Volume72 issue3

Student spotlight: Emili Lewis

P. 6

French Club brings culture to SSU

P. 8

Lady Seawolves end losing streak

P. 10

Sonoma State Star

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 3

Associated Students weigh in on proposed fee Administration aims to complete fee outline by Feb. 15

Kory Arnold Staff Writer

L

ast Friday the Associated Students met to continue discussions about the possible implementation of a campuswide student success fee.

The fee, which was proposed by President Ruben Armiñana and Provost Andrew Rogerson, would be mandatory and would be intended for increasing class availability by hiring more faculty to create more classes, improving academic and career advising for all majors as well as undeclared students, and to provide more scholarship opportunities to students.

The funds would be distributed among these specific categories in order to further assist students in reaching their goal to graduate in a four to five year span.

Two weeks ago, Rogerson told the Associated Students that the administration would not feel comfortable implementing the fee without their support.

The Associated Students Senate plans to reconvene next week

with their details of input and feedback about the proposed fee.

At Sonoma State University, only 25 percent of students receive a Bachelor’s degree in a four-year period as opposed to 56 percent who finish in a sixyear period. Armiñana and Rogerson estimated the fee to be no more than $250 a semester ($500 per year), providing $4 million a year to be used towards academics.

To decide whether the fee is to be implemented or not, under California State University Executive Order 1054, there are two options by which Armiñana and the Campus Fee Advisory Committee can go about executing the fee. The first option would be a by referendum through a campus-wide vote where students would be able to vote. The second option is Alternative Consultation in which Armiñana would consult a representative sample of campus members with help from the Fee Advisory Committee (FAC).

According to Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Matthew

Lopez-Phillips, who was present at the Associated Students Senate meeting on Jan. 31, the “white sheet” detailing the allocation of funds for the proposed fee will be completed by Feb. 15 for Armiñana to review.

The plan would take the Associated Students’ input into account, and will receive a large amount of input from the Fee Advisory Committee to provide a financial analysis of the fee.

If the fee is deemed necessary, the administration hopes to make the fee official by April 15, thereby ensuring that it will be in effect for the fall 2014 semester.

With a plan being constructed, students will be able to learn more concrete details of exactly where the money for the fee will be dispersed and will further aid them in decide if they really want to execute the fee.

Some members of the community have voiced the fear that implementing such a fee could decrease the overall diversity of the campus by making it less feasible for students of low-income to attend.

According to the California State University Pell Grant percentages, which universities use to measure the levels of diversity of its students, Sonoma State is ranked second to last with 34 percent of its students receiving Pell Grants.

“I am not strongly against the fee because of its goals towards improving our academics, but I do feel SSU would lose a sense of diversity if the fee in put into effect,” said Mariah Villegas, a first-year history major.

“Having to pay an extra fee at SSU as opposed to other CSUs who do not include this with tuition is definitely a negative influence.”

Associated Students President Mac Hart said that Associated Students plans on hosting many open forums for students and staff to attend to further educate themselves on the fee and for them be able to ask questions, as well as provide insight to assist the Associated Students on creating an effective plan for Sonoma State.

Turn to page 5 to view the open forum dates.

Open student government positions “excellent growth opportunity”

facebook.com Mac Hart (left) and Anthony Gallino (right) were elected last year as president and vice president, respectively, of the Associated Students.

Claudia Jambor Staff Writer

L

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

FEBRUARY 4 - FEBRUARY 10, 2014

ast year’s Associated Students elections, with many contested positions up for election, had one of the highest voter turnouts in university history. Although the campaign season hasn’t officially begun, departing officers have a few words of advice for those considering running for office.

“Serving in the student government is the premier leadership opportunity at Sonoma State University,” said Associ-

ated Students President Mac Hart. “Nothing else puts you in a position to represent more than 9,000 students or to lead the corporate function of a multi-million dollar non profit.”

Vice President for University Affairs Dan Condron is encouraging students to apply for Associated Student government positions before applications close on Feb 7.

Condron explained that student government participation is “an excellent growth opportunity that compliments what you do in the classroom.”

“I’d encourage [students] to do it… if

you’re a student leader you get this management experience, this experience about how to work in a complicated organization and that translates directly in my opinion to careers outside of the campus,” Condron said.

Condron justified his opinion by discussing Hart’s current internship at Sonoma Transit Authority.

“Our student body president and the vice mayor of Santa Rosa are on the same committee out in the community. It has nothing to do with Sonoma State but that’s an example I think of how student leadership involvement leads to community involvement and leads to connections,” Condron said.

Despite the opportunity, Hart admitted that it isn’t easy living the life “between a student and a professional.”

“It takes a lot of balance, a lot of time management, the core root is the ability to critically think about all the different aspects of the university from the perspective of students. I’m not gonna lie, it’s been hard, but I’m glad I took that chance,” Hart said.

Community Affairs Senator Libby Dippel resonates with the uncertainty of those students considering applying for student government.

“What I would tell [students] is that there is a huge learning curve. The first couple of months a lot of senators are fumbling around trying to see how this thing works and how do I write a resolution, this is a lot of work...but the growth you get out of it is unlike any other See GOVERNMENT Pg. 4

Longtime staff member Bruce Berkowitz retires Read the story on page 8

STAR // Evan Croker Bruce Berkowitz has worked at Sonoma State for over 30 years, and even attended the university himself in 1977.

Chancellor delivers State of the CSU address Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer

T

he chancellor of the California State University system, Timothy P. White, gave the annual “State of the CSU” address at the board of trustees meeting earlier this week at California State University Long Beach.

One of the chancellor’s biggest areas of concern was for the graduation rate of students in the California State University system. To achieve a higher graduation rate White has committed $50 million to be used over the next 10 years in hopes that it will raise the rate by 10 percent for undergraduate and 5 percent for transfer students.

“And to those who ask about the cost of undertaking this project, I reply it is not a cost. It is an investment,” said White. “The cost to California will occur if we don’t do it. The liability to California will occur with more unemployment costs, more costs for social services and the criminal justice system, and state revenue foregone because of lower wages.”

The chancellor has decided to focus on seven key areas to help support his proposed project. Some of the key areas he has proposed to focus on are enhancing advising, increasing student preparation, and improving transfer completion rates.

White understands that advising is not only used to help students navigate their college experience, but advising also helps them create a path for their future as well. To enhance

advising the chancellor is looking to increase staff, and set up online advising tools for students.

In regard to student preparation, the chancellor is determined to invest more funds into the incoming students. To support undeserved students he plans on expanding the Early Start program.

To improve transfer rates, White is planning to continue work on the $5 million joint budget proposal fund between the California State University system and the California Community Colleges. He would like to create a marketing campaign highlighting all of the benefits of the Associates Degree and the commitment that the California State University system has for transfer students.

“It is critical that the resources identified for each of these seven key areas is thoughtfully, carefully, and efficiently deployed,” said White.

“We will benefit by proper consultation with faculty, staff and students, and use data to guide us in our decision-making and investments so that we can leverage and expand these academic programs and support services in a manner that best promotes student satisfaction, student success, and degree completion.”

The chancellor also understands that there are a large number of students from lowincome families. There are over 400,000 students in the California State University system and nearly 145,000 of those students See ADDRESS Pg. 5

American Horror Story: Coven fails to excite

Speaker advocates tolerance

Player profile: Garrett Schwartz

See the review on page 7

Get the scoop on page 9

Turn to page 10 for the story

Page 2

Editorial

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR

Spring 2014 Editorial Board Katie McDonagh, Editor-in-Chief Micaelyn Richmeier, News Editor Kayla Galloway, Asst. News Editor Shyanne Lopez, Opinions Editor Cameron Hatheway, A&E & Online Editor Dylan Sirdofsky, Asst. A&E Editor Amanda Levine, Features & Asst. Online Editor Kayla Webster, Sports Editor Connor Gibson, Photo Editor Chad Bianchi, Copy Editor Brandon Stachnik, Copy Editor Garett Knight, Editorial Cartoonist & Distribution Manager Amanda Saiki, Ad Manager Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser The Sonoma State STAR is located at 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928, Salazar Hall, room 1053.

To contact the Star office call (707) 664-2776.

For advertising information please call (707) 664-2714 or e-mail sonomastatestar@gmail.com, attn: Amanda Saiki.

For other information, e-mail the STAR at 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:

“Faculty Spotlight:

Bruce Berkowitz retires” An unforgettable part of on-campus student life, Associated Students Productions Program Coordinator Bruce Berkowitz is retiring. Having spent more than 30 years on this campus, Berkowitz’s story is intriguing, inspiring and a great reminder of what any student with a goal can accomplish.

Turn to pg. 8 for the spotlight

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 e-mail star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by e-mail will not be published.

Corrections/Clarifications

The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.

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.

facebook.com California State University Chancellor Timothy White delivers the first-ever State of the CSU address, promising an investment of $50 million in student success and achievement initiatives.

State of the CSU’s students Why the 23-campus system should listen to its main constituents

Last week, California State University Chancellor Timothy White delivered the first State of the CSU Address (see pg. 1). Perhaps the most notable highlight was his promise of a $50 million investment into the system, which would be allocated toward new faculty hires, better advising and alleviating bottleneck courses.

Sound familiar?

With Sonoma State’s administration continuing discussions of a potential “Academic Success” fee (see pg. 1), which we are told would be targeted toward the same things on our campus, it’s nice to hear that both our own administration and the chancellor himself are recognizing the need for a high-quality education.

