Volume73 issue10

Chef Tony Gemignani visits campus

P. 8

P. 7

Reeves’ new killer role

P. 3

Ebola scare: Chill out

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

VOLUME 73 // ISSUE 10

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 3, 2014

University system, faculty association reach agreement Jon Cappetta Staff Writer

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he time has come for the California Faculty Association and the California State University system to make a mutual agreement that will better benefit faculty and students.

The concept of the agreement is about the necessity of fair contracts but also fair payments for faculty in the CSU system.

Once both the CSU Board of Trustees and the CFA membership officially make full confirmation, the agreement will be enforced to

full effect.

“The multi-year agreement is a tremendous accomplishment, as well as a special opportunity for the CFA and the CSU system to continue to strengthen communication and collaboration as we work together to advance the mission of the university,” said Timothy White, Chancellor of the California State University system.

He spoke of this mid-October shortly after the conference.

“As we approach the next year with limited resources and increased expectations at state and federal levels for increased outcomes,” said

White, “we have this agreement as the foundation on which to build a bright future for our students who deserve the highest quality education programs in the state.”

Faculty affected by this new decision include instructional faculty, coaches, counselors and librarians all involved in CSU campuses.

The agreement allows a 1.6 percent salary increase for all faculty members, formally known as a Graduate Student Instructor salary increase or cost of living increase.

Prior to the agreement, there were service salary increases. These were salary increases

made as junior faculty progressed in their educative standing; service salary increases were given until they hit the max service salary increase maximum.

Once the maximum was attained, faculty would receive the standard graduate student instructor salary.

However, the CSU faculty members haven’t received a student salary increase since 2008, ultimately forcing many of the faculty to remain within an educative standing, not allowing See AGREEMENT on Pg. 4

New emergency system introduced to campus Ryan Estes Staff Writer

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he tragic shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 that killed 32 people and wounded over 20 more shocked the college world and also changed security and safety on college campuses nationwide.

As part of the new security requirements, under the Jeanne Clery Act, all colleges are required to have an emergency notification system to alert all students and faculty of any incidents occurring that are an immediate threat to the safety of the campus community.

To help keep the campus and its community safe, Sonoma State University is introducing its new Emergency Notification System (ENS). It’s a program that will allow Sonoma State to send out emergency messages via text message, voice message, email and social media sites all at the same time.

“Instead of our office needing to write emergency messages to the Emergency Notification System and then to the email system, the Emergency Notification System will manage the distribution of all of the messages simultaneously,” said Missy Brunetta, director for emergency management and continuity planning of Police and Safety Services.

Students are not automatically enrolled to receive these messages, so in order for people to receive them on their mobile phones, everyone must log into their MySSU account and enter their number un-

der the phone type “Mobile.”

The system will only be used to notify faculty, staff and students of any situation on campus that poses an immediate threat to anyone’s safety.

If the campus suffered damage to buildings or infrastructure that required evacuation or shelter in place, the alert could be sent out to everyone and they would receive up-to-date information, as it’s known.

“It is critical that we can quickly and efficiently communicate messages to the community during an emergency,” said Brunetta. “During a significant emergency, there will not be enough police officers or other university officials to visit each classroom, on campus to provide instruction; mass notifications allow the university to provide information that will help faculty, staff and students make decisions during an emergency that ensure their safety.”

The new system is designed specifically toward the campus alone. The communities surrounding Sonoma State have their own emergency notification systems using Nixile and other alerts, which communicates with members in similar ways.

“The beauty of the new program is that it has multiple deliver methods [phone, text, email] and it’s important that we are able to community with the community during a crisis,” said Sonoma State Police Chief Nate Johnson.

If students, staff or faculty have any questions or want to confirm their status in the system, email emergency@sonoma.edu.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Faculty member Greg Sarris spoke at Wednesday’s memorial rally for Santa Rosa teen, Andy Lopez, who was shot and killed last year by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy. The rally also commemorated National End Police Brutality Day.

Community remembers Andy Lopez in memorial See more photos of the memorial on page 12.

A

Gustavo Vasquez Asst. Photo Editor

bout 150 students and other members of the community stood in silence in the heart of Sonoma State University’s campus Wednesday listening to the bell tower at the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center ring.

The bell rang 13 times representing the years of life that Andy Lopez, a teen who was killed a year ago in his neighborhood in Santa Rosa, lived.

The moment of silence was part of a memorial rally held in honor of Lopez, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of his death and to acknowledge National Day to End Police Brutality.

“Today, we just wanted to honor his mem-

ory by not only having a moment of silence and speaking out about how we remember him, but honoring his death in a way which makes an impact,” said Shelby Wade, president of the Sonoma State Sociology Social Justice and Activism Club. “[We want to make] sure the police know that we aren’t going to stand for these kinds of things.”

Lopez was walking through his neighborhood on Oct. 22, 2013, when he was shot seven times by Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy Erick Gelhaus, who believed the teen was carrying an assault weapon.

It was later revealed the weapon was an airsoft rifle that was made to resemble an AK47, missing an orange tip, a distinctive marking to differentiate from a toy gun and a real firearm.

No charges were filed against Gelhaus by

Santa Rosa’s district attorney.

“The community involvement is important. Just because someone isn’t going to be prosecuted, doesn’t mean that they should ever be back on the street with a weapon” said Peter Phillips, instructor of sociology. “He made a terrible mistake and when an officer makes a terrible mistake like that and a young child dies, or anyone dies, they should not be allowed to use guns again, period.”

A similar incident in the Bay Area was the 2009 New Year’s shooting of Oscar Grant in Oakland. A Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer discharged his weapon on Grant. The police officer was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and given two years in prison.

Oct. 22 is not only the day of Lopez’s See MEMORIAL on Pg. 4

Local venue boasts history

Get spooky Sonoma

Women’s soccer ranked top five in conference

See the full review on Pg. 6

Read the full story on Pg. 9

Read more on Pg. 10

Page 2

Editorial

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Fall 2014 Editorial Board

Dylan Sirdofsky, Editor-in-Chief Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Aryssa Carvalho, Asst. News Editor Rachel Keigley, Opinion Editor Brandon Stachnik, A&E Editor Alexis Mills, Features Editor Kayla Webster, Sports Editor Connor Gibson, Photo Editor Megan Kleszcz, Copy Editor Peter Njoroge, Copy Editor Brennan Chin, Online Editor & Distribution Manager Amanda Saiki, Advertising Manager Anika Jess, Marketing Coordinator Eddie Blake, Editorial Cartoonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser

Star Production Lab Sonoma State University Salazar Hall 1053 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 664-2776 Advertising: sonomastatestar@gmail.com, attn: Amanda Saiki

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star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article:

“‘Keep calm, wash your hands” Every now and then, some sort of virus outbreak begins to spread across the world, causing people to panic and consider ways to be safe. The Ebola virus has seen significant attention lately, but how worried should people really be? Staff Writer Veronica Benvenuto evaluates the problem, and provides insight on how to approach it.

Check out page 3 to read the column 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 Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts. The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length. Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. The STAR will honor requests for anonymity at the editor’s discretion. To send a letter to the editor email star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by email will not be published.

STAR // Eddie Blake

Don’t count your voters before they hatch ‘T was the week before Election Day, when all through the community, not a student was paying attention—what a wasted opportunity.

This is not entirely true.

It’s hard to say how many students are actively planning to vote in this year’s ballot, but what’s notable is the amount of people who register and participate in California overall. The state was ranked 45th in the former and 48th in the ladder, according to the Census Report on Registration and Voting for the 2012 Election.

These results may be a surprise to some, but also make sense to a handful of others. While younger voters don’t make up the majority of people able to contribute, their participation can leave an impactful mark on any given outcome. Holiday festivities may be right around the corner for the fall season, but there are ways to reach students despite all the distractions.

First of all, what are things that can be done to encourage more participation?

It’s easy to make the argument that a majority of the younger crowd doesn’t care enough to vote, but this doesn’t solve the problem—it makes things worse.

all the mandatory safety concerns and drills campuses are enforcing, shouldn’t there also be a requirement for people to learn the benefits of voting, and what it means to them?

It’s better to discover information now, and attempt to create change, then not vote at all and realize the effect something can have from a lack of participation.

To gain the interest of a student, people need to reinvent themselves, actively absorb and inspire reasons why every vote counts. Give the youth something they can relate to, a connection to their interests and most prominently, in a way that caters to them.

From a contemporary standpoint, some of the simplest ways are creating engaging social media content, as well as email communication.

Another way of promoting important information is open discussion in the classroom.

Regardless of the classes students take, everyone is affected by an election. With

It’s common to complain a holiday like Halloween doesn’t give individuals any time off, yet why doesn’t Election Day get brought up nearly as much for the same proposal? Sure it’s nowhere as fun as dressing up and trickor-treating, but it still requires active participation to be effective—not to mention it’s a lot safer.

Another hoop to jump through is the act of voting itself, which means first having to register. This causes laziness and frustration, when the end result is the same: scratching off a few boxes with a No. 2 pencil. Some states send ballots directly to

voters, making the process a lot more convenient and effortless to get started.

One of the most difficult factors to overcome is weaving through the necessary information students want to hear, while not being sidetracked trying to. Research can be done online, but with the freedom of media absorption these days, readers can push away things that don’t matter to them, taking in only what’s most relevant to their interests.

Students may not want tons of information about new policies and propositions shoved in their faces, but the truth is many of these directly affect them, and will have an impact on their future.

It’s better to discover information now, and attempt to create change, then not vote at all and realize the effect something can have from a lack of participation. Students understand these possibilities, and inherently want to make sure good things will come from something they took part in. Now it’s time to make a gut decision, and vote by mail, or at the polls on Nov. 4.

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers. The board encourages readers to write letters to the editor about all topics, including the editorial.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to read it.

Corrections & Retractions

The Oct. 7 article, “Artist lecture series features Kelly Inouye,” had several factual errors, including misquoting and background information. An updated version is available online. The final three paragraphs of “OK GO creates ‘rock art’” published on Oct. 21 were taken from another source and was not properly cited. The material was taken from a review from PopMatters published on Oct. 13. The article has been removed online.

Publication

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

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.

E-mail all opinions to

Opinions

star@sonoma.edu

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.

Opinion

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

Becoming a chef 101: The college guide

Alexandra Rentoria Staff Writer

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earning how to cook is a valuable skill that everyone should acquire for various reasons.

When cooking at home, it becomes easier to eat healthy. On top of that, people can save money on food; not to mention, individuals know exactly what is going into their food. Cooking is no easy thing to master unless you’re making a bowl of cereal.

I know all too well from experience how to ruin meals. I’ve set a couple of pans on fire, burnt several meals and still have not been able to cook the perfect egg. Eventually, I started to take cooking classes.

Knowing how to cook a meal is rewarding, and opens one’s eyes to a world of accomplishable exquisite recipes.

When going out to eat, the food is prepared by others, who normally add a lot of butter, salt and extra unnecessary oils for extra- unnecessary seasonings. While everyone can make substitutions to their meals when they are eating out, it’s not the same as cooking your own food.

It is also an advantage to cook food on our own when someone has food allergies. Some people can respond very negatively to food allergies and that can cause someone to go into anaphylaxis. This does not happen to everyone, for instance I am lactose intolerant and when I ingest dairy products I feel extremely sick to my stomach.

