Nursing program ranked highly by College Atlas Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer

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ollegeatlas.org has ranked Sonoma State University’s nursing prelicensure program as eighth in the nation. The list was based upon four categories of scoring: acceptance rate, size, board exam pass rate and tuition. Collegeatlas.org is a website that ranks colleges and universities based on different programs and offerings. They take information on each of the institutions and create unbiased ranking based on different interests of the readers.

The Sonoma State University nursing program has been a part of campus for over forty years and have helped educated over 4,000 nurses. The program offers bachelors and masters programs and is fully accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (formerly NLNAC) and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Kristi Hellman, the administrative coordinator for the nursing department, told the STAR that the news of the ranking was very well received.

“The news was really good confirmation of all of the hard work that they do here. We do have a 97 percent pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam) so it’s nice to get that affirmation,” said Hellman. “The staff and faculty here are really nice and really work with the students to give them a lot of support and they give a lot of their time to do the program.”

The nursing program is made up of a number of different programs based on grade point average, experience and test scores. Some of the most popular include the pre-licensure program, the post-licensure program and the Masters in Science in nursing.

Deborah Roberts, a professor and the department chair of the nursing department, said that the Pre-Licensure program is what one would consider a traditional four-year baccalaureate program for nursing. A student can choose to either complete the nursing prerequisites as a freshman at Sonoma State as a “pre-nursing” major or at a community college. The degree puts a strong emphasis on public health nursing, leadership and research. The end result is the opportunity to take the NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse.

Roberts said that the road to becoming a nurse can be a hard one but the career is a very rewarding one.

“Nursing is both an art and a science and the best nurse that you can have at any given time is one that has the understanding that there has to be a balance between the art and science,” said Roberts. “For the last 12 years running nursing has been the most trusted profession and its important that nursing applicants understand what it takes for the public to maintain that trust and that is something that we as nurses hold dear in our hearts.”

The programs at Sonoma State University are very highly rated and produce well-qualified graduates. Megan Gilbert, a nursing student at Sonoma State University, said that the nursing program has been a positive experience for her.

“I’ve had a wonderful experience in the nursing program. It’s a tough program to get into, but definitely worth it. Because of the small number of students accepted, the teachers are truly dedicated to our individual success,” said Gilbert. “I have loved working with both my peers and my teachers, and have felt very supported throughout the entire program.”

The pre-nursing major is an effective way to getting started in a career in nursing. Even though the nursing programs at Sonoma State are very competitive, Roberts works hard to prepare the pre-nursing candidates for applying to the major.

“I work very diligently with all of the pre-nursing advisees to help them be competitive for the program and to instill hope in them,” said Roberts.

“We have a lot of strong candidates on campus that can get in and will get in and I never want to be discouraging of someone who is really pursuing that path. Yes we get a lot of applications but why cant one of them be yours?”

To see the complete ranking of nursing schools visit www.collegeatlas. org/top-nursing-schools-2014.html or for information on Sonoma State University’s nursing department and programs you can visit www.sonoma.edu/ nursing.

facebook.com 2014-15 Associated Students President Anthony Gallino, left, and Associated Students Vice President Christian George, right, are looking forward to the new school year.

Associated Students inducts new officers Sara Molenda Staff Writer

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he Associated Students (AS) welcomed and inducted its new members for the 2014-15 academic year at an induction ceremony Friday afternoon in the Student Center.

For many students, the ceremony represented the icing on the cake after all the hard work of campaigning a difficult election.

The inductees include President Anthony Gallino, Executive Vice-President Christian George, Senator for the School of Science and Technology, Brandon Muela, Senator for the School of Social Sciences, Natalie Sampo, Vice-President of Finance Adam Rosenkranz, Senator of Undeclared Matthew Goodwin, Senator for Sustainability Allison Jenks, Senator for Student Services Luke Tesluk, Senator for Involvement Cary Yballa, Senator for Diversity Cynthia Figueroa, Senator for Community Affairs Kian Khatami and Senator for the School of Business and Economics Tyler Davis.

Many of these students had to face the difficult task of campaigning on two separate occasions due to the reelection, and were simply thrilled to see the results of their hard work. But the work has just begun.

One of the inductees, George, who claimed the title of vice president during elections, explained that the new Senate members are ready for action.

“The strength of the Student Senate is that we are all energized and ready to work together as one body to present a unified student voice,” said George. “This is a great honor that we all have and I can’t wait to make great strides in [being] the voice of the students.”

George also commented on how the diversity of the new group will help expand the reach of AS across campus.

“All of the Senate members bring about a unique perspective of the student experience at Sonoma,” said

George. “The wide array of viewpoints, perspectives and experiences that are present in this year’s Senate presents us with a great opportunity to use our collective knowledge and connect to the rest of the student body.”

Newly elected President Anthony Gallino also commented on his enthusiasm for the potential with this new group of leaders.

“I’m looking forward to working with new individuals who are excited and passionate about student government as well as continuing to work with returning officers,” said Gallino. “There is always so much potential in a new student government and I’m excited to see what we come up with as a group.”

Number one on Gallino’s to-do list for the upcoming year will be to engage students who are not necessarily elected officials in student government.

“I think personally I would like to engage the campus in some educational initiatives about aspects of our campus and expand our student government to allow for greater participation among diverse students beyond just those that are duly elected,” said Gallino.

No word yet on how the student government plans to do this yet. The inductees and returning members plan to meet over summer before the start of the fall semester to discuss strategies and the implementation of those strategies.

One obstacle the student government on campus has always faced is the lack of presence or lack of ability to see what exactly the student leaders are doing to represent the student body.

Gallino explained that while it may be difficult to demonstrate certain cases of representation, one of the goals for AS this year is to better engage with the student body.

“Student government in general can be and often is a thankless job,” said Gallino. “The student government does a lot of representing that often goes unnoticed by students. I think next year will be different in that we will definitely try to start engaging the campus earlier in the year and be more consistently present with that engagement.”

School of Arts, Humanities to hold forums for open dean position Julia Chacko Staff Writer

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andidates for the new dean of the School of Arts and Humanities will be on campus this week for interviews and presentations leading up to the selection to fill the permanent position. The five finalists are Kathleen McSharry, Risa Dickson, Thaine Stearns, Scott Paynton and Sachiko Matsunaga.

“The finalists are outstanding,” said Lynn Stauffer, the dean of the School of Science and Technology and search committee chair for the open position within the School of Arts and Humanities. “Each has a strong background and record of commitment to academic excellence and student success.”

None of the candidates could be reached for comment at this time, but an email sent to the entire Sonoma State community includes short biographies of the five applicants.

McSharry is currently the Associate Dean of the College for Curriculum and Writing at Brown University and a member of the college’s leadership team. She also supervises academic support programs for all undergraduates and oversees college-wide curricular programs, including first-year and sophomore seminar programs. She earned her B.A. in English from the University

of California at Berkeley and her M.A. and Ph.D. program and as department chair in the Engin English from the University of Wisconsin at lish Department at Sonoma State. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Madison.

Seattle in 1999 and has held Dickson has been on teaching posts at the Univerthe faculty at California sity of Washington, the Pacific State University, San BerNorthwest School of Art and nardino since 1991. She has served as Associate in the University of Wisconsin Provost for Academic Perschool system. sonnel, Executive AssociPaynton has spent 22 ate to the President, Assoyears as a student, faculty and administrator in the CSU ciate Dean of the College system. He served the past 16 of Arts and Letters and years at Humboldt State UniChair of the Department of versity in positions such as Communication Studies.

Associate Dean, University She earned her Ph.D. and Ombudsperson and DepartM.A. in Interpersonal and ment Chair. He is currently Organizational Communico-leading a faculty leadercation from the University ship-mentoring program in of Southern California and the schools of arts, humanities her B.A. in Communicaand behavioral sciences across tion Theory from Calisonoma.edu the CSU system. He earned a fornia State University, Thaine Stearns up for reapNorthridge.

Ph.D. in Communication from Stearns, the incum- pointment as dean.

Southern Illinois University, bent for this position, was Carbondale and also holds a appointed to serve on an interim basis as dean B.A. in English from CSU, San Bernardino and of the School of Arts and Humanities at Sonoma an M.A. in Human Communication Studies from State University in July 2011. He has also served Chico State University. as Graduate Coordinator of the English MA Matsunaga has been a member of the Cali-

fornia State University, Los Angeles faculty since 1994. She developed a distinguished record that included service as the Director of the Japanese Studies Center, founder and Director of the federally supported Strategic Language Initiative Korean program and professor and chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. degree in East Asian Languages and Literatures from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and her B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of Oregon.

