Volume73 issue2

“As Above, So Below” frightens audiences

P. 7

Open Mic night at the Redwood Cafe

P. 8

P. 11

Club Profile: Jiu-Jitsu

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

VOLUME 73 // ISSUE 2

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

SEPTEMBER 2 - SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

CSU budget guarantees no tuition increase for one more year Ryan Estes Staff Writer

I

n recent years, Sonoma State students had to deal with shrinking class offerings and rising tuition costs due to the California budget cuts and the economic crisis. Over the last two years, the California State University (CSU) system has seen a 12 percent increase in applications, but has had to turn away 25,000 eligible applicants.

“The budget cuts affected me because I am not able to take enough classes to get prerequisites out of the way for my major, and almost guarantees I will have to take an extra semester or year to graduate,” said Marissa Marable, junior and kinesiology major.

The budget cuts that have plagued the CSU system amidst the economic downfalls in the recent years, have also affected student athletes who have greater limitations on class availability.

“Being a student-athlete is frustrating because there is already a limited amount of classes offered for my major [Business Administration], so if a certain class is offered during practice time, I won’t be able to enroll, which leads to more semesters in school,” said Margaret Osmundson, junior and member of the Sonoma State women’s soccer team.

The California State University general fund budget was raised to $2.499 billion for the 2014-15 budget year.

“That is an increase of $142.2 million in general fund allocation from the state for this academic year, we are still operating at the 2004-05 funding level when the system was serving 50,000 fewer students,” said Stephanie Thara, a web communications and public affairs specialist for the office of the CSU chancellor.

Chancellor Timothy White has said that the $142.2 million increase will allow the CSU system to maintain its existing programs and services. The increase will also allow tuition fees to stay the same

for a fourth consecutive year.

While the budget request by the trustees was $95 million more than what the CSU received, it is still a step in the right direction for both faculty and students alike across the state of California.

“The CSU is doing its part, graduating more than 100,000 students into the workforce annually and we stand ready to do more,” said Chancellor White. “But we can only increase the number of graduates with the adequate, sustained funding needed to hire more faculty and staff to serve our students, to increase employee compensation in order to recruit and retain the best individuals and to address facility and infrastructure needs.”

Vice President of Administration and Finance, Laurence Schlereth has said that the funds allocated to Sonoma State University out of this years budget will primarily go toward to enrollment growth, See BUDGET on Pg. 4

Recent quake sparks preparedness efforts

E

STAR // Maud Busson The Sonoma State University Library is looking for feedback from students on improvements that can be made to the facility.

Library looking for student collaboration at upcoming events Peter Njoroge Staff Writer

T

he Sonoma State University library is hosting interactive events beginning Sept. 4 and students are invited to collaborate on where the library is headed in terms of space, multimedia use and the library’s website.

The library has three floors and two wings on each floor as well as an art gallery and display area. Opened in August 2000, the facility covers 215, 000 square feet and holds 50,000 feet of shelving.

According to the library website, it cost $41.5 million to build and the majority of that funding came from the state of California.

The library is home to SSU’s information technology, center for distributed learning, writing center, faculty center, center for community engagement and the Charlie Brown’s Café.

“We’re working on a lot of different projects,” said Web Services Librarian Laura Krier. “We’re looking at redesigning some of the space. We’re constantly working at redesigning the website.”

Krier expects students to share both positive and negative feedback about the library and its services in order to make improvements that benefit everyone.

“We need to know what students want in order to make sure we’re making the right choices. We thought about a lot of different

ways we could get students involved. We thought the best way to go about it would be to host a series of drop in events where people could come for about an hour and engage in specific activities,” Krier said.

The exchange of ideas was implemented last spring and Krier thinks it is important to have students informally share ideas and be active in planning the library’s future direction.

“We’re looking at some renovation projects, some new furniture, some new multimedia pods. We’re really open-ended and we want to know what students want when they come in here,” said Krier.

In terms of the budget for the new renovations, Krier stated that they are still in the “idea phase” of the plan. After Krier and her colleagues gather more ideas by collaborating with students, they will subsequently assign the necessary funds.

“I feel like it could definitely have some positive impact on our library,” said senior Noah Marquez. “I’m a senior and I’ve been coming to this library for the past four years and I love this library.

It’s a great space, a nice space to come do your work. Not only for that, but also to get help from the writing center. I can definitely see students taking advantage of this space in a good way.”

See LIBRARY on Pg. 4

Adam Roth Staff Writer

arthquakes are an inescapable part of living in California, they are uncontrollable and for the most part, unpredictable. Being prepared for a natural disaster before it happens can make a big difference on those living on or off campus. In wake of the recent 6.0 magnitude earthquake felt by many throughout the Bay Area, now is the perfect time to insure personal safety by preparing an emergency preparedness kit in the event of a large natural disaster.

Emergency preparedness kits can be found at local hardware stores such as Bennett Valley Ace Hardware located in Santa Rosa.

Kits can also be purchased online from websites like Amazon. These kits should include a complete first-aid kit, enough nonperishable food and water for several days, flashlights and a radio with extra batteries, personal hygiene products and any other essential items such as medications. Preparedness kits can also be pieced together individually. For more information on how to put together an emergency preparedness kit, visit ready.gov.

“When I moved here, my parents and I put together an emergency survival kit. It is important to have a kit because you never know what could happen. There may not be an earthquake, it might be something else. You can’t worry about what or when something is going to happen, just be prepared,” said Mackenzie Larson, a junior and resident of the Beaujolais Village.

Earthquakes are known to impact the infrastructure we rely on daily such as broken water mains, gas leaks, wide spread power outages and being cut off from food supplies. According to the United States Geological Survey, if there is a large earthquake, the aftershock sequence will produce many more earthquakes of all magnitudes for many months after.

Sonoma State University has emergency procedures posted on every residence door in case of an earthquake. These include remaining calm, seeking shelter under a desk or table and exiting the building once the shaking has stopped.

“My first and foremost responsibility is insuring the safety of the residence,” said George Kujiraoka, community service advisor for Beaujolais Village West Bordeaux. “We do run practice evacuation drills, and in light of the recent earthquake, it will most likely happen sooner rather then later. It is important that everyone takes these drills as seriously as they would as a real emergency. Even though this was a smaller earthquake, I would have liked to have seen the whole evacuation procedure put into effect, just to make sure the building was safe and to insure that all the residence and staff know how to execute the emergency procedure properly.”

The harder hit Napa region suffered nearly $300 million in damages to homes and businesses according to San Francisco Chronicle.

Counselors from Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are available to help any students affected by the recent earthquake or individuals having faced difficult times of any kind.

Andrew Kerlow-Myers Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, recommended visiting the American Red Cross website regarding earthquake preparedness and recovering emotionally from disasters. The website states, “When we experience a disaster or other stressful life events, we can have a variety of reactions. Stay positive. Remind yourself of how you’ve successfully gotten through difficult times in the past. Reach out when you need support, and help others when they need it.”

As always, CAPS counselors are available to help via appointment or telephone at 664-2153 between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Club Profile: Rowing

Rugby photo gallery

Friday Night Farmers Market

See the spotlight on Pg. 8

See it on Pg. 10

Read more on Pg. 9

Page 2

Editorial THE STAR Fall 2014 Editorial Board

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

Star Production Lab at Sonoma State University

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

Subscribe to the STAR!

Get Sonoma State’s student-run newspaper delivered straight to your door this semester.

Perfect for families, friends and alumni of Sonoma State.

star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “Schroeder Hall brings new life to Green Music Center” If having one of the most vibrant and attractive music halls around Sonoma County wasn’t enough, why not add another? Staff Writer Gustavo Vasquez got up close and personal to view the brand new Schroeder Hall, and found out why you should take a stroll over to this new building, which is named after the famous Peanuts character himself.

Turn to pg. 4 to read the story Letters to the Editor

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

Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available.

Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available.

Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the 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.

Corrections/Clarifications

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

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolf Strategies: Planning for the future F

eedback is an important concept, one that should not be overlooked in any way, shape or form. The university is now seeking a specific type of feedback concerning a document now available for Sonoma State University students titled “DRAFT Strategic Plan Revision 2014-2019,” which is available to view at sonoma.edu/senate/documents/planning.

Originally approved and drafted in 2009, the original plan covered the academic years of 2008-2013, focusing on key areas of importance including innovation of programs, the university’s values and how to achieve these accomplishments.

It’s now time to update the strategic plan, and the university would like to get student input.

After reviewing the outlined list of goals ourselves, we would like to provide our own feedback on the strategic plan, with an eye toward the most impactful positive changes and a focus on how well the university’s efforts have fared thus far.

The first key area of importance concerns the student experience, and how SSU strives to value and promote diversity, as well as respect and civility toward others.

While there have been acts of discrimination and an overall lack of diversity in the campus within the past year, strong efforts have been made to bring awareness to the issue.

One possible, yet perhaps unintentional, way of addressing this was the opening of the Student Center last year. With so many ways to connect with the campus as a whole in one central area, the building is ultimately designed to bring Seawolves closer together. A place like The HUB is a prime example of how diversity is being positively reflected amongst the campus community.

Adding on to diversity is the idea of inclusiveness and the goal of recruiting and supporting students, faculty and staff population. With the university this year welcoming the largest freshman class and the largest overall group of students in our history, one can say that SSU is certainly starting things off right this year. But concerns remain about how this will impact the availability of classes for students.

Moving on to academic programs, one of the university’s proposed goals is to provide plenty of balanced support for a highquality, broad and relevant curriculum in General Education, as well as majors and graduate programs. Despite reoccurring complaints over class availability, and having to take a set number of upper division GE units, we’re seeing a change in the right

STAR // Eddie Blake direction, such as the freshman learning experience.