Some of us older students can’t help but wish we were a few years younger, having seen our tuition increase by more than $1,000 over the past four years. But we’re also skeptical – can throwing more money at this public education system really be the end-all solution to all of the CSU’s problems? Below are three parts of White’s speech that resonated with us the strongest.

White: The Public Policy Institute of California, among others, has estimated that our state will need about 60,000 more baccalaureate degrees per year to reach the goal of 1 million additional college graduates by 2025. And this goal was set to sustain our leadership in the knowledge based global economy in which we compete. To meet this goal requires a rate of degree production that’s about 40 percent higher than current levels.

Not to sound pessimistic – of course we’d like everyone in the state of California to have access to one of the cheapest degrees in the country – but this goes very much at odds against what we’re told about the job market every day.

The United States ranks 33rd in reading skills, 27th in math and 22nd in science. Outstanding student debt in the U.S. has hit $1 trillion. In an economy as unstable as today’s, it’s unlikely that anyone attending a university in our generation will escape from their experience without being saddled by crippling debt or being stuck in jobs that don’t even come close to balancing it out.

So, while it’s nice to fight the battle in our own backyard, in order for us to truly make an economic impact by having 1 million college graduates by 2025, it’s going to take more than just California to prioritize education.

White: For us to meet our state’s projected workforce need and help grow our economy, the revitalization process requires all of us to work together to contribute to this vision

of student achievement and completion. The seven key areas include: tenure-track faculty hiring, enhanced advising, bottleneck initiative, student preparation, high-impact practices, expand data-driven decision making, and bolster transfer degree completion rates.

Many of us are full-time students paying more than $7,000 each year for our college degrees at Sonoma State – which could increase even more if the success fee is enacted – so it only stands to reason we deserve a say in how this money is allocated. It’s similar to how older white men in the government try to make decisions about women’s bodies – hopefully the CSU’s intentions are in a much better place, but it also reminds us that these guys haven’t been students in decades and their experiences were vastly different than ours.

For example, while this certainly isn’t the case for all tenured faculty, students in different majors constantly complain about some tenure-track faculty who come across as unprepared, uncaring or out of touch with students. It would be nice to have a more stable amount of permanent professors, but our past experience is just one example of how these decisions to allocate money should be carefully made with our input in mind. We hope both the chancellor and our own administration make a conscious effort to make decisions about our education while taking into account what we think.

White: Moving forward with partners is the only way we can do this so we will be working hand-in-hand with them.

Look for us to reach out further with policy makers in Sacramento and Washington DC, colleagues in P-12, community colleges, and the University of California, business and community organizations, our Trustees, faculty, staff and students. We will also reach out to the public-at-large, because after all they are the ultimate shareholders - we will keep them informed of the outcomes from their investment, and the care we take as stewards of this remarkable university.

If this is true, it hopefully means the visible end of the notion that higher education is a privilege and not a right. The value of our degree is laughable in the face of other countries – it’s one of the key components in the United States’ demise as the leading country in the world. It will take some time – more than 10 years, according to White – but it very well could lead to the end of outrageous student debt and a more diverse, effective workforce.

We just have to hope the rest of the country will eventually agree.

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of The STAR’s 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.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to read it.

The STAR welcomes and encourages letters to the editor and guest submissions. For more information, read the left sidebar for our policies on editorials and letters to the editor.

E-mail all opinions to

star@sonoma.edu

Opinion

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

Gaming for good: time to level up Julia Chacko Staff Writer

Stop playing video games and start living in the real world. If you’re anything like the rest of the younger generation, you have probably heard a similar string of complaints from aggravated parents and teachers alike.

If not, you’ve certainly been preached to about the dangers of excessive gaming and the overuse of technology in general. Still, millions of people across the world continue to play video, computer and, more recently, smartphone games. Clearly, there has to be something the technological naysayers are missing.

In a fascinating 2010 TED talks interview, game designer Jane McGonigal passionately discusses her research into the benefits of a video gaming culture and concludes to us that, “gaming can make a better world.” With the goal of rendering it “as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save the world in online games,” McGonigal proposes that all of us need to spend the next decade “playing bigger and better games.”

In order to pinpoint the most efficient way of achieving this, we first have to examine the ease and pleasure, which ‘existing’ and solving problems in virtual worlds can bring. According to McGonigal, gaming enables us to “become the best version of ourselves.”

Your ‘gaming self’ is almost always a more confident, motivated and optimistic being whose connection with others and the world is intensely heightened through constant support and positive feedback.

McGonigal uses the online game World of Warcraft as a prime example of this phenomenon. In the game, you are not only designated tasks which are just within your ability to achieve, but you are also blessed with the trust and aid of a bevy of other individuals.

Oh, and don’t forget the fact that you consistently receive things like “plus-one

strength and plus-one intelligence” for climbing higher and higher through the levels.

With so much positive incentive, it’s no wonder millions of people choose to spend a significant amount of time inhabiting virtual worlds as opposed to our own considerably bleaker one. Any issue, no matter how challenging, is fair game to when you’re playing a game.

Therein lies the problem. Real life tends to suffocate the optimistic gamer underneath its gritty substantiality, and I think it’s common knowledge that solidarity and assistance are much harder to come by on Earth than in any virtual reality.

McGonigal’s attempted solution to this was creating a series of ‘socially conscious games’ such as 2007’s World Without Oil, 2008’s Superstruct and 2010’s Evoke.

The point of these games was to channel the passion and mastery of skill, which gamers so clearly possess in their virtual worlds into the solving of prominent issues in the real world.

Well, that may sound nice on the page, but how many avid, young gamers do you think are actually going to be excited about playing a game like “World Without Oil?” Jane McGonigal’s powerful message is mostly directed at the younger generation and, being apart of the younger generation, I can say that I honestly have little interest in her games. And it’s not just me.

“Those types of games [McGonigal’s] do not appeal to the majority of gamers,” said Sonoma State senior Jessica Shubbie. “Most people nowadays want to play games that have violence in them; maybe because it’s a possible outlet for people to release their rage and anger.”

However, Shubbie (an avid gamer herself) goes on to say that she believes playing games with people does help to build stronger bonds and trust between individuals.

“I personally have connected with friends and family through video games,” said Shubbie. Freshman and fervent gamer Aaron Prewett agrees.

“I think that games are a great way to strategically bring people together,” said Prewett.“I have connected with other people on Call of Duty.”

Gaming at least five hours a day, Prewett knows what he’s talking about. But following in the

vein of Shubbie and myself, Prewett doesn’t necessarily believe in the success of McGonigal’s efforts.

So while it’s clear that the younger generation does take some issue with the bold ideal that gaming can create a better world, we recognize the potential for greatness hidden within McGonigal’s message.

To me, it is not her idea but the practical application of it that is faulty. Many young people includ-

ing myself believe in the power of games for good.

Finding meaningful friendships and forging connections with others through the medium of game is nothing short of a miracle – a miracle that should definitely continue to be tested and explored.

Jane McGonigal gave us food for thought. Now it’s up to us to transform those thoughts into a believable, tangible reality of our own making.

STAR // Robbie Geiss The gaming world offers consistent positive feedback and can be more appealing to various people because of how much easier it is “level up” than in the real world.

How to buy happiness Tyler Drinnern Staff Writer

same usf, just closer.

and less fog.

Change the world from here

Graduate degrees available in Nursing or Counseling.

New online programs now available.

Can money really buy happiness? It’s not so easy to create an argument between the correlation of money and happiness with such a gray area surrounding the concept.

There may be reasonable factors to consider when breaking down this particular loaded question.

Many would agree that as a culture we spend a lot of money trying to buy things that will bring us further enjoyment, but even people with a substantial amount of money could still be found to be clearly unhappy. So maybe it’s not about how much money we have, it’s just about how we use it and what we do with it.

This very question, “can money really buy you happiness,” was addressed in an issue of the Journal of Consumer Psychology, clearing up a majority of misconceptions between spending money and happiness.

Studies show that people who do spend money on experiences related to their social life saw an individual improvement in their satisfaction of their own social life. People who also spend money on experiences related to fitness saw an improvement in their satisfaction with their health.

Adding these improvements to the addition of many others we have in life, found that the link between subtle increases of satisfaction can create an overall large effect on an individual’s well-being and happiness.

“About 50 percent of the difference between people in overall happiness is due to genetic factors that affect things like your personality. Another 10 percent of the differences in happiness between people have to do with

overall income and marital status,” reports the Journal of Consumer Psychology. “But, the remaining 40 percent is there to be influenced by aspects of your behavior.”

One would think that income alone would have a higher percentage rate of affectivity, let alone ones marital status. I guess that just proves that some people don’t always have money on their mind.

The fact that about 40 percent of our overall happiness is influenced by our own behaviors, compared to the 50 percent generated by genetic factors, proves that we play a fairly large role in creating our own happiness.

A majority of the purchases we make regularly are meant to fulfill our basic needs, such as food for eating, housing for living, and clothes for necessity. And then there are purchases that are miscellaneous and extra.

The ability to be able to spend money on the many miscellaneous purchases can reinforce positive experiences, but at the same time can be proven to increase the dopamine levels in your brain, creating an increase on one’s individual happiness overtime.

I personally would rather make a series of smaller purchases on miscellaneous items rather than one big purchase, because not only would I then get more for my money, but knowing that I have the potential to increase my own happiness is extraordinary.

A majority of our happiness is not influenced by our cash flow, making our happiness for the time being out of our hands. Being able to bring the power back into our control can be as simple as making a minor purchase with that single dollar bill in your pocket.

These purchases combined with positive daily actions can give us a greater sense of well-being and happiness. I guess money can really by you happiness, at least in a sense.

Now, if only money grew on trees.

