Volume72 issue5

“Juried” art show dazzles viewers

P. 6

“Headshine” duo honors Bob Marley

P. 8

P. 11

Women’s basketball goes pink

Sonoma State Star

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 5

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

FEBRUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 24, 2014

Campus waits for success fee decision Claudia Jambor Staff Writer

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he white sheet outlining the proposed Academic Success Fee, which was last estimated at $250 a semester to and would ensure more classes, was completed and passed on to Sonoma State University President Ruben Armiñana last weekend. Armiñana, Provost Andrew Rogerson and Chief Financial Officer Larry Furukawa-Schlereth met with CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White on Monday in Long Beach to discuss the fee.

The white sheet has not been released to the public. Rogerson said that the white sheet will only be released to the public if administration chooses to proceed with alternative consultation, in which Armiñana would meet with a representative sample of the campus as well as the Fee Advisory Committee.

Otherwise, discussion of the fee will be dropped altogether.

Susan Gutierrez, director of Financial Aid at Sonoma State University, calculated if the fee is implemented, an increase of 6.9 percent would result on current total registration fees.

In the 2012-13 school year, 36 percent of undergraduates at Sonoma State received grant aid from the federal and/ or state programs. Another 23 percent were eligible for federal loan assistance.

Therefore, a total of 56 percent of undergraduates in 2012/13 relied on some form of financial aid.

To cater to a majority of undergraduates, Gutierrez said Armiñana is currently investigating the option of a new financial aid program in support students to paying the proposed fee.

“For us to create a new Financial Aid program, that would be perhaps possible. I do know that the president is looking into that option,” Gutierrez said.

Currently, most Financial Aid

programs would not be able to support students in paying the additional fee. A situation that would leave the majority of Sonoma State students limited options to pay the fee.

Gutierrez drew comparisons between the financial decisions surrounding the proposed fee and those of everyday life in today’s economic downturn.

“Everything’s a trade-off. If you have to pay $200 more on your fees then you have $200 less for other things.

Where are you going to make those cuts? Every individual student and family is faced with things like that, when gas prices go up or when groceries go up and our income doesn’t necessarily go up. We are all dealing with these sorts of trade-offs all the time,” Gutierrez said.

Meanwhile, students and faculty are beginning to protest the fee at meetings and online.

Mathematics professor Rick Luttmann believes students shouldn’t have to make trade-offs, stating “education is clearly a public good.”

“I resist the administration’s attempt to blame that (the recession) exclusively to the problems and weasel out of their own responsibilities,” said Luttmann.

“Students have been brought to Sonoma State under the premise that taxpayers are funding most of their costs and they’re (the students) are going to pay a certain amount. They’ve paid for that and they expect to get an education. Now they’re being told if they really want an education, they’re going to have to pay extra. That’s just outrageous, the administration has to find some other way to do it,” said Luttmann.

The fee would increase current annual campus fees by 28 percent, an increase that Luttmann, amongst other

See FEE Pg. 5

STAR // Evan Croker Career Services hosted workshops last week leading up to the Job Fair this Thursday.

Job Fair prepares students for success Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer

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his Thursday, Career Services will present the 2014 Job Fair for Sonoma State University students. The Job Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Students will have the opportunity to speak with 115 different companies about their organization and job availability within the company. Over the past week, Career Services has offered a series of workshops for students to attend to prepare for the fair. Seven of the companies attending the fair have created presentations for students on a variety of topics including how to conduct yourself at a career fair,

what employers look for in future employees and personal branding.

Starr Staffing is one of the companies involved in the Job Fair and the workshops. Starr Staffing is a locally owned temp. agency that has been in the area since 1998.

They receive job orders from companies and provide them with qualified, interested employees. The jobs they staff are located throughout Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Solano counties. Elsa Mata, a talent sourcer for Starr Staffing, says they try and serve the local community rather than nationally.

“We work really hard at finding people jobs here in the county.

There’s a lot of staffing agencies out there that are national and we strive

to focus on locally owned, Sonoma County businesses,” said Mata.

Starr Staffing is always looking for employees for a variety of jobs from part time to full time to seasonal work.

“Check us out! Starrhr.com. We do end up getting a lot of Monday through Friday jobs but we also get a lot of one-time events in customer service,” said Mata. “There are part time jobs that college students would be awesome for and I don’t think that is being said often so I want students not to feel intimidated. Just come on by, we have offices in Napa, Fairfield, Petaluma and Santa Rosa.”

See FAIR Pg. 4

City Council votes to implement parking permits this, they also passed an ordinance in 2009 allowing residential parking permits to be passed if 65 percent of the residents signed a petition.

Residents of Maximillian Place and Maurice Avenue have received 90 percent of the residents’ signatures allowing parking passes to be distributed on those two streets in M-Section.

For the past year, residents of Maximillian Place and Maurice Avenue have worked at getting this petition signed to decrease congestion on the streets, increase safety, and decrease the amount of noise that goes on around that area. Though recently, many residents have stated that they do not believe they knew what they were signing for.

“We’re opposed to the parking permits now. When we got that 90 percent signature I don’t feel like we had the whole picture,” said Tony, an M-Section resident.

But there are many who are in favor of the parking permits.

“I’ve lived on Maximillian for approximately nine years and when I moved in the neighborhood was fairly quiet. There actually weren’t too many parties going on and there wasn’t a lot of traffic. But in the last couple of years it has just exponentially been worse all the time,” said Beth Buckley, M-Section resident. “The last two years have been very noticeable. The problem without knowing whose car is in the way is that we don’t have a phone number to call to say ‘Can you kindly move your car?’ Some cars will take up two spots and they’re just not considerate. For me, this permit parking is a really good start to bring some kind of order back to our neighborhood that is off

the charts.”

According to Elizabeth Dippel of Associated Students, who represented Sonoma State at the City Council meeting, each parking permit that is distributed is only valid for one year. No more than three permits can be issued per residence and no more than one permit per car. A parking permit may be issued to a resident who does not possess a motor vehicle if the resident submits a signed statement that demonstrates that the resident needs to provide a parking permit to a caretaker or a service provider.

A resident may apply for a permit at the City Hall if they can prove that they live in the area being affected and provide proof of ownership of the car that they wish to register. Each permit costs $20 initially (per car), and then there will be a $5 annual renewal charge. The parking permits will be enforced Monday through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. allowing anyone to park in those areas over the weekend.

Once a permit has been distributed, it can be transferred to all motor vehicles associated with each person listed on the application. The parking permits may also be loaned to visitors or service providers. The city may issue temporary parking permits to houses accommodating houses who may have a gathering.

“The council passed [the ordinance] in a 4-1 vote, so it wasn’t unanimous. The mayor is actually the one person who voted against it. He realizes and completely acknowledged that something needs

Ali G and ‘Boondocks’ return to television

The STAR takes on Sonoma Raceway

Lady Seawolves defeated by Otters

Read the story on page 7

For more turn to page 9

See page 10 for more details

STAR // Katie McDonagh M-section is notorious throughout the community for its loud parties, which prompted Rohnert Park City Council to implement the 120-day party ordinance last year.

Megan Kleszcz Staff Writer

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ast year, Rohnert Park City Council voted unanimously to pass a 120-day party ordinance in an effort to quell the numerous college parties taking place in M-Section. Along with

See PERMIT Pg. 5

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.

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

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

For other information, e-mail the STAR at star@sonoma.edu.

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star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick

This week’s can’t miss article: “TAPS Petaluma moves to new location”

Petaluma has some great spots for grabbing drinks, but the town lost a good contender after TAPS temporarily closed.

Fortunately, the restaurant and tasting room has officially reopened in its new location, and Features Editor Amanda Levine provides readers with vivid descriptions of the wellknown bar’s soft opening and its enthusiastic and supportive patrons. This article definitely makes you want to drive a few miles south just to grab TAPS’ pale ale - and if you’re under 21, a house root beer will do just fine!

Turn to pg. 8 for the story

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

Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available. Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Thursday before the publication date.

Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length.

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

To send a letter to the editor e-mail star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by e-mail will not be published.

Corrections/Clarifications

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

Publication

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

The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR editorial board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

No, thank you An open letter to President Ruben Armiñana

Dear President Ruben Armiñana, Before we tell you our opinion of your proposal of an Academic Success Fee, you should know – if you don’t already – that it would appear a large majority of this campus is rooting against you.

Regardless of whether or not good intentions lie behind this fee (which has been estimated to be around $500 a year and would supposedly guarantee a shorter time to graduate by funding more professors, classes and advising services, and would reportedly outweigh the cost of spending more years here), many students and faculty members, from what we hear, are simply sick to death of these fees. They don’t feel like they should fork over even more money for a quality education, especially since they’re already paying the highest tuition in Sonoma State history. They don’t think the administration is representing – or even considering – their best interests.

They don’t trust you.

To be fair, there’s a good chance that some of these people haven’t done their research. They haven’t read all the coverage about the budget, talked to every constituent involved in this process, or sat in on every meeting and information session this campus has held in an effort to educate themselves about what this proposed fee would do.

But that doesn’t change the fact that students are starting to really care about this. They’re blowing up in their classrooms, blogs and social media about how angry they are.

The fee isn’t a sure thing, and it’s not until next week that you reportedly will decide to either go through alternative consultation or drop discussions of the fee altogether. But if you do attempt to implement the fee by alternative consultation and not by campus-wide vote, students are likely to become even more outraged that they’ve been left out of the process.

Maybe you don’t mind if the campus is angry, just as long as they receive access to the classes necessary to get them to graduate sooner. And you may be right.

But what good are those extra classes going to be when students can no longer afford to come here? Why should they take out more loans to cover the fee when they can easily go someplace else?

We can’t tell you how to do your job, because we clearly don’t know what it feels like to be the president of a small public

STAR // Garett Knight university campus in the middle of a budget crisis. We don’t know what it’s like to earn six figures, be responsible for large decisions that can impact more than 9,000 people at a time, and be both berated and celebrated about these decisions by all walks of life on this campus.

What we do know is that many of us aspire to have an exciting, worthwhile and fulfilling career like yours someday, and the only way we’ll get there is with a college education. And we chose to get that education at a public university, hoping that the reason why it’s cheaper than private colleges is because California knows we’re carrying its future on our backs.

We’re already committing to work for the majority of our lives with these degrees – we don’t need to prolong that commitment by deepening our personal debt.