Another explanation why learning how to cook is so essential, is due to the fact that eating-in can save a large sum of money compared to always eating out. Going to the grocery store is quick, and has a variety of options that make it easy to get exactly what someone needs for certain recipes.

In addition to buying items at the grocery store, a lot of the products purchased can be used to cook other meals. Not only does one save money by making their own food, but they even save time. Even at the quickest restaurants, it can take a while to get a table or get people the food they ordered.

While there are numerous amounts of advantages for being able to cook, some of the most skilled people in certain areas cannot cook to save their lives. The Daily Mail Reporter wrote a study stating one in three teenagers whom are going into college are unable to even boil an egg.

The study conducted by Sainsbury’s looked at teenagers going into college and came up with percentages of what some students could not accomplish. Examples include boiling an egg, making toast, cooking jacket potatoes and making a pot of tea.

The numbers of how many students could not complete these tasks were astounding. Thirty percent could not boil an egg, 18 percent could not make toast properly, 30 percent could not cook a simple potato and 26 percent could not make a pot of tea.

It’s better to start off learning how to make the small things like rice and steamed vegetables. Then explore more intricate food like stew or lasagna. When getting down the basics like preparing vegetables and certain meats, comes the rewarding parts, which is educating one’s self on making the food they want to create.

There are plenty of places where an individual can take cooking classes in the Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa area. One of the places where it is possible to take cooking classes is Sur la Table located in Montgomery Village in Santa Rosa.

Not only do they offer cooking classes, but they even offer specialized ones like a date night course, chocolate workshop and many more throughout the year. Another facility that offers cooking classes is the Santa Rosa Junior College, where they have a culinary arts program that when completed one receives a certificate.

The classes that are offered look at cooking not only in a relaxing setting, but also a professional one. The courses are offered in a total of eightweek blocks and anyone can enter

into the program. Some may even find they are so passionate about the culinary arts that they get a career in the field.

There is an organization called “TakeLessons” where you can have a culinary teacher give you lessons in your home, online or in their studio.

Classes or lessons for cooking is always beneficial, like watching a good cooking show on television or referring to YouTube.

A cook is like an artist creating a delightful masterpiece, except they use different tools. While an artist has a studio and a paintbrush, a cook has a kitchen and a pan. There are many possibilities when choosing what to cook, it can be anywhere from a fourcourse meal to a simple salad.

Preparing food for someone and have them say that the food was delicious can be a gratifying pleasure.

There are many reasons why everyone should learn how to cook, but the most important is because at least one day in someone’s life they will need to cook eventually.

So why not have them make something edible and delicious, rather than something tasteless or burnt.

Keep calm, wash your hands

Veronica Benvenuto Staff Writer

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nxiety over Ebola is spreading faster than the actual virus. Some say it is the next plague. With transportation around the world being so easy, there is rising fear of where it will spread next.

Ebola has been the hot topic of the news and the media has been all over each of the cases. The media has been very informative providing information on the signs, symptoms and where the virus has hit next, but has it been taken too far on the amount of coverage?

Even though the media has been informative, that is one of the reasons why peo-

ple are overreacting. It is the stories of where the virus hit next that is raising concern.

When my roommate caught the typical cold bug, she started to get paranoid that she could possibly have gotten Ebola. The media got her worked up of how scary the virus is. The latest news is that the virus has hit New York, which means a lot of Californians are hoping it doesn’t make its way to the west. Mentioned in CNN news, the Doctors Without Borders physician who recently returned to New York from West Africa, has tested positive for the Ebola virus, becoming the first diagnosed case in the city, authorities said late Thursday.

The doctor, identified as Craig Spencer, 33, came back from treating Ebola patients in Guinea on October 17 and developed a fever, nausea, pain and fatigue Thursday. He is in isolation and being treated at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, one of the eight hospitals statewide that Governor Andrew Cuomo designated

earlier this month as part of Ebola preparedness plan.

It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms. For instance, the signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contacting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches.

Then, vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually follow along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys.

At this time, generally, some people begin to bleed both internally and externally. It literally sounds like something out of a horror movie.

Outbreak Control requires a coordinated series of medical services, along with a certain level of community engagement. This includes, medical laboratory services, proper management of those who are infected and proper disposal of the dead through cremation or burial. Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease from infected animals to humans.

Wearing proper protective clothing and washing hands

when around a person with the disease.

It is good that the media is providing a lot of information regarding the virus even though it may scare some people. It informs precaution because people should be aware of what they are being exposed to, especially when it comes to traveling.

Getting to places is a lot easier and faster then way back when. The time when the black plague or “black death” struck Europe, people did not have fast transportation as it does now.

Ebola doesn’t have the capacity to spread like measles or tuberculosis, which can be transmitted by breathing the same air as an infected patient. It also doesn’t have the ability to infect a global population like the “Black Death” that killed up to half of Europe’s population in the 14th century.

The best we can all do is keep calm, wash hands and remember more Americans have been married to Kim Kardashian than have died from Ebola.

STAR // Marybeth Mondok

lifecompassblog.com

Living a rich life

Shannon Brown Staff Writer

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y guess is that if any student at Sonoma State University was asked if they would be happier with more money, almost, if not all of them, would say yes.

Now take Bill Gates as an example who has a net worth of about $81 billion. He seems to being doing just fine.

However, if he kept all the money to himself and never donated it or created his foundation, his life would probably not feel as fulfilling.

This topic has been heavily debated because there is no right answer to it. Its not solely money that decides if you are a happy person or not.

Take myself for instance; the $40 in my bank account might not may not seem like much, but my happiness will never revolve around just that number. And that’s because there are people around me that

make me happy and no amount of money would ever change that.

If I were to win the lottery tomorrow, there would be debts to be paid off and a car to buy. But after that, it is up to me what to use the rest of the money for. If I just kept buying junk that’s not necessary to my survival, it wouldn’t make me feel any better about myself. What would make me happier and more accomplished would be, to help other people.

Now, that may sound cliché and hard to believe, but when taking a step back and really thinking about it, there is nothing to buy that would make me a better person. The only way to possibly be a better human being is by helping those in need.

There are no plans for me to neither win the lottery nor become a mega billionaire in the future, but it never hurts to daydream about it from time to time.

When imagining all the people with millions of dollars attached to their names, all that comes to mind is how much stuff they actually have. Maybe this stuff somehow makes them feel adequate and powerful and maybe that actually makes them feel some sort of happiness. However, my

philosophy is that there is a certain kind of happiness that can only be brought on by helping others.

There are millionaires and billionaires out there that probably lead very unfulfilled lives. On the other hand, there are others that donate their time and money to an organization, and that probably makes them feel better about themselves, which in turn leads to a happiness-filled existence.

Even though most people will never feel the pressure of millions of dollars on their shoulder, one can only imagine what can be done with that kind of power. Power to some means being in control.

However what it really means is a chance to do better. Doing better for the world and others is one of the most powerful notions that can be done.

Materialistic goods will never result to anything if you’re not happy with yourself first. In order to be happy with yourself, you must help others in need. So in technical terms, money does buy happiness.

However, with the power of money also comes great responsibility. It is with this responsibility that happiness could grow.

Making the most of the college experience

Jalissa Tello Staff Writer

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s college all it’s cracked up to be? I mean, of course it is.

There are sororities, fraternities, clubs, sports, organizations and everything else one

has heard regarding what college life is supposed to consist of.

Every student has the opportunity to work, play a sport, go to the gym, get good grades in classes, go to parties and events, hang out with friends and have some time set aside for family.

It’s actually not that easy.

And more than the activities I mentioned above are a recipe for disaster if one were to try both on the same day. When I began college at Sonoma State as a freshman in 2012, I told myself I would join three clubs, play volleyball like I did in high school,

work part time, visit family on the weekends and go to the gym early in the morning. These lists above soon faded away, and I soon realized that the chances of me being involved in all what I had hoped were very slim.

Being a college student determined to graduate in four years these days takes a lot more work than it would have a few years ago. Units are limited, and if one has a later registration appointment, they are bound to miss out on some vital classes causing them to wait for a semester to get down to business for his or her major. Adding a part-time job to being a full-

time student might allow them to get to the gym here and there and attend some club meetings, but that’s about it.

This is not to say that there are no students at SSU, or any other institution, who are not taking on all these responsibilities. I am sure there are. However, I would like to ask them how it is going. I joined two clubs on-campus, but with my parttime job and heavy unit load, I could hardly make it to any of the meetings this semester.

I was also hoping to join an intramural sport with a friend, and it was soon clear that it also would have to wait. But wait

till when? Before one knows it, they are in their third year with a heavier load than the previous semesters with thoughts and hopes of graduation and life after college flooding their minds.

There is a popular saying about it never being too late.

This has always been true.

There have been people the age of my grandmother sitting next to me in class.

It is never too late to accomplish something. People have told me not to stress because my whole life is ahead of me to do that. But that isn’t true anymore. One day it will be too late. For instance, if one

doesn’t do what they want to do now, like go to sporting events, join a club or two, hang out with friends, etc. Once they graduate college and move on with life, they will no longer be able to do these things; it will be too late.

There are no other opportunities in the real world to do what one is able to do in college.

That being said, enjoy every last minute of it. Everyone should fill up his or her schedule with everything that they want to do, even if it means going to sleep extra late and waking up extra early. We only have one shot to make the most of being in college, and this is it.

Page 4

News

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

News Around the World Ebola patients discharged Nigeria has Ebola under control according to reports from BBC News. The World Health Organization declared the country free of the virus beginning Oct. 20. Recently two nurses who treated someone with the disease in Dallas, Texas contracted it but were treated in New York and one was discharged.

White House faces intruders Twenty-three-year-old Dominic Adesanya decided to jump over the White House fence on Wednesday night, according to reports from the Washington Post. A Secrete Service guard dog then stopped the man by biting him but two dogs suffered minor injuries after he punched them. Adesanya faces up to a year in prison for his actions.

Canada national security threatened According to reports from the New York Times and The Guardian, a gunman killed a guard and continued on his rampage at the Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada. The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was then shot to death by head of security at the building.

Healdsburg regulates tobacco Reports from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat say the city of Healdsburg has issued a new regulation on cigarette sales to anyone under 21 years of age. It’s the only city in the state to do so and officials are worried of potential legal issues at the state and federal level, which include being sued by tobacco companies

No windows on this plane British developers are hard at work developing a windowless aircraft, which will instead have long OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) screens around the cabin showing what’s outside according to reports from The Guardian. Passengers will be able to check their email, go on the Internet and get details about important locations they might fly over. The idea is to make aircrafts lighter and use less fuel by creating flexible OLEDs, which will be interactive.

San Francisco Giants take on Game 6 The San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals will battle in Game 6 of the World Series today at 5:07 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. This game follows Sunday’s win by San Francisco behind the pitching of Madison Bumgarner, who earned the win with a complete game shutout with a final score of 5-0. Bumgarner’s performance marks the first shutout in the World Series since 2003 when former Florida Marlin’s pitcher Josh Beckett threw one against the New York Yankees.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez The Sonoma State University campus recognizes National End Police Brutality Day and honors Andy Lopez, who lost his life one year ago.