LEARN MORE AT AN

InformatIon meetIng at the USF SANTA ROSA CAMPUS Wednesday, february 12, 5:30pm

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

STAR // Eddie Blake Studies have shown that there is a correlation between happiness and the type of spending one does.

Page 4

News

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

GOVERNMENT: Application deadline approaching Continued from Pg. 1

position I’ve experienced,” said Dippel.

Both Dippel and Hart acknowledged that the multiplicity of perspectives from student government coupled with faculty and administration can prove difficult for university development.

“Everyone is coming from a different perspective and to get everyone on the same page about something is very hard. But if you can do it then in the end you have a very solid product,” Hart said.

According to Condron, the Student Center encapsulates the unified collaborations between the student government, faculty and administrative branches of the university.

“I think that [the Student Center] is a very good example of

something that was [the students’] recommendation, something that students would like to see at Sonoma State and the administration took that seriously and worked with them until we had a project,” Condron said.

Hart emphasizes that student input into the center can be identified in numerous areas.

“You can see it when you walk through the Kitchens, when you walk through Lobo’s…there was that extra bit of input and I think that makes a big difference,” Hart said.

Student Government Coordinator Justin Gomez is excited about the future of the student government. He credits the new Student Center for providing an office space, allowing the different branches of Associated students to work as an integrated whole to better serve students.

“We serve as the official student voice … realizing that we all [Associated Students] have this mission to cater for students in a variety of different ways but we can do it even better if we collaborate in certain areas,” Gomez said.

This increased collaboration within Associated students, Hart thinks, has changed the dynamic of the Associated Students and the student government.

“I think you’ll find in the coming years that Associated Students will have a much larger presence on campus because its unified now … we are together everyday in here and I like that direction,” Hart said.

Application forms for student government can be found online at the Associated Students of Sonoma State University Facebook event page, Student Government Elections.

Racial incidents still occurring nationwide Campus begins celebration of Black History Month

Kayla Galloway Asst. News Editor

F

ebruary marks the time of the year where African Americans and their contributions to society are both remembered and celebrated. Sonoma State University will be hosting many social and educational events as well as performing arts presentations this month that are dedicated to Black History and its importance in society.

Black History Month was first celebrated in 1926. The month of February was chosen in accordance to the birth month of both abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln.

Sonoma State’s Black Scholars United will be hosting many events this month, some of which include dance workshops, film series and lectures.

On Feb. 25, Reverend Jarrett Maupin from Arizona State University will be lec-

turing on campus. Maupin is a civil rights activist and has been involved in recent allegations of racism in the Greek system at Arizona State.

The night before Martin Luther King Junior Day last month, 16 members of the Arizona State University chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity hosted a party at which members wore offensive and stereotypical clothing.

Initially, Maupin advocated for the immediate expulsion of all members involved in the party, but recently rescinded this statement, saying he “began to think less about what was good for civil rights and more about what was good for them,” and is calling for the implementation of long-term racial sensitivity training.

On Feb. 26, the film “Fruitvale Station” will be shown in Ives 101 at 7 p.m. This film depicts an African American man, Oscar Grant, from Oakland and his death at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit Station

(BART) on New Years Eve in 2009.

According to a study conducted by the California State University system, in the fall of 2011 roughly two percent of Sonoma State students reported as African- American and 65 percent of students reported as Caucasian.

In recent United States history, the education gap between African Americans and Caucasian Americans has increased. There has been speculation of the reasoning behind this growing gap.

In a recent study from Baylor University, it was found that lack of opportunity and the American Education System may be to blame for the persisting gap. Attending a university with a lack of ethnic diversity, it is important to be aware of the importance diversity holds in the United States as well as the issues that are still relevant in our society today.

On Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., the Black Business Forum will be held in the Student Center’s Ballroom D.

This forum will host many African American business owners and community leaders with whom students can gain educational insight from and network with for future business opportunities and career advice.

Another series of events that will be held in accordance with Black History Month are Hip Hop Dance workshops held in the Niagara Studio in the campus Recreation Center on both Feb. 11 and Feb. 19.

Both of these hip-hop classes will be taught by professional and student dance instructors.

Black History Month is a time that many Americans remember and ref lect on the contributions African Americans have made to the past and present world.

If students would like to learn more abut Black History Month or review the upcoming on-campus events hosted by the Black Scholars United occurring soon, please visit the Sonoma State News Center online.

News

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

American Multicultural Studies adds new degree emphasis

STAR // Evan Croker American Multicultural Studies Department Chair Elenita Strobel has been advocating for innovation within the program without necessarily drawing on more resources.

Megan Kleszcz Staff Writer

T

here has been recent speculation of the need to update the American Multicultural Studies Department. Professor and Department Chair Elenita Strobel is an advocate of the need to revamp the department. Throughout the past year, there has been much discussion about how this update to the department would occur in the near future. Despite limited time and resources, final agreements and decisions have been made on the future of the AMCS department.

“A year ago we started looking at our pro-

gram and decided that we are going to have to innovate without adding additional resources.

So we thought about that and since we are a small department, the question was then how do we expand, revise, and update our program with the same amount of resources,” said Elenita Strobel, professor and chair of American multicultural studies department. “What we came up with was an expansion of the AMCS degree program, to create a concentration in Africana Studies because there is a student demand for Africana Studies. And then we originally wanted concentrations in the other eight areas we identified, but when we were trying to get it approved they said that it may not be

feasible to do concentrations but for now we can do eight different pathways within the major.”

According to the American Multicultural Studies Department (AMCS) on the Sonoma State website, one can become anything from a lawyer to a social worker or even a business owner when majoring or minoring in American Multicultural Studies.

“The knowledge that students gain as an AMCS major or minor can be applied to a wide variety of fields and careers, and now with the concentration in Africana Studies and the variety of pathways (such as multicultural education and film studies), students can focus their

studies toward a specific goal,” said Christina Baker, assistant professor in the Department of American Multicultural Studies.

The eight different pathways students can take are Hemispheric Studies, Literature and Art, Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Multicultural Education, Film Studies, Native American Studies, Jewish Studies, and Comparative Ethnic Studies.

“A pathway is similar to a concentration.

You are going to take 16 units in one area of study across the university. Not just in the [American Cultural Studies] department,” said Strobel.

The American Multicultural Studies Department offers many classes that also count towards General Education requirements as well. This is known as a “fast track to graduation,” and can be referred on the Sonoma State website under the American Multicultural Studies Department.

“I took AMCS 225: Black and White in America and it really opened my eyes up to other cultural view points and helped me see the world the in another light. I believe this class and all other AMCS classes are important for students to take because of the knowledge they can take away that will help them with their future careers,” said junior Kayla Silva.

The American Multicultural Studies Department really focuses on the cultures of African Americans, Chicanos and Latinos, Asian Americans, Multiracial Americans, and Native American Indians. This gives students the opportunity to better understand the histories of these cultures, therefore gaining more knowledge to help the students with their futures.

“I’m really excited about providing students with the opportunity to specialize in an area of study, while also broadening their understanding of this increasingly multicultural society. We now offer a concentration in Africana Studies, which is a much needed addition to the curriculum at the university. Through the Africana Studies concentration, students will deepen their awareness of the cultural, historical, and political experiences of people of African descent,” said Baker.

The American Multicultural Studies Department at Sonoma State University is one of the oldest AMCS departments in the country, founded in 1971.

ADDRESS: Education not a “cost” but an “investment” Continued from Pg. 1

come from families in the 20 percent of the “income stratification” (the households have an income that is equal or less than $20,262).

“The African American, Asian Pacific Islander, Latino, and Native American outreach initiatives that are unique to the CSU and the nation are profound,” said White. “They highlight our efforts to serve those communities in partnership with members of the faith-based communities, cultural organizations, civic groups, as well as local school districts and community colleges. These efforts speak to increasing

the access, achievement, graduation and employment of these historically underserved populations.”

The chancellor has made his focus for this year very clear: student success. But this success cannot be done without the support of the citizens of California.

“Achieving our ambitious goals will require a solid and sustained commitment from the people of the CSU – and it will also require investment by our public and private partners across California,” said White. “But it will be done with our eyes on a collective goal: a strong, successful and prosperous future – for our students, our communities, our state, and our nation.”

To read Chancellor White’s speech in its entirety, visit http://www.calstate.edu/stateofcsu/address. shtml.

Attention Students; give your input on the possible fee The Associated Students Government is looking for student input on the concept of an Academic Success Fee that would directly fund improvements to the academic experience at SSU. Student Government representatives have organized the following times to meet with students in designated locations to have an open dialogue on this campus issue.

Feb. 5, 6-7 p.m. - Erin Fisher Room Feb. 6, 5-6 p.m. - Erin Fisher Room Feb. 10, 1-2 p.m. - Carson 68 Feb. 10, 6-7 p.m. - Stevenson 3049 Feb. 11, 12-1 p.m. - Stevenson 3049 Feb. 12, 1-2 p.m. - Salazar 1052 Feb. 12, 7-8 p.m. - Green Music Center 1057 Feb. 13, 12-1 p.m. - Darwin 35 Feb. 13, 3-4 p.m. - Nichols 173

Page 6

Arts

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Student in the Spotlight: Emili Lewis

STAR // Connor Gibson Emili Lewis plays Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof,” debuting this week at Person Theatre.

Alexis Garcia-Mills Staff Writer

T

he 50 th anniversary of the legendary Broadway production “Fiddler on the Roof” will be held at SSU’s Pearson Theatre as the only showing of the musical in the Bay Area.

Starring in the production as Hodel, the second oldest daughter, is Emili Lewis.

