BottleRock lineup announced
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Students volunteer for Alt. Break
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Sapphires place fourth in Nationals
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Sonoma State Star
SINCE 1979
VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 9
SONOMASTATESTAR.COM
APRIL 1 - APRIL 7, 2014
Students arrested on suspicion of drug manufacturing Kayla Galloway Asst. News Editor
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ast Tuesday, four students were arrested under the suspicion of illegal drug activity, including the sale and possession of marijuana and the manufacturing of narcotics. Student Benjamin Lalor, 22, was approached and questioned by police officers outside of Chase bank in Rohnert Park at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The suspicion by police came after concerned calls from the Chase bank about a man inside the branch who was not conducting any banking business. Once police were at the scene, officers found drug materials in Lalor’s vehicle, who then led officers to his home to inspect further. One of Lalor’s roommates was on criminal probation at the time. This allowed officers to search the men’s home including the common areas, the yard and the roommate’s bedroom without further consent.
wikipedia.com Police discovered three pounds of processed marijuana and various weapons. After the search of the home, officers discovered a hash oil lab in the backyard, three pounds of marijuana processed
for sale and various prescription drugs. Brass knuckles and a throwing star were found at the students’ home as well, both of which are considered illegal weapons. Sonoma County has often fallen victim to tragedies such as fires and explosions caused by in-home hash oil labs. In October, an explosion occurred at a home in Santa Rosa because of an oil lab. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, neighbors of the Sonoma State men were unaware of the activity occurring in the home and are thankful the police are investigating this issue and working to prevent any future incidents. The housemates who were arrested were Lalor, James Taylor, Jeffrey Moeser and Kyle McReynolds. All of the men were arrested on Tuesday for various drug charges and were booked in the Sonoma County jail. Two of the men, Taylor and Moeser were released after their bail was posted. Lalor and McReynolds still remain in jail under a $100,000 bail expense.
Associated Students suspends election Previously published online out of [their] own pocket to put on all this, reach out to students as much as possible and build up a momentum over those two weeks. The momentum is totally lost if you have to do it after spring break.” The reason the elections were suspended was due to the fact that several registered students did not receive an electronic ballot through their Seawolf e-mail accounts, while several other students who have already graduated did. Gallino said that becuase the common manage-
polling company that we pay for the ballot,” said Gallino. “With timelines and where everybody was at in departssociated Students canments, it just wasn’t possible didates restarted their probably to do it any sooner.” campaigns from scratch last “I believe the ElecWednesday after the original tions Commissioner [Angie election and its results were Ulloa] made the right choice suspended and declared null by suspending the elections mere days before spring because it would have been break. unfair to the students who “After review it seems did not receive their voting there are several anomalies ballots if they did not get a with the list that was genchance to have their voices erated of the potential votheard,” said presidential caners and who is enrolled at didate Bianca Zamora in an Sonoma State University for e-mail interview. the spring of 2014,” said AS Elections Commissioner Elections AdviUlloa and sor Erik Dickvice presison in an e-mail, dential canannouncing the didate Chrissuspension of the tian George election until after could not be spring break and reached for clarifying none comment. of the candidates “All stu“did anything dents should wrong.” receive the Before the ee-mail to mail was sent out vote when to all students, STAR // Cameron Hatheway they redo the both candidates and students alike The second round of voting will take place on election next week, howwere expecting to Wednesday and Thursday. ever if anylearn the results of one does not the voting by the ment system that keeps lists get the e-mail they should evening of March 11. With of students’ information the suspension, the new vot- was updated over the sum- contact the elections coming period will begin this mer, the query that Associ- missioner or anyone in AsWednesday and continue ated Students usually enters sociated Students,” said vice presidential candidate Annie through Thursday. into the system to reach all Green in an e-mail interview. “I think [a disappointed current students in order for reaction] was true for all of them to vote didn’t “translate “It is important every student is given the opportunity to cast the candidates, even the can- over like it should have.” their vote, and if they can’t do didates who were running “It’s not easy to run so they should come speak to unopposed,” said presiden- those reports, and we make tial candidate Anthony Gal- that request of them weeks someone on the second floor lino. “Because [they] put in advance, or at least days of the Student Center.” One of the main in time, put in effort, work in advance of the election hard, spend a lot of money to begin with to send to the See ELECTION Pg. 4 Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor
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STAR // Cara Fuqua Greek organizations participated in Alpha Gamma Delta sorority’s annual philanthropy event called Lip Jam. For the full story and more photos turn to page 8.
Wine Business students, Oliver’s team up to “Stomp Out Student Loans” Claudia Jambor Staff Writer
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onoma State University wine business students collaborated with Terra Fossil Wines and Oliver’s Market stores for a cause marketing project called “Stomp Out Student Loans” to raise money towards scholarships and supporting students with college debt. For each $9.95 bottle of Terra Fossil wine sold at Oliver’s, both companies will donate a combined total of $2 to the scholarship departments of Sonoma State and Santa Rosa Junior College. Student loan repayment debt is a growing national issue with roughly $1.2 trillion in debt to date.
The debt is currently bigger than the national credit debt at $800 million. CEO of Terra Fossil Wines Greg Lieb said the partnership is a unique and exciting opportunity to support students in paying their college loans on a local scale here at SSU and SRJC. “It’s probably not done that much in the U.S. yet, to have a university connect with a retailer and then have products that give back to the university to stamp out student loans and create scholarships. It makes sense,” said Lieb. Creative Director Andy Kuspon acknowledges the severity of the problem and intends for the
Check out our crossword puzzle on the back page! Read the clues and search through the articles to find the right word! Post a picture of your completed puzzle to Instagram and tag @SonomaStateSTAR to be mentioned in next week’s issue!
See LOANS 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
Introducing... “What’s the word?” As we finally say goodbye to our Spring Break endorphins and hello to the Finals Week blues, it’s always good to try to have fun. So, in honor of April Fool’s Day, flip to the back page for a crossword puzzle! Make sure to read the articles in the paper to answer the clues. Instagram your completed puzzle and tag @SonomaStateSTAR for a shoutout in our next issue! Flip to page 12 for the puzzle
Letters to the Editor A letter to the editor forum will be open to the expression of fact or opinion that will be of interest or importance to readers of the STAR. Letters which fit within the scope of First Amendment protection, and that meet other stipulations spelled out in this document will be published on a space available basis as explained below. Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available. Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available. Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Thursday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts. The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length. Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. The Star will honor requests for anonymity at the editor’s discretion. To send a letter to the editor e-mail star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by e-mail will not be published.
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The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.
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The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Healdsburg Printing. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.
Opinions
Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR editorial board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Vote, rinse, repeat Read about the Associated Students elections on page 1.
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STAR // Garett Knight
e heard what the candidates had to say. We saw their campaigns all over campus. We eagerly anticipated the dawn of a new leadership and didn’t waste time marking our ballots. Quite honestly, we rocked that vote. And now we’re supposed to rock it again. The suspension of the Associated Students Senate elections, the fault of which was reportedly an incomplete email list of current students, must have been tough to handle for everyone involved. It was probably just a simple mistake, but there was definitely some thunder stolen from this election that is going to be hard to recover. (The thief of that thunder? Spring Break.) We sympathize with the candidates for having to go back to the drawing board. Hopefully the candidates took the hiatus as extra time to gain more voting support, but it couldn’t have been easy to hear that all their work for the past few weeks was technically null and void. Apart from all the effort that may or may not have been wasted, however, what must be even more frustrating is trying to rally the students to vote again—especially since many of them didn’t even know an election was going on in the first place. Last year’s voting turnout was 24
percent, which means a large majority of almost 7,000 students didn’t vote—almost deflating the notion that candidates are elected because they represent the entire campus. Believe it or not, participating in student government—either as a voter, a senator or simply a student in Darwin Quad that wants to be heard—makes a difference. Sure, the Associated Students candidates can’t promise to increase funding for academics or there will never be a tuition increase again. But there are a lot of things they do have control of, and their success is much stronger when they have more voices to hear from. Take the Academic Success Fee, for example, which the administration finally shelved a few weeks ago. Perhaps President Ruben Armiñana was swayed by “#WTFee” written in chalk all over the campus, maybe he listened directly to students’ complaints, and maybe he even read our editorial asking him to forget about it. But the one thing that can definitely be attributed to the defeat of the fee was the Associated Students’ efforts in informing the campus. They held information sessions, talked to students individually, urged people to voice their opinions and relayed the campus’ concerns to the administration. In fact, both Armiñana and Provost Andrew Rogerson said multi-
ple times they would not proceed with the fee if Associated Students were in favor of it. And because a large majority of students told Associated Students they didn’t support the fee, subsequently neither did Associated Students. While we have been successful in steering clear from any devastating financial news since the passing of Proposition 30 in November 2012, we are still living in a state where the future of higher education is continually uncertain. Maybe some rich person will come in and actually donate money toward education instead of the construction of another building, improving our class availability; maybe we’ll hit another recession and see a devastating decrease in our student population. Honestly, anything could happen, and we don’t always have control over it. But we do have some control over who will represent us when the good, the bad and the ugly happen. Do your campus a favor; even if you already voted in the original election and are frustrated your vote didn’t count, just take another five minutes and vote one more time. If you didn’t vote, visit www. sonoma.edu/as to learn more about what student government does on a weekly basis to make sure you’re being spoken for. If, for some reason, you still don’t see the point, just remember: you can’t complain if you didn’t vote.