MEMORIAL: Campus works to end police brutality Continued from Pg. 1

death, but is also National Day to End Police Brutality. A variety of community members from the Sonoma County and Sonoma State faculty members spoke on issues ranging from Andy’s death, racial profiling, militarization and militarism of police within the nation and police brutality.

“Police brutality is not something we should be allowing,” said Wade. “The community needs to rise up and stand against it, and form a committee which will monitor the police, as if policing the police. I think they have gotten a little out of control.”

Several Sonoma State faculty members spoke during the rally including Phillips, Tim Wandling, Francisco Vasquez, Janet Hess, Amanda Martinez-Morrison, Ron Lopez and Greg Sarris.

“It’s important to hear testimonials of other people to feel their struggle,” said junior and art studio major, Sarah Hayward.

“There is a huge political and economi-

cal imbalance, and structural imbalances between races and that’s where racism lies.

It’s not about hate anymore.”

The memorial rally for Lopez and National Day to End Police Brutality was sponsored and organized by the Sonoma State Sociology Social Justice Club.

“Next semester we are working on an entire social justice week,” said Wade, “so basically we will have four to five events everyday for an entire week.”

Phillips is the president of Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored, a project that exposes and opposes news censorship.

Project Censored believes there is a continuing problem with law enforcement related deaths in the United States.

An estimated 1,500 die annually by law enforcement, a statistic they found with their research.

The organization’s research has found law enforcement related deaths in the United States are under reported when figures from the U.S. Department of Justice were compared to the law enforcement related deaths in the nation’s newspapers.

STAR // Maud Busson Students attended Thursday’s Feminist Lecture Series, where Alexandra Kelner, director of health education at Alliance Medical Center, spoke on topics ranging from sex education to social justice.

Lecturer advocates sexual health education Emily Hill Staff Writer

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hen one thinks about sex-ed, what comes to mind? Condoms? Birth Control? Penis? Vagina? Alexandra Kelner is knowledgeable when it comes to the topic. In fact, she created her own program to reinvent the sex education experience for young children.

Kelner is the director of health education at Alliance Medical Center. She received her bachelors from Indiana University Bloomington in human sexuality and her masters at CSU East Bay in sexuality and social justice. She now runs her own program at Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg.

Kelner delivered a presentation in Stevenson 1002 on Thursday about sexual health and why it should be framed positively.

In most classroom settings, sex and the “sex talk” is framed as being a very negative issue. The talk is usually a problem in the classroom and risk focused and makes sex seem inherently scary.

Kelner completely disagrees with this approach and this is what made her motivated to create a program that didn’t focus on the negative aspects of sex.

“Sexual health encompasses much more than just the prevention of disease and unintended pregnancy,” said Kelner. “Issues of pleasure, autonomy, interpersonal relationships and young people’s connections with larger social constructs are often ignored in the classroom.”

Alliance Medical Center’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education seeks to address these gaps to account for the variation of lived sexual experiences of youth and to further youth empowerment toward health and wellness. The program focuses on identity and allowing sexual interaction as an available subject to talk about.

Kelner believes the Sonoma State University community is ready for this type of content. She stressed that students are extremely lucky to be

going to school in such an accepting community.

However, Kelner also informed the audience that the average age of a perpetrator of rape in Sonoma County is 16 years old.

Due to this, she believes it’s imperative to teach the public about facts like these.

Some of the core topics the Comprehensive Sexuality Education program incorporates into their lessons are issues on social justice. These concepts include gender, class, race, sexual orientation, age and much more.

With the flexibility of this program, Kelner is able to incorporate these topics into the classroom dialogue when talking about sexual education.

Interestingly enough, Kelner admitted to a few faults in her program.

“It is not perfect,” said. Kelner, ”but we are working to always make improvements.”

She believes the photos used in her presentation slides should look more realistic. In addition, instead of all of the people being white, she thinks there should be more diversity to fairly represent the world’s population today.

“I attended this lecture because I think it is really important to have safe sexual education courses,” said junior Lee Reinertson. “Without them, young adults are not educated on the consequences of unsafe sex and can be misguided easily.”

Teaching young kids about sex education and social justice has been a staple part of Kelner’s life.

“I have been teaching kids since I was 19 years old,” said Kelner. “In a way, they keep me from forgetting how important this topic is.”

Kelner never expected to find herself in this career. She started working in the field to pay off some of her student loans and soon fell in love with the topic. In the past, she worked for companies like Verity and STAND (Is this an acronym?) for Families Free of Violence.

Her positions ranged from a Community Education Manager to the Title X Manager at the teen clinic at Verity.

AGREEMENT: Calls for salary increase Continued from Pg. 1

them to progress further in rank. This contract offers a 3 percent salary increase to certain faculty who haven’t reached their SSI maximum.

“The bargaining team of the California Faculty Association unanimously passed a resolution to the Board of Directors of CFA asking them to support a Yes vote on ratification of the Tentative Agreement,” said Andy Merrifield, professor of political science and SSU Bargaining Team chair.

The board of directors recommended this tentative agreement because it addresses the salary problems of the faculty caused by the years of under-funding of California state universities by the legislature, according to Merrifield.

With the change in working conditions, students have the privilege to receive more attention from their teachers, as it will create more individual time between student and teacher.

These changes also allow faculty to increase their skills working with various students who have different challenges.

“I think faculty morale is down prior to the tentative agreement—not having significant raises since 2008 will do that to you. Faculty suffering from inversion (new faculty being hired in at higher salaries than you are mak-

ing) are quite angry about this,” said professor Elaine Newman.

Newman continues to address how the issues with faculty and salary have not diminished her colleagues’ enthusiasm in teaching. She also acknowledges that despite the enthusiasm, faculty do deserve fair pay a well as salaries that are comparable to other universities.

Currently there are around 23,000 faculty members involved in the CSU system all of whom are affected by this new decision.

The new successor contract will grant all 23 CSU’s with a larger budget offering more opportunities for teachers to educate their students.

“Our working conditions are your learning conditions. First, we want to attract and keep the best faculty we can—this means the professors in your classroom will be the best teachers and scholars that you can learn from,” said Newman. “Having some workload protections also means that you will have a better chance at getting to know your faculty, and engaging in advising, mentoring, research outside the classroom.”

The new successor contract is active through June 30.

For more information regarding the faculty and CSU agreement as well as Sonoma State University’s faculty association, students are encouraged to visit cfa.org.

News

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Provisions to Clery Act improve safety Jonas Brock Staff Writer

T

he Obama administration announced last week that it had implemented new rules to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The Clery Act, which was introduced to the Senate in 1989, is a federal statute that requires all colleges who receive federal financial aid to store and disclose all information about crime on or near their respective campuses.

A statement released by the US Department of Education stated: The law and the new rule strengthen the Clery Act to more effectively address, and ultimately reduce, sexual violence on campuses, including domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.”

Under the new rules to the Clery Act, schools

must now record incidents of stalking based on the location of where the perpetrator engaged the victim or when the victim first became aware of the stalker. In addition, institutions must add gender and national origin categories to serve as a basis for hate crimes.

Schools need to now also disclose and describe the disciplinary proceedings that they have used in cases dealing with dating and domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Furthermore colleges need to disclose in a yearly security report, what measures and programs they have created in order to prevent these types of situations from arising. And the final addition to the act states that both the accuser and the accused will be afforded the same opportunities to have others present during their disciplinary hearings.

These additions will be the final time that the Clery Act will be revised. In 1998 it was

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amended to expand the reporting requirements that schools would need to make. In 2000 provisions were added which dealt with registered sex offender notification and emergency response systems. And in the most recent additions to the act, which were made in 2008, they added a provision to protect crime victims and “whistleblowers” from any sort of retaliation.

It should go without saying that a college campus should be a place where all students and faculty ought to feel safe. “I’m glad to know that they have been doing things to make us (students) feel safer around schools grounds.” said senior Emilie Garcia. “Even walking back to my car after a night class can feel a bit unsafe.”

It is no surprise that the Clery Act has targeted college campuses, as the problem seems to primarily lie within that age range. A report done by the Washington Post in July states that sexual offense incidents on college grounds have

risen and continue to rise With the thousands of parties thrown each year around the country and the negligence that sometimes follows, this statistic shouldn’t really surprise anyone either.

Acts and laws like the Clery Act are there to protect students who may not necessarily be able to protect themselves. Though acts like these will not eliminate all types of assault on campuses, it will surely help.

The US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, “The Department has a responsibility to ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment.”

This announcement comes only a few weeks after SSU Police Services announced that it will be re-establishing bike patrols not only on school grounds but in other parts around campus as well.

The changes to the law were formally published last week and will be put into effect on July 1, 2015.

Resolution to aid students with disabilities

S

Nicole Detmers Staff Writer

eeing them, perhaps multiple times a day whirring about the campus, the thoughts to hitch a ride or jump on the back of one of these swiftly moving vehicles may have crossed one’s mind.

In truth, they probably only go so fast as 10 miles an hour and range from golf carts, to the little white boxes on wheels to the bright red Ameci’s cart. Under the recent Associated Students resolution, one of these carts will be able to transport disabled students to and from classes.

The resolution was passed by Associated Students on Oct. 20 and discusses providing adequate transportation for students with both temporary and permanent disabilities.

The concern for disadvantaged students was brought to the attention of Associated Students where senators work to utilize school resources to improve the learning conditions across the campus.

Recognizing that harsh weather, eroding pathways and other obstacles may hinder a disabled student’s ability to safely arrive in class.

A similar plan to assist students has been implemented at Humboldt State University and CSU Stanislaus.

This resolution creates a more equal opportunity learning situation by better utilizing school resources.

The resolution by Associated Students will be implemented by April 15. Associated Students is a student-representing, student-run corporation whose mission is to “promote student advocacy and representation.”

By utilizing transportation resources on campus, this better promotes equal opportunity for the education of all students.

Under the current policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university dedicates resources to assist those with disabilities. Those who are disabled students are asked to self identify and any accommodations for their disabilities are run through Disability Services for Students, more commonly referred to as DSS. Faculty through DSS will assist students by the means of the university by providing tutoring, extra test time – depending on the disability.

It is under this policy that the utilization of carts for students with limiting disabilities may take place.

Loan program announces provisions

T

Amy Lee Staff Writer

he U.S. Department of Education announced a final rule to strengthen the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program. The announcement, made Wednesday, affects students everywhere, including those at Sonoma State University receiving loans and grants.

These new regulations changed the definition of “adverse credit history,” which now allows more people access to obtain a PLUS loan. The definition was not updated since the Direct Loan Program was created in 1994.

According to the Federal Student Aid office of the Department of Education, PLUS loans are federal loans that graduate students and parents of dependent undergraduate students are eligible to use to assist in paying for college or career school.

The Department of Education had to take many steps including four public hearings across the country for feedback and recommendations from students, families, higher education leaders and community organizations.

The committee negotiating the rule then held sessions from February to May debating and ultimately reaching a finalized draft of the rule. The draft was then published in the Federal Register and was given a month for public comments and opinions before it was officially finalized.