First-year students are introduced to Freshman Learning Communities, which allows them to gain solid structure while searching for an academic path. If our campus can find a way to continue this walkthrough in the other three primary years, we should see less frustrated and lost students going forward.

How about our faculty and staff? Another goal that seems most relevant is the increase in teaching effectiveness through use of appropriate technology in and out of the classroom. State-of-the-art computers are becoming the norm in our everyday classes, but many of our teachers have yet to adapt and understand how to utilize them properly.

One way, which also ties into the category of intellectual curiosity, is to ensure enough relevant tools for staff and students, such as a reduction of required textbooks to purchase, moving toward a more online-centered format through electronic and audiobooks. Nothing beats saving a bit of money, while also having less to carry on a day-to-day basis.

Speaking of saving money, one way the university has been able to so is through community involvement and civic engagement goals, in striving to build collaborative relationships with the local areas to help raise the educational, social, cultural and economic development.

There are many companies that now recognize students as Seawolves, whether they’re grabbing pizza at the Wolf Den Pla-

za, setting up a new mobile plan or starting a website. SSU’s education program offers its students with discounts guaranteed to make you happy you chose this campus.

Two goals under the categories of sustainability and globalization appear to be coming together quite well, those being developing sustainability initiatives in the community, as well as a financial model to support SSU international education.

The seemingly never-ending drought in California has made sustainability a top priority, and it’s a nice reminder to see how many plastic bottles are being saved with the help of the new drinking fountains inside several campus buildings. And as far as the experiences of international students go, from our perspective there have been many who’ve enjoyed the living accommodations we have to offer.

Overall, we have three primary areas of concern. The first being an overhaul of optimal enrollment targets, making sure to maximize student graduation and satisfaction. The other two concerns are ensuring fees don’t go up after several years of increases, and providing needed space capacity for student residences, such as more parking availability.

After several years of tight budgets, course reductions and soaring fees, the university appears to be heading in a better direction from a student perspective.

But whatever strategic plan the university comes up for the years to come needs to remain focused on ensuring a more positive academic experience for students, and less of hit on their wallets.

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

Have an opinion?

We’d like to read it.

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

Publication

The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Healdsburg Printing. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

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

E-mail all opinions to

star@sonoma.edu

Opinion

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

W The history behind en.wikipedia.org

Sororities date back to hundreds of years ago.

sororities

I

caught myself talking to a couple of girls in a sorority last week, which got me thinking, “What exactly is a sorority, and why were they created?” Google told me a sorority is a, “society for female students in a university or college, typically for social purposes.” Google also told me the Latin root ‘soror’ means sister.

Sororities were first formed in 1851 and were known as fraternities until 1882. It was changed in order to better reflect the sisterhood and bond created between the women.

Being a transfer student from Santa Rosa Junior College and growing up in Sonoma County my whole life, I have a strong foundation here.

Everywhere I go in Sonoma County, I run into at least one person I know.

This is not the case for all Sonoma State students. Being in an unfamiliar place without the comfort of your friends and family is very difficult.

Joining a sorority is a great way for students to build a foundation while in college.

I do believe there are a variety of benefits to joining a sorority. There are some truly amazing and successful women throughout history that have been in sororities. Olympian participants and winners, first ladies, astronauts, doctors and many more have been in sororities. Jerrie Mock, first woman to successfully fly solo around the world; Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation; Carrie Underwood, Grammy award-winning singer are just a few to name of the powerful women throughout history who were involved in a sorority.

Hands down the most incredible member in my opinion to sorority history, is Carrie Chapman Catt. Catt led the suffragist movement and was the founder of the National League of Women Voters.

She used her sorority sisters to get support for the movement. Having

3

Don’t judge a professor by their profile Shannon Brown Staff Writer

Danielle Hansen Staff Writer

Page

a support system to rely on is a huge benefit to being a part of a sorority.

The concept of a support system is still valid today. There are national and local sororities that offer a mix of different levels of support.

Community is the foundation to the creation of sororities. Women first created them to feel connected at a time when college campuses were predominantly male. Sonoma State University is predominantly female, but a community to connect with is still needed. For all the students looking for a home away from home, sororities can offer that warm welcome.

Personally, I am always meeting new people and making new friends.

I’ll strike up conversation with literally anyone. This has led me to talk to a wide variety of people, including young, old, male, female, etc. and through this I have learned a lot about other peoples personal experiences with sororities. Some of the people I have talked to said the only reason they did not drop out of college, was because of the community they had found in their sorority and the bond they had created with there sorority sisters.

While being in a sorority can be pricey and time consuming, there is no price to be placed on making lifelong friends especially if one is new to the area and looking for a way to get involved.

I say time consuming because our Sonoma State University sororities hold various events in the community and fundraise to help local causes.

Sororities strive to help the local community; volunteering time to help accomplish these events can be a large commitment.

This weekend Sonoma State University students had the opportunity to be introduced to the national sororities on campus, and figure out if one was right for them. I have new appreciation for sororities, what they stand for, and what they accomplish. As you start to see the different Greek letters appear across campus, I hope you keep in mind the strong history behind it all.

ith more than 14 million ratings, 1.3 million professors and 7,000 schools on the site, ratemyprofessors.com has become a vital source for students hoping to find the right professor for themselves.

However, is it really ethically right as students to go on this website and judge a professor for their teaching skills?

The answer, I believe, is a lot more complicated than just a simple yes or no.

It is a great source for students to see what methods the professors use to teach, but on the other hand, with a “hotness rating,” it might seem like students are giving their opinion based on the grade they received in that class and not them as an educator.

When I first went on ratemyprofessors.com this year, I was surprised to find the website unhelpful.

Helpfulness, clarity, easiness and hotness are all the categories that end up with a conclusion on the professor.

As I was scrolling down my geology professor’s page I was more confused than ever. With the wide variety of ratings, I didn’t find them helpful at all.

Some say it’s our responsibility to inform incoming students exactly what they’re getting themselves into by signing up for that professor’s class.

Others believe it’s not a fair judgment because professors do not get to judge us as students. In reality, why would it be acceptable for us to judge them?

As public figures, professors are in the spotlight more than their students are. Because of this, they are more susceptible to criticism in the hands of their stu-

dents.

Although the categories can be forward, considering there are just four of them, the comments that students leave can be extremely helpful.

Although my geology professor had a wide gap of ratings, the comments that past students wrote helped me in the long run because I knew how she taught the class.

I was able to see what the most important book or guide was to study off of and what her lectures would be like.

There is a very thin line between attacking the professor as a person and as an educator.

Yes, the site is helpful to get information pertaining to the class, but as soon as a student over steps and starts verbally offending the teacher, is when ratemyprofessors.com is no longer a helpful tool.

I believe the website was started in good faith by students who wanted to help future college students find the right teacher for them.

We all learn in a different ways. The way a professor teaches their class can be vital in our success. From lectures to group activities, having some knowledge about the class before you come on the first day is extremely helpful in the long run.

I don’t think there will ever be a clear answer as to if ratemyprofessors.com is successful at helping students pick the right professors.

With a combination of biased and unbiased comments, it’s easy for students to get overwhelmed by looking at their new professor’s profile on the site.

My only hope is that college students are able to separate themselves from their own personal biases and give a review that will do nothing but benefit future undergraduates/graduates.

The tales of “freshman 15” Veronica Benvenuto Staff Writer

T

he expression,“freshman 15” does not always apply to everyone. My roommates and I did not gain the “freshman 15” due to the questionable food of the old cafeteria.

Instead, we found ourselves losing weight due to illness or losing our appetite because of what was on the menu for the night; for instance Catfish. The first week was awesome. Everybody I knew raved about the cheeseburgers and ice cream that was available on a daily basis. It was as if the freshman had hit junk food heaven.

However, once you start eating that kind of food every day, moms home-cooked meals quickly become missed. I would find myself daydreaming about my mom’s homemade lasagna and Caesar salad during class lectures.

When the cafeteria was a fail, mac n’ cheese and top ramen did not help in any way.

The tour guides told me when visiting Sonoma that I, “better watch out not to pack on the pounds from the cafeteria,” which I laugh about now, because nobody could stomach the disgusting food.

So if you are a freshman and have been experiencing the wonderful new cafeteria, be very thankful you did not have to deal with catfish and eating cereal three times a day.

Even though the old cafeteria still haunts me, the poor eating habits that I learned freshmen year ended up motivating me to start eating healthy once I was off the meal plan.

Maintaining healthy eating habits in college can be harder than passing a quantum physic exam.

Grocery shopping was intimidating because of the tiny budget that most of us have to work with.

There have been countless moments when I was done shopping that I realized nothing that I bought could be considered an actual meal.

When it came to the a cooking aspect, there were many failed attempts of overcooking chicken or setting off the fire alarm.

This resulted in complete embarrassment since my entire dorm village had to endure the loud alarm until the police came by to make sure it was not a real fire.

By the time I hit junior year, I had finally mastered the art of cooking chicken, and the Nutribullet became my best friend.

Putting all of the fruits and vegetables I needed for the day into one blended drink was pretty amazing.

It might sound gross to toss some healthy greens in there like kale or spinach, but the fruit would even it out and the vegetables became undetectable. Don’t knock it till you try it!

So when it comes to surviving the transition of cooking for yourself, remember to get crafty – not Kraft-y.

STAR // Marybeth Mondok

FOMO is taking over Megan Minturn Staff Writer

I

f you don’t know what FOMO stands for, you’re clearly missing out. FOMO is the popular new acronym meaning, “fear of missing out.” Generally, when friends or fellow students say they have FOMO, it means they fear that they are going to miss out on something important if they don’t go to a certain event.

