Volume73 issue14

Weaver’s win ‘Christmas Light Fight’

P. 8

Talented Seawolves get ‘Unplugged’

P. 6

Volleyball faces defeat in title run

P. 11

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

DECEMBER 9 - DECEMBER 15, 2014

VOLUME 73 // ISSUE 14

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

Fee increase passed for referendum Brittany Finley Staff Writer

T

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Emily Grawford, a Chicano and Latino studies major at Sonoma State University, lit candles in solidarity for the 43 missing college students in Mexico during a protest on campus Wednesday.

Community gathers for missing college students Gustavo Vasquez Managing Editor

“H

ands up. Don’t shoot,” could be heard Wednesday night, when students and members of the community gathered in solidarity for the 43 missing college students in Mexico who were presumed abducted by local police in September.

More than 30 students from Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College and members of Sonoma

County lit candles, voicing their concerns on the missing 43 students and concerns on police tactics around the nation, which are described by many as police brutality among minorities.

“The abuse of power today is disgusting, and we are tired too,” said student Griselda Madrigal.

Madrigal organized the event of solidarity with members of Santa Rosa Junior College’s and Sonoma State’s El Movimiento Estudiantíl Chicano de Aztlán,

and concerned members of the community. Madrigal was inspired to take action in her community after taking a Chicano and Latino studies class, “Latinos in Politics” with instructor Ron Lopez.

The protest was held between Darwin and Stevenson hall on campus Wednesday around 6:30 p.m.

Students came together lighting candles, before marching to Seawolf Plaza and through the Jean and Charles Schulz Information

Center and University Library.

The protestors quietly marched with signs in silence while students studying watched.

The march led back to Seawolf Plaza where protestors marched inside the Student Center, and were told to leave or that police services would be called.

Protestors quickly responded by leaving, but one child who accompanied her See MISSING STUDENTS on Pg. 4

he proposal for the Associated Students fee increase of an additional $3 each year for the next four years was approved for a referendum vote. This means students are able to vote on the fee increase next semester during the annual Associated Students elections.

Sonoma State University’s student population has significantly grown in past years and will continue to grow in the future. The incoming freshman classes will have 1,800 students and this growth has called for a greater demand in student services and as well as for services calls for greater funding.

Associated Students has created a draft proposal to increase the student fee in a minimal way that will give big results to effectively meet this need. The draft proposal was approved and will now be moved to a student vote in the spring semester.

“That increase in the number of students we have or we’re getting because of the 1,800 freshmen isn’t enough to offset the increase in programs and services that the students are wanting,” said Associated Students President Anthony Gallino. “It’s not like we’re trying to expand just for the sake of expanding. We’re noticing that students have a serious desire to participate and this bigger participation requires more dollars than our current AS fee matches.”

As the STAR has previously reported, the Associated Students was exploring the possibility of raising its current fee of $99 per semester to $111 over the next four years.

The Associated Students fee has not increased since 2008. A $3 increase a year,

$12 over four years, is minimal but would provide additional funding primarily to the Tutorial Center at Sonoma State.

“In 2018-19, which will be the final year, it will be about $1.95 million in student fee revenue,” said Associated Students Chief Financial Officer Adam Rosenkranz.

In the month of October, 1,800 appointments were made at the Tutorial Center and those appointments and student demands utilized 61 percent of their entire fund for the academic year.

“That really shows the demand for the Tutorial Center is there,” said Rosenkranz, “and that there’s significant heightened usage especially within this year, and I think that’s been partially in line with the increased funding to the Tutorial Center, which has been able to meet the demand of students.”

Associated Students funds Associated Students Productions, Join Us Making Progress, Center for Student Leadership Involvement and Service, the Children’s School, grants for student-run clubs as well as the Tutorial Center.

“The AS fee is the only fee that students have direct control over,” said Gallino, “there is no other fee that we have direct control over like that, in terms of how it is spent and in terms of how much the fee is.”

The next step in this process is for Associated Students to setup a Fee Advisory committee. The committee will then setup a voter information guide that will be published in the STAR prior to the spring election.

Associated Students hope students are fully informed on the proposed increase to the fee and are able to effectively vote in the student referendum in the spring.

Students react to Ferguson decision, police brutality

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Kayla E. Galloway News Editor

n past months, many Americans have been consumed with the issues surrounding police brutality, the right to protest and the desired change that is sought in the U.S. justice system with recent deaths that have come at the hands of police officers.

This change comes in response to the cases of police brutality that has occurred within cities and communities all across the U.S.

These cases include the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin of Florida, last year’s death of Santa Rosa teen Andy Lopez as well as the most recent death of Michael Brown of Ferguson, Mo., occurring in August of this year.

Students, activists and citizens of all backgrounds across the nation have spoken their opinions concerning the decision to not indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson who was responsible for Brown’s death on Aug. 9.

In a statement by President Barack Obama following the

acquittal of Wilson last month, Obama spoke of the acceptance that he hopes Americans will adhere to in the grand jury’s decision in the death of Michael Brown.

“We are a nation built on the rule of law. And so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make,” said Obama. “There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction.”

Obama continued by repeat-

ing the encouraging words of Brown’s father, urging Americans to protest peacefully and advocate for change within the justice system rather than hurting others and destroying property.

“The big difference between peaceful protests and the violent protests is when you involve violence in a protest, [the situation] can escalate very quickly,” said Christin Bearden, a third-year student and event coordinator and graphic designer of Sonoma State University’s Black Scholars United. “In Ferguson, where

[people] are rioting, what that is really doing is tearing down their own community,” Across the Bay Area, citizens have actively protested the deaths of the many black Americans who have died at the hands of white police officers in the U.S. Many protests have occurred in Oakland, where not long ago the city endured the tragedy of the death of Oscar Grant. Grant was an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale Bay Area Rapid Transit

station on Jan. 1, 2009.

On Saturday night, the city of Berkeley erupted in protest because of the many cases of police brutality against black men and youth that have occurred in recent years. The protest began with roughly 40 participants and later grew to over 1,000 people throughout the 10-hour long march and demonstration. The protesters included many students from the UC Berkeley campus.

See POLICE BRUTALITY on Pg. 4

Men’s basketball 3-1 after consecutive home wins

Local San Francisco band releases new album

Santa Rosa Junior College’s “Phantom of the Opera”

See the story on Pg. 10

Read the review on Pg. 7

Recap the event on Pg. 9

Page 2

Editorial THE STAR

Spring 2015 Editorial Board Dylan Sirdofsky, Editor-in-Chief Peter Njoroge, Executive Editor Kayla Webster, Managing Editor Gustavo Vasquez, Managing Editor Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Alexis Mills, Opinion Editor Brandon Stachnik, A&E Editor Jessie De La O, Features Editor Kyler Khan, Sports Editor Edward Goquingco, Photo Editor Amanda Saiki, Advertising Director Brennan Chin, Online & Marketing Director Shannon Brown, Distribution Director Eddie Blake, Editorial Cartoonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser

Contact Information Mailing Address: 323 Nichols Hall, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article:

“All-Americans: Seitz, Hull” They say all good things must come to an end, right? For the Sonoma State University volleyball team, their season can finally take a look back at all the accomplishments. Managing Editor Kayla Website profiles All-Americans Caylie Seitz and Kelsey Hull, and how they helped take their squad to new heights and reach the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Read the full story on page 11

The freedom to protest peacefully Read more about recent events on page 1.

R

ecent cases of police brutality sparked much protest and outrage among many across the United States and the rest of the world.

In the past few years, the U.S. endured public tragedies and deaths of African-Americans at the hands of white police officers, including the deaths of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and many others.

These cases of police brutality create a severe divide within the faith communities have in the American justice system and a divide between different cultures and ethnicities in the U.S. Since the dawn of the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, it’s debated in popular culture that racism is dead and the rights and equality of others was achieved.

These recent tragedies and

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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.

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.

attacks on African-Americans by law enforcement has brought about the question of the current prevalence of racism in society and whether that divide still exists.

Many forms of protest have occurred all across the nation in response to the decision by the grand jury to not indict Police Officer Darren Wilson, who was responsible for the death of Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

But at what costs are these various protests—violent and nonviolent—deemed effective and as an accepted form of speech within the first amendment in the U.S. Constitution.

In the cities of Oakland and Berkeley, citizens were subjected to tear gas and police action because of the severity of the violence that ensued in the recent court decisions reinforcing police brutality.

Violence and vandalism

STAR // Eddie Blake seem ineffective in response to disagreeing with the grand jury’s decision in the case of Brown.

When protests in Ferguson first occurred, Twitter was crazed with journalists being harassed by local police in military gear and tear gassed while reporting. They also had their equipment confiscated.

On many college campuses around the nation, students have taken it into their own hands in the form of protests to argue against the multiple cases of police homicides of unarmed citizens, which are debated as a form of police brutality in the U.S. In respect, there are ways for people to protest, and ways not to protest. The most recent example was on Nov. 26, when the grand jury declined to indict Wilson. Hundreds of protestors flooded the freeway causing traffic, and illegal car races at the

port Oakland.

Neither of these is positive forms of protest, and instead are ways that hurt the movement many are trying to start as well as stop it in its tracks.

Sonoma State University students proved they are capable of lawfully protesting last week meanwhile not getting arrested in the process.

Gaining the attention of many students studying for finals, they walked through three floors of the University Library where nobody said anything or stopped them. These students walked in silence, communicating why they were protesting.

Students must practice nonviolence while also promoting positive action for any effective change to occur. By organizing similar events in the future and coming together as a community, students can and will create such change.

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.

Hutchins: Top 10 myths, facts Heidi LaMoreaux Guest Contributor

Corrections/Clarifications In the Issue 13 article, “Associated Students proposes fee increase,” there were a few errors related to funding. The Tutorial Center receives $4.64 currently per student, and Associated Student fees range from $30 to $180 up and down the state of California. The corrections have been adjusted in the online edition.

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

W

hat is Hutchins? In the 15 years I’ve been a faculty member of the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, I’ve heard Hutchins called a “cult,” “arts and crafts,” the “touchy feelies,” the “fruits and nuts” and a host of other phrases that somehow imply Hutchins is not as academically rigorous or worthwhile an academic program as other majors on campus.

During the past four-plus years serving as director of Hutchins, I’ve learned a lot about the inner workings of the program.

Now that I’m stepping down as director, I want to take a few minutes to set the record straight.

Here are my top 10 myths and facts about the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies (in no particular order): 1. Myth: Hutchins is only for elementary school teachers. Fact: Only 75-85 percent of our majors (Tracks II and III) go on to become elementary school teachers. Our Track I majors design their own individualized course of study consisting of both classes within Hutchins and from other majors. I often refer to Track I as the “design your own major major.” This flexibility in coursework design allows students to be directly responsible for their own learning and craft a program of study that fits their specific interests.

2. Myth: Hutchins students have it easy. Fact: Hutchins students are required to complete intense amounts of reading and writing, and to connect their coursework to their personal lives and culture. For example, next semester in LIBS 102 – In Search of Self, students will be required to read over 20 books in this 12-credit class (nearly two books a week). They will also complete several projects and essays. The amount of reading Hutchins students do in both lower-division and upper-division classes would make even some English majors balk.

3. Myth: You have to start Hutchins as a freshman. Fact: Our Track III does require that students begin as freshmen, but Track II and Track I majors can transfer into Hutchins as juniors – as on- or off-campus transfer students.

4. Myth: There are no tests. Fact: Hutchins does require two large classes with exams. Other classes, while not employing tests as assessment tools, do require reading, writing, projects and portfolios. Also, our teacher track students are required to take courses outside of the major, most of which include examinations.

5. Myth: The Hutchins program is not academically rigorous. Fact: According

to the “high impact practices” outlined by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (aacu.org/leap/hips), Hutchins employs all of the suggested high impact practices including: “1) first-year seminars and experiences; 2) common intellectual experiences; 3) learning communities; 4) writing-intensive courses; 5) collaborative assignments and projects; 6) undergraduate research; 7) diversity/global learning; 8) service learning, community-based learning; 9) internships; and 10) capstone courses and projects.” In fact, programs like Freshman Year Experience and the new learning communities found campus wide are patterned, in part, on the pedagogical techniques Hutchins has been using for more than 40 years. Additionally, 100 percent of Hutchins students surveyed for our most recent departmental review considered themselves “lifelong learners,” which is, in my view, the point of higher education.