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 gives his word on words Dear Editor, I have been recently grumbling about a few things on this campus. To my fellow students and friends, we both know this place can be so depressingly apathetic, uninvolved and disconnected at times, but have you considered the notion that we continue to propagate this dynamic on campus? Linguistic Anthropology points to a curious idea that explains why things ain’t gellin’ here. We have a language problem. Benjamin Whorf, a resourceful fire prevention engineer in the 20th century, who wasn’t a formally trained anthropologist, pointed out that we humans tend to construct the world based on the language we use to describe and explain it. While some people out there criticize this, this idea of linguistic relativity is surprisingly… relative…to our experience here. From my experience, students tend to construct “bubbles” and “cliques” due to the rather small social comfort zones we “millennials” have outside of digital space. This tends to be reinforced in the ways we name and describe each other and it’s frequently not a conscious ordeal either. How do you indicate friendship to people in the passing five minutes you have on the way to your next class? How do people who don’t know you describe who you are? We forget that what we call each other, how we do it, when and where it happens, and why we do so, can demonstrate, between us and others around us, the quality and type of relationship we have. In short, it’s complicated. It’s amazing how a name can open or close the door to a relationship. While in some contexts using these descriptors are appropriate, simple words in an inclusive context can sometimes subtly exclude people from a sense of membership. Whether you’re a “first-time freshman,” “student leader,” “student of diverse background,” “transfer student,” “student athlete,” “Greek” or even just a “student,” it may be unsavory to be reduced and categorized this way instead being named as a person who belongs at Sonoma State.
We should work collectively to be more conscious of how we name and describe each other. As unusual as I may have looked to some, I can say from experience that being labeled “the Asian Cowboy” really made me feel socially limited and excluded freshman year. Be attentive to the process of describing someone you haven’t become acquainted with yet. In many contexts, forgetting or misusing a name can come with some cultural ramifications, but believe me; our school’s culture does include the assumption that we are part of a place where you can network and branch outside of your comfort zone. Talk to people. Ask them to tell you who they are. You’ll learn something new and maybe make a cool friend. There are great people at Sonoma who are learning every day, in their own unique way, who they are. We are all searching for ways in which we can be active members participating in a common community of practice. This is just my take but, our friends in Associated Students would call this being an “active citizen”; our faculty, our administration, and our staff might see this as being “an engaged student”; our Greek community might see this as attending philanthropy events, and our fellow students might simply call this staying “busy.” Any way you describe it, Sonoma does have a vibe, and you are part of it. There are hardworking, busy, creative, unique, and inspiring people here. Call them as you see them, but in an inclusive way. Names are just one way people construct and entangle our web of relationships into an interconnected community. Building “community” takes time. My experience here has taught me that good things happen slowly with one honest step at a time with your eyes on the sky and your feet on the ground. So before you get to your next class, here’s your step one to breaking the barriers we create at Sonoma State; shift the way you think by shifting the way you speak. - Tomio Endo, Student
Opinion
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
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For path to self-discovery, click here Julia Chacko Staff Writer
In a world of increasingly mass-distributed advertising, you would have to be living under a rock to not be bombarded by more than a few ads for personality quizzes online, in the newspapers and otherwise. You might have even jumped on the bandwagon and taken one or two and if not, at least been remotely interested in the idea. But where did the seeming necessity to define ourselves in this way come from? Why can’t we seem to resist taking personality tests?
Why are humans so incredibly intent on defining themselves in the terms of what a personality test can provide? The roots of personality testing can be dated back to the 18th and 19 centuries during which one’s disposition was measured by studying skull size and other physical aspects of the face. But I think it’s fairly obvious these early tests lack both reliability and validity. “Humans are 99.9 percent identical in their DNA; we differ only in .1 percent, which not only attributes to our physical differences but also our personality differences,” said Rima Najm-Briscoe, professor of psychology at Sonoma State. “In my opinion, physical differences [appearances] do not tell us much about who we are.” With a Ph.D. in psychology, Briscoe’s words certainly hold more than a little weight. Luckily, those earlier aesthetically-based formulas were amended with preferably pragmatic modern methods by the start of World War I when the U.S. Army created a self-report inventory called the th
Woodworth Personal Data Sheet to determine whether or not draftees would be predisposed to shell shock. Not long after the introduction of self-report inventory personality tests, the invention of projective tests, which measure a person’s presumed hidden emotions and conflicts through his or her response to ambiguous stimuli, added another level of accomplishment to the field of personality testing. There are several notable, psychologist-recommended personality tests which continue to dominate the world of personal assessment today, including the Rorschach inkblot test and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) of the projective test variety and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and a plethora of tests based upon Big Five personality traits (the tests are referred to as the Five Factor Model of personality) which belong to the self-report inventory category. I have taken many personality tests over the years due to parental and psychologist suggestion that I have anxiety disorders and/or depression. The jury is still out on that diagnostic verdict, but I’ve definitely completed an MBTI or two, and a flood of Five Factor Model tests. With the MBTI tests, which are essentially questionnaires attempting to couch you in terms of one of 16 psychological types through a four-letter abbreviation (the ideal being ESTJ: extraversion, sensing, thinking, judgment and the problematic INFP: introversion, intuition, feeling, perception), I always got the less than ideal option. The Big Five Model is somewhat similar in that you are defined as open or cautious, conscientious or impulsive, extraverted or introverted, agreeable or antagonistic, and emotionally stable or neurotic. Unfortunately, my self-defined winning personality includes all the negative aspects of this Five Factor Model as well. Regardless of personal experience, it is obvious that I am not the only person who’s taken more than a few personality tests in my time. It has become a literal phenomenon online and, more recently, websites such as Buzzfeed and Zimbio have banked off the combination of interest in pop-culture and personality with their fetching barrage of new quizzes. But why is this? Why are humans so incredibly intent on defining themselves in terms of what a personality test can provide? “The scientific field is fascinated about defining personality because it is a more reliable definition of who we are as individuals, not as a species,” said Briscoe. “After all, even though identical twins have 100 percent of their DNA in common and look very similar, it is their demeanor and personality that define them.”
I believe the entirely human predisposition to need to box and clump complicated phenomena into an understandable, workable, and emotionally tangible term is behind this century-long fascination with personality tests. After all, we tend to be incredibly fearful of anything and everything we cannot put a name to. It seems as if the terror of the unknown creeps its way into every facet of our lives, even our own personalities.
flickr.com People tend to categorize everything that is hard to comprehend, and human personalities are no exception.
No offense, but... The controversy of “offensive comedy” B randon Stachnik Asst. A&E Editor H o w many offensive jokes does it take for someone to actually be offended? F o r some, just one. Jokes about race, gender, sexual orientation or economic status are always controversal, so why are comedians constantly pushing the envelope on what topics are okay to joke about? That’s because most of today’s generation is more tolerant of such jokes. The youth of today have developed a sense of humor that allows them to not only feel comfortable making fun of others, but to also laugh when they themselves are made fun of. But at what point do even the “tolerant” comedy consumers start to feel personally targeted?
The youth of today have developed a sense of humor that allows them to not only feel comfortable making fun of others, but to also laugh when they themselves are made fun of. Today, most comedians with standup specials or successful shows on Comedy Central are often the biggest advocates of this style of comedy. Shows like “South Park” are based on making fun of stereotypes as well as current popular culture stories. One could argue that the most popular program on Comedy Central is “Tosh.0”, where the main foundation of the show is to broadcast funny videos from the Internet and have the host, Daniel Tosh, provide his own satirical comments to them.
If these popular shows are based solely on making fun of people and current events, then who is watching them? A survey published in an article by the New York Times states that Comedy Central’s ratings have gone “up 10 percent this year among men 18 to 34 years old, its target audience.” The article also states the median age of viewers of the station is 39 years old. While it’s clear the younger age demographic is the main consumer of this satirical humor, this doesn’t mean everyone under 40 can appreciate it. Tosh is one of today’s leaders in offensive jokes and it’s apparent he has no problem making a joke out of any topic he pleases. For example, rape. A blog post was written after an incident at a comedy club where a girl felt Tosh pushed the envelope too far. A portion of his act was dedicated to rape jokes, and how he thought these jokes would always be funny. Soon, a female audience member spoke out and proclaimed she did not think they were funny at all. Tosh then continued to target her specifically and made a joke saying it would be even funnier if this girl were gangraped by five guys. I am in the age demographic that watches Comedy Central, and I am even an avid viewer of Tosh’s television program. With that being said, I was taken aback by the way the comedian continued to target this girl and tease her when she was already offended. The reason I think these television programs and large stand-up shows are so successful is because they give the comedians an opportunity to make potentially offensive jokes without targeting specific individuals. I am not stating the girl would have not been offended by these rape jokes, nor am I personally condoning rape jokes. What I am arguing is comedians have the right to include in their act whatever they want, but it shouldn’t be right to further harass someone just because they don’t agree with you. I will still remain a fan of Tosh and I will stay a regular viewer of Comedy Central, despite the fact I might not always agree with the material used. Will I be offended by some jokes? Maybe. I’ve learned that sometimes, that’s just what makes them so funny.
STAR // Eddie Blake College is a time of figuring out who you are and where you want your life to go, and being in a committed relationship can either help that process or hinder it.
Dating in college: perks and pitfalls Angelica Viera Staff Writer
Relationships and dating can be a sticky situation for anybody, especially in the college setting. People can range from “crazy stage five clingers” to heartless manipulators and then there is everyone else in between. I’ll admit, I am slightly jealous of those hopeless romantics that instantly fall in love and ride off into the sunset just like in the movies, but what about the rest of us? Like any other aspect of college, relationships are all about trial and error. With all of the other components of being a student, is there really time for awkward first dates and possibly heartbreak? Right now we are at the point in our lives where we should be selfish with our time and focus on ourselves more than anything. Don’t get me wrong, love is beautiful and should be handled with the utmost respect. However, love will always exist; all unit cap jokes aside, will we always be in college? This is a once in a lifetime experience where we are meeting all of these new people and learning so much about ourselves and how the world around us works. How are we supposed to dodge the heartbreaks and find “the one” while we are still trying to find ourselves? Students are already under enough stress with school, work, clubs and sports as it is. I don’t think we should cram something else into our schedules that can possibly make things harder and more awkward when
it can wait. Relationships need time, patience and effort from both sides in order to work. More power to you if you can handle all of that, but it’s not for everyone right now. I’m not saying it is impossible to date and find someone truly special in college. I’m saying now is the time to figure yourself out first, so when you are ready to start settling down, you know what you want. That makes more sense to me than being in a dull, dead-end relationships that are essentially wasting your time and energy. Some students have been lucky to find someone they consider worthwhile in college. A couple I know met at the end of their freshman year and have been inseparable ever since. They feel that it is important to grow with each other and share this experience of college rather than growing separately during this time and joining together later when they would be “ready” by societal standards. They go through the usual quarrels from time to time, but both say that they are fully committed and will do what it takes to make it work.
