Volume72 issue4

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‘Fiddler on the Roof’ premieres

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RSA buries time capsule

Locals get involved in Noma Nation

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Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 4

Students voice Success Fee opinions Claudia Jambor Staff Writer

A

ssociated Students held forums with students to discuss the proposed Academic Success fee last week.

Sarah Dinari, the undeclared senator of Associated Students, explained the forums were held to “get as much information out to the students and give as much information to the provost that we get from students about this fee.”

Various academic issues were raised at the forums as well as methods of paying the fee and the distribution of the money it yields.

Students particularly emphasized that the fee should contribute toward providing an increased amount of classes for impacted academic faculties and General Education (GE) classes.

“Sociology: impacted major; kinesiology: impacted major; communications: impacted major. If we get this fee, put it to the people who are hurting most,” said one student at Wednesday’s forum.

International student Laura Ibsen of Columbia noted that the limited provision of classes has been an issue since she was a freshman.

“Since my freshman year the number of students has increased but the number of classes has become less. We have to think about where the big problem is and that is the admissions of students and the number of students on campus,” Isben said.

Accompanying increased classes, students stressed the importance of class diversity throughout all academic schools to enhance students overall educational experience.

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2014

“If I were given the option to take more classes, it would be very different, I could have a way better educational experience and so could many other students,” one student said.

The issue of academic advising and whether it should be improved with profits from the fee divided student opinion.

“People here aren’t getting advised properly,” one student said. “You go to your advisor’s office and they tell you to go to someone else. We need to educate our faculty more and our advisors about how to help us because they are there for us and if they aren’t doing their jobs then why are they there?”

Another student said in terms of advising that “we have the services, we don’t utilize them.” This suggests the importance of utilizing current advising resources to allow for funding other academic areas of the university.

“I think it would be smart instead of putting funds to more [advisors] to utilize the ones we already have, because that’s one more class we can add by diverting funds toward faculty or [new] professors,” the student said.

South Korean international student DaeSung Kim noted that the needs of international students must be considered when allocating the profits of the fee to academic areas. “[International students] are paying much more in tuition; they are paying almost twice as much [as a domestic student]. So having them pay $250 extra in order to get more classes wouldn’t be very necessary for them because they already get priority class registration,” Kim said.

Kim suggested that “closer relations with

Football legend, SSU alum Larry Allen helps pack den Turn to page 10 for the story, page 11 & 12 for photos

Person Theatre reopens doors

See FEE Pg. 5

Professors honored with Goldstein Award recognizes the safe learning environment that the professors have provided for their students.

“I was nominated by Professor Francisco Vazquez,” said Debora Hammond, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies. “There are two different awards that faculty can get. Excellence in teaching and excellence in research and scholarship.

The award I got was for excellence in research and scholarship.”

“I got my undergraduCOURTESY // Left: SSU News Center; Right: Debora Hammond ate degree at Stanford UniKatherine Morris (left) and Debora Hammond (right) are versity and graduate degree this year’s recipients of the Bernie and Estelle Goldstein at University of California, Award.

Berkeley,” said Hammond. “[At Sonoma State UniverScholarship. The Bernie and Megan Kleszcz Estelle Goldstein Awards for sity] I have been teaching in Staff Writer Excellence in Scholarship is the Hutchins school of Libgiven to the professors who eral Studies for 17 years this rofessor Katherine Morris have dedicated their time to spring.” and Professor Debora As Hammond shared inhelp further the knowledge Hammond were named the of current teachers, and help formation on the 2013-2014 winners of the provide them with new develBernie and Estelle Goldstein See AWARD Pg. 4 opment skills. The award also Awards for Excellence in

P

STAR // Connor Gibson President Ruben Armiñana performed the ribbon cutting ceremony at the grand reopening on Thursday.

Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer

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his week Evert B. Person Theatre reopened its doors to the public, newly refurbished. Person Theatre is a 475-seat venue that opened in 1989 at Sonoma State University as the only theatre venue on campus.

With the addition of Weill Hall to the campus and with Schroeder Hall opening soon, the campus was looking to update Person Theatre for the first time in nearly 25 years.

Juliet Pokorny, the Performing Arts Production Manager, said that after it was decided to purchase lobby furniture and re-carpet the space, everything else fell into place.

“We were imagining what the space would

look like with new carpeting and new lobby furniture and then we decided that we should probably paint it and buy a new main curtain,” said Pokorny.

The seats of Person Theatre are one of the more prominent changes; they feature a multicolored pattern where each seat is randomly assigned a different color. This pattern creates an illusion of a fuller audience due to the color variation.

Because the seats were reupholstered and fully replaced, the university ended up saving money.

Thaine Stearns, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, said the funds for the renovations were pulled from three areas of funding.

“Administration and Finance contributed about a third of the funds. A third of the funds See THEATRE Pg. 5

Jimmy Fallon to host Tonight Show

Siblings Weekend brings it home . . . kind of

Baseball series gets rained out

Turn to page 7 for the story

Get the scoop on page 9

Turn to page 10 for more

Page 2

Editorial 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.

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

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star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick

This week’s can’t miss article:

“Beauty is in the eye of popular culture” We tell each other to never judge a book by its cover, but can we honestly say that we don’t? Staff Writer Julia Chacko shares her thoughts in a brutally honest, good humored and sometimes even self-depricating opinion piece, challenging us to develop our own definition of beauty - or completely ignore it altogether.

Turn to pg. 2 for the opinion

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.

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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.

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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.

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Sustaining a sustainable campus

This weekend’s downpour was a breath of fresh air – or more like a splash of muchneeded water – but we all know the drought is far from over. Each day, as growing climate change threatens the human population and its home planet’s existence, it becomes even more important for us to remain conscious and mindful of our environmental impact.

So, as students of a small campus constantly commended for sustainable practices, what are we doing to sustain our environment and ourselves?

In addition to our array of environmental studies programs, our beautiful nature Preserves sites, environmentally-conscious JUMP volunteers, the campus garden, the WATERS Collaborative and the past few Theatre Arts and Dance shows that clearly celebrated nature, the university just appointed its first Director of Sustainability, Paul Draper, who will also chair the newly created Sustainability Executive Committee. Featured in issue two of this publication, Draper expressed his interest and intent to work with the rest of the campus to continue a community-wide desire for sustainability.

And of course, there’s the Campus Recreation Center: a state-of-the-art facility that was specifically designed with sustainability in mind. For water conservation alone, the Rec Center plants native drought-resistant plants, uses low flow faucets that cut water consumption by as much as 40 percent, and was one of the first buildings in Sonoma County to use reclaimed water in its restrooms.

The rest of the building flaunts sustainable features such as solar panels, thermal bricks that keep both natural heat and cold air inside the building, and massive skylights designed for natural light. Its flooring and much of its furniture is made from recycled material.

Former Director of Campus Rec Pam

Su, a staff member constantly applauded for her contributions and efforts, is attributed for essentially building the award-winning Rec Center – one of the first sustainable buildings of its kind in the country – from scratch in 2004.

Ten years later, the Rec Center remains one of the most popular, well-designed buildings on this campus that was clearly ahead of its time. So it stands to reason that the Student Center, similarly built with student fees, would have used the Rec Center as a model to continue this mission of sustainability. Right?

Maybe not. Yes, the Student Center’s beautiful bathrooms use reclaimed water as well. The center also boasts water bottle refill stations, and some of its lights are censor-operated. And fortunately, students and employees of Culinary Services are working hard to minimize waste and maximize sustainable products in the Student Center – and around campus – as much as possible (see page 4).

But unlike the Rec Center, whose mission statement states “through the design and operation of our facility, Campus Rec demonstrates a profound commitment to a sustainable society in hopes that we can help pioneer a vision for conservation and energy efficiency,” the Student Center mission statement has no similar sentiments.

We’re a little disappointed that the building’s masterminds and architects didn’t make sustainability a priority like the Rec Center did. We know what world we’re living in, and we know that if we’re going to build something brand new we might as well build it right. To create a longstanding, $12 million building without sustainability as a major priority isn’t just ignorant – it’s literally wasteful.

But enough harping on the Student Center. For the most part it looks like they’re doing well with the resources they have (though

STAR // Garett Knight In the midst of both a water and budget drought, we ask: is Sonoma State sustainable in its environmental and fiscal practices? we have to admit, we sure do miss Seawolf Sundaes). And the efforts made by rest of the campus more than make up for what the Student Center is lacking – at least, we hope they do.

But as we temporarily put our umbrellas and rainboots in the closet until the next rainy day (if the next one ever comes), let’s continue to perpetuate this effort to sustain our environment and conserve water, energy and gas as much as possible. Let’s show our appreciation for the large efforts of our campus and community in the best way possible – by reciprocating it.

And hey, anything’s better than that yellow sh*t in Sochi right now.

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.

Letters to the Editor

Students, professors oppose success fee

Dear Editor, Sonoma State University has recently announced that it is considering an increased student fee of $500 per year, after a $300 dollar increase last year.

As retired SSU faculty, we want to express our opposition to any increase in fees at this time, whether it is imposed unilaterally or approved by a staged plebiscite.

In today’s economy, a college degree is essential to success. Given the benefits for the individual and society, a college education should be accessible and affordable for all qualified residents of California.

The escalating costs of higher education have already discouraged students from attending college and many recent graduates have been saddled for life with large debts from student loans. The average debt of recent SSU graduates is over $21,000, the second highest in the CSU. Since SSU is already the third most expensive institution in the CSU, an additional fee of $500, which will not be covered by financial aid, would place a substantial burden on SSU students and their families.