6. Myth: Hutchins is an “expensive” program in terms of student-faculty ratio and other indicators. Fact: Though many Hutchins core classes are small seminar classes with 15 or fewer students, Hutchins has a student-faculty ratio just slightly lower than departments that also pedagogically require smaller classes. For example as of most recent statistics from the School of Arts and Humanities, Hutchins has a ratio of 24.13, with English being 24.44 and art at 25.99.

7. Myth: Hutchins lower-division general education students must remain Hutchins. Fact: Many of the students who complete our lower-division general education program leave Hutchins and complete their upper-division coursework in other majors. In fact, one of the past student presidents of Sonoma State University was one of our general education majors who went on to major in political science.

8. Myth: Hutchins doesn’t have a minor. Fact: Students can complete a 20-unit minor in Hutchins, called the “Minor in Integrative Studies” (see page 184 of Sonoma State catalog). This allows students who leave our lower-division general education to attend other majors, or students who want to take advantage of the Hutchins small seminar courses, to experience what it has to offer without committing to our 40-unit major.

9. Myth: Hutchins doesn’t teach regular general education classes. Fact: Hutchins does teach two large general education classes for sophomores each year. These classes typically have around 200 students and topics vary by faculty expertise and have included “Minorities in American Cinema,” “Cultures of American Capitalism, “Africa and the Diaspora” and our upcoming course for spring 2015 is “Bollywood.”

10. Myth: A degree in liberal studies does not prepare you for future jobs and activities. Fact: Hutchins is excellent preparation for graduate school. Most graduate programs rely on small seminar format classes.

Students in Hutchins excel in these classes because they have already had years of experience in small seminar courses.

Hutchins is great preparation for future careers. We have had our majors become successful lawyers, non-profit organizers, social workers, media and film professionals, parks and recreation coordinators, librarians, diplomatic liaisons, and, of course, outstanding elementary school teachers and principals.

Additionally, according to a 2013 article in Forbes (forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/10/11/the-10-skills-employersmost-want-in-20-something-employees/), employers are looking for the following traits in their 20-something employees: “1. Ability to work in a team; 2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems; 3. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work; 4. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization; 5. Ability to obtain and process information; 6. Ability to analyze quantitative data; 7. Technical knowledge related to the job; 8. Proficiency with computer software programs; 9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports; and 10.

Ability to sell and influence others.”

Of these traits, the small seminar style pedagogy that Hutchins employs especially fosters traits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10.

To wrap-up this little pro-Hutchins rant, I’d like to let you know a few more facts about Hutchins: 1. Hutchins graduates the third highest number of SSU students each year.

2. We have a community outreach center called the Hutchins Institute for Public Policy, which connects SSU and Hutchins to many different community programs including migrant worker programs.

3. We have an art show every fall semester and publish a literary magazine, Zephyr, each spring.

4. We have a Dialogue Center that coordinates discussions after campus talks, between different campus groups, and strives to promote understanding and conversation about difficult topics like race, class and gender.

5. We have a Degree Completion Program for students who need to complete degrees with minimal on-campus attendance (a program through Extended and International Education).

To be fair, yes, we do use glitter in some of our classes, but I hope that you will now understand, as our bumper sticker says, that “Hutchins: [is] More than Just a Cult.”

Opinion

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Perspective is key Jonathan Angulo Staff Writer

C

ounty grand jury decides not to indict the cop who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. In New York, the “killer cop,” Daniel Pantaleo, who placed Eric Garner in a chokehold that resulted in Garner’s death, is also cleared by grand jury, which sparks protest in cities across the country. Citizens march across the Brooklyn Bridge holding signs that read, “Enough is enough,” and “Black lives matter.”

Riots ensue in Berkeley and police descend upon the protesters.

And on top of all this craziness, in the more immediate sense, the stress of finals is upon us. Part time job? Forget about it. Stress galore.

We have a lot on our plates, and with the news looking so bleak; it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But here’s my attempt to put all this nonsense into perspective.

Ready? We are all dying. There is an invisible clock above our heads and eventually they all hit zero, sometimes unexpectedly. I know this doesn’t seem like good news but allow me to elaborate.

I understand this is something people already know, but being this age I sometimes have to remind myself that one day, this beautiful world with beautiful people will no longer exist to me. Life will keep going, surely, but I will not be a part of it.

Death is not something most people think about daily, but I do.

During an average week I can expect to commute 48 miles on my bicycle. As much as I enjoy my commutes, all it takes is for one driver to take their eyes off the road for a second or not look twice for a biker in the lane, then poof, my clock may very well reach zero at the age of 23. I would hate nothing more than to die being stressed about work, or school, or whatever craziness was going on. And that’s why death is good news. It’s a reminder to enjoy everyday because it could very well be our last. You can’t have the sweet without the bitter.

Death allows oneself to really chase what makes them happy. Life is too short for unhappiness. No time for complaining, for being sad or angry about trivial things or

spending time in the wrong places.

One must learn to live passionately and spend time daily doing what they love. It’s necessary to find pleasure in the simple things; a cup of coffee, a book, a beautiful day or a lovely conversation. One must find their passion and implement it in one’s life immediately and I could guarantee, it will be hard to go wrong.

And in regard to Garner, his unfortunate and unjustifiable death sparked thousands of people to take the streets in protest and demand change. What is this if not a celebration of life? People standing up and saying, “No this is not right, enough is enough, black lives matter,” they understand how precious and delicate life is.

They refuse to live in a world where police brutalize people because of the color of their skin. Racism is not dead, but we are slowly making progress. The fact that people are protesting is proof of that.

Soon, this ugliness will be behind us. Finals week for college students will be a thing of the past, or at least until next semester. It’s important to remind ourselves that this will pass. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Change is on the horizon.

wsix.com

Have we forgotten the meaning of Christmas?

T

Kirsten Reeves Staff Writer

he last three months of the year are arguably the craziest of times.

Many get ready to jump from holiday to holiday, ingest ridiculous amounts of food and spend unspeakable amounts of money all in the name of festivity.

All of this gluttony and spending brings about the question, have we lost the true meaning of the season?

I can’t be the only one who absolutely hates going to the mall in December. It’s a full on mad-house at all hours of the day and the chance of parking anywhere within 10 miles of the vicinity is slim to none.

The stores are filled with brutally eager shoppers cramming in last minute stocking stuffers and Christmas presents to make their holidays the best one yet.

Individuals hoping to strike a deal participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday in hopes of buying gifts for less.

However, as the years go by, Black Friday begins earlier and earlier and becomes Black Thursday, and Cyber Monday continues

on for longer and longer practically becoming Cyber December.

Browsing the Internet one can find videos of children crying on Christmas morning because they didn’t receive the expensive gifts they wanted.

I recently stumbled a video of a kid who was devastated that he opened his beautifully wrapped box to find a pair of pajamas.

Getting all swept up in the materialistic aspect of the holidays leads us astray from the importance that these times really bring: togetherness.

The holidays are about coming together with loved ones who share the same beliefs as you, whether it’s in a religious sense or just in one of family and love.

My roommate was talking about how she’s seen her church change over the years, stating that in the recent Christmas Eve services she’s attended there’s been a tree stocked with presents underneath that are then distributed to the children who attend.

Getting all swept up in the materialistic aspect of the holidays leads us astray from the importance that these times really bring: togetherness.

Instead of understanding the religious reasoning behind the holiday, it seems people are in some way bribed to attend.

For college students, the end of

the year is a big and exciting time.

We’ve just finished finals, and for some students, this will be their first time returning home since the beginning of the semester. We’re given these long weeks off to celebrate the holidays at home with our families, as the holidays should be spent.

The problem doesn’t completely lie in the realm of the holidays, however. We are a consuming society in a consumer world. A new iPhone comes out every year simply because companies like Apple know that we, as a society, will buy into it.

We constantly insist on having the biggest, latest and most advanced things at all times.

Taking all of this into consideration, there is nothing wrong with looking forward to receiving presents, and wanting to give them in return.

Realistically, this whole idea has become part of our culture, engrained in our brains since our Santa Claus and Elf on the Shelf days.

The trouble comes when the holiday becomes less about love and family, and more about the latest iPad. These holidays only occur once a year, meaning if we’re lucky, we’ll get about 90 of them in our lifetime.

With that in perspective, we have 32,850 days of those years to spend extraneous amounts of money on material items we want at any time.

So this year, remember more of what the day means and less of what the day is, and be grateful for every second of it.

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America, it’s time to go on a diet en.wikipedia.org

Taylor Graham Staff Writer

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igger is better, right? Not necessarily.

The rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease are steadily increasing every year in the United States. The rise in obesity has heavily contributed to the unhealthy diets and lack of exercise in many people’s lives. Although these are both large factors in the obesity epidemic, they are not the only reasons American’s are getting bigger and bigger.

Directly proportional to our growing waistlines, are our growing portion sizes. Twenty years ago, if a person ordered a bagel from the bakery, it would typically be 3 inches in diameter. Today, an average-size bagel is 5 to 6 inches in diameter. A typical burger and fries, 20 years ago, was about 550 calories. Today, if the same meal was ordered, it would be over twice the size and tack about 1200 calories onto the daily intake.

This change in eating habits is also seen in the change of the body composition of the average person. The muscle to fat ratio has changed so drastically in just 20 years, that if a person looked at images side by side, it looks like an entire evolution period has passed.

The problem is, it’s not evolution that is making the human body change; it’s our own actions, as human beings.

It’s each individual’s responsibility to take of their own health, however, food processing companies and restaurants have to take some responsibility and blame for the fact that they are essentially making their consumers ill.

Although a person doesn’t have to eat everything that is on their plate, it has been tested and proven that the more food that is front of a person, the more they will eat.

The other day, I went out to breakfast and ordered an omelette.

As described in the menu, this consisted of three eggs, cheese, bacon, mushrooms, onions and spinach. It would be hard to finish just by itself, but after I ordered it, the waitress them proceeded to ask me “cottage fries or hash browns?” and “what kind of toast?” When the meal came out, it consisted of two large plates filled entirely. The meal

didn’t get anywhere near finished, but I definitely ate more than I was hungry for and it left me feeling miserably full.

It is completely irresponsible of restaurants to continue to make the portions bigger and bigger. The same is true with food companies. It is a double-edged sword, because people see big portions for low cost, and jump on it. What they do not take into consideration is the increasing medical bills that come as a result of their poor diets and overconsumption of high calorie, high fat and heavily processed foods.

Restaurants and food companies alike need to make a change and realize there is something more important than profit - their consumer’s health and wellbeing. We, as Americans, should go back to the portion sizes that were around when our grandparents and great grandparents were growing up. That way our kids (and our kids’ kids) will not live in a country filled with people who are highly obese and chronically ill.

Although it would be ideal for people to have the self-control and be able to monitor their own consumption, that is not realistic. It’s going to take a whole effort from consumers and the providers to make a change.

The mark of a good citizen

Emily Hill Staff Writer

I

s someone inherently a good citizen if they hold the door open for others? Obey the laws?

Vote in presidential elections? These are all admirable actions for one to do on a daily basis, but it is arguable that these things don’t necessarily qualify someone as a well-rounded and “good” citizen.

Cynthia Boaz, a professor in the political science department, argues that if you aren’t willing to be a democratic citizen, you don’t deserve to be a citizen of a democratic society. More simply, this is a wake-up call. In order to be a commendable citizen in this country, there are a plethora of ways to give back and become one.

Obeying the laws, serving in the military, being patriotic and running for

public office are all ways to get involved in your community. However, being a good citizen goes far beyond these things.