This senior has been interested in theatre since she was a kid, and it’s a passion that was passed down from her mother, who was also an actress.

Her vibrant personality and ability to grasp at opportunities throughout her college career have made her a well-rounded and balanced person.

Her love for social activities, making deep connections with people and singing are what have always driven her to keep theatre as one of her major hobbies.

Lewis has previously starred in the musical adaptation of “Legally Blonde” at the Santa Rosa Junior College playing Brooke, the fitness instructor accused of murdering her husband.

She also starred in “Oklahoma!” as her first show at Sonoma State.

So far throughout her theatre career, she has only performed and tried out for musicals as opposed to contemporary plays. Musicals have always appealed to her more because of her passion for singing, plus it’s where her interest and comfort have always been.

Also, as a former Sonoma State STAR staff writer, she believes the experience helped further in aiding her writing and organizational skills throughout her college career.

She is surprisingly not a theatre major or minor, but is a communications major. She uses theater as “an escape from real life.”

Since she is a senior, she definitely wants to incorporate her job with theatre, but not in the aspect of acting and singing.

Lewis wants to incorporate public relations with theatre so she can blend her life’s passion with her job.

A plus would be being able to get free tickets to theatre performances of all her favorite productions.

Her favorite Broadway production is the comedy “Funny Girl,” more specifically the movie version starring Barbra Streisand, one of Lewis’ role models.

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance is inviting the students and surrounding community to come experience this iconic play, especially since it is the only production of “Fiddler on the Roof” being performed in the Bay Area.

This is drawing people from near and far to experience this unique performance of the most classical musical.

Since this play is based on Jewish family, Lewis knows that the Hillel, a organization comprised of Jewish students, will be coming to watch the performance one night.

Lewis’ character, Hodel, is an intellectual that is informed about issues in her community but is constricted to the bubble of Anatevka (where they live).

Her love interest, Perchik, comes in to educate her about the rest of the world and how much more there is to know and see outside of their little town.

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance took five months to prepare for this production. Starting the audition process in August, the actors had to audition with two songs and a mono-

‘Best Original Song’ nominees diverse Stuart Courtney Staff Writer Music is not the first thing that comes to mind in anticipation of the 86th Academy Awards show on March 2.

Despite such notions, the recording industry’s relationship with the Oscars is a big deal to the artists, engineers and producers who are nominated for creating the “best original song.”

Music is as integral a part of the Oscar fabric as the red carpeting, Giorgio Armani tuxedos and gilded statues that “guard” the entrance to the Dolby Theatre like giant chessboard pieces. But what Oscar gala would be complete without a little controversy?

On Jan. 29, while announcing its decision to rescind the nomination to Bruce Broughton and his title track from “Alone Yet Not Alone,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stated, “the nomination was pulled because Broughton had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period.”

His actions seem innocent enough, but the academy noted that Broughton’s position as an officer of the organization was a deal breaker. Viral buzz ensued as critics and fans accused the liberal academy of severing ties with the film’s Christian messaging.

Unfortunately, the world was denied the opportunity to see how the pretty ballad (sung by Christian author and radio host Joni Eareckson-Tada) would fare in the voting.

Four nominations remain in the running.

“Happy,” from the film “Despicable Me 2,” is written, produced and performed by Pharrell Williams, the multitalented hip-hop and rhythm and blues singer-songwriter and producer from The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. fame.

A production masterpiece of the retro kind, the recording captures the live sound of 1960s Motown hits from the likes of Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye: smooth vocals and a wide-open snare drum “sound” on top; thin Farfisa organ notes (what Frank Zappa called a “cheesy Farfisa”), handclapping and sparse electric guitar in the middle; and thumping electric bass with a booming bass drum on the bottom.

This is what ‘60s Motown recordings would sound like if period engineers had access to today’s technology.

Every layer of the recording — instrumentation, lead vocals and harmonies — is well defined and authentic. The lyrics are classic Motown as well: no profound messaging, just easy-going expressions.

“Let It Go,” from the film “Frozen,” was written by actress/composer Kristen Anderson-Lopez and husband Robert Lopez, a Tony award-winning Broadway composer. Idina Menzel, a Tony award-winning actress and singer-songwriter, sings the lead vocals with Broadway musical f lair and command.

This song reeks of a grandiose modern Broadway production (think “Rent”) with a simple piano and vocal introduction, massive strings and orchestration, timely breaks, multiple rhythm and chord changes, and great dynamic range from the vocals and instrumentation.

The whimsical lyrics simultaneously capture soothing imagery and the human experience for the film’s young audience: “My power f lurries through the air into the ground / My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around / And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast / I’m never going back / The past is in the past.”

“The Moon Song” from the film “Her” is an anomaly.

The writing duo of Spike Jonze (the film’s director) and Karen O (lead singer of the indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs) has the professional pedigree, but the folky composition is no stronger than what is offered in most coffee houses.

Karen O also has issues staying on pitch. Her singing does capture a lot of raw emotion, so perhaps that justifies the song’s nomination and popular appeal.

“Ordinary Love” was written and recorded by U2 for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” The tune has a modern sound from a recording perspective, but the composition, vocals and instrumentation could easily have been airlifted from one of U2’s 1980s albums. In that sense, this is classic (or tired) U2, starting with just vocals and piano for a verse and chorus before adding the full band for the duration of the song. Bono spins has magic wand, and once again pens lyrics that capture the moment.

As simple as it sounds, this connection to Nelson Mandela could easily persuade the academy to cast their votes in his direction.

logue that couldn’t be from the production.

The next day involved callbacks where they spent all day singing songs from the play and try out different characters to see what fit for the best performance.

Since the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance took a fivemonth period to prepare for the play, where as most productions normally take three, this allowed the time spent to be spread out.

They had rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-10 p.m. as opposed to three month productions having every night from 7-10 p.m.

“Unlike other shows, it’s all about teaching,” said Lewis.

“Sonoma State focuses on building you as actors, not just for the time being but giving you foundations to go on [as an actor].”

These are students that are in the learning process and have accomplished a lot in the five months they have been preparing for this production.

This opening show starts on Feb. 6 and goes until Feb. 16 in the Evert B. Person Theatre. Students are admitted for free, with other admission ranging from $10-$17.

For more information on the play and ticket prices, visit http://sonoma.edu/theatreanddance.

STAR // Connor Gibson Emili Lewis (left) plays Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof,” with Anna Leach as her sister Tzeitel.

Upcoming Events Tuesday, Feb. 11 @ 7 p.m. at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol:

The Trials of Muhammad Ali

facebook.com

facebook.com Pharrell Williams wrote, produced and performed the song “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2.” Williams recently won the “Producer of the Year” award at the Grammys.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali is a feature-length documentary film covering Ali’s toughest bout, his battle to overturn the five-year prison sentence he received for refusing U.S. military service. ‘Trials’ is not a boxing film. It is a fight film tracing a formative period in Ali’s life, one that is remarkably unknown to young people today and tragically neglected by those who remember him as a boxer, but overlook how controversial he was when he first took center stage.

A discussion will be held immediately following the film with Michael Ezra, professor of American Multicultural Studies and author of “Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon.”

Admission: Free

Saturday, Feb. 8 @ 7 & 9 p.m. in Ives 101: Cloudy with a

Chance of Meatballs 2

facebook.com “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen” was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and performed by Idina Menzel.

After the disastrous food storm in the first film, Flint and his friends are forced to leave the town. When Flint discovers that his machine still operates and now creates mutant food beasts like living pickles, hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees and apple pie-thons, he and his friends must return to save the world.

Admission: Free

Entertainment

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

‘Squeeg’ ridiculously fun Finn Maloney Staff Writer

facebook.com Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey star in the new HBO drama “True Detective.”

‘True Detective’ drama done right Dylan S irdofsky Asst. A&E Editor

In 1995, a murder occurred that left two Louisiana investigators perplexed and disturbed by what was found at the crime scene. Seventeen years later, after having closed the case, they are being interviewed to gain information about their insights due to the possibility of the serial killer’s return—or whether he was ever caught—in HBO’s anthology drama, “True Detective.”

Matthew McConaughey stars as Rustin “Rust” Cohle, along with co-lead, Woody Harrelson as Martin “Marty” Hart: former detective partners whose personas are captured in two different timelines from their years working together in 1995 to their present day lives in 2012. Thus, the first appealing piece of storytelling is realized in this uniquely delivered series.

With three episodes having aired already and a total of eight for the season, the series thrives on its ability to achieve slow and careful storytelling during an hour long timeframe. This makes the narrative feel more like a movie due to the increasing depth of character development of its two headlining protagonists.

Another aspect that gives the show hidden strength lies with its creator Nic Pizzolatto, who is not only involved as showrunner but individually wrote each episode of the series. Cary Joji Fukunaga (“Jane Eyre”) directed the entire season, which opens up the idea of how it can be viewed as a miniseries with an exact visionary intent kept intact.

The opening title sequence is mesmerizingly beautiful, contain-

ing images of coloration that transcend between locations and the faces and frames of people that embody the thought-provoking themes that are revealed, f lowing to absolute perfection with the track “Far From Any Road” by alternative country band The Handsome Family.

Mystery abounds as Cohle and Hart recollect the events in 1995 where Dora Kelly Lange was found murdered in ritualistic fashion next to a large tree, revealing the show’s first attempts to grasp the type of men these two detectives are.

On the outside Cohle appears as a loner, with a strange sense of beliefs and philosophical understandings of the world around him, but more importantly himself. As his nickname of “Rust” may apply, Cohle’s background speaks to it all too well with the loss of his daughter, divorce and battles with drug addiction and obsession before his detective days.