Since other CSU campuses have met this challenge without raising fees, we suggest that SSU adopt administrative reforms and cuts, and tap other resources to guarantee access to classes and timely graduation.

Sincerely, Tony White, Professor Emeritus, History Daniel Markwyn, Professor Emeritus, History Robert Plantz, Professor Emeritus, Computer Science Philip Beard, Professor Emeritus, Modern Languages Dale Trowbridge, Professor Emeirtus, Chemistry Chris Kjeldsen, Professor Emeritus, Biology Peter Mellini, Professor Emeritus, History Victor Garlin, Professor Emeritus, Economics Dear Editor, As a student at Sonoma State University, I am against the proposed fee increase being considered for fall 2014. I am a student registered with DSS because of memory loss and I am receiving financial aid. As I am getting close to the total amount allocated to undergraduate students, the increase in tuition proposed for fall 2014 would force me to find extra funds. I am already counting the pennies as I get closer to graduation, which will be spring 2015. The increase in student fees would not be completely covered by my college loans from our financial aid package. Additionally, students already have large loans to repay.

I hope that President Armiñana will find ways to reduce student costs. His reasoning that added fees would reduce the cost of my college education does not convince me. To have extra professors on campus would be nice, but if it’s at a greater cost to the students, I think that leaving the situation as is would be better for those students. The cost of more instructors and classes should be paid for through state funds in public a university.

As a student with disabilities who needs longer study hours, I require enough financial aid to complete school without having to work. I appreciate any efforts on your part not to burden students with increased fees.

Let us, as part of the Sonoma State University culture, administrators, faculty, and students, combine our efforts to

work for a common goal that benefits students and society.

We need to lower fees rather than increase fees for students of Sonoma State University, who will one day be the workers and leaders helping solve the problems of the world. Together we can find solutions to strengthen public higher education through state funding, not by placing a burden on unemployed or partially, employed students.

- Jonah Shum Student

Dear Editor, President Ruben Armiñana is on a fast track to announce a $500 annual fee increase for all students at SSU. He has set up a number of Associated Students controlled meetings starting February 6 with the goal of informing his decision by February 15. Experienced SSU observers believe that he has already made the decision to impose the fee and is just going through the motions of consultation required by CSU policy.

The proposed increase is called a “Success Fee” and would supposedly be used for more classes. The timing of the fee announcement comes just days after the ending of a registration crisis where many hundreds of students could not get the classes they needed for timely graduation. An obvious question is—was the registration crisis allowed to happen as an administrative strategy for implementing new fees?

The primary reasons to refuse a fee increase at SSU includes the fact that there is more than enough money at SSU to provide classes for all students to graduate in a timely manner.

The money has been mismanaged by the President through a bloated administration, the diversion of campus resources to the management of the Green Music Center, and interest on massive campus debt. SSU already ranks third in the CSU for campus fees. SSU has the highest student manager ratio with close to twice as many managers as similar size campuses.

Students and their families should not have to bail out campus mismanagement to the tune of $4.2 million a year.

Sixty-two percent of the SSU graduating class of 2012 carried an average of $21,206 in student loan debt. The cost of a BA degree could go up $2000 to $3000 if the fee is imposed. Financial aid will not cover the fee. For working and low-income students the only way to cover the cost would be to go deeper into debt with student loans.

Students, faculty, and alumni are organizing NO FEE meetings on and off campus. One strategy being considered is asking students, alumni, faculty and their families to support a SSU donations boycott if any new fees are imposed by the administration. SSU spends 76 percent of its donor gift disbursement distribution on buildings and other projects and only 18 percent on instructional programs. SSU’s ratio is the exact opposite of all other CSU campuses where the average donor gift disbursement to instructional programs is 63 percent.

Follow this issue at: http://ssufacultyforqualityeducation. org/. Speak out on this issue by e-mailing: ruben.arminana@ sonoma.edu.

- Peter Phillips Peter Phillips has been a Sociology Professor at SSU for twenty years. He is President of Media Freedom Foundation/ Project Censored and co-host with Mickey Huff on the KPFA Project Censored show.

Opinion

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

Beauty is in the eye of popular culture Julia Chacko Staff Writer

B

eauty is in the eye of the beholder; chances are you’ve heard this saying more times than you can count.

In fact, you were likely instilled with this nugget of conventional wisdom before you were old enough to have developed a sense of self. You might have even embraced this idiom as a personal motto in an effort to survive the agonizing torment that life can be. I know I’ve certainly been comforted by its powerful message more than a few times.

But does this phrase actually carry any truth in our society, or is it nothing more than empty words of consolation used to soothe the stricken spirit? Although beauty is said to be subjective, there is an undeniable hierarchy of physical appearance at play in America, and our current era of media-driven domination is mostly to blame.

In our society today, being anything less than a size two model with a body devoid of hair and a head full of the luscious stuff renders you an inferior person. Thus, I believe that beauty is not so much in the eye of the beholder as it is in the eye of the dominant culture.

Of course, this bold statement is underscored by a recognized bias of mine: the painful, societally-enforced fact that I am neither skinny nor hairless. However, I am nowhere near the only person who has felt the crushing weight of our judgmental populace.

“I don’t know what things are like in non-consumer, more egalitarian societies built around other structures of power than economic power,” said Scott Miller, a professor at SSU, “but in our late-capitalist consumer economy the body, like everything else, becomes a commodity—‘goods’ that we have no choice but to sell at the best rate we can.”

Miller, speaking from personal experience and observation, added, “This dynamic sets us up for all the anxiety and suffering we see. The media is just an expression of the system—kind of like a mercenary force that

STAR // Eddie Blake “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a phrase that has remained common for generations. However, the phrase doesn’t hold much merit when considering that popular culture sets the beauty standard. does the dirty work.”

Our documented history certainly supports Miller’s assertions. For centuries, we have seen an inordinate amount of discrimination of individuals based upon race, gender, sexuality, and religion. But what about looks?

Well, according to Daniel S. Hamermesh, Ph.D, the discriminative inequalities which less than attractive people face in our society are extremely similar to those that minorities still face. In his book “Beauty Pays,” Hamermesh claims that being unattractive will get you a lower paycheck.

Based on the results of a study of Ameri-

can workers whose looks were graded by casual observers, those who ranked in the bottom one-seventh earned between 10 to 15 percent less than the workers who made the top one-third. That’s a lifetime difference in pay of about $230,000 – not an encouraging statistic.

“In the workplace, we are unconsciously drawn to people who are more attractive, because we assume they have their act together and will be more successful,” said Psychiatrist Carole Lieberman.

But what about the educational system?

Surely the appearance bias cannot occur there, apart from the inevitable bullying and

rejection which unattractive children seem to invite? Well, a classic college study proves differently. In this study, psychologists David Landy and Harold Sigall asked participants to rate two identical essays.

However, they also included a photo of the author, showing him or her to be either attractive or unattractive. Despite the fact that the essays were exactly the same, those attached with an attractive photograph got a significantly higher rate than essays paired with an unattractive photograph.

Is it too late to tell the editors to scrap my mugshot with this piece?

Throughout all of this, one thing remains painfully clear: the ambiguous nature of the definitions of beauty and ugliness. Hopefully most of us acknowledge that beauty is not entirely in the eye of the beholder – not when you take the inevitable, hegemonic workings of our society into account.

It only follows that ugliness isn’t completely subjective either. What is considered “beautiful” and what is deemed “ugly” in America is largely determined by the dominant, media-driven culture. So what can we do to remedy this situation?

“I think the only way to fix it is for people to realize that these [celebrities] we see all over the place are unrealistic representation of men and women. We need more relatable role models, like Adele or Jennifer Lawrence, if we really want to try to make a change,” said freshman Katrina Romero, who thinks that the solution lies in the representation of celebrities we so desperately worship in the appearance-driven media.

I agree and would like to add that the awareness of our tendency to enforce an unattainable standard of beauty upon all vestiges of society is the key to stopping it.

Miller said that “an understanding that the social organization that breeds the beauty regime is arbitrary and mistaken and extremely partial and therefore to be treated with resignation at best and often derision and a strong critical attitude” can help.

In America, beauty unfortunately seems to be in the eye of the dominant culture. So let’s change that culture to ref lect the uplifting idioms we were taught to believe.

After all, why should looks matter so much anyway? It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Silly love songs More inspiration, less expectations

I

Shyanne Lopez Opinions Editor

t’s that time of year again. Everything is pink and red at the grocery store and the florists are going to make a killing this week. From a corporate perspective, Valentine’s Day is a goldmine. If one were to judge at a more personal level though, the holiday is usually a hit or miss. There are two types of people: those who love Valentine’s day and those who don’t.

It usually depends on the relationship status of whoever you would ask. I’m guilty of bashing the holiday as well, bandwagoning with those who snarkily make comments like how the holiday was invented by greeting-card companies. But alas, this isn’t true.

Valentine’s Day, also deemed “single awareness day” by roughly every person on Facebook who’s single, has been around for centuries to commemorate St. Valentine. More or less we all know this from elementary school, but we choose to be cynical about it because we’ve learned from the movies and all those silly love songs over the years that it is an awful, awful thing to be home alone on Feb. 14.

But it’s not. At least, it doesn’t have to be. The day is about love and there are all types of love out there, romantic love being only one of them. I really do think that if people realized this there would be less redundant “single awareness” posts and more displays of affection and appreciation for the different people we have in our lives.