Having a moral obligation means to have integrity in conduct, to be a critical thinker, and to stand up for what you believe in, even if it’s against the law. Understanding yourself and being willing to understand others are all qualities of a good citizen. Each person on this planet has a moral obligation to protect the place they live.

Without this obligation, it’s clear that the planet won’t be around forever. Non-renewable resources must be preserved and a good citizen understands this concern.

Often, the actions taken are invisible to the outside public but are benefiting the world in so many ways. Running for a public office and being a popular historical figure aren’t the only ways to qualify you as a respectable and morally-good citizen.

Issues like gender inequality; racism, economic distress, environmental threats and immigration are all things that citizens of this country can

do something about. No matter if you are a middle -school child or a working adult, there is a power and a freedom instilled in each of us to fight for something we believe in. Citizens of the United States are lucky enough to even have these freedoms and privileges, so being on this planet and not participating is a waste.

Boaz highlights three qualities to strive for as a democratic citizen. She calls them “The Three C’s” and they are a great reminder for what we, as citizens, should focus on.

Civic virtue, civic engagement and civic literacy. I’s necessary to promote the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political means by volunteering at a local organization or non-profit or by running for public office.

If nothing else, take this as a challenge to better yourself and the space around you. Everything starts with a small change and we the people have the power to do so.

So get passionate, come together, give back and make the world a better place, one step at a time.

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News News in Brief

‘Brave New World’ The Obama administration plans on utilizing $263 million to both improve training of police officers as well as purchase 50,000 cameras for them to wear according to WIRED. After the outburst of protestors responding to the verdict of a grand jury in Ferguson, Mo. in the case against police officer Darren Wilson, the administration intends to use the body cameras to reduce complaints against police officers by 80 percent.

Sony faces security breach According to BBC, Sony’s online PlayStation store was down due to attacks by a group called “Lizard Squad.” Sony has already experienced multiple attacks, which resulted in leaks of unreleased movies and salaries of actors. The company is currently investigating the attacks and was quoted thanking users for their patience over Twitter.

Uber driver accused of rape in India According to the New York Times, an Uber driver in New Delhi turned his cell phone off, drove off route and raped his female passenger on Dec. 12. The 32-year-old man, Shiv Kumar Yadav, was later arrested and Uber faces either civil or criminal charges from authorities.

Yadav allegedly drove his victim back home after the assault and threatened to kill her if she told the police.

Philippines faces storm At least 23 people are dead because of a massive storm in the Phillipines this week. President Banigno Aquino of the Philippines has suspended schools, evacuated communities and closed government offices because of what some are calling a typhoon. The nation was devastated by a similar storm in November where over 7,000 lives were taken.

Private plane crashes into Maryland home Yesterday, a small private jet plane crashed into a Maryland home, killing three people and damaging a total of three homes. The three people known to have been killed were passengers on the private plane.

Residents of the homes affected by the crash are unaccounted for.

The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation on the crash.

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

University announces new dean of library Amy Lee Staff Writer

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he longtime search is over, and Sonoma State University has appointed a new dean of the library. Karen G. Schneider will officially take on this position Jan. 12, 2015.

Schneider will be coming to Sonoma State from Holy Names University in Oakland, where she was the university librarian for the past five years. Prior to working there, she held numerous positions in libraries including multiple senior leadership roles and being library director.

Sonoma State’s new dean of library received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College, her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, her Master of Fine Arts from the University of San Francisco in 2006 and is a doctoral student in the Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions program at Simmons College. Schneider also completed the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute in August 2011. With such experience in higher education, Schneider has become very successful in other aspects of her career.

She has published more than 100 articles and two books relating to library science. One of these published works was titled “A Practical Guide to Internet Filters” and led to her being a key witness in the First Amendment case of Mainstream Loudoun v. Board of Trustees in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1998.

Schneider has also served on numerous American Library Association committees including, the association’s Web Advisory Committee, the Library and Information Technology Association Nominating Committee and the ALA Nominating Committee. She is now serving her fourth term on the American Library Association Council.

Throughout her time at Holy Names University, she was actively involved in the Institutional Planning Council. While working with this council, Schneider served on committees focusing on diversity, affordable textbooks and scholarships.

“She seems to be very much on the cutting edge of Library Science,” said Mike Kiraly, director of library operations.

SSU has wanted to find a new dean of the library after the previous one, Barbara Butler, retired in early 2012. While searching, Brandon Dudley stepped up from his position as the director of Li-

sonoma.edu In January, Karen Schneider will assume the position of Sonoma State University’s Dean of the library. brary Technology and became the interim dean.

Dudley received his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz, then spent 10 years as an information technology professional and decided to go back to school to earn his masters in library and information science in 2004. Dudley held his previous position, director of library technology, for seven years and has held the interim position for nearly two years.

Dudley said the position has entailed a mixture of project direction and administrative work for not only SSU, but also California State University libraries as a whole. Kiraly greatly appreciated Dudley stepping up as the university conducted their nation-wide search for a new dean and said it’s both an honor and a pleasure to work with him.

“My previous role in the library kept me behind the scenes for the most part and I welcomed the opportunity to work with students and faculty outside the library during my last 18 months,” said Dudley.

Although he enjoyed his time as interim dean of the library, Dudley is excited for Schneider to begin and for him to continue on in his career.

POLICE BRUTALITY: Students organize protest Continued from Pg. 1

Police officers deployed tear gas on many protesters because of the violence and vandalism that occurred during the demonstration.

This case of protest in Berkeley is only one of the many demonstrations happening all over the U.S. and throughout cities in California.

Students at Sonoma State University have also taken action in advocating their views on the case of Brown and the many deaths by police brutality in the nation.

Sonoma State students have organized a “Die In Protest” event early today morning in response to the fight against police brutality. This protest will be in the University Library and have signs publicly denouncing the verdicts in the cases of Brown as well as other cases.

“The hopes that we have for this protest is to show that students at Sonoma State who do support the movements [against the verdict to not indict police officers involved in the deaths of black Americans],” said Bearden. “By having this protest, it shows others that [Sonoma State] has life and students support this cause. In having this protest, we want to unite the people who support

the cause and bring people together. We hope to raise awareness so these [tragedies] won’t happen again.”

Student organizers advocated their emphasis on peace and silence in creating change on the issue of police brutality in the U.S. This protest is not the only form of freedom of speech students have exercised in recent weeks. In November students from the Black Scholars United organization of Sonoma State and the SRJC Black Student Union were subjected to racism while on retreat at Double Decker Lanes Bowling Alley in Rohnert Park, and are speaking out.

These students experienced offensive racial slurs and discrimination from multiple white, college-aged individuals while attending a mixer.

According to members of the organization, the Rohnert Park Police Department was called and the members of both organizations felt subjected to hostility and aggressiveness by the local police, as well other people involved.

According to members of the organizations, this incident at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park was another instance of discrimination that serves as an example that racism is still prevalent in society.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Community members inside the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center library protested Wednesday in response to the 43 missing students in Mexico.

MISSING STUDENTS: Looking for justice Continued from Pg. 1

mother in the march was frightened and ran out crying when she heard they would be calling the police.

“I believe events like this inspire further events and demonstrations that people will not let go until we obtain justice,” said Evelyn Novaro, a Santa Rosa resident and member of the Brown Berets of Sonoma County.

The event was part the national day of action for peace in Mexico on Wednesday, where 43 cities held protests for the 43 missing students in Mexico. Some of the cities included Berkeley, New York City, and St. Louis, Missouri. This event served as a symbolic protest around the nation, demanding the United States to stop funding Mexican drug war.

This is the second event that took place at Sonoma State this fall. On Nov. 20, students held a protests and solidarity for the 43 missing students in the plaza between the library and information center.

Outrage has broke out in Mexico and around the world about the 43 students who were abducted by police in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. The 43 students were of Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ college of Ayotzinapa and on their way to hold a protest against the local government on what they considered discriminatory hiring and funding practices.

“This is definitely a situation where the more attention is shown, the more something will happen,” said Emily Crawford, a Chicano and Latino Studies major. “I’m pretty excited that for us to get together and really come together as a community, especially on a day like this.”

By local accounts, the students were placed under custody by local police and given to “Guerreros Unidos,” a local gang to deal with the students. Most are presumed dead; authorities that are investigating have found multiple mass graves, none of which are the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa.

Investigations has led to the allegation that former mayor José Luis Abarca Velázquez and his wife ordered the arrest and handing over of students to the local gang.

Protests have been organized around the nation about the use of force by law enforcement, recent protests include the deaths of Andy Lopez, a 13-year-old who was shot by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy in October of last year, and Eric Garner who died in Staten Island, New York on July 17 after a police officer had him in a chokehold as he could be heard repeating “I can’t breathe” several times.

The most recent case is that of the shooting of Michael Brown on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Mo. Brown was shot multiple times after fleeing police after altercation. Eyewitnesses at the scene have given accounts of Brown attacking the officer, and other accounts of brown surrendering with hands up.

All police officers involved in the fatal shootings have not had any charges filed against them, sparking outcry among communities.

“I am getting really tired of violent solutions, whether it’s in Mexico or in the United States,” said Susan Lamont, with The Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County. “It feels like it’s getting worse, maybe it’s being recorded more, I don’t know but there are problems in this world and there are ways to solve them that are not violent.”

News

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Rohnert Park goes ‘green’ with clean power Nicole Detmers Staff Writer

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s of next summer, residents of Rohnert Park can expect to see a change in their electricity bill.

The city of Rohnert Park has decided in a council meeting to join Sonoma Clean Power, the local Community Choice Aggregate that will partner with Pacific, Gas and Electric in providing residents with electricity.

This decision will give residents an “opt out” option, which means residents of Rohnert Park, including students living off campus will be deferred to utilizing Sonoma Clean Power as a power source.

This means, according to Sonoma Clean Power, residents will be paying 4 to 5 percent less than they were on PG&E rates. This is because, unlike PG&E, Sonoma Clean Power is considered a not-for-profit public agency. Customers in Rohnert Park have the option to “opt out” if they should prefer to continue their service with

PG&E; however, should they choose to continue to participate, no action is required.

“Unlike for-profit investorowned utilities such as PG&E, CCAs are not motivated by profit–we are motivated to save our customers money and produce environmental benefits,” said Kate Kelly, director of public affairs and marketing at Sonoma Clean Power. “Sonoma Clean Power offers a 100 percent renewable service now called EverGreen, the first service of its kind in California.”

The not-for-profit Community Choice Aggregate has no intention of becoming a municipal utility, instead focusing on increasing the amount of renewables utilized by consumers.

Being a not-for-profit agency has its advantages as the agency doesn’t have shareholder investors to pay a return, therefore resulting in less expensive costs for customers.

“The immediate benefit to the residents will be lower electricity prices. The long-term

“The decision to join Sonoma Clean Power is all about offering consumers a choice,” said Rocky Rohwedder. benefit will be the ability to participate directly in the transition to a renewable electricity system in California,” said Daniel Soto, environmental studies and planning professor.

“Clean Start” and “EverGreen” are the two programs that are offered by Sonoma Clean Power that allow customers to decide which renewables portfolio they would like to partake in. The first, “Clean Start,” offers 33 percent renewables, compared to the 22 percent offered through PG&E. Resources include biomass, biowaste, geothermal, wind and hydroelectric power.

The agency recognizes that some renewables such as wind is unpredictable so a broader portfolio of resources enables better reliability.

EverGreen, the second program offered boasts 100 percent renewable energy – all of it be-

ing geothermal. This energy is generated by the Geysers power plant, located in the Mayacamas Mountains, north of San Francisco. This plant generates geothermal energy by extracting steam.

“Because Sonoma Clean Power has a stronger renewables portfolio, through community choice we can also help move the market toward less polluting energy sources,” said Rocky Rohwedder, environmental studies and planning professor. “It shifts more fiscal and ecological power to the local level, reducing pollution while empowering communities.”

Partnering with PG&E, Sonoma Clean Power provides the energy, whereas PG&E provides the power lines and meters. This means that the consumer will receive one bill that will come from PG&E; howev-

Campus defines free speech

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“What free speech means to me is the ability to express your thoughts and opinions without the fear of tyranny from the government,” said senior Gabrielle DiMariano.