The open forums began on Friday with McSharry and will continue through this week, concluding with Matsunaga this Friday.

Led by Stauffer, a committee called the Search Committee is responsible for providing the initial position description, screening the applications, deciding on finalists to invite for campus interviews and making recommendations to Provost Andrew Rogerson. The provost, who could not be reached for comment, will make the final decision.

“We encourage the Sonoma State community to attend the Open Forums to learn more about the candidates and their visions for the School of Arts and Humanities,” said Stauffer.

For a complete list of the dates, times and locations of the forums and the full biographies of each candidate, visit sonoma.edu.

Arts

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

A story of self-discovery as told by SSU alum Dylan Sirdofsky Editor-in-Chief

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ith finals looming over and stressful thoughts of life after graduation kicking in, was there ever a better time to seek optimism about the future?

Take it from Sonoma State University alumna, Natalye Childress, and her heartbreaking, yet powerfully written memoir, “The Aftermath of Forever: How I Loved and Lost and Found Myself. The Mixtape Diaries,” set to release June 1 through Microcosm Publishing. She first worked on it while taking a directed writing class with English professor, Noelle Oxenhandler.

“Early on, when I encountered the first pages of what later became Natalye’s memoir, I was struck by the very distinct quality of her voice,” said Oxenhandler. “There was something about it that was quite plain and matter-of-fact, and at first it even seemed a bit dry. But very quickly I could feel that, just below the surface, there was a great intensity of feeling.”

The memoir exposes Childress in her early 20s while weaving through a world of dating in the San Francisco Bay Area. Readers soon uncover background of her past, and the result of a failed marriage. The story is a path of self-discovery to cope with how life moves on after experiencing heartbreak from someone once held so close.

Each chapter incorporates music as a way of self-expression, as Childress retells the events of 10 men she knew, illustrating a picture of these relationships via the mixtapes created

for all of them. As she carves out the innermost personal feelings of her love life, the inspirational and optimistic tones rotate with clumsy and harsh ones that are all too familiar in modern dating.

Childress attended SSU as a graduate student in fall 2009 because it was close to Santa Rosa, where she grew up throughout her teen years. While taking a cross-genre class with Oxenhandler, the two got to know each other personally.

Eventually they would end up working closely together on her memoir until she graduated in 2011.

“It was probably after the first couple chapters, with the encouragement of Noelle, that OK, yes, this is shaping into something,” Childress told the STAR. “It wasn’t until the second semester when I took it [in for workshop] and thought, ‘OK, people are interested,’ I could expand on it.”

When Childress first came up with the idea to write her memoir, it was more with music as a focal point, because she didn’t feel there was a lot to tell without it. She was encouraged by Oxenhandler’s insight of her story and the moments within it that represented more than just the music,

which helped the piece evolve.

Inspiration for Childress came from both Chuck Klosterman and Rob Sheffield, writers who focused on

able for listening and reader interactivity at 8tracks.com/theaftermathofforever. Childress plans to post more of them in the coming months. Her memoir is $12.95 and preorder links can be found at the-aftermathof-forever.tumblr.com/ buy.

She mentioned the order of each chapter was based on what made the most sense to her, but knew exactly what the last one would be.

Childress didn’t want to start in chronological order, but instead ease readers into it, and noted there was never a grand scheme; she simply did what felt right to her.

Most of the original names were changed, where she opted to use middle names or ones sounding similar, because it felt more authentic than coming up with something that didn’t represent the person. Childress chose to change most of them out of respect.

As far as her friends COURTESY // Microcosm Publishing who are characters in the book, she asked them, music and memoir that were able to “What do you want your name to be?” create something out of the two things As a memoir writer, Childress beshe enjoyed most in life. lieves it has to have some connection.

Opening chapters containing the Emily Hostutler, professor of mixes “Add It Up” and “I Just Feel freshman composition, was able to Free and a Little Bit Empty” are avail- see the memoir in its early stages.

“Natalye is the best kind of creative writer; in her work she couples an unapologetic and authentic honesty with classic linguistic grammatical precision,” said Hostutler. “She’s simply one of those writers that makes it look easy.”

Her writing has been published in plenty of places, including magazines and anthologies, but has also been rejected just as much. Childress, however, expected the only way she would be able to get published was if she tried.

In general, she believes writers have to keep at it, and find their niche.

Sending out a proposal to write for something that doesn’t fit the publication, or does not speak to the writer, is not something she would recommend.

Childress reads 20-30 books a year at least, which she considers very important for other writers to do. Immersion into what it means to be a writer, no matter the quality of work, will help find positive aspects in the material, and inevitably be taken note of.

Noticing when the written word is something truly well done, are important moments to have as well. Instead of thinking “I’m better than everyone else,” Childress believes it’s important to really appreciate and value one’s own writing, the process having gone through and the progress made.

“You’re not going to be a writer if you’re constantly being too humble or talking down your work,” said Childress. “You have to be able to recognize when it’s good and be OK with that, and let it feed into better writing.”

Sonoma State guitarists perform classics Kathleen Collins Staff Writer

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ith roughly 50 people in attendance, the spacious Weill Hall was dramatically unoccupied, yet the excitement for the Sonoma State guitar ensemble was evident.

Once the performance began, the absolute attention of everyone in attendance was directed toward the middle of the stage.

The first half of the program listed 10 solo and duet pieces by members of the Sonoma State guitar ensemble featuring guest musicians on a few songs.

Senior Kenny Campbell and junior Patricia Castaneda opened the show with a duet entitled “Romance,” arranged

by Celedonio Romero. “Embrace the Darkness,” an original composition by Shawn Kelley, a junior at Sonoma State, was next. Bach-style influences were clearly present within the piece, and the methodically changing paces kept the relatively short piece interesting.

Freshman Nora Griffin was the guest vocalist for a duet with senior Cody Martin on “Bachians Brasileras #5.” This mesmerizing aria had modulations in Portuguese by Griffin. Guest artist Keri Bailey on violin joined Kenny Campbell for “Cantabile.” This piece was joyous and upbeat. The piece had long violin notes and short, staccato guitar chords. Each performer accented the song with smiles that lightened the audience.

The next piece, titled “Invention No. 13,” written by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed in Weill Hall by Henry Alonzo and Patricia Castaneda was a short performance. The two guitars complemented each other with alternating complex lines. Alonzo also played the next piece, “Carnavalito from Suite del Recuerdo,” a fast-paced solo piece filled with trills and triplets.

The first half of the program closed with a solo piece performed by Cody Martin, “Vals Op. 8 No.4” an energetic and upbeat song. Martin’s enthusiasm was readily evident in his facial expressions, which included dramatic, sarcastic smiles and jerky movements of the neck that kept him dancing in his seat for the entire piece.

After a short intermission,

the entire 11-piece ensemble took the stage for a relatively small set consisting of four pieces. Director Eric Cabalo introduced the second act and talked about the pieces, giving background information on the composers and the story behind each song.

Their first piece, “Cancion,” utilized the ensemble’s size coming together in a cheery, Spanish-style product.

Cabalo took the microphone again and described the background of the composer of the next two pieces, Stepan Rak. Cabalo explained that Rak was born in 1945 and abandoned by his mother in Ukraine. Russian soldiers then brought him to Prague where his foster parents adopted him.

Rak went on to study at the Prague conservatory and now

teaches at the Prague Academy of Musical Arts. He is well known around the world for his unusual five-finger technique.

Rak composed two of the ensemble’s four song set, “Rumba” and “Aria di Bohemia.” “Rumba” featured a rapidly moving pace with players using their instruments as percussion, tapping and keeping time with their palms and fingers. “Aria di Bohemia” included passionate trills and a more serious tone than the previous piece.

Cabalo displayed enthusiasm in the finale “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Being a Queen fan was evident, as Cabalo expressed a passionate description of the song’s history, calling it one of the most wildly original rock compositions

ever.

Freddie Mercury began working on the piece in the late 60s. He had everything written and planned out before the rest of the band even laid a hand on it. The 11-piece ensemble did the legendary rock song justice including perfect harmonies; every word was easily interpreted as the classical guitars rang out the legendary lyrics.

“I had an amazing time tonight, the performers are so talented,” said freshman music major Haruko Matsuda. “It was a very entertaining show.”

As the song ended the crowd rose and filled the hall with whistles and applause.