People can range from crazy stage five clingers to heartless manipulators and then there is everyone else in between. This scenario is sadly not in the cards for most people, especially at this young age. Many of us have already broken some hearts or even worse gotten our own hearts broken. I don’t want to deter people from stepping out into the dating scene, but I think right now is the time to focus on building friendships rather than relationships. Take the time to have fun and be yourself. You will never get this time back so you might as well enjoy it.
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News
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
ELECTION: Voting postponed Continued from Pg. 1
problems the candidates now have is reinvigorating the students who voted the first time to get them to come back and vote a second time. “Voters become disenfranchised when they feel their vote doesn’t count,” said Gallino. “Personally I had concerns over momentum the candidates had built up, I raised concerns over the campus being sort of irritated and annoyed by the level of campaigning because anybody could see if they walked around it was littered with signs and chalk and everything. People are tired of Facebook posts: it crowds their feeds and their walls. Anytime you tell a person your vote didn’t
count the first time, they need to vote a second time, they’re less likely to vote the second time for that very reason. They feel like ‘Well why? My vote didn’t count the first time, why should I believe it counts a second?’” Campaigning will take place tomorrow and Thursday. Students will receive their electronic ballots through their Seawolf email accounts. Those who do not receive a ballot are encouraged to contact the Associated Students with their name and I.D. number. “What we need is a united effort of all of the candidates and the campus as a whole to get out and vote and make sure the students have the opportunity to vote and that they do,” said Gallino.
CSU employees seek representation Kathleen Collins Staff Writer
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ast week, the California State University Board of Trustees met in Long Beach for a meeting concerning issues that will affect all CSU campuses. Despite how the decisions being made will affect all campus workers, the voices present at the meeting only represented a fraction of all CSU employees. Introduced in February, Assembly Bill 2721, which has currently been referred to the Standing Committee for Higher Education, would make seats for staff members on the CSU board mandatory and therefore giving employees equal representation on the Board of Trustees. Of the 44,000 employees of the CSU system, 20,000 are not involved with these proceedings due to a lack of opportunity for representation. The California State University system began in 1960, following the California Master Plan for Higher Education, which established a system for postsecondary education. Approximately 100,000 CSU students graduate every year from 23 different campuses with a choice in over 1,800 degrees. As of 2012, the CSU system employs 4,664 professors, 2,686 associate professors, 2,004 assistant professors and 1,991 lecturers. Administration, alumni, faculty, and students all have a chance for representation, yet thousands of other employees of the CSU system are overlooked in the boardroom.
This group includes everyone from grounds and food service workers to financial aid staff and information technology (IT) support. Pediatrician and former UC Davis professor Richard Pan has challenged this division of workers by creating the Assembly Bill 2721. The bill would create equal opportunities for employees of the CSU system to be represented in the board room. “Classified staff members are the backbone of the California State University system. Assembly Bill 2721 would bring fairness to the CSU Board of Trustees, granting staff members the same voice as CSU students, faculty, and alumni by requiring a staff seat on the CSU board,” said California State University Employees Union President Pat Gantt in a press release. “Assembly member Pan is to be commended for his foresight in sponsoring this longoverdue measure.” To ensure equal representation, the bill asks to “revise the membership of the trustees by requiring the governor also to appoint a non-faculty employee of the university for a two-year term.” This incorporation of a non-faculty member would be among the first steps in the direction of an equal representation for those inside the CSU system. “To date the California State University (CSU) has practiced a climate of exclusion that has denied the 20,000 classified staff meaningful representation,” said CSU Employee Union Legislative Committee Chair Kim Harrington in a press release. “This bill will ensure that the staff of the CSU has an equal voice on the Board of Trustees.”
SUMMER
sonoma.edu Professors Jerry Morris (left) and Eric Williams (right) received the Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2013-2014 school year.
Professors receive Excellence in Teaching Award Finn Maloney Staff Writer
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his year’s awards for Excellence in Teaching were given to Eric Williams, a professor in criminology and criminal justice, and mathematics and statistics professor, Jerry Morris. “I wanted to be at a teaching institution, [which] is what brought me to Sonoma State,” said Williams. “That is what has kept me here all these years.” Williams is one of the two winners of this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award at Sonoma State University. “The most rewarding part about teaching is the connections you build with students over time. Knowing that there is appreciation there, whether it’s a Starbucks gift card at the end of the semester, or the students that, without my knowledge, wrote letters to every Supreme Court justice asking if they would meet with me,” said Williams. Each year, the Excellence in Teaching Award selection committee requests letters of nomination from students for educators who personify the spirit of insightfulness and inspiration of teaching. After the letters are processed, the nominees undergo a process including submission of an essay on their teaching philosophy, a description of course curriculum, a sample course syllabus, and an example of some supplemental texts or course materials. Williams is originally from Bangor, Maine where he attended Lehigh University, and eventually received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. He not only teaches courses in criminology but is also the chair of the department. Williams has been nominated every year since the start of his employment for the Excellence in Teaching Award and had never received the award until this year.
He took a group of students to the Washington, D.C. with him where they met two Supreme Court justices. This was made possible because one student was inspired by Williams and respected him as a mentor and worked to put together an opportunity to meet with these figures. “It’s all about passion. If you’re passionate about what you teach and teaching, the students will recognize that. I’m thought of as one of the most difficult professors in this department, but because the students know I’m passionate about their education they are willing to put in the work,” said Williams. Morris holds a degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Colorado State University. Morris’ hobbies include the NFL, linguistics and studying the universe. “My overwhelming feeling is gratitude. It means a lot that students took a lot of time out of their days to write letters and support myself and the math department,” said Morris. Morris is passionate about guiding students to use the knowledge they have to develop skills they need. “Teaching is about helping students to develop the skill to use the potential already within them. Remember, it is not all about the technical aspects, it’s about communication and connections with students,” said Morris. Morris encourages students to pursue teaching as a career in the future. He enjoys seeing his students succeed in the world because of their education and recommends a profession in education. “[Teaching] can be a lot of fun, especially seeing students succeed in the world,” said Morris. “What you have to sacrifice is great, but it’s worth it once you get the job. I always say I have the best job on earth. I always say that,” said Williams.
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Student vendors and entrepreneurs will be showcasing their wares next Tuesday.
O
n Tuesday, April 8, Sonoma State University will be hosting its first ever Market Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mt. Everest in the Recreation Center will be filled with student businesses, each with their own table to showcase and sell their products and ideas to their fellow students, as well as alumni, faculty, and members of the community. At noon, Robert Brunner, Chief Designer of headphone powerhouse Beats by Dre, will provide attendees with valuable insight and advice on successfully running a business and the process of instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in oneself and in others. Market Day is open to students, faculty, and community members alike, and attendance is free. There will be live music by current SSU students, free food and coffee, and prize giveaways. Simply arrive at the event; you can also join the event on Facebook to stay updated. The event is organized by Entreprenoma, Sonoma State’s student-run entrepreneurial thinking incubator. Entreprenoma is one element of SSU’s plans to promote on-campus innovation, serving as the support system for like-minded students and offering workshops and networking opportunities, mentoring, and connections to alumni and entrepreneurs. “Market Day is an exciting opportunity to illuminate the amazingly creative, innova-
tive, and entrepreneurial spirit of SSU,” said Patrick Maloney, the student lead and board director of Entreprenoma. “For faculty and students, it will provide a sense of pride as well as insight into the work of our student body. For community members, it will highlight the value and potential of having SSU as a central part of the North Bay community.” Entreprenoma is a student-run, co-curricular organization to support entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial thinkers, and those interested in the entrepreneurship at Sonoma State University. Entreprenoma serves as a platform of opportunities including speakers, workshops and networking, and available mentoring. Sonoma State University’s Community for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Learning (CELL) is leading a three-prong entrepreneurial movement in education. CELL’s goals are to launch and support entrepreneurial careers and businesses out of Sonoma State, infuse entrepreneurial thinking into the educational system, and accelerate entrepreneurial action in the North Bay. For more information about Market Day or SSU’s current entrepreneurial endeavors, contact Kelsey Koon at koon@seawolf.sonoma.edu or visit sonoma.edu/entrepreneurship. Press release courtesy of Entreprenoma.
News
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
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LOANS: Consortium proposes student loan reform
facebook.com These photos, taken from Young Invincibles’ Facebook page, emphasize the severity of the student loan crisis. Continued from Pg. 1
project to expand into the future. “We want to get this message out to more universities, to more cities. This is not something that we will do for 30 to 60 days and it’s done,” said Kuspon. Sonoma State Wine Business Professor Liz Thach was excited to partner her class with Terra Fossil Wines to create a more relevant learning environment that “comes alive” for the students. “I’m excited. I want to unleash students’ creativity and see what they come up with. A lot of them are excited because it’s real world; it’s something they can talk about in interviews with employers,” Thach said. Supplementing the project’s learning opportunities, Thach is supportive of Terra Fossil’s campaign to stamp out student loans and the debt that is “demoralizing” for students. “It’s not right to have our graduates finishing with this huge debt on them,” Thach said. According to Senior Policy Analyst at Young Invincibles Christina Postolowski, state governments across the U.S. are investing less into higher education and college costs are on the rise. These are both contributing factors to increased student loan debt. “We want all students from all backgrounds to have access to higher education. The student loans piece and the repayment measures are one piece of a bigger puzzle,” said Postolowski. A proposal drafted in March by a consortium of higher education organizations on the issue outlines a reform to improve the current loan repayment process. The consortium consists of Young Invincibles, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrations (NASFAA), Institute for higher Education Policy
facebook.com Students throughout the country are being forced to take out loans more frequently in order to pay for school. (IHEP) and New America Foundation and HCM Strategists. The proposal outlines the need to shift toward income-based repayment on federal student loans utilizing an employer-withholding system. Postolowski advocates how a revised repayment
Armand Gilinsky named Korbel professor industry, as well as those who seek careers in it.” Making the announcement, Dr. William Silver, dean of the School of Business and Economics pointed to Gilinsky’s successful and relevant research, like his and Professor Sandra Newton’s award-winning case study “NakedWines.com: The Sudoku Approach” that proposes crowd-funding as a solution to banks’ increasing reluctance to lend to unknown start-ups, that make Gilinsky such a worthy choice. “Armand’s accomplishments have always impressed me. He involves students in meaningful work and his studies really contribute to wine businesses,” said Heck. “Korbel is pleased to support Gilinsky’s ongoing efforts to foster innovation in the industry and in the classroom.” Gilinsky identified three themes to focus on throughout the next three years, stating that understanding emergent business models regarding sustainability will be “front and center.” He plans to help Sonoma County become the nation’s first 100 percent sustainable wine region, a goal set in January by the Sonoma County Winegrowers. Gilinsky’s other two research goals include sharing best practices and tools for wine business education by creating a wine business case study book, and examining how strategy and leadership in the wine industry are changing. He plans to involve students as much as he can in all of his investigations and explorations of the industry so that he can teach them how to “make serendipity happen to advance their careers.” “Students will learn the recipes for success and ‘get under the hood’ of a business by participating in these projects,” said Gilinsky. “It provides opportunities to explore the industry, put something impactful on their resumes, and point to their education at Sonoma State with pride.” Press release courtesy of the School of Business and Economics.