During the protests he made a moving speech where he said, “There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part, you can’t even passively take part; and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels upon all the apparatus, and you’ve go to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you’re free the machine will be prevented from working at all.”

He served four months in Santa Rita jail in Alameda

flickr.com Student activist of the 1960s Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley, Mario Savio was a active faculty member in the Sonoma State University community. for his part in the Free Speech Movement. Savio fought for civil rights and social justice even when he became a professor at SSU. He actively tried to create an inclusive society called the Campus Coalition for Human Rights and Social Justice. One of the last things he did before he died in 1996 was prepare a lawsuit to challenge a process of imposing fee increases on working class and minority Sonoma State students.

Savio was passionate about his work until his last breath at the age of 53. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines freedom of speech as, “the right to express facts and opinions subject only to reasonable limitations (as the power of the government to protect itself from a clear and present danger) guaranteed by the first and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and similar provisions of some state constitutions.”

Sonoma State students have a their own ideas on what free speech means to them..

“What free speech means to me is the ability to express your thoughts and opinions without the fear of tyranny from the government,” said senior Gabrielle DiMariano.

While many have unique definitions of what free speech is, others take the time to appreciate the rights they have and reflect on what it means to them.

“Free speech to me means I have the right to voice my opinion and how I feel without punishment while being in a appropriate environment,” said freshman Kelly McReynolds.

UC system considers tuition increase

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Jon Cappetta Staff Writer

he University of California Board of Trustees has recently discussed raising tuition costs at University of California campuses.

Hundreds of displeased students stood outside the panel of the University of California Board of Trustees meeting as they discussed raising university tuition costs. Police and officials had to shove their way through the crowd of students who barricaded the building doors.

If the plan to raise tuition costs becomes finalized, undergraduate tuition and fees would rise roughly $3,000 per semester. After four hours of discussion the board voted 7 to 2 to approve the increase.

There are to be more debates and votes expected before the decision is finalized, but based off of the resulted votes by the Board of Regents it is shown that the UC tuition increase are likely to pass.

If this tuition increase were to come into play, the increase will be applied to University of California campuses only. California State Universities, and more specifically Sonoma State, will not undergo a

PG&E (even before PG&E’s upcoming rate hike), so individuals as well as our communities save money when we choose Sonoma Clean Power.”

According to the California Public Utilities Commission, there are five recognized Community Choice Aggregations in California.

These agencies are created under Assembly Bill 117, chapter 838 that called for further reconstruction of the electric market.

“Leading efforts such as these are gaining lots of attention from all over the country (including the White House),” said Rohwedder. “Once again, Sonoma County is a shining example for others to follow.”

Residents may see a change in their bill; the cost difference simply means a different power source. The source for this change is due to the agency itself, which stands for a renewable, more sustainable future.

The decision to “opt out” should customers prefer to stay with PG&E is still available.

Community colleges looking to offer four-year degrees

Marisa Oliveira Staff Writer

student protest fueled by civil rights took place Dec. 2, 1964 on the UC Berkeley campus called the Free Speech Movement.

One thousand students took over an administration building and held a sit in that resulted in hundreds of arrests.

Last week was the 50th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement. Sonoma State University’s very own late Mario Savio, a philosophy, physics and mathematics professor, was remembered as one of the main spokesman with the Free Speech Movement during the UC Berkeley protests.

He was a 21-year-old philosophy major at the time of the protests and had just returned from registering black voters in Mississippi.

er, what customers will pay for power will go to Sonoma Clean Power.

In addition to serving Rohnert Park, Sonoma Clean Power also serves Santa Rosa, Windsor, Sonoma, Sebastopol, Cotati, Cloverdale and the local unincorporated areas of Sonoma County.

Similar to other energy providers, this agency will participate in the energy market.

This market, provided by the California Independent System Operator was established in 1998 and regulates transparency in cost and ensures competitive prices by electricity providers. Like PG&E, Sonoma Clean Power is subject to participating in this kind of market to ensure reliability for customers.

“The decision to join Sonoma Clean Power is all about offering consumers a choice. Now we can choose something other than a regulated monopoly like PG&E, or we can stick with them,” said Rohwedder, “additionally, Sonoma Clean Power is cheaper than

tuition increase anytime soon.

“Not at this time or for the next couple of years,” said Sonoma State President Ruben Armiñana about the UC tuition increase.

The UC system has more leverage compared with CSU’s in terms of tuition increase, due to the fact that the UC’s have their charter granted to them by the California Constitution.

“There has been no formal discussion to increase tuition fees next year in 2015-16,” said Stephanie Thara, CSU public affairs communications specialist. “Please note that this year [2014-15] marks the third consecutive year that tuition fee rates have remained at the same level.”

The potential UC tuition increase is not a one-time increase, but rather a steady increase spread out over time. It would consist of a 5 percent increase of tuition that would last for the next five years and if it’s approved, the increase will begin next fall.

This is proposed by the UC system and is officially decided

by California legislature soon.

The UC system believes that this increase will bring in roughly an additional $100 million each year.

Tuition increase allow upgrades to be made in technology, repair damages on campuses and help to enroll around 5,000 more California students which will then allow UC campuses to hire more faculty members. Keeping in mind that only 30 percent of undergraduates pay full tuition, one third of this increase would go towards the financial aid of low-income students at University of California colleges.

Though this increase has its benefits it also has some drawbacks.

“Well there are a couple things to consider with the Senate proposal currently. One it calls for an increase of out of state tuition for UC students and most individuals at UCs are out of state,” said Associated Students President Anthony Gallino. “Also they want to disband the middle class scholarship and use those saving to create a grant system to pay students who get out in a more timely manner.”

Out-of-state UC students are currently paying roughly $35,000 for tuition and if this increase were to occur, such increases would lead to a near total tuition cost of $45,000.

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Shannon Brown Staff Writer

oming just shortly after the UC Regents’ increase in tuition making it difficult for middle class students to get a four-year degree from a UC school, California community colleges are hoping to award bachelor’s degrees as part of a new legislation.

The legislation, formerly known as Senate Bill 850, authored by San Diego Senator Marty Block, will allow up to 15 districts to establish a “pilot” baccalaureate degree program.

These “pilot” degrees will be in a wide variety of vocational fields such as Airframe Manufacturing Technology and Bio-manufacturing. The law was enacted in order to help California meet the growing need for highly skilled individuals with technology or medical based degrees.

There is also the hope the legislation will increase college participation rates while also improving workforce training opportunities for local residents who are unable to relocate to a UC or CSU campus because of family or work. According to a recent study, California needs to produce 1 million more baccalaureate degree earners by 2025 in order to remain economically competitive. As of a Nov. 19, 36 districts, half of all schools in the community college system, have submitted letters of intent, which indicate that they are interested in hosting these pilot degrees no later than 2017.

However, only 15 total districts are able to establish these pilot degree programs so applications are under strict review. The applications are reviewed by the chancellor’s office staff, a member of the business and workforce community, a representative from CSU, UC and community college administrations, and faculty and staff from the community college districts that did not apply to host a program.

The districts will be considered based on distribution of the programs, ability for the schools to establish a rigorous enough program in that field, diversity of the pilot programs, and that the proposed program will meet the workforce requirements needed in order to start and maintain the program. After the team makes a decision

regarding the pilot degree program, they will tell the Chancellor who will then decide which applicants will be submitted to the Board of Governors for final consideration and approval.

The board is expected to make its decision by Jan. 21, 2015. Under the law, these four-year degree programs must be up and starting by no later than the 2017-18 academic year. However some districts may start their programs as early as the fall 2015 semester.

Sonoma County Community College District has applied with the intent to create a Computer-Cyber Security program as well as Solano County Community College District with Engineering Technology and Napa Valley College with Respiratory Therapy.

“The districts’ strong interest in building baccalaureate degree programs is heartening. They are pioneering a new mission for the California Community Colleges and opening up pathways for Californians who may not have had the chance to a earn four-year degree,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris in a statement published last month by Harris’ office.

Harris looks forward to creating such four-year degree programs at California community colleges that will graduate marketable and highly trained students.

These pilot programs are also expected to not only be big money savers but also moneymakers. According to the Chancellor’s Office, many of the proposed pilot programs are in fields where graduates with associate degrees can already expect to earn $60,000 annually within a few years of graduation.

Because 21 other states already allow their community colleges to offer bachelors’ degrees, California is hoping to add to the initiative of creating a more economically competitive state.

With the overwhelming response by the districts, the state is eager to fulfill their goal of providing higher education to those who are unable to attend a CSU or UC institution. This is an important piece of legislation that will help adults all over California get the education they need at an affordable price and with a economically competitive degree.

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Arts

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Digital music, produced locally Jenna Fischer Staff Writer

STAR // Sara Wildman SSU Unplugged featured music and arts by students in the Cooperage on Friday.

Artistic, acoustic students Alyssa James Staff Writer

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enna tattoos, hot chocolate, twinkly lights, artwork and good music gave Sonoma State Unplugged a warm and intimate feeling as a small audience of students gathered around the dimly lit stage.

The second annual concert, which took place in the Cooperage on campus, featured two students from SSU who have a passion for singing and playing instruments.

The opening act was a student by the name of Dan Versman, who decided to go completely unplugged with his acoustic guitar, singing renditions of songs by other artists as well as his own songs.

Throughout his performance, he artfully played his guitar to the lyrics of soft, sad love songs. The first song Versman sang was a cover by Elliott Smith, called “Twilight,” which is about losing the girl he loved.

It sounded very smooth and soulful with his feelings pouring out through the words of loss and sorrow. The second song he performed, called “Lost,” was written by Versman himself about personal experiences with feeling lost and not belonging.

Another song he sang was similar to “Lost” with lyrics: “I don’t see any light, only walls left white,” and “how do I breathe in when I’ll never be forgiven.” He spoke out to the audience and revealed that this was his saddest song that he would be playing during the night.

The final song Versman sang sounded like it was also about a girl, but he told everyone that the girl he refers to is actually mother nature and that he was inspired to write the song from living in green and scenic Oregon and Utah previously in his life.

Versman’s songs are very relatable for people who have gone through similar experiences that he sings about. His lyrics were genuinely moving and it was evident that he put all of his heart and soul into singing and writing lyrics.

The second and final act of the night was Sebastian Cardona, who sang covers of many popular and well-known current

songs. Cardona had a way of making each song sound unique and different with his acoustic and soft, drawn out chords and vocals.

The first two songs he sang while simultaneously playing the keyboard were “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna and “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.

As soon as he started singing, everyone in the audience instantly got excited and clapped along to the beats because they recognized the songs he was performing. After those two songs, he switched over to playing guitar, starting out with the song “Suit and Tie” by Justin Timberlake.

The next few that followed were all covers of reggae and Hawaiian songs such as “Just Friends” by Musiq Soulchild, “Wade in Your Water” by Common Kings and “Cool Down”

by Kolohe Kai. When he sang each of these songs, the room developed a calm and relaxed vibe, similar to how one would feel laying out on the beach in Hawaii. The last song that he sang was comparing a girl to the ocean and how this girl is beautiful and makes him a better man.

After this, Cardona quickly switched back over to the keyboard for the second half of the song that he blended into “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. To conclude the concert, he asked his friend Gabe, who put on Unplugged, to sing a song and the two of them performed a duet of “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, with Sebastian singing and Gabe playing the guitar as well as singing.

When asked about who his musical influences are, Cardona told the STAR: “That’s really hard, I have too many to count; too many to list, but I think two of the main ones would be John Legend and Jamie Cullum – he’s like a jazz, pop, R&B, hip-hop singer who fuses all these different kinds of music together and I really look up to him.”

After being asked what influenced him to start singing, he said: “Disney movies, to be honest, literally Disney movies.

Movies like Hercules that had sing-a-long songs are what made me want to sing. I had a sing-a-long cassette tape that I made my mom buy because I liked the songs so much.”