As patrons exited the building, hums of the closing piece could be heard all the way to the parking lot.

Best of Sonoma State

Page 6

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Brandon Stachnik The beautiful townhomes of the Tuscany Village are sought after by most upperclassman for their spacious bedrooms and stylish furniture.

Best Housing on Campus: Tuscany Village Upperclassman enjoy the luxury that is townhouse-style dorm living Micaelyn richmeier Staff Writer

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ooking for the best place to spend your upperclassmen years? According to our readers, Tuscany may be the spot.

The village has eight buildings all following the same f loor plan; Provence, Rhone, Rioja, Savoie, Trentino, Veneto, Mosel, and the largest, Piemonte.

If you’re looking for convenience, try to get rooms in Piemonte, Rhone, Rioja or Mosel as they are closest to the center of campus.

For those looking to get a little bit further away from the hustle and bustle, Rioja, Savoie and Trentino are close to the old track.

Opened in 2009, Tuscany features 1,500 square foot f loor plans and each dormitory accommodates six students in two doubles and two singles.

Best Parking: GMC parking lots Best Sandwich Shop: Sandwich Spot Best Mexican Restraunt: Mi Ranchito

The bedrooms are quite spacious, and each one has its own bathroom attached with a sink, toilet and shower so you can say goodbye to shower schedules.

“I love that I only have to share a bathroom with one other person,” said sophomore and Tuscany resident Justin Gruen. “Freshman living really sucked like that, having to share a bathroom with three or four other people.”

Tuscany dorms also include a full-size kitchen equipped with a full-size refrigerator, oven and microwave. There are also plenty of outlets and counter space for your Keurig, toaster oven, etc.

“I really like that there’s so much space in the Tuscany dorms,” said Community Service Advisor for Trentino Lauren Dillier. “You get to have a kitchen, a living room and maybe even your own room. Not to mention you don’t have to walk up three f lights of stairs like you do in Beaujolais.”

One of the best perks of all, however, could easily be the heated f loors.

“It’s literally my favorite thing to wake up to in the morning,” said junior Justin Savaso.

“You never have to worry about freezing your butt off in the morning.”

Best of SONOMA STATE & THE NORTH BAY

Best Coffee Shop: Starbucks

2014 winners

Best Thrift Shop: Goodwill Best Park: M Section park

Best Hangout Spot: The Lakes Shyanne Lopez Staff Writer

STAR // Katie McDonagh Charlie Brown’s Cafe is almost always filled with hungry students.

Best Dining: Charlie Brown’s Cafe Katie McDonagh Staff Writer

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here’s the best place to get a refreshing smoothie in the summer, a hot mocha in the winter and a tasty pizza bagel all year round? Look no further than Charlie Brown’s Cafe, Sonoma State students’ favorite place to eat on campus.

“We offer unique items that no one else has,” said Victoria Rhodes, a Dining Services staff member who runs Charlie Brown’s.

“We’re the only ones to grill paninis, we hand-toss our salads, and we have a lot of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.”

Charlie Brown’s has been open for 13 years. Its menu includes Freshën smoothies, grilled-to-order breakfast sandwiches, handcrafted espresso drinks and drip coffee, Italian sodas, an assortment of bagels and pastries, fruit salads, chips and candy.

It also features special paninis and salads every month to complement its usual assortment, which includes the Chicken Caesar Salad and the ever-popular Classico Panini (consisting of mozzarella cheese, tomato and pesto sauce).

The cafe is often full of patrons; while Rhodes said its busiest hours are the lunch and dinner rushes, it’s rare to find the place deserted as students frequently come in before, in between or after their classes for some caffeine or a bite to eat.

“I hear a lot of good things about our

customer service and food,” said Rhodes, adding that Charlie Brown’s is just as popular with staff and faculty as it is with students. “We’re on a first-name basis with a lot of our clients.”

Rhodes previously ran Ameci’s, the now defunct pizzeria located in Sauvignon Village, before starting at Charlie Brown’s in December 2013. Rhodes was happy when she learned she was transferring to Charlie Brown’s because she enjoys the cafe’s environment and working with students.

“We have a waiting list of students who want to work here,” said Rhodes.

Conveniently located within the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center, aka the library, Charlie Brown’s usually becomes even more popular during Finals Week.

In the past, Charlie Brown’s offered free coffee after 9 p.m. to keep students awake during their all-nighters in the library.

This week, however, students will have to trek across campus to the Student Center’s Cafe to get their midnight pick-me-up.

Still, there’s no doubt Charlie Brown’s will remain busy this week during its normal hours of operation.

“The employees are positive and we all work well together; we’re a very strong team,” said Rhodes. “We have a good environment and a happy atmosphere.”

Charlie Brown’s is open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Fridays, and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

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onoma State has a variety of scenic areas to stop, take a breath and appreciate the lush, green campus. These spots range from the quiet Butterfly Garden to the lively Tuscany quad. Only one could come out on top. Seawolves voted and gave the title of best “overall place on campus” to the Lakes.

Man-made and virtually as old as the university itself, SSU’s Lakes provide a spot for students to take a break from the stressful books, noise and general business that comes with the territory of being a college student.

While Sonoma State can be a quiet campus in general, on weekday afternoons the campus turns into a thriving hub of students going to and from class. The Lakes, however, always seem to have this calmness to them that makes

it the perfect spot to take a break for the moment.

“I agree that the Lakes are the best place on campus overall because they are really peaceful,” said junior Candace Oswald. “It’s a nice place to escape. Even when there are a lot of people there, they’re usually just lying out, reading or relaxing with each other.

Even when there are no other people out at the Lakes, it is home to a flock of ducks, geese and many different kinds of aquatic life — perhaps you’ve seen a turtle peak its head out from below the water’s surface once or twice — and therefore always buzzing with life.

“It’s really relaxing to listen to the sound of moving water,” said sophomore Lindsey Silvers. “It’s such a stress reliever to be so pretty. It’s not just the sights, but the sounds too.”

It’s easy to get lost in thought when sitting on one of the picnic benches, or after

crossing the charming wooden bridge to get to the island that sits in the middle of the big of the big lake.

While the sights of the willow trees and cherry blossoms are nice, one can simply close their eyes and listen to the water.

“What is different about the Lakes, compared to other places on campus, is that you can go there to think, or not think. Whatever you want.

You can go there to get away, or go with friends to just hang out. It’s just refreshing,” said senior Jesse Riccio.

The Lakes won the title of place on campus for a reason, well actually, for various reasons; no doubt everyone who enjoys that space has their own experience with it.

Whether it has something to do with its beauty — sometimes there are even weddings there — or its serenity, the Lakes are a great place to sit and appreciate how beautiful our school can be, any time of the day or year.

STAR // Brandon Stachnik The Sonoma State campus lakes area is a peaceful getaway for students.

Best of the North Bay

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

Best Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. Cameron Hatheway Staff Writer

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n the middle of wine country, surrounded by bountiful vineyards, lies one of the nation’s top brewing companies.

Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma was founded in 1993 by Tony Magee, and soon swept the craft beer scene with its delicious pilsners, red ales and a plethora of IPAs. The Lagunitas Empire distributes to 32 states and recently expanded to a Chicago location in April 2014. The company is the fifth top selling craft brewery in the United States.

Craft beer drinkers love the brewery for its tasty concoctions and eccentric history. The Censored Copper Ale was originally named “The Kronik,” which was rejected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives due to the reference to marijuana. A “Censored” sticker was placed on the label, which was then accepted.

Ever since then, the brewery has a tongue-in-cheek approach when it comes to naming beers: the Waldos’ Special, the Hairy Eyeball, Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ and Wilco Tango Foxtrot (WTF), to name a few. “[The beers] pour at the best time of day: 4:20 p.m.,” said Jeff Frost, beer logisticator for Lagunitas.

Sonoma State students of drinking age are seen regularly at the brewery on the weekends, sporting their club t-shirts or Seawolf apparel. The brewery attracts beer drinkers from all walks of life, some traveling several hundred miles just for a taste of the sweet hoppy nectar of the gods.

With an equally impressive food menu consisting everything from pulled pork sandwiches to hearty Cobb salads, Lagunitas has all the necessary ingredients of a fun, relaxing day with friends.

The atmosphere is always uproarious yet inviting, with plenty of pooches and daily live music to appeal every demographic.