For those who don’t have a significant other in their life and for whom this Friday couldn’t be over with fast enough, try putting more energy into showing appreciation for those you care about. Spend some extra time showing that pet of yours some attention, and just be appreciative of all that love you do have.

For those who do have a date this Friday, enjoy it too and don’t forget about those other non-romantic relationships you have in your life that could use some extra, well, love.

STAR// Robbie Geiss This Valentine’s Day, spread the love.

Tyler Drinnen Staff Writer A stern finger was shaken in front of my face for 12 years of school.

They would say “don’t do this, don’t do that, this is the only way.” With little to no room to express and show inspired thoughts in the educational classroom, I was completely unable to fulfill my real potential towards a life of practicing inspiring success.

Because the use of expectations was a force to be reckoned with, I gave in, swallowed my pride, and did everything that was expected of me as a young student.

When you have plenty of expectations to uphold by your peers, which we all do, just remember that doesn’t mean you have to leave all sense of inspiration in the dust.

Flashback to 2011 and I’m sitting in a preselected chair, drenched from one of the heaviest rain falls of the year. As I had expected, it was raining on my graduation day. Graduation was supposed to be the time of smiles and Kodak moments, yet we couldn’t find any inspiration to crack a smile.

I turned my head, looked around for a bit and wondered if anyone else felt as miserable as I did. Row by row I could only see the familiar faces that matched that of disappointment.

“Everyone is expected to behave in a respectful, outgoing, and fashionable manor, knowing that this is your, well, only high school graduation. The use of an umbrella is not as important in this time of your life as receiving your diploma,” said one of the main graduation faculty members.

Initially, I questioned the school official’s expectation for disallowing the use of umbrellas during the graduation ceremony and at that moment, shivering, drenched by the very storm I was sitting in, I found no comfort in graduating at all.

I thought that this down pour was a metaphor for what life in education had become up until this point in school and what life was really going to be about after I finally graduated high school. How

inspiring right?

On that day, seconds started to feel like endless minutes as my teeth chattered away. As for the rest of students stuck together in the exact same place, I would say they had become clearly restless and frustrated by the lack of timeliness in correlation to the weather conditions. We just expected the administration to take care of it but whether we liked it or not, we were going to get through this together.

Finally it came time to listen to the words of the most highly respected and at that moment, the most hated person at our school: our principal.

The traditional closing of our high school graduation speech commenced as the crowds of student voices began to shout out. At that moment, we as students didn’t want to be given some “inspiring” stern lesson on our future endeavors by “Mr. Clean Cut,” suit-and-tie principal. All we wanted was to be in a warm stadium enjoying the time with family and friends.

When you have plenty of expectations to uphold by your peers, which we all do, just remember that doesn’t mean you have to leave all sense of inspiration in the dust.

What really made this American cultural cliché so unbearable was the fact that he continued to speak as if it was not pouring rain. Then suddenly he realized the speech he had written was completely soaked in his hands. Before continuing he stopped abruptly, looked up, and laughed.

Some students were puzzled, some were frazzled. Then he moved the microphone from his face, and quickly threw his papers to the side and said, “Well, I’m sure we all get the point. Congratulations students,” and tossed his hat. This was obviously something I was not expecting at a high school graduation.

As a student body, we switched tassel from right to left and threw our hats up, hugging and laughing it out like it had never been raining. All of our fears, all of our obligations and all of our expecta-

tions didn’t matter in this one instant.

Finally we were all being honored for something, instead of being ridiculed for wrong-doing. We just felt accomplished with a little bit of inspiration.

I personally found more inspiration by the minor action this man was willing to do in sacrificing his speech than I did throughout the entire ceremony. In just three years time, I don’t think I would have ever looked back and said, “Hey, my principal’s speech was completely relevant and inspirational to what I am doing in college nowadays!”

Yet now I can honestly say, I learned a valuable lesson between the concept of expected acts and spontaneous, inspired ones, through simple actions like these.

With so many expectations riding upon ourselves and outside inf luences, sometimes we lose value in the one thing that keeps us motivated: inspiration.

And that’s not to say it’s easy to become inspired, because sometimes it’s just not. But keeping in mind that these same expectations can often create a channel of unnecessary stress levels, finding a little bit of inspiration can be easily used as an outlet of stress-free living.

In my recent years, college has completely been about the exploitation of inspiration, while maintaining a respected level of what an ‘‘expectation” truly is.

I can’t think of a time within the last three years of my college career where I wasn’t expected to do something.

The constant feeling of being micro managed by those around me has ref lected in a loss of my own personal inspiration. You either do it their way or you are absolutely wrong when doing it your way.

While I complain about the feeling of being consistently overwhelmed with all the expectations around me, I also strive for the use of structure.

We can’t just stroll through life and pretend like there will never be anything riding on our shoulders, because that would just be too easy. In the beginning, all I ever wanted was for the inspiration to lead me, whereas now the roles have reversed and I am striving to lead the inspiration.

Find some inspiration and make it work because, well, this should be expected of you.

Page 4

News

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Seating a priority in baseball field renovations

STAR // Connor Gibson The Seawolf Diamond boasts ideal conditions for players, but isn’t quite as accommodating for its fans. The $1.3 million donation from former SSU baseball volunteer Gordon Smith will be used to put turf and lighting on the field, construct more seating, as well as a locker room and clubhouse for the players.

Kory Arnold Staff Writer

W

ith springtime right around the corner the Sonoma State baseball team is preparing to get its season underway.

Headed by long-time coach John Goelz, the team has become very familiar with success, and has been nationally ranked 23 out of 28 total seasons under Goelz. With having such a prosperous baseball team, there is always a high demand for performance-enhancing resources such as equipment and facilities for the team to be able to use in order to prepare for the coming season.

In the fall of 2011, the SSU baseball program was the recipient of a $1.3 million donation given

by one of its former volunteer coaches Gordon Smith. Smith, who passed away of cancer in June earlier that year, was looking for a way to give back to the program by putting it in the right direction by bettering its facilities. The initial donation was to go towards providing stadium lights, more seating around the field for spectators as well as the possibility of converting the field into all turf.

Apart from these renovations, the program will also acquire a brand new facility that will be located right next to the field. The facility, which has currently been in construction since the beginning of 2013, is to include a locker room as well as clubhouse for players, four indoor batting cages, media rooms that will be equipped with high speed cameras to review game film and will

provide office space for the coaching staff. Goelz estimated the facility to be completed no later than the start of the fall 2014 semester to welcome in the new season.

With roughly 500 people in attendance at each home game last season, the baseball program realized how seating can impact the games.

Because the old field had far less than 500 seats available, students and other spectators have had to compromise while watching the game by either bringing a lawn chair to sit in or face the undesirable fate of standing through the entire game.

“If there was more available seating at the field, it would be much more inviting to go spend an afternoon watching a baseball game. That way, more groups of friends would be encour-

aged to attend the game not just for the sport, but also as finding entertainment on campus,” said third-year student Jonathan Wright, an avid baseball fan.

First-year student Amanda Jimenez, who does not pride herself as being a big baseball fan, also agreed with the idea that more seating would boost the attendance of students at games.

“I’m not even a very big baseball fan but I know if more seats were made around the field than certainly more students would go just for something to do.”

As the season begins to progress, we will soon start to see evidence of the many renovations that are being done to Seawolf Diamond and look forward to its eventual completion in the future.

AWARD: Morris first recipient from School of Education Continued from Pg. 1

Hutchins school of Liberal Studies, she mentioned how there is a common misconception about the Hutchins School that she wishes to share with the student body.

Many think it is only for teachers, but it is simply a different way of learning. Instead of listening to lectures and taking a test on it, the Hutchins School is based off of discussions and seminars. It is an interdisciplinary seminar based program.

She mentioned that she was in all large lecture classes as a student and she never had the opportunity to develop her own thinking. For more information one could go on the Sonoma State website and look into the Hutchins program, or speak to an advisor.

“I was able to take over this program in 2009. In my dissertation: the history of system thinking completed in 1997, I have been actively involved with an organization called the international society for the systems sciences. Through that connection I have been involved with a lot of different things. I have published a number of different articles,” said Hammond.

“My research is about organization development. The master’s program integrates systems thinking with humanistic psychology. It trains people to help facilitate change in organizations using more col-

laborative ways of working. It combines both understanding the structure of organizations and the relationships between people. So it has both the human and structural approach.

In a way this relates to Hutchins because we are training people to interact more effectively,” said Hammond.

Hammond and Morris are very dedicated to their work and to their students. They received this award in honor of the time they put into their studies in furthering the knowledge of their students and themselves.

“Before coming to Sonoma State University, I started my career as an elementary school teacher and then continued to work as a consultant and was sent back to graduate school to study and do research on ongoing teacher learning,” said Morris, “That being said, this is my 11th year at Sonoma State University.”

Both Morris and Hammond were honored prior to receiving the Bernie and Estelle Goldstein Awards for Excellence in Scholarship.

“It means a lot to me to receive the award. At this point in the career it means a lot to get the recognition for your work,” said Hammond.

“It’s a very exciting award.

As far as I understand I am the first person from the School of Education since the award started. That is really quite an honor.

My primary responsibility is

STAR // Connor Gibson The Kitchens has many receptacles for compostable food.

COURTESY // SSU News Center Bernie Goldstein was provost from 1999 to 2003. to work with students who are starting their elementary school credential. This award is related to both my work with the people I teach and I my work with teachers all around Northern California who already have their certification to improve their habits,” said Morris.

“I would encourage all Sonoma state students to take advantage of getting to know some of the faculty in different ways. I got to know some professors really well. I worked with them on a project. By getting to know some professors really well and asking what they were curious about, I received connections and ways of thinking about what I wanted to do next,” said Morris.