The night concluded with claps and cheers as the artists exited the stage to formally meet their fans in the audience.

The hands-on artist Sara Molenda Staff Writer

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he picks up the clay and pushes down on the pedal. The wheel begins to turn round and round and Jessica Levey begins her delicate process.

Levey, a senior in the fine arts program at Sonoma State University, spends most days in her studio in the Art Building on campus. With the guidance of her art professors and fellow students in the studio, she works to build unique and creative ceramic art pieces. Levey was able to show the STAR her final project for the semester, a look at the vanity present in society’s obsession with celebrities and pop culture.

“I have been using Justin Beiber as the main character in my series as a way to criticize the narcissism in pop culture,” said Levey. “I also criticize the role that superfans play in his popularity.”

Her final series includes a mix of art forms, including a number of clay cups that involved screen-printed pictures and words, as well as an etching using acrylic paint and gel pens. Her final pieces for this semester will be submitted to a number of professors where they will individually critique her work. The professors look to give constructive criticism in order for Levey to grow as an artist and as an individual.

Levey recently submitted a piece for the recent art show organized by the Hutchins program a few weeks ago. She continued her series with pop culture with a piece titled, “Hold on, let me put on my duck lips.” The process of making the three bronze duck lips involved shaping the sand mold and then pouring hot molten bronze into the mold. The hands-on, technical process of bronze casting is another form of art that Levey greatly enjoys.

The artist also enjoys creating custom ceramic pieces and selling them online through her Etsy account, “JessicaLeveyceramics.” The account gives Levey the opportunity to work freely outside the classroom on pieces not included in the lesson plan like crochet or paint pieces, as well as custom pieces for those who might be interested.

The Oakland native first discovered her passion for ceramics in her junior year in high school. Upon taking her first ceramics course, she discovered her love for such a hands-on hobby. But hobby quickly turned to passion and then a career route as she continued to study the art form at the well-developed ceramics program at Diablo Valley College for a few years. She then transferred to Sonoma State University in 2012.

When asked about her future plans, Levey admits that while the best scenario would be to get paid to solely to create ceramic projects, her future will most likely include obtaining her teaching credentials to eventually teach art for a living.

“I hope to one day bring the same enthusiasm to ceram-

ics to future students that I was shown as an art student in high school and in college,” said Levey. “I particularly would love to teach art to middle school students. They are a misunderstood group of students and it would be great for teachers and students alike to improve the art programs in middle schools in the Bay Area.”

Levey was asked by her high school ceramics teacher to give a presentation later this month to high school ceramics students. She hopes to inspire those students and inform them of the possibilities for art students in the current university system.

Levey is currently researching opportunities for graduate school, possibly at Alfred University or the University of Colorado, where she hopes to continue studying her passion for ceramics, only to one day pass that passion on to future artists.

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he recent digitalization of the music industry has created many new communities and entities that are exclusively internet-based, one of these is the net label. A net label is a record label that distributes its music almost exclusively over the internet through formats such as MP3.

Petal Port is an example of a net label created locally in Petaluma. Petal Port’s founders, Nik Clay and Timothy Lindsay, describe Petal Port as “an independent music label with an emphasis on the meshing of artistic mediums. It’s a home for artists to collaborate and encourage one another, as well as promote experimentation without limitation.”

Petal Port has an emphasis on a community of artists who have their own creations but also have collaborations with each other.

“The most important part of Petal Port is that artists feel comfortable collaborating with each other,” said cofounder Nik Clay.

The net label format is low commitment, which creates a stress-free atmosphere for the artists on the label.

“We both just wanted to have a label where we felt like we had a home,” Clay said when describing his and Lindsay’s experience with net labels had been majority EDM/ electronic music, which they didn’t feel connected to.

“Our music is mostly analog,” Clay said. “It’s guitar oriented music that is accentuated. We try to keep our music as organic as possible but we will fill in the blanks with electronics when we need to.”

Petal Port currently has four artists signed as well as one dedicated visual artist.

The artists are Noah Hafford, who goes by Crying on Vacation; Clay, whose project is titled Honey Rocket; Brett Hanley, who goes by Larksburg; Timothy Lindsay, whose proj-

ect is titled The Playgrounds; and the visual artist is Alyssa Leandra Dalangin.

“Collaboration is the number one tag on all of my music, I like to get as many of my friends together as possible to make music together.”

Clay said he takes his inspiration from artists such as Supercar and The Microphones, and the subjects prominent in his project are his personal favorite things and people, ranging anywhere from fast food to the ocean. When discussing his responsibilities as Petal Port’s co-founder, he said “It consists of organization, social media, talent scouting, video editing and graphic design.”

The other member of Petal Port, Hanley, writes offbeat, lo-fi indie-pop under the name Larksburg.

“I’ve been writing music since I was thirteen, once I started playing guitar,” Hanley said.

Hanley takes inspiration from many different artists, but especially from artists who characteristically record in old school methods, such as cassette tapes, known as lo-fi.

“I’ve put out almost exclusively lo-fi releases,” Hanley said. “I’m not recording lo-fi because I have to, but because I like the aesthetic and the sound.”

Even though Petal Port is a net label, they are also releasing physical copies of their music on CDs and cassettes in their online store. Petal Port’s first release as a label is titled “Petal Port Volume 1” on Saturday, which is a collaboration of about three songs from each of the signed artists.

“We are accepting submissions for Petal Port, but we aren’t looking for a specific sound,” said Clay. “What we are doing is just really homegrown.”

To find more information on Petal Port and the signed artists, visit petalportmusic. com.

COURTESY // Nik Clay Petal Port is an alternative net label based out of Petaluma.

Read about SSUTV’s newest improvements

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Art major Jessica Levey works on her final project, inspired by obsession with pop-culture icons. Levey’s concentration is in ceramics.

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Entertainment

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

The little band from the bay

Meaghan Whitehorn Staff Writer

L facebook.com “The Pyramid,” a horror film about a group of archeologists who wander too far into an ancient burial ground, released in theaters Friday.

An ancient flunk Nataly Estupiñan Staff Writer

Review

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et ready for blood, guts and poor decisions. It looks like another horror movie has hit the box office, and as usual it is full of clichés, pop up scares and people constantly stating the obvious.

“The Pyramid,” directed by Grégory Levasseur, was released in theaters nationwide On Friday. Though it was poorly advertised, many people showed up to see the film in the search for something scary.

This film is made to look as though it is based on a true story of how a father and daughter team of archeologist discover a new pyramid in the summer of 2013 near Cairo, Egypt. Alongside them are a documentary film crew and a robotics engineer.

Together they enter the pyramid in search for their lost rover, as the connection was disrupted and they were no longer able to see what was inside.

Denis O’Hare plays the know-it-all father and archeologist who tries to lead everyone out of the pyramid, while warning everyone about the dangers inscribed on the walls. Ashley Hinshaw plays the “hot” archeologist daughter and had the great idea of going into the pyramid, all because her pride got the best of her. James Buckley is the cameraman and lovable sidekick who is constantly terrified but tries to put on a brave face.

Christina Nikola plays the documentary host who seems to be followed by bad luck everywhere

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she goes. And last but not least, Amir K stars as the robot nerd and love interest of Hinshaw.

Together, the group embarks on scary adventure and gets a lot more than they bargained for once inside the hidden pyramid.

Like any other scary movie, at first the group is amazed at what they have found. Once they delve further and further into danger and things start to go wrong, they turn on each other, but are forced to stick together out of sheer terror.

Aside from the bad computer-generated imaging and cheap scare tactics by overuse of suspense, this movie is also full of bad acting. Hinshaw lacks acting skills and does not do a good job of making the audience believe that she is an archeologist.

O’Hare also does a bad job playing a believable farther and archeologist as he acts awkwardly the whole movie. Supporting actors Buckley and Nikola did a better job acting than the main characters.

Though this film is supposed be shot like a regular film, but it tends to act like a found footage film during many points, resulting in shaky video that will make one feel as though they are watching “Cloverfield.”

Although it seems like the writers and director really tried to make this a good film, they clearly failed.

“The Pyramid” is just another one of those films where something incredible is discovered and an unwise group of people decides to run in and explore without considering the dangers that could be lurking around. So if one is not of fan of movies such as “The Cave” or “The Descent,” then this movie is not for you.

Review

ittle Envy, a brand new rock band hailing from San Francisco, released their debut, self-titled album on Dec. 2. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists and long-time friends Joseph de los Reyes and Koosh Saxena.

The duo wrote all the songs together and crafted their image for their band. Two years and two more band members later, they have an album and a strong emergence into the rock music scene.

The band spent three weeks recording the album at Panda Studios in Fremont with producer Sam Pura.

Most of the songs maintain a similar raw, garage band-esque feel throughout the instrumentation; consisting of feedback-laden guitar, heavy bass lines and loud crashes from the drums.

The vocals are a mixture of emphatic singing and screaming, usually thrown in to add emphasis to certain lyrical pieces. The STAR had the opportunity to talk to de los Reyes about the new debut.

“The record is about the relationships we create amongst ourselves,” said de los Reyes, “and some of the struggles that follow in regards to maintaining those relationships...being lost inside your head...making decisions.

Anyone who has been or is in a serious relationship, struggled with substance abuse and is simply trying to make their way through this game of life that we have to play can relate to these songs.”

The first track of the album, “Colour,” speaks true to de los Reyes’s words on their image of the album as a whole. This track is about being in a difficult place in a relationship and reaching a point in life where one wishes everything was totally different than the way it is. The crashing, moving beat of the song mixes uniquely with the poetic lyrics: “Please bring out the life in me. I’ve been making mistake after mistake by waiting. Rid me of all I see, the black and white, fill me up with color, a new light.”

Track three, “3am,” had a different, softer intro than the majority of the songs on the album. The song opens with an acoustic gui-

tar strumming out a scale of simple chords repeatedly for a brief moment, and then the drums, bass and screaming all come in together with an abrupt “I’m not sorry for you…”

This song is about the consuming struggles of a breakup that keep one restlessly awake at night: “I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m., with thoughts of you still dancing in my head.”

“Flow” is an incredibly revealing song, lyrically displaying the singer’s insecurities and tragic past life. The “flowing,” driving beat mixes well with the riveting, truthful lyrics. The song seems to become an anthem that any listener dealing with a tragic occurrence they are withholding from the rest of the world can relate to—whether it be a bad breakup, drug abuse, or parental disputes.

The song “Boy” is the only track to be accompanied by an official music video so far. The video features shots of the band playing paralleled with dismal, off-putting images like sad, creepy mimes and a corporate business man flipping through a magazine with his face painted like a skull.

The lyrics of the song demonstrate what Joseph means when he talks about being lost in your head: “There’s a boy in my brain and he’s asking me things, I’m not sure what to say,” Joseph sings as the chorus begins.

The song unfolds as an in-depth peek into the singer’s mind, and this is highlighted by the uneven sound produced by the instrumentation.

The guitar is played in a fast-picking style and the crash of the cymbals is offset by the kick of the bass drum, while de los Reyes takes his time delivering the lyrics, enunciating and emphasizing his words. The total effect is a sincere, unique and real rock sound.

“To say the least we are more than stoked on the support we are getting from people all around,” said de los Reyes. “We’ve had music up for just barely a couple months and seem to be getting people’s attention so that is super humbling. We are so excited to finally be sharing these songs and truly appreciate that people are helping spread the word.”

Little Envy just recently played their first show at Rickshaw Stop, a live music venue in San Francisco, on Nov. 28.

They plan to start touring in the spring of 2015. Little Envy’s full debut album is available for download via iTunes, and streaming on YouTube and Facebook.

Blige hits London Danielle Hansen Staff Writer

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Review

ary J. Blige has come far from the start of her career as a background singer on uptown records in 1989. Blige has been a musical legend since her debut in 1992 with the release of her first album “What’s the 411?” Production for Blige’s debut album began in 1991.

Sean Combs, a 21-year-old A&R executive at Uptown Records, became her executive producer.