Besides changing the definition of adverse credit history, the updated rule also highlights changes in definitions, such as what it means for

debt to be “charged off” and “in collection.”

Also, it changed the amount of time of a borrower’s credit history from the past five years to the past two years, which will affect the determining adverse credit history.

The final regulations will not go into effect until July 1, 2015, according to the Higher Education Act (HEA). The Department of Education is working hard to get the new regulations implemented sooner.

This will not directly affect SSU students until next fall. However, it will give students a better chance to receive loans and grants they were not eligible for.

“About 60 percent of the students enrolled in Fall 2014 are eligible for some sort of federal or state financial aid, and almost 800 parents have accepted PLUS loans,” said Susan Gutierrez, the director of financial aid for SSU. This change in the regulations will consequently play an affect on students. It will open up a door to more parents being eligible for approval with very minor adverse credit history.

In the past, many were denied from the PLUS loans and would have to get a co-signer on the loan or have the student borrow from Unsubsidized Direct Loan funds in his or her own name. Student loans can increase quickly and are sometimes difficult for the student to pay off once they graduate.

Giving parents a greater chance to receive the PLUS loans should reduce the amount of student loans being taken out and therefore make financial obligations easier on students and parents.

Arts

Page 6

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Sara Wildman The colorful Phoenix Theater in downtown Petaluma has become a legendary music venue that hosts shows for crowds of all ages.

The colorful, legendary, local venue Meaghan Whitehorn Staff Writer

W

alking into The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma is like stepping into a new, artistic rock-infused world. A skateboard half-pipe ramp frames the stage area and the walls are covered in graffiti, from simplistic tags to intricate artistic visions that resemble an “Alice in Wonderland”-like world. The raw feel of the authentic rock venue is incredibly tangible, but there is a certain feeling of comfort and history that seem to be engraved in the walls of The Phoenix.

The Phoenix Theater was originally named the Hill Opera House when opened in 1905. The building burned down in the early 1900s and was reopened in 1935 as a movie theater.

After suffering from more fire damage in 1957, the building was restored and renamed by the Tocchini family. The Tocchini family hired Tom Gaffey, the current manager of The Phoenix,

when he was young. Gaffey acquired his manager title in the 1980s. Still showing movies and live music shows late at night, Gaffey renamed the building The Phoenix, aligning The Phoenix’s history with the beautiful mythical creature that rises up from its ashes.

During the ‘80s and ‘90s, The Phoenix played host to many rock band greats. The Ramones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Primus, Green Day and many others performed on this legendary stage in Petaluma. Sublime played their last show ever at The Phoenix, with original lead singer Bradley Nowell.

There is even a memorial backstage with performers’ personal tags that have played on the stage after Bradley had passed away. AFI wrote a song about The Phoenix entitled “The Days of The Phoenix.” Lead singer Davey Havok has commented on The Phoenix’s influence on the band in multiple interviews, but the lyrics say it all: “Nothing could touch us then, no one could change us then, everybody was dancing.”

Currently The Phoenix is thriving in the mu-

sic business, with Gaffey as the general manager and Jim Agius as the talent buyer. Gaffey and Agius work closely with local bands and names in the music industry and attempt to help them reach their full potential. The duo produce a podcast show called “True Rockage: Onstage with Jim and Tom,” in which they give their input on the bands and individuals they work with and support.

In one specific episode they spoke about the local band Toast Machine and their thoughts on working with them.

“The fact that after working this place and working with me that they still want to do it, I find that incredible tenacity. I’m really so super proud of them,” said Gaffey. “And these sound guys are great, you know I learned very early on in this industry that there’s no ‘we can’t fix it.’ It must be fixed. And these guys have fixed it every night.”

The STAR had the opportunity to speak with senior and lead singer of The French Girls, a local rock band that recently played a show at The Phoenix. Charlie Foltz shared his thoughts about

performing on such a legendary stage.

“The Phoenix Theater, in my opinion, is the heartbeat of the North Bay music scene,” Foltz said. “For the bands, you couldn’t ask for a better place to hang out and get to know each other while waiting for your set. I could seriously hang out in that place everyday and am truly thankful to be allowed to get loud at what I consider to be a vital landmark of rock n’ roll history in Northern California.”

By day, The Phoenix serves as a safe haven for teenage after-school hangouts. There are numerous programs put on during the day, like free music and art classes, job mentoring programs and an affordable teen health clinic.

By night, the doors open for all ages and the stage is occupied by both local and well-known bands of all genres. Today at The Phoenix, professional skater and MTV star Bam Margera is coming to the Phoenix with his comedy-infused hip hop group F***face Unstoppable. On Friday, Andre Nickatina and Smoov-E are set to perform for The Phoenix’s Halloween show.

Lyla Elmassian: The modern performer Sara Molenda Staff Writer

F

or some, the summer before sophomore year in high school can be a time of developing a “cool” factor and dabbling with first dates.

For Lyla Elmassian, the summer before sophomore year was full of Shakespeare and sonnets.

Elmassian, a junior at Sonoma State University, is majoring in Theatre and Arts with a concentration in acting.

She recently starred in the campus production of “The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek,” where she played the role of a Pace Creagan, an 18-year-old, fearless and feared by her peers.

Elmassian was involved in the production of “She Kills Monsters” earlier this year. In an interview with the STAR, Elmassian explained the difference between playing the damsel in distress role (Monsters) and the progressive feminist role (Trestle).

“There is an aggressive

quality in Pace that is so different from any comedic or damsel in distress role I have played in the past,” said Elmassian. “Pace made me balance the vulnerability as well as the necessity to keep my walls up.”

The theatre and arts track involves a very busy and hectic commitment, requiring students to audition into an ‘acting block’ Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for their junior and senior years.

After her work in Trestle, Elmassian plans to shift her focus to film.

In one of her current classes this semester, she is learning about how to translate her experience and work in theatre to films produced on screen.

She explained that film, and television specifically, incorporates the best parts about theatre onto the screen.

“In the theatre setting, larger gestures and facial expressions are required on such an immense stage,” explained Elmassian. “I have to balance my expressions and use less

ful.”

Aside from the personal connection Elmassian has to theatre, she loves the friends and connections she has made with people through the major and the lifestyle. And those feelings are reciprocated.

completely into character.

“She has this uncanny ability to embody every character she plays,” said Leach. “It’s equally fascinating, disturbing and thrilling to watch her transform into a new character on stage.”

“It’s equally fascinating, disturbing and thrilling to watch her transform into a new character on stage.”

COURTESY // SSU Theatre Arts and Dance Student performer Lyla Elmassian stars in the campus production of “The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek” with Connor Pratt. obvious facial expressions to translate the written word on film.”

In between rehearsals and class, Elmassian still finds time for friends and fun times. She loves leaving the schools setting to walk around the bookstore in Santa Rosa and meeting the interesting characters that surround that downtown area. Elmassian also enjoys be-

ing active and outdoors, especially taking in the beauty with walks around campus. Among her other passions, Elmassian holds the work of Shakespeare, especially “Romeo and Juliet,” in high esteem.

“I have special connections to this show,” said Elmassian.

“It’s such an honest play with very interesting and over the top circumstances. It’s wonder-

Kyle Ryan, a fifth year at SSU, worked alongside Elmassian in the production of “The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek.”

“It’s been a great process,” said Ryan. “She puts a lot of hard work into the show. A lot of people really noticed how she was able to connect with her character.”

Elmassian’s connection with theatre and her fellow actors is never a chore and only ever a passion.

Another fellow acting student, Anna Leach, remarked on Elmassian’s capability to dive

It is amazing to watch someone you know and love to fade away and then become someone completely different.”

With the support of her friends, colleagues and family, Elmassian hopes to succeed in all her future endeavors, the closest one landing a lead role in the upcoming production of “The Cherry Orchard,” which will be performed next spring.

Information for this performance and other performance by students in the theatre and arts department can be found online.

A Broadway musical in Rohnert Park Ashley Ronsse Staff Writer

“E

very guy needs a doll,” said Nathan Detroit, a character in the Broadway musical, “Guys and Dolls.” The music and lyrics were written by Frank Loesser and the story is based on the combination of a few short stories written by Damon Runyon. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1950 and won the Tony Award in 1951 for Best Musical.

The curtains of Spreckels Theater in Rohnert Park opened to reveal a New York City backdrop of Broadway with flashing lights and a hurry of characters.

The opening song, “Runyonland,” depicts the hustle and bustle of New York City and introduces the characters: gamblers, showgirls and missionaries of New York.

The main character, Nathan, is introduced to the audience. Nathan runs an illegal “crap game” in New York, gambling for a living. The mu-

sical revolves around this gambling lifestyle.

Things become exciting in the number, “The Oldest Establishment,” when Nathan bets Sky Masterson, a fellow gambler, $1,000 to get Sarah Brown to fall for him.

Brown is a “mission doll” and she runs the Save-a-Soul Mission in New York. Nathan thought this was an easy bet to win.

Sky tries to charm Sarah at the Save-a-Soul Mission while the two characters sing the song, “I’ll Know” about their dreams of falling in love to which Sky said, “I’ll leave mine to chance and chemistry.”

When Sarah resists him, he resorts to gambling and makes a deal with Sarah: If she goes to Havana, Cuba on a date with him, he will help her struggling business by filling the mission with 12 genuine sinners willing to change. Sarah accepts this offer.

The scene cuts from the city streets to The Hot Box Club featuring Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Chickadees performing the number,

“A Bushel and a Peck.” Miss Adelaide works for The Dolls Company as the lead performer at The Hot Box Club.

Miss Adelaide is also Nathan’s love interest in the musical as they were engaged for 14 years.

Miss Adelaide was a standout character in the musical. As the comedic relief, she was always upbeat and had a sassy and feisty attitude that made her a very likable character.

Miss Adelaide developed a chronic cold, a psychosomatic reaction from Nathan’s refusal to marry her, which she describes in the musical number, “Adelaide’s Lament.”

Nicey and Benny, two gamblers of New York that work for Nathan, declare that guys will do anything for the dolls they love in the song the musical is named after, “Guys and Dolls.”

“Love has licked them. Nathan is just another victim,” Nicey said, justifying their point about how guys are victims to their dolls. This is the message of the musical that the audi-

ence is left with.

Nathan and Miss Adelaide are to elope and Sky and Sarah find true love in each other. The guys change their gambling ways to be with the dolls they love.

Nathan was played by actor Tim Stezer, who has starred as a lead in at least four other Spreckels Theatre Company productions and has performed at many other theatrical venues in Sonoma County.

Sky Masterson was played by actor Anthony Martinez who has also performed in countless other theatrical productions as well as numerous television commercials, radio commercials and industrial films.

This production of Guys and Dolls, was offered for multiple weekend showings from Oct. 10 through 26.

This musical production was directed by Gene Abravaya and was choreographed by Michella Snider.

Spreckels Theatre Company is also presenting other famous Broadway musicals this year, including the beloved “Mary Poppins.”

COURTESY // Spreckels Theatre “Guys and Dolls: A Musical Fable about Broadway” was performed at Spreckels Theatre Company in Rohnert Park last weekend.

Entertainment

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

Return of the demonologist Jenna Fischer Staff Writer

W STAR // Alyssa James Pianist Aaron Robinson played along side Haruko Matsuda during the Music, Theater Arts and Dance Scholarship Showcase.