Hart, on the other hand, is more of a “middle of the road” type of guy, as described by Harrelson in an “About the Show” clip. While he is married with two daughters, Hart seems to be able to handle things a bit differently than Cohle. His problem deals more with the denial of the kind of person he truly is, as he struggles with the temptation of other women in his life.

Scenes where McConaughey and Harrelson’s characters interact with one another are some of the most significant gems of the story and while they may seem like complete polar opposites, there are a number of eerily similar details to be discovered between the two.

Both actors evoke such a tremendous presence through their

performances that they are truly able to reel in the viewer and make an impact on the show’s hybrid anthology format. Adding on to that is the ever entrancing Louisiana location that gives the show a fresh and dim look unlike any that one is used to seeing.

The first two episodes leave an individual wanting more and they complement each other greatly by being able to provide minimal details of advancing plot developments with the suspense an audience craves. It’s no wonder the series has received overwhelming positive critical acclaim already.

If the show is picked up for another season, which seems incredibly likely at this point, it will be revolved around an entirely new set of characters and storyline because of the anthology format currently being used. Showrunner Pizzolatto has mentioned that it may not necessarily even involve detectives or killers next time, but simply a mystery for another cast to solve.

This shift in dramatic storytelling allows the main characters to become as developed as possible to understand their ultimate arc, with the ability to always keep a fresh and intriguing story for future seasons, which can be a worthy option for big name actors who are concerned about signing on to a television show for multiple years.

Since the series is available to watch on HBO, some may be worried about keeping up with it if they aren’t subscribed to the network. Worry not, because every television lover knows at least one other friend or roommate who has premium channels, or in this case, an HBO GO account that they are hopefully willing to share.

The notoriously crime ridden city of Cincinnati, Ohio has a new guardian angel in the form a squeegee wielding superhuman. “The Squeeg,” a new comic book from writer David Lieto, artist Tom Gringberg and colorist Gregory Wright, explores a mans journey into heroism and his fight against scum.

Jake Green, the secret identity of the Squeeg, is a man whose wife was struck with a car leaving him with no reason to live. He spent his whole life looking out for himself and himself only, but after the death of his love he spirals into a depression and ponders if anything he has ever done matters. He attempts suicide but is soon saved by a homeless man who shows him how to make money by wiping windshields in the streets.

The villain of the story, Schmutz, gets into a scuffle with Jake over who should be able to wash windshields with extraordinary squeegee. The fight ends with them both being struck by lightening while holding the squeegee, granting them magical powers. Jake uses his newfound abilities of controlling metal, creating bubbles, and teleporting. Schmutz, on the other hand, is turned into a muck monster who creates a zombie army that dwells in the sewer, preparing to take over the whole city of Cincinnati.

While Jake must defend the city from these mind controlled zombies, he must also battle with the mob controlled business he was once working for as well as those who are responsible for the death of his fiancé. Which at the end of the story leads into a cliffhanger and potential for a series of “The Squeeg” books. The comic plays out at least a dozen superhero clichés while still seeming moderately fresh and new

due to the quickness in which the story progresses and Lieto’s investment in the character’s backgrounds, no matter how ridiculous they appear on the surface.

The comic is adapted from what was originally a screenplay by Lieto that was changed into a short eight-page strip to help sell the film. The pages were released online and they made a splash in the community for their humorous nature and sense of fun and freshness.

While the premise of “The Squeeg” is definitely off beat, the way it is executed is more in the style of a traditional and emotional superhero drama.

When picking up “The Squeeg” it appears to be a comic that is self- aware and potentially hilarious by poking fun at and harping on played out superhero tropes. Instead, the book simply continues the tradition of superhero tropes, underplaying the humor of the situation and creating real drama and inadvertent clichés. Leaving the audience to wonder whether a story about a man who fights crime by wielding a squeegee is any more ridiculous than a boy being bitten by a radioactive spider or a nuclear explosion gone wrong leaving one with magical powers.

The pages, drawn by famous artist Grindberg also lends to a more dramatic and realistic feel. The artwork is heavy and the shadowing creates a deeper and more realistic feel against a hilarious plotline and bubble-creating squeegeewielding superhero.

The comedy element was expected to fill the majority of the pages but simply seeps in at times leading to confusion towards the tone of the story. Lieto has created a truly great concept with an in-depth universe and a relatable cast of characters. However, while he delivers on the drama and tension that keeps the reader interested, he falls short on playing out the humor.

COURTESY // David Lieto “The Squeeg” harkens back to the zany, fun comics of old.

‘American Horror Story: Coven’ looses magical touch Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor Not even a human sacrifice to the voodoo devil Papa Legba could have saved the latest season in the “American Horror Story” franchise.

This season started out intriguing with all the witchcraft, voodoo, immortality and a dash of serial killer, but in the end all the ingredients left fans with a bland concoction. Perhaps a little more eye of newt could have spiced things up?

Miss Robichaux’s Academy in New Orleans seemed like the perfect setting to introduce the young witches to an almost anti-Hogwarts type of school. The girls had to deal with threats of witch hunters and undead voodoo armies from day one, while simultaneously trying to develop their powers and learn about their coven’s rich history.

The main hook for this season was finding the next Supreme, a powerful witch who is able to f lawlessly perform the Seven Wonders.

The current Supreme, Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), was slowly losing her powers as the new, unknown Supreme started growing into theirs. Not wanting to lose her powers and position as leader of the coven, Fiona spent all season tracking down and killing potential new Supremes.

While Fiona’s daughter Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson) was the headmistress of the academy, she was nowhere near as powerful as her mother. Cordelia had been verbally abused by her mother since childhood and both despised and feared her greatly because of it. She is meek as she is weak, yet suspects Fiona of being behind the deaths of several of the students.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, voodoo priestess Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) has been at war with the witches for several centuries and makes it her goal throughout the season to wipe out their kind completely under Fiona’s reign

facebook.com The witches of Miss Robichaux’s Academy face the Seven Wonders in “American Horror Story: Coven.” by any means necessary.

Human voodoo dolls, minotaurs and a notorious serial killer from the 1920s known as the Axeman of New Orleans kept things interesting, but “Coven” didn’t have the same pizzazz like the second season of “American Horror Story: Asylum” did last year.

One of the great things about “Asylum” was the combination of an insane asylum, demonic possession, a serial killer that was present in two different decades and aliens. Showrunner Ryan Murphy was able to weave all categories together seamlessly, leaving fans speechless and craving more.

Then we had “Coven,” which seemed like the perfect set up for witchcraft and voodoo in New Orleans, but the main reason the season fell f lat is because none of the characters

had anything to lose.

One of the new witches, Misty Day (Lily Rabe), was a necromancer and able to bring anything dead back to life.

Seeing how several witches die in numerous grizzly ways throughout the season, Misty brings a majority of them back into the land of the living with no repercussions.

Viewers would casually roll their eyes whenever a main character got killed off, because chances were they would return in one piece by the next episode. Without the suspense, there was no reason to perch on the edge of one’s seat like with seasons one and two.

One thing “Coven” did get right was the casting. A majority of fan-favorites returned from previous seasons (Rabe, Paulson, Lange), but it was the addition of Bassett, Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe and Danny Huston that really made the show feel somewhat more prestigious this time around.

Apparently the newcomers had such an enjoyable time participating in “Coven” that quite a few of them will be returning in the next season (Bassett, Bates), revealed to be set in the 1950s.

While Lange will be returning for season four, she has stated that it will be her last. After “Coven” went out with a sizzle, season four needs to make sure that Lange and all her brilliance goes out with a bang.

Although “Coven” wasn’t the strongest season, it did have its moments. The catty dialogue and gruesome torture scenes were well done, but the smaller subplots jumped around too much and never settled or expanded on the ideas that could have been much more interesting.

While “Coven” was a miss, here’s hoping for season four to make up for it. If Murphy is able to get Dylan McDermott, Kate Mara and/or Zachary Quinto to return, it could make for some serious potential.

Page 8

Features

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Staff Spotlight: Bruce Berkowitz retires Angelica Viera Staff Writer

A

fter more than 30 plus years of being a huge part of this campus, Sonoma State University says goodbye to Bruce Berkowitz as he enters retirement.

Many faculty and students know Berkowitz as always being a helpful and friendly face to anyone he encounters.

Berkowitz, the program coordinator for Associated Student Productions (ASP), never thought he would see himself being in this position 40 years ago.

He grew up in New York and had attended school for a few years before he decided to venture out on his own in 1975.

Berkowitz knew people in California and proceeded to make his way cross-country and in a few months found himself in San Francisco with his friends.

Realizing that this new transition wasn’t really working out like he had hoped, Berkowitz made a decision that would change the rest of his life.

“I thought maybe its time to go back to school,” said Berkowitz, “back when school was still about $100 a semester and you were a little more free with things.”

He remembers taking a drive up north to Sonoma County to visit a friend when he saw a sign on the side of Highway 101.

“It said ‘Sonoma State College,” said Berkowitz. “I thought, ‘well that seems like an interesting place.’”

At the time, SSU was made up of about 4,000 transfer and reentry students.

He applied and was admitted in 1977 and later graduated in 1980 with a degree in media studies.

While Berkowitz attended SSU, he enjoyed being involved with his fellow classmates, coming together to make the campus a lively place for students to call their own.

He met a lot of people working at KSUN, the campus’ student run radio station.

During this time, the Associated Students program was not active because the students had voted themselves out of business, feeling that they weren’t helping their peers as much as they should.