Let me describe a scenario of a typical college student experiencing FOMO on a Thursday night: The student has been working since lunchtime and they do not get off until 10. They are definitely not going out that night, due to complete exhaustion after a long work week.

I realize that FOMO is just a type of social anxiety. It is not something that someone should have every time they miss out on something.

But of course, the student comes home to find that their roommates are all dressed up and finishing the last touches to their make-up. The roommates beg the drained student to come out with them, saying, “It’s going to be such a fun night!” The student listens to their body’s exhausted state and ends up saying, “I just need to shower, watch some Netflix and go to bed.” The roommates proceed to a night in the town leaving the exhausted student in their bed. And then it hits… FOMO.

I’ll be the first to say that I have a serious case of FOMO almost all of the time. But how can you blame me?

With social media being so instant, it is impossible not to see what one might be missing out on. Let’s face it; we are ALWAYS being reminded of what we are not doing.

I realize that FOMO is just a type of social anxiety. It is not something that someone should have every time they miss out on something. As students, we should be focusing on our studies and other responsibilities, rather than on what everyone else is doing. Although a lot of people experience it, there are ways to manage FOMO and not be bothered by missing out.

Putting things into perspective is one of the key ways to get rid of FOMO. At first glance, your friends crazy Snapchat story probably made you think, “Wow, why is my life so boring?” In reality, you do fun things too. Just because work took priority this Thursday night, does not mean there won’t be a chance to do something fun tomorrow.

In the moment, it can be easy to get down on your somewhat, “boring night,” but relaxing is a good thing and no one should be ashamed to do so. Enjoy the little things!

Be honest with yourself, it is something we could all work on. If you’re really not in the mood to go out after a long day, don’t let FOMO take over, conquer it and do what makes you happy. Don’t let the snap stories, Instagram posts and tweets make you feel that what you’re doing is lame (even though maybe it is a little). Enjoy the pint of ice cream, bucket of popcorn and movie on a Thursday night.

Maybe one day, we will all be able to enjoy the bliss of missing out.

Page 4

News

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Schroeder Hall brings new life to Green Music Center Gustavo Vasquez Staff Writer

T

he Green Music Center of Sonoma State University has opened its newest addition, Schroeder Hall. Since it’s grand opening on Aug. 22, Schroeder Hall has created a more up close and personal experience for students, faculty, and visiting artists.

Opening night at Schroeder hall consisted of an invite only performance; David Benoit, a pianist inaugurated the hall with a “tribute to Charlie Brown.” Saturday and Sunday consisted of free community concerts, featuring Jeffrey Kahane, James David Christie of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Soprano Ruth Ann Swenson.

Robert Plantz, a faculty member at Sonoma State, attended opening weekend at the Schroeder Hall and had many positive things to say regarding the new facility.

“Schroeder Hall really showed off the incredible talent of these performers. Ruth Ann Swenson sang both from the stage and from the balcony above the stage. It was interesting to hear the difference in the sound,” said Plantz. “From the stage it was like being in a small room with her. From the balcony, it was more like being very close to her in a large space. Schroeder Hall provides a perfect place to listen to her sing.”

Not only will Schroeder Hall be open for performances, but also students can use the hall for classes and practices be get experience in a real world setting.

Artist-in-resident in the music program at Sonoma State Sæunn Thorsteindottir, originally from Iceland shared her thoughts on the new venue.

“The hall is a perfect size for small instrumental groups, I play the Cello and it’s perfect for my instrument because the sound is super clear on stage, but also very resonant in the audience. So it’s the perfect combination for my vantage point. It’s warm, but still very clear,” said Thorstaindottir.

Named after the piano playing character Schroeder from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, the hall consists of 3,420 square feet, housing 250 seats bringing the audience closer to the performance.

This is compared to the much larger Weill Hall in the Green Music Center, which consists of 1,400 seats.

“It’s a beautiful looking hall, it’s a beautiful sounding hall. So it’s a success from a standpoint of running a hall,” said Zarin Mehta, co-executive director of the Green Music Center.

In September, Schroeder Hall will host a concert series called “Sundays at Schroeder.” Every Sunday the hall will host a variety of different artists, with admission around $25. sonoma.edu “Schroeder Hall is a wonderful addition to the Green Music Center Schroeder Hall opened last weekend and is expected to bring new artists and that bridges the gap between the talent to Sonoma State. academic goals of the GMC and the performances for the community that the GMC brings,” said Bromaugh’s Opus 9 was built for the now historic landmark Elizabeth Northrup, music education club president at Sonoma Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio in 1972. The State. “Schroeder Hall allows students, like myself, to perform tracker organ was purchased in 2005 as a gift to Sonoma State senior recitals in a real concert venue, instead of a classroom. University by donors B.J. and Bebe Cassin, Bob Worth, MargaMany of my classes and performances are now taking place in ret McCarthy, Donald and Maureen Green.

Schroeder. It’s wonderful to see the space used.”

Since the grand opening of Schroeder Hall, it is anticipated Above the stage of Schroeder hall houses a Bromaugh’s that the facility will give students of Sonoma State University Opus 9 tracker organ. Consisting of 1,248 lead pipes, ranging and the community a smaller more intimate performing arts from 16 feet to smaller than a pencil. The ninth organ in a series space. The hall will allow students to have the ability to practice of 66 built by the landmark American organ builder John Bro- in a smaller real world setting, and the audience can be closer maugh, the tracker organ is the heart of Schroeder Hall. to the performance.

LIBRARY: Looking for BUDGET: No new success fees until 2016 improvement based Continued from Pg. 1

compensation for employees and revenue to cover the mandatory costs of the university and health care benefits.

President Ruben Armiñana spoke of the increase in faculty and the stability of tuition and fee costs.

“11 new faculty members and pay raises are forthcoming as contract negotiations are concluded and no fee increases were added,” said Armiñana.

These new faculty members were spread across many departments on campus, which allowed Sonoma State to add more classes. The goal is to continue this pace for the next few years.

“The new funds to Academic Affairs will permit the hiring of 19 new tenure track faculty members. New funds to Administration and Finance will largely be used to support efforts in campus maintenance and repair as well as enhancements to campus safety and instructional technology,” said Schlereth. “It is the plan of the campus to upgrade each of our approximately 70 classrooms over the next three years.”

Both Armiñana and Thara said they are hopefully that there won’t be any tuition raises next either.

When asked about the Student Success Fee, Thara said “new state law places a moratorium on new student success fees until January 2016.

In addition, the Chancellor is required to review the CSU Fee Policy as it relates to student success fees and recommend any changes to the board by February 2015. The board has the discretion to act on those recommendations.”

California, the CSU system and Sonoma State are all still rebounding from the economic crisis.

More classes and faculty are being added every year, infrastructure and buildings are being repaired or replaced slowly. Sonoma State and its faculty and students won’t see changes overnight, but positive changes are forthcoming.

on student reaction Continued from Pg. 1

Krier also hopes to do the events every semester and to add a loyalty club in which students would get early notices of new books and invitations for special events.

“The Library brings us [Charlie Browns Cafe] all of our customers. I just think it needs to be open or available more often.”

Also, technology is in focus and Krier is open for partnerships with the computer science department to create internships with the

students from those departments in order to help the library build new tools.

“I think that it should be open later on the weekends. I know that sucks for employees but a lot of the times we do stuff during the day. So I think just the hours and all the f loors being open until midnight and not just the first f loor. The library brings us all of our customers. I just think it needs to be open or available more often,” said senior and Charlie Brown Café employee Kayla Hassen.

Krier is open to later hours for the library but she said the cost of staffing is the only thing that would come between the idea and its implementation.

Students are encouraged to attend these events and can learn more on SSU’s library website as well as contact Laura Krier at laura. krier@sonoma.edu. The events run from Sept.

4 through Sept. 23 in the library and students will receive food and drinks as well as collaborate with librarians.

War and Peace lectures bring attention to world issues Ashley Ronsse Staff Writer

E

nglish 304 is not the everyday college level English reading and writing course. English 304 is an upper-division interactive public lecture series called the War and Peace Lecture Series.

The War and Peace Lecture Series is a multi-disciplinary program that discusses important current world issues including state crimes against democracy, power and promise of non-violent movements, the scientific underpinnings of modern welfare, and peace and sustainability.

It provides Sonoma State campus and community with a line-up of remarkable speakers and topics regarding political unrest and non-violent solutions to conf lict.

The War and Peace Lecture Series is a semester-long academic course which began on Aug. 26 and concludes on Dec. 6. This series is hosted by English professor Tim Wandling and is one of the many diverse groups of Sonoma State professors and faculty involved in the program.

The first lecture held on Aug. 26 in Warren Auditorium of Ives 101 was presented by professor of political science, Andy Merrifield. Merrifield discussed the tension between open government and demands for security.

Senior communications student and intern for the War and Peace Lecture Series, Kaitlyn Stauber, attended this lecture. Stauber enjoyed the presentation and believes that, “students need to be aware” of issues affecting the world.

The War and Peace Lecture Series began at Sonoma State University in 1986. The purpose of this lecture series is to open and enrich the minds of the Sonoma State University community and inspire political, social and economic growth and change.

The syllabus of English 304 states: “It is the business of us all, as responsible citizens, to concern ourselves with the actions that our government takes in our name. We, in the US, have the opportunity that is denied to citizens of many countries to participate in setting the direction of our government’s policies, and to control the political, social and economic environment

in which we live.”

Some of the previous topics that have been discussed include weapons of mass destruction, the media politics of war and state crimes against democracy.

The War and Peace Lecture Series began its Fall 2014 session with political science professor, Andy Merrifield, sharing his understanding of the Intelligence Community in a democracy.

Merrifield’s talk focused on the 3 main ideas: constitutionalism, the social contract and popular sovereignty.