Culinary Services practices composting, sustainability Aaron Studebaker Staff Writer

P

eople eat everyday. But once they finish, they throw their food away in the trash where it becomes waste.

The Culinary Services Department of Sonoma State would like more students on campus that utilize dining facilities on campus to be more educated on the practice of composting. This is the method by which food and products of food are disposed of in a green bin so that it does not become waste thus serving as a recycling habit that sustains the planet’s resources.

All dining establishments on campus serve products that are all compostable, from the food itself to the dishes the food is served on.

Three trash bins are always grouped together inside these establishments. There are the black bins for waste, blue bins for recycle, and green bins for compost. The employees of Culinary Services hope that students understand this system of sustainability.

Compost disposal, when paired with recycling, can reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills. Many people find it beneficial because anything that is compostable can serve as fertilizer and soil conditioner to help with the growth of produce.

Culinary Services takes this matter quite seriously, as they constantly remind every employee to be aware of what goes in the compost.

Anyone working in Culinary Services will say that everything is compostable except the lids of coffee cups.

All the disposable dishes are made from organic materials consisting of bio-plastics, recycled fibers, tree starch and other resources. Companies such as Eco Products, provide materials from natural sources and are helping people to recognize this issue.

Consumers can expect to see composting

become a more common practice in garbage disposal. In the Kitchens there are green bins everywhere and only one waste bucket. A mechanical mulcher is used to grind up food matter so it’s compact.

Justin Sullivan is a senior at Sonoma State and is the Sustainability Ambassador for Culinary Services. Sullivan takes the responsibility of making sure all practices, especially concerning waste, are sustained.

This practice goes back to the pilot project “Compost Happens” that was originally brought to the dining hall two years ago by Diedre Tubb who helped divert 36,000 tons in the first year.

“Before, we had 25 percent post-consumer recycled product,” said Sullivan, “but when you bring it into the food aspect, recycling stops because it’s contaminated with food residue, oils, and fats. But making it compostable will save a lot of wastes from going into the landfill. We want to divert waste make sure that we have a minimal output on the environment.”

Sullivan has been working with different companies that provide these natural resources in materials. Now, he hopes to help Culinary Services cooperate with World Centric.

This company has recently moved headquarters from Palo Alto to Petaluma. They design and sell biodegradable food-serving products, utensils, and containers. Working with a company that is local may help establish a close-linked partnership. World Centric offers discounts to schools and non-profits who are contributing to the cause of sustainability.

On a short-term scale, the price on some compost products is more expensive than going with simple plastic. For example, a compostable cup would be less than a plastic cup whereas a compostable clamshell container would be more expensive than a plastic item.

The price varies with regard to size. But on a long-term scale, it saves energy and will double the amount of utensils produced with the same energy it takes to make one plastic utensil.

News

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sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

STAR // Connor Gibson The new seats, which vary in color, were designed to give the appearance of a fuller audience; other renovations also include a new stage curtain.

THEATRE: New lobby furniture, reupholstered seats Continued from Pg. 1

came from Academic Affairs, which is the Provost’s office. Then finally a third of the funds came from the School of Arts and Humanities. In the School of Arts and Humanities is the Center for Performing Arts which is a part of their resources,” said Stearns.

Sonoma State hopes that this new renovation will not only benefit the students of the university, but the community as well. By pro-

viding this venue in the North Bay, Sonoma State University is hoping individuals will see the campus as the premiere venue to see stage productions. President Ruben Arminaña attended the reopening and believes the renovations are vital to creating a nice environment for the productions in Person Theatre.

“It’s a much nicer facility. It will enhance the productions that we have here. People enjoy watching productions and participating in a good environment and I think that Per-

son Theatre will provide a good environment for enjoyment, learning and teaching,” said Arminaña.

The renovations have been completed just in time; Fiddler on the Roof opened this Thursday night kicking off the 50 th year the play has been performed. Becca Schibler, stage manager for the production, says that she is enjoying some of the smaller refurbishments.

“My personal favorite part of the facelift

FEE: “No easy fix for this,” says provost

is the addition of art from the university’s personal art collection. They are putting up photographs and other works of art in the lobby based off the show that is running in the theatre,” said Schibler.

Fiddler on the Roof is set to run from Feb. 7 to Feb. 17 in the newly renovated Person Theatre. For information on the theatre arts and ticket information for Fiddler on the Roof or any upcoming productions please visit www.sonoma.edu/performingarts.

Attention Students: give input on the possible academic success 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.

STAR // Connor Gibson Provost Andrew Rogerson will present a white sheet detailing the allocation of funds for the possible academic success fee on Feb. 15.

Continued from Pg. 1

the professors and getting more help from them” would be of more benefit to Sonoma State’s international student community.

Provost Andrew Rogerson met with the Associated Student Senate on Friday, Feb. 7 to gauge student feedback regarding the Academic Success fee.

Rogerson acknowledged there is “no easy fix for this,” implying no alternative to a student fee.

“We have made every reduction that we can over the past two years, and so has administration and finance, and we still have a structural deficit of approximately $1 million,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson reassured the Senate that implementing the fee will bring the university out of deficit permanently.

“The student fee will not be used to patch the hole of the student deficit. We will be able to eliminate the structural deficit,” Rogerson said.

The provost intends to be transparent with students regarding the fee’s effectiveness eliminating the deficit and improving academic issues.

“I do want to include measures to allow students to access data on this every year,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson said that a white paper, a document explaining the nature of the fee and where its profits will be allocated, will be created by Saturday, Feb. 15.

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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

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Arts

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STAR // Connor Gibson “Fiddler on the Roof” is celebrating its 50 anniversary and Sonoma State University is the only place in the Bay Area that is currently running the legendary musical. th

‘Fiddler’ keeps tradition alive Dylan Sirdofsky Asst. A&E Editor

H

ow does a small village keep society running as it should be when the world around them is constantly changing?

Tradition, of course.

Last Thursday was marked not only by the grand reopening of SSU’s Evert B. Person Theatre, but also the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Brought together by the departments of Music and Theatre Arts and Dance, the performance is running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 16 as the only production in the northern Bay Area.

The theatrical performance contains music

by Jerry Bock, with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein.

Musical Theatre Director Lynne Morrow is involved with the musical direction, with Adrian Elfenbaum in stage direction.

Strange characters and other oddities thrive in the opening act as a fiddler begins playing from above a rooftop and a milkman named Tevye (John Shillington) explains how things such as this are quite the norm in 1905 in Anatevka, a Russian village.

The story is centered on Tevye, his family and the Jewish traditions among the people of their village.

Tevye is a man who struggles over the decisions of his eldest three daughters, Tzeitel (Anna Leach), Hodel (Emili Lewis) and Chava (Sarah Maxon), due to their feelings of love toward men that don’t quite meet the criteria of traditional Jewish family traditions of the time.

Throughout the story Tevye becomes more and more conflicted with his daughter’s decisions, often showing his character to have inner thoughts projected out in song to capture exactly what is going on in his mind while he considers what is truly right and wrong and what he needs to decide on.

This is done with excellent comedic effect, as the audience begins to completely understand his given situation and how everything continues to get more and more questionable for him as each storyline plays out.

Musical numbers appear to be done incredibly well and seem to flow seamlessly with the

dialogue showing a good balance between the two.

Shillington’s recital of “If I Were a Rich Man” is one of the most entertaining and joyful moments early on in the first act, as he proceeds to dance about while pondering over what life would be like in different financial circumstances.

The simplistic effects of the background scenery are a nice touch to the theme of the musical, where the upper part is mostly being used as sky for lighting purposes and the bottom half resembling the houses and hills of the village itself.

Imagination is elevated in a scene where Tevye has a nightmare that is represented in a ghostly fashion as a few of the actors’ voices are elevated to an eerily howling sound, along with fog surrounding the stage and a chair being raised and dangled above the set.

Another scene showcases the skills of two actors attempting to balance bottles on their heads, keeping the audience on the brink of concern at the thought of them falling off.

The costumes are also authentic of the times and are even delved into detail early on to describe the Jewish family traditions for wearing a few key pieces of attire.

“Fiddler on the Roof” is the first production by the Music and Theatre Arts and Dance departments to kick off the spring season, with several more set to premiere in the next two months.

These include “She Kills Monsters” in early March, with the “Spring Dance Concert 2014” and “Comedy of Errors” both set to be shown in mid-to-late April.

On Sunday a sing-along version of the musical was performed. Wednesday will be a piano only performance at 1 p.m. Thursday will be a special faculty and staff showing with $5 tickets for standard, senior and visiting students at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday’s performances are also at 7:30 p.m. and with $10 - $17 tickets, but free for students with their Seawolf I.D. What makes “Fiddler on the Roof” stand out among other notable musicals is how the story employs joyfulness and delightful romances, but its underlying strength is shown through its ability to capture the harshness of the times all the same, keeping the audience in mind that there isn’t exactly one perfectly happy ending in store for these characters.

STAR // Connor Gibson The cast of “Fiddler” started rehearsing last semester in order for the premiere to take place in the spring. Future productions for the department of Theatre Arts and Dance include “She Kills Monsters” and the “Spring Dance Concert.”

Everything is awesome in ‘Lego Movie’

facebook.com Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Batman (Will Arnett) try to save the world as they know it in “The Lego Movie.”

Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor The small connectable bricks from Denmark that parents love stepping on with their bare feet are now number one at the box office in the aptly named “The Lego Movie.”