Award-winning students give back

S

Marisa Oliveira Staff Writer

ome say music only leads to “treble,” but that’s not the case for these scholarshipwinning performers. Parents and friends gathered at Sonoma State University on Friday afternoon for the Music, Theatre Arts and Dance Scholarship Showcase.

The event was held in the newly opened Schroeder Hall of the Green Music Center at 2 p.m. The lights were dim, which created a romantic setting, and the theater was full of comfy chairs and audience members dying to see their loved ones on stage; Many works were performed on the stage: drama presentations and vocal pieces, as well as piano solos and dance presentations.

The event was held so that students who were receiving scholarships could showcase their talents on stage for their families and friends to see. In between acts, the lights would dim and props and instruments would be moved on and off the stage.

The whole event was organized and was even catered by student dining services at the end of the show. Every time an act would come on stage to perform they would bow, but not introduce themselves, since there was a program the audience could follow along with.

One of the first acts on stage was a drama presentation from the performers of “The Trestle

at Pope Lick Creek.” The actors and actresses performed the first scene from the play, which was released earlier this month.

After, there was a flute solo where Mercedes Castro played a couple of songs.

The third piece was another drama presentation from “The Importance of Being Earnest”

by Oscar Wilde, which will open this week. Students Renee Hardin, Dominic Dei Rossi and Katee Drysdale, performed in the short act. There were a couple vocal solos done by Corynne Scott and Nora Griffin, both of whom had pianists play alongside them. One standout performance was the piano duo of Haruko Matsuda and Aaron Robinson, where they played in sync with each other and received a standing ovation.

There was a musical theater production where one artist performed, “Pirate Jenny” from the “Three Penny Opera.” A trumpet solo came next from Zachary Hall and it was followed with a vocal duet with Allison Spencer and Rodrigo Castillo.

Toward the end of the show there was a dance presentation that featured students Caitlin Colangelo, Emma Higgins, Farrah McAdam, Abigail Mytych, Jenny Novero and Carissa Pinnix. Last but not least was a jazz trio that ended the eventful afternoon of music.

All scholarship winners also received certificates and some received mini trophies that recognized they had been awarded scholarships for their talents.

Review

ith television shows such as “Smallville” and “Arrow” under their belt, DC comics has released their most recent TV adaptation of a comic: “Constantine.”

The show kicks off with the introduction of the main character, John Constantine, who has checked himself into a mental institution after seeing a demon kill a young girl.

However, he is soon ripped from this twisted getaway by a demon who infiltrates the institution. The demon sends him a message that a girl, who was a daughter of a late friend of his, is being hunted by a demon and will die if he does not protect her. John is pulled directly back into action when he decides to hunt the demon before it kills the girl.

John Constantine is an exorcist, demonologist, and self proclaimed master of the dark arts. This character is a new take on a hero: the anti-hero. His sarcastic, snappy and selfcentered attitude is not one of a conventional hero stereotype.

However, his eventual actions show that beyond the wall of twisted humor he puts up, his true intentions are to save others from harm’s way. In the scene where Zed, the girl the demon is hunting, is on a rooftop talking to John before they deploy a trap for the demon, he reveals a few windows into his tortured childhood.

His mother died while giving birth to him, so his father gave him the nickname of “killer,” and when his father was drunk, he would punch John in the face while saying it was a punishment for what he did to his mother.

John searched for a way to bring her back; this is where his journey with dark magic began.

Along with mourning his mother’s death, John experiences f lashbacks of a traumatic experience he constantly tries to suppress: the death of a 9-year-old girl, Astra, who was damned by a demon.

There are constant reminders of Astra throughout John’s jump back into action, and during one of the final scenes of the first episode the demon he is hunting tries to conjure an image of Astra to manipulate John into set-

ting him free.

The television series is based off of DC’s comic: “Hellblazer,” and while many of the details of “Constantine” have been consistent with the comic, the setting of the comic is in London while the show is in Atlanta. Also, in the comic, John has a smoking habit, which was cut from the show.

However, this habit is symbolic of his self-destructive tendencies which is somewhat necessary to his character development.

The sarcastic and witty humor by John creates an interesting set for the action taking place: this man confronts the things that go bump in the night, and comes out almost completely unphased.

There are many details that leave the audience curious, such as a back story on how he started hunting demons and how the demons manifest themselves, but the show seems to be unraveling them one by one. The first episode is far from mind blowing, but the acting is well done. Some of the graphics are a little cliche, however, most come out to be pretty intense for an NBC television show.

Overall, the beginning may not have been fantastic, but it seems as though the show is set up for an interesting plot direction, and is certainly worth viewing a few more episodes.

This is not the only television show DC has released recently: “The Flash” and “Gotham” are two big hits that came out in the last month. Both of these have been widely successful in premiere viewings, so there are high hopes for “Constantine” to continue to be popular in the coming months.

facebook.com David Giuntoli stars as John Constantine in the season four premiere.

A ‘Grimm’ Future Kirsten Reeves Staff Writer

F facebook.com Keanu Reeves stars in the new action-thriller, “John Wick.”

Reeves’ killer new movie Natalie Bergman Staff Writer

“J

Review

ohn Wick” is a greatly gratifying feature of violent reprisal. In the film, Keanu Reeves discharges bullets copious amounts of times, leaving the audience at awe with the raw retaliation that this whole film embodies.

With the sharpness of a surgeon, beauty of a dancer,and the monstrous adrenaline of a man who gets off by firing people in the skull, “John Wick” proves to be a movie of epic proportion.

However, “John Wick” is not just a movie limited to Reeves shooting people in the head with much enjoyment, but a film that has a plot of true depth, pacing and performances worth remembering.

The film doesn’t immediately reveal itself with the badass action that it later proves to revolve around. In the beginning, John Wick appears to be a decorative man who happened to lose his wife to cancer.

Soon after, he receives a puppy named Daisy as a gift

to help him cope with the loss of his true love. The dog brings him comfort as he connects with her, bringing him back to earth, for it’s something he can hold onto that connects him to his late wife.

Later, he has an unpleasant confrontation with members of a Russian gang at a gas station, who insist on purchasing his car from him.

When John denies their request and leaves, the trio decide to stay on his tracks, following him home and ruining his life.

The gang members break into his house in the night, aggressively assaulting him and making him watch helplessly as his dog Daisy is murdered and his car is stolen from him.

John does not misuse any of his time once he recovers. He unleashes the demons from his past life as an expert assassin and seeks retaliation on the ones who have hurt him while he was already hurting.

As it turns out, the young leader of the Russian gang that ambushed him is no other than Iosef, the son of Viggo Tarasov, a mob boss and John’s former associate.

Completely cognizant of John’s ability to kill, Tarasov is

furious with his son and the action of the film’s plot is set into motion.

Reeves’ emotional and physical performance in “John Wick” is top notch, whether he is mourning his deceased wife or completely going crazy while assassinating rooms full of people.

Beyond plot and performance, this film displays exquisite cinematography as beauty and art shine even through the demise and destruction.

An example of the film’s cinematic artist choices is found in an earlier scene during the funeral of John’s wife, where the picture is heavily desaturated to point that it closely lacks complete color, with the rainy sky above bringing an ominous tone to the entire scene.

“John Wick” is a story of relentless revenge, aestheticizing violence and heavy action.

The violence is in no way sugarcoated, however, it’s done both beautifully and artistically.

If someone loved was lost and the past came back to destroy the only happiness that was left during a time of grieving, who wouldn’t seek out to shoot men in the skulls to find peace again?

Review

or Grimm fans, the wait was finally over as the show returned for its fourth season with episode “Thanks For The Memories.”

The NBC supernatural drama aired Friday.

Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) was a normal investigator in the homicide department of the Portland Police Department until he learned of his lineage. He was descended from a line of Grimms, who are able to see other worldly creatures called Wesen.

With this gift and curse, Grimms are responsible for maintaining the balance between humanity and the Wesen mythological world. Over the past three seasons, fans see Nick and friends take on the journey of doing just that.

While “Grimm” featured creatures brought to life from many different pieces of work, many were inspired by the characters of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.”

Avid watchers were left with the cliffhanger that ended season three, which was \ a wedding from Hell, for lack of a better term.

Back at Nick’s apartment lied ex-federal agent by day and Wesen by night Weston Steward, decapitated in the front room.

“Grimm” is wonderful; just ask the 5.3 million viewers that tuned in for its airtime Friday.

Newly discovered Grimm Theresa Rubel (Jacqueline Toboni) was responsible for the beheading and, as expected, had some unanswered questions.

While the authorities were skeptical of her calmness following the incident, Rubel was able to maintain her composure and story long enough to satisfy her self-defense claim.

No one knew how this worked in relation to proportional response, but hey, it’s best to not question it.

Nick and his girlfriend Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) are forced to confront some serious relationship issues in this episode; the main problem stemming from the fact that Nick had an affair. In his defense, he had no idea he was even having it.

Wesen creature Adalind, who appeared as Juliette, came to Nick.

After their sexual encounter, Nick not only

facebook.com The cast of “Grimm” returns for season four on NBC. discovered the truth of his infidelity, but also realized that in sleeping with Adalind he lost his Grimm abilities.

As Nick carried on with his now ordinary police job, viewers are introduced to a criminal who attacked citizens and left them completely dumbfounded and seemingly memory-less, unable to identify their attacker.

Most importantly are the circumstances currently surrounding Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz). Not only is he the high-ranking officer that Nick and other detectives report to, but he is also half-Hexenbiest.

That being said, he knows of the supernatural world and of Grimms. While his intentions toward Nick are questionable in the beginning, he became a form of protector to Burkhardt over time.

Throughout the hour-long season four premiere, Captain Renard laid in a hospital bed surrounded by medical professionals and hospital staff. After being shot by the now headless Weston Steward, his future is looking a bit grim.

The show is a little farfetched, if that wasn’t made obvious. However, so are the Brothers Grimm’s folklore and dark fairytales that have become so world renowned and widely loved since the 19th century.

The actors and the effects make for a pleasurable viewing experience, and the show is able to accomplish violent scenes without making gore scenes too stomach churning.

For a supernatural drama and occult detective fiction television show, “Grimm” is wonderful; just ask the 5.3 million viewers that tuned in for its airtime Friday.

Watch the second episode of season four on NBC at 9 p.m. on Friday.

Page 8

Features

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Sustainability Week brings a wake-up call Jonathan Angulo Staff Writer

T seawolfliving.com

Tributes volunteer for Hunger Games Megan Minturn Staff Writer

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tudents will be able to channel their inner Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in Sonoma State University’s first ever, Hunger Games. In order to raise awareness about National Hunger and Homelessness Week, students all over campus are encouraged to compete in the Hunger Games put on by Join Us Make Progress on Nov. 21.

Throughout the week of Nov. 17 to Nov. 21 teams, created by the students, will participate by being engaged in different volunteer opportunities or educational speakers.

The more events the teams go to, the more points they will receive. The top 12 teams with the most points at the end of the week will be able to volunteer two members from their team to be tributes to compete in the final Hunger Games competition.