According to Merrifield, the constitutionalism idea means that, “just because you are freaked out does not mean one can go around shooting people just because they look like they have committed a crime.”

Merrifield ended his lecture by saying that he sonoma.edu feels that the government needs to inform the public, Professor Andrew Merrifield began the democracy, of their ideas and strategies to allevithis semester’s War and Peace ate some of the tension that the public feels against Lecture Series with a discussion the government. about constitutionalism and deIn the next lecture in the War and Lecture Semocracy. ries today, Professor of Sociology, Peter Phillips will share his perspective on the US-NATO Global Empire.

Find recaps of the lectures on the War and Peace Series on the its Facebook and Twitter pages and see the link listed below for a complete schedule of the lecture speakers and topics for this year’s line-up, visit the Sonoma State Website.

News

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

New housing construction near campus

Page 5

Sara Molenda Staff Writer

C

onstruction of the new University District began recently in the dirt lots near parking lots M and N across from Sonoma State’s Green Music Center.

According to the University District Specific Plan, this development will boast 1,645 homes, two parks, a public plaza, ball fields and hard court areas all resting on 297 acres.

The plan summarizes the development’s goal to be a pedestrian oriented community with a commercial center and diverse housing in close proximity to education and cultural facilities as well as job opportunities, possibly even at Sonoma State University.

When looking at the types and sizes of homes, the lots in the development plan seem to cover a wide spectrum. Some STAR // Connor Gibson houses will be single family units, while others will be multifamily units in the form of townhouses and apartments.

The University District Project is underway across the street from the Green Music Center and is expected to inThe plan offers many details on the types of housing but clude housing developments and parks. no word yet on any of this housing being designated for students. not only shops and parks at a walking distance, but also Sonoma State and all of the events Good news might rest with the new plan for the commercial plaza in the center of the Uni- resources it offers. versity District, as well as the possibility of another plaza to be built on the dirt lot just north New community members might be able to enjoy a Friday night with a walk in the park, of the Green Music Center, on the other side of Rohnert Park Expressway. new places to eat food and even an evening concert at the local university. The possibilities of The new housing development will welcome individuals and families to a community with the future development are endless.

Administration unveils plan for education success, calls for student feedback Nicole Detmers Staff Writer

consistent throughout.

“The University Strategic Plan is an incredibly important document, it is where SSU will focus its time, energy and resources for the next several years. Strategic plans only work if there is buy-in nderstanding the ever-changing nature of Sonoma State and a need to establish goal for the from the community or organization its designed for,” said Anthony Gallino, president of Associated Students. “That’s why it’s so critical for students to be a part of the process upcoming years, the 2014-19 Draft University Strategic Plan is now and to voice their opinion. I think it’s shaping up to be a great plan that can have available and administration is requesting student input. The plan dea lot of positive impact, we just need a lot of quality student voice in the process.” scribes the intended direction of the university in programs, values and how The draft is available on Sonoma State’s website and students are welcome they hope to achieve these goals by the year of 2019. to attend the Associated Students meetings on Fridays during the semester.

The foundation for the creation of these goals lie within the identity of Provost Andrew Rogerson intends to speak to the Associated Students and the university to being a public liberal arts institution that includes science, the student body for input and feedback on Friday. Rogerson hopes to speak technology, business as well as education. Students are being asked to review about short-term priority goals as well as the programs that Associated Students these goals and provide constructive input at the next senate meeting, this Fricurrently has in place as well as new goals that are outlined within the developing day at 1 p.m. in the Student Center. strategic plan.

“A strategic plan is a document that helps an organization keep track of Associated Students meetings are held in the meeting rooms on the second its vision, goals, and mission. A current, clear, straightforward strategic plan floor of the Student Center on Fridays at 1 p.m. every week. Any comments or would help us link our practical, day-to-day operations and allocation of reinput on the draft are due before the end of September. Comments by faculty, sources to those overarching principles,” said Richard J. Senghas, Ph.D., chair students and those involved with the university are encouraged. of the faculty and professor of anthropology. “It’s too easy to lose sight of what “This university exists to educate our students, and by doing so, SSU proreally matters, of why we all are here. A good plan can help us stay on track.” vides a crucial resource to our region and our state. Our students are active The draft speaks to the current standing and achievements of Sonoma agents in this process; we need to hear their voices. What SSU is depends on State, referring toward the “key areas of distinctiveness: innovative programs, sonoma.edu who our students are, and what opportunities those students get to pursue. And unique resources, significant geographic location and position in the CSU.” In Provost Rogerson will be in those opportunities for students are determined by who the faculty, staff, and order to expand on these key areas as well as switching to focus on the quality attendance at next Friday’s administration are, and what those people are allowed to do, and then choose to education for both faculty and students, this draft repetitively includes words Associated Students meeting. do,” said Senghas, chair of the faulty. like “equal opportunity” and “engagement.”

As the university exists to support and provide a quality educational experiOn Friday Associated Students sat to discuss strategic plans for JUMP, the Associated Students as well as the University. The discussion followed to maintain the theme ence, Students are encouraged to partake in the decision-making as well as have some sort of voice.

The University Strategic goals outline improvements in the quality of education and provide the of ensuring the quality of education and utilization of university resources for students as best opportunity to ask how these changes are going to be implemented. possible. Hopeful for the upcoming years, the themes of sustainability and engagement remained

U

Sophomore Year Experience Program creates smoother transition for students Kirsten Reeves Staff Writer

S

onoma State University has just recently implemented a Sophomore Year Experience program (SYE) for second-year students and transfers. This course will be renewed for the 2014-2015 academic year after its pilot year that took place during 2013-14.

This program was developed to “promote academic engagement, foster focused exploration and bridge the gap between the first year (or previous institution for incoming transfer students) and graduation”.

Those involved in the second year program emphasize the importance of sophomore year and acknowledge the transition and pressure that students may feel during this time.

“Sonoma State University data, and our own focus group research, show that students in their second year often feel disconnected from Sonoma State and confused about their university program,” said School of Sciences Sophomore Year Experience Faculty Coordinator, Michelle Jolly. “After losing the support of first-year programs, second-year students often feel a little lost, uncertain about the future. SYE helps offer support to second-year students and transfer juniors and helps engage them in interesting academic work as they finish up their general education and move into their majors.”

One class seminar, SSCI 299, known as “How to Think Like a Social Scientist,” is a social science class that works between staff and students to explore the disciplinary way of knowing specific to the social sciences. The class section is open to both social science majors and non-majors.

The School of Arts and Humanities is also offering a course on Second Year Research and Creative Experiences, which satisfies Sonoma State’s 50 Unit General Education Pattern, section C2.

Additionally, as of this year, the School of Science and Technology has jumped on board and will also be piloting a Sophomore Year Experience initiative.

The Sophomore Year Experience program, in collaboration with campus partners U-En-

gage, offer students a variety of events such as Sophomore Socials, geared to help students reconnect after their long summer or form new connections with other students.

The program also offers advising workshops and leadership activities.

In addition, the program lists clubs such as JUMP or The Hub, Greek life, Student Leadership and arts and music programs as resources that students should consider when wanting to become involved in campus life.

The in-class seminars are aimed to help students grow and explore both academic and career options as well.

Through this course, students are encouraged to choose a major or minor, and are assisted in the process via advisors once they do.

They are also introduced to study abroad/national exchange and internship opportunities, as well as undergraduate research as ways to further connect to the university.

As part of the Sophomore Year Experience program, UNIV 237 Career-Life Planning is a course designed to assist students in their future beyond college.

The 3-unit class uses surveys and occupational research to assist students in finding a compatible career path and help them plan their next academic years to best get them there.

Students are encouraged to attend Career Services Workshops to learn job search strategies, and for assistance on résumé building.

EUREKA, a program specific to Sonoma State University, is another recommended career information system included in the Sophomore Year Experience additional resources.

The purpose of these programs is to help students find a suitable career path based on their passions and their skills.

“Because second-year students already have some experience with the university, we make it a point not to take a prescribed approach,” said Sophomore Year Experience Coordinator Alvin Nguyen.

“Instead, our approach is to offer a ‘menu’ of opportunities for our students to choose from, communicate the benefits of each and encourage our students to take advantage of the available resources to explore in a focused and intentional manner.”

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

Facebook.com/sonomastatestar; @sonomastatestar

Page 6

Arts

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

gmc.sonoma.edu Rumba catalana band, the “Gipsy Kings” is a French-born group raised with Spanish influence. The band performed at Weill Hall on Thursday.

‘Flemenco’ music brought to Sonoma State Natalie Bergman Staff Writer

T

wenty-five years ago, the Gipsy Kings captured the hearts of many with their self-titled debut album that was certified gold and platinum around the globe. Creative and brilliant, the Gipsy Kings introduced millions of listeners to a unique blend of traditional f lamenco styles with Western pop and Latin rhythms.

Overall, the charisma of the band was festive and cheerful, as they played for two hours. Their set list for the night included “Ati Ati”, “Yo Canto A Brazil”, “Amor Amor”, “Samba Samba” and many others that kept the crowd satisfied one way or another.

The playful Latin rhythms echoed through the hall and far across the field. A large bright screen gave even the furthest viewers a front row seat to the show.

Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center had the honor and pleasure to have the Gypsy Kings perform in Weill Hall, with tickets being free for students. Jessica Anderson, the Associate Director of Communications said that the Green Music Center had been in planning and construction for 15 years.

“The Green Music Center is a real game changer for the University,” said Anderson.

With SSU students receiving free tickets for select shows, rush ticket sales—which are $5—and 50 percent off for all students, it’s no wonder that the people involved in the Green Music Center are enthusiastic to have it be recognized. Outside the lobby was the lawn from which attendees were able to watch the Spanish-pop band. There were people surrounding in all directions—a broad demographic of all walks of life— together, enjoying something that made them feel.