Primarily an animated feature, “The Lego Movie” film proved to be a delightful and imaginative adventure film for all ages (much like the bricks themselves). The computer animation was provided by the Australian studio Animal Logic and had a style resembling a more fluid stop-motion feel.

The story revolves around an ordinary Lego construction worked named Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt), who finds himself to be a very sought after person after accidentally falling

through a hole at his construction site and being melded with the Piece of Resistance, an object that will one day save the world.

Lord Business (Will Ferrell) wants what Emmet has, for with the Piece of Resistance out of the way he can bring the entire world to a literal standstill with his Kragle weapon (a tube of crazy glue).

While Emmet is extremely clueless and has no idea about the bigger, shady forces at work, a Master Builder—one who can create things using objects around them—by the name of Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) saves him from the minions of Lord Business and takes Emmet to see the wise wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) outside the city boundaries.

That’s where the combination of magic and nostalgia really comes into play as Emmet and his friends hop between the dif-

ferent classic Lego worlds of the Wild West, medieval castles and pirate ships. Viewers definitely will feel like they’re a kid again.

With the help of other Master Builders, a plan is formed to bring the fight to Lord Business and his robot skeleton army before the Kragle is brought online.

Imagination runs wild in “The Lego Movie,” as an already fantastical world becomes even more so with the combinations of different Lego creations throughout.

While the vehicles are sometimes created from scratch parts by the Master Builders, they’re also easily destroyed and hilariously erupt in the iconic Lego flames by Lord Business’ armies.

Because Warner Bros. is the film’s distributor, they were able to play in the licensed product sandbox, having Batman (Will Arnett) fight alongside characters like Superman (Channing Tatum), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Gandalf and Dumbledore. There’s even a nice cameo by some Legos from a galaxy far, far away.

The Lego toys are the main draw for the multiple generations who grew up playing with the bricks. There’s a special heart-warming moment in the film that every builder can relate to, no matter what age they are.

Originally invented in Denmark by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1949, Legos have captured the imaginations of both children and adults worldwide. The ability to create something out of nothing and let one’s imagination run wild is such a magical feeling, one that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were able to capture perfectly in the film.

The only negative thing about the movie overall is its running time of 100 minutes, for it could have easily been another 100. With so many worlds introduced, the characters could have spent more time in each.

Of course, if one is inspired to get back in touch with their inner child after seeing the film, Lego toys—including “The Lego Movie” brand Legos—are available at your local toy store for a pretty penny.

Then again, that’s the beauty of Legos: one is able to create a new world flawlessly, for the possibilities are endless no matter how many or what style the colorful bricks are.

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

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Entertainment

Page 7

Louis C.K. gets bizarre with ‘Tomorrow Night’ Finn Maloney Staff Writer

Dirty photos, sexualized frozen dessert, crossdressing, death and psychosis are just a few things on the mind of Louis C.K. in his recently released debut film. “Tomorrow Night” is a film that C.K. wrote and directed in 1998 and has been recently released on his website for the standard Louis C.K. price of $5.

The comedian and filmmaker, best known for his HBO specials and his critically acclaimed and artistically driven show on the FX network, “Louie,” has made a name for himself by releasing his works on his website, cutting out the middle man and avoiding the drama that comes with a more traditional method of release.

His new film continues this trend, for C.K. wishes this to become the new standard method of release and pleads on his site that nobody pirate or illegally share his work.

“Tomorrow Night” is almost 25 years old, and while the ideas and the comedy seem as current as anything C.K. could put out today, the directorial style lacks a certain adoration for craft which C.K. has come to develop to perfection in his more recent works.

The film is shot on 16mm black and white film and is coupled with the steady camera and single angled shots with overlaid sound add to the student film feel of the picture. While he succeeds in telling the story and creating the characters he wanted, the ending as well as the overall style are reminders of how inexperienced C.K. was when he took on this venture.

The film chronicles the journey of an introverted, sheepish looking man named Charles (Chuck Sklar), who owns and operates a film store and releases his frustrations with the world by cleaning his store obsessively and sitting on bowls of ice cream for sexual pleasure.

Characters such as Mel the mailman (JB Smoove), as well as a very friendly woman named Lola Vagina populate Charles’ life. Charles must return all of the leftover photos he has in his store to appease his obsessive-compulsive disorder and in doing so ends up going to an older woman’s house whose husband is a very mean old man.

The story of the film is simple, yet rewarding and while it doesn’t make sense at times, especially in the end, the comedic elements pay off throughout to much delight.

The highlights of the film include a hilarious appearance by Steve Carell on multiple occasions and a certain point when a taping of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” where C.K. himself was working at the time, is included in the plot.

The other highlight and perhaps most profes-

sional part of the film would have to be the music and score, which adds a great amount of depth to every scene it is utilized including the opening credits. Neal Sugarman, friend of C.K., wrote the music exclusively for the film.

C.K., of course, is an incredibly talented individual whose views on the world and way of thinking have made him one of the most respected figures in modern comedy. This film gives an insight into the mind of a man who is completely open in his comedy today, that is where C.K.’s true skill lies, in being completely and unsparingly honest and open about who he is.

The film steps into the mind of C.K. when he was developing, when he was figuring out who he is and perhaps unwittingly revealing much about himself on screen, even though he has no role. The way the characters interact and what is said bluntly and irregardless of emotions or repercussions is a clear reflection of the mind of C.K. himself.

“Tomorrow Night” would be impossible to air in an actual movie theater and while $5 is steep to some, if you are a true fan of C.K. and his art this is a must watch to gain a better understanding as to who he was and who he still is.

The movie, along with his different standup specials, is available to purchase at http://louisck.net.

After forming two years ago, the dynamic duo of James Mercer and Brian Burton, who is better known as Danger Mouse, brought the 70s back alive in the album “After the Disco.”

Mercer was former lead singer and songwriter from the indie band The Shins. Danger Mouse has produced and worked with the Gorillaz, Jay-Z, The Black Keys, MF Doom and Gnarles Barkley.

When listening to this concoction of an album, they incorporate a modern disco essence with inspiration from the Bee Gees, The Shins and Depeche Mode, yet creating something all their own.

Their first and most popular single, “Holding On for Life,” is a manifestly disco song reflecting the influence of the Bee Gees.

The rest of their album is not so subjective to the disco feel, but puts a spin to make it the recognizable Broken Bells energy.

Disco has been something people either love or hate, but Broken Bells have achieved in reviving the disco era to modernize and make it their own.

They break away from the ordinary pop music and Top 40 that all seems to sound the same, much like Daft Punk did with their album “Random Access Memories.”

Their self-titled first album that came out in 2010 incorporates a slower, darker feel but still combining the disco theme.

Two of the more recognizable singles from that release are “The High Road” and “The Ghost Inside.” They entwine different sounds and styles such as indie and disco-spacey.

After their 2010 album, it took them four years to release “After the Disco.” From the quality and consistency these two have shown in the past, the expectations were much higher.

The songs are engaging enough to keep listening, but later on forgotten.

They are on a major-label budget and both have expressed quality in their past collaborations. The music is not terrible, but after a break of four years in-between albums, fans are expecting more quality.

The outer space vibe mixed with the melancholy beats and lyrics could come out well if

Jimmy Fallon will be taking over “The Tonight Show” from longtime host Jay Leno.

Heeeeere’s Jimmy!

Stuart Courtney Staff Writer

wikimedia.org “Tomorrow Night” was originally written and directed by Louis C.K. back in 1998.

Financing for the film is what took so long for the final product to be released.

Broken Bells need fixing Alexis Garcia-Mills Staff Writer

facebook.com

done correctly. Yet, somehow in the beginning of their songs seem to have one’s attention, but as the song goes on there is not anything else to be kept engaged.

Mercer and Burton have flattened their music meaning that there is no range or exciting factor to stop the listener from changing the song.

Mercer’s vocals, especially in the single “After the Disco,” show a wide range that sounds like bad karaoke. After his breakaway from The Shins, there was hope for music that is just as enjoyable and meaningful.

Hopefully he can get back to that quality, or perhaps both of these talented artists have already reached their peak of success.

Although this reviewer was left hoping for more, this album is still worth listening to because of the duos unique merge of sounds and style. Broken Bells is definitely compellingly different in their genre bending style that is truly only their own.

They definitely have potential to become one of the well-known indie bands if they tweak details to ensure their music is memorable.

Give the album a listen because there is a guarantee that this immersion is music like none that’s ever been heard before. Songs are available to purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

In the world of late-night television, if a network says, “jump,” talk show hosts usually say, “how high?” Such is the case at “The Tonight Show” where NBC Universal has manipulated the careers of three well-known hosts for the sake of projected ratings since 2009.

Most recently, NBC forced Jay Leno, host of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” to retire early and surrender his seat to Jimmy Fallon who is scheduled to begin hosting “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Feb. 17. Leno’s last show was Feb. 6. The move has been the subject of considerable discussion among TV pundits, and shadows a similar action made by NBC a few years earlier. It also appears to be quite popular among SSU students.

“It’s time for Leno to go to greener pastures,” said sophomore Anna Leach. “I like Jimmy Fallon. He can relate to the younger and older generations. I think his experience on SNL [Saturday Night Live] has helped his comedy [as well as] his ability to interview people and not be boring. He’s musically talented, funny and can act.”

In 2004, NBC announced that Conan O’Brien would replace Leno in 2009. NBC eventually signed Leno to host a one-hour program at 10 p.m., “The Jay Leno Show,” to be followed by local news and “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” at 11:35 p.m. O’Brien’s first show aired June 1, 2009.