Andre Harrell, Combs’s supervisor, named Blige the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”

Blige’s album created a new era and genre of R&B music. Her raw and urban sound was original and proved durable when compared next to big voiced icons Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

Her east coast hip hop, urban city influence became opened the floodgates for other artists to copy cat. “What’s the 411?” sold 3 million copies.

After her initial success, Blige recorded her second album, “My Life.” With combined sales of more than 5 million albums and singles from her debut album, Blige was the best selling female artist on the Uptown label. Unlike “What’s the 411?” Blige co-wrote a large amount of the material, basing it on her personal life.

In its first week, “My Life” debuted at No. 1 on the top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart for eight consecutive weeks. The album only confirmed Blige as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” and today is still regarded as one of Blige’s best albums.

In spite of her success and growing fame, Blige admitted she was dealing with long time battles with drug addiction, alcoholism and depression. Blige involved herself in several outside projects, including recording a soundtrack for the FOX series “New York Undercover.”

Blige is credited with influencing the musical marriage of hip hop and R&B. She was ranked 80th on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Artist of All Time, listed as one of the 50 most influential R&B singers by Essence magazine.

Blige has nine No. 1 albums on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, which is a record among female artists. She is currently the only artist with Grammys in R&B, rap, pop and gospel genres.

Just released on Dec. 2 is Blige’s new album

“The London Sessions.” The New York local headed to London where artist such as Amy Winehouse and Adele, have produced some of the greatest present day soul music. Featured on the album are collaborations with British artist; Disclosure, Sam Smith, Emeli Sandé, also Jimmy Napes, Naughty Boy and Sam Romans.

In a matter of only 30 days, Blige produced in London’s RAK Studios, 12 songs mixed of upbeat pop tempos and classic soul with a British flair.

The album opens with the track Therapy.

“Why would I spend the rest of my days unhappy? Why would I spend the rest of this year alone? When I can go therapy. When I can therapy. When I can go therapy two times a day.”

This three and a half minute track transitions into the track “Doubt,” a gospel inspired single.

Blige kicks the sorrow aside for the upbeat song, “Right Now,” co-written by Sam Smith. The lyrics of “Right Now” are dedicated to the pain felt by domestic violence, and that she is finished with the games.

“The London Sessions” is far from the albums that made her the icon she is today. However, this album is a direct reflection of her transformations as an artist and as an individual.

“Letting Go” seems to be the theme of 2014, and the “Queen of Hip-Hop and Soul” produced a thought-provoking, uplifting album that is sure to inspire.

facebook.com Mary J. Blige’s 13 studio album, “The London Sessions,” released Dec. 2 th

facebook.com San Francisco-based band Little Envy released their first self-titled album on Dec. 2. Lead singer Joseph de los Reyes said the album is relatable for anyone who has struggled with substance abuse.

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Features

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Wondrous Weaver’s winterland Kimberly Paasche & Brennan Chin Staff Writer and Online & Marketing Director

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ust around the corner from Sonoma State University, a regular house is transformed into a large Christmas castle–covered in lights and cartoon characters, mostly from Disney cartoons.

This castle is home to the handmade “101 Dalmatians,” “Lion King” characters, “Cinderella,” “Mickey and Minnie Mouse,” “Aladdin,” “Dumbo” “Frozen” characters, “South Park” characters, “Beavis and Butt Head” and so much more.

The house has around 250 characters, and if counting the neighbors who participate in the fun, the neighborhood has around 300 handcrafted characters total. The Weaver family even hides a “Where’s Waldo” character in the mix every year for viewers to find. A sled is also placed in front of the house for taking photos, and is always open to the public. The house has over 43,000 lights on it.

The Weaver family beat out three other families in the first episode of “The Great Christmas Light Fight” on ABC and won $50,000. Judging the competition was celebrity designer Sabrina Soto.

When Scott Weaver revealed his home to Soto, she was rendered speechless, in tears and in complete awe. She loved the interactively, the handmade Disney characters and the memorials to past family members.

“It’s unbelievable, all of it is amazing,” said

Len Betolini, a spectator of the house. “We come every year. It seems to get better every year.”

Weaver’s Winter Wonderland is just a fourminute drive from the Sonoma State campus, and is located at 1190 Cielo Circle in Rohnert Park. This house is owned and transformed by the Weaver family themselves. Tyler Weaver, a senior, told the STAR his family has been transforming their home into a Christmas wonderland for the past 20 years.

This year the family had an unexpected surprise -- their house was shown off on the ABC show “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”

They normally don’t start building up the house until Oct. 15 to finish around the first week of December, but with the TV show they had to start in September to finish by Oct. 15.

“Never grow up. To see the magic in the kid’s eyes is why I do it,” said Scott Weaver, Tyler’s father and the owner and designer of the house.

The house takes around two months to set up, so a crew of family and friends all pitch in to help out. The Weaver’s neighbor Jeff Milani has helped the family the past few years, and has started creating his own wonderland at his home.

“I’ve been working with and helping Scott, and Scott’s been helping me for the past four to five years now,” said Milani, a friend of the Weavers who also has an extremely lit up house of his own.

“I made a sleigh [for my house] and it was all red, I asked Scott the help me break up the red and that’s

how we started working together.”

Despite the intense outward glamour and shine, there is more put into the house than meets the eye. There is quite a lot of sentimental value put into the house for the Weaver family and the community.

One of the things to see at the house is a large dog right up front. Tyler Weaver said most people do not understand why there is an ordinary looking dog put in the mix, but this dog is meant to represent the Weaver’s family dog.

When their family dog passed away, Scott Weaver built this dog to represent their pet Chloe.

The wooden Chloe doesn’t have an ordinary texture to her, but is very rough to the touch. Scott Weaver mixed some of Chloe’s ashes into the paint before he painted her.

Another special touch is the small fake white Christmas tree, near a handful of wooden snowcovered trees. Scott Weaver has decorated this tree with ornaments he made from sobriety chips. These chips are given to him from close friends and family members, for his sobriety of 16 years.

The wooden snow-covered trees were made by Scott Weaver when he lived with his mother and was taking care of her as she went through chemotherapy. He calls these trees Mom’s Trees.

An angel can be spotted on the roof, which represents Scott’s mother and Tyler’s grandmother, who passed away 10 years ago this Christmas Eve.

Her last wish was to see the lit up house with her family one last time on Christmas. Behind the angel there are a few large candy canes, made out of her walking canes.

On the roof near the angel is a Mufasa lion, with a sobriety triangle integrated in to represent Scott’s father who passed away after 28 years sober.

“The Lion King” family can be found looking up toward the roof at Mufasa. The small lion on the larger lions back is meant to represent Tyler and his father’s close relationship, and also has the sobriety triangles integrated.

The Weaver’s have seen many unexpected things over the years -- including marriage proposals and crowds of over a 1,000 a night.

“The meaningful stories are why we keep doing this. It’s for the community and the kids,” said Tyler Weaver.

To see the house visit 1190 Cielo Circle in Rohnert Park. The lights come on around 5:30 p.m. when it is dark, and stay on until around 9 p.m.

To find photos and more information, please visit their Facebook page that is title “Weaver’s Winter Wonderland. The Weavers ask to stay safe, not drive without headlights and to not block the neighbor’s driveways.

To see Milani’s lit up house, or take a photo in his oversized sleigh, stop by 7333 Cielo Circle Drive in Rohnert Park. Milani will be dressing as Santa every Saturday, weather permitting.

STAR // Connor Gibson For 20 years now, Weaver’s Winter Wonderland, located on Cielo Circle, attracts all holiday lovers with their family-orientated, festive Christmas lighting traditions.

New Sustainability Club hosts recyclable gift-wrapping Megan Minturn Staff Writer

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ustainability, community engagement, awareness and policy transparency are all things the new Sustainability Club at Sonoma State University plan to bring to campus in the spring.

“Students for Sustainability is an excellent avenue for those who want to make a difference at Sonoma State,” said member of the club, Nicole Detmers.

About seven students who have jobs on campus dealing with sustainability found the Sustainability Club. They realized there was no opportunity for students to promote sustainable projects aside from Associated Students or Join Us Making Progress. This is when they decided to start a club in order to directly target that issue.

The president of the club, Dustin DeMatteo, told the STAR, “The great thing about our club is we recognize that implementing sustainable practices and events is not a sprint, but a marathon.”

The purpose of the club is to cultivate a sense of culture between students and faculty through the platform of sustainability. The club has 10 official members, many of who are student leaders on campus. Grants are used to fund the club. Each grant is a chartered club on campus. On Dec. 20 and 21 the club plans to fundraise by hosting a 100 percent recyclable gift-wrapping event at The North Face.

“The club brings forward different resources

that will help in achieving a more sustainable culture at SSU,” said Detmers. “If any student wants to make an impact on their school and peers I think this club is a great way to do that.”

Next semester they plan to host a few more events. One includes a Take Back the Trail Copeland Creek. Another they plan to do is a reusable water bottle giveaway, in order to prevent water conservation. They plan to host a few more events, along with working with other clubs in the spring.

“I would love to join a club like this,” said junior Amy Unruh. “I am very concerned about sustainability and sometimes it’s hard to find students who feel the same way.”

Once the club starts getting their name spread around campus, they plan to grow in membership through their events; whether that is a donation drive, a dance event or holding a public discussion on campus where a lot of students will walk by and have the opportunity to join in.

DeMatteo said, “I’m excited for the future of this club because there is a serious need for a sustainability focus group and we hope to be a part of the solutions to many problems on campus.”

Students can go see what the club is all about every Friday at noon by the fireplace in the Student Center.

The club welcomes anyone to sit and join in on their meetings and the club has a open membership, meaning there are no fees or dues. They encourage anyone who wants to do something for their community to get involved.

Disclosure: Nicole Detmers is a staff writer for the Sonoma State STAR.

wikipedia.org The Sustainability Club is fund-raising with recyclable gift-wrapping Dec. 20 and 21.

facebook.com Sushiko, only nine minutes from campus, offers a large variety of sushi and entrees.

Restaurant Review: Sushiko Alexandra Rentoria Staff Writer

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ushiko is a Japanese restaurant that has a delicious assortment of unique rolls and tasty teriyaki dishes. There are several different entrees -- soups, salads, nigiri, sashimi and even a vegetarian sushi for those who are not fans of fish.

If an individual is not extremely hungry, there are a variety of small dishes such as honey-soy roasted duck breast and rock shrimp with asparagus tempura. Sushi may not be everyone’s forte, but there is definitely an entrée that anyone can enjoy at this establishment.

The restaurant has a relaxing ambiance accompanied by a warm welcoming staff. The staff members constantly walk through the restaurant asking if customers need anything else and how the food tastes.

Alena Inshina, Sonoma State University student and Sushiko employee, told the STAR, “I absolutely love it here, and if I have any needs or exams they will work with me. The food is incredible.”

Not only does the staff relish the food, but the customers too.

“The food is delicious, and I recommend the spicy tuna,” said customer Derrick Sweet.

The food does not just delight the customers with the exquisite taste, but also with the presentation. Each entrée is decorated in some form, whether it is a soup or a sushi roll. There is even a sushi bar, where customers can see their dinner being made and enjoy the company of the staff. The layout of Sushiko is very spacious -- plenty of seats available for customers. The walls are filled with Japanese art, in addition to a monitor that displays several sushi rolls.

Even if an individual does not enjoy sushi, they

can have another entrée like chicken teriyaki or salmon teriyaki. There are combination meals offered when a customer wants more than one taste at a time.

The salmon teriyaki combo comes with salmon, sashimi and a couple pieces of California roll. There are roughly three combinations -- one with chicken, beef or salmon. All the entrees are offered at a reasonable price, and the portions are aplenty as well.

The entrees are about $10 to $18, and during lunch one has the options of getting a well-priced bento box. For a bento box with two items it is $9.50, and for three items it is $12.50.

Individuals get to choose what they want in their bento box from a large selection. Some of the items to choose from are a spicy albacore roll, sashimi combo, spicy pork, beef teriyaki, California roll, chicken teriyaki, mixed tempura, ton katsu and many more delectable items.