Courtesy // School of Business & Economics Armand Gilinsky was a recipient of the Goldstein Award last year.
A
t last week’s meeting of Sonoma State’s Wine Business Institute Board of Directors, Armand Gilinsky was announced as the next F. Korbel & Bros. Professor of Wine Business. The professorship, which was established in 2011 and held for the first three years by Liz Thach, is supported by Korbel Champagne Cellars and its president and owner Gary Heck to cultivate faculty research and projects that advance the wine industry and its leaders. “I am humbled,” said Gilinsky, author of more than 40 published case studies and articles relating to the wine industry. “It is incredibly generous, yet so appropriate, for Gary Heck to lend Korbel’s name and funding to this professorship that gives faculty time to develop projects that help the wine
model will be more beneficial for borrowers in comparison to the current, complex 10-year repayment model. “The process isn’t easy enough for students to get into. That’s where we think having an automatic option where have a monthly repayment is a better status quo than the one we currently have,” said Postolowski. Last year, Congressman Tom Petri introduced a similar proposal, the Earnings Contingent Education Loans (ExCEL) Act in Congress. However, Postolowski states the bill is “missing some important protections for students” including an end to the payment period and a cap-off interest rate to further support borrowers. The lack of education about student loan repayment and the financial aspect of college is a central problem within in higher education according to Postolowski. A recent survey by the Young Invincibles found that 40 percent of students said they didn’t get entry counseling, a mandatory requirement set by the Department of Education. “While they probably received the counselling, this tells us that it (the counselling) didn’t make an impact. There is certainly something to be done to foster the entrance and exit counseling for those students who require it,” Postolowski said. In the meantime, Postolowski encourages both students and institutions to use the resources currently available to become more aware of the process of student loan repayment. “Something that students themselves can do is get more information, go to the Department of Education’s website, find out how to enroll if this is something they need. The schools should be making sure students, before they graduate, get enrolled before they start paying debt,” Postolowski said.
Marketing Coordinator Wanted Want to get involved, make a difference, practice your business skills and get credit for it? Apply to become the STAR’s next Marketing Coordinator. Job Description: The Marketing Coordinator will be responsible for the maintenance of social media, public relations and circulation of the Sonoma State STAR. He/she will work with the Editor-in-Chief and the Advertising Manager to be the voice of the publication, maintaining relations with on- and off-campus partners, stakeholders and readers. Core responsibilities include: - Carrying out communication to outside parties - Creating social media content to promote writers’ articles and visitation of sonomastatestar.com - Fielding requests for subscriptions and maintaining subscription distribution - Distribution of papers on and off campus - Assisting Advertising Manager with market research Time commitment: - 5 minutes on Monday night - 2 hours on Tuesday morning/afternoon - Approximately 3 hours weekly for social media and other extraneous requests/communication - Periodic meetings with Editor-in-Chief and Faculty Advisor (no regular class attendance required) Total approximate commitment: 5+ hours weekly
To apply, e-mail star@sonoma.edu
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Arts
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Printmaking from San Diego to Seattle
STAR // Cara Fuqua The “West Coast Ink” exhibition had several beautiful works. (Left) “Untitled” by Kim MacConnel; (Center) “Lyam 3D” by Kota Ezawa; (Right) “Paris Review” by Kim MacConnel. Alexis Garcia-Mills Asst. Features Editor The unique diversity produced by artists from San Diego to Seattle entices the audience with the unexpected. The University Art Gallery is hosting “West Coast Ink: Printmaking from San Diego to Seattle.” The display consists of contemporary printmaking techniques including etching, lithography, linocut, monotype, silkscreen, woodcut, digital and even one tapestry. Straying from the typical painting type of art, these artists all show their own exclusive style to give the audience insight into a bit of everything. Don’t be fooled by the flyers with the tattoo skull with roses, this art exhibition displays printmaking that strays from the tattoo type of art. On March 13 the University Art Gallery held the opening reception. The collection remains on view through April 13. “The Way It Is” by Anthony Discenza types in bold white print with a black background to convey his message. The art playfully but bluntly says, “We really didn’t have a hard time making this decision. Yes, there is someone else. It’s not us, it’s you.” The artist is talking about getting a job and how people reapply every year, when in reality he does not believe it
makes a difference. He conveys the harsh truth of reality. “Paris Review” by Kim MacConnel from San Diego pops off of the blank white wall with her bright colors and busyness. The artist sticks to his signature style, seen also in “Untitled,” where the figures are jumbled up all over the canvas. The play with color and shape pulls the viewer into the fun chaos. “West Coast Ink” was organized by Professor of Printmaking Kurt Kemp and Director of the University Art Gallery Michael Schwager. The exhibition is to be presented with “Bridges,” the annual international conference of the Southern Graphics Council, which is being held in San Francisco this year. Both artworks by Chris Johanson express a distinct style in “Perceptions No. 1” and “I Am Glad That I Went to Center.” They both present speech bubbles coming from people, but the writing breaks out of them with a style that takes more concentration to read. His style incorporates his perception on the journey of life but his words break outside of the bubble. This could be interpreted in different ways, but it could represent that the content of the words broke the subject’s comfort or cause growth in character. Unlike the others, the artist Kevin
Fletcher from Santa Rosa produces a style of dark chaos, with black and white distinct shading in each of his three pieces presented. In each one he presents different layout but all with strings crossing everywhere. Looking closely gives the viewer a hard time attempting to see where they all go, but better when looking at the bigger picture of it all. Artist Kota Ezawa brings an interesting 3D aspect to his art with etching. “Lyam 3D” was different from typical art, but closely analyzing the work can give a better understanding of how the images appear 3D, when it really is just dealing with color and placement to play tricks on the eyes. Masami Teraoka is an artist who took the classic geisha but pushed the limits in “AIDS Series/Geisha in Bath.” The geisha is naked in the bath, opening a condom to use art to help awareness of AIDS. The artist’s knowledge shows insight in a different perspective, when in art people view geishas as elegant and talented, not pulling open a condom with their mouth. These women are more prestigious and presenting her in this image is shocking compared to traditional ways. With all the variety of style, there are pieces to meet anyone’s interest, while also showing the audience something new.
STAR // Cara Fuqua “The Way It Is” by Anthony Discenza. The piece hits close to home for many people, students especially, in a humorously truthful and painful way.
Music festival BottleRock returns to Napa Valley Sara Molenda Staff Writer
facebook.com OutKast, the Cure and Weezer are a few of the bands headlining the BottleRock music festival this year.
After last year’s event filed for bankruptcy shortly after its debut weekend in Napa Valley, the fate of BottleRock rested in the hands of new promoters, Latitude 38 Entertainment, to dazzle music festival-goers with a killer 2014 lineup to follow up the previous big name bands. This year’s lineup, which includes the Cure, OutKast, Eric Church, TV on the Radio, LL Cool J with DJ Z Trip, Deerhunter and Barenaked Ladies, received an interesting reaction some might associate with lackluster. Following last year’s lineup would be no easy task. The booking of bands in festivals is a numbers game. What kind of crowds will this band draw? How much will people be charged to see this band? Above all, how much is this band going to cost to book? These are all questions Latitude 38 Entertainment, firsttime owners of the festival, had to ask themselves. A first look at the lineup might show the operators were aiming at a 90s throwback with artists such as OutKast, Weezer and Sublime with Rome. “I don’t know if I will attend considering the prices and the bands. I could see most of these bands, including OutKast, at a more established festival like Coachella,” said junior Alania Sabankaya. “But it would probably be cool to go check out the food, beer and wine.” To continue exploring the lineup, one might find this year’s actually provides something for everyone. While there are plenty of alternative acts to enjoy such as Matt and Kim, the Fray and Third Eye Blind, other acts such as Eric Church will cater to the country music lovers, and Blues Traveler will cater to bluesy rock fans. For even more of a throwback, attendees can enjoy Ann and Nancy Wilson in their band Heart. There was much talk over the release of the 2014 BottleRock lineup as fans of the festival waited to hear the names of their favorite bands. “I just love that a lot of the people I grew up listening to will be there,” said junior Marisa London. “OutKast, Deerhunter, Barenaked Ladies, Matisyahu and Eric Church are all artists I would love to see.” Ticket prices for the festival, which will take place May 30 to June 1, are as follows: $149 for a one-day pass, $279 for a three-day pass, $599 for a VIP three-day pass and $3,000 for a platinum three-day pass. Single-day platinum passes are also available for $1,000. The festival, which will be hosted again at the Napa Valley Expo just a few blocks from downtown Napa, is boasting some of the best music, wine, food and beer in the world. Last year, the festival partnered with many wineries and restaurants in
and around Napa County. Although the official list for food and beverage vendors has not been released, the promoters are emphasizing quality and variety. Latitude 38 Entertainment had much to overcome this year in terms of impressing festival-goers and vendors. Despite the success of last year’s stacked lineup, which included Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Kings of Leon, the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, the Shins, Cake and Jane’s Addiction, the operators of the 2013 festival, BR Festivals LLC, had its share of problems. Some of those problems being the long lines associated with the bus shuttles to and from the parking lot and the venue, as well as some of the overpriced food items available for purchase inside. To top it all off, the company ended up filing bankruptcy after the conclusion of the festival, leaving it impossible to reimburse numerous food and beverage vendors as well as creditors. Latitude 38 Entertainment made the brave decision of taking ownership for the 2014 festival, as they hope to make this year much more successful in terms of fulfilling their contracts with vendors and making attendees enjoy their experience right in the heart of Napa Valley. For more info on the festival, check out the website at www.bottlerocknapavalley.com.