The maneuver was a dismal failure with both programs losing considerable ratings to the competition through January 2010. NBC’s solution?

In January 2010, the network announced that Leno would host a half-hour show starting at 11:35 p.m. O’Brien would be given the option to begin his show at 12:05 a.m. or leave NBC. O’Brien declined the offer and Leno was quickly rehired to host “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” at the program’s traditional start time of 11:35 p.m. O’Brien accepted a $33 million buyout and began hosting “Conan” on the TBS cable channel in November 2010. His final NBC show aired Jan. 22, 2010.

“I believe that delaying ‘The Tonight Show’ into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting,” said O’Brien in a statement release Jan. 12, 2010. “‘The Tonight Show’ at 12:05 simply isn’t ‘The Tonight Show.’”

Leno believes Fallon is the right man for the job at this juncture.

“I really like Jimmy Fallon; I think he’s terrific,” said Leno in a “60 Minutes” segment that aired Jan. 27. “When I see him do a dance number with Justin Timberlake, I think, ‘I can’t do that.’”

Some SSU students appreciate Leno and Fallon, and believe age had a lot to do with NBC’s decision.

“I sometimes watch Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon,” said Rachel Folmer, a senior. “I feel they [NBC] pulled an ageist situation on Leno. I saw a ‘60 Minutes’ interview of him, and he said they basically told him, ‘you’re too old to do this.’ … It seems like everybody knows Jimmy Fallon from ‘Saturday Night Live.’ He’s a great replacement.”

“I periodically watch Leno, but not Fallon,” said freshman Erica Kallestad. “I loved his ‘Headlines’ segment with the newspaper clippings. … I might watch Jimmy Fallon now that it’s on. They [NBC] could have handled it a little better, but I don’t see much controversy in it.”

“I watch Jimmy Fallon sometimes,” said senior Danielle Dorman. “Just to see him in a different light and interacting with different co-hosts is always fun. He has such a great personality and can hold a conversation with his interviewees.”

“I think Jay Leno is funny too. Older people need better representation in the media because they are the majority of the population. We are forgetting that over half the population would rather listen to Jay Leno,” said Dorman.

While many experts and viewers are focusing on the past and present, at least one SSU student is looking to the future.

“I think Fallon will be successful if he keeps his show exactly like it is,” said junior Brendan Byrne. “If he tries to make it like Jay Leno, then I don’t think it will work.”

“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will premiere Feb. 17 at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.

facebook.com “After the Disco” is the long awaited second album by the Broken Bells. Their self-titled first album was released back in 2010.

facebook.com Jay Leno hosted “The Tonight Show” for more than 20 years, briefly stepping down in 2009 when Conan O’Brien took over for several months.

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Features

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sonomastatestar.com

Student Spotlight: Conor McElhaney

COURTESY // Conor McElhaney Conor McElhaney will be graduating in the spring, and overall he feels he made the right choice of becoming a Seawolf four years ago.

Angelica Viera Staff Writer

I

n 10 years, some students see themselves making millions in the corporate world. For others, the future looks like a big family in the suburbs.

For Sonoma State University’s Conor McElhaney, the future looks bright with clear skies.

“In 10 years, I see myself on a beach somewhere, probably eating a burrito, enjoying the day,” said McElhaney.

The San Diego native is finishing up his fourth year as a communications major and has come to surround himself with good friends and good food along the way.

In his spare time back home, he said he is usually getting a California burrito from Rigoberto’s and heading to the beach.

Steadily making his way through the GE pattern and knocking out classes for his major, he found himself interested in media studies and wanted to expand what he already knew and hopes to pursue it as a career.

He is well-known around campus, especially in the Com-

munication Studies department.

McElhaney got involved with SSUTV, Sonoma State’s student-run television station, and last fall became the general manager after working on a few projects alongside previous manager, Derrick Carbiener.

As some students already know, classroom experience is nothing compared to the real thing.

Not to say that sitting through lectures and PowerPoint presentations are completely useless, but hands on experience gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned.

“When it comes to developing the skills necessary to be considered for a position in the digital marketplace, I can say the most of what I’ve learned has been through internship or independent research in my field of interest,” said McElhaney.

Aside from being media savvy, McElhaney has also dabbled in the marketing business.

Old volleyball teammate and friend in San Diego Brian Annen started a hockey wax company named ProFormance Wax. After talking about the company with Annen, McElhaney became interested and thought he could put his media skills to the test. He asked if he could help the company out with the marketing side of things.

The wax is designed to help players customize the traction of their hockey stick as well as enhance puck control and help with their tape’s lifespan.

“The whole experience since we started production in November has taught me so much about what goes into establishing a brand and how important online networking is in the digital marketplace,” said McElhaney.

The ProFormance Wax crew plans to attend the 25th annual “Let’s Play Hockey Expo” in Minnesota in early March.

More than 150 major hockey brands will be there along with fans and vendors. McElhaney and the rest of the team are excited to network and make a name for themselves in the hockey industry.

Like many incoming freshmen, the lavish dorms offered on campus is part of what originally attracted McElhaney to Sonoma State.

“Applying to schools, I didn’t have a first choice but I knew I wanted to check out Northern California,” said McElhaney. “After visiting Sonoma and seeing the freshman year experience (FYE) program and the villages in Sauvignon, I was sold.”

Coming in as freshman, students are often overwhelmed with the many choices for clubs and majors and everything else that a new environment could bring.

Some students, for example, go semesters without declaring a major. Others, like McElhaney, knew right from the start.

“I wanted to be a communications major because I thought

I wanted to be an anchor after being inspired by Ron Burgundy,” said McElhaney. “I also heard Zach Galifianakis was a communications major in college so I figured I was making the right choice.”

For now, McElhaney knows there is still so much left to learn in the marketing world.

He is in the process of applying for an internship, specifically at the digital marketing agency 3Q Digital.

He recently participated in a phone interview for the opportunity as an intern to become a digital account manager and is now waiting for the response.

“Interning at 3Q Digital would be my last internship as a Communications major and there’s no way I could have imagined myself at this point three years ago as a freshman in Grenache,” said McElhaney.

Graduating in the spring, he hopes to use his internship experiences and networking skills to get his foot in the door and essentially kick-start his career.

“Throughout my whole experience at SSU, it’s really been the people I’ve been around that has made this a solid college experience,” said McElhaney.

“Every interaction, laugh, and tear that I’ve shared with others over the years has confirmed that I made the right choice becoming a Seawolf.”

facebook.com Conor has used his marketing skills to manage and promote his friend’s company, ProFormance Wax Company.

The real truth behind fats

COURTESY // SSU Rec Center The Rec Center’s Nutrition team hosts many events, some of which include lectures and potlucks. They are even looking for interns for next semesters.

Sara Molenda Staff Writer Campus Rec Nutrition hosted a lecture last Wednesday in the Lotus Wellness Room at the Rec Center to inform and discuss the differences between the types of fat that one can consume.

Katie Mae, a nutritional educator at the Rec Center for the last three years, led the discussion about getting the right fats in a diet. She started the discussion with the disclaimer that fats are essential in the energy that human bodies need to work correctly. However, there are certain fatty acids that aid this process better than others. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and seaweed, are easier for the human body to break down and use for future energy than saturated fatty acids, such as those found in cream, cheese, butter and vegetable products such as coconut oil or other prepared foods.

Even worse than saturated fatty acid is transfat, which is saturated fat uncommon in nature and created artificially. Transfat is found most often in fried foods, such as French fries, doughnuts, pastries and even pizza dough.

“Consuming fat is essential to the human body, but it is important to consume the right fats,” said Mae. The two fatty acids essential to the human body are Omega 3 and Omega 6. Omega 3 fatty acids are commonly found in flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp, walnuts, seaweed and certain fish, especially salmon. Omega 6 fatty acids are more commonly found by consuming certain plant oils and their food sources, such as peanuts and peanut oil.In the human body, fatty acids play a key role in the inflammatory process. Omega 6 fatty acids are generally associated with promoting inflammation when the body first starts the healing process. Omega 3 fatty acids are contrary to the first, in that they are key to the anti-inflammatory process. The body uses these fatty acids to combat something as common as the sinus flu, or to reduce inflammation from a sprained ankle. Either way, these fatty acids are vital for the human body to function.

It is also important to have a balanced ratio

of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.

“The ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 in the average human diet is 18 to one, respectively.

Dietitians and nutritionists say the ratio should be closer to four to one,” said Mae. The idea behind changing habits in an existing diet is to look for healthier options. For example, nutritionists suggest consuming foods that have polyunsaturated fat occurring naturally rather than oil-based foods that have artificially produced fat. At Whole Foods stores, one can buy oil-free dressing, which is a better option than those dressings that include artificially produced oil. Another option is to make dressing at home from scratch using almond butter, which eliminates artificial ingredients, and introduces those polyunsaturated fats into the diet.

Although there is not an official Nutrition major at SSU, Campus Rec Nutrition encourages students to know what makes up the food they consume on a daily basis. There are discussions, potlucks and consultations every week in the Nutrition office to encourage students to start making healthier decisions in their diet.

Last Friday, the Nutrition team hosted a potluck with a Soul Food theme and on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., they will be hosting a Compassionate Cheese Workshop in the Lotus Wellness Room. The workshop will feature different vegan cheeses such as cream cheese, brie and muenster, all made from nuts.

Campus Rec Nutrition is not only an opportunity for students to get help and advice on questions about their diet, it is also an opportunity to get involved on campus. The program is currently looking for their next set of interns for fall 2014.