Lagunitas Brewing Company is located at 1280 N. McDowell Blvd in Petaluma. Lagunitas is open from 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

STAR // Connor Gibson The Lagunitas Brewing Company, located in Petaluma, is famous for it’s large selection of IPAs.

STAR // Micaelyn Richmeier Bodega Bay features a variety of beaches, including Portoguese Beach.

Best getaway: Bodega Bay Micaelyn Richmeier Staff Writer

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rying to get away for the weekend and get back to nature? The small town of Bodega Bay is only 45 minutes away from Sonoma State, and features a variety of beaches, camping grounds and other tourist attractions such as taffy and kite shops.

“Portuguese is my favorite beach because it’s actually pretty big, you can go skim boarding if the waves are nice and the water isn’t too cold, and there’s a big boulder you can build a fire behind at night.”

Doran Campground opens at 7 a.m. and closes at sunset; parking is $7 for the day and an individual campsite only costs $32 for the night. However, it is recommended that you plan your trip carefully; the area gets very windy and can make for a miserable trip if timed incorrectly. It is also recommended that campers bring heavy sleeping bags and pajamas because temperatures are often in the 40s at night.

The beaches technically operate on the same schedule, opening early in the morning and closing at sunset, but because the entrances aren’t regulated you can go virtually whenever you like. There are a number of beaches you can visit, but some of the most wellknown are School House, Portuguese and Dillon Beach.

“Portuguese is my favorite beach because it’s actually pretty big, you can go skim boarding if the waves are nice and the water isn’t too cold, and there’s a big boulder you can build a fire behind at night,” said sophomore Molly Denison.

Bodega also offers other attractions, such as Patrick’s, which specializes in delicious saltwater taffy.

“Patrick’s is a must whenever I go to Bodega,” said sophomore Matthew Hargadon.

“They have a great selection, but my favorite flavor is their apple pie.”

They also offer variety bags and taffy by the pound, and are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Candy & Kites is another place where you can satisfy your taffy cravings, and an even better place to pick up a fun and colorful kite to fly on the beach. Their hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, but they are closed on Tuesdays.

Best Fast Food: In-N-Out

Best Fro-Yo: Swirl Time

Katie McDonach Staff Writer

Amanda Levine Staff Writer

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hether you’re pulling an all-nighter for Finals Week or have a serious case of the drunchies, there’s no better place to get a late-night meal than at the Rohnert Park In-N-Out, Sonoma State students’ favorite fast food restaurant.

“Everyone comes here,” says Megan Sicard, a student who works at In-N-Out. “I’ll see people in dresses from formals, or in their sweats coming from the library. Sometimes the drive-thru will be completely full and the in-store line will be out the door.”

In-N-Out’s menu is small but its f lavor is huge. All burgers are served with crisp hand-leafed lettuce, fresh tomatoes, raw onions (which can also be grilled) and a Thousand Island-esque spread — a recipe unchanged since 1948 — all sandwiched between two soft sponge dough buns.

For those who wish to stray from the usual hamburger, cheeseburger or Double-Double, experienced In-N-Outers can order from the iconic “Not-So-Secret Menu.” Options range from Protein Style burgers (a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun), Animal Style fries (fries topped with cheese, onions and spread), Animal Style burgers (a normal cheeseburger with a mustard-grilled patty, grilled onions and pickles) and — every meat lover’s favorite — the 4x4 (four patties, four slices of cheese).

On April 1, the Huffington Post sparked California-wide excitement when it reported a new “Piggy Style” bacon burger at InN-Out. Fans were disappointed, however, upon realizing the report was an April Fool’s joke.

But, bacon or no bacon, students still f lock to In-N-Out. Senior Dylan Brubaker says he loves it because, unlike other typical fast food restaurants, In-N-Out’s food is much fresher.

“It’s almost like a party when you go late at night,” says Brubaker. “You’re bound to see your friends. It’s a good environment; everyone is really friendly and it’s great customer service.”

Sicard, who has worked at In-N-Out since she was 17 years old, says the company knows how to take care of its employees. Every summer, employees of the Rohnert Park location head to Water World in Concord for a company picnic.

“When I come into work, I’m excited to be here,” she says.

“Everyone is in such a good mood.”

In-N-Out is located on 5145 Redwood Drive and is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 1 a.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.

facebook.com Friar Tuck’s Pub and Spirits is apart of the Cotati crawl.

Best Bar: Friars Cameron Hatheway Staff Writer

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ith the lack of exciting attractions in Rohnert Park, students flock to nearby Cotati every weekend to enjoy the food, drinks and merriment at the best sports/dive bar within walking distance: Friar Tucks Pub. Thursday evening is the unofficial start of the weekend for a majority of Sonoma State students, so if you want to see the bar pumping and packed full of partying young people, that’s definitely the day to attend.

The menu of appetizers consists of chicken wings, onion rings, chicken strips and garlic fries, all affordable for the college student on financial aid. Speaking of affordable, their massive selection of burgers and sandwiches are also commendable, never breaching $10.

Almost every day there’s a different event happening at the bar, intriguing students to keep coming back. Tuesdays are “BoozeDays,” consisting of both Trivia Night and Beer Pong challenges with gift card and cash prizes. Wednesdays and Saturdays are karaoke nights (Friars’ Idol), presented by Anderson Entertainment.

Thursdays are when the Cotati Crawls begin, where students hit up every bar in the Cotati area. Friday nights are Ladies’ Nights, with a DJ playing the latest jams and drink specials for ladies only.

Along with the weekly Cotati Crawl on Thursdays, Friars also has an annual Cotati Crawl Graduation, where participants are awarded a Cotati Crawl diploma they can proudly hang next to their Sonoma State diploma (both equal the same thing, essentially).

Friar Tucks Pub is located at 8201 Old Redwood Hwy in Cotati. It is open every day from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

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here’s nothing better than a local company that loves to give back to its community while continuously striving to satisfy its customers at the same time. Swirl Time, Sonoma State students’ favorite frozen yogurt shop, is the perfect example of a small company that does just that.

Open since 2011, Swirl Time is the go-to place for a constantly changing and delicious variety of frozen yogurt and gelato. Some of the most popular flavors that remain year-round include Country Vanilla, Milk Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookie Gelato.

Not only does Swirl Time keep its most popular flavors available, but it also interchanges new flavors every week so there’s always something new to try.

Sonoma State senior Kevin Kinder said after all four years of attending SSU and living in the area, Swirl Time is “without a doubt” the best frozen yogurt in town.

“I enjoy going to Swirl Time because I support local businesses, especially ones that are run by an excellent owner,” says Kinder. “Karen (the owner) does an amazing job of attracting students and keeping them upto-date with the latest flavors and toppings.”

Besides bringing in repeat customers for its flavors and toppings, Swirl Time is always immaculately clean and the employees are friendly and personable.

“It’s fun to work here because mostly all of the workers go to Sonoma State. It’s nice to see my friends come in to work as well,” says Swirl Time employee and Sonoma State student Kelsey Gomez.

Above all, Swirl Time constantly hosts fundraisers for sororities, fraternities and on-campus clubs to raise money, demonstrating their support of the campus and of the community.

“I love all of the music on the TV that they play,” says former Sonoma State student Danielle Martin. “I also love the suggestions board where you can write what kind of frozen yogurt you want them to serve.”

Swirl Time is located on 1718 E. Cotati Ave and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

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Entertainment

May 6 - May 12, 2014

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‘Amazing Spiderman 2’: hardly lives up to name Melanie Hernandez Staff Writer

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ovies often focus on appealing to their viewers, but there is a thin line between keeping them on the edge of their seat and overwhelming with a thick plot line.

Compared to the first “Spider-Man” series, directed by Sam Raimi starring Tobey Maguire and Kristin Dunst, “The Amazing Spider-Man” series is a step up in many ways: visual effects, engaging actors and sound effects that make one feel aware of the movie’s mood and tone.

However, one way that Marc Webb’s sequel, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” differs from Raimi’s series is the simplicity of its storyline.

From the start of the movie, there are intense action scenes that immediately draw people in. Starting the movie similarly to its prequel, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” starts with Peter Parker’s (Andrew Garfield) parents and their destiny after leaving Parker behind.

The movie then draws into the life of Spider-Man fighting crime on the streets of New York just moments before he attends an important event. Garfield’s playful acting made him a perfect fit to play a rebellious, charming and witty Peter Parker.

Though the movie has a great cast, it became confusing at times because of its overloaded plot line. The twisted plot went from Parker’s love life, to his family life and from his best friend’s problems to his newest enemy. One would miss a lot just by making a trip to the restroom during the movie, which is probable due to the extensive length.