We also know you have a heart, empathy and common sense. You say diversity will be maintained if this fee is implemented, but we all know that simply isn’t true. As president for almost 12 years, you – more than anyone – should be appreciating the growth of the culture, diversity, and pride at this campus. Implementing this fee and making a degree much less affordable would shatter all of those things, as more than half of Sonoma State students receive

financial assistance and would be deeply affected if they have to pay more.

You’re right in telling us that the state won’t be helping us out of this deficit anytime soon, but you’re wrong in asserting there’s no other way out.

If someone wants to spend the money to speed up their time here, they can do so without dragging the rest of the campus along. They can commit their own time and money to take summer and winter classes. They can knock out GEs at junior colleges. They can make an effort to see as many advisors as possible the first week of their freshman year to decide on a major.

They can create seven different registration back-up plans if their first six don’t follow through.

But making it mandatory to pay an estimated $2,000 more for a degree isn’t the right answer. It may sound good to you, but it doesn’t sound good to thousands of others – the ones who are actually paying to be here.

So, if it isn’t obvious already, we don’t think you should implement this fee. We agree it would be much nicer to have more classes, professors and advising, but now’s not the right time.

In short: “No, thank you.”

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 Student criticizes priorities of campus Dear Editor: It has come to my attention that Sonoma State administration is no longer interested in the well-being of its current students, but rather the interest of incoming applicants who are dazzled by the new and highly expensive buildings that have been popping up across campus. From the glamorous Green Music Center to the heavily equipped Student Center, Sonoma has become the perfect campus to tour, but the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

These new buildings are funded by outgoing students to impress the incoming students. The problem is those who pay never get to enjoy the result of their “donations.”

Furthermore, it is not up to the students to decide what is best for our campus, when in reality, it is our campus.

Here at Sonoma State, the budgets that students are funding are not helping the number of classes increase, nor is there talk of hiring more professors to handle the exponentially growing student population. We do not attend college for the buildings that allow us to hang out in public or sit dazed in a lounge chair. We attend college to get seated in classes associated with our major and learn what will be useful to us when we graduate...if we graduate.

Here is my disclaimer - I am a junior, carrying a load of 20 units, attempting to keep a part-time job and hold a high position within the largest club on campus. I am not on a student committee, I do not often read articles on Sonoma State budget, nor do I research how colleges are run. That being said, I am a student. I also plan to be a teacher. What have I learned from working as a teacher is this: The student comes first. Regardless of what you need to sacrifice, your students are your lifeblood, your inspiration, your main interest. It is your job as an administrator of knowledge to make them feel safe, accounted for, and over all: important. Most teachers sacrifice a high salary, late nights, and their free time for the good of their students. I do not see that sort of dedication behind the administration at Sonoma State. Its highest ranked employees are some of the best paid in the CSU system, and yet

there is no proof that that salary is inspiring this administration to change.

This is my plea to the administration: Use the budget you have already allotted from student payments to further the hiring of more qualified professors and larger classrooms. Stop rigorously stealing money out of the pockets of students already under the burden of loans, and help them graduate within the four years necessary for a degree. Using the money from current students to lure possible students is only attempting to pack more sardines into this can we call college. There are not enough classes, parking spaces, or living arrangements (on and off campus) for more students to attend, when a majority are staying extra years to complete work simply because of a system that takes admission more importantly than graduation.

Open up the parking lots to all students who attempt to make it to class on time. There is simply not enough space for cars to park and yet reserved parking lots tend to remain deserted. There are endless parking violations freely handed out, yet I highly doubt there has been talk of why.

The answer is not careless youths. The reason behind these violations are that students are desperate to make it to their classes on time and feel that those classes more important than finding a spot in the right lot. I see that as dedication to their schooling, don’t you?

If college students are burdened with loans because classes are not available, and their debt is increasing each year that they stay, there should be a cost reduction for every additional year. That extra time is the fault of the administration in almost all cases. There is more than enough funding already on campus to assist students in completing their years here in a timely manner, and yet nothing is being done. Less than 20 percent of all monetary donations are being spent on instructional needs, when the rest is improving the beautification and artificial work done to impress everyone other than its students.

- Ashley Browning, student

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

What you make of it Julia Chacko Staff Writer

It’s five minutes before a critical statistics exam and you’re freaking out. You’re absolutely positive that you’re going to fail. You’ve never done particularly well in math. In fact, it’s your self-proclaimed worst subject.

As the clock ticks ever closer to your impending doom, you shiver with pure dread. Failure is so terribly imminent that you can almost taste its bitter bite. And you do fail – but not because of your supposed ineptitude for statistics. Instead of serving as yet another example of how horrible you are at math, this failure is caused by an eternally troubling social bias: the “self-fulfilling prophecy.”

“If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences,” said sociologist W.I. Thomas in 1928, though it was not until 1968 that fellow sociologist Robert K. Merton coined this phenomenon with the term ‘self-fulfilling prophecy.’

In his book “You Are Not So Smart,” bloggerturned-author David McRaney stipulates the notion that our simple belief in a future event will engender its eventual outcome in reality if said event is dependent upon human behavior. Essentially, if you anticipate something, it is more than likely that it will come to pass.

Let’s look at that failing a math test example again. If you have been socialized to believe that math isn’t your forte, you will always enter into such classes with a pessimistic attitude, doubting yourself and your abilities. This believed lack of capabilities will likely discourage you from making a decent effort, and studying for exams will be approached with a “why even bother” standpoint. Looking at it with this perspective, it’s no wonder you failed.

Know that any label which society may give you is nothing more than empty words as long as you choose to make it so.

However, something as seemingly insignificant as failing a test or two is nothing compared to the broader socio-economic consequences of the selffulfilling prophecy at play in our society. Consider the incredible importance of our primary identifiers: our names.

Do people with more “socially acceptable” names achieve more monetary and emotional success in life as a result of a widespread self-fulfilling prophecy?

According to the intriguing book “Freakonomics,” major societal and cultural issues such as racism and inequality in social class go hand-in-hand with the logistics (or lack thereof ) of the self-fulfilling

Opinion

Page 3

Blood isn’t thicker than water Family can be found anywhere, in anyone Chad Bianchi Copy-Editor

STAR // Shyanne Lopez It doesn’t do anyone good to rely on a predicion of what is to come. The future is what we write for ourselves. prophecy.

With every chapter, author Stephen J. Dubner and economist Steven D. Levitt provide a landscape of slightly disturbing yet fascinating knowledge about the inner workings of our socially constructed reality – a reality in which one’s self-concept is entirely tied to one’s name.

Dubner and Levitt purport that one’s given name is a relatively credible indicator of his or her future successes and/or failures because that title causes the individual to either ‘live up’ or ‘live down’ to said name.

Because of the undeniable nature of racism in the United States, children given more African American sounding names such as Unique or Roshanda will face far more antagonism in the American education system and workforce.

Often viewed as second-class citizens based upon their names alone, these individuals constantly face the painfully real consequences of others’ and their own less than pleasant predictions of their futures.

Names serve as the foundation for a life-long, terribly damaging self-fulfilling prophecy. This devastating social bias creates the central tenant of our sense of self. No wonder many of us have a completely deluded, warped negative opinion of ourselves.

So what can we do to attempt to avoid self-prophesizing?

Well, like many things in life, awareness is key.

Personally, I must continuously remind myself of the trappings of the self-fulfilling prophecy’s presence in my life.

When I spiral down the all-too familiar paths of bodily insecurity and intellectual doubt, I try to remember W. I. Thomas’s words. Besides, I think it’s common knowledge that positive thinking brings forth positive actions.

So the next time you have a math test, try studying instead of wallowing in supposed imminent failure. More importantly, know that any label which society may give you is nothing more than empty words as long as you choose to make it so. Life’s what you make it, so stop making it suck.

Family plays an insurmountable role in everyone’s life. From being a child to becoming an adult we are surrounded by our family, which inf luences our behavior, but more importantly gives us new experiences everyday to learn from.

My definition of family is anyone you care about enough to do anything for.

Other than bloodline isn’t that what family is all about? This could be your friend you consider a brother or sister, your dog or cat that is always there for you or anyone else for that matter.

I always wanted a biological brother; someone to have more things in common than my two sisters and I. Fortunately enough, growing up I realized I have about 10 “brothers” I would do anything for. My friends were not only people to have a good time with, but were people that challenged me to become a better person.

I believe respect is one of the most important traits to have or give when it comes to meeting a person and building a relationship. It shows that you are considerate, kind, intelligent and mature.

“Adolescents’ social relationships with their peers can develop constructive interpersonal skills, autonomy, positive mental health, self-confidence, and satisfaction with social support,” said Doctor Elizabeth Hair.

“In addition, interacting with friends helps teens learn to make joint decisions, express empathy, and deepen their perspectives.”

My “brothers” are some of the most important people in my life because they are people I can go to a baseball game and get rowdy with (preferably the Oakland Athletics), play a game of pick-up basketball at the park and wrestle with or without the intention of hurting each other (preferably World Wrestling Entertainment style). I have shared some of the best times of my life with my friends and some of the worst, but at the end of the day we all know we have each others’ back, which makes our bond unbreakable.

“It takes a good friend to have a good friend,” said my friend Jimmy Rhoades. “A friendship can’t be all give or all take. It has to be a little bit of give and a little bit of take.”

Before you can become a “good friend” it is important to have healthy relationships with your blood family such as parents, siblings, grandparents or cousins.

“As expected, teens’ relationships with their parents are strongly associated with teens’ healthy social development,” said Hair. “In addition, good parent-child relationships appear to inf luence the development of other social relationships, such as relationships with friends and romantic partners and also affect adolescents’ psychological and psychosocial development.”

I believe good parent-child relationships inf luence the development of other social relationships because my parents always made sure I respected one another, which helped me develop new relationships in the classroom, on the sports team and in the neighborhood. I believe respect is one of the most important traits to have or give when it comes to meeting a person and building a relationship. It shows that you are considerate, kind, intelligent and mature.

Family is the most important thing in the world. They are there for support, help and plenty of other life challenges. The more family you have the better, so be sure to treat people the way you want to be treated then maybe one day you can call them “family.”

Who wants to be the next American cash cow Tyler Drinnen Staff Writer

Pop culture in today’s world has become the leading example of what people regularly form their opinions on. The culture that has been created from the arts has now become a system based solely on supply and demand; where we the people are no longer just the viewing audience but the test group for future “product” development and promotion.

Take the show American Idol for instance, operated and owned by one of the largest conglomerate companies in the world: 21st Century Fox Entertainment Group. Just as an example, consider the product being sold to us as the musicians themselves.