“This internship offers students the opportunity to learn about nutrition and fitness, while also learning how to host events, update a blog, write a newsletter, market a product and embrace the entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mae. Students can learn more about the opportunities offered through the program by stopping by the Nutrition office on the second floor of the Rec Center, or by contacting Mae by email at eat.right@sonoma.edu, or by phone at (248) 207-7363.

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Features

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Kathleen Collins From left to right: Students Molly Rosenberg, Michele Schulman, Tori Hedegard, Rachel Fielding, Ricky Padilla and Rachael Begoun pose with the capsule.

Page 9

facebook.com Items from 1992 that were found in the time capsule unearthed last year include cassette tapes and an issue of the STAR.

RSA buries time capsule Capsule to be unearthed in 2034

Kathleen Collins Staff Writer

T

hey say history repeats itself; at SSU, students’ evidence of the past is firsthand. On Feb. 7, SSU Residential Student Association buried a time capsule to be opened 20 years from

now.

Last spring, SSU students unearthed a capsule from 1992 that contained pictures, an issue of the STAR, floppy disks, cassette tapes and a JUMP t-shirt that strongly resembles the current design.

The pictures made it clear what era of recent history was represented, with bright tie-dyed clothes, Wayfarers, and baggy plaid shirts.

The new capsule was signed by those in attendance, most writing their names and years of commencement; the recent rain made signing a bit difficult, and students sought shelter underneath plastic tents overhead.

The inside of the capsule contained pictures of Residential Student Association events, pictures from the Student Center opening ceremony, pictures of the Green Music Center, various pamphlets from around campus, People magazine’s 2013 year in review issue, a plate signed by dining services, menus from the Student Center, a “swag towel” from the Recreation Center, tons of “selfies” of students, letters to the future and t-shirts from campus organizations.

“Lots of pictures were included to show them what life was like,” said Residential Student Associations leader Molly Rosenberg.

SSU was developed by the California State University system in 1960, and later gained university status.

In 1961, 250 students enrolled in the school that was temporarily based in various rented buildings throughout Rohnert Park.

The campus wasn’t established until 1966 upon the completion of Stevenson Hall and Darwin Hall, and is currently named as one of the top sustainability-aware campuses in the nation.

According to the SSU website, there were 40 bachelor’s degrees available in 1992, as well as several master’s programs.

The same year, about 900 students lived on-campus, compared to the 3,100 in 2013. In 1992 SSU welcomed current president Ruben Armiñana, who played a major role in the founding of numerous campus developments, including the Green Music Center and the new student center.

In 1992, the world was a very different place; gas cost $1.05 a gallon, the average yearly income was about $30,000, and Bill Clinton was elected as president.

The Cold War officially ended, “Wayne’s World” was released and Hurricane Andrew hit Florida, becoming one of the costliest natural disasters in American history.

The fashion scene included Birkenstock sandals and sagged jeans as well as numerous trends associated with the growing “grun-

ge” scene. Nirvana’s album, “Nevermind,” reached number one on the billboard charts after its debut the previous year, while Sir Mixa-Lot released his ever popular hit “Baby Got Back”.

The nicotine patch and DNA fingerprinting were invented in 1992, as well as AT&T’s introduction of the video telephone (a somewhat prehistoric version of facetiming).

Once the time capsule was signed and photographed, students hypothesized about what kind of future the next unearthing would take place in.

Hover cars and iPhone 35s were playfully mentioned, as well as the potential utilization of laser beams instead of saws to cut open the capsule.

Attendees anxiously pondered if In-n-Out burger would still be around in 2034, and what technologic advances would have been made by then.

The capsule itself stood about three feet tall and was covered in blue duct tape to preserve the outer body shell. The burial procedure includes wrapping the capsule in cellophane, and then pouring cement around it inside the four-foot-deep hole in the ground.

Its location is the same as the capsule from 1992, right next to police services in Verdot Village and a plaque will be placed over the capsule post-burial to mark the site for the next two decades.

One can only imagine what modern-day trends will seem comically outdated in 20 years.

SSU Sibling’s Weekend reunites families Melanie Hernandez Staff Writer

Being away from college often makes it difficult to keep in touch with younger, or even older, siblings. One way to reconnect with siblings is to be visited by them for a weekend of activities at Sonoma State University.

Sibling’s Weekend is a fun filled weekend full of activities for students and their siblings held by the Residential Student Association (RSA).

Sibling’s weekend is a chance for students to bring a little bit of home to their new college environ-

ment.

It is easy to feel disconnected from siblings when away at college.

Siblings Weekend is a great way to find a connection with them again.

The weekend started off on Friday night with registration, karaoke and a comedy event at the Vineyard on campus.

A Sonoma State Student who had her 11-year-old sisters visit her said, “Registration was very easy and [she] only had to fill out a sheet for waivers,” making this a stress free weekend for many involved.

Saturday’s activities ranged from Siblings Olympics to movie night. In the afternoon, Siblings

Olympics were held in the Cooperage.

Even the weather could not prevent the weekend from being enjoyable. There were many games and activities at the event held in the Cooperage. The RSA set up different races for the kids such as a threelegged race, a potato sack race, an egg walk race, limbo, a wheel barrel race, ring toss and hula hooping.

They also had a wrestling bounce house, a baseball bounce house, bowling and fun prizes. For after and between the games, they had water, popcorn and cotton candy.

Even the Seawolf mascot, Lobo, joined in on the fun for the day.

Students and their siblings were also given tickets to the basketball game on campus later that day, letting siblings experience a college sports game. The final event of the weekend was getting to watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.”

Student Marissa Albidress said she “had an enjoyable experience with [her] siblings who [she doesn’t] get to see very often. The activities were perfect and [they] had an amazing time.”

The RSA set up multiple events that consisted of many activities that helped bring siblings together.

With two days of activities and

STAR // Melanie Hernandez

facebook.com Lobo joins the siblings in a game of limbo.

three nights with their siblings, students were able to spend an abundant amount of time with their siblings.

A student who came with her 10- year-old sister said, “It was weird at first having my sister at school with me, but it was a fun experience that we will both remember forever.”

Having a sibling visit at college can be different, but it is a new experience that will benefit both siblings and open eyes to many things of importance. It is important for students to realize they need a connection with the people they have at home.

Siblings enjoying the free cotton candy.

Page 10

Sports

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Men’s basketball sweeps “Pack the Den” Gian D’Ambra Staff Writer

O

n the most festive weekend of the season, the Sonoma State men’s basketball team celebrated in style. Coming in losers of four out of their last five games, the Seawolves were looking to right the ship for the end of the season stretch. Friday night’s game was against the Golden Eagles of Cal State L.A., who beat SSU by two on Jan. 4.

But this time the Seawolves edged out this hard fought rematch, winning 68-64.

“I knew that my teammates trusted me with the ball, and my coaches let me play.”

The gritty back and forth pace of this game was set early in the first half with no points being scored in the first two minutes.

Sonoma State, who was without starting guard Sterling Arterberry due to a hand injury, broke the tie with a three-pointer by James Davis at the 17:55 mark. Maybe having Arterberry, the second leading scorer and rebounder on the team, would have helped SSU establish momentum in this game, but they prevailed in the end anyway. There were eight ties and six lead changes in the first half, which ended at a 2828 tie.

About 250 local elementary school students were in attendance for the “Ticket to Success” night put on by the athletic departSTAR // Connor Gibson ment to promote the desire of college attendance in young kids. They were loud and The Seawolves defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 61-53. Check out the back page for more photos. rowdy throughout the whole first half, and a “I knew that my teammates trusted me with and applauded throughout the game. guiding them to the weekend sweep. few minutes into the second half. At that time, the ball and my coaches let me play, ” said LackAllen seemed to enjoy the admiration along “I think the crowd did a good job. A lot of nearly 9 p.m., it seemed as though bedtime was ey.

“Given that trust gives me even more confiwith the stellar play of the team, who led this people came up to me and said they felt the ennear when most parents exited with their endence to go out and do the same thing night in game from start to finish.

They were once again ergy was good.” said Sonoma State’s self-prothusiastic children. Coincidentally, the gym got and night out.” without Arterberry, and without Davis, who claimed #1 fan, Jacob Harris. “I think that the quiet, and the Golden Eagles took advantage.

Saturday night’s game saw the Seawolves suffered an ankle injury late in Friday night’s more people stand up and make a difference, With 11:18 left in regulation, the Seawolves avenge another one of their 10 single-digit lossgame.

So head coach Pat Fuscaldo knew he the better our team will be. Pack the Den is the trailed 50-39, their only double-digit deficit of es from this season.

On this year’s “Pack the had to rely on guys who weren’t used to getting craziest, loudest experience that Sonoma State the weekend. They quickly stormed back to take Den” night, they played the Toros of Cal State many minutes to step up and fill the void; and offers.” a 54-53 lead on three free throws by Davis with Hopefully this momentum carries into next 6:55 left to play. Baskets were traded until junior Dominguez Hills. White t-shirts with “Noma they did just that.

Nation” printed on them were given out to fans “We were relying on people to play in cerweekend when the Seawolves face teams who Mike Harris hit a three to give the Seawolves a on first-come, first-serve basis to make a whitetain situations where they weren’t used to bealso handed them single-digit losses. Friday 66-64 lead with 1:20 until games’ end. Senior out effect.

This annual event promoting school ing in,” said Fuscaldo.