The movie was a constant battle between Parker and Gwen

Stacy’s (Emma Stone) relationship where they fought about whether they should be together or not.

Parker is conf licted about dating Gwen while he is SpiderMan because he previously promised her father that he would not date her at the end of the first movie in the series. Parker begins to see Gwen’s father, due to his conf liction, which sparks fighting between Peter and Gwen.

Even though they spent half of the movie fighting, their relationship added an intimate and romantic feel to the movie.

The actors’ chemistry kept the story alive and added a cheesy feel to the movie.

When the movie was not focused on their relationship, it switched between the other plot lines.

Parker reaches out to discover what his father was working on before he left so he could learn and accept why they had to leave. This ties together the beginning scenes with Parkers’ parents because he also tries to repair his relationship with his Aunt May (Sally Field).

Spider-Man saved a man named Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) while he was fighting crime. Dillon, ironically obsessed with Spider-Man, worked at OsCorp Headquarters, which is the corporation Peter’s father worked at. In a freak accident at work, Dillon emerged as Spider-Man’s new enemy.

Dillon had issues coming to terms with his new powers.

He found it difficult fitting into the city as a villain and sought out to blame Spider-Man. His villain name is Electro and he has electric powers allowing him to transport through air and electrical outlets.

While the sound effects that came from Electro’s electric charge were well developed and definitely impressive, they were used a lot throughout the movie.

This gave a dubstep effect to the movie that made the

facebook.com The new “Amazing Spiderman 2” offers a complicated but compelling plotline that reflected the classic superhero. noise slightly overwhelming and ultimately overused. SpiderMan even joked about the sounds in the movie during one of the battle scenes.

In the midst of it all, Parker’s childhood best friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), son of the owner of OsCorp, returns home to take over OsCorp after his father’s death. After Osborn learns about his destiny, he searches for a way to cure himself and asks for Peter’s help.

The movie had enough action to keep one interested, but perhaps too heavy of a plot line. The movie was lengthy and could have used adjustment in the way it was planned.

The plot was unfocused and there were too many characters to keep track of. It would have been better if they had removed a conf lict or two.

Just when one thought the movie was going to end, it kept going. And just when the movie ended, one thought there would be more.

If people can get past the movie’s length and plot line, it is definitely an enjoyable, action packed movie that will keep one laughing, smiling and even crying.

Leaving viewers at a cliff hanger ending, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” was a surprising movie full of action and romance.

Pixies inconsistent with their comeback Finn Maloney Staff Writer

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he Pixies have finally released some new material, but unfortunately it fails to live up to the impossibly high expectations and standards set by fans 20 years ago. “Indie Cindy” is an attempt to return to the glory and experimentalism that they last found 23 years ago when they released their last album “Trope le Monde.”

The Pixies have always been famous for their innovation, a unique sound and blending elements of various genres to create a poppy, yet edgy garage sound. This album seems to utilize methods of music making and rock sounds that have been more than played out since the Pixies last recordings in 1991.

The album is homogonous in sound; most tracks are indeterminable from the rest of the tracks on the album with only a few standouts. “ Greens and Blues” is a fun, light song with some of the best songwriting on the album by front man, Black Francis. “Ring the Bell” and “Andro Queen” are also stand out songs that bring out a glimpse of the beautifully arranged sound that Pixies fans will be looking for on the new record.

The majority of the album attempts to create something heavier than the Pixies are usually known for. This may be due to the loss of “Kim Deal” their former Bass guitarist who left the band last year, or perhaps it is just the constant strive to innovate and grow that has finally proved to be ineffective. The album is made up of three previously released short “extended play” albums that were released online.

These “extended play” albums were put together and pressed into this album, lacking a constant theme or concept that their great albums had.

The Pixies have always been known to have a tumultuous relationship both professionally and personally. Francis formed the band in 1986 before breaking up in 1993 and remaining apart. The fan base and adoration ironically grew after the band called it quits. They reformed in 2004 as a touring band but did not release any new material until 2013 when Deal left after years of being on bad terms with the rest of the band.

Deal, is both a bassist and a powerful figure for women in rock

music who inspired many female rock artists today. Deal was a staple of the band in the eyes of the fans that offered a strong female voice to the band both literally and figuratively. The backing vocals by Deal are missed on this album, especially on the very heavy guitar centric track that made up the majority of the record. The contrast between Francis’s lyrics and heaviness are no longer perfectly reflected by a more positive, poppy, Deal.

The Pixies are one of the most well respected bands in the world of alternative rock and they continue to deserve this respect. Creating an album is something that takes a collaborative effort and personal creative fulfillment from all members of the band. One cannot truly compare “Indie Cindy” to the current spectrum of alternative rock music because the Pixies all but created the sound of most underground rock groups. While bands like Weezer, Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys, seem more attractive and put together to modern audiences, it is unfair to compare them since they are directly influenced by the Pixies.

This album is a chance for the Pixies to regain their bearings after a long 23 years out of the recording studio as well as the loss of one of their founding and most beloved members. “Indie Cindy” fails to live up to the hype but is worth a listen to by any life long Pixies fans.

wikipedia.org Pixies fail to reach expectations after 23 years.

comicsalliance.com Andre the Giant’s legendary wrestling story is brought to a comic.

Andre the Giant has a comic book Cameron Hatheway Staff Writer

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hile Andre the Giant was literally the biggest wrestling star of the 1970s and 80s, he was secretly a lonely alcoholic who lived a troubled life because of his gargantuan size outside of the ring. Professional wrestling may be fake, but artist Box Brown’s respect and admiration for the 8th Wonder of the World is not in this graphic novel biography “Andre the Giant: Life and Legend” from First Second Books.

Born in France, Andre Roussimoff had problems early in life growing up in the French countryside due to his size. He had to be transported to school by his neighbor Samuel Beckett (the famous playwright) via truck because the bus driver wouldn’t allow him passage.

The only position he could play in football was goalie due to nothing getting past him. It wasn’t until the late 60s until he found his true passion: wrestling in front of audiences.

While his emergence on the scene caused massive ticket sales at first, they slowly declined due to no wrestler being able to defeat him and audiences wanting to be dazzled by a stunning performance. Traveling to Japan, he was a great success with audiences and soon enough he was internationally known for his size and herculean strength.

Brown’s research on the life of the wrestler relied on several different resources, all found in the back of the graphic novel, including television interviews, other wrestlers’ autobiographies, wrestling magazines and even DVD extra interviews with the cast of “The Princess Bride.” He did take artistic liberties when it came to dialogue and certain scenes, but clarified that they were based on actual events from different interviews with the wrestler.

The art is a simpler style, sometimes more animated and cartoony in certain settings, which definitely fits in the professional wrestling genre. And yet the art and storytelling still evokes sympathy in the reader seeing a man who at his height stood 7’4” and weighed 520 pounds struggle as his gigantism took a toll on his body the more he aged. His doctors said he wouldn’t live past 40; he lived to 46.

Because of his physical pains, the wrestler drank a lot. More than the average person due to his incredibly high tolerance, causing legendary stories to be told revolving around his massive consumption of alcohol. While on the set of “The Princess Bride,” Andre racked up a $40,000 bar tab and one night got so drunk he fell asleep in the hotel lobby, completely unmovable.

Brown’s graphic novel paints a fascinating picture of the legend, for Andre was a wrestler loyal to the craft from day one, never breaking character or admitting it was all staged. He entertained several generations of fans, and helped usher in a new golden age of wrestling in the 1990s. It was then that Andre passed the torch to Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III when Andre was finally defeated. Professional wrestling wouldn’t be what it is today without Andre the Giant’s contributions to the craft.

Despite being a huge celebrity, Andre was still gawked at and treated differently when out in public. While having a thick skin from decades of name-calling, it still got to him and the only place he could really feel at peace was at his ranch in North Carolina.

“Andre the Giant” is a great read for wrestling fans and comic book readers alike. Being a biography, it does offer a plethora of information on the legend while still remaining entertaining. The drinking stories were especially riveting, everything from flipping cars to causing sheriffs to come and try to arrest him for unbuttoning his shirt at a bar.

Andre may have been a towering colossus of a man, but his giant heart definitely matched his giant personality.

Features

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Student Spotlight: Katie McDonagh Claudia Jambor Staff Writer

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uggling a part-time marketing internship with Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics, managing the position of Editor-in- Chief at Sonoma State STAR, as well as completing her last 16 units of college, senior Katie McDonagh doesn’t get much sleep.