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Entertainment
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Man in Black is back
Friends come of age in ‘This One Summer’
Stuart Courtney Staff Writer
Dylan Sirdofsky Asst. Editor-in-Chief Summertime: so close, yet presently so far away in the minds of countless adolescents finishing up those last few months of the school year. At a young age, some of the more precious memories of vacation time are spent with families and friends during the season of freedom, where many experience “This One Summer” of utmost significance. Cousins Jillian and Mariko Tamaki beautifully articulate the lives of two youthful girls going through a meaningful stage of growth in “This One Summer,” a 320-page graphic novel. Published by First Second Books, this fictional tale is set for release on May 6. Rose is ready to enjoy a traditional family getaway at Awago Beach, a place where she can escape to a lake house each summer with her mom and dad. After reuniting with her friend Windy, the should-be siblings converse about their interests in older boys, horror movies and the idea of one day having bigger boobs. In the midst of all the fun, however, is what makes this year’s remembrance the most distinct for them—or at least Rose. Her parents begin to display signs of detachment from each other, leaving Rose and Windy to look for ways around the tension. This instead invites an entire new stack of complications, when they eavesdrop on the issues of a native teenager. The story reads as a page-turner, with dialogue so well-versed and capturing of the very essence of how youngsters speak to one another. It feels ultimately alive and refreshing to the current dialect of the times. Another plus is the treatment of conflicts within the characters; yet when it’s at its roughest moments, there’s a craving for even more exposure. Illustrations from Jillian Tamaki are perhaps the most fantastic component to this tale. With the use of pantone color on the printed insides, readers will notice an alluring dark blue contrast instead of standard color or black and white. In complementation to the writing, the artwork is wonderfully detailed and full of a sense of style unique to its creator. While the age range is between 12 to 18 years, Mariko Tamaki’s direction of place and character development creates a relatable visual setting for many to enjoy, far beyond the reach of the targeted demographic audience. The tendency for some varying uses of explicit language is what would align this piece of fiction to at least the preteen maturity. Residing in Brooklyn, Jillian Tamaki is an illustrator and cartoonist who grew up in Calgary, Alberta and graduated in 2003 from the Alberta College of Art and Design, currently teaching in the illustra-
COURTESY // First Second Books Best friends Rose and Windy have to overcome a different set of problems while coming of age in “This One Summer.” tion department of the School of Visual Arts. She previously worked with her cousin in “Skim,” a 2008 graphic novel about a girl seen as an outsider. “Doing ‘Skim’ taught me pretty much everything I know about doing comics,” said Jillian Tamaki in an interview with the Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex team. “While I am proud of that book, I wanted to refine and expand on some of the ideas we explored — namely creating a specific sense of place and time.” Mariko Tamaki graduated at McGill University in 1994, where she studied English literature. She has worked as a writer and performance artist in Toronto, Ontario. In the interview with Hero Complex, they asked what kept drawing her to characters on the cusp of adulthood. “I think part of it is that the experience of being that age still feels very close to me, maybe because it was something I really wrestled through,” said Mariko Tamaki in the same interview. “So in a way I’ve always been fascinated by the mechanics of growing up. Even as a kid, I took detailed notes in my Judy Blume diary.” “This One Summer” is available for preorder at Amazon.com and IndieBound as well as local bookstores. When in search for a rejuvenating story consisting of laughter, suspense, mystery and excitement, one doesn’t need to look further than this intricately woven narrative fulfilling a promise of memorable pleasure and anticipation for the upcoming change of season.
facebook.com The fourth season of “The Walking Dead” was an emotional roller coaster ride for fans, making every episode a must-watch.
New life brought to ‘Walking Dead’ Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor In the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as Georgia, Rick Grimes and company have survived the zombie masses for another season. However, like with the previous seasons, zombies aren’t the real threat: people remain public enemy number one. AMC’s hit-drama of the acclaimed comic series started on a fresh note at the beginning of the fourth season back in October when they brought on Scott M. Gimple as the new showrunner, taking over the position previously held by Glenn Mazzara (seasons two and three) and Frank Darabont (season one). Almost immediately, fans of the show felt like the direction and storytelling of the fourth season was a breath of fresh air, no longer setting the show in one permanent place like in previous seasons. While the first half of the season
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was set at the prison and focused on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the survivors trying to start a simpler life consisting of farming while battling an airborne infection, the villain of season three known as the Governor (David Morrissey) returned with a new army to try and take over the prison. The cliffhanger before the winter break focused on the prison being overrun by zombies, forcing Rick and company to scatter in different directions into the nearby woods to seek shelter. From there the second half of season four took a page out of the “Game of Thrones” playbook and focused on different character storylines every episode, having them all reunite in the season finale. Because of this strategy, the audience got a balanced helping of the major and minor characters and got to see some odd pairings. Rick, Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) were all
paired together, as were fan-favorite Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Beth (Emily Kinney). Carol (Melissa McBride) and Tyreese (Chad Coleman) were certainly an odd couple, taking care of two girls and a baby from the prison, all while Carol carried a secret with her regarding Tyreese’s murdered sister. One of the more touching storylines of the season consisted of separated lovers Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) trying to reunite, while picking up some new friends along the way. Fans of the comic were especially thrilled to see the introduction of Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) as they met up with Glenn after the prison and promised to help him find Maggie before continuing on their top secret mission to Washington, D.C. While every group was separated from each other, they all were bound for the same place: Terminus. “Those who arrive, survive,” according to the signs scattered along the different railway tracks. The groups are a bit suspicious of a place offering salvation, because from their experiences with other large groups of survivors, not everyone is who they say they are. Sure enough, the season finale definitely took viewers by surprise, leaving things in turmoil and more questions than answers. One thing is for certain though; season five (debuting in October) will definitely explore some more macabre and unnerving stories. At the start of the season, Rick wanted to live a simpler life. By the end of the season, the savage, protective Rick has returned and will never let his guard down again. Gory as it is gruesome, “The Walking Dead” is back to being the must-watch series under the new showrunner Gimple. If he was able to make such a splash in his debut season, one can only imagine what surprises he has in store for fans in season five.
From the popular music perspective, Johnny Cash was cool, then he was uncool. Now, he’s cool again. With a foundation of country western and rockabilly, Cash’s crossover style also delved into blues, folk and gospel music. Those roots placed him among mainstream artists such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis during the formative years of rock and roll in the 1950s, but he was relegated to the country genre after the British Invasion of the early 60s and the morphing of rock into various subgenres such as psychedelic, hard rock and metal in the 70s and 80s. Nevertheless, Cash penned more than 1,000 songs during his 50-year career; recorded dozens of studio albums; was inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, Songwriters, Rockabilly and Gospel Music Halls of Fame; and received nearly 20 Grammy Awards. The music icon died in 2003. “By the mid 80s, Johnny had long since passed into the ‘Las Vegas’ portion of his career,” said a one-time chief financial officer of Columbia Records who wished to remain anonymous. “He was still very popular and sold out his live gigs, but he just didn’t sell records. Johnny’s old stuff still sold, but not his new music. It happens to all of them — Springsteen, McCartney, Elvis.” Cash made a handful of albums in the 1980s, but none reached higher than 24 on the Billboard charts, so Columbia Records invested time and energy in other artists, and eventually terminated his contract in 1986. “Columbia Records had lost interest in Johnny Cash at the time … they didn’t know what to do with him,” said his son, John Carter Cash, in an interview with Billboard magazine. “And when I listened to these tracks, it showed the lack of sincere interest that was there — some of these tracks didn’t have guitar solos.” Two of the tracks on “Out Among the Stars” (released March 25) were originally recorded by Cash and renowned Nashville producer Billy Sherrill in 1981, while the remaining 10 were recorded by the pair in 1984. These never-released recordings remained in the storage vaults of Columbia Records for the last 30 years. With the help of Rick Rubin (Cash’s
producer from the early 1990s) Carter Cash drafted Marty Stuart (the guitarmandolin player from the original recording), Buddy Miller on baritone guitar and Barry Douglas on pedal steel guitar and dobro guitar to finish the incomplete tracks. “The result is an authentically live, vintage-sounding classic country album — one that didn’t fit in with the pop-crossover sound Nashville was experiencing at the time, but still finds Cash at his most refreshed,” wrote Andrew Hampp in Billboard on March 25. Fans of traditional country western and country pickin’ will enjoy “Out Among the Stars” since there are several standout tracks and solos on guitar, dobro guitar and pedal steel guitar. “Baby Ride Easy,” a duet with June Carter Cash, has a fast two-step rhythm and is considered by Carter Cash to be as powerful as “Jackson,” the couple’s signature duet that was featured in the film “Walk the Line” (2005). Reminiscent of a show tune, “After All” is a country waltz that demonstrates Cash’s full vocal range. There is considerable conviction in his voice as the guitar and piano weave seamless patterns with the beautiful melody. Cash’s longtime friend Waylon Jennings shares the lead vocals on “I’m Movin’ On,” a song made famous by Hank Williams. This arrangement features a classic “train time” drum line. “Call Your Mother” is a mediumfast two-step written by Cash. It’s a simple song, but it reveals Cash’s strong family values. The album concludes with “I Came to Believe,” another Cash original. It’s a medium-fast country waltz with accompanying piano that captures the tranquility of a murmuring brook. Cash was still part of Columbia Records when he recorded these tracks in the early 80s. The combination of song selection, composition and personnel indicates he intended them to appear on a future album, but it is doubtful he anticipated a 30-year wait before its release. “Johnny Cash was a true legend in the business,” said the former Columbia CFO. “The people who ran Columbia felt very connected to a few key artists, and prying those artists loose was always a big deal. People like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson defined the label, much like the Beatles defined Capitol and Elvis defined RCA.”
facebook.com Johnny Cash’s latest album “Out Among the Stars” contains unreleased recordings from the early 80s. It was released posthumously.