American Idol and shows like X Factor and the Voice have similar strategies, by attempting to find the next the “next big thing” in a camouf laged performance format. But to me, it seems more like they’re encouraging people to audition in order to become the next big manufactured product.

But that’s just it; researching and finding the specifics of what the people really want can ultimately determine the approach a business will take in order to sell to its particular audience. People are demanding and giving feedback without even realizing that they’re viewing habits are dictating the things that we see, like a vicious cycle. The results often ref lecting what we want to see in and throughout current pop-culture.

Granted, I really do like watching these shows on occasion, especially when it gets down to just a handful of talented musicians.

But in reality, I’m also inadvertently playing

STAR // Eddie Blake Our society has created “brands” out of people and themes within the entertainment business that appeal to the tastes of the masses. American Idol is a perfect example of making talent and hope about money. a part in a basic business model set up by the network producers.

Today’s society is all about brands.

Branding an image is no different than selling a marketable product in order to increase

high revenue. Conglomerates claim that in the end it’s about pleasing the general consumers taste, but I call foul. Those brand associations accompanied by the some 3,000 advertisements we see day-to-day can cause

some major consumer overload of pointless, sometimes useless information. As I create associations to the “transaction” I make daily, it almost feels like I am becoming trapped inside a bubble that just won’t pop.

After realizing that I was being manipulated by the big businesses around me, I have developed a sad outlook on pop-culture. I guess it shouldn’t be so hard to believe that the number one goal of any business is to thrive Knowing that pop culture has evolved by the inf luence of current and past business professionals is arguably one of the largest debates I see coming in future years.

We do have the individual power to make and correct consumer related decisions, yet we choose not to because, well, we are the selfish generation. From a consumer prospective, everything shouldn’t always have to be about making the sale, especially when we choose to let the idea of branding affect us.

For me, fighting against the consumer norms has helped me establish a higher respect for the real talent around me. However, not being aware of certain aspects related to media and pop culture in the past has created an end result of my well-established ignorance.

Realizing that you can choose to opt out of certain information is a huge human right.

So, in fact, ignorance in this case can be bliss.

I just consider the consistent f low of information and content I see, and separate it by its mere importance. And that’s one of the many ways I protest; I am not a test subject.

Flaws and inconsistencies can be found in the shaping of pop culture surrounding us this year.

And for that matter, most of us chose to take part in this consumer based business model because it something we’re so used to.

Page 4

News

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

FAIR: Workshops teach business lessons

STAR // Evan Croker One of the workshops last week taught students how to behave during an interview.

Continued from Pg. 1

The group of companies in attendance this year is similar to what has been seen in the past.

Some big name companies like Target, Kohl’s, and Enterprise Rent-a-Car as well as locally owned companies like Amy’s Kitchen will be there to discuss future employment with students.

Along with these companies there will be representation from non-profit organizations, government agencies and representatives from local summer camps for those interested in summer internships or camp counselor jobs.

According to Monica Alveraz, an employer relations specialist in Career Services, they are trying to diversify the companies as much as they can.

“Every year its still a challenge to get employers for some of the underrepresented groups on campus, for instance Environmental Studies.

Those employers are still hard to get to the fair just because they are usually smaller and harder to connect with leading up to the fair. There may be some majors that are disappointed this year but it’s also an opportunity for students to branch out a little and get that first job,” said Alveraz.

“It will help students realize that this is what the job market looks like and get that experience and at least network with people. Even if you don’t have that perfect company for you at the fair this year you are still going to have a really good opportunity to work on your interview skills, work on your resume and putting yourself out there.

There’s a lot of ways to get a lot out of the fair other than just finding that perfect job right off the bat.”

Both Alveraz and Mata encourage students to come prepared to the Job Fair. The companies will be looking for students that are interested in

starting a professional career so it is vital to come in the proper attire with the appropriate materials to show your interest in the companies.

“Bring quite a few copies of your resume depending on how many employers you are planning on talking to. You’re going to want to research ahead of time which companies are coming and you want to try and tailor your resume for those specific employers so that when you are talking to certain companies you have a perfect resume to hand them. Also bring generic resumes for companies that you didn’t expect so you can hand them something,” said Alveraz.

“Dress business casual, be conservative in your dress as if you were going to a church service or business interview. Try not to wear any short skirts, and girls and guys should wear a buttondown shirt. Also bring a good attitude. Be prepared that you are going to talk to employers, being in the right frame of mind is very important.”

For those students that cannot attend the Job Fair there are still many methods of finding jobs available in the area. One of the resources available exclusively to students at Sonoma State University is Seawolf Jobs. Seawolf Jobs is a service where companies post jobs on a forum available only to Sonoma State students.

The individuals at Career Services are always updating the listings with current jobs available.

Students can also visit the Career Center located on the first floor of Salazar in room 1070.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car will be hosting the last workshop in the series on Wednesday and the information will be on interviewing and dressing for success. That workshop will be from noon - 1 p.m. in Salazar 1070. For more information on the Job Fair and for a complete list of the organizations in attendance visit www.sonoma.edu/career.

wikipedia.org Political science professor David McCuan heads Sonoma State’s branch of the Cal State Studies in D.C.

Students intern in D.C. Brandon Stachnik Copy Editor

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he internship program that allows CSU students from every major to gain an education while working with government officials in Washington, D.C. just reached its 10-year anniversary. The Cal State in D.C. program started at CSU Fullerton but has since branched to other CSU campuses including Sonoma State University.

Although originally established as a summer program only, the internship opportunity is now available for students to take in the spring. This spring’s enrollment reached a record high of 46 students and that number is estimated to double in the summer. This number still wont exceed the capacity of students that can be admitted which reaches 330 a year (both spring and summer terms). As a result of this large capacity, the program is not as competitive as some expect.

While enrolled, students are able to take a full-time academic workload while working along side CSU alumni mentors, government officials and numerous other business administrators.

No matter what a student’s major is they will be able to find classes in the program that interest them and that cater to their career path. For example, ENSP students could work with members of the Environmental Protection Agency while business

students could work with the Chamber of Commerce. Even wine business majors have the opportunity to learn about the government-regulated wine industry.

Sonoma State University Professor and Northern CSU campus representative for Cal State in D.C. David McCuan says the internship program is looking for applications from more than just POLS majors.

“Science, engineering and business majors are all underrepresented right now and these government agencies are interested in their skill sets,” said McCuan.

McCuan also mentioned that a select few organizations and agencies ask specifically for Sonoma State students when looking to the program for employment prospects. Whitney Diver, a Sonoma State alum, was the first non-FSU student to attend the program and still works with Cal State in D.C. today.

Students work in their intern positions four days a week for a total of 30-40 hours. McCuan said the program’s faculty typically arranges the internships for the students because of their large list of government connections, but some do find organizations on their own.

Professors involved in the program teach classes pertaining to their field of expertise but develop an angle to demonstrate the government’s involvement in that field.

Class subjects range from

sustainability and globalization to lobbying policy development.

Members of CSU alumni that are currently working in D.C. also work as mentors to the students during the program. There are more than 35,000 CSU alumni currently working in or around Washington D.C. “Students enrolled in this spring’s program will spend a lot of time working with lobbyists and fundraising firms because of the upcoming elections,” said McCuan. “A select few will be working with a committee raising money for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.”

The Cal State in D.C. program is said to be the most affordable way to study in D.C. The fees are lower than competing programs, and because of the recently signed long-term housing contracts, housing fees are also lower. Tuition and fees can be covered by FAFSA and other financial aid.

In celebration of the program’s 10-year anniversary, there will be an invite-only reception in the Capitol Hill visitor’s center on Feb. 26. Included on the list of attendees is Sonoma State President Ruben Arminaña and Whitney Diver.

Any student interested in joining the Cal State in D.C. internship program should first contact McCuan by email or visit him during his office hours to find out how the program can benefit them personally. For more general information about the program visit dcinterns.fullerton.edu.

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News

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

FEE: “Too much money going into administration” Continued from Pg. 1

examples, say “the administration has badly bungled the financial management of the university.” He cites administration and finance as the root of the university’s academic funding issues.

“We have as many managers at Sonoma State as CSU (California State University) Sacramento, which is four times as big. We have way too many managers and they’re way too highly paid. Way too much money is going into administration and finance; the money should be going into academic affairs. That would go a long way toward solving the problem,” Luttmann said.

Three years ago, CSU Long Beach was the first of the CSUs to implement a student success fee. David Dowell, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of the Division of Academic Affairs at CSU Long Beach, said the fee has “enhanced student access to a high quality environment and classrooms and access to services such as advising.”

As the campus considers implementing another student fee, Associated Students and the STAR have teamed up to show students exactly where their money is going through a weekly series. This week’s series shows the yearly breakdown of mandatory Category I and II fees, which include tuition and campus-based fees. The chart pertains to all full-time students (seven or more units per semester); part time students pay $1,587 in tuition, but pay the same amount of Category II fees. This does not include Category III, IV or V fees, which vary by student. It also does not include housing, textbooks, food or meal plans, etc.

“On the whole I would say that the fee has brought benefits, but students have been paying for it. But I do think it brings benefits to the campus that would not have been possible without additional funding,” Dowell said.

Nancy Eckhous, staff support to Student Fee Advisory Committee at CSU Long Beach, supports the provost’s positive evaluation of the fee.

“We are seeing record graduation rates and we are seeing a very positive movement in student success,” Eckhous said.

As for the proposed Academic Success Fee at Sonoma State, Gutierrez said although it would hurt in the short term it could significantly benefit students in the long term.

“I think being able to graduate sooner is more valuable to students then what they would pay in the additional fee. Financially, I think it would come up in favor of the students even though it would be a little more difficult each year to pay the fees,” Gutierrez said.

to happen, but wasn’t in favor of the residents having to pay for the permit,” said Dippel.

Parking was never an issue on the streets of Maximillian Place and Maurice Avenue in M-section, until Petaluma Hill Road and East Cotati Avenue stopped allowing people to park there. When the parking was banned on Petaluma Hill Road and East Cotati Avenue, the problems arose in M-section.

“About 15 years ago when we moved here SSU students were parking along Petaluma Hill Road and East Cotati Avenue.

Now many of the faculty and students of SSU that don’t want to pay to park on campus find Maximillian Place the first convenient and legal place to park. Providing parking for the SSU students and faculty has become a burden for the majority of the residents of Maximillian Place and that’s why we want to implement the residential parking permit as allowed in the city ordinance,” said Paul, M-section resident.