“I find time to sleep when I am supposed to have a social life,” the communications major and business minor joked. McDonagh reflects that while the last five months have made for a “…crazy semester, it’s been fun and worth it.”

McDonagh’s job after graduation proves the age-old saying that all hard work pays off. She will be working as the Marketing Coordinator at the Internet provider, Sonic.net in Santa Rosa.

McDonagh sees the job “as a great place to grow” and is looking forward to having a bit more time on her hands after working in multiple roles this semester.

“I’ll be doing a bunch of different things in the job but at least I am getting paid for what I’m doing there,” said McDonagh. “It starts and ends from 9 to 5. It’s going to be a great time to recharge, relax and I’ll be working but at least it ends when I come home. I can read, see my friends more, exercise more.”

McDonagh’s dad is a significant source of inspiration that drives her to embrace opportunities and work hard at everything she does.

“My dad is really successful and he puts a lot into what he does and I just want to emulate that. He taught me that a job worth doing is a job well done and that’s been my mantra. If I’m going to do something then hell yeah, I should at least try to kick ass at it. There’s no point in doing something half-assed,” McDonagh said.

Annemarie Brown, Director of Business and Operations at the department and also the head of the marketing interns, saw McDonagh’s strong work ethic and felt immediately that she was someone Brown wanted on her team.

COURTESY // Katie McDonagh Katie McDonagh has achieved success in college to become a well-rounded individual.

“Her energy is remarkable you can feel her focus and her professionalism, as well as her positive energy. She’s positive without just being bubbly and she’s serious without lacking personality,” said Brown.

From working on the Business school’s social media campaigns, writing press releases and designing advertisements, Brown said, “Katie has been a delight to work with, she’s been a great asset to a really strong team of interns and I’ll miss her.”

McDonagh cites her time at the college newspaper, the Sonoma State STAR, for helping her secure the marketing internship as well as significantly developing her writing and professional skills.

“Part of the reason why working at the STAR was so beneficial was because I’ve learned to communicate with people, to interview people, to write about things and to be professional,” said McDonagh.

Behind the paper and all of McDonagh’s professional roles, she is also a talented singer and ukulele player.

Friend Lindsay Strongman reveals McDonagh is known to enjoy playing a new tune on her ukulele or singing songs from one of her favorite musicals, Les Misérables.

“When we lived together in the dorms, I’d hear her singing in the shower, playing ukulele in her room strumming her heart out.

I feel like it’s a happy place for her,” Strongman said.

McDonagh’s singing and ukulele talents have gone beyond the bathroom to performing open mic night at Lobo’s bar in the Student Center earlier in the semester.

On a personal level, McDonagh sources playing ukulele is a significant stress reliever that helps her to relax and stay grounded in busy times. She explained the feeling by quoting ukulele musician Jake Shimabukuro’s quote that, “if everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place.”

Strongman describes McDonagh “like the girl next door”, who enjoys eating good cuisine and is great at lightening the mood in any situation.

“She’s one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met … she’s so funny, we can have serious conversations and she knows exactly what to say to lighten the mood,” Strongman said.

Meeting her long-term boyfriend and forging strong friendships throughout her college years, McDonagh sees the past four years as a fun and ‘fundamental time of meeting people and building on these relationships.’

As the final week of the semester approaches, McDonagh reflects upon her experience at Sonoma State, crediting the smaller school for providing opportunities for students to stand out.

“The advantage of Sonoma State is that we are a small community there are plenty of opportunities [for students] to show what you have to offer. Getting involved [on campus] is one of the best things I could have done because I’m not just a face in the crowd. I am very satisfied with my time at Sonoma State and I don’t think I would have had it any other way,” said McDonagh.

As for what the future holds for Katie? Brown predicts she will ‘be kicking butt, being wildly successful and having her own team of people she’s leading.”

Cotati’s Gourmet Ghetto Stuart Courtney Staff Writer

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rchitects and visual artists have used the “rule of thirds” for centuries to generate balance by placing important compositional elements along imaginary lines while writers and musicians use the “rule of threes” to create emphasis. “In our language or culture, three provides a sense of the whole,” wrote Roy Peter Clark in “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.”

“The rule is thought to be derived from a mathematical formula that has been widely used by architects and artists dating back to Ancient Egypt and Greece,” states practicalphotographytips.com.

Similarly, the rule may be applied to Cotati’s Apple Valley Plaza where three restaurants compose a triad of culinary adventure for students in search of dining options above and beyond the quality of fast food establishments.

The small shopping center is located at 8492 Gravenstein Hwy (Hwy 116), one intersection west of Hwy 101.

The STAR arrived just before noon on May 1, intent on purchasing one vegetarian lunch item from each menu for $10 or less.

Com Cai Xao ($10.50) was ordered for take out at Mai Vietnamese Cuisine. The dish consisted of tofu, cilantro and mixed vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, yellow squash and zucchini with steamed rice and sauce. The veggies were favorably cooked al dente, but the light brown sauce was a bit bland.

The restaurant offers contemporary decor and a pleasant ambiance with nine traditional Vietnamese musical instruments mounted on the pale yellow walls. One hundred, sixty-six Yelpers awarded it an average of four stars.

Next, Panang Curry ($8.95 at lunch/$10.50 at dinner) was purchased for take out at Lynn’s Thai Restaurant where the atmosphere is cozy and the operation maintains a four-star rating among 63 Yelpers.

The item is subtitled, “Thai red curry paste with vegetables and basil leaves,” but the savory white sauce with golden-red flecks tasted like it

had a coconut milk base. The veggies consisted of green bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini.

The lunch item included a salad consisting of crunchy iceberg lettuce, carrots and purple cabbage covered with a creamy dressing, and a small veggie spring roll with peanut sauce on the side. Brown rice was chosen over the white variety, complementing the curry as the waitress predicted.

Ruthy’s Real Meals is the newest of the trio, and replaces Trattoria Due Amici, an Italian eatery that had a four-star Yelp rating from 49 reviews. The Star had to return later in the day because Ruthy’s does not open until 3 p.m.

Garnishing a five-star rating from six Yelpers, Ruthy’s only offers take out and home delivery. It specializes in meeting “the needs of busy working people, retired seniors and others too busy or unable to cook” per ruthysrealmeals. com.

The Mushroom Pecan Burger ($11.00) was cooked, packaged and awaiting purchase in the refrigerator case next to the front counter.

Subtitled, “savory vegetarian burger made with organic crimini mushrooms, tahini and ground pecans, with lettuce and cherry tomatoes,” the item was actually served on a colorful bed of arugula and diced red bell peppers.

The three small patties were properly browned and very tasty with the mushrooms taking center stage, but adding a side of slaw or potatoes and upgrading to a fresh-baked ciabatta roll in lieu of the seeded soft bun would make it worth ordering a second time. The rustic basil-pignoli pesto sauce served on the side was fresh and immensely flavorful without being overpowered by too much garlic.

The items mentioned above hardly represent a fair comparison. All three restaurants offer a variety of menu options including meat and seafood, so there is a good chance of finding something satisfying without “breaking the bank.”

The Apple Valley Plaza has other shops of interest to college students including Johnny’s Java, Buffalo Billiards and Electric Monk Tattoo where the business cards alone are a work of art.

facebook.com Ruthy’s Real Meals restaurant offers delicious cuisine that is affordable for college students on a budget.

STAR // Connor Gibson Alpha Omicron Pi tables at NomaFest to provide students a fun carnival game incorporating their sorority symbol of a panda.

Sonoma State’s spirited week Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer

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pirit Week was the buzz around campus last week as the classic, fun-filled week served Sonoma State students with doses of relaxation, enjoyment and Seawolf spirit.

Sonoma State has been around for over 50 years and the school took this past week to celebrate pride for the university.

Nomafest took place last Thursday in the plaza between the Rec Center and Student Center.

Greek life and various SSU clubs hosted the event with a live disc jockey (DJ), games and free prizes to help students de-stress before finals. It was one of the hottest evenings of the semester and was a perfect night for the two-hour event to take place.

“The music is awesome and there was a bunch of free stuff,” said Becca Hassid.

There were a couple carnival games ready to be played in the plaza for SSU students.

Students could throw a ball at a stack of cups to knock them down or throw darts at blown-up balloons and try to pop them. Free t-shirts were given out to winners along with Wolfbucks and many more prizes.