“The playful Latin rhythms echoed through the hall and far across the field.”

There were people on multiple areas of the grass, cocooned in blankets, sitting on the ground or a chair brought from home, snuggling their loved ones and smiling. There were people sitting in fancy chairs with white tablecloths that each had a different colored f lower placed as a centerpiece.

There were people seated in balcony seating overlooking the

stage where the Gipsy Kings performed, tapping their feet or moving their heads, all smiling. It didn’t matter where you were sitting or why you were there, what mattered was just the moment.

The people who danced were very entertaining. Men and women of all ages and races were dancing every style of dance imaginable. Whether the song lyrics were understood by many or few, all that mattered was the power behind the feeling the music provoked inside.

“It’s all about how you feel. I don’t know what the songs are, or what they mean, but it’s what’s inside,” said a random man from the crowd, as he picked up his beer, closed his eyes and let the music take him over.

It didn’t matter if you knew every Gipsy Kings song or not, because watching people come together to enjoy something bigger than themselves was a delight to see. The passion through the movements of dance, the attentive listeners, the laughter and small talk between friends/family, all the cozy cuddling and endless smiles gave a wholesome feeling.

Complete strangers, all together as one, feeling their own feelings and expressing themselves differently, letting the music move them in one way or another and bringing them all down to earth.

Maher offends the ‘right’ Chelsea Handler leaves for Netflix Edward Goquingco Staff Writer

W

hen the Green Music Center officially opened in 2012, Bill Maher was one of the first entertainers to perform in Weill Hall with his one night only titled “Countdown to Election 2012.” He returned to Sonoma State for his encore performance with “An Evening with Bill Maher.”

Maher, a stand-up comedian, political commentator, author and television host started his career on Comedy Central’s late night political talk show “Politically Incorrect” that ran from 1993-1997. Maher got his big break in 2003 when he moved to HBO and got his own show titled “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Here, he was appointed the host, co-producer and co-writer of the cable news show.

The show begins with a monologue and a diverse panel of guests that range from politicians, actors and authors as they discuss topical issues like a show business, political issues, and popular culture. Majority of people will recognize Maher for his 2008 documentary “Religulous,” where he travels to various parts of the world to explore various religions. He attempts to prove the concept of religion and faith is not the right way to truth as majority of the population accepts, as Maher is known for communicating his strong Atheist beliefs and his anti-religious stance.

For the readers who are not too familiar with Maher, he covers a range of political and social topics in his stand-up comedy shows as well as in his TV programming. His political satires cover a wide range of spectrum from mocking the “dysfunctional government” in Washington, critiquing Republican politicians and religious people. Maher definitely appeals to liberal followers with his support of liberal ideas such as universal health care, women’s rights, gay rights and animal rights, just to name a few.

During his opening act, Maher made fun of the crowd as he took a jab at the people watching

from the lawn. “Those people outside are definitely college aged millennials, and they are in a lot of college debt,” said Maher. (Since tickets for the outside lawn isn’t as expensive as the ones inside the auditorium). He also encouraged the audience to participate and vote in the upcoming midterm elections. Throughout the show, the crowd was very loud and responsive as they laughed at every joke that Maher delivers. To be fair, Maher did make fun of himself on occasion, as he brought up the issue when Donald Trump sued him last year for $5 million dollars because Maher made a joke about him. As they heard more jokes about Trump, the crowd erupted to laughter and applause at Trumps expense; apparently Trump is not very popular at Sonoma State as he was booed every time Maher mentioned his name.

Maher then proceeds to mock different religions and jokes when people ask him “Come on Bill, why do you mock religion so much? It’s too easy too mock religion.” Maher then gives his rebuttal, “yeah because religion is f****** stupid.”

Maher continued to say that “critical thinking is better than faith and both Faith and Science are not reconcilable.”

Maher also advocated for the environment and the seriousness of the drought in California, as he blasted conservatives with their lack of insight about the environment and refusal to believe in issue of global warming. He continued to inform the audience with numbers and percentages of people who don’t believe in the issue, and if society doesn’t act, that it may be too late to save our planet.

Bill Maher’s show isn’t for everyone, especially if you have strong conservative ideologies and you are a very religious individual. He strongly mocks conservative and religious ideologies. However, Maher did appeal to his base of liberal fans that showed up at Weill Hall. If you are a Liberal you know what you are paying for with Maher. On the other hand, for conservatives, it’s best to keep this guy at arms length because he will grind your gears for two hours.

facebook.com Liberal comedian Bill Maher doesn’t hold back any of his potentially offensive jokes.

Sierra Smith Staff Writer

I

ntroducing her final episode of Chelsea Lately, stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler declares the closing of her wellacclaimed late night comedy talk show as “[the wrap up of ] seven years of ridiculous stupidity.”

Through the lifetime of her nightly show on the E! channel, Handler has not only been the host but the essential mastermind behind the making of her television spotlight.

For the past seven years, Handler has explored new angles of popular and political culture to be revealed in nightly news through her interviews with celebrities, hilarious and expendable skits, and the marginalization of American culture among her team of comedians such as her infamous assistant, Chuy Bravo.

Despite the fact that Handler is the first woman in history to obtain a successful late show on American television, she has also held a steady following due to her explicit and somewhat outrageous content.

This aspect of Handler’s show makes her distinct from male-dominated late night talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel, who all have steady audiences in the late night broadcast of news.

The opening skit of her final episode featured the first celebrity guest of the evening: Ellen DeGeneres, the most famous woman in daytime talk show news. The opening skit set the mood for the rest of the evening with the witty, not-so-serious accusation on Ellen’s behalf of their unspoken rivalry.

DeGeneres questioned Handler as to why she has never been a guest on her show: “Is it because I’m a lesbian?”

“No! I didn’t even know that you were a lesbian… I thought you were married to Ryan Seacrest,” Handler said with nonconvincing uncertainty, all while she stood nude in the showers of Handler’s a Lately studio bathroom.

In acknowledgement of Handler’s shift to Netf lix beginning in October of this year, a staged group intervention involving actresses Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston,

and Mary McCormack discussed Handler’s distasteful personality and habits they have encountered through the years of her show beginning in 2007. McCormack compared Handler’s new alliance with Netf lix to a much needed visit to rehab. “Netf lix is a wonderful facility where you’ll be able to get all the help you need,” McCormack said.

Many of Handler’s dedicated follows are confused as to why Handler is continuing her comedic talk show career on an Internet-streaming website like Netf lix.

According Netf lix, Handler will create four new docu-comedy specials exclusively for Netf lix featuring her efforts to gain a better understanding on a variety of subjects ranging from NASCAR to politics and from Silicon Valley to the NBA draft. Handler will produce the stand-up special, docucomedy specials and new talk show along with her partners in Borderline Amazing, Tom Brunelle and Brad Wollack.”

Handler followed up with an ingenious explanation for her new partnership: “If I was going to continue working in this industry, I knew I had to do something outside the box to keep myself interested. I wanted to sit with the cool kids at lunch so I approached Netf lix to make sure they were as cool as I thought they were, and when I confirmed my suspicions, like with any other future lover, I made my move.”

The rest of the night featured other celebrity appearances including Handler’s exlover, rapper 50 Cent, who debuted his new single “Watch Me”. Other presences included Miley Cyrus, with Handler claiming “It has been said that a truly great television series isn’t over until you have Hannah Montana say it’s over,” just before Cyrus performed a cover of Roy Orbison’s “It’s Over.”

Best of all, an overwhelming appearance of around 30 celebrities including Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Avril Lavigne, Gerard Butler, Josh Gad (the voice of Olaf in Frozen), Tim Allen, and Selena Gomez concluded the show with everyone singing along to a song raving about Handler and her time on Chelsea Lately.

After modestly thanking all her viewers, production crew, and guests on the show (in which case is likely to be the most sincere anyone has ever seen her on air), Handler bade her farewell, “Good night everybody and I’ll see you on Netf lix.”

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

Page 7

The demonic catacombs of Paris Alyssa James Staff Writer

W

hen looking for an intriguing and horrifyingly gruesome spine-chiller, “As Above, So Below” will surely not disappoint. This “found-footage” film tells the tale of a team of young explorers who venture into the forbidden ancient catacombs of Paris, France to find the legendary philosopher’s stone, which is said to possess enchanting powers. Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) the vivacious adventureseeking, alchemist leader of the group along with her partner, George (Ben Feldman), and videographer Benji (Edwin Hodge), team up with Papillon (François Civil), Souxie (Marion Lambert) and Zed (Ali Marhyar), adventurers from Paris who have experience exploring the Catacombs, in order to find the stone. After entering the sacred grounds, turning back was not an option and the group was forced to face whatever lay within.

After delving into the pitch-black tunnels of the Catacombs, Marlowe and her crew experience a string of horrifying events, with each one creating a personal hell for every member of the group throughout the remainder of the movie.

They are all forced to face the darkest times of their past filled with guilt and regret as they travel deeper into the Catacombs.

The use of found-footage, (the camera angles that make the film look as though it were actually shot by the characters in the movie) is often over-used in the horror movie genre. However, this style worked well for this movie because of its unique story line. Each character had a video camera strapped to their headlamps and the videographer also had a hand-held video camera, which allowed for many unusual and intriguing shots. This adds a personal touch and allows viewers to feel as though they are actually in the movie.

The sound work effectively increased the fear levels and made the audience feel as though they were just as trapped as the explorers in the movie. Whether it be the creaking of the tunnels about to collapse, the distant chanting of a cult practicing their rituals in another part of the Catacombs or the bizarre sounds exuding from the gates of Hell, sound was used skillfully to make the audience even more terrified.