There was, however, a Board of Directors for the Student Union.

Berkowitz, already spending time at the

former Student Union on his own, was then encouraged to run for a position on the board.

“It sounded interesting and it was the only game in town,” said Berkowitz, “and also at the time I was involved in trying to get a pub on campus.”

The process of getting a pub on campus at SSU, as explained by Berkowitz, was an incredibly informative reality.

“As you can imagine, trying to get alcohol on campus, opening up the place, everything from food service to top level administration,” said Berkowitz. “I had to deal with everybody.”

Achieving a position on the board and getting the pub approved and opened was part of the excitement that made Berkowitz consider maybe taking this position and turning it into a more permanent role on campus.

“I did it as a student, just faking my way through and learning how to do things,” said Berkowitz. “I found a few other allies and we put some programs together.”

After putting together a job description for the work he was already putting in, Berkowitz was finally deemed Program Coordinator for ASP and has been helping put on various programs and events for the student body ever since.

Berkowitz gives some credit for being so eager to be involved to his mother who was very involved in her community in New York.

“My mom did a lot of community organizing and things so I was around it, but it was always a pain in the ass because she was always running around, always going to programs and events,” said Berkowitz. “So I don’t know if I thought it was that great, but I guess I was around the energy of it and I think it appealed on that level.”

Berkowitz remembers the classic complaint of there not being much going on here or there’s nothing to do around campus for the students and he wanted to make it his mission to change that.

“I was just trying to make things happen, because [I had] come from New York where everything seemed to be happening,” said Berkowitz. “I was trying to replicate that.”

Since the start of his career, Berkowitz has been a part of more than 3,000 programs at SSU including various concerts, shows, and lectures.

One of the more recent productions

Berkowitz has helped ASP put on was the Orange is the New Black lecture last semester that featured Piper Kerman.

Berkowitz says that he will not miss the constant worry for perfection, but rather the faculty and most importantly the students that he has had the chance to collaborate with and watch develop into strong leaders over the years. `“I’ll miss the engagement,” said Berkowitz. “The people here (at ASP) have made a decision to commit to something. To do more than classes, to be engaged in programs and come up with ideas that are out of the ordinary.”

As far as plans for life after retirement, Berkowitz wants to focus on his soon to be 17-year-old daughter and help her through the early process of selecting and applying to colleges.

Aside from that, he would like to stay involved in community service and go wherever

the universe takes him.

Berkowitz would like to leave SSU students with a few words of wisdom.

“I would like you all to know a couple of important things. First of all, you have way more potential power and authority than you think you have. Too many SSU students, and students in general, play life small when they could really go for it and get a whole lot more out of the experience. Secondly, get involved!

Get involved in organizations, get involved in committees, whatever it is; you’re going to learn a whole lot about yourself and about other people. And lastly, own this building.

You students paid a lot of money for this new student center so make it your own.”

Berkowitz will be appreciated and missed for his generous hard work making sure students have the opportunity to enjoy their college experience and for that, SSU would like to wish him off to a happy and well-deserved retirement.

STAR // Taylor Wright Associated Student Productions’ Program Coordinator Bruce Berkowitz says goodbye to SSU after over 30 years of being on campus.

Sonoma State French Club c’est magnifique meal,” said Diderot.

The French club also took a trip to the Theatre du Lycee in San Francisco to see “Marie Antoinette in Her Own Words,” which was an opportunity to discover the personal struggle of one of the most famous queens in French history.

The play, directed by Katherine Adamov and written by French historian Evelyne Lever, was a bit unusual in the fact that there was only one actress performing.

The solo actress Barbara Shulz read aloud a series of personal letters actually written by Marie Antoinette that walked the audience through the life of the queen from teenage bride up to the final hours of her life before her execution.

The play was performed in French, however there were English subtitles on screens placed in front of each seat for those who did not speak French fluently.

Milan Morales, a senior at SSU who attended the play with other club members, thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“It was awesome to see a French play among a French audience and it was also a bonding experience for all of us club members,” said Morales.

Another event the French club organized last year was a trip to the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco.

There was an art show named Royal Treasures of the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette, which presented a collection of decorative arts directly from France.

One of the main pieces included the Gemmes de la Couronne, which was Louis XIV’s collection of stone vases decorated with gold and gemstones.

The Louvre does not lend these kind of pieces often to other museums, so it was great for club members to see authentic art straight from France without the pricey airline ticket one might typically need to see these pieces.

The French club meets every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. at Stevenson Hall in room 1028. Diderot and other club members would like to continue to organize trips to French museums and plays, as well as another authentic French dinner this semester.

Students in the club have also discussed hosting a French movie night where students could come relax for a night and watch a contemporary French movie such as “Les Intouchables” which tells the comedic yet dramatic story of a quadriplegic and his caregiver.

Whether you want to taste some French food, go visit a French art museum, see a French play or just relax and watch some French cinema, French club has something for everyone.

facebook.com The French Club visits The Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco in 2013.

Sara molenda Staff Writer Looking to join a new club that tries delicious food, views interesting art and learns about the French culture? Come check out the French Club!

The French club is for all students interested in learning about all aspects of the French culture.

It doesn’t matter if you speak the language or not; all that matters is that you have an appreciation for this diverse and interesting culture.

MJ Diderot, sophomore at Sonoma State, has been president of the French club since the start of the fall 2013 semester and has been involved with organizing different events and field trips for students to experience some French culture.

Last semester, the club scheduled an official

French dinner at the cafeteria on campus.

The club members talked with the chefs who work in the cafeteria to plan a meal with several courses to give students the opportunity to experience an authentic French meal.

The dinner started with a salad nicoise, assorted cheese platter and fresh cut fruits. The soups offered were French onion soup with parmesan crostinis and shrimp bisque.

The main course included steak au poivre, ratatouille, potatoes au gratin, brown rice pilaf, roasted asparagus with fresh garlic and goat cheese and tomatoes au provencal tart.

For dessert, students could choose among an assortment of delicious options including: chocolate drizzled croissants, crepes suzette, nutella crepes and frozen yogurts.

“The dinner gave students an opportunity to not only try French foods, but to also experience how courses are served in a typical French

facebook.com The French Club hosts dinners in which traditional French food is served.

Features

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

STAR // Cara Fuqua Artist and activist Kortney Ryan Ziegler (right) talks to a packed lecture hall about race, gender and art in hopes to inspire acceptance and kindness.

SSU hosts “Black, Trans, Indie” lecture K athleen Collins Staff Writer

S

onoma State University’s 301 Womens’ and Gender Studies lecture series hosted artist and activist Kortney Ryan Ziegler. Ziegler’s presentation “Black, Trans and Indie” discussed his work in the Black Transgender community and other resources for information on this topic.

Typically, lecture halls are used for academically oriented classes or lectures; but during Ziegler’s visit the mood was considerably different.

There was a definite sense of respect in the room and clear reactions to statements were not only heard, but felt. After a few considerably awe-provoking video clips, there was a pronounced silence in the room shared by everyone.

The first slide in Ziegler’s power point featured pictures of well-known Black Trans representatives such as Laverne Cox from “Orange is the New Black” and Isis King, a contestant on “America’s Next Top Model.”

“Black Transgender people are the most visible figureheads of mainstream Trans representation,” said Ziegler, “While many of them share different backgrounds, they come together as independent artists.”

Ziegler went on to discuss the 1920s social movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, in which black people asserted their own agency to control their image.

He compared this to a newer social movement that is quickly growing, which some refer to as the Black/Transgender Renaissance.

The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in 1965 following the assassination of Malcolm X and spanned or lasted about ten years.

It resulted in a new representation of black voices in society as well as English literature, which previously had been dominated by white authors.

Ziegler says that many consider the time after the BAM to be more inf luential than the initial conception.

Ziegler presented a powerful, informative slideshow in which he discussed various figures in Black/Transgender history. This included Gladys Bentley, a blues singer in the 1920s and Bessie Smith, a member of a Vaudeville theatre troupe who got a record deal with Columbia.

He also discussed a group of black queer women writers who, out of necessity, started their own printing press at a kitchen table.

Their location stands as a symbol of their oppression not only as black writers, but as women. Some titles that were published by this group include “This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color” and “Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology.”

Ziegler attended UC Santa Cruz and studied film; he continued his education at Northwestern University where he became the first student ever to receive a Ph.D. in African American studies at the university.

In 2003, Ziegler began a blog called “blac(k) ademic” which rose to the top of the feminist blogosphere.

During his presentation, he showed an excerpt of his film “Still Black,” a portrait of black trans* men. The video won audience choice of best documentary at the Reelout film festival in 2009 and the Isaac Julien experimental award in 2008.

Ziegler has been involved with numerous projects concerning Black/Transgender activism; his work has landed him numerous awards and spots on top lists, including Transgender 100 and The Advocate magazine’s “Top 40 under 40.”

At the end of his talk, he asked for any questions from students. One attendee asked what Ziegler’s wish for the ultimate outcome of the Black/Transgender Renaissance would be?

Ziegler said to ultimately make the world a less hostile and more caring place, where everyone can walk the streets safely and feel loved.

WGS 301 is a one-unit, pass or fail course held at noon every Thursday. Every week the class features a different speaker representing feminist and queer studies.

It is an open class where anyone is welcome to sit in and outside guests are encouraged to attend.

Desktop Yoga relieves stress, increases flexibility

STAR // Melanie Hernandez

Identify

Create Your Library

Desktop Yoga instructor Kathleen Hardy demonstrates several moves to increase flexibility and relieve stress.

Students You Tell Us Tell Us Your Thoughts

Instructor Kathleen Hardy in a meditative pose.