As a result of the new parking permits on Maximillian Place and Maurice Avenue, the council members are worried that other M-section streets that do not have a park-

ing permit program will become crowded, resulting in a problem and more parking passes to be distributed in the future. “[My street is] going to be one of those streets that will be impacted by the problem just being moved from one spot to another,” said Rusty Ruddic, M-Section resident.

“If I lived on Maurice or Maximillian Place I would probably be in favor of this issue. I’m one block west of Maximillian and I just see the students are now going to be parking in front of the house & driveway, thus creating an even bigger problem…we already have issues parking as it is and now we are going to be sharing it more with the students. To me this problem is really a Sonoma State problem that they have started. Granted, if I were a student I’d probably be doing the same thing,” said Ruddic.

This ordinance will become an issue for “Sonoma State students because many of [the students] park on [Maximillian Place and Maurice Avenue] and walk to campus in order to avoid the General Parking Pass. It can also be an issue for any students that live on the two streets. Many of the houses that students occupy in that area have more than three students living in them, and the system only allows for three cars per household,” said Dippel.

Parents, families, alumni & community members:

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Category II fees breakdown

Source: http://www.sonoma.edu/ registration/fees_2013-14.html

Campus hosts Economic Outlook Conference Kory Arnold Staff Writer

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Where does your money go?

PERMIT: Residents seek traffic reduction Continued from Pg. 1

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his Wednesday, Sonoma State is hosting the annual Economic Outlook Conference (EOC), put on by the School of Business and Economics in partnership with the North Bay Business Journal.

The conference, which will take place inside the new ballroom within the Student Center, will include a keynote address by the Chancellor of the CSU system, Timothy P. White. White will be discussing the role of education in today’s workplace as well as the future economic goals of the CSU system.

The address will be coming off White’s recent State of the CSU address on Jan. 29 where he committed an extra $50 million to CSU education.

Also speaking at the Economic Outreach Conference will be Sonoma State’s Director of the Center for Regional Economic Analysis Robert Eyler, who also serves as an economics professor.

Eyler has been speaking at the conference since becoming director in 2001.

Eyler will be presenting his annual forecast for the National, State, and local North Bay economies as they span out over the next year and progress onto the years to come.

“Attendees will hear perspectives on labor markets and how

people will both find and search for jobs in the workforce as well,” said Eyler. “From me, you will hear about the national, state, and regional economies as well as looking ahead to the rest of the year and decade.”

When Eyler was asked how the Economic Outreach Conference has benefitted Sonoma State in years past, he said, “I think the progression has been large in the last 10 years, as the business links through our president, the dean of the School of Business and Economics, and faculty have grown quickly and deeply.”

Along with White and Eyler, a panel of the North Bay region’s leading CEOs and business leaders will also be speaking at the conference. Representatives from companies such as Keysight Technologies and oDesk will be on the Workforce 2020 panel addressing the current and future workforce as well as providing possible employment opportunities.

The representatives present are strongly encouraging students to also be present at the conference.

The conference could be pivotal for students to attend in such a time where educational and economic uncertainty have played a role in students’ outlook on their future.

“The leader of the CSU system wants to involve more businesses and the business community throughout the world to

further benefit our students,” said Eyler.

Fourth year and Business Marketing major Brandon Morris says he plans on attending the conference because he wishes to seek out internship opportunities as well as examine how the current business workplace is structured out.

“With today’s job market in the business industry, opportunities are very scarce to come by,” said Morris. “When the school hosts these types of events, it is the perfect chance to get your name out there with different companies because you never know what kind of relationships you can establish and what may become of them in the future.”

Fifth year and economics major Kirsten Armstrong is also on the same page as she plans to attend the conference to seek out future employment opportunities.

“I will be graduating at the end of next semester and I am still not even sure what my plans are after that,” said Armstrong. “I hope to meet with some potential employers to help me further determine my plans after graduation as well as educate myself on the current roles of the business workforce.”

The conference will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, taking place inside of the master ballroom located in the Student Center.

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Arts

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Cara Fuqua The Juried Student Exhibition offers a look at the talent of Sonoma State students. All works featured in the exhibit were judged by artists Anna Simson and Stephen Whisler.

‘Juried Student Exhibition’ highlights student creativity F inn Maloney Staff Writer

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onoma State’s Juried Student Exhibition reminds one of the purity and creativity that young artists maintain while still creating a depth of emotion and a sense of contrast seen at a professional level. The gallery is currently available for viewing at the school’s main gallery located in the art building. All of the work seen in the exhibit is student created and was judged by artists Anna Simson and Stephen Whisler.

Sonoma State’s art department is one of the best in the state and the work in the 2014 Juried Student Exhibition is a clear indication of that. The gallery is split up into four rooms and the first room contains a collection of mostly oil paintings on canvas, including some by Faye Wheeler and Isaac Lopez.

Wheeler plays with fire in a very interesting way, showing burnt matches next to a half full book in one piece, and a fast food burger with a cigarette put out onto in another oil painting. Both pieces are very well painted and the main attraction would have to be the masterful and emotional driven brush strokes, which complete the piece.

Lopez has three pieces in the exhibit, two of which tackle religious scenes with an affection and a clear amount of knowledge for the subjects. In “The Baptism” and “ Hot Sauce Spill” Lopez indicates his religious ideas with a man being baptized by a doppelganger next to a large collection of religious candles. His third piece “The Call” is on the other side of the gallery and is a departure from religion.

Possibly the most striking visual piece was Dayana Leon’s “Distorted Mirror” which has an exquisite composition and is unbelievably well done.

“This is my favorite piece of the gallery in terms of artistic ability. It reminds me of remembering things,” said student Ian Mattimoe. This piece shows a woman standing in front of a mirror, without being able to make out her features

or even be certain about the shape of her body, yet it leaves rooms for the imagination to create the non blurred version of the work perfectly.

Another beautiful work in terms of ability and color are the Ariel Lockshaw pieces, which are presented in a variety of media. In her two pieces “Out to Lunch” and “Pragmatics” the artist uses oil, acrylic, aerosol, graphite and her masterful eye for color to create scenes that are abstract in nature yet based solidly in reality. The ideas that she is able to convey are transcendent of reality and leave the audience wondering how important each individual piece is towards the whole.

Jose McLennan is another artist whose works are prominently displayed and who also deals with religion in a very different way. He poses priests and nuns in the foreground while collages of war and destruction, as well as the representation of the mass spreading of religion for non-theological purposes are detailed in the back. “‘Rompope,’ the one with the priest holding a forty was the most interesting work in my opinion,” said business major Malcolm Silva-Anderson.

The gallery also includes a variety of other mediums, including etching, lithograph and photography. The highlights of these mediums would have to include: “Motion” a hypnotizing trio of photographs by Natalie Cassidy, a beautifully detailed untitled lithograph by Marybeth Mondck, and etchings by Hadley Radt. The gallery also has a limited number of sculptures, which act as a sort of focal point for each part of the exhibit.

When exiting the gallery you are left with two of Radt’s etchings and gel pen pieces, “The More you Cannot Win” and an untitled piece. Radt’s work first appears confusing with the amount of crossing lines and patterns, yet if you stand back and take it in as a whole it creates a beautiful sense of harmony and completion hidden within chaos.

The exhibit closes this Sunday and the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and weekends from noon to 4 p.m.

STAR // Cara Fuqua Artist Jose McLennan incorporates religious imagery in his works, focusing on nuns and priests in the foregrounds, and chaos in the backgrounds.

‘47 Ronin’ makes revenge look good

darkhorse.com “47 Ronin” tells the classic tale of a group of loyal samurai who avenge their fallen master.

Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor While revenge is a dish best served cold, it can also be a double edged sword that destroys all parties involved.

The graphic novel “47 Ronin” by Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai focuses on the true story of a band of ronin, or wandering samurai with no masters, as they seek vengeance for their fallen lord during the early 1700s in feudal Japan.

The legend of the 47 ronin is relatively well-known throughout Japan, but not so much for Western audiences. The only recent exposure was the movie “47 Ronin” starring Keanu Reeves, but like typical Hollywood blockbusters based on “true events,” it doesn’t do the original story justice, being packed full of CGI and mindless action scenes.

Enter the beautiful graphic novel adaptation from Dark Horse Comics, written by president and founder Mike Richardson and longtime storyteller and artist Stan Sakai.

When Richardson first founded Dark Horse back in 1986, he was a big fan of Japanese films, animation and comics. He first learned of the 47 ronin soon after and made it a goal to one day tell the tale to Western audiences.

It took more than 20 years to develop the script and find the right artist for the project, but now it’s finally available to the public in a hardcover collection.

The young Lord Asano is called away to meet with the shogun in Edo, as is periodically required by lords who hold large estates. Before meeting with the shogun however, a lord must take proper court etiquette classes in Edo so they do not bring shame to their clan.

Asano’s chief retainer—one who looks after the castle and armies when the lord is away—Oishi warns Asano of all the bribery and corruption that has become commonplace in the shogun’s palace, explaining that he too will probably be expected to pay a large sum for etiquette classes.

Asano refuses to bring dishonor to his name by bribing anyone while he’s there, but sure enough the court official and teacher Kira Yoshinaka becomes enraged when Asano doesn’t follow suit.

In retaliation, Kira provokes Asano to his breaking point, causing Asano to draw his sword and strike Kira in his face. Drawing one’s sword in the shogun’s palace is against the law, one punishable by death.

Since Asano admits that he would gladly break the law again if it meant killing Kira, the shogun sentences Asano to immediately commit seppuku, or an honorable death.

When word reaches Ako, Oishi calls forth all retainers (samurai) who have sworn service to Asano and hatches a plan: they will honor the shogun’s wishes to disband and become ronin, but they will secretly lie in wait to seek revenge against Kira.

Only 47 remain loyal to Oishi’s cause, for to kill a court official such as Kira means death for all involved.

A year is a long time to pretend to be either a farmer, a worker, or a drunk, but each samurai plays their part without breaking character.

Kira has since been in hiding, protected by armed guards, but he still has spies following each ronin, making sure they aren’t plotting his demise.

When the night finally comes to storm Kira’s house and once again bring honor to Asano’s family name, the 47 ronin are nothing but precise in their planning and execution.

While Richardson slaved away reading various books on Chūshingura—the fictionalized accounts of the 47 ronin—he also had editorial guidance from Kazuo Koike, famed author of the “Lone Wolf and Cub” manga. Richardson wanted to tell the most accurate and loyal version of the story in the span of five issues. While it may not be exactly accurate historically, it definitely entertains better than any movie could.

Stan Sakai is a comic book creator who is best known for his ongoing “Usagi Yojimbo” comic series from Dark Horse, which follows a samurai rabbit living in feudal Japan. His art style was the perfect choice for this comic, for all his depictions of ancient giant castles and samurais in battle armor were intricate as they were amazing. Feudal Japan comes alive in every illustration on the page.

The bonus features include a gallery of the original covers to the individual issues, as well as a history of how the story and collaborations came to be. With 152 pages of content, one definitely gets their monies worth.

Revenge is often seen as despicable, but over 300 years ago a group of 47 samurai warriors made it look good.

darkhorse.com Artist Stan Sakai is known for his unique Japanese style, making him a perfect fit for the graphic novel.

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

Page 7

Double Jeopardy for Celluloid Film

wikimedia.org Paramount Pictures became the first major motion studio to announce it was distributing copies in an all-digital format.

Stuart Courtney Staff Writer Celluloid heroes are going, going, gone.

No John Wayne riding off into the sunset, no Minnie Mouse or Popeye the Sailor Man and no Brad and Angelina on tiny rectangles of motion picture film.

In reality, the living celebrities are still here, but the 35 mm celluloid film base on which the movie industry has distributed prints to theaters for over a century has been replaced — first by polyester film and more recently, by digital hard drives.

Paramount Pictures became the first major motion picture studio to announce that it would distribute copies in an all-digital format beginning with the release of “The Wolf of Wall Street” on Jan. 23 in Australia. Prints of the movie released before that date in the U.S. and abroad were made on 35 mm polyester film base.

According to the Los Angeles Times, theater industry executives were briefed on the decision earlier in the month and Paramount will continue distributing prints to international markets where most theaters still use film projectors.

Other studios are expected to follow suit.

The Jan. 18 article also mentioned that 20 th Century Fox sent a 2011 letter to theaters stating that it would stop distributing film prints “within the next year or two.”

On Jan. 28, the newspaper reported that Paramount amended its decision in a letter written by Vice Chairman Rob Moore.

“Although we anticipate the majority of the studio’s future releases to be executed in digital format across the U.S., select exceptions will be made,” he said.

One such exception will be director Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller, “Interstellar,” that is slated for a November 2014 release via film and digital formats.

Paramount is expected to greatly reduce distribution expenses because digital copies cost less than $100 versus the near-$2000 price tag for each film print.

Despite the savings, the industry giant has not reduced the fees it charges theaters for showing Paramount movies.

In the mid-1990s, the large studios helped theaters finance a conversion to $70,000 digital projectors.

The National Association of Theatre Owners said 92 percent of the 40,045 screens in the U.S. have already converted to digital.

The “odd man out,” of course, is the small independent theater operator.

Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol is one of the lucky ones.

“We love the look of celluloid, but the digital conversion allows for wider distribution,” said Melissa Hatheway, director of marketing and community relations.

In 2010, the theater closed its doors on Summerfield Road in Santa Rosa after a 10year run, but resurfaced in 2012 at its current location where digital projectors were already in use.

Summerfield Cinemas operates in the Summerfield Road building once occupied by Rialto Cinemas.

“We actually went fully digital about two week ago,” said company spokesperson Leigha Battles-Sandages. “Prior to that, we were half digital, half 35 mm. We have one projector that still has 35 mm capabilities just in case we get a movie that is only in 35.”

The miniscule Rio Theater in Monte Rio did not respond to repeated queries, but riotheater.com states that the “Save the Rio” fundraising campaign amassed more than enough funds ($66,013) to purchase one digital projector.

Prints made with nitrocellulose film base were phased out in 1952 because it is highly f lammable. Its replacement, cellulose acetate, was widely used until the 1990s when polyester film became more popular.

Nevertheless, the motion picture industry uses acetate negatives during shooting because polyester can severely damage movie cameras if the media jams.

Storing digital motion pictures is more expensive than storing film.

In November 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released the results of an 18-month study called “The Digital Dilemma.”

It discovered that preserving digital masters is 11 times more expensive than preserving film.

The SciTech Council reported that the annual cost of preserving film master materials is $1059 per title while the annual cost of preserving a 4K [a pixel resolution grade] digital master is $12, 514.

Furthermore, digital archiving is unreliable because magnetic tape and hard drives are plagued with widespread file corruption and mechanical failure.

Experts point to bits missing from digital files, hard drives seizing up after two years of non-operation, DVDs degrading and digital audiotape becoming unreadable.

“We have already lost a great amount of digital material,” said Milt Shefter, the point person and co-author of “The Digital Dilemma.”

Format obsolescence may pose an even greater danger to movie archiving because of rapid changes in storage device technology.

Consequently, data must be migrated every two years to a new format. Transferring digital files is costly because it is labor intensive, so some labs have resorted to using robotic devices to move digital tapes in and out of tape drives.

Hundreds of movies have been lost. Some celluloid was never converted to VHS; others never made it to DVD; and few will be converted to Blu-ray.

Hollywood has a vested interest in finding a solution to the “digital dilemma.” According to recent assessments by the research service Global Media Intelligence, library sales generate about a third of the studios’ collective $36 billion annual revenue.

The current remedy is to store copies of all studio movies on polyester film in climatecontrolled vaults, even those shot with digital technology.

The life expectancy is about 100 years.

This is by no means a perfect resolution because image quality is being lost as the works are transferred from film format to digital and back to film, or in recent years, digital to film.

As the proverb goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

facebook.com “The Wolf of Wall Street” was the first film of many to switch from traditional celluloid film to all digital.

facebook.com ‘The Boondocks’ and ‘Ali G’ are returning to TV after several years off the air.

‘Boondocks’ & Booyakasha set to return after hiatus Dylan Sirdofsky Asst. A&E Editor Returning this spring season of television are two shows that have made their mark in popular culture for their standout, quotable characters and satire along with a trail of controversy following them for years after they’ve aired.

Back from the dead and ready for a new presentation of its original three seasons on Feb. 26, which includes episodes never aired in the U.S., is English actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Ali G: Rezurection,” FXX’s new branding of “Da Ali G Show,” where characters such as Ali G, Borat and Brüno were introduced and eventually featured in their own films.

Not quite considered buried and thought to have ended or been cancelled, creator Aaron McGruder and his comic strip adapted adult animation series “The Boondocks” are back for a fourth season, reminded in a 10-second commercial from programming block, Adult Swim. “We can’t give you any specific information,” the clip said, “but it airs April 21 at 10:30 p.m.”

Baron Cohen’s show is centered on his roles as three unusual journalists: the main character of Ali G, a Kazakh named Borat and the flamboyant Austrian named Brüno. The three engage in interviews with gullible celebrities, government officials and other familiar people, asking them crazy and illogical questions.

With its original run coming to an end in late 2004, HBO revealed their plans to move on without an additional season of “Da Ali G Show” on July 23, 2005. On Nov. 1, 2013, a deal was struck

by FXX and they announced the airing of the series under the branding of “Ali G: Rezurection,” where Baron Cohen has filmed all new character intros for each episode.

Methods used by Baron Cohen have caused substantial controversy, with some guests becoming extremely upset after finding out they’ve been duped, along with numerous comments made on

several episodes causing viewers to be outraged.

However, the quarreling hasn’t been significant enough to garner disapproval of the show as a whole, similar to “The Boondocks.”

Based on McGruder’s comic strip of the same name, “The Boondocks” chronicles the lives of a black family, the Freemans, after having moved from the south side of Chicago, Illinois to the mostly white, fictional suburb of Woodcrest. Much of the comedy and conflict rises from the perspectives offered by the mixture of cultures, stereotypes, viewpoints and lifestyles.

The third season came to an end in late August 2010, leaving many to speculate whether the sitcom would make its return again. When the fourth season was officially announced, Adult Swim stated it would be comprised of 20 episodes set to air in January 2014. This was later delayed after confirming on Jan. 12 that the season would premiere on April 21.

McGruder’s series is known for airing many controversial moments since it began, yet it’s also been well received among critics and nominated for several rewards. In 2010, “The Boondocks” was named sixth out of 10 of the Most Controversial Cartoons of All Time by Time magazine, where IGN has placed it at 17 on their list of Top 25 Animated series for adults.

Both of these series have been long gone from the screens for quite some time, which may lead some to wonder what took them so long to return.

It seems like nowadays most networks have programs with annual releases of new seasons upon their renewal, maintaining a promised schedule to keep the audience’s interest at its peak.

Fan bases have come to expect quality from these shows in the past, but with the gap between years, where the material was once most relevant to the time, it causes some worry as to whether these shows can still make an impact. It’s hard to think of something more frustrating than one’s favorite show going on hiatus, let’s hope it’ll be worth the wait in the end.

About ‘Last Night’

facebook.com Kevin Hart and Regina Hall star in the romantic comedy ‘About Last Night.’

Alexis Garcia-Mills Staff Writer “About Last Night” brings an audience the experience of lots of laughter, tears and smiles. Focusing on the phases of love and friendship from the bar to the bedroom, this racy romantic comedy takes the audience on a journey of two couples that are best friends.

This is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name, which was first adapted from the David Mamet play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago.” The 2014 movie followed in the footsteps of the original, but brought a modern twist to the two relationships. Both focus on young couples dealing with issues of love in a big city.

Kevin Hart and Regina Hall alternatively argue then hookup. The movie begins with their first outing together, telling their best friends all the juicy details of what happened last night.

This movie will be satisfying for most college students due to the graphic and humorous details from both sexes of their latest hook-up.

The cast of “About Last Night” was picked out perfectly where each actor played their part fully with what they were given. Hart reflects a vulgar attitude with the unruly Hall providing great humor through their dysfunctional relationship.

What made the movie even more entertaining was how responsive and engaged the audience in the theater was. Everyone was laughing and com-

menting, which caused the rest of the audience to feed off the energy.

Although very crude at times, the movie was really entertaining and engaging. What really sold me over was that at matinee the tickets for the movie at Reading Cinemas Rohnert Park 16 are only $5.75. As a college student on a tight budget any dollar that can be saved is enjoyed.

Because the film debuted on Valentine’s Day, it was expected by viewers to be the typical sweet romantic comedy, but it definitely showed a raunchy side as well. Hart was mainly the vulgar one, as he expressed his uncensored brain and made the audience consistently burst out into laughter. He can effortlessly go from tears to ridicule faster than any other comic performer.

The duo Hart and Hall really give it their all with their shameless aggressive behavior as they both went outside of their comfort zones and really embraced their characters. They are a fiery couple that knows how to get under each other’s skin, making the audience constantly wonder if whether they are currently broken up or making up.

All of the actors, including the best friends as well as the couples, had compelling chemistry that made the movie more entertaining and believable.

The lead actors worked well together and matched each other energy-wise, but Hart definitely made the film what it was. Hart is an excellent comic who just plays off the energy of all the other actors.

Although the plot doesn’t have much new material to offer when it comes to relationships, it still works as a great date movie as long as you do not mine the crude humor.

Since it came out on Valentine’s Day, it’s rather predictable how things will end up. But on the most romantic holiday of the year, that seems to be what people want to see. It was not too cheesy, but it did have some touches of lovey-dovey moments.

While it didn’t win the top spot at the box office its opening weekend—it came in second place to “The Lego Movie” at $28.4 million—it was still the superior remake that weekend, beating out the “RoboCop” remake by $3 million.

Overall the movie was enjoyable, providing good laughs and some moments where the film pulled at your heartstrings.

Page 8

Features

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Band ‘Headshine’ honors Bob Marley at Lobos Kathleen Collins Staff Writer For many, the night before Valentine’s Day is filled with anxious last minute gift-selections and frantic dinner reserving.

The vibe was not so at Lobo’s last Thursday, when Huntington Beach-based reggae band, Headshine, performed a set to honor Bob Marley for Black History Month.

As part of the campus-wide observation of Black History Month, the group was invited to perform original Reggae songs to honor their culture.

Even as they set up, the feeling was laid-back and cheerful; smiles and laughter were everywhere to be found as the duo performed sound check.

Orange pill bottles lined the front of the stage, but their purpose as makeshift egg shakers was made clear as the performance began.

The band was comprised of a male duo with an acoustic guitar, a set of bongos and two chilled Sierra Nevadas. They began with some original songs, prefaced by frontman Ros Soumakian who said “We’re just gonna jam!”

Following a load of happy, acoustic vibes and a Weezer cover,

they segued into a cover of Bob Marley’s “One Love,” prefaced by an homage to the reggae legend. “Gotta give a little love to Marley, it was his birthday last week,” said Soumakian. He then encouraged audience members to pick up a shaker and join in.

During this time the crowd grew and soon Lobo’s was packed, unfortunately meaning that the band had to compete a bit with the chatter of hungry guests; but by the end of each song a wave of applause cascaded over the tables.

Reggae officially began in the 1960s, and is often thought to be a combination of the ska and rocksteady genres.

Typically associated with dreadlocks and laid-back attitudes, the origin of the word varies with every opinion, ranging from slang roots to a derivative of the Latin root “regi,” meaning king.

Musicians Jackie Mittoo and Winston Wright helped bring the already established rocksteady genre into a new outlet, which was expanded upon by artists like Larry Marshall and The Beltones.

This genre of reggae soon reached popularity in North America and landed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in the early 70s via bands like “Three Dog Night” and “Johnny Nash”.

Arguably the most well-known reggae artist is the one and only Bob Marley; a native Jamaican who began his career as a member of various vocal groups which led to further musical exploration.

His band, “Bob Marley & The Wailers,” experienced massive

success around the world and won numerous awards throughout Marley’s life and continued to be recognized posthumously.

His father was white and his mother was black, but Marley identified as a black African because of his religious fellowship with Pan-African leaders.

A number of his songs, including “Babylon System” and “Blackman Redemption,” reflect on the struggle he saw between Africans and the West, known as “Babylon.”

When asked about their influences, Headshine said, “Anywhere from Marley to Santana, The Dirty Heads to Jack Johnson.”

As for reggae’s development since its prime, Soumakian says that while it is changing, it still maintains its importance. “From every generation there’s always a new message,” he said.

Some of their favorite reggae artists include “Burning Spear,” “Head Pulse” and “Sublime”; they also recently opened for Ziggy Marley.

This summer they will be releasing a new album with Planet Squared Records that has taken a year to perfect. When asked for advice on life, Headshine said, “We need to put music back in schools. It’s very important that we do.”

As for college students, “Surround yourself with positive people everyday,” he said. To quote Mr. Marley, “Let’s get together and feel alright.”

STAR // Connor Gibson The Reggae band, “Headshine,” are inspired from artists such as Bob Marley and Sublime. In honor of Black History Month and Marley, the band performed a plethora of Reggae music.

Advising Center seeks Staff Spotlight: Greg Sarris to help students Angelica Viera Staff Writer Starting out on one’s own as an adult, making life choices and starting a future in college can be scary for anyone.

Forced to make decisions every single day can be overwhelming.

One part of college that should not be intimidating is finding a major, which is what the Sonoma State University’s advising center’s main goal is.

The team of highly trained professionals work daily with lower division and undeclared students to guide them through the GE pattern to find which courses interest them and to help match those courses to a major.

Within the same office, there is a peer advising team that specializes in assisting students who have already declared a major and who have questions with registration or how to look up classes at junior colleges that transfer for credit.

“A lot of if is just working with students and going through the classes and saying ‘you know, sometimes you have to compromise,’” said advisor Edie Brown. “It’s getting them to understand that you can’t always have a Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. schedule.”

Brown has been working with the advising center for 13 years as an academic advisor.

Prior to the advising center becoming its own division, Brown, along with advisor Janet Swing, worked side-by-side with the Educational Opportunity Program and career advising offices.

She has recently become the coordinator for compliance and at risk students, acting as the branch of the advising center that focuses on working with students who need to take remedial math and English.

Brown works closely with orientation coordinators, admissions and records, and the math and English departments to make sure that incoming freshmen are taking the courses they need so they can move on with their GE pattern.

“Until this semester, Janet Swing and I were the only two advisors for about 1,100 students,” said Brown.

There are now three full time and one part-time advisors in the office with the addition of new advisors Vanessa Bascherini and the part-time help of Khou Yang-Vigil.

The two additions alleviate some of the pressure from Brown and Swing who were in charge of the entire undeclared population until now.

“It’s provided us the opportunity to put on the March Major Madness workshop series as well as see students as they drop in with questions,” said Brown. “We have people to brainstorm with now and help do the work.”

The March Major Madness is a series of workshops put on by the advising center all

throughout March to help students become aware of the multitude of majors Sonoma State has to offer.

All students are welcome to the workshops, located in Salazar 1070 across from the international services desk, to check out the majors that interest them and meet with advisors specifically from those majors to see how they can get involved and possibly start the process of becoming declared.

A few of the major departments who have confirmed that they will be attending different portions of the series are kinesiology, early-childhood development and German, along with many others.

Yang-Vigil has taken on the role as program coordinator for the series and is excited for students to dive in and make a proactive step towards getting a degree.

Alvin Nguyen, the sophomore year experience (SYE) coordinator, will be assisting with a workshop on how to make the most out of a student’s second year at Sonoma State.

A few of the other themes the workshops will be covering are how to declare a major and how to change a major, which Yang-Vigil, as well as the other advisors, feel is extremely important for academic growth.

The first workshop will be March 3 at noon and it will be for students who are looking into going to graduate school and how to prepare for it.

Aside from helping students find a major, Yang-Vigil also works as a residential life coordinator and feels that it is important for students to know that the advisors are there for them to confide in and help guide them.

“I like being able to help the students; to be a resource,” said Yang-Vigil. “Someone who students can go to, not just about their academics, but about life.”

Students are already finding that the revamped advising center is a valuable resource that they wish they had when they were undeclared freshmen.

“I kind of felt like I was on my own freshman year,” said third year Joey Schick. “I wish I would have utilized what the advising center had because it would have helped me find a better path to finding my major rather than just jumping around and taking classes I didn’t really need.”

The advising center team has proven to be passionate and dedicated about what they do and show each and every student the attention that they deserve.

“The advising center is a unique place in that these people work really hard at what they do, every single one of them,” said Brown. “We want to see our students be successful and take advantage of all of the resources on this campus and we can help them do that here.”

The Academic and Peer Advisors are located in Salazar Hall 1070 and they can be contacted at 707-664-2730.

STAR // Connor Gibson Greg Sarris is Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, but he also loves creative writing and teaches it at SSU. Sara Molenda Staff Writer Many people know Greg Sarris as Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and one of the key individuals involved in the opening of the new Graton Rancheria Casino.

However, the novelist, screen writer and teacher is trying to show his commitment for improving the quality of classes at Sonoma State as well as giving back to the community that he calls home.

There has been a lot of press covering the process of the Graton Rancheria Casino. Many differing opinions have been presented on the positive and negative effects of the casino on the city of Rohnert Park. Traffic, drugs and prostitution were three factors brought up by opponents of the casino’s construction.

“As far as I can see, the casino has not caused any of these things to happen in this city,” said Sarris. “I only see the opportunity for the tribe to give back to the community.”

There are many projects that

the Graton Rancheria tribe is trying to accomplish in the coming year that have not been as advertised in existing press. The first and possibly most beneficial to families in the surrounding areas is a restoration project that will take place in the 250 acres behind the existing casino. This will be the first opportunity for the tribe to give back to a community that may have doubts about the philanthropic work promised by the tribe. This endeavor includes a two prong project which will include the restoration of the land to its original and untouched form and the building of the farm over 50 acres. The restoration project will focus on keeping the water clean in the existing lagoon and the preservation of species indigenous to the area.

“We want to restore the land back to what it looked like when our ancestors used to live here,” said Sarris. “We are the keepers of the land and therefore we need to show the community that we care about preserving it.”

There are also plans to work with the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, in building a large barn on the farm where

workshops will take place to teach people about restoring soil, how to plant oak groves, ways to clean water, different methods for planting and how to rotate crops. There are also plans to have vegetable stands and chicken hotels on the property where people can come buy fresh veggies and eggs and take them straight home to the dinner table.

The tribe also has plans to set up produce stands in different neighborhoods throughout the community to sell the veggies grown on the farm to lowincome families. The tribe hopes to break ground on this project in March.

Furthermore, as soon as their debt is paid from the casino construction, the tribe has plans to donate funds to Sonoma County to go towards the restoration and upkeep of parks as well as schools at a substantial $25 million a year.

“We hope that about $12 million of those funds will go straight to the schools in Sonoma County,” said Sarris. “We truly are trying to show our community that we are invested.”

The tribe plans to hire undocumented workers and low risk prisoners to work on the acreage with the opportunity for full benefits and the same pay as those currently working in the casino. Outside of his work as chairman of the tribe, Sarris also holds the only Endowed Chair at Sonoma State in Writing and Native American Studies.

“I believe that leading and teaching use many of the same skills, but it is important for me to keep the two hats separate,” said Sarris.

Sarris is teaching two creative writing classes, an American Literature class and a Native American Studies this semester.

“I love teaching the creative writing classes. Creative writing gives the students the opportunity to write their own memoirs and write their own stories,” said Sarris.

Sarris’ uses his official positions as chairman of the tribe and the Endowed Chair in Writing and Native American Studies to change the mentality towards the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. He teaches about his tribe’s history and culture in the classroom while simultaneously leading the tribe in preserving its future history and culture.

Features

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

STAR // Connor Gibson In some heart pounding high speed go-kart racing at the Sonoma Raceway, drivers reached up to 70 miles per hour in small go-karts.

High speed go-karting induces adrenaline Commentary

Connor Gibson Photo Editor There is nothing better in life than waking up early to get some adrenaline pumping through your veins. At Sonoma Raceway, just northeast of Novato, souped up gokarts will do just that.

If you have ever driven a go-kart you know that it can be a blast to race your friends around a track like those at smaller venues like K1 Racing or Scandia.

However, what you probably haven’t experienced is the power of a 125cc Rotax engine hurling you down a straight away at speeds topping 70 miles per hour.

“These are the fastest karts in norther n Califor nia.

Compared to Scandia’s karts these things are Fer raris,” said KC Mor rison, Kart Center Manager at Sonoma Raceway. “Our karting program is one of the best in the countr y.

All of our instr uctors and mechanics are real racecar drivers or mechanics. All these guys here have backgrounds racing or working in NASCAR or the Formula circuits.”

Mor rison invited the STAR out last weekend to experience the track and their karting program f irsthand. We ar rived to the track bright and early at 8 a.m. where we be-

gan the class with only seven other students. After only 20 or 30 minutes of class time going over the r ules of the road and essential driving techniques, the instr uctors took us out on the track for a slow lap, so we could get accustomed to the karts and familiarize ourselves with the track.

Driving slowly around the track I was lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the karts couldn’t get too much faster or too much more intense. I was so wrong.

We went back in for another quick lesson then f inally let loose onto the track to see what the karts could really do.

My f irst lap was only at about 50 percent of what the car could actually handle, yet it still got my adrenaline pumping and a smile creeping across my face.

Heading down the straight into the second lap I decided to see this speed the instr uctors were all talking about and punched the gas pedal to the f loor.

I was immediately pushed back in my seat as the car reached what seemed like ludicrous speed. My vision blur red, and just as I was getting used to the speed, the next cor ner came up and I needed to stop.

Unlike conventional cars where you use your right foot for both the brake and gas pedal, a go-kart has your left

foot on the brake and right on the gas.

This means that you have to keep yourself from accidentally tensing up and pushing the gas when you need to be braking. I made this mistake a couple times which caused me to spin out.

I don’t think I have ever felt that much fear and excitement at the same time, nor have I felt so much adrenaline pumping through my body.

When it was time to come back into the pit and back to the classroom I was shaking and had a smile that you couldn’t get off my face with a crow bar.

An instr uctor could tell and with a smile asked how the ride was. I think I just responded with “awesome” because I was, for once, speechless.

If you would like to experience that epic karting program, check out their website at www.pdc.simraceway. com or their Facebook page at Simraceway Performance Karting Center.

Also, if those carts sound too intense or the classes are a bit too expensive, Simraceway has larger, less powerful karts can be rented for $25. It’s a great place to blow off some steam with some friends or even just see if you can beat your own lap times.

STAR // Connor Gibson

TAPS Petaluma moves to new location STAR // Cameron Hatheway Amanda Levine Features Editor For locals of the area and students over 21, many know the small treasure located in downtown Petaluma, the restaurant and tasting room, TAPS. The family owned and locally known pub just recently moved from their location at the old Hotel Petaluma on Kentucky Street to a new, higher end location overlooking the river on East Washington.

Over the past two weeks, TAPS has been softly opening, meaning they haven’t necessarily advertised their new space. However that did not stop the hordes of people that packed the pub in order to try one of their 40 beers on tap.

For craft beer enthusiasts alike, it is a known fact that Northern California has a plethora of world-renowned craft beer establishments.

Lagunitas Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing Company, Bear Republic and 101 North are just a few of the well-known craft breweries in the area. In fact, according to the California Craft Brewers Association, “California has about 12 of the 50 largest craft breweries by volume in the country.”

TAPS likes to take advantage of the fact that not only does the country, especially California, feature the best brews in the world, but that they have 40 of those specialty craft beers on tap right here in Petaluma. Locals in Sonoma County have a special appreciation for fine wines and beers and TAPS puts that appreciation in the forefront of everything that they do.

“My favorite thing [about the new location] is the view from the deck at night and the sleeplessness of the bar,” said TAPS bartender (beertender) Justin Stubbs. “I feel spoiled at working at such a cool looking bar.”

TAPS features local brewery nights where they highlight a brewery from the area and put that brewery’s beers on tap. Employees from the brewery get to attend and enjoy the night, which highlights their work that they have put in into making their craft beers. For example, last week TAPS hosted a Lagunitas night, where they had about six Lagunitas beers on tap. Employees from Lagunitas came and handed out free merchandise to TAPS employees and anyone else that wanted

a free hat or shirt. It was a mutually beneficial night for both beer-loving places and the public. On Feb. 25, increasingly popular Petaluma based brewery HenHouse Brewing Company had their second anniversary party at TAPS. The amount of support and love from the community and the locals was enormous. TAPS was maxed out to capacity as every table and barstool was taken and hundreds more packed the outside patio and beer garden. The founders of HenHouse were in attendance mingling with the crowd and enjoying the support that was being given.

The new TAPS location is undoubtedly gorgeous. With a panoramic view of the river in downtown Petaluma, a beer garden and a covered patio, the ambience is unbeatable. The pub offers 40 different beers on tap and they also serve wine and hard cider. TAPS still brews their own pale ale and an addition to the new location that they did not have at the old location is the year-round root beer that will be on tap, that tastes better than any root beer sold in a bottle or can. The menu at TAPS is anything but ordinary bar food. Some of the highlights include the steak Caesar salad and the pulled pork sandwich. Overall, TAPS decision to move to a new location will ultimately be beneficial and bring them much success not only because of the prime location, but because of the great staff, great food and overall amazing beer selection.

“I’m going to miss the Viking beer hall feel of the fireside room in the old place but that chapter of TAPS is over,” said Stubbs.

To get an amazing craft brew experience in the historic downtown Petaluma, visit TAPS and worship the hoppy goodness.

STAR // Cameron Hatheway Left: the main seating area and bar at TAPS; Middle: behind the bar there are 40 taps with different craft beer; Right: the lit outdoor patio section overlooking the river.

Page 10

Sports

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Softball opens conference play Gian D’Ambra Staff Writer The Sonoma State softball team hosted four games this weekend against their first conference opponent this year the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters. The first two games were played on Friday followed by the final two on Saturday. The Seawolves took an early 1-0 series lead after Friday’s opening game, but proceeded to lose the last three to finish the weekend.

“The way we played this weekend showed us what we need to work on, but more importantly that we have what it takes to succeed in our conference.”

Coming into the series, SSU and Monterey Bay had very similar records. Sonoma State was 4-0, while the Otters were 4-1. This series was slated to be a good one since the preseason softball coaches’ poll selected Sonoma State to finish third in the conference, one spot ahead of Monterey. The Otters were un-phased by the preseason pick, taking three out of four from the Seawolves; but the series win didn’t come easy.

The first game set the tone for what would be a back-andforth weekend battle. Monterey Bay took the first lead of the series on a passed ball in the top of the third inning, but wouldn’t hold the lead for long. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman Ashley Long tripled to deep center field to tie the game at 1-1. On the next pitch she gave the Seawolves the 2-1

lead, scoring on a wild pitch. Like the Otters, the Seawolves didn’t hold this lead for much longer either.

In the next half inning, a one-out base hit scored two Otter runs, helping them regain the lead, 3-2. That lead would hold until the bottom half of the seventh, when the game got away from Monterey.

The Seawolves quickly loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, single, and another walk. Two out of the next three batters then ended the game in dramatic fashion. Junior Amanda Rossetta was hit by a pitch, scoring fellow junior Keeley Ray from third base to tie the game, 3-3. Pinch-hitter Katy Bihl came up next, but hit a ground ball that got the catcher, Keisi Chinen, thrown out at home. Senior Hayley Condon then had her chance to win the game for the Seawolves with one out and the bases loaded. She, like Rossetta, was plunked on the elbow by a pitch, walking off with a 4-3 Seawolf victory.

The second game on Friday was the only dull game this weekend. The Otters jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. They would then extend their lead to 7-0 in the third inning. SSU got on the board in the sixth inning, seeing the first home run on the team this year. Chinen hit a two-run homer to left field, making the score 7-2. That would finish the scoring for the day for both teams, as they headed into Saturday split at 1-1 in games won.

“It felt absolutely amazing to finally hit my first home run, especially this weekend since I have been going through a slump,” said Chinen.

She broke out of that slump in style and finished the weekend going five for 11 at the plate, thoroughly increasing her batting average on the season.

The third game of the series needed the length of a baseball game to decide a winner. It seemed like the Seawolves were going to run away with this game since they were up 3-0

after three innings. SSU held onto the lead until the top of the seventh when the Otters tied the game at 4-4. They would then take the lead in the eighth, but the Seawolves weren’t ready to end the game just yet. Condon again came up in a big spot, and delivered once more.

With runners on second and third, Condon tied the game with a single through the left side. She was cool, calm, and collected at the plate this weekend, especially in crunch-time.

“Getting hit by a pitch wasn’t my ideal way of a walkoff, but it’ll do,” said Condon.

“I was feeling very calm and confident at the plate this weekend. When I was up with runners on I knew I had to score my teammates.”

The third game would end 6-5 in nine innings in favor of the Otters, but Condon did all she could to keep her team in each game. She finished the weekend with a triple and five runs batted in, bringing her season total to a team-high 10.

Saturday’s final game of the series was another thriller.

Monterey Bay had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

The Seawolves then scored four runs to take the lead on Condon’s triple and a double by senior Megan Konieczka. Coincidentally, the Otters rallied to put up four more runs in the top of the sixth. SSU would fail to score again, ending the game losing 7-4.

“This weekend’s losses were tough. We were in every game but one. Us ahead, them ahead, us ahead,” said Head Coach Jennifer Bridges.

“The way we played this weekend showed us what we need to work on, but more importantly that we have what it takes to succeed in our conference.”

The Seawolves travel to San Francisco to face the Academy of Art on Wednesday, Feb. 19 for a doubleheader starting at noon.

STAR // Connor Gibson Softball came out of this weekend 1-3 against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Score Box Men’s Tennis

Softball

Men’s Basketball

Friday Feb. 14 SSU - 0 Azusa Pacific- 9

Friday Feb. 14 SSU - 4 Monterey Bay -3

SSU - 5 Point Loma - 4

SSU - 2 Monterey Bay - 7

Friday Feb. 14 SSU - 47 Cal Poly Pomona - 58 Top Scorer: Mike Harris - 13 pts

Top Scorer: Logan Liddell - No. 5 singles

Saturday Feb. 15 SSU - 5 Monterey Bay - 6

Sunday Feb. 16 SSU - 3 W. New Mexico - 6

Saturday Feb. 15 SSU - 63 Humboldt - 75 Top Scorer: Jason Walter - 16 pts

SSU - 4 Monterey Bay - 7

Women’s Tennis

Women’s Basketball

Women’s Water Polo

Friday Feb. 14 SSU - 3 Azusa Pacific - 6

Friday Feb. 14 SSU - 64 Cal Poly Pomona - 74 Top Scorer: Tanner Adams - 16 pts

Saturday Feb. 15 SSU - 6 UC Davis - 14

Saturday Feb. 15 SSU - 3 Point Loma - 6 Top Scorer: Sara Celma - No. 1 singles

Saturday Feb. 15 SSU - 56 Humboldt State - 55 Top Scorer: Tanner Adams - 15 pts

SSU - 3 CSU Bakersfield - 7 Sunday Feb. 16 SSU - 11 Long Beach State - 14

Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

Sports

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

Baseball grabs two wins in four game series Jake Tucker Staff Writer

STAR // Connor Gibson After a 64-74 loss to Pomona, the Seawolves came out for a grueling 5655 win against Humboldt.

Lady Seawolves split weekend series Team “Pinks Out” for breast cancer awareness Halia Daugherty Staff Writer The women’s basketball team kicked off the weekend during Friday night against Cal Poly Ponoma, the 14th ranked team in the nation. Friday was also host to the Seawolves’ annual “Pink Out” where the team wore pink in support of breast cancer awareness. The Seawolves held their own throughout the game but lost some mental stability in the last half, leaving the Broncos to defeat the Seawolves with a score of 74-64.

“I feel amazing and we did amazing. We practice free throws all the time, like to win the game, and this time it actually was to win the game. It felt good.”

Seawolves took the rebound in the first half allowing sophomore Molly Kommer to score two points for the Seawolves to take the lead. Just a minute later the Broncos scored two points tying the game and consistently scored two points each time they got the ball ,while the Seawolves were still at two points total.

Sophomore Tanner Adams scored a three-pointer and put the score 5-6 giving the Seawolves some hope to take the Broncos down. The first half continued neck and neck between the teams, with the Seawolves’ crowd cheering one minute and the Broncos band rallying the next minute. The first half ended with a free throw made by Seawolf sophomore Taylor Acosta, leaving the score 31-34, Broncos with the lead.

After some down time, the Seawolves made the first score in the second half with a two-point jump shot by Adams. The Seawolves had impeccable defense throughout the game and let it show even more in the second half. They continued to stay neck and neck with the Broncos until the last seven minutes of the game when the Broncos continued to score right and left.

“We kind of got mentally down when the refs weren’t favoring us,” said senior Kristina Fahey. “We kept looking up at the score and mentally we were kind of out of it, whereas we just need to push through and keep going.”

Adams again gave the Seawolves another three-pointer the last three minutes of the game that gave the crowd some hope. The Broncos, however, continued

to play aggressive offense and defense ending the game with a win.

“Throughout the entire game I think we played really well and played really good defense on them, we just ran out of energy in the end,” said Adams. “Tomorrow I think it’s going to be a lot better. I think we’re more ready and we think that we have a better chance of winning since we almost beat the number one team in our league.”

The Seawolves were ready to beat the Humboldt State Lumberjacks Saturday night. They led the game with a three-pointer by Adams and ended the game with two winning free throws by Fahey.

The Lumberjacks were a fast-paced team with an aggressive offense but the Seawolves didn’t fall behind them. They kept the score nearly tied throughout the first half until the last three minutes when the Lumberjacks scored a threepointer and had a score advantage of 2722 against the Seawolves ending the first half.

Senior Bronte Sheahan made the first score for the Seawolves in the second half with a two-point jump shot. The crowd continuously rallied for the Lady Seawolves as they held their ground, while the Lumberjacks continued to add up points. Noma Nation had faith that the girls were going to come out on top because their performance was consistent throughout the entire game.

The last three minutes of the game, the Lumberjacks had an advantage of 55-47 over the Seawolves. Adams made one of her famous three-pointers again at the last two minutes of the game, putting the score 52-55, Lumberjacks advantage.

The crowd was officially at the edge of their seats and couldn’t help but to consistently cheer on the Lady Seawolves for that last two minutes of the game until silence was made the last four seconds of the game when Fahey stood to the free throw line. The Seawolves were down 54-55 so the pressure was on for Fahey to win the game. She outstandingly made both free throw shots, ending the game 56-55. The crowd went wild.

“I feel amazing and we did amazing,” said Fahey. “We practice free throws all the time, like to win the game, and this time it actually was to win the game. It felt good.”

“Hopefully we can keep this up the next four games, playing consistently I think is the most important thing,” said Acosta.

The Seawolves will be heading to Southern California this weekend to play Cal State San Bernardino Friday and UC San Diego on Saturday.

The Sonoma State Seawolves traveled down to Los Angeles this weekend to face the Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles for a four game series.

On Friday afternoon, pitching was the key for the Sonoma victory as they sent their senior starter George Asmus to the mound. He provided six shutout innings for the Seawolves. Senior first baseman Brennan Fulkerson contributed a clutch two run single in the seventh inning to put the Seawolves up 2-0. This was all of the run support Sonoma would need, as Steven Zaharias relieved Asmus and contributed two shutout innings of his own. After getting one more insurance run in the ninth by a Shawn Walters sacrifice fly, making it a 3-0 Sonoma lead, freshman Ricky Clark would come in to the mound and shut the door in his college debut, striking out the side, and earning his first collegiate save.

The Seawolves’ main offensive force was outfielder Wesley Wallace, who finished the game 3-4 with a double and two of their three runs, providing Sonoma’s only multi-hit performance. Devin Alexander also added a hit and a run, and Brennan Fulkerson had a hit and two runs batted in. The Golden Eagles were led by third baseman Manny Acosta who went 3-4. Cody Doyle also added a pair of hits.

Saturday’s doubleheader began with a special Sonoma State debut for catcher Eric Ehlow, who hit two home runs and a double in game one of the doubleheader.

Ehlow provided all three of Sonoma’s runs, but that wouldn’t quite measure up, as the Golden Eagles would win in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the ninth on an error by second baseman Jackson

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Asmus provided six shutout innings for the Seawolves.

Stogner.

Second baseman David Trejo, who went 2-3 with a double, a run and an RBI led Cal State L.A. Manny Acosta also added a pair of hits, and designated hitter Jesus Cuevas contributed a hit, a run, and an RBI. The winning pitcher was Reed Reznicek (1-0), and the losing pitcher was Blake Sack (1-1).

The winner did not change for the second game of the doubleheader, as the Golden Eagles would put up ten runs of offense. The Seawolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Golden Eagles came back with seven runs of their own in the bottom of the second.

Aaron Gillis took the loss, only lasting an inning and two-thirds, while surrendering six earned runs.

Cal State L.A. had a huge offensive game led by Kyle Peralta, who only had one hit for the game but made it count, as it was a grand slam. He finished the day 1-3, with a home run, five RBIs, and two runs. Casey Ryan had three hits

and a run, and Acosta provided a hit, two RBIs, and a run. The Seawolves were led by freshman outfielder Daniel Caresio, who finished the game 3-3 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs.

The series cap began Sunday morning, as Sonoma State came out swinging, putting up a 14-5 victory. They had many offensive contributors. Justin Serrao went 2-3, with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs. Eric Ehlow went 2-4, including a triple, three RBIs, and a run. Garrett Schwartz also added a pair of hits, three runs, and two RBIs. Casey Ryan, Manny Acosta, Kyle Peralta, and Trent Zaks all added a pair of hits for Cal State L.A., but their pitching was the key.

The Golden Eagles threw six different pitchers, all of which could not get out without surrendering at least one run.

The Seawolves (3-3, 2-2 in Conference play) are taking on Cal State East Bay this upcoming weekend in a four game series.

Seawolf Sports

Feb. 19 Softball at Academy of Art 1 p.m.

3 p.m.

Feb. 21 Softball at Cal State San Bernardino noon Baseball at Cal State East Bay 11 a.m.

Women’s Basketball at Cal State San Bernardino 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at Cal State San Bernardino 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 22 Baseball vs. Cal State East Bay 11 a.m.

Softball at Cal State San Bernardino 11 a.m.

Women’s Tennis at Cal State Stanislaus noon Women’s Basketball at UC San Diego 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at UC San Diego 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 23 Women’s Tennis vs Academy of Art 11:00 a.m.

Feb. 24 Men’s Golf at Coyote Classic All Day

Women’s Golf at St. Edward’s Invitational All Day Feb. 25 Men’s Golf at Coyote Classic All Day Women’s Golf at St. Edward’s Invitational All Day Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

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Photo

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

This week in photos...

For more visit our gallery at SonomaStateStar.com

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5) STAR // Connor Gibson

1) Kids dance during half time of the Sonoma State women’s basketball team’s “Pink Out” game against Cal Poly Pamona.

2) The women’s basketball team fights hard against Cal Poly Pomona during their Pink Out game last Friday night. 3-6) A young go karting enthusiast race around Sonoma Raceway’s go karting track during a “Techniques of Karting” class on a cold, cloudy Friday morning.