The plot and location is also a large part of what makes “As Above, So Below” so much more fascinating to watch than other found-footage films. Director, John Erick Dowdle, along with his brother, co-director Drew Dowdle, actually

filmed the majority of the movie on-location in the catacombs of Paris, which are normally closed off to the public. Unlike other ‘found-footage films, such as Paranormal Activity, which is traditionally filmed in a house that is haunted, the Catacombs of As Above, So Below give off a claustrophobic vibe, which adds a whole new level of suspense.

The difference between this movie and others in the horror genre is the thrilling adventure plot that one would normally see in an Indiana Jones movie. The audience is kept on the edge of their seats as the characters navigate on their quest through the haunted tunnels of the underground grave that holds over 6 million skeletons, which are the least of the terrifying things in there. It’s hard to tell what will pop out next around each corner and suspense is felt throughout the entire film.

This movie is unique as it features a female lead, which is uncommon with movies of this genre. Weeks portrays a confident and fearless Scarlett Marlowe who is not afraid to look death in the face. It was refreshing to see a woman as the leader instead of being portrayed as a damsel in distress. This makes the movie more appealing to women as well since it is more relatable and empowering.

Although some may not be huge fans of scary movies, “As Above, So Below” is fascinating because of its uniqueness. Moviegoers will love how the architectural history of the Catacombs of Paris was entwined with the terror and storyline of the movie. There was a good balance between plot and horror, which made it more intriguing to watch. This movie is perfect for anyone who is in the mood for a good scare.

facebook.com “As Above, So Below” features a team of young adventurers who venture into the catacombs of Paris.

Brad Paisley’s country summer Brittany Finley Staff Writer

T

“

onight I dare you to dream, go on and believe in impossible things.” This is just one of the messages Brad Paisley gives on his new album, “Moonshine in the Trunk.” These lyrics are from a track called “American Flag on the Moon,” a song inspired by his son. Paisley covers a number of topics on this album all connecting to his fans.

He covers the four most important elements of country music: America, Jesus, drinking and love.

Brad Paisley is famous for his summer anthems and like clockwork always releases the perfect summer song. It is no secret Paisley is infatuated with water and his latest summer anthem is no different.

He achieved his goal of having a chart topping song, “River Bank,” that will be blasted at pools, beaches and rivers everywhere.

“When life gives you limes, make margaritas.” “Limes,” a pseudo drinking song that is actually about living life with a glass half full rather than half empty. This song can make anyone immediately begin singing along to.

The first track on the album “Crushin’ It” sets the tone for the entire album. It lets the listener know that they are gonna have a good time, drink, and have their worries wash as they are “crushin’ it.”

The title track “Moonshine in the Trunk,” gives Paisley the chance to show off his famous guitar skills, but the song itself has no real merit to it, though it is the merit track.

Carrie Underwood once again teams up with Paisley for “High Life,” a comical song about Chick-fil-A in which Underwood essentially is making fun of herself.

A common theme in country music is a classic love song. “Perfect Storm” is Paisley’s, who says the perfect women is “sunshine mixed with a little hurricane.” “Perfect Storm,” will serve as Paisley’s second single and will hit country radio on Sept. 2. “Shat-

tered Glass,” is a song Paisley dedicated to wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley. This song is not a traditional love song yet it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.

Paisley pours his heart out about how proud he is of his wife’s accomplishments and how much he believes in her. “Cover Girl,” is another notable song about Paisley’s appreciation of women.

“Moonshine in the Trunk,” consist of 15 tracks including a bonus track titled “Me and Jesus.” Paisley always includes a gospel track on his albums. This track is very different than most of Paisley’s up-tempo songs. It is a live version of Paisley sharing his relationship with Jesus with just a simple acoustic guitar.

While Paisley definitely has some hits on this album, make no mistake, there are a few songs that missed the mark. “4WP,” “Gone Green” and a 54 second track entitled “Jf k 1962,” really served no purpose besides causing confusion. “Country Nation,” gave the perfect opportunity to tie together the entire album, though the song does not live up to its lofty title.

“Moonshine in the Trunk” is an album that Paisley wanted to focus solely on his fans. He did not want to focus on what was mainstream or what the record labels wanted to hear. This played a large role in Paisley’s endeavor to leak his album slowly before his Aug. 26th release date.

He enlisted the help of many of his celebrity friends, such as Ellen Degeneres, and his platform as judge on ABC’s “Rising Star” to get his songs out to his fans against his record labels opposition. Fans could watch the controversy unfold as Paisley shared the backlash from his team on his Twitter account.

After 15 years in the business, Brad Paisley shows no signs of slowing down as “Moonshine in the Trunk” is his 10th studio album.

This album is a feel-good party album which Paisley says, “I am going to say what I want to say, and this album is what I want to say right now.”

facebook.com Actress/pop-singer Ariana Grande released her 2nd studio album on Tuesday.

Grande’s sophomore hit Marisa Oliveira Staff Writer

R

&B/pop princess Ariana Grande debuts a victorious new album for fans.

Grande, whom is previously known for her role as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon show “Victorious,” released her second studio album “My Everything” on Aug. 25. Even though it was recently released, the album already has four songs on the Billboard Top 100 List. Three of the songs happen to be in the top 10 of the 100 songs on the chart.

The album starts off with her singing pitches only Mariah Carey could compete with.

Many critics claim that Grande is said to be the “young Mariah Carey” with her drastic pitch changes and octaves. When told about the comparisons critics were making about the two artists Grande responded, “I mean, it’s a huge compliment, but when you hear my entire album, you’ll see Mariah’s sounds much different than mine.”

As the intro to Grande’s album fades out, the song “Problem” featuring Iggy Azalea comes on. The lyrics make the hit a “breakup and make-up” song but a more upbeat one: “I know you’re never gonna wake up, I gotta give up but it’s you. I know I shouldn’t ever call back or let you come back but it’s you.” Grande goes on to sing about how she has “one less problem” without the person, hence the title of the song. Another popular song on the album is, “Break Free,” which currently holds the number seven position on the Billboard Top 100 List. The radio hit

features electronic music producer Zedd. A personal favorite of my own is track eight, titled “Break Your Heart Right Back.” Childish Gambino, famous rapper and comedian, is featured on the track. The song is actually a remix of the single “I’m Coming Out,” made popular by Diana Ross.

One of the last tracks on the record is called “Bang Bang” and is claimed by music bloggers to be the new “Lady Marmalade” of 2014. For those who didn’t listen to Christina Aguilera back when she was popular, it was a hit song in 2001 that featured Mya, Lil’ Kim, Pink and Missy Elliot. “Bang Bang,” is not short of female counterparts either, with artists like Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, it turns into the ultimate lady jam. The lyrics are just as rad as the song turned out to be, “She might’ve let you hold her hand in school, but I’mma show you how to graduate. No, I don’t need to hear you talk the talk, just come and show me what your momma gave.”

Out of 15 tracks on “My Everything,” Grande has three solid hit songs and some would say she is winning. Her album is projected to sell 150–200 thousand copies by the end of the opening week. I would rate her album a seven out of 10. Those who like R&B and Pop, should definitely give it a listen and be mainstream for a bit. The album shows promise. Even the songs that are not very popular are decent songs, just not as widely listened to as some of the others.. Looks like the 21-year-old Italian diva is trying to make a name for herself outside of Nickelodeon, watch out Mariah Carey.

‘November Man’: actionpacked and predictive to kill her.

Devereaux became outraged when Ulanova is killed. In return, he killed several men working for his own side. Devereaux was not ovember Man” begins with CIA able to pull the trigger on Mason. Right be“ agent Peter Devereaux (played by fore Ulanova died, she tells Devereaux about Pierce Brosnan) telling his appren- a girl, Mira, that had information on President tice David Mason (played by Luke Bracey) to Arkady Fedorov. Devereaux begins a quest to never have an intimate relationship. “If you find Mira, but Devereaux learned that the last feel the need for a relationship, get a dog,” said person to see her was Alice Fournier (played by Devereaux. Devereaux shows Mason where a Olga Kurylenko). Fedorov then sent an assassin man has been spying on him in a café to prove to kill Fournier, who escaped with Devereaux’s his point that intimacy is a danger to those he help. Devereaux brought Fournier with him to loves and himself. Devereaux and Mason go on not only save her life but to use her to help loa mission where they are assigned to protect cate Mira. Mason tracked down Devereaux an ambassador. Devereaux disguises himself and attempted to kill him but Devereaux as the ambassaeluded him dor to protect the with a car real ambassador. explosion Devereaux takes at the last several bullets minute. but survives due D e to his bulletproof vereaux vest and Mason st umbled kills the gunman on to a sethat tries to kill cret from Devereaux. Unan associfortunately in the ate of Feprocess of killing dorov’s inthe gunman, Maner circle. son killed a small facebook.com He revealed child, which crethe truth Pierce Brosnan stars as CIA agent Peter Devereaux ates tension beof why Fein “November Man.” tween Devereaux dorov was and Mason. killing The scene changes with Devereaux at his most of his close associates. Devereaux found café where he is retired and enjoying the life out that Fedorov, his friend Hanley and the of no longer working as a CIA agent. Han- United States Government were all part of a ley (played by Bill Smitrovich), Devereaux’s bombing that started the Chechen War. friend, convinces him to come out of retireDevereaux found out that Mira was really ment and go to Moscow, Russia where he is as- Alice Fournier in disguise. Fourier went to Fesigned to retrieve an agent named Natalia Ula- dorov’s hotel room disguised as a prostitute, nova (played by Mediha Musliovic). Ulanova where she tried to kill him. Her unsuccessful works for corrupt Russian President, Arkady attempt almost got her killed, but Devereaux Fedorov, (played by Lazar Ristovski) and is rescued her at the last minute. Devereaux got undercover as his employee to retrieve all his Fedorov to admit on camera that he and the secrets. Ulanova takes photos of Fedorov’s en- United States Government were the ones who tire inner circle, and then heads to the United really bombed the building in Chechen. DeStates Embassy. Fedorov quickly figures out vereaux and Mason team up in the end to kill that Ulanova is a spy and sends her henchmen Hanley, one of the main villains in the film. to kill her. Ulanova gets into a getaway car In the end, Hanley reveals why Devereaux is with Devereaux and right before they can make called the “November Man,” “Because after he it to safety, Mason is ordered by his superiors passed through, nothing lived.”

Alexandra Rentoria Staff Writer

N

Page 8

Features

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Healthy habits through inMotion Taylor Graham Staff Writer

A facebook.com The rowing club embraces teamwork in the early morning while enjoying the sunrise rowing in the bay.

Up early with Rowing Club Emily Hill Staff Writer

W

ho knew that the Sonoma State rowing club was ranked one of the top in the state? Believe it or not, the club practices Monday through Friday from 5 to 7:15 a.m.

Before the rest of us are even awake, the club has been out to the Petaluma River and back to prepare for the upcoming season.

The group is compromised of both men and women and is now in its 10th year. They compete in intercollegiate races year round against other west coast NCAA teams and travel in the spring season to places like Davis and Sacramento.

According to Kevin Gugerty, a senior and varsity member, the club is highly competitive and requires a large time commitment. However, Kevin said that he has met a great group of people through the club and is thankful for the closeness that they all share. Gugerty has been a part of the club since he was a freshman and believes that Sonoma State has one of the best programs around.

Gugerty said, “We are awake before anyone else so there’s nothing to interfere with.”

Maya Hoholick, a senior on varsity, even went to Nationals this past summer in Gainesville, Georgia with her pair partner Lauren Linney. The pair rowed on the lake where the 1996 Olympics took place and is known as one of the best places in the world to row. The first race that the girls rowed in would determine if they would race for the grand finals.

The pair was against 12 boats and placed second. The following day, the pair raced “in the most important race of their lives” said Hoholick.

The girls rowed their hardest ever and Maya

said it was the most pain and adrenaline she has ever felt. The pair beat Kansas State, Vanderbilt, University of Cincinnati, Washington State and New Hampshire.

Even though the pairs from the other schools had been rowing together for years, the Sonoma State duo still managed to come in second. A huge accomplishment for the pair’s rowing career.

“The rowing team has been a huge part of my SSU experience; it has taught me hard work and dedication. It has also disciplined me to always work for what I want,” said Hoholick.

As far as the season details go, there is a 6,000 meter race in the fall which takes around 20 minutes or less (hopefully). In the spring, the races are more like short sprints and can be between 2,000-3,000 meters. The summer consists of individual work and weight training to prepare for the upcoming fall season.

All practices throughout the year take place on the calm Petaluma River at the Boathouse owned by the North Bay Rowing Club. The boathouse is just a 15-minute drive, a speedy commute in the desolate morning hours.

Unfortunately, due to Title IX, the club cannot become an official Sonoma State team.

Therefore, the club members must pay dues and fundraise to cover the costs of supplies and competitions. The group is always looking to recruit team members and spread the word about club sports.

So, for those wondering how to join the club should attend the info night on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. in Ives 101.

The club will be tabling on Sept. 8 and 9 throughout the day to provide the student body with more information. Be sure to check it out if looking for a competitive sport.

dult obesity rates in Sonoma County are at 22.9 percent. Although this may seem high, it is about 5 percent lower than the rest of the United States, which averages an obesity rate of 27.7 percent. One way that Sonoma State University continues to fight against obesity is by presenting its students with many options of physical activities to participate in.

InMotion is one of the options that is offered at Sonoma State. It is a component of the Recreation Center which provides group classes and support to membership holders.

From August 25 through 28 the inMotion Program at Sonoma State University offered “Free-Week” to all Sonoma State students. The classes offered through the program change on a semester basis, but usually include classes such as yoga, pilates, dance, cardio kickboxing, spin, abs/buns/thighs, body sculpting/toning, step aerobics, boot camp and self defense. All of the classes take place in the Niagara and Silver Strand studios, located upstairs in the Sonoma State Rec Center.

During both the fall and spring semesters, students can purchase a membership for access into all of these classes for just $59. inMotion is designed to serve people of all fitness levels, shapes and sizes. The free week acts as an opportunity for students to try out different classes and decide whether or not they would like to purchase a membership for the semester.

“I definitely think that [free week] helps increase

the number of memberships purchased,” said Alyssa Gadberry, building supervisor of the Sonoma State Rec Center.

She first decided to purchase her membership after attending a yoga class during free week.

Some of the most popular classes are yoga, Zumba and PiYo. Yoga includes elements of stretching, relaxation and self-awareness.

Zumba is a Latin-style dance class which is very high energy and fun. PiYo is a blend of Pilates and yoga which gives a good core workout and increases flexibility.

“The classes seem really fun, it is just too expensive when we get to use the Fitness Center for free anyways,” said junior Nikki Lougee.

In all of the classes offered, they cater to all different levels of experience so it is challenging and beneficial for everyone. Classes are offered during the morning, afternoon and evening to accommodate all different student schedules.

“There were about 20 people in the yoga class during free week this semester,” said Gadberry.

Although some students purchased their memberships before “free-week”, others purchased passes at the end of this week after attending a variety of classes.

The whole idea behind inMotion is to provide healthy, effective alternatives to standard workouts. They also emphasize the impor-

tance of healthy lifestyles.

Although health is very important to many Sonoma State students, it can be very difficult to afford fitness classes on a college student’s budget. InMotion provides a cheap alternative for group fitness classes that would normally cost hundreds of dollars.

“The semester pass is cheaper than yoga elsewhere, so that’s a big reason why I am buying [a membership],” said Sonoma State junior Mia Stelling. “The free week really helped me make my decision because I really liked the yoga instructor. I took a few other classes that I really liked as well.”

Although there are a lot of different classes offered for a relatively low rate, many students still do not want to pay for a membership.

“The classes seem really fun, it is just too expensive when we get to use the Fitness Center for free any ways,” said junior Nikki Lougee.

Although current Sonoma State students get free access to the Fitness Center, anyone who is affiliated with Sonoma State, including alumni, faculty and extended education students can purchase a membership each semester.

College is supposed to be all about broadening horizons and experiencing new things. InMotion is a healthy and active way for students to do this.

The group classes that are offered with the inMotion program are a great deal for an alternative to standard workouts. For more information regarding the inMotion program and memberships, visit www.sonoma.edu/campusrec/services/inmotion/ or visit the front desk in the Rec Center.

Redwood Cafe entertains with local artistic support

Friars stays dedicated to students

W

F

Lauren O’Malley Staff Writer

ora of waffles and coffee. Redwood Café draws in a diverse crowd of customers, with the younger generations and older generations enjoying the delicious food and the assortment of beverages ith lights shining and more artists go- being served. For those under the legal drinking ing up to show their talent, Redwood age of 21, Redwood Café has many drinking opCafé was hustling and bustling with tions such as a variety of juices, coffee flavored busy lines and a hectic atmosphere. Redwood drinks and smoothies. For those 21 or older, RedCafé is a place that serves food, drinks and has wood Café has many different beer and wine opmany different forms of entertainment through- tions for those who like to drink spirits. out their hours. Open Mic night is held at Red“In about two years, I will be touring around wood Café every Thursday where people of any Europe to play [my music],” said Justin Brown, age could perform poetry, singing or a comedy a regular at Redwood Café. A New Jersey naact. tive, who moved to Santa Rosa a Open Mic performances little over two years ago, has been start at 7 p.m. and end at 10 going to Open Mic night at Redp.m. while signups start at wood Café for the past year. Justin 6:30 p.m., and the host, Rob Brown performed for the first time Goddu, announced the lineup in a year tonight and the crowd from those who had signed loved him. Brown is a singer/ up. Goddu started the set by songwriter and loves to perform playing a few of his songs, John Mayor and Motown types of and then announced who will music. Brown also has a job buildplay next. ing acoustic guitars at a store in “Usually, its families and Windsor. the dinner crowd between 7 Redwood Café is known to be and 8 which just create backmore of a local hangout during ground noise, but the actual summer time where one can encrowd that enjoys the music joy spectacular food and stellar shows up around 8 and 8:30,” performances and entertainment. said Rob Goddu, the host at When all of Sonoma State’s stuSTAR // Sara Wildman dents come back for school in the Redwood Café’s Open Mic Night and Sonoma State stu- Redwood Cafe puts on Fall and in the Spring, it becomes dent. more of a student’s lounge and After Dark Open Mic night Goddu has been per- for the community to coffee shop. “The atmosphere deforming at Redwood Café enjoy. pends on which crowd is around for the past year, ever since and what season it is,” said Goddu. the Northlight’s Café closed Redwood Café does more than and moved to another location in Rohnert Park. just have open mic nights every Thursday. Almost Redwood Café has been hosting Open Mic night every other day of the week a local band or artist every Thursday for about two years, when new will perform for free or for a small price. management had taken over the café. Redwood On one Tuesday of every month, Redwood Café loves to support local bands and artists who hosts a poetry slam for women, where women can are aspiring to grow or those who just love to per- read their own poetry or others. Redwood Café form. has many different types of activities that are held Redwood Café has an assortment of food and there such as, belly dancing, bands, art shows and flavor. With breakfast served all day and a pleth- more.