Max Vicas, a junior looking to compete in the Hunger Games, told the STAR, “I am looking forward to doing community service events that lead up to a physical competition, and it would be a great way to bring together a group of people dedicated to helping the community.”

There will also be a canned food drive during the National Hunger and Homelessness Week. Teams who donate cans will receive bonus points added onto the points they received by attending service events and speakers throughout the week.

There will be an actual reaping, just like in the movie, on Nov. 20 in the Student Center ballrooms. In the movie the reaping is an annual event that takes place in every district before each Hunger Games, where the tributes of the upcoming games are chosen. All students are welcome to come watch SSU’s reaping, as two members of the top 12 teams will be summoned to compete in a range of physical games and activities.

At the first Info Night on Tuesday, Kagemuro Jeremiah, director of human services for JUMP said, “Although this it is called the Hunger Games, no one is going to die.”

However, the physical events at the games will not be announced till the day of. All students are encouraged to go and support the tributes from the teams.

The point of this event is to get the entire campus involved. This event is a competitive way to engage students in service and community action and to raise awareness about an issue in the area.

The speakers and volunteer opportunities are not just for those competing in the Hunger Games. All students are welcome to participate and gain knowledge about this issue.

“We’re really excited to see the Sonoma State community come together to fight the issue of hunger and homelessness in Sonoma County,” said Becca O’Neil, director of youth programs. “Plus, it is going to be in a fun and energizing way.”

Clubs and organizations at Sonoma State University are highly encouraged to have one or more teams. Individuals who are not affiliated with anything on campus are also welcome to create teams.

The first step of the process is to create a team; teams can be as small as two people and as big as 20. Each team selects a captain who can register the whole team for the games. The deadline to sign up is Nov. 7 and the list of members in each team is due by Nov. 13. To sign up go to the JUMP offices in the second floor of the Student Center.

Since this is the first time Sonoma State is doing an event like the Hunger Games to get the word out about National Hunger and Homelessness week, JUMP will be advertising about it around campus. Look for posters, emails and JUMP’s Facebook page for more information leading up to the event.

he Sustainability Expo took place throughout Sonoma State University and informed at least 1,000 students in a variety of different ways. There were talks, movies, tabling and art exhibits inspired by the topic of sustainability.

One did not have to venture to the Green Music Center in order to get information about sustainability because Residential Life and Campus Life set up shop inbetween the Student Center and Rec Center.

Emily Wirdzek was tabling on behalf of Residential Life. Throughout the week they tabled for about 16 hours in total and estimated talking to 400 to 500 students each day.

Besides giving away free stuff, they tabled and informed students with interesting facts depending on the topic for the day. The topics were alternative transportation, reusable bags/recycling, water conservation and finally alternative products.

“A lot of people have been shocked to find out how much water we use when we shower,” said Wirdzek.

A normal showerhead uses approximately 50 gallons for a 10-minute shower.

California is currently in a drought and it might be worth the effort to cut back

on shower times and water usage when possible.

“When I think of sustainability, I think of my future kids,” said Emily Wirdzek. “If we are not aware of how we use our resources now, then the consequences for the future generations could be detrimental.”

Sustainability day was considered by many to be a success.

Roughly 1,000 students were able to find time in their day to head to the Green Music Center and learn about sustainability.

While the bulk of the presentation was done on Tuesday, there were different events and tabling on other parts of the campus.

The main slogan was DOTT, which means “do one thing today.” Do One Thing Today is meant to inspire people to change small things in their daily routine.

One can turn off the faucet while washing his or her hands or teeth, turn off those unused lights and take quick showers.

Dirty car? Do not worry about it so much, and ride a bike instead. It’s good for the environment, and the physical exercise is good for the body.

“It doesn’t have to be a large change in what we do to make a huge difference,” said Taylor Millman, with Campus life.

Millman spent part of her day tabling outside the Rec Center trying to reach students. She had made

small changes in her life after being inspired by the sustainability expo. It took Millman and her associates at least a month and a half to prepare their presentations for tabling.

“Sustainability means being conscience of the world around us, and of being aware of our impact to our surroundings,” said Millman.

Beeta Vafaee, environmental studies major, is just one out of many students who attended the sustainability expo at the Green Music Center.

She particularly enjoyed the art at the expo and thought it really captured the essence of the event. Also, she loved the free stickers.

“A lot of students go out of their way to act on these issues and are passionate on their mission to make us more sustainable,” said Vafaee.

The students Vafaee referred to are the many who put on the expo.

Much of the information that was given was researched by students, planned by students and presented by students.

These students worked hard for something that they are truly passionate about.

Even though the expo is over, students like Vafaee and many others have the word sustainability etched into their heads, which might make readers think twice before taking 20-minute showers.

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Tony Gemignani: The pizza master’s showcase Lauren O’Malley Staff Writer

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n Friday night in Weyden and Brewster, Gemignani, a World Pizza Cup winner, came to Sonoma State University to teach about 50 students the art of pizza throwing and how to really make a pizza delicious.

Gemignani owns a restaurant in the Graton Casino called Tony’s of North Beach. He taught students how to make pizza and all the secret tips on how to make a perfect pizza.

All students were able to sample each pizza that was made.

Gemignani now owns seven restaurants across the country with three in the San Francisco area. Gemignani was the American and non-Neapolitan to win the Pizza World Cup in Naples, Italy.

“In the year 2000-2001, I started focusing on food and cooking more than anything else, [for example winning Guinness Book of World Records],” said Gemignani.

Two students had the opportunity to twirl the pizza dough while Gemignani was prepping for the next pie.

Gemignani grew up in Fremont on a farm where his family grew figs, which he used as a main ingredient in his pizza.

“First create the crust, push down the middle, stretch and turn, then right to left, bring it in and toss it up,” said Gemignani as he was teaching students how to throw pizza dough.

With students trying at least three or four samples of different pizzas. Each student got to ask Gemignani questions about himself or his new book, “Pizza Bible.”

He gave signed copies to students who were interested in the book. This is Gemignani’s second book, the sequel to “Pizza”, his first release.

“My favorite part of this was getting to try the cheese and sample all of the different pizza’s Tony made,” said senior Nichole Berry.

Many students entered Weyden and Brewster at 5 p.m. excited to find out as many secrets to making the most delicious pizza from the World Pizza Cup winner himself, and getting to sample some of the main ingredients in each homemade pizza pie Gemignani made.

Each student tried the cheese made in each pizza, as well as the finished meal, the pizza itself.

Among the different test items each student tried mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese.

Most students left the Student Center excited about learning new things about the pizza world and learning new secrets on how to make an amazing pizza, but also that they got to listen to someone who also owns a restaurant tell them how to make the pizza exactly.

STAR // Edward Goquingco From Tony’s North Beach restaurant in the Graton Casino, chef Tony Gemignani shares his pizza knowledge with students.

Features

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

New Quad app organizes college life Kimberly Paasche Staff Writer COURTESY // Courtney Scales

Chris-Mix tickets are out Brittany Finley Staff Writer

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he holiday season is fast approaching so start it off with a night of amazing music while giving back to a great cause.

Chris-Mix is an annual concert event put on by the local radio station Mix 104.9. The Mix team aims to give back to their loyal listeners and to a worthy cause through this event.

This year’s Chris-Mix has an impressive lineup that appeals to audiences of all ages. The show is headlined by American Authors, known for their hit “Best Day of My Life.” Uncle Kracker and the 2013 Voice runner up Jacquie Lee will also take the stage.

“The show is going to be fun,” said Mix 104.9 promotions director and Sonoma State University alumna, Jennifer Routh.

“The artists are all extremely talented and excited to be here.

Plus, it’s not often that you get to see stars breakdown their music acoustically in such an intimate setting.”

Mix 104.9 brought countless artists to Sonoma County including Matt Nathanson, Parachute, Third Eye Blind and contestants from The Voice and

American Idol. Each year the show gets bigger and better. The event started out at a venue that held only 300 people and has now moved to a venue that holds about 1,500 people.

The ninth annual Chris-Mix will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services.

At the show there will be a silent auction to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The silent auction will feature items such as gift cards to local businesses and signed merchandise. There will be a guitar up for auction that is signed by artists, including Colbie Caillat, The Frey, Matt Nathanson, Vicki Martinez from The Voice, Parachute, Andy Grammer and many more.

“This is the first time that we have worked with LLS on Chris-Mix,” said Mix 104.9 program director and on-air personality Danny Wright. “We have raised thousands every year for other great causes including the Santa Rosa Firefighters Toys For Kids program, Redwood Empire Food bank, M.O.M.S. (Mothers Of Military Service Members) and more.”

In radio, the relationship between the station and the listeners is crucial to the success. Mix 104.9 knows the importance of loyal listeners and giving back to the community. This event is designed with the listeners in mind.

“At Mix 104.9, we are so lucky because we have listeners that truly care about us and when they care and get involved it makes our jobs so much more fun,” said on-air personality and Sonoma State alumna Courtney Scales, “when listeners get excited about contests, shows, or Chris-Mix it lets us know that we are doing our job right and we’re giving the listeners what they want. At the end of the day it’s most important that our listeners are happy.”

This year’s show will take place at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa on Nov. 30.

Tickets are on sale now starting at only $20 or one can listen to Mix 104.9 for a chance to win.

“My favorite part of ChrisMix each year is meeting the people who spend time with Mix 104.9 at work or in their cars or at home,” said Wright. “Without them we don’t get to have the best jobs in the world. Plus I love to hear what people loved about the show and their experiences.”

Get into Halloween spirit Nataly Estupiñan Staff Writer

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t’s hard to believe that Halloween is just around the corner. It is time to divert eyes away from books and dive into some Halloween activities.

If one wishes to go trick-or-treating, look no further than the McDonald Historical District in Santa Rosa. This neighborhood was used in the filming of Wes Craven’s film, “Scream”, and is said to hand out the best candy.

“McDonald Avenue goes all out on Halloween,” said Santa Rosa resident Tanya Lemus. “It almost looks like Halloween town.”

Aside from trick-or-treating, there are plenty of other things to do on Halloween. One can stay at home and watch scary movies with friends and enjoy Halloween inspired treats. These treats can range from hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury crescent roles made to look like creepy fingers or white chocolate dipped bananas and with dark chocolate eyes to look like spooky ghost.

“I honestly don’t have any plans for Halloween,” said sophomore Meagan Waller. “I work that day, so maybe I will just watch a few scary movies and eat some candy when I get home.”

If you’re seeking something scary look no further than Blind Scream Haunted House in Rohnert Park or Dr. Evils House of Horrors in Guerneville, where admission ranges between $10-$30. Or take a trip to Petaluma and visit the popular night maze at the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch, with $9 admission.

There are also plenty of events going on around the area, such as “Walking with the Dead,” a trick-or-treating event in Santa Rosa’s Safari West from 4-8 p.m, or the murder mystery play, “The Game’s Afoot,” at the Raven Theatre in Healdsburg with $10 admissions for students.

Aside from these events going on in the local area, there is plenty to do on the Sonoma State University campus. One can attend the SSU Writing Center Palooza, from noon to 2 p.m.

“There will be free food, writing games and more,” said Annie Green, writing center staff member. “I plan to dress like Mary Poppins while working and go out passing out candy to children.”