Participation

Build Your Library

Create

Make

STAR // Melanie Hernandez

Build

Design Your Library Tell the Library

Discussion

As a professor, a lot of time is spent sitting at a desk in the same position for hours at a time, leaving your body sore by the end of the day.

One way to help stretch out is attending Desktop Yoga. Though the name may be deceiving, Desktop Yoga is not actually taught on desktops.

Desktop Yoga is held in a dance studio twice a week for an hour long relaxing yoga session, open to all faculty and staff.

The instructor of the class is Kathleen Hardy, instructor of yoga for more than 18 years and registered yoga instructor with the National Yoga Alliance.

Hardy started her class outside of Sonoma State University about 16 years ago based off of the idea that “everything that could be done in the class could be done at your desk.”

However, after years of teaching the class, people wanted to expand their knowledge on more extensive ranges of yoga poses that could be done at home.

Consequently, Hardy explains that the class “evolved to doing all kinds of yoga poses, but the class is still primarily aimed at problems people would have if they sit at their desks for a lot of their lives,” which makes this class perfect for professors who spend their days sitting in the same position at their desk.

Hardy teaches at Sonoma State twice a week. She also has many classes outside of the school.

Hardy believes that age should never be a factor in yoga and anyone can benefit from its therapeutic essence.

Yoga aids in improving f lexibility, breathing, posture, strength and meditation.

Along with the tranquility that comes with yoga, health benefits also play a large role in doing yoga.

Yoga reduces stress and anxiety, improves moods, reduces depression, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, reduces symptoms of obesity, aids in weight loss and has many other benefits on the body and mind.

Having a break during long school hours is the best way to stay focused and not become stressed out, especially if your break involves Hardy’s yoga class.

Hardy’s soothing, comforting voice, mixed with the dimmed lighting and peaceful music ensures a relaxing yoga experience

for anyone in the room, allowing everyone who leaves the class to feel fresh and renewed.

She walks the class through every step of the cleansing yoga poses and reenergizing mediation processes making the class an easy, enjoyable experience.

An attendant of last week’s class described Desktop Yoga as “the highlight of her week.”

Joining Desktop Yoga will give you something healthy and pleasurable to look forward to every week.

Desktop Yoga is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:05 p.m. - 12:55 p.m. in Ives 80 dance studio for any faculty or staff member who needs a restful break from sitting at their desk.

To be added to the mailing list for updates on the class, you can email Kathleen Hardy at Kathleen.hardy@sonoma.edu.

As a class that is available for any faculty or staff member, Desktop Yoga is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to improve strength, f lexibility and reduce stress in a calm, relaxing atmosphere.

Vision

Melanie Hernandez Staff Writer

Page 10

Sports

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Lady Seawolves snap nine-game losing streak Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer

T

he Lady Seawolves went on a weekend road trip to Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus, and came back with a loss and win. Sonoma State’s women basketball players were 2-14 going into the road trip. They looked to battle it out with archrival Chico State and opponent Cal State Stanislaus.

The Sonoma State women’s basketball team traveled to Chico to kick off the second half of the conference schedule against the host team Wildcats. Chico State opened up the game up 5-0 on account of a three pointer and a layup. The Seawolves continued to stay in the game. Their first points scored were off a jump shot by Seawolf Hannah Sourek. Kristina Fahey scored a 3-pointer to make it 7-5 with Chico State only winning by a score. The first half was mostly consistent with Chico State’s largest lead being 12 points. The Seawolves continued to trail throughout the half. The final score of the first half ended 37-28 with the Wildcats up by nine.

The second half began with the Wildcats scoring six unanswered points and three turnovers for the lady Seawolves. The struggle continued with Chico State going up by 18 with under 14 minutes left in the game. The lack of boards accounted for zero second-chance points for the second half along with no fast break points throughout the entire game. The Wildcats did a good job of holding our Seawolves off ending the game with a dominant score of 79-45.

The Seawolves suffered their ninth straight loss by a 34 point deficit. Fahey led the Seawolves with 12 points, followed by Famh Fong with eight points. The Seawolves shot poorly, making only 16 of 55 attempted field goals. The Wolves were efficient from the free throw line going 9-14 but went 4-14 on three pointers. There are many things the lady Wolves needed to work on but there was no time to sit and worry. The Seawolves headed to Cal State Stanislaus to battle it out and try to snap their nine-game losing streak.

Saturday stuck as the Seawolves headed to Turlock to take on the CSU Stanislaus War-

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Taylor Acosta scored 17 points in the game against Stanislaus. riors in what would become a basketball shootout. The game started with a Warriors turnover and a good layup by Seawolf #32 Hannah Sourek to put Sonoma State up 2-0. The game continued with back and forth scoring for the entire half. The teams were tied at 20 a piece with just over five minutes left in the first half. With 19 seconds left in the first half, the Stanislaus Warriors’ Briana Cotton hit a three pointer to put them up 34-31. The Seawolves got the ball back and with just two seconds left, #21 Famh Fong hit a Taylor Acosta-assisted three pointer to answer right back and tie the game at the half to 34 points even.

The second half opened up with a Warriors’ layup putting them on top. It continued back and

Player Profile: Garrett Schwartz Gian D’Ambra Staff Writer

four assists. Fahey also played terrific, scoring 13 points along with nine rebounds and three assists.

The Sonoma State Seawolves succeeded in their effort to get the win in a 71-58 victory over Cal State Stanislaus, snapping their long ninegame losing streak. The Seawolves advanced to a 3-15 overall record and hope to take this win back to Rohnert Park Friday evening as they host Cal State Los Angeles in what should be a basketball frenzy. The Los Angeles Golden Eagles are sitting on a 12-6 record going into this weekend. The lady Seawolves will study their split games from the weekend and work hard to win the next two games at home against Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Score Box Women’s Basketball Friday Jan. 31 SSU - 45 Chico - 79

Stepping into a leadership role is no easy task for some people. Being a senior on the youngest team your coach has ever had can cause some added pressure. Some guys fold in these situations, some thrive. By the accounts of peers and onlookers, all signs point to the thriving of senior Garrett Schwartz on the Sonoma State baseball team.

Saturday Feb. 1 SSU - 71 Stanislaus - 58

“He’s really calm, and his presence is relaxing. Playing with Garrett the last four years has been a real honor.”

Just this week the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association named Schwartz to the Preseason All-West Region Second Team.

This is already a step up from the end of last season when he was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Baseball writers have confidence in him, and more importantly, so do his coach and teammates. Stogner and Schwartz have been teammates since their freshman year in 2011.

“He’s really calm, and his presence is relaxing,” said senior Jackson Stogner. “Playing with Garrett the last four years has been a real honor.”

Calmness in high-pressure situations relaxes teammates, as stated by Stogner. In terms of baseball, producing in high-pressure situations while being calm speaks volumes.

Schwartz has already had that experience and produced very well. He was third or better on the team in nine offensive categories last year as a junior, leading the team in doubles (17), home runs (five), total bases (92), and slugging percentage (.495). He expects his senior season to be even better.

“For myself, hit over .350,” said Schwartz about his personal goals for this year. “I want to see the team bat over .300 and definitely get back to the World Series like my freshman year.”

Sonoma State was a handful of wins away from being in the Division II College World Series in 2011, and with just a handful of seniors, Schwartz has as much confidence in this team as he did as a freshman.

“We have a squad and I definitely think we can get back there and do it again,” said Schwartz.

Coach John Goelz is also on board with the youngest team he’s ever had. He knows leadership will have to come from his veterans like

forth through the first 10 minutes. The game was tied at 47 with 10 more minutes of play in the second half. Seawolf #3 Taylor Acosta made both her free throws after a foul to spark an eight point scoring streak over the next two minutes. The Seawolves were winning 55-47 with eight minutes left to play.

Once the scoring streak happened, the Seawolves appeared to be the more dominant team continuing their lead to 63-51 with just under four minutes left. The Warriors struggled to get within 10 points of the lady Seawolves to end the game. The Wolves played good defense and scored points when it mattered to raise the number in the win column. Taylor Acosta led the Seawolves with 17 points, seven rebounds, and

Men’s Basketball Friday Jan. 31 SSU - 68 Chico - 76 COURTESY // SSU Athletics Garrett Schwartz lead the team in doubles, home runs, total bases and slugging percentage last season.

Schwartz and Stogner, but doesn’t use that to discredit his young players. He doesn’t name captains, but knows that Schwartz and Stogner possess the qualities he needs in his seniors to guide this team’s success.

“They’re both the kind of guys that are captain material and I think everyone looks up to them, not just the freshmen,” said Goelz. “They play hard, they try hard, and they set the example by doing the right things… I think they’re good leaders period and they’re great for the entire team.”

Goelz sees the greatness he wants to get out of all his players but admits he doesn’t always see it coming before the season starts. Like last year when the Seawolves had two seniors eventually named the best pitcher in the West Region, and the best player in the country in all of Division II. With this year’s team coach Goelz he knows he can get surprising production out of the young guys. But he also knows the examples set by his veterans is what is going to steer this team down the winning path they desire to be on. As Schwartz said, receiving a preseason honor “pumps him up” for this season, and he is primed and ready to bring his team back to the College World Series.

The Seawolves open the season at the Seawolf Diamond right here on campus this Thursday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. against Western Oregon.

They finish the opening season series against Western Oregon with two doubleheaders the next two days, both starting at 11 a.m.