“They played solid, the night they take on 18th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona, Steve Lackey then hit two free throws with two spirit had the seats nearly full, and another surbench did a good job…They helped us maintain and Saturday they play Humboldt State. Both seconds left to seal the 68-64 victory for SSU. prise to add to Sonoma State’s 61-53 win over the lead.” games tip-off at 7:30 p.m. in the Wolves’ Den Lackey had a career-high 18 points and added in the Toros.

Hall of Fame football player and forRole players, along with the ecstatic crowd, on campus. six rebounds with a team-high five assists. mer SSU star athlete, Larry Allen, was present kept the Seawolves energy level up all weekend,

Score Box

Jake Tucker Staff Writer

Women’s Basketball Friday Feb. 7 SSU - 54 Cal State L.A. - 66 Saturday Feb. 8 SSU - 53 Cal State Dominguez Hills - 79 Men’s Basketball Friday Feb. 7 SSU - 68 Cal State L.A. - 64 Saturday Feb. 8 SSU - 61 Cal State Dominguez Hills - 53 Softball Saturday Feb. 5 SSU - 11 Dominican -8

Weather conditions drop baseball five-game series

Baseball Thursday Feb. 6 SSU - 3 Western Oregon - 5 SSU - 7 Western Oregon - 1 Women’s Water Polo Saturday Feb. 8 SSU - 2 USC - 25 Sunday Feb. 9 SSU - 9 Hartwick - 16 SSU - 9 Cal State East Bay - 10

SSU - 6 Dominican - 0 Courtesy of sonomaseawolves. com

Cleats are being strapped on. Jerseys are getting dirty. It’s baseball season. America’s pastime has returned to Sonoma State for the 2014 season, as Western Oregon University traveled down to the Seawolf Diamond for a five-game non-conference matchup.

Unfortunately, the rain would not cease to pour, and only games one and two were played.

“I was honestly really surprised and honored to be starting on opening day. It was good to get the jitters out early in the season.”

For the first game, the Seawolves sent senior pitcher George Asmus out to the mound, who just got his fifth year of eligibility approved. Asmus threw four strong innings, giving up one hit, not surrendering a run, and collecting four strikeouts. Sonoma State pitcher Blake Sack, who also threw four shutout innings, only gave up two hits.

Oregon State’s offense wasn’t too productive in the first game. They were led by second baseman Parker Miles, who put forth the Wolves’ only multihit performance, going 2-4 for the game. Designated hitter Tim Rausch also added a hit, and WOU’s only RBI on the day.

The Seawolves were led by walk-on freshman outfielder Daniel Caresio who was making his college debut. Caresio ended the game 2-3 with a walk, a double, two RBIs, and a run. He wasn’t the only force in the game though. Senior second baseman Jackson Stogner also added two hits, a double, a run, and an RBI. Alex Crosby went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Justin Serrao added two hits and a run, and Devin Alexander contributed a clutch two-RBI single to a final 7-1 Seawolf victory. This marked the 14th consecutive season with a win in their first game.

“I was honestly really surprised and honored to be starting on opening day. It was good to get the jitters out early in the season,” said Caresio. “This year we have a lot of young talent and great returning leaders to take us a long way. If we do everything right, we will be in Cary, NC at the College World Series.”

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Despite the game series being reduced to two games, the Seawolves came out with a victory.

After a short break to clean up the field, game two was underway. Western Oregon’s offense was singing a different song in this game, as they put up three hits and a run in the first inning. (They had three hits through the first eight innings of game one.)

It was a one run game after the sixth, but ultimately, Western Oregon triumphed over the Seawolves 5-3.

WOU was led by Tim Rausch, who went 2-2 with a sacrifice and an RBI. Matt Taylor also contributed a pair of hits. First baseman Nathan Etheridge went 1-4 with a run and an RBI. The winning pitcher was Taylor Hetrick.

The Seawolves’ big stat to watch is going to be their strikeouts. Sonoma struck out eight times in the first game, and nine times in the second game. Their main contributor was senior Garrett Schwartz who went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Justin Serrao put up another multi-hit game, going 2-3, and Brandon Baranzini added a clutch two RBI single.

This weekend, the Seawolves travel to Los Angeles to play a four game series against Cal State L.A. in a conference matchup.

One game will be played Friday at 2 p.m. A doubleheader will be played Saturday, starting at 11 a.m., and one game will be played Sunday at 11 a.m.

Sports

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

“Ticket to Success” brings out community

STAR // Connor Gibson Last Friday, 250 Santa Rosa elementary school students, parents, teachers and administrators came to SSU to participate in the fifth annual “Ticket to Success” program.

Participants were given a tour of campus, autographs from student-athletes and inspirational talks about succeeding in college and life from SSU head coaches. Afterwards they stayed and watched the men and women’s basketball games during “Pack the Den.” This program was invented to help foster an excitement for college in the youth of our community by providing a mentorship program that allowed kids to interact with college athletes. NFL Hall of Famer and SSU alum Larry Allen could be seen cheering from the sidelines.

Lady Seawolves drop two home games Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer The women’s basketball team stayed at home this weekend to host two games. Both games ended with a loss from Cal State Los Angeles on Friday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night. The Seawolves were sitting on a 3-15 record going into the weekend and hoped to bring the W’s playing at home in the Wolves’ Den. Friday night, the Lady Seawolves hosted Cal State L.A.’s Golden Eagles. The Eagles had a solid 12-6 record going into Friday night and looked to get another win against Sonoma State. The ball tipped off and the game was on. SSU scored the first two points through a good jumper by Bronte Sheahan. The game continued back and forth through the first 10 minutes of play. A three-pointer

by Kristina Fahey with over nine minutes left brought the Seawolves within a point. The Golden Eagles continuously stayed ahead by 2-5 points for the next few minutes. The first half continued and with a minute left, Los Angeles caught their biggest lead of the half by 11 points on account of a free throw. With less than 20 seconds left in the half, a made layup by Seawolf Natalie Del Carlo brought the Seawolves within nine points ending the half at 36-27 with the Golden eagles up.

The second half opened up with the Seawolves trailing. An Eagles fast-break added their lead by another two points. The next few minutes, Cal State L.A. maintained a lead of 9-11 points. After the first ten minutes of the second half, the score was 51-42 with the Lady Seawolves trailing by nine points. With less than eight minutes, Bronte Sheahan made two free throws that would cause the closest part of the game to occur soon. With just over six minutes left, SSU’s Taylor Acosta made a three-pointer to bring the Seawolves within two points with the score at 53-51. That was the closest Sonoma State would get in their efforts. The Golden Eagles slowly climbed their lead back up as they went up by 8 with just over three minutes left in the game. The game ended with a final score of 66-54 with Cal State L.A. beating the Seawolves by 12 points.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros rolled into the Wolves’ Den with a 14-5 record looking to take on our Lady Seawolves. The game opened up with a Toro-made threepointer to take a 3-0 lead. The Seawolves answered right back within 45 seconds with a three-pointer by Tanner Adams. Hannah Sourek made a jump shot to bring Sonoma up by two points, which would be their largest lead of the half. Dominguez Hills answered back with another threepointer to take the lead back. Kristina Fahey made both her free throws, which brought Sonoma State back up by a point with just under 16 minutes left. From then on it would not look good for the Lady Seawolves. Missed shots and turnovers had the Seawolves down by a whopping 13 points with 10 minutes in the half. The Toros lead 28-10 with just over

Seawolves Sports Feb. 11 Softball at Notre Dame de Namur 1 p.m.

3 p.m.

Feb. 15 Women’s Tennis vs. Point Loma (at Glendale, AZ) 9 a.m.

Feb. 14 Women’s Tennis vs. Azusa Pacific (at Glendale, AZ) 9 a.m.

Baseball at Cal State L.A. 11 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Point Loma Nazarene (at Glendale, AZ) 9 a.m.

Softball vs. Cal State Monterey Bay 12 p.m.

2 p.m.

STAR // Connor Gibson Molly Kommer goes in for a layup. five minutes left in the half. With 30 seconds left, Dominguez Hills made two free throws to keep their lead by 14 going into half time with a score of 36-22.

After half time, things were even more downhill for the Lady Seawolves. Being down by 14 at the half was the least they trailed by again. The Toros’ lead continued to rise. Sonoma State could not contest well enough with their opponents. In the second half alone, they made 9 of 28 shot attempts which was not good enough to get back into the game. The Toros had their largest lead by 38 with three minutes left. The game ended with a Seawolves’ three-pointer

by Baylee Yates, which brought the final score to 79-53 with the Toros winning by 26. Kristina Fahey lead the Lady Seawolves with 13 points and Taylor Acosta came right after with eight points. It was a poor performance by Sonoma State because they simply couldn’t keep up with the Toros.

It was a tough loss and brought their record down to 3-17. The Seawolves look to next weekend to shine bright at home with Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night and Humboldt State on Saturday night. They will be tough games, but the Seawolves will practice even harder this week and look to bring the number up in the win column.

Baseball at Cal State L.A. 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Azusa Pacific (at Glendale, AZ) 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Cal Poly Pomona 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Cal Poly Pomona 7:30 p.m.

Softball vs. Cal State Monterey Bay 11 a.m.

1 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo at UC Davis 11:45 a.m.

5 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Montana State Billings (at Glendale, AZ) noon Women’s Basketball vs. Humboldt State 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Humboldt State Band Night 7:30 p.m.

Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

Page 12

Photo

This week in photos...

For more, check out page 11 and SonomaStateStar.com

STAR // Connor Gibson Saturday’s Pack the Den was successful as students and community came out to cheer on the Seawolves.

Feb. 11 - Feb. 17, 2014

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