One can also catch “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Evert B. Person Theatre between 7:30-9:30 p.m. with free admission for students.

There is also Live at Lobo’s Karaoke going on from 9-10:30 p.m. and a screening of “The Shining” in Ives Hall at 10 p.m.

All of these campus events will take place on Halloween, but if one has already made plans for that night, ASP is hosting Paranoma on Oct. 30 from 9 p.m. to midnight in Sauv quad and the Cooperage. This event will feature a haunted maze, games, face painting, music and a costume contest.

If one is worried about going out simply because they do not have a Halloween costume, there are plenty of last minute costume ideas. One can channel their inner Regina George from the movie “Mean Girls” by wearing something cute and cutting out two holes on their shirt.

To dress up as Gilligan, from the television classis, “Gilligan’s Island”, all you need is a white bucket hat, a red polo shirt and blue jeans. But if neither of those options work one can cut two eyeholes out of a brown paper bag and write “I’m not famous anymore” to portray actor Shia LaBeouf from his social media post.

It is also really simple to become a “Sims” character with a headband, a cut out green diamond and some wire to make it look like there is a green diamond floating above a person’s head. These are just a few of the last minute costume ideas one can find by simply searching through the Internet.

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group of students have been assigned a group project where out-of-class communication is necessary. Each person has a different phone and a different preferred way of communication. Most messaging apps cap the number of participants in a chat or message with some apps only allowing 10 members each, but a new app called Quad solved this problem.

The Quad app was created for college students. The Quad application’s main function is for messaging or chatting. The application allows up to 500 people to attend a chat all at once. This feature was created for fraternities, sororities, sports teams, clubs and larger organizations or groups.

The goal of this function is to keep each person in a group easily accessible to contact with no one left out. It allows users to break from large groups to subgroups to save the rest of the group from unnecessary notifications.

Quad connects students in a direct way. Users are not bombarded with information such as selfies, photos, relationship statuses or personal information as other application or social media sites do. No exchange of phone numbers are necessary, so students can get straight to the point and send messages in an efficient way. The app will keep students connected in groups, or even just for social reasons.

The app is free and works for Apple or Android devices.

There are four navigation tabs in the Quad application. They include, discover, message, contact and me. The discover mode in the app allows users to find or discover other users or groups from a particular school or in the surrounding area. This feature allows users to meet new people by joining chats that are happening nearby. This mode sorts groups by distance and proximity. The proximity options are less than three miles, less than 10 miles and fewer than 100 miles where location on a mobile device must be on for this function to work properly.

The connect or message user students can create quads or chats that are open to all, or make closed chats to specific dorms, clubs, sports teams

or any other group. The connect- message section pairs well with the contact tab that can save individual contacts into the app. Contacts may be added by using the contacts stored in the mobile device, by email, Facebook or can be searched out by user ID. The me tab allows students to create a personal profile. The profile only asks for a name, a school, an option to upload a photo and a bio section for users who desire to personalize their profile.

This application also allows use of voice notes, sticker emojis, photo, location sharing and event sharing. The idea is to allow users to express themselves as much as possible, while efficiently sharing information.

The app does not use the messaging function on cell phones, but all the messaging is done inside the application. The app does give notifications when messages are sent thought the app, but the notification can be adjusted to fit individual need.

“It’s beneficial for students working in group projects. It’s great [for] college students, as well as, groups and organizations,” said Ty Stevenson the Quad brand ambassador. “A sports team can have a quad, and then subquads can be created for just defenders or linemen.”

Currently the Quad app has a Sonoma State group as well as a Sonoma State Class of 2018 subgroup. Quads can be created at any time by anyone, and any form of email can be used to sign up for the app. The Sonoma State group currently has 115 members and is slowly growing as students learn about the applications existence.

“It sounds really great, I wish more people had it,” said junior Emily Semans. “It seems like a more effective way to get information out to students.”

The people behind the Quad app are not just working on the Quad application, but they also participate in supporting student groups. Quad runs a Greek Champs program that helps Greek life get the best deals on shirts, formals and vacations, and also hold competitions to win cash.

Quad donates money to student philanthropies and groups that offer scholarships contests, as well as room makeovers.

To download or find more info on the Quad application search Quad in the play or app store.

Sports

Page 10

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Player Profile: Kaitlyn Haithcock Aubrie Tolliver Staff Writer

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ot even a trace of a smile comes across the face of Kaitlyn Haithcock when she is on the tennis court; unless, of course, it’s a smirk when she knows she has her opponent vulnerable and up against the ropes.

Fierce and fearless—that is how the Sonoma State women’s tennis head coach, Joaquin Lopez, describes Haithcock. Many athletes find that the hardest part of playing any sport is competing in a high-intensity game or match where everything is on the line. However, Lopez believes that is when Haithcock thrives.

“She basically elevates under pressure,” said Lopez. “She can get to access a place in her that’s just fearless.”

Haithcock is just beginning her sophomore year as a Seawolf at Sonoma State.

Growing up in Alamo, she attended Monte Vista High School before becoming home schooled for her junior and senior years so she could focus more on her tennis career.

After getting a few offers from other colleges, Haithcock weighed her options and eventually decided to call Rohnert Park home.

She said that Lopez was a big inf luence on her decision to come to Sonoma State.

“He was like a coach that I have never met before,” said Haithcock. “He was from Spain.

He gave a different vibe and it was cool.”

She busted onto the scene in October last year in a new town, with new teammates, new courts and a new coach. However, it seems that she was unaffected by these changes because in only her second preseason appearance, Haithcock went home with a first place finish in the singles bracket at the Dominican University Invitational. She beat both the Penguins’ number one and number two players to walk away with the victory.

“That was probably my defining moment,” said Haithcock as she recalled the memory.

Looking back now, it ended up being a fitting start to her freshman year because by the end of it, Haithcock sported a 19-11 overall record in singles and a 16-9 record in doubles.

Lopez accredits her success last season to her aggressive style of play and the powerful force she becomes while on the court.

“She’s not a pusher, someone who plays really defensive,” said Lopez. “She just goes for it.”

Where did she learn to play so aggressively? Haithcock said her family had a big inf luence on her tennis career and the kind of player she is now.

Both her mother and father played tennis, which is what drove Haithcock to begin playing. It was her father, who played tennis at UCLA and coached her throughout her career, who pushed her to have the intensity and aggressiveness that she has today.

“At 10 o’clock at night after dinner we would go down to the nearby courts and we would just play for hours,” said Haithcock.

“He kind of drove me to be fierce.”

Haithcock’s family also rallied behind her when she was faced with an injury that seriously affected her playing ability. For many

STAR // Edward Goquingco Lauren Curtin fights to gain possession of the ball.

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Kaitlyn Haithcock continues to dominate on the court despite having a painful shoulder injury. years now, she has experienced pains in her right shoulder that hinder her on the court.

She was told she had pinched nerves with a slight case of scoliosis and, consequently, she was forced to take a year off to let the injury heal properly. Haithcock admitted it was hard for her to quit playing, but it was just as hard to play through the pain.

“That was probably the point where I was like ‘Should I keep hurting my body for this?

Is it worth it?’” However, Haithcock promptly responded, “Definitely worth it.”

Every now and then her pain returns and causes her to lose practice time and even forfeit games. But, she is taking the necessary steps to limit the pain and is hopeful that the injury will not hinder her in future matches.

Lopez remains optimistic about Haithcock’s injury as well and believes that without the pain holding her back, she could have a very successful career as a Seawolf.

Off the court, Haithcock stays busy by hanging out with friends and being a part of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, which takes up much of her time. But, when her practices are over, matches are completed and homework is finished, she ultimately likes to relax and watch Netf lix.

Haithcock has not yet declared a major, but she is hoping to become a business major so she can join the wine industry once she graduates.

As for her future as a tennis player, Haithcock is hoping to stay healthy and build upon her success from last season in her remaining three years. Lopez believes that she is more than capable doing so and, by continuing to grow as a player, she has the ability be more successful than any other tennis player who has ever wore the uniform.

“If we are able to lower her pain,” said Lopez, “she can play at a really high level by her senior year and be one of the best players at Sonoma State ever.”

Seawolves ranked fifth in CCAA standings Adam Roth Staff Writer

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he smell of fresh-cut grass filled the crisp autumn air as over 200 fans, family and fellow students grew rowdy as game time approached.

The Sonoma State women’s soccer team battled it out on the Soccer field against Cal Poly Pomona on Senior Day Sunday. The Seawolves lost when the Broncos took a 1-0 lead with just seven minutes left in regulation. The goal came when the Broncos had a free kick and rocketed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the goal from about 20 yards away.

Despite Sonoma State outshooting Cal Poly Pomona 10-8, they couldn’t seem to get one past the opponent’s goalie. Goalie for the Seawolves, Allison Hadidian, made four saves during the match on Sunday. Forward, Alex Sifuentes and middle forward, Margi Osmundson had a combined six shot attempts. The team totaled 10 shot attempts with only one shot on goal. Fouls were flying with Sonoma State committing 14 fouls against Cal Poly.

The Seawolves honored three senior play-

ers, Lauren Curtin, Megan Foy and Kate McFarland, who played their final regular season home game at Seawolf Field on Sunday with a ceremony held before the game.

The Seawolves are now 6-4-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, 13-4-0 overall and are in fifth place.

Sonoma is currently trailing fourth place Cal Poly Pomona by three goals and leads sixth place UC San Diego by a single goal. The Women’s Seawolf team has a win percentage of 0.667 in conference standings and 0.812 overall so far this year.

Sonoma State plays again next Sunday for their final match of the 2014 regular season at San Francisco State on Thursday at 3 p.m. After the match, the Seawolves will know their standings for the upcoming conference playoffs. If the team finishes in the top two, they will get a bye to the semi-finals scheduled in Turlock on Nov. 7. A finish in third through sixth place will force the Seawolves to play in the opening round on Nov. 2. The third and fourth place teams will host the fifth and sixth place teams next Sunday in the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament.

STAR // Edward Goquingco Junior Ashley Luis makes a run for the goal.

Gearing up: Basketball season preview Taylor Graham Staff Writer

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hen faced with adversity, many teams crumble under the pressure. However, this is not true for the Sonoma State basketball teams.

“At the start of this year, we felt like we have a lot to prove,” said Brandon Glanz, a senior on the men’s basketball team.

In the 2013-14 season, the men’s basketball team had a record of 7-19 overall. The women’s basketball team struggled as well, ending the season with an overall record of 4-22.

Although the win-loss record for both teams was not ideal, they have both put last year behind them and come in to practice every single day working to be the best that they can be in preparation for the new season.

“The mentality is very different [this year],” said Taylor Vigil, assistant coach of the women’s basketball team.

“They don’t come in here looking at record of what Sonoma State’s past was. They look at it as an opportunity of a successful season, a successful year. It’s a new start.”

In the 2013-14 season, the men’s

team lost 19 games, 12 of which were by a margin of 10 points or less.

“We don’t want people thinking we are not a good team because we know that we are. We’re just waiting to prove that to everyone,” Glanz said.

Pat Fuscaldo, the head coach of the men’s basketball team, stressed that although they did not have a terrific record, last season was not a bad year. They lost quite a few tough games, which were decided by one shot or one turnover, but they were always there ready to put up a fight, day in and day out. The same is to be said for the team this season.