“You can never pass up on a free shirt,” said Student Alexandra Papaan “It looked like a lot of fun so I thought I’d stop by.”

Live music was provided by student Spencer Carrol, also known as DJ Lacklustre throwing down energy-hyped electronic beats and tunes for students to listen to and enjoy.

“There’s a bunch of music and free stuff, and it looked like a lot of fun,” said freshman Sarah Kaden.

The crowd bobbed their heads in the shining sun to the music and overall everyone had smiles on their face as they Black Scholars United had a booth at the carnival and were informing students about their program.

Black Scholars United is a student organization that stands as a support system academically, socially and for moral well-being for students since 1987.

Academic excellence, political empowerment and community involvement are the three aspects the organization focuses on to better the live of students involved.

“We are here tabling for B.S.U. and tribe booth, said Christin Bearden.

BSU is the Black scholars united organization and tribe is our step-team. We’re tabling trying to get people to come out and check us out.”

Just a bit after Nomafest, free bowling night took place at Double Decker Lanes. Going from 10 p.m. through midnight students chose to rock Sonoma State gear to be rewarded free bowling.

Since it was Spirit Week, anyone wearing SSU clothing was entered to win a raffle. Students enjoyed bowling on the house and fun with friends.

To top off Spirit Week, in Sonoma State’s very own Grand Ballroom the Spring Fling dance took place on Saturday night.

Put on by ASP Associated Student Productions the 1,200 square-foot ballroom held a free dance for students to end the year on a good note.

The ballroom serves as the largest of its kind in Sonoma County and opened up just this past fall semester.

The dance went from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. as students danced the night away. As the night went on more students showed up to the Spring Fling Dance where they enjoyed dancing with the company of their friends.

The DJs on the line-up included DJ Lacklustre, Sobey, Pasket and Konik. It was the highlight of the weekend for most SSU students and kept them busy and free to de-stress themselves before finals.

Spirit Week was a way for students to escape from their worries of all their last minute deadlines of the semester.

Page 10

Sports

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Evan Croker The Seawolves beat Chico in the Capital City Clash.

Baseball named CCAA Regular Season Champions Kory Arnold Staff Writer

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aseball games between Sonoma State and rival Chico State are usually nothing short of thrilling, and this weekend’s series was no exception as both teams fiercely competed to finish first place atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association regular season standings.

The Seawolves only needed to win two out of the four total games this weekend to finish in first place, but that is much easier said than done against an archrival in Chico State who was coming into the series ranked No. 6 in Division II for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Also not to mention that the fourth and final game of the series taking place at Raley Field in Sacramento for the third annual “Capital City Clash” to raise the stakes even higher. In a see-saw like fashion, the Seawolves split the series with Chico, topping it off with a dramatic game four win in Sacramento to essentially take the CCAA crown as well as the No. 1 seed in the CCAA Baseball Championship Tournament taking place next week.

Game one of the series clearly foreshadowed the intensity of the weekend, as the Wildcats were able to barely scrape by with the first victory in a 4-3 win over the Seawolves. The Seawolves turned to red-hot senior ace George Asmus to toe the rubber, coming into this game only allowing four

earned runs through a total of 62 innings this season. Unfortunately for Asmus, the Wildcats were hungry for offense.

After the Seawolves started off hot putting up three runs through the third inning off of several throwing errors, an RBI base hit from junior Jourdan Weiks as well as a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Eric Ehlow, Chico was able to strike back driving in two runs the next inning followed by another in the fifth to knot the score up at 3-3. It was not until the seventh inning when Chico’s Ruben Padilla drove in the go-ahead run on a single to the opposite field off Asmus to make what would be the final score of 4-3. The Seawolves would make a last minute effort at a comeback in the bottom of the ninth with a stolen base from pinch-runner Cameron Merriwether to put a runner in scoring position, but the Wildcat’s pitching proved to be too much as they recorded one final strikeout to end the game.

Chico was able to carry this pitching momentum into game two Saturday morning, with their ace Nick Baker baffling the Seawolf hitters with eight scoreless innings, putting up four strikeouts and only allowing five base hits. The Wildcat’s offense came hand-in-hand with its pitching racking up 16 hits, a season-high off the Seawolves, and putting up seven runs throughout the game that would hold out the lead. Once Baker was finished after the eighth inning, the Seawolves jumped on the new pitching in the bottom of the ninth and

were able to rally three runs before the Wildcats shut it down to end the game 7-3.

Now being down in the series 0-2, the Seawolves knew they had to do something to turn the tables around if they wanted to finish on top. It was back and forth action between the two teams as they both scampered up two runs throughout the first four innings tying it up 2-2 going into the fifth. The moment had come for the Seawolves when pinch-hitter Justin Serrao walked up to the plate in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and drove in a clutch two RBI double to take the goahead lead of 4-2. The lead would hold off as junior reliever Aaron Gillis proceeded to shut down the remaining Wildcat batters, only allowing two more hits in the final three innings.

The stage was now set for what was now being called “Clash for the Crown” as both teams traveled to Sacramento for the final game Sunday afternoon to decide the regular season champion.

Going into Sunday’s game, Seawolf catcher Steven Moen expressed how important this game meant for himself as well as the team.

“These are the games that you dream about as a kid, facing off against a rival team for all the marbles on a big stage in front of your friends and family,” said Moen. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Both team’s offenses rose to the occasion with Chico’s starting it off in the first inning, putting up two runs to give the Wildcat’s the early lead. The Wildcats went on to score two more

runs in the third inning before the Seawolves were able to loudly answer back the same inning with a three-run homer coming off the bat of Jourdan Weiks to put the score at 4-3 Wildcats.

Un-phased by the big fly, Chico’s offensive still continued to flourish throughout the game by adding one run in the fifth inning followed by two more runs in the sixth to give them back their fourrun advantage at 7-3. The Seawolves bounced back in the bottom of the sixth by putting up two more runs off of a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice to make it 7-5 but it was not until the seventh when the fireworks started to go off. Senior Jackson Stogner started it off with an RBI single with two runners on and was quickly followed by Eric Ehlow also driving in a run off a base hit to match the score at 7-7.

The very next batter, junior Alex Crosby, absolutely crushed a go-ahead three-run homer to drive in Stogner and Ehlow to secure the victory for the Seawolves and finish the season ranked No.1 atop the CCAA. “That was the hit of my life,” said Crosby. “ I knew it was a high-pressured situation so I just went up there and tried to make something happen and sure enough I was able to turn on it and drive it out of the park.”

The Seawolves will now travel to Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton next Thursday to take on No. 4 seed Cal Poly Pomona to kick off the CCAA Baseball Championship Tournament.

Lady Seawolves advance to NCAA Championships Sixth consecutive year Angelica Viera Staff Writer

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he Sonoma State softball team battled it out this past Sunday for the California Collegiate Athletic Association Softball Championship Tournament in Stockton.

The Lady Seawolves started the tournament Friday with a 14-inning 4-2 win over top seed and third ranked Cal State Monterey Bay. Day two started with a heartbreaking 7-5 loss to Humboldt State from a walk-off home run in extra innings.

The Lady Seawolves faced the Monterey Bay Otters yet again Saturday evening and pulled out the 9-5 win that took them to Championship Sunday where they faced the Humboldt Lumberjacks.

Sonoma came out strong with a 6-3 win in the first game, but number two seed and sixth-nationallyranked Humboldt state came back with a vengeance in the second game with an 8-6 win of their own to take home the championship banner. The Lumberjacks (46-14) earn the conference’s automatic bid and may possibly host one of the two sub-regionals next weekend.

In Sunday’s first game, Sonoma’s Hayley Condon scored a three-run homer in the third inning that pushed the team into the lead. Two more runs were brought home with a leadoff solo shot by Amanda Rossetta at the top of the fourth inning followed by an RBI single by Keeley Ray to bring Holly Brown across the plate for a 5-0 lead.

Sonoma pitcher Katy Bihl threw a no-hitter up until the fourth inning when the Lumberjacks came out swinging, but Humboldt finally got something going in the sixth when California Collegiate Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year, Amanda Llerena stepped on to the mound. She allowed three runs to come home on two hits from a bases loaded walk, hit by pitch and a wild pitch. Bihl came back into the game to replace Llerena and started an inning-ending groundout.

Ancia Purdy cushioned Sonoma’s lead in the top of the seventh with a double, then made it home because of a Lumberjack defensive error, giving the Lady Seawolves a 6-3 lead. Bihl shut down Humboldt in the bottom of the seventh sending all three batters back to their dugout forcing the two teams to go into a winner-take-all seventh game.