Saturday Feb. 1 SSU - 47 Stanislaus - 69 Women’s Tennis Saturday Feb. 1 SSU - 8 Dominican - 1 Men’s Tennis Saturday Feb. 1 SSU - 0 Santa Clara - 4 Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

Sports

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

Super Bowl proves lackluster for students Commentary Halia Daugherty Staff Writer

COURTESY // SSU Athletics David Ahern scored 13 points against Stanislaus, many from the three point line.

Men’s basketball drops two road games J ake Tucker Staff Writer

F

riday night, the Sonoma State Seawolves traveled to their rival’s court to take on the Chico State Wildcats in a conference matchup. At 7:30 p.m., they tipped off and within the first 12 seconds of the game, the Wolves were leading after a layup from senior Justin Herold; who has been very productive for Sonoma all year.

That lead wouldn’t last long, as the Wildcats would go on a seven-point run.

It was a close knit game through the first half, as neither team led by double digits until there was only 11 seconds left in the game.

Both teams shot well, but ultimately, Chico triumphed in the end, taking the victory 76-68.

Sonoma showed good balance throughout their team, as four players scored double-digit points. The Seawolves were led by a strong performance from Justin Herold, who contributed 15 points, an assist, a block, and two steals. Senior Jason Walter added 14 points and an assist.

Sophomore guard James Davis was a big part of the Wolves’ offense, with 12 points, two assists, a steal, and went 6-7 from the free throw line. Sterling Ar-

terberry also added 11 points, an assist, and a steal.

The Wildcats had four double-digit scorers of their own. Jordan Semple had a huge offensive performance, contributing 25 points (1 short of his career high), three assists, three blocks, and two steals. Amir Carraway added 17 points, a block, and three steals.

Giordano Estrada scored 10 points and two assists. Rashad Parker also added 10 points, three assists, and two steals.

Fouls played a big role in this game. The key to the Wildcats’ victory was their clutch shooting from the free throw line. They scored a game-changing 25 points from the charity line. They went 25-29 at the line (86.2 percent).

Saturday night, the Wolves took a trip to Turlock to face Cal State Stanislaus.

The Warriors attempted to keep their undefeated record at home in tact.

Stanislaus was in the driver’s seat the entire game. They scored the first four points of the game, and never relinquished the lead.

They led by at least 14 for the final five minutes of the game, until they would ultimately end up on top 69-47.

Not a huge offensive game for the Seawolves. Justin Herold led the Seawolves with 14 points, a block, and

a steal. David Ahern put up 13 points of his own. James Davis was a big part of the offense with four points, four assists, and two steals.

Clinton Tremelling led all scoring with 16 points and three assists, sinking four three point shots. The biggest performer for the Warriors was senior center Marcus Bell who contributed 15 points, two assists, five blocks, and two steals.

Rob Walters also added 11 points and an assist. Sam Marcus displayed self less play, contributing seven assists.

The story behind the final score was the Wolves shooting. They scored a season low 47 points. They shot a dismal 34 percent for all shots, 25 percent from beyond the arc, and 54.5 percent from the free throw line. Compared to the Warriors 46.9 percent, 46.7 percent, and 80 percent numbers.

The Sonoma State Seawolves fall to 2-12 in conference play, and 3-15 overall, and remain in last place.

While the Warriors improve to 9-5 in conference play, and 13-5 overall while maintaining their f lawless 10-0 record at home in Turlock.

This Friday, Cal State Los Angeles comes to the Wolves Den. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

To our surprise, football season ended with one of the most lackluster Super Bowls in recorded history. Some might say that the Seahawks and 49ers playoff game was the real Super Bowl two weeks ago; at least that game was entertaining and gave the crowd something to bite their nails for.

Everyone prepared themselves for a great game. They set up the BBQs, purchased the party favors, and brought out their best Seahawks and Broncos jerseys. Little did they know that only Seahawks fans would be celebrating throughout the entire game, until the third quarter when Demaryius Thomas made a 14-yard catch for a touchdown for the Broncos, finally. Although there should have been rooting and rallying for the Broncos, by the time they scored it seemed to be completely unentertaining.

The Seahawks gained the first two points in the game with a safety after only a few minutes and ended the game with another touchdown leading 43-8. Four plays into the game and Lynch scored the first touchdown of the game; he undoubtedly “let his game speak for itself.” Seahawks dominated over the Broncos and completely wiped out “the best offense” in this NFL season, putting Manning to shame. Not to mention the 87 yard touchdown

by Percy Harvin on the kick-off return opening the second half of the game, Seahawks leading 29-0.

This game was a poor performance by the Broncos, giving their season no justice at all but you’d think that they would be prepared for their seventh Super Bowl. On the other hand, give a big round of applause to the Seahawks for gaining their first-ever Super Bowl title for Super Bowl XVIII. This Super Bowl was a glorious day for all Seahawks fans across the nation, I would presume.

Although this game did seem to be more of a given win because from the first half, the Seahawks leading 22-0, the Broncos didn’t stand a chance. Student

Seawolf Sports Feb. 4 Men’s Tennis vs. American River JC 1 p.m.

Feb. 5 Softball vs. Dominican 12 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Fresno Pacific 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer at. San Francisco State 12:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Hawaii Pacific 7 p.m.

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Jason Walter snatched eight rebounds against rival Chico State.

athlete Tanner Adams, a huge Seahawks fan, said, “This season the Seahawks have always been favored to do really well. I’m not surprised with their progression at all. I’m just excited to see if they can finally win a Super Bowl!” I hope she was prepared to celebrate from the start of the game until the end of the night because the Seahawks conquered and gave an outstanding performance this Sunday.

Being a college with mostly Bay Area football fans, it wasn’t a surprise to see 49ers jerseys cruising around on Super Bowl Sunday too. As great as it would have been to see a Bay Area team in the Super Bowl a second year in a row, the Seahawks rightfully owned their place in the last playoff game and showed for it this Sunday.

Student athlete James Davis, also a 49ers fan said, “I was devastated when we lost. Every 49ers fan will think we deserved to be in the Super Bowl; it’s only natural for a fan to have that biased opinion.”

Some 49ers fans were still bruised from losing to the Seahawks in the playoff game. It was a great loss to make it so far but yet, not obtain the goal.

49ers fans were bitter to see the Seahawks dominating the Super Bowl; however not all shared the animosity.

“I’m not rooting for anyone. I would like to see Manning get another ring but I also want to see Lynch win because he is from Oakland and I respect his mentality towards the game,” said Davis before the game.

It’s always a nice thing to recognize the greatness in a football team other than your own team with which you carry so much pride. Now for the Broncos fans, this game was truly devastating. The Broncos left their fans with no glory to help them render with this great loss. Many Broncos fans had a ton of faith in their team such as student athlete, Black Basham, who said, “Broncos are going to win… one reason, Peyton Manning!” It’s embarrassing to see that the quarterback, who has been seen as the best in the game by far, was unable to validate that legacy this Sunday.

Feb. 6 Baseball vs. Western Oregon 11 a.m.

Feb. 7 Baseball vs. Western Oregon 11 a.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Cal State L.A. 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Cal State L.A. 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 Women’s Water Polo vs. USC (at La Jolla, CA) 8 a.m.

Men’s Tennis at UC Davis 9:30 a.m.

Baseball vs. Western Oregon 11 a.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. UC Santa Cruz 12 p.m.

Softball vs. Saint Martin’s 12 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills Pack the Den Night 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills Pack the Den Night 7:30 p.m.

Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

Page 12

Photo

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

This week in photos...

For more, visit our gallery at SonomaStateStar.com

North Bay Engineering Institute

STAR // Connor Gibson Members on the board of North Bay Engineering Industry Advising Board for SSU’s Engineering Science department held its first meeting on Friday. Student projects were on display around the room as 12 members from members from hi-tech companies and educational institutions forged a new strong bond between private and private engineering research.

Fiddler on the Roof

LYRICS BY SHELDON

HARNICK

PRODUCED ON THE NEW YORK STAGE BY HAROLD PRINCE ORIGINAL NEW YORK STAGE PRODUCTION DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY JEROME ROBBINS

S T A T E

DEPARTMENT OF

T H E AT R E A RT S & D A N C E

February 6-16, 2014

Evert B. Person Theatre

U N I V E R S I T Y FEBRUARY 2014

S O N O M A

MON

TUE

11

SAT

FRI

7

12 ■

13 ▼

1pm Curtain

7:30pm Curtain

8

7:30pm Curtain

14

7:30pm Curtain

15

7:30pm Curtain

SUN

9◆ 5pm Curtain

16 ▲

7:30pm 2pm Curtain Curtain

10

11

12 ■

13 ▼

14

15

16 ▲

’

T I C K E T S www.sonoma.edu/tix

707.664.4246

THU

6•

7:30pm Curtain

10

on the SSU campus

$10-$17 Call for group and family rates

WED

•

Thu/17 OPENING

◆ Sun/20

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION

■ Wed/23

FACULTY/STAFF NIGHT

▼ Wed/23

PRE-SHOW TALK 6pm

▲ Sat/26 CLOSING

FREE ADMISSION with student ID

Sonoma State University

Blood Drive & Marrow Registration Monday, February 10th 10:30 am - 4:00 pm In the Recreation Center Mt. McKinley Gym

Sponsored by the gentlemen of Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Inc.

Join us & receive a FREE T-Shirt!

Participants will be entered in hourly drawings for movie tickets, coupons for FREE Pizza from Mountain Mike’s Pizza, & other great prizes!

Please bring a Photo ID Please drink plenty of fluids Call 707-303-4016 for more information

STAR // Connor Gibson Fiddler on the Roof premieres this week at Sonoma State, celebrating the Broadway production’s 50th anniversary.