“People know that when they play Sonoma State they are in for a war,” Fuscaldo said.

Although they know that they are in for a tough season again, the Seawolves are ready to compete.

“Our identity is that we grind,” Fuscaldo said. “We want to be mentally tough and we want to be physically capable of meeting the challenges of every game. The intangibles are something that you just can’t teach.

Our kids work harder than everybody else.”

A key element in both the men’s and women’s renewed energy is the

amount of chemistry they have as a team this season.

“We all have that bond together.

You learn ways of picking your teammate up when they are down,” Hannah Sourek, a junior on the women’s basketball team, said. “It transfers onto the court.”

The men’s team has a similar relationship that goes beyond just being teammates. They are family.

“They are so close, it inspires me.

It makes me a more complete coach,” Fuscaldo said of the men’s team. “I get chills watching them.”

Glanz gave a lot of credit to their overall cohesion to the work they put in during the summer. Many players from the team stayed in town all summer to be able to focus on their game.

This off-season preparation has created a bond between all of the players on and off the court.

“A lot of us would rather sacrifice our individual play to benefit the group and I think that is very, very key to building a strong foundation to winning a lot of games,” Glanz said.

The energy and hard work remains a vital aspect for the Seawolves starts with the returners and leaders of the teams.

Some key returners for the men’s team are junior guards James Davis and David Ahern, and senior forward, Mike Harris, who averaged 8.8, 7.5 and 6.1 points per game, respectively. Ahern was a huge outside threat, shooting 41.4 percent beyond the arc.

Jabri Jenkins, who was out with a concussion last season, is also expected to step up as a huge contributor for the Seawolves.

Although they have some big returners, being successful in the conference is going to require a full team effort everyday. Luckily, effort is something the coaches know they don’t have to worry about.

“They are coachable, they show up everyday ready to work, they are receptive to feedback, they work well together, they listen to each other, they want to get better,” said Natalie Wisdom, assistant coach of the men’s basketball team. “You see that the moment you walk into the gym. As a coach, this is all you can ask for.”

For the women, juniors Tanner Adams, Hannah Sourek and Taylor Acosta are all expected to bring a lot to the table this year. They averaged 8.0, 7.8 and 7.6 points per game last season, respectively. Sourek added 5.4

rebounds per game, and Acosta pulled down another 4.8 rebounds per game.

“No matter what happens, I feel like they are going to rise up,” Vigil said.

“Rise up” is the women’s basketball team motto for the year. As Vigil and Sourek described it, rising up mean doing everything they can, on and off the court, to be successful. For them, it’s not just two simple words ,it’s a lifestyle for the team. They are rising up to the challenge of becoming a team unlike anything Sonoma State’s women’s basketball has ever been.

“I have never been so excited about a season. I have a good feeling,” Sourek said.

The men’s team shares the excitement for the new season and what they are bringing to the table.

“I feel like we are light-years ahead of where we were last year.

We are really progressing as a team,” Glanz said.

The women begin their season with an exhibition game against William Jessup in the Wolves Den on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. The men have their exhibition game in Stockton against University of the Pacific on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

Sports

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Eric Ash named CCAA Player of the Week E

Kyler Khan Staff Writer

ric Ash, a senior at Sonoma State University and member of the men’s golf team was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 8 through the 14.

Ash received the honors for his performance in this year’s Sonoma State Fall Invitational at Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park. Ash shot a tournamentlow 69 in the third and final round, finishing with a 2-under, 214 total. Throughout the week, he rolled in 15 birdies and one eagle on his way to a victory. His play was great enough to get both an individual win and help secure the title for the Seawolves as a team.

This was the second tournament title of Ash’s college career. His first win was in 2013 at the CSU Bakersfield Spring Invitational.

In 2013, Ash added some notable achievements to his golf résumé. He started off with a third place finish in NCAA Division II Regionals up in Washington. With this qualification, he went on to represent Sonoma State at the NCAA Division II Championships in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“Favorite golf accomplishment was going to Nationals as an individual my sophomore year,” said Ash. “[It] was a really good experience for me and I still look back on it as one of the best experiences of my golf career.”

“This season should be one of the best ones yet because I feel we have the strongest team this year...”

Just weeks after competing in the championships, he finished second with a 2-under 70 in a local qualifying event, earning a berth to play in a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Tournament, which is just one step away from the U.S. Open, one of the biggest tournaments in golf.

In this upcoming season, Ash will be one of only two seniors on the team, which puts him in position to be a leader of the team because of his experience.

“This season should be one of the best ones yet because I feel we have the strongest team this year and have a really good chance of winning nationals,” said Ash. “We just need to all understand what we each

flickr.com Spikeball is a combination of volleyball and four square played on a circular net-like trampoline.

Spikeball: Newest sports club on campus Ancia Purdy Staff Writer COURTESY // SSU Athletics Eric Ash, left, won the Sonoma State Invitational this year. need to do to help the team win each tourney.”

The team will travel to Waikaloa, Hawaii to compete in their next tournament, the Dennis Rose Invitational, on Friday and Saturday.

As part of the golf team, Ash has had the opportunity to play at several courses across a handful of states, such as Oregon, Washington, Texas, Hawaii and Pennsylvania. Of the courses he’s played, his favorites are Spyglass Hill in Monterey, and since playing in college, another favorite of his is Crosswater in Oregon.

Ash shot his personal best round of 66 at Foxtail Golf Club and Peacock Gap Golf Club during his freshman year of college.

“If I could play a casual round with anybody it would have to be with my dad because I don’t get to play many rounds with him anymore,” said Ash. If Ash doesn’t pursue a professional golf career after college, he plans on becoming a golf representative for a company. Right now, he plays Titleist AP2 irons, Titleist Vokey wedges and Titleist Pro V1x golf balls. His favorite golf movie is Happy Gilmore.

What’s the best piece of golf advice he’s ever received? A golf tournament can’t be won with one good hole, but it can always be lost a with just one bad round.

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Senior Kelsey Hull scored 15 kills against the Lumberjacks.

Seawolves hit double-digit streak, drop to ‘jacks

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Jake Tucker Staff Writer

he Sonoma State Seawolves set out to protect their nine game winning streak Thursday against 15th place Cal State San Bernardino at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino. Kelsey Hull and Caylie Seitz dominated for all three games, as they combined for 34 kills and a .408 hitting percentage. This marked the first time in 19 years that Sonoma State swept San Bernardino in three games. This victory extended the Seawolves’ winning streak to double digits and put them up by two games in the CCAA standings with a 14-4 overall record, and a 12-2 record in conference play.

“Thursday we were all just gelling and feeling confident in ourselves. We just didn’t have everything together on Saturday and the pressure of being in first place got to us,” said sophomore middle blocker Rachel Andrews.

The first set was very eventful. CSU San Bernardino took a late 22-20 lead, but the Seawolves were able to score the next five points giving them a 1-0 match lead. The second set was all knotted up at sixteen, until the Seawolves scored another five unanswered points, and would eventually take the victory 25-22.

In the third and final set, SSU never took their foot off the gas, as they lead the game the entire time to finish off the sweep of the Coyotes. Hull

ended up with a match-high 19 kills, only one error in 38 attacks, and 11 digs on her way to her eighth double-double of the 2014 season. Seitz finished the match with 15 kills and four errors in 33 attacks. Sonoma won with their hitting, with a hitting percentage of .289, while holding the CSU San Bernardino Coyotes to .215.

Saturday, the Seawolves lost their impressive ten game winning streak as the Humboldt State Lumberjacks swept the Seawolves in three sets. The tune stayed the same for all three sets, as the scores tallied to 25-21, 25-21, and 25-20.

This loss put the Seawolves only one game ahead of the Lumberjacks in the CCAA standings, as they fall to 14-5, and 12-3 in conference play, and the Lumberjacks improve to 14-5 overall, and 11-4 in conference play. Defense was the killer for the Lumberjacks, as their team would record a season high of ten team blocks. Humboldt also took advantage of Sonoma’s attack errors.

The second set looked promising, as the Seawolves took an early 12-6 lead. Humboldt then put up 13 out of the next 18 points, and finally won 25-21. Kelsey Hull and Caylie Seitz were the top contributors again, as Hull had a team high 15 kills, and Seitz contributed 13 kills of her own.

Sonoma State will travel to Pomona on Halloween this Friday to take on Cal Poly Pomona, with only seven regular season matches left.

First serve is at 7 p.m.

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ake a classic sport like volleyball and add a childhood favorite like foursquare and out comes Spikeball.

Sonoma State University has just added a new sports club to its campus, brought to you by sophomore Gage Stout. This combination of activities combines volleyball as well as a circular net in which the ball is bounced off during the game.

The rules are simple. Four people play at one time; two teams of pairs. Team members stand next to each other so that they are across from an opponent.

Just like volleyball, each team is allowed up to three touches to return the ball and the object of the game is to hit the ball off the net so the opposing team cannot return it. Either team on each serve accumulates points.

“Once you really start picking up the game there’s a ton of creativity to it,” said Stout. “It’s really competitive and it’s all about outplaying and outthinking the other team.”

The sophomore native from Encinitas, has played Spikeball for just over a year.

He was introduced by one of his friends and loved playing since he first started.

“My good friend and I loved playing it

back home at the beach in San Diego,” said Stout. “We thought it would be a great idea for a club.”

And that’s what they did. While Spikeball is a new sport to some, there are over 125,000 people in the United States that consider themselves Spikeballers.

This sports club is just starting out at SSU, but Stout and his friends are looking to expand it; showing people how to play and just having fun all around.

“We are hoping to host future tournaments that allow anyone to participate,” said Stout, “but other schools around the country also play. Chico is actually the best at it and my hopes are that we can get to play them in the near future.”

The club currently meets every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in front of the Commons. Everybody is welcome to stop by, play or just see what all the fuss is about. Meeting times may eventually change depending on what’s most convenient for the members.

More information on the sport of Spikeball as well as the club on campus can be found by visiting the Facebook page or the Facebook group, Sonoma State Spikeball Club or SSU Spikeball respectively. In addition, reach Stout at stoutg@ seawolf.sonoma.edu.

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Photo

Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

World Pizza Comes to Sonoma State University Right: Tony Gemignani and his assistant tossed pizza dough into the air during Gemignani’s World Pizza tour (For the full story, check out page 8).

Top: Creative graffiti adorns the walls of the Phoenix Theatre (For more turn to page 6).

Top Middle: Professor Greg Sarris speaks during Andy Lopez’s one-year memorial rally (Turn to page 1).

Bottom Middle: Speaker Ann Mansfield speaks to a group of students during a LinkedIn Workshop.

Bottom: Singers, actors and actresses belt their hearts out during a Scholarship Showcase Concert in the Green Music Center (Turn to page 7 for more).

STAR // Edward Goquingco

STAR // Sara Wildman

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez

STAR // Sara Wildman

Everybody loves Ernest…But nobody’s quite sure who he is.

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde / Directed by Judy Navas

Evert B. Person Theatre / Oct. 30 – Nov. 9 • SSU Students FREE / www.sonoma.edu/tix STAR // Alyssa James