The Lumberjacks started final game with a two-run home run by Hannah Williams in the bottom of the second. Williams hit the walk-off home run against Sonoma in the first game on Saturday.

Sonoma swung away at the Lumberjack lead coming back with five runs in the top of the third inning starting with a two-run shot by Megan Konieczka. Rosetta then chipped in her second solo home run of the day to put Sonoma at 3-2. With bases loaded, Ray hit an RBI infield single to bring home Brown before Purdy shot up a sacrifice fly putting Ashley Long across the plate to take the Sonoma lead to 5-2.

Humboldt slowly turned it around chipping away at the Lady Seawolf lead with two runs in the bottom of the third, another in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. But it wasn’t until the fifth inning when Humboldt pulled ahead when three runs came across the plate off of Bihl putting the ‘Jacks ahead 8-5.

The Lady Seawolves tried to come back in the top of the seventh but their one run off of a sacrifice fly by Konieczka wouldn’t be enough to get the victory as Humboldt held on to win the title 8-6.

Konieczka went 2 for 4 with three RBIs in game two and Rosetta and Ray both chipped in two hits each as well. Bihl (7-6) started and pitched the first four innings but after giving up the go-ahead runs in the fifth was replaced by Melissa Smith.

Despite not winning the title this weekend, Cordon, Long and Konieczka and Ray were named to the 2014 California Collegiate Athletic Association Softball All-Tournament Team. Sonoma is also expected to qualify for the eight-team National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II West Regional.

This would be the sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance for the Lady Seawolves who have made it the past seven out of eight seasons.

Sports

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Lacrosse drops two in weekend play-offs

Page 11

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Four Seawolf softball players were honored in the CCAA Awards.

Llerena named CCAA Top Pitcher Three others honored

Jake Tucker Staff Writer COURTESY // Alex Linder Lacrosse advanced to the play-offs after defeating fourth ranked team Chapman University.

Halia Daugherty Staff Writer

T

he Lacrosse Sports Club has triumphed this season with hard work, motivation, and dedication. They started off with a strong season when they came out with a win against the fourth ranked team, Chapman University. This game was their strongest game of the season where senior, Mason Guild, broke his collar bone and was out for the rest of the game, as well as the entire season until play-offs. The rest of the team gave it all they had to be able to win the game for Guild.

“The amount of growth and success we had was really impressive with the younger kids on the team this year. The other seniors and I instilled a good work ethic in them and showed them what the club is all abut.”

“When Mason got hurt our team came together. We won that game for him and we became a unit that dominated together for the rest of the season,” said senior Alex Linder. “It gave us the momentum that got us to the play-offs.”

A majority of the team this year was new comers, fifteen freshmen, and the starters of the team were first-time starters. They bond they created and the dedication they continued to put forth towards the game made them a strong team.

“The amount of growth and success we had was really impressive with the younger kids on the team this year,” said Guild. “The other seniors and I instilled a good work ethic in them and showed them what the club is all about.

There are a lot of good things to come from this

team for the future.”

The rewarding season they had this year took them to the play-offs on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday May 4. It was a two-day championship in Novato between Sonoma State and Cal Berkley, and Stanford and Cal Poly San Louis Obispo on the first day, where the two winning teams played each other for the championship on the second day. Unfortunately, Sonoma State fell short in the last minute of the game against Cal Berkley. Going into the fourth quarter they were tied but Sonoma State had a turnover that allowed Cal Berkley to score again.

“We couldn’t possess the ball on offense when we needed to. Our transition game was really good and our defense held it down for the most part but our defense didn’t slide right, we weren’t really doing a good job at that. We could have had a little bit more of execution,” said Guild.

At the end of the game they were down by one point and got the ball back in attempt to score a goal to put the game into overtime, but they hit the post and the game ended with a score of 8-7, Cal Berkley taking the win. Sonoma State wasn’t able to progress to the second day of play-offs.

“We played with passion and heart but may not have played as composed as we should have.

We made mistakes and couldn’t close out the game,” said sophomore Brad Bochesa. “It’s a bummer to not make it to the second day of playoffs but it’s a lot worse to know that I won’t be able to play again with the seniors that are graduating. I have spent two seasons with them and I will miss my brothers tremendously.”

Although the Lacrosse team was unable to end their season winning the play-offs, they were grateful that they made it. The season they had this year isn’t reflected upon the loss of their final game, however it is reflected upon the hours of practice and work ethic on and off the field that each team member provided throughout the year. With only three seniors graduating, the rest of the team will have more time to work with one another and to progress even further next year to make it to Nationals.

F

our members of Sonoma State University’s softball team were honored in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Awards.

Amanda Llerena, a sophomore pitcher received the highest honor, being named the CCAA’s Most Valuable Player as the awards were released Friday. Llerena was the leading candidate for this award, as she led the entire conference in games pitched (27), games started (24), innings pitched (159.1), wins (14), strikeouts (119), total amount of batters faced (583), and earned run average (1.80).

Llerena is coming out of San Jose, where she attended Prospect High School. Last year, she dominated the conference as well with teammate Samantha Lipperd, who won the award the previous two years.

Among the other three Seawolves to be honored was Megan Konieczka, a senior outfielder, who earned First Team All-CCAA honors along with Llerena. Konieczka had a huge senior year offensively, finishing the year with a .422 batting average, 15 hits, 50 runs batted in, 76 hits, a .772 slugging percentage, a .470 on base percentage, and 22 stolen bases. Her batting average marks only the third time in Sonoma’s softball team history that a batter has finished the season with a batting average over .400. Her home run total also marked a new single season record for Sonoma State, along with topping the list for the single season totals in hits, total bases, and slugging percentage.

Being named to the Second Team All-CCAA

was junior first baseman Amanda Rossetta, who finished a fantastic season with a .331 batting average, 49 hits, three home runs, six doubles, 29 runs batted in, and 14 runs. Rossetta is originally from San Jose, and transferred to Sonoma State last year from San Jose City Junior College.

The last, but not least, Seawolf to earn a CCAA award was senior third baseman Hayley Condon, who earned an All-CCAA Honorable Mention after finishing a strong offensive season with a .338 batting average, 14 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 29 runs batted in, 16 stolen bases, and 32 runs. Condon is also a two-time All-Region player.

Condon is from Santa Monica, and transferred to Sonoma State from Iowa Lakes Community College.

The last, but not least, Seawolf to earn a CCAA award was senior third baseman Hayley Condon, who earned an All-CCAA Honorable Mention after finishing a strong offensive season with a .338 batting average, 14 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 29 runs batted in, 16 stolen bases, and 32 runs. Condon is also a two-time All-Region player.

Condon is from Santa Monica, and transferred to Sonoma State from Iowa Lakes Community College.

Number six in the nation Sonoma State will be participating with the number four seed in the NCAA West Sub-Regional Tournament starting May 8 and will continue through May 10. They will be facing off against the number one seed, third in the nation Cal State Monterey Bay who stand at an impressive record of 44 wins and seven losses.

First pitch will be 4:30 p.m. from Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton.

same usf, just closer.

and less fog.

Change the world from here

COURTESY // Alex Linder The Seawolves came up short against Cal Berkeley.

Graduate degrees available in Nursing or Counseling.

New online programs now available.

LEARN MORE AT AN

InformatIon meetIng at the USF SANTA ROSA CAMPUS Wednesday, may 14, 5:30pm

Learn more or to RSVP call 707.527.9612 visit www.usfca.edu/santarosa or email santarosacampus@usfca.edu

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Photo

May 6 - May 12, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

A Seawolf year in photography (1)

(2)

(6)

(3)

(4)

(5) STAR // Connor Gibson, Cara Fuqua

(7)

(4)

This year was filled with all sorts of exciting ventures, including the 2014 Lip Jam held by Alpha Gamma Delta (1). Fiddler on the Roof by the Theatre Arts & Dance department was a big hit (2). The musical genius of Jason Mraz in the Green Music Center was a pleasant surprise (3). Student’s stress levels were kept in check this semester with the help of therapy dogs brought to campus for Stress Less events (4). The STAR was even invited out to Sonoma Raceway to participate in a Go-Karting workshop (5). The Lady Seawolves finished their season with an overall record of 38-21 (6). Alpha Xi Delta’s “Step it up” color run rounded out our year with a colorful cloud of colored powder (7). We’ll be back in the fall with more photos than ever.