During lunch, the prices for the dinner entrees are about $4 to $5 cheaper. Most entrees that one orders come with free miso soup, salad, and a bowl of rice. There is also a children’s menu for ages under 12 and alcoholic beverages for those of legal drinking age such as sake, wine and beer.

Sushiko has only been around for a short time, but it has quickly caught the attention of the people of Rohnert Park. They not take reservations, and sometimes the whole restaurant is filled, but the staff is quick to provide a table for customers waiting. When one leaves the restaurant, a majority of the staff is there to say “goodbye” and “thank you.” The restaurant has many regulars, and it is easy to understand why once one enjoys a meal at Sushiko.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday, and is open all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For anyone who hasn’t been to this restaurant, it is worth trying out -- especially if they love sushi.

Features

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

‘Phantom of the Opera’: Jaw-dropping performance Natalie Bergman Staff Writer

S facebook.com Starting spring 2015, a new wine business certificate course called “Creating a Competitive Wine Brand” will be offered to students.

Wine Business hosts new certificate course Lauren O’Malley Staff Writer

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or many college students, building a résumé means putting down volunteer and job experience, but the wine business department students will be able to put more than the basics down on paper. In the spring of 2015, the wine business department is hosting a “Creating a Competitive Wine Brand” course to earn a certificate through Extended Education.

The Wine Business program at Sonoma State University is a part of the School of Business and Economics that started in 1998.

The wine business concentration is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Sonoma State is one of the 15 percent of schools who meet the standards and qualifications of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

“Well I certainly think the wine business program is one of the best [programs] on campus,” said senior wine business major Melissa Mensinger. “It’s filled with passionate teachers who not

only teach us about the industry as a whole, but can share their own experiences with us.”

Through the certificate program, students will have the opportunity to learn how to differentiate their product and understand their brand. One of the difficulties faced today is being able to differentiate themselves from others in the wine industry.

The wine business program offers five other certificate options to students such as wine branding, wine business management, tasting room management, wine industry finance and accounting and direct consumer certificates. The Sonoma State Wine Business Institute won the 2014 WINnovation award from the North Coast Wine Industry.

“Choosing Wine Business as a concentration was one of the best choices I have made at Sonoma,” said Mensinger, “The program is also one of the best as far as internships and jobs are concerned. Professors and advisers will be there to help you secure a job within the industry.”

Mensinger is a senior in the Wine Business Institute. Though Mensinger is unable to take the certificate course, she believes

students will enjoy the course and will leave with a higher knowledge of wine business.

The assistant professor of marketing at Sonoma State, Kyuho Lee, holds a doctorate from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University and will be teaching the certificate course in February.

Lee wants to ensure students have a balance of theory and application to students taking the course.

Lee has taught brand management for professional and Executive MBA programs at Sonoma State University.

Lee studied brand management, consumer behavior, hospitality and tourism management, and would like to bring all this knowledge to the students in his course.

Upcoming events the Wine Business Institute will be hosting are the VESTA Sensory workshop and getting an MBA through Sonoma State in March of 2015.

Contact Extended Education by phone: 707-664-2394 or email at extendeded@sonoma. edu about the “Creating a Competitive Wine Brand.”

Stress Less with the Rec Veronica Benvenuto Staff Writer

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tress is in the air once again at Sonoma State University. “Stress Less at the Rec” was a weeklong event, with different activities each day from 5-8 p.m., Monday to Friday. Monday provided games of dodgeball where students could take a study break, drop in and let off some steam after a long day of hitting the books. It didn’t matter if they knew how to play or had never played before – it was just a chance to enjoy.

Tuesday brought back schoolyard games of four square, corn hole, hula-hoop, hopscotch and jump rope. On Wednesday puppies came to play, which was the biggest hit of the week. Dogs of all sizes were there to play and be pampered by students.

Thursday gave some much needed relaxation in the form of meditation, yoga and massages, in an event put on by the Rec Center’s inMotion and Massage program. Friday was piñata night with candy and inspirational notes to help get students through finals.

“I’m a dog lover so after spending seven hours in the library studying it was nice stopping by the Rec and seeing the dogs,” said senior Chris Pihl.

With such a variety of options, students had the chance to do what they found relaxing and enjoyable.

“I really enjoyed Thursday meditation, yoga

and massage, it was a great way to get my mind off of finals, and studies have shown that taking time to relax your brain will allow you to memorize better.

This was the perfect thing”, said junior Abby Williams.

This was the first year Stress Less at the Rec was put on by Campus Recreation.

“Turned out to be a successful event, the participation [went] as planned and a lot of people came out,” said Special Events Coordinator Wyatt Hansen.

Coordinators Hansen and Lisa Propoggia were in charge of putting together Stress Less at the Rec. Since it was a success, the event will be an ongoing thing - but with some new ideas. The events were all completely different to give students a variety of activities, not just playing a game. The event incorporated help from a few of the programs at the Recreation like intramurals, inMotion and massages.

“I wanted an event where it wouldn’t take too much time out of peoples schedules so they can stop by, hang out and have some fun,” said Hansen.

The coordinators from Campus Rec said they were happy with how it all turned out because this is one of the main things Campus Rec is promoting by living a healthy lifestyle. Students tend to get too caught up in studying for finals without getting enough sleep or physical activity.

Coming to the events on Monday and Tuesday allows for a fun physical activity to stay energized.

Stress Less at the Rec will be back next semester to aid students in the wake of finals week.

commons.wikimedia.org The week before finals, Campus Rec hosted a week full of events to help students de-stress.

Review

anta Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Auditorium celebrated their 75th anniversary by putting on their largest production to date. The chairwoman of the college’s theatre arts department, Laura Downing-Lee, considered this production to be a landmark event for their theater. “The Phantom of the Opera” transformed the auditorium stage to Paris 1881, where the classic story was told.

“The Phantom of the Opera” is a timeless musical based on the 1910 novel “Le Fantome de Opera” by Gaston Leroux. The story became a musical in 1986 when it was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics

by Charles Hart and additional lyrics from Richard Stilgoe. The story is set in 1905, flashing back to 1881. It tells the story of a distorted man who wears a mask to hide his deformity.

Lurking beneath the Paris Opera House, the Phantom threatens and terrorizes all who locate within his opera house, instilling fear in their hearts in order to control the public.

Despite his deformity and crippling insecurity, the Phantom falls in love with a young and innocent chorus girl, Christine Daae, and puts all of his efforts into winning her love and making her a star by nurturing her voice as her mysterious and unknown tutor.

The phantom tries to manipulate everyone and everything around him to instill fear and have complete reign over the theater.

His manipulations include threats, destruction and several murders of opera staff and patrons.

Although his soul is distorted and tormented due to his birth-defected face, the Phantom craves love and beauty as he pours his emotions into composing operas. As a musical genius, he refers to himself as the “Angel of Music” - yet as a feared creature of the underworld he can also be considered the damned “Angel of Hell.”

Sonoma State University students were able to get discounted tickets, which was a bonus when purchasing admittance. SRJC Burbank Auditorium ran the production from

Nov. 21 to Sunday By its second week running, all of the shows were already completely sold out.

The efforts put into the making of this production were outstanding. The set design was intricate and changed constantly as each scene progressed.

There were columns and curtains that framed the illusion of an opera stage within the full stage and the set could be manipulated as it flawlessly morphed into a dungeon, a graveyard, a rooftop and more.

This particular production was very demanding for the Burbank Auditorium, as it is marked a landmark event, and the set design was as immaculate as the costumes created by costume designer Maryanne Scozzari.

Due to the double-casting, twice as many costumes for the lead actors had to be made.

Burbank Auditorium’s Chairwoman, Laura Downing-Lee, had to politely request that all audience members refrain from hugging the actors after the show as to not damage their dazzling garments. According to Downing-Lee, Scozzari worked endless hours for weeks at a time on her costumes. Her professionalism was apparent with the details of perfection.

The live orchestra gave a rich authentic feel to the production as the maestro assisted the symphony in unison with the voices of the actors. Classic favorites such as “Music of the Night” left some audience members tearing up as they felt pity for the Phantom’s cursed life as he longed for love and beauty.

The voices of the lead actors were promising talent that sounded professional and were truly jaw-dropping. Since opera is such a straining style to sing, the leads were double-casted to ensure the show go on for all 12 performances without a falter.

After the show, there were several cast members in full costume that greeted people in the lobby for photo ops and handouts as they held donation baskets.

“Every donation that’s put into the baskets as well as all concession sales goes to support our student programs,”said Downing-Lee. The final performance was on Sunday, as the cast and crew involved strived to go allout for this production.

Sports

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Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

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sonomaseawolves.com Leanna Bade scored 11 points versus CSU San Bernardino.

Women’s drop two against league opponents Vasili Loufas Staff Writer

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he women’s basketball team stayed at home this weekend to play in two games. Both games ended with a loss to Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and Humboldt State on Saturday.

The Seawolves had a 1-2 record going into the weekend series, but now have dropped two more games to send their record to 1-4 along with their California Collegiate Athletic Association record of 0-2.

The Coyotes maintained the lead throughout the game. In the first half, Sonoma State managed to keep it close for a majority of the time. With the score of 28-24 and the Seawolves down, they allowed a 12-2 San Bernardino run to end the half and leave them trailing 40-26 going into the break.

The Coyotes scored the first seven points of the second half. They were up by 25 points with just under 14 minutes left in the game with a score of 56-31. The Seawolves made a run of their own scoring six unanswered points and cutting the lead within 20.

The score was 6752 after a made jumper

by Seawolf Hannah Sourek with just under four minutes remaining. The shot would be the last made by Sonoma State as the game would end 70-52 with the Coyotes advancing to 1-0 in their league record.

“They were a lot bigger than us. A lot of our shots got blocked and anytime we missed they got the rebound,” said Tanner Adams.

The Seawolves shot 22 for 60 and were beat in rebounds, steals, and blocks.

The Seawolves had to let this one go and look forward to Humboldt State the

following night.

Humboldt State traveled down to meet the Seawolves on Saturday night in what would be Sonoma State’s second league game.

The first half was close with Sonoma claiming the lead three different times and the momentum going back and forth. The Seawolves were up 2117, but ended the half 31-26.

Sonoma trailed by only four points with just under 17 minutes left but that was the closest they would get again as the Coyotes increased their lead.

The game ended 6149 with the Seawolves dropping their conference record to 0-2 to start.

Sonoma State shot 33 percent while the Lumberjacks shot 35 percent. Hannah Sourek went 8 for 12 with a team-leading 18 points on the night. Jonae Gonzales led the team with seven rebounds and five assists.

“We weren’t executing our plays right. We lacked communication on defense. We just need to work on finishing and getting rebounds,” said Gonzales. Two Coyote players had 15 points and one had 20 rebounds.

“They have five seniors in their top six. We have five freshmen in our top six,” said Head Coach Mark Rigby.

“We’re dealing with a situation where we’re undermanned right now and we’re dealing with youngsters trying to learn how to play at the college level and that is sometimes a very difficult lesson to learn.”

The women’s basketball team will play in San Francisco this Friday versus the SF State Gators.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will be televised on Comcast Hometown Network.

Player Profile: James Davis Aubrie Tolliver Staff Writer

W

ith the shot clock approaching zero and every Seawolf on the court well -guarded by the Humboldt State defenders, junior James Davis had no other option than to take the shot. He set his feet behind the three-point line, kept his eyes on the basket, and let the ball roll off his fingertips. Swoosh.

Not only did his teammates on the side of the court stand up on their feet and praise his effort on Saturday night at the Wolves’ Den, his head coach, Pat Fuscaldo, did too.

“The shot clock was winding down and I didn’t want him to pass the ball,” said Fuscaldo. “He shot it and he buried it. It was a big play.”

But, this tricky shot came as no surprise. This season, in just three games and 78 minutes of play, Davis has shot .625 (10-16) from behind the threepoint line and .621 (18-29) everywhere else. A concussion kept Davis from competing in the first two games of the regular season, but his first game back against Dominican University, Davis recorded a career high of 36 points, playing all but six minutes.