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Features
April 1 - April 7, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
STAR // Cara Fuqua
STAR // Cara Fuqua Lip Jam winner Alpha Xi Delta stole the show with a perfect interpretation of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme.
People’s Choice winner Alpha Delta Pi won the crowd over with an apocalyptic theme.
STAR // Cara Fuqua Fraternity winner Alpha Psi was inspired by the blockbuster film, ‘The Hangover.’
STAR // Cara Fuqua Kappa Delta Zeta impersonated a variety of Disney princesses in its routine.
Lip Jam 2014: ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ Cara Fuqua Staff Writer
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very seat was occupied at the Green Music Center on Friday for Alpha Gamma Delta’s (AGD) philanthropy event: Lip Jam 2014. Thirteen sororities and fraternities had been practicing their choreographed, themed routines for the past three months in support of the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, which raises money for diabetes education and awareness. To make things interesting, AGD decided to require random props and specific activities for each fraternity and sorority to include in their routines. Every group that participated showed a great amount of enthusiasm and dedication in practicing for the philanthropy event, which was evident in each of their performances. After deliberation amongst the judges, which consisted of faculty members from Sonoma State, AGD announced the ladies of Alpha Xi Delta and the gentlemen of Alpha Psi as the winners of Lip Jam 2014. Gamma Phi Beta member Kelsey Ertola and Alpha Psi member Zac Hersh hosted the philanthropy event and started the show off by introducing the Alpha Gamma Delta fall 2013 initiates. Gamma Phi Beta took the stage shortly after with a Peter Pan inspired routine for their dance crew, “The Chase.” Their performance was complete with 15 chairs and a mirrored routine that playfully featured “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake. The decked out group dressed in a variety of unique costumes including Peter Pan’s lost boys, mermaids, pirates, Native Americans, Peter Pan, Wendy and other familiar characters from the “Peter Pan” story. The routine was very well-choreographed and was performed with enthusiasm and smiles all around. Up next, Alpha Epsilon Pi performed with seven
flashlights and started a chain reaction onstage with “Evacuate the Dance Floor” by Cascada. Their dance crew name, “Jews with Attitude,” definitely lived up to its title with a sassy routine that featured the fraternity members in leather jackets and sunglasses. As last year’s winners, Alpha Epsilon Pi did not disappoint in entertaining the audience with their routine that even featured a member dressed as a woman. Phi Sigma Sigma continued the show with a Super Mario Bros. themed routine that highlighted 12 empty trash cans and “Walk Like a Dinosaur” by Was (Was Not). Their challenge was to imitate dinosaurs in their routine, which happened to work perfectly with their theme because Super Mario Brothers features Yoshi, a dinosaur character. “Mega Crew” is the team name they gave themselves and it was quite fitting considering their unique, well-executed performance. “Goodfellas,” Alpha Sigma Phi’s dance crew, performed to “Slow Jams” by Kanye West and used seven pairs of boxing gloves in their routine. The men of Alpha Sigma Phi sported black shorts, bandanas and loose white T-shirts. “Goodfellas” routine ended with the Can-Can, which gave the audience a good chuckle. Kappa Delta Zeta gave one of the most unique performances of the evening with a routine that featured a series of “Girl Code” references that can be seen throughout Disney movies. Their group, “The Outcastz” referenced Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Mulan. “Hit The Floor” by Twista blasted through the GMC as members of Kappa Delta Zeta literally got low to the floor while incorporating 24 mops. Kappa’s performance was unlike any other on stage that night, which definitely made their routine quite unforgettable. Winners of Lip Jam 2014 Alpha Psi gave an impressive performance as “The Wolfpack.” The routine revolved around aspects of the famous movie,
“The Hangover.” The gentlemen of Alpha Psi used 10 red pool noodles, which they used in sync with “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex. “The Wolfpack” even showed off their hidden country line dancing skills. The performance included characters from “The Hangover,” which made for a hilarious, witty routine. Winners of The People’s Choice, Alpha Delta Pi, gave an amazing performance that incorporated six pairs of crutches and featured “Earthquake” by DJ Fresh. Alpha Delta Pi’s challenge was to make themselves look like they were in an earthquake, which was executed perfectly in this well-coordinated routine. The dance crew called themselves “The Take Over” and featured eye-catching costumes of aliens, army members and lifeguards that truly did take over the audience’s attention. “iGroove,” Phi Delta Theta’s dance crew, performed a routine that used roughly 15 pots and pans and Lil Flip’s “Game Over.” Phi Delta Theta members wore a variety of outfits including plaid shirts during a country tidbit in their routine. In addition, Phi Delta Theta was required to make a portion of their routine simulate a video game. “My favorite part of participating in Lip Jam was the rush of getting onstage with brothers and hearing people cheer for us,” said Phi Delta Theta performer Nick Carmona. “We thought it was important to participate, not only to raise money for a great cause, but to promote unity and friendship with not only our members, but others as well.” “The Last Tribute” dance crew featured the ladies of Alpha Omicron Pi. The routine was based off of “The Hunger Games” series and highlighted “Light em Up” by Fall Out Boy. Their dance included a series of battle scenes and featured junior Brittney Bruschera as Katniss. Overall, the routine was entertaining and upbeat. Winners of Lip Jam 2014 Alpha Xi Delta left quite the impression on the judges with their Alice in
Wonderland themed dance crew titled, “The Dream Team.” Using one table and a plethora of costumes, Alpha Xi Delta danced to “Technologic” by Daft Punk. “The Dream Team” gave a performance that was striking and hard to forget with their accurate interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas began to play as members of Tau Kappa Epsilon took the stage with their routine that featured martial arts moves. The gentlemen of TKE wore towels as part of their assigned prop and seemed to be having a lot of fun while performing. Lambda Kappa Pi made their first appearance at Lip Jam this year and made a splash with their routine to “Cupid Shuffle,” by Cupid. The routine featured each sorority member in bright, 80s themed workout clothing and an ensemble with four yoga balls. “One Dove,” Lambda Kappa’s dance crew, was full of enthusiasm and had an amazing first performance at Lip Jam 2014. Alpha Gamma Delta’s seniors closed the show with their tribute to “Shut Up and Drive,” by Rihanna. The seniors called themselves “Bandidas.” The routine was sexy and it was easy to tell the seniors performing gave it their all. “I’m sad my time here is slowly coming to a halt,” said graduating senior Nikki Yakel. “But I am certain the ladies of Alpha Gamma Delta will continue on the traditions of Lip Jam and raise more money for our foundation than we ever imagined possible.” Not only was every seat in the GMC filled, but Alpha Gamma Delta also raised more than $18,000 in donations alone. The total amount raised from ticket sales will be announced sometime this week. AGD hosted another amazing Lip Jam but it couldn’t have been possible without donors, sponsors, school spirit and dedication to making a difference. Lip Jam continues to surpass expectations and make a huge impact in the world of diabetes research every year.
JUMP makes difference in Alternative Spring Break Evan Croker Staff Writer
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pring break is often a time for students to let loose or relax for a week. For some it may mean a trip to Cabo and for others it might be a time to visit friends and family back home. For students in Join Us Making Progress (JUMP), it means travelling around the country to help those that are less fortunate. JUMP is a branch of the Associated Students here on campus, and works as a student-run non-profit. It gives students the opportunity to work in community service and help out in different places around the world. Through JUMP, students can volunteer for many different programs. One group of students was sent to Tucson to work to expand healthcare access by providing locals with access to professionals willing to help those in need of affordable health care. The students went to different lower income neighborhoods to make residents more aware of the opportunity for healthcare. This volunteer work was done through organizations such as “Enroll America” and “Get Covered America,” both non-profits working to get people enrolled in health care. The students went door-to-door to ensure people got the message, and would even provide them with a follow up call to make sure they were able to sign up. One of the reasons JUMP decided to work in Tucson was the fact that so many different communities of people live in Tucson and it would be a good learning experience. They even caught the attention of the local news station, and a story was broadcasted on TV. Elizabeth Esparza, a junior who took part in the alterna-
tive spring break, said, “One significant part of alternative breaks is definitely learning about a social issue that you may not have known much about and getting to do that in maybe a different setting.” Esparza also said that students are able to get out of their comfort zones. “This is really significant for a lot of students because, sometimes when they get out of their regular setting, they become more open to the learning experience and begin to understand the issues better,”said Esparaza. Not only were students in JUMP sent to Tucson to help provide people with health care, but also to help with other public health issues. They helped out with a group by the name of Project C.U.R.E., a non-profit group dedicated to sending medical supplies and other goods to people in third world countries that could not otherwise gain access to such materials. JUMP offered spring break opportunities outside of just Tucson, all of which had different goals in mind. Some of the other opportunities included trips to Las Vegas, Portland, Humboldt and a trip throughout California. In Las Vegas, JUMP targeted poverty. In Portland students helped out with hunger and homelessness. In the trip to Humboldt students worked to help out the environment. All of these trips conducted by different teams in JUMP. Be on the lookout next year if you are interested in an opportunity like this, because you too can take an alternative spring break next year. When Esparza was asked what she would say to anyone interested in partaking in the group she answered, “Do it! It’s honestly the best way to spend your spring break, and you get to walk away with an amazing service experience, more knowledge about social issues, and a whole group of
new friends.” Applications for next year go out mid-September. JUMP is hiring. Go to Seawolf Jobs or access the application on OrgSync at orgsync.com/20936/forms/102078. The JUMP office is located in the Student Center for anyone interested.
facebook.com Members of JUMP went on an alternative spring break to Tuscon, Arizona to talk to low-income communities about affordable health care.