Kimberly Paasche Staff Writer

or those, thirsty for a cold one on a Thursday afternoon, Friar Tucks Pub may just hit the spot. Friars has come a long way since its existence in 1992. Friar Trucks Pub is located in Cotati on Old Redwood Hwy at the “Cotati Crawl.” In 1992, it started out very small.

For the first two years Friars only sold beer and wine. The owner Cheryl Nixon explained the bars in Cotati back in 1992 had one or two beers on tap and Friars on the other hand started out with 16 beers on tap.

“Friars was the first bar in town to offer beer in a pint glass,” said Cheryl Nixon.

Friars now has bigger TV’s, three pool tables, a dance floor, an outdoor patio bar, food and many drink options. It is a very popular bar for the locals, as well as college students.

The prices of drinks and food items found on the menu are an affordable price, especially for the frugal college student. The bar has specials every night, and happy hour is Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happy hour domestic beers are $2.25, and well drinks are just $3.

“Thursday is the night that everybody goes. I refuse to leave Friars once I get there, because the line gets so long. We don’t usually bar hop on Thursdays,” said senior Jessica Stafford.

Along with Happy hour, Monday is $1 PBR and $2 Red eye shots. Tuesday, all ages are welcome until 9 p.m.. Tuesday nights are also comprised of Beer Pong Tournaments, and $5 PBR pitchers. Wednesday is 50 cent wings, $5.50 CPR’s and Karaoke night. Thursday night kicks off the weekend with its popular college night thirsty Thursdays, and $2 Coronas.

Friday night is Girls Night Out with drink specials for the ladies, and always has a DJ. Saturday is free pool till 6 p.m. with karaoke, and Sunday has breakfast with the NFL game ticket, which plays all the games on that day.

Friars also often throws parties. Twice a year the pub has a glow in the dark party, with a hired glow pain face painter, a white trash Joe Dirt party and even a stop light loving party. The stop light loving party pins guests as single and ready to mingle with the color green, yellow for those who are unsure, and red for taken. The stop light loving party is a great way to mingle with others who are of the same status. The parties always attract a big crowd and lots of college students.

“It’s a good night when the sororities come in. It’s always something different. When they come in costume it throws us off,” said Jeremiah Cooms, the bouncer at Friars.

Friar Tucks Pub is also known for having the best fish and chips in town, along with their famous corned beef dinner. Burgers, salads, sandwiches and fried pickles are other items that can be found on the menu.

The Pub also supports pool league teams for North Bay, PBC, BCA league and has an in house fun league for all. Sign-ups for fun league start next week.

“I am not the greatest at pool, but I will definitely be coming back for the fall pool fun league. I play in the league with my mom, It is awesome that anyone is welcome to sign up,” said Michael Cossey a Friars league pool player.

The fun league meets Thursday afternoons. It costs $5 a game, and at the end of the season there are many giveaways and a big potluck.

Features

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Recruitment starts off friendships for life Amy lee Staff Writer

A

t a small school like Sonoma State, people sometimes get lost trying to find where they belong. This past weekend, over 400 girls made the decision to go through Panhellenic Fall Formal Recruitment to see if Greek life was the right fit for them. By the end of the weekend, most discovered that it was.

Sonoma State has six Panhellenic sororities on campus including Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and Phi Sigma Sigma, as well as an associate member, Lambda Kappa Pi. Formal Recruitment took place on campus from Friday to Momnday. Leading into the weekend, Panhellenic held three informational meetings in order to give women interested in the process the chance to learn more about what Panhellenic does and what the weekend of recruitment was going to be like.

Although each sorority has their individual differences, they all are founded upon similar values.

Concepts such as leadership, personal growth, academics and loyalty are all things that are focused on in the Greek community.

Each sorority has a specific philanthropy that they raise money for throughout the year. However, at almost all of these philanthropy events, one is bound to find members from other sororities helping raise the money for that specific philanthropy. Here at Sonoma State, Greek unity is a very important standard. Particularly between Panhellenic sororities, they all try to be there for each other in positive ways all throughout the year.

Panhellenic President Samantha Mraz, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, had been looking forward to this past weekend for a while.

“From an active sorority member’s side, recruitment is one of the most exciting times of the year. You get to meet hundreds of new women and form a bond with your sisters that no one else understands except for other sorority women,” said Mraz.

Each day of recruitment had a specific focus.

On the first day, the main importance was for each woman to get a taste of what each of the six sororities is really like. The days continue on through the weekend with focuses on philanthropy, learning more about the sisterhoods and eventually realizing which sorority they feel they are ready to become a part of.

“You have the opportunity to find a sisterhood that fits you and memories from that one weekend that you will take away for the rest of your life,” said Samantha Mraz.

The weekend ended on Monday evening with Bid Day. This is when the new members received their bids from the sorority they are soon to discover will be their home away from home. At this point, each group of new members from each sorority ran into the arms of their new sisters at the South Lawn behind the Student Center. Junior Jordan LoNigro of Alpha Omicron Pi loves that part of the experience the most.

“It feels like our new sisters are running home to us, and it’s so exciting knowing that these girls are the future of our chapter,” said Jordan LoNigro.

This past weekend was a time of self-discovery in the search for a home away from home here at Sonoma State. These women who took that leap of faith will now move forward to further discover the important history and sisterhood bonds behind the sorority they are now a part of. Recruitment was, as always, a huge success. Now these women have found a way to truly discover who they are with sisters by their side. Because it’s not just four years, it’s for life.

STAR // Jonathan Angulo This group of students were able to participate in the ropes course as a class to create a comfortable learning environment.

Low Ropes creates trust with peers Jonathan Angulo Staff Writer

S

onoma State University provides a unique learning experience for small groups through its low ropes program. The course is located between Darwin and the Rec center. That is the place where small groups come together to learn how to build trust, leadership, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills.

Low ropes facilitator McKella Koho has been part of the ropes program for four years now, leading groups through a series of activities to build these skills. Any group with at least six people can sign up for a ropes program.

Also, if they are Sonoma State students or affiliates, the group is paid for by a grant from Instructionally Related Activity Fees. In other words, the course is free if you are a Sonoma State student. For non-students or affiliates of SSU the cost varies depending on duration of stay on the ropes course. Prices are divided into quarter days (2-3.5 hours), half days (4 hours) and full days (8 hours).

Koho believes the low ropes program can be a valuable experience.

“Participating in a group allows people the chance to get away from real world problems. It may seem silly at first but if students come with an awesome attitude they give themselves the opportunity to break down social barriers. Do not be afraid to get a little weird” said McKella Koho.

Facilitators also enjoy reminding people about sustainability, putting a twist on the story of an activity to get the groups thinking about what the word “sustainability” means to them. The course itself tries to use as much recycled material as possible so they can eliminate waste. For example, the low rope element of the course is constructed with recycled utility poles that would otherwise been dumped.

Sara Joy Mullinax is a freshman here at SSU

and is originally from Inglewood, CA. She attended the low ropes program with her philosophy class and did not expect to get involved as much as she did. The facilitators of the ropes course led her group through a series of non-strenuous activities. They began with name games, followed by ice breakers, then onto more challenging activities that focus on communication, problem solving, building trust and the low ropes course itself.

“I did not really expect to get on the low ropes course, but after going through the different activities I felt comfortable enough with my class to give it a try,” said Mullinax. “The ropes course can help overcome any fears. Do not be afraid to look stupid because if you set that aside you can accomplish a lot” she stated. Sara Joy is excited to come back and recommends this to her peers.

Facilitators like McKella Koho are able to their job because of strong leaders like Cammy York, who is one of the programmers for low ropes. This is her second year as a programmer, but she has worked for low ropes for a total of four years. She is in charge of scheduling, hiring and overseeing facilitators like Koho.

Cammy York loves her job because low ropes is, “Community building and communication building. It is such a great high when you facilitate and the group vibes with what you are saying and doing.” She believes adventure programs as a whole is a great community that people should get involved in.

With students involved in group projects, teams, clubs on campus, work and any array of groups activities, it can be beneficial to sign up for a ropes course to have some fun while learning valuable life lessons. To set a date for a group contact ropes@sonoma.edu and talk to either Cammy York or Lisa Moore. They will set the group up with facilitators and from there you can customize the types of challenges, activities and the duration of the course.

Page 9

STAR // Maud Busson Miss Kitty and the Big Dogs perform at the last Friday Night Farmers Market until next year. They brought flavor and entertainment to the community.

Friday Night Market ties in the community Nataly Estupiñan Staff Writer

A

loud and vivacious crowd of Rohnert Park citizens were all smiles Friday evening at the City Center Plaza for the last Friday Night Market of the year.

Everyone cheered and some danced to Miss Kitty and the Big Dogs musical performance as they enjoyed great tasting food and drinks.

For five years, the Rohnert Park Friday Night Market and the Party on the Plaza music series have provided the community with healthy fruits and vegetables, great food and entertainment.

This Farmers Market typically runs from the beginning of June and ends toward the end of August and it is one of the many markets put on throughout Sonoma County during the summer.

The Friday Night Market provides plenty of fruits and vegetables from local farmers and a variety of freshly cooked food, Nellies Oysters, Mary’s Pizza Shack and many others. The most popular stand at the Market is the Killer Baking Company.

Everyone was waiting in line for a taste of the delicious brownies and fresh homemade ice cream. If the food is not enough to get someone down to the plaza, the alcohol always helps one in the spirit of celebration. Proceeds from the beers and wine go to Rohnert Park City Schools.

Many kids and parents cheered as they listened along to Miss Kitty and the Big Dogs, a local favorite, who have been performing at many farmers markets and summer concert series’ throughout Sonoma

County.

They are known for their lively 40s and 50s inspired eclectic style music, which ranges from: blues, jazz and rockabilly. Another well-known teen by