“He is a really good all-around player,” said Fuscaldo. “He is a truly confident young man. He wants the ball in crunch time. He wants to take the shot. He wants to go to the free-throw line. That’s really been a big help.”

Davis grew up in San Lorenzo, where he attended and played basketball at Arroyo High School.

Growing up, he said that his biggest motivators were his parents and his sisters, who have been supporting him throughout his athletic career. He also attributes much of his success to one of his former teachers, Mr. French.

“My fifth-grade teacher really stepped up when I needed him in life,” said Davis. “I am thankful for him and he really taught me values and how to be a teammate.”

Davis started off his collegiate career in 2012 as a freshman at Northern Colorado University where he appeared in a total of 19 games for the Bears. After deciding to transfer schools in the spring of 2013, he was offered a spot on the Seawolves’ 2013-14 roster and has now found Rohnert Park to be a place that he calls home.

Davis found the transition between the different schools, and different divisions, to be a tough one.

He admitted that the difference in coaching styles

was the most difficult change to adapt to. However, Davis said that one thing that was not hard for him to do when he became a Seawolf was develop close friendships with his teammates. “It was an easy transition as far as teammates go,” said Davis. “Every guy in that locker room is my brother, which is what you want with a team.”

Fuscaldo said that he is “tickled pink” to know he has Davis for another year. “I feel blessed,” he said.

sonomaseawolves.com Senior J.J. Mina lead the team over CSU San Bernardino with 21 points and seven rebounds.

Men’s basketball wins back-to-back at home

T

Jake Tucker Staff Writer

he CSU San Bernardino Coyotes traveled up to Rohnert Park Friday night to take on the Sonoma State University Seawolves in the Wolves’ Den for their first California Collegiate Athletic Association affair.

About four minutes into the game, the two teams were tied 4-4, and from that point on, the Seawolves never lost the lead. The Seawolves would score the next nine points, and would score 13 of the last 15 points of the half to put themselves up 36-18 at the half.

The second half was evenly matched as the Coyotes outscored the Seawolves by one point. The Seawolves would ultimately capture the win, 75-58. The Coyotes fall to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while Sonoma State improves to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Shooting and rebounds told the tale for the game, as the Seawolves shot 56.3 percent, while San Bernardino shot 40.8 percent. SSU won the battle on the boards 37-32.

The Seawolves were lead by J.J. Mina, who contributed with 21 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal. David Ahern also had a successful night with 18 points including a pair of threes, a rebound, three assists, and two steals. James Davis put forth ten points of his own, and Mike Harris was the big man on the court with nine rebounds.

The Coyotes were led by Gilbert Parga, who had 12 points, including a three-pointer, four rebounds, and two assists.

Isaiah Morton also had 10 points with a rebound, four assists and a steal.

“Both San Bernardino and Humboldt are very talented, athletic teams so we knew going into this weekend we would have to play our brand of basketball to give us a chance to win,” said Mike Harris. “We pride ourselves on being the tougher team every night and I thought that we established that. Our coaches do a great job preparing us mentally for our opponents and it paid off this weekend.”

Saturday night it was the Humboldt State Lumberjacks who traveled down to take on Sonoma State. The game would end the same way as Friday

Seawolves Sports Dec. 12 Women’s Basketball at. SF State 6:00 p.m.

TV: Comcast Hometown Sports Network

Men’s Basketball at. SF State 8:00 p.m.

TV: Comcast Hometown Sports Network

sonomaseawolves.com Junior guard James Davis scored a career high 36 points versus Dominican University on Nov. 25.

The men’s basketball team has gotten off to a tremendous start in these first few weeks of their season. Sporting a 4-1 overall record and a 2-0 record in conference, it would seem as though the team has come full circle since last season, which Davis is thrilled about.

“I have never really been on a winning team,” said Davis. “So, right now, it feels great to actually pile up some wins.”

Fuscaldo attributes their success this season to their remarkable team chemistry, which he says Davis is a big part of.

“They laugh together. They fight together.

They play together,” said Fuscaldo. “They don’t let their egos get in the way of the team and that’s the difference why they are where they are right now and why they are 2-0 in conference.”

night’s game, with an 80-70 Seawolf win, as David Ahern, James Davis, and Mike Harris all provided 16 points. SSU improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play, and Humboldt State fell to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the conference.

The only time the Seawolves were behind was when the score was in favor of the Lumberjacks 5-4. The Seawolves were again led by their shooting, as they shot 52.3 percent, and 56.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Seawolves collected 31 rebounds, while the Coyotes only collected 24, and they turned the ball over 14 times, opposed to the Lumberjacks’ 21. They also out-stole the Coyotes 10-4.

Mina had another great night for SSU, with 13 points and eight rebounds, while going 3-6 on three-point shots. The Lumberjacks were led by Allan Guei who had 20 points, and Brett McConnell who had eight rebounds.

This Friday, Sonoma State will be playing in a televised game against San Francisco State. It will air on the Comcast Hometown Network, beginning at 8 p.m.

Dec. 16 Men’s Basketball vs. Holy Names 7:00 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Dec. 17 Women’s Basketball vs. Pacific Union 7:00 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Dec. 21 Women’s Basketball vs. SF State 12:00 p.m.

Wolves’ Den

Men’s Basketball vs. SF State 2:00 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Jan. 2 Women’s Basketball vs. CSU Monterey Bay 5:30 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Men’s Basketball vs. CSU Monterey Bay 7:30 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Jan. 3 Women’s Basketball vs. CSU East Bay 5:30 p.m.

Wolves’ Den Men’s Basketball vs. CSU East Bay 7:30 p.m.

Wolves’ Den

Sports

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

COURTESY // Tyler Lobe Left: First-Team All-American Caylie Seitz rises for a spike in the NCAA Quarterfinal match. Right: The team comes together during the matchup versus Southwest Minnesota State.

Volleyball team makes program history Falls in Quarterfinal on National stage

Adam Roth Staff Writer

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he Sonoma State University women’s volleyball team’s multiple award-winning season ended Thursday in Kentucky after a nail-biting, five set battle against Southwest Minnesota State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships.

The five-set match against Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs saw 15 ties and six lead changes in the opening set alone.

The Seawolves won the first two sets in the best-of-five match and were poised to win the third set with a 19-14 lead until Minnesota scored seven unanswered points to win the set. Minnesota narrowly took the fourth set, taking the heated duel to a fifth and final set. However, the Seawolves were not going to go down without a fight. The team tied Minnesota early on in the fifth set with the help of two kills by Madelyn Densberger.

Minnesota would ultimately go on to a 15-6 win and a 3-2 match victory.

Kelsey Hull led the wolf pack with 15 kills, a hitting percentage of .387, and her second double-double with 14 digs.

Caylie Seitz had 13 kills and Densberger contributed 11 of her own.

The team earned the trip to Louisville, Ky. to continue their record-setting season after they shut out rival CSU San Bernardino and Dixie State in the second and third rounds of the

“Every athlete dreams of going to college and being a part of something so rewarding. The dedication and family-like structure is what got us so far this year,” said Hull.

NCAA Volleyball Championships played in Idaho in November.

“It was cool to beat San Bernardino in three,” said senior Hull. “Especially because historically, they have been the ones to knock us out of regionals.”

The Seawolf victory over San Bernardino ended the schools 14-year streak of reaching the West Region final. Earning the Seawolves the privilege of bringing home the 2014 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship title as well as NCAA Division II West Region title for the first time in the program’s history.

The Seawolves ended the season with an overall record of 23-7, as well as multiple first-place statistics such as kills per set (14.44), hitting percentage (.263), service aces per set (1.72), and points per set (18.1).

Hull ended her five-year playing career at Sonoma State by becoming the CCAA Player of the Year, and was only one of two players in the nation to be named into the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Team three times.

“I cannot express how grateful I am to have been able to be

COURTESY // Tyler Lobe Second Team All-American Kelsey Hull lead the CCAA in kills this year with 465.

All-Americans: Seitz, Hull Kayla Webster Managing Editor

A

lthough the post-season has come to an end for the Sonoma State University volleyball team, Kelsey Hull and Caylie Seitz walked off the court with All-American distinction.

During the Championship Quarterfinals in Louisville, Ky., it was announced that the two each earned a spot on the All-American Team.

Senior Hull earned a place on the second team, while junior Seitz was named to the first team.

“I’m very proud of our girls for the kind of discipline and emotional maturity that it takes to be this good for this long,” said Head Coach Bear Grassl. “I think that when players win awards it’s also a product of the whole team being successful.”

Despite having to miss the first six games of the season because of emergency surgery to remove her appendix, Hull has consistently shown she is a serious competitor. In addition to earning a spot on the All-American team, Hull has been nominated the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year.

“I was grateful to have gotten All-American distinctions, but I wouldn’t have been able to be recognized for my work if it weren’t for my team’s successes as well,” said Hull. “The better teams are the ones who are successful even after overcoming the problems.”

For Seitz, this was her second consecutive first-team honor. She leads the conference in number of kills this year, totaling 465. However, in her career at Sonoma State she has scored 1,256 kills. She’s ranked first in the West Region and

seventh in the nation, averaging 4.47 kills per set.

“It’s a little hard to put into context how remarkable her production is. The people who have the ball furthest away it’s more difficult to score,” said Grassl. “She has the most eyes on her, it’s not that she scores at the rate she does, but it’s how efficient she is. She’s just about the strongest and best athlete I’ve coached, very driven. She’s a very special athlete.”

Hull is no stranger to the All-American team either. This year marks the third time she’s earned this honor. She’s ranked second in the conference for kills, averaging 3.71 kills per set. She has the third most digs this season on her team. “[Kelsey’s] extremely well-rounded, she’s a player that does a lot of different skills well,” said Grassl.

This is the first time the Sonoma State volleyball team has earned a conference title and progressed to the post-season. According to Grassl, the women’s volleyball team is only the ninth team in the Sonoma State athletic department’s history to win a regional championship.

“They’re a special group. They’re only the ninth regional champ for SSU, altogether very special achievement,” said Grassl. “We’re the little engine that could. Our athletic department is not as fully funded as the other teams we play.”

Despite having a rocky start to the season with senior injuries, the Sonoma State volleyball team finished out their season with a strong 23-7 overall ranking. Even though this is Hull’s last year on the team, Grassl said her leadership left a lasting impact that will help shape the team for seasons to come. Seitz will be returning to the court next season to hopefully keep the winning tradition alive.

a part of such an amazing program over these past five years,” said Hull. “This experience went above and beyond my expectations and I couldn’t be happier. All that was going though my head during the last set of that last game was to just enjoy these last few points playing alongside my teammates.”

Hull’s journey at Sonoma State has come to an end but her career as a volleyball player is just beginning. She will travel to Europe in January to tryout for a professional team.

“I’m planning on going over there for two weeks,” said Hull. “I’ll enjoy the experience of trying out for different country’s teams, and if I make one, I’ll be playing over there for a while.”

Seitz also had an award-winning season. Seitz was the only conference player to earn first-team honors and is the only player in program history to be a two-time AVCA first-team selection.

“This tournament was one of the best experiences I’ve ever been a part of,” Hull said. “Every athlete dreams of going to college and being a part of something so rewarding. The dedication and family-like structure of the team is what got us so far this year and I couldn’t have gotten my awards without my teams support. There’s no going backward now, only forward to even better seasons.”

For more information on the team’s record-breaking season including photos, post-game interviews and a link to watch the final game of the season, visit their page on sonomaseawolves. com.

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Photo

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

This week in photos...

For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

STAR // Connor Gibson Lights fill up the night sky in Rohnert Park as Weaver’s Winter Wonderland attracts people across the state in celebration of the upcoming holidays. Scott Weaver began has been putting Christmas decorations for more than 20 years and it takes him about five weeks to completely set up the decorations. The ornaments represent something from his own personal life, like the coin represents sobriety and the angel represented his mother whose actual canes were used as candy cane decorations.