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Students create Sonoma State’s first public relations firm
facebook.com Primitivo’s logo incorporates the name of the firm with the iconic grape and wine industry of Sonoma County. Tyler Drinnen Staff Writer
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hen the idea was made to house a student-run public relations firm within the communication studies department at Sonoma State, the feedback amongst the communications students and community was seen as an encouraging step in the right direction with developing a new student outlet. The proposal came about with the idea of replacing the prior course work from past years of the upper division COMS 340 Advanced Public Relations and replacing it with the new student-run PR firm. This proposal became effective immediately at the beginning of the spring 2014 semester. Starting a new business deals with the complicated factors of time, funding, communication and organization. Not only has this student-led company achieved all of these factors successfully within the few weeks it has been given, but its success and plans as a new PR firm ref lects current and future generations.
“We’re one of 26 student-run PR firms in the country, which puts us in elite company. I came up with Primitivo initially because I wanted a name that was unique to our area, but also because of its sophisticated and professional recognition,” said Primitivo faculty adviser Emily Acosta Lewis. The name Primitivo was voted on after multiple rounds of decision making, as the name to represent the firm. With pun intended “PR” and local wine culture, it was a fit distinctively made to be recognizable among the community. “The ultimate goal for the firm is to give COMS students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with real life clients, which goes beyond anything you’re able to get in a traditional classroom. We hope to provide all students with the knowledge of communication strategies and effective PR tactics,” said Primitivo General Manager Kevin Kinder. With minimal funding during the first semester of the firm, multiple fundraisers were established with many local businesses supporting the success of the firm. Thus far, Primitivo has had success in teaming up with Swirl Time and Extreme Pizza, with near future fundraisers planned at the local Mountain Mikes Pizza and Lagunitas Brewing Company. Primitivo is offering the opportunity to improve and provide a plan of growth for any local organization that seeks professional methods. Currently the firm is in the process of working with both the communications and kinesiology departments, as well as taking over Swirl Time’s social media presence. “Because we are a new firm, we are driven to provide our clients with nothing but the top results. We are not content with average work and strive to exceed our potential with every project that we take on,” said Kinder. Primitivo representatives met with Dean Thaine Sterns of the Arts and Humanities department, a representative of the Green Music Center, and a few other individuals on Thursday with the goal of having Sonoma State be recognized as a university that emphasizes the importance of theatre and art. “We will be working with [the GMC] to increase the presence of theater and arts as a study and leisure on this campus. This includes helping promote events to the student body and,
Faculty Spotlight: Brantley Bryant
sonoma.edu English professor Brantley Bryant’s passion lies within the realm of medieval literature, especially with famed British author J.R.R. Tolkien. Megan Kleszcz Asst. Copy Editor
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here are many different reasons scholars decide to further their education and take on the role of a teacher. Professor Brantley Bryant is an English professor whose love for the language began at a very young age. “As a kid, I was a reader and would lose myself in books. As I grew older, I realized how important it was to think about the way texts were created and the way books have shaped our ideas and history,” said Bryant. “I love words and stories. Teaching literature is a wonderful way to talk about a lot of good and bad books with people, and to think very carefully about the power of language.” When a professor states he or she is an English professor, it doesn’t always
mean they are simply in love with grammar and grading essays. Bryant specializes in medieval literature, mythology and the female perspectives in literature. “Medieval literature is fascinating because it is, in some ways, very familiar. There are many ideas and institutions from the Middle Ages that appear in our mainstream U.S. culture today,” said Bryant. “On the other hand, medieval literature shows a very different society, one with fundamentally different ideas and ways of life.” Bryant stated medieval literature provides a different insight of the world with good stories as well as beautiful poetry. As many who have studied English and history know, it was uncommon for women to publish literature, especially medieval literature, in the middle ages.
Bryant stated he believes it is important to emphasize the writing of women in the Middle Ages because there is a stereotype that only men wrote in the Middle Ages. “There is a little truth to this; certainly, the vast majority of medieval texts are written by men. But that doesn’t mean we should overlook a writer like Marie de France, an amazing poet and storyteller who is perhaps the first female author in the English tradition,” said Bryant. Many students connect with Bryant because of his love for Tolkien, who is the author of “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. “I think Tolkien gave an amazing gift to medieval literature because he got so many people interested in it through his work. Tolkien was actually a medieval literature teacher. A lot of people who read and loved ‘The Hobbit’ as kids, went on to read the poems Tolkien loved and studied like, ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ or ‘Beowulf,’” said Bryant. Bryant believes there is a whole generation or more of medieval scholars who got their start from reading Tolkien as a child. “Funny enough, Tolkien’s translation of the poem ‘Beowulf’ is being published this year to great fanfare, right as the movies of ‘The Hobbit’ are everywhere. The road goes ever on and on,” said Bryant. Even if one is not interested in English, Bryant encourages students to think of themselves first and foremost as scholars. “A university is a unique place in our culture for the creation of knowledge. People interested in a universe of academic topics gather together to produce knowledge,” said Bryant. “In a university, we revive and adapt old traditions and we create new ideas. Students are scholars who are part of this vital work.”
more specifically, hopefully planning more concerts and performances better geared toward the interests of the student body,” said Primitivo General Manager Paige McReynolds. There is a sense of urgency from the SSU community to get students more involved. Primitivo’s long-term plan is to create a culture of theatre and art amongst the university while providing students with an experience that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Students should expect to see changes being implemented as early as Freshmen Orientation for fall 2014. Primitivo is heading in the right direction with well established clients, tactics and social media presence and this is only the beginning of what we will see to come from this student led organization. For more information on Primitivo, like them on Facebook, facebook.com/PrimitivoPR; view the website at primitivopr.com; follow the company on Twitter at @PRPrimitivo; e-mail for additional information info@primitivopr.com. Disclosure: Features Editor Amanda Levine is involved in the Primitivo public relations firm.
COURTESY // Primitivo PR The staff of the student-run firm have built the new company from the ground up this semester.
Dolores Huerta delivers inspiring speech Melanie Hernandez Staff Writer
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ousing the audience with the chant of “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power,” civil rights activist Dolores Huerta ended her talk at Sonoma State Thursday with a loud round of applause and standing ovation from the crowd. In time for the new release of Cesar Chavez’s movie and yesterday’s Cesar Chavez Day, Huerta addressed an engaged crowd of close to 1,000 people, speaking about her legacy in social justice, education and public policy. This event in the Student Center Ballroom was part of the H. Andrea Néves and Barton Evans Social Justice Lecture Series, which has sponsored eight other speeches in the past at Sonoma State. The speech was held in collaboration with the School of Social Science, School of Education and On Campus Presents. After short introductions by President Ruben Armiñana, Carlos Ayala, dean of the school of education, and Andrea Néves, founder of the H. Andrea Néves and Barton Evans Social Justice Lecture Series, Huerta came onto the stage to welcome the crowd. She began with discussing the deadline for signing up for healthcare is coming up and said, “If we do not sign up in the Latino community, especially young people, the whole thing is not going to work. We are going to deter and we are going to create a big problem for the national healthcare insurance.” She pushed the idea that it is important for everyone to sign up for health insurance in order to ensure people’s health. Huerta went on to discuss the upcoming Cesar Chavez Day and “Cesar Chavez,” the movie that came out this past weekend. Huerta pushed the audience to see the movie in order to “inspire Hollywood to do more movies about our [Latino citizen’s] experiences.” She told stories about some of her work she had done with Chavez that did not make it into the movie, such as the changes that she and Chavez made in the farmworker’s union. “One of the things that is not in the movie, unfortunately, is that it doesn’t really show the kind of work we did in the farmworker’s union in terms of engagement; of getting people to sign up to vote and support the people that were running for office,” said Huerta. Huerta spoke about how difficult it was for farmworkers to use the restroom, especially women. This was one of the issues Chavez and Huerta worked to solve in the farmworkers union. They also worked together to get more rights for farmworkers, like cold water that workers did not need to pay for. Huerta explained the way they won the rights for the labor union was with the grape boycott she and Chavez started. Seventeen million Americans did not eat grapes in result of the boycott. This was how farmworkers got some of the basic privileges they needed.
After speaking about Chavez and the work she accomplished with him, Huerta began to discuss women’s rights and what needs to be done in order to make a change in our world. “We have to change the way we raise our women and our children so they can be strong and defend themselves physically,” said Huerta. She quoted Coretta Scott King: “unless women take power, we will never have peace in the world,” reiterating the fact that women need power in this world and women’s power is the only way the world can be just. “If we don’t use our power, we’ll never change,” said Huerta. In her passionate speech, Huerta discussed many different topics of importance. She spoke about women’s rights and immigration reform. She also discussed respect among society, the changes that need to be made in education and how important it is to be aware of what is going on in the world. “People shouldn’t have to wait until college to learn about ethnic studies,” said Huerta. Huerta made a point that it is important for the youth to be educated on what has happened in the past, especially hard working people who do not usually make it into textbooks. She went on to discuss the importance of the fact there are so many homeless people and so many empty houses. Like much of the community who came out to see Huerta’s speech, Arcelia Sandoval Cabrera, who works in the Sonoma State development department, said she and her family admire Huerta lot and are greatly inspired by her. “I wanted my family to have the experience of listening to such an amazing speaker,” said Cabrera. Through her inspiring life, Huerta continues to bring hope to the world around her with her engaging speeches about social justice, education and public policy.
STAR // Melanie Hernandez Dolores Huerta is best known for her work with activist Cesar Chavez. During her speech she addressed important topics such as healthcare and women’s rights.
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Sports
April 1 - April 7, 2014
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Water Polo crushes Monterey Bay Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer
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onoma State women’s water polo squad made their way back into the win column over the weekend, picking up the “W” with a 9-7 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay. The Seawolves got off to a bad start, but managed to get back into the game and get the win. This victory snaps their fourgame losing streak and increases the number in the win column to six wins for the season. The Seawolves’ road game opened up in the first period with three goals from their opponents and only one score for the Seawolves, ending the first period 3-1 with the Otters in the lead. The second period was a whole different story. Seawolf goalie Andrea Mullul and the Sonoma State defense stepped their game up after the first period. The Seawolves scored four goals in the second period to take the lead 5-4 going into the intermission. The momentum was on their side, but it was going to take a great second-half to hold off the Otters. The second half was intense and both teams played very well. It was going to take the team with the most stamina and endurance to win it. Monterey Bay came back into
the match in the third period tying it at seven points for all. Going into the fourth period tied, Sonoma made all necessary stops on the Otters. The Seawolves knocked in two goals in the final period to secure the win after being behind early in the match. Junior Seawolf Brittny Hummel scored three goals and also had two steals and an assist. Sophomore attacker Shannon Baer tapped in two goals to also lead Sonoma’s offense. Caitlin Risden, Alexa May, Carleigh Robinson, and Noelle Herrera each scored a goal in Friday’s match. Seawolf goalie Andrea Mallul made seven saves, allowing only four goals in the final three periods. Noelle Herrera and Alexa May lead the Seawolves’ scoring with 16 goals from each on the season. Sonoma State had lost the last four games they played, but took care of business on Friday to advance their record to 6-16 as the Otters fell to 8-12. Women’s water polo will return to Rohnert Park this weekend to host a doubleheader. UC San Diego will visit the Seawolves for a match at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning and the Seawolves will continue their day later on versus Cal State Monterey Bay at 4 p.m. Sonoma State will play again on Sunday at noon as they host the Michigan Wolverines.
Score Box
COURTESY // Carissa Pinnix The Sapphires traveled to Anaheim to compete at Nationals. They performed their routine to Coldplay’s song “Fix You”. A video of the routine can be found on their YouTube channel.
Sapphires place fourth at National competition Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer
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he Sonoma State University Dance Team placed fourth at the Nationals competition on March 23. The Nationals competition is open to schools throughout the country to apply for. All collegiate dance teams are invited to travel to Anaheim for the competition. The Sapphires were one of eight teams to compete in their category. The Sapphires performed their routine to “Fix You” by Coldplay.
Women’s Tennis Friday March 28 SSU - 7 UCSD - 2 Saturday March 29 SSU - 5 Cal State L.A. - 4
“I am very proud of how well we did. We left it all out on the stage and that is all I could ask for.”
Baseball Contest cancelled due to weather Women’s Water Polo Friday March 28 SSU - 9 Monterey Bay - 7 Men’s Tennis Friday March 28 SSU - 9 Colorado State-Pueblo Saturday March 29 SSU - 9 Colorado Mesa - 8 SSU - 6 Colorado Christian - 3 Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com
Prior to performance, the SSU Sapphires spent months practicing their routine starting in October. The team regularly practices four times a week in three-hour increments. The practices would start anywhere as early as 6 a.m. and could go as late as midnight. During the last week before the performance the team practiced for more than 30 hours. Sophomore Carissa Pinnix said that the team was very prepared for the competition. “Our team was very well prepared and we even had time to do a lot of team bonding because teams that bond together, dance well together,” said Pinnix. “We also sat down and shared what our Nationals song meant to us and all got to hear everyone’s stories. In doing this we were prepared for anything to come our way. We didn’t care how we placed because we were so proud of ourselves!” In the time before the competition the Sonoma State Sapphires had the opportunity to go to Disneyland for a day. This time spent to-
gether helped bond them before the competition and helped boost their spirits. “This is probably the closest knit team that the Sonoma State Dance Team has ever encountered,” said Pinnix. “We all get along with each other and we all are amazing dancers, which push each other to be stronger. At nationals we felt as if there was no other team closer than us. We stood out in the most amazing way.” After the competition concluded, the team had the chance to reflect upon their routine and their accomplishments. Sophomore Jessica Denis said that she was very proud of the team. “As a team, we are all so different yet we work so well together. I think we all bring something very special to this team,” said Denis. “I am very proud of how well we did. We left it all on the stage and that is all I could ask for. We got fourth in the nation, and that is just a plus!” Ultimately the team placed fourth in their category after competing against teams from around the country including teams from as far as Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Coach Jenna Connolly told the STAR that she could not have been prouder of her team during the competition. “No matter the placement, I am extremely proud of the Sapphires’ performance and commitment to dance,” said Connolly. “I believe a first place trophy is nothing compared to a first place performance, and this dance team definitely danced like champions.” This April the dance team will present the “SSU Sapphires Annual Spring Dance Show”. The shows will be at Person Theater, and will occur on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 27 at 1 p.m. Admission to the event will be $5 for Sonoma State University Students and $10 for non-students. The routine that was performed at Nationals is now available to be seen on the Sonoma State University Sapphires YouTube channel at www. youtube.com/user/SSUSapphires.
Summer Session 2014 GRADUATE SOONER!
Register Online Now for Summer May 27 - August 7, 2014 3 week sessions: May 27 - June 12 July 14 - 31
We are offering over 120 academic courses, many fullfill GE requirements. Classes generally run Monday - Thursday.
4 week sessions: May 27 - June 19 July 14 - August 7
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Seawolf Sports April 1 Women’s Golf at WNMU Invitational All Day April 2 Women’s Tennis vs. BYU Hawaii 11 a.m. April 3 Softball vs. Western Washington at Turlock 4 p.m. April 4 Women’s Tennis vs. Notre Dame de Namur 11 a.m. Men’s Tennis at Fresno Pacific 3 p.m. Baseball at Cal State San Bernardino 3 p.m. Softball vs. Notre Dame de Namur vs. Hawaii Pacific 6 p.m. 8:15 p.m. April 5 Men’s Tennis at Fresno CC (Scrimmage) 10a.m. Softball vs. Academy of Art vs. Cal Baptist vs. Dominican 10 a.m. 3:45 p.m. 6 p.m.
Women’s Water Polo vs. UC San Diego vs Cal State Monterey Bay vs. UC San Diego 10 a.m 1 p.m. Baseball at Cal State San Bernardino 11 a.m. 2 p.m. Women’s Tennis at Dominican 11 a.m. April 6 Men’s Tennis vs. UC San Diego 10 a.m. Baseball at Cal State San Bernardino 11 a.m. Women’s Tennis at Academy of Art 11 a.m. Water Polo vs. Michigan noon Softball vs. Tournament of Champions (at Turlock) TBA April 7 Men’s Golf at WNMU Invitational All Day Women’s Golf vs. Sonoma State Spring Inviational All Day
COURTESY // SSU Athletics Lauren Ha’s victory secured the win for the Seawolves.
Women’s tennis advances 13-4 in season play Defeats UC San Diego for first time in program history
K ory Arnold & Kayla Webster Staff Writer & Sports Editor
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istory was made this last Friday, when the Sonoma State women’s tennis team defeated UC San Diego for the first time in the program’s existence. After a rough start of losing two of the three doubles matches, the lady Seawolves were able to rally back and sweep all six of the singles matches, making it a final 7-2 victory over the Tritons.
“These two teams are ranked ahead of us in the region, so if we can pull out the win - which I think our team is strong enough to do - that would be really cool. This year our team is better than ever, so it would be cool if we went as far as we’re hoping to go.” This triumph snaps a previous 0-26 losing streak for the Seawolves when facing off against UCSD. This win also marked the eighth consecutive victory for the 35th ranked Seawolves, who now jump to 13-4 this season, while the No. 17 ranked Tritons fell to 7-11. “These two teams are ranked ahead of us in the region, so if we can pull out the winwhich I think our team is strong enough to do-that would be really cool,” said Lauren Ha in a Q&A with Sports Information Intern Tyler Greene. “This year our team is better than ever, so it would be cool if we went as far as we’re hoping to go. I don’t think I’ve that I’ve ever won a singles match against San Diego, so that would be really cool to win that one.” The doubles pairing of Leire Martinez and Ha at No. 2 gave SSU an early lead taking the match 8-2. However, UCSD was able to battle back in two hard fought matches at No. 1 and No. 2 to give the Tritons the upper hand going into singles play 2-1. It was all over from then on. The Seawolves caught fire during singles play start-
ing off with four straight-set wins. Martinez started it off with a win against UCSD’s Paula Cho, taking the match 6-4, 6-0; which proceeded to SSU’s Karlee Budge defeating Shannon Theisen 6-0, 6-3. SSU’s Sara Celma, who is ranked No. 8 singles player in Division II, continued her dominance on the court by knocking off UCSD’s Kyra Scott 7-6, 6-1. Scott was ranked 26th in Division II singles play before facing off against Celma. However, Celma retains her undefeated record in dual matches at 13-0, and a staggering 20-3 for the overall season. The winning momentum continued into Saturday, where the Seawolves grabbed a tight 5-4 win against No. 20 Cal State L.A. At No. 6 singles, Ha won straight sets to push the Seawolves winning streak to nine; the longest they’ve had since the 1997 season. Celma was dealt her first loss in dual matches by Cal State L.A.’s Leora Hemmerich, ranked No. 39 in Division II, and broke her 14-match winning streak. Martinez brought the Seawolves back on top when she defeated Tiffani Shaik; and in doing so has earned her own 14-match streak.
“I don’t think that I’ve ecer won a singles match against San Diego, so that would be really cool to win that one.” The Golden Eagles looked like they were about to make a comeback when Sonia Landeros defeated SSU’s Kaitlyn Haithcock, pulling the score at an even 3-3. The outcome of the contest came down to a duel between Ha and Cal State L.A.’s Victoria Vo, where Ha grabbed a 6-1,6-4 victory and secured the Seawolves’ ninth straight win. The Seawolves advance to 13-4 in season play, while Cal State L.A. falls to 4-8. The Seawolves will battle against the undefeated, No. 3 nationally ranked BYU-Hawaii on their home turf this Wednesday at the SSU Tennis Courts at 11 a.m. Five more matches remain until the Seawolves advance to the Pacific West Conference tournament this April in Arizona.
Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com
COURTESY // SSU Athletics Leire Martinez and Lauren Ha won both of their double matches in Friday’s win over the Tritons.
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April 1 - April 7, 2014
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STAR // Cara Fuqua Alpha Epsilon Pi hosted their philanthropy event, AEPuppies, last Thursday. Students were asked for small donations to get behind the tape and play with the puppies. Many students gathered to embrace puppies and receive puppy kisses, all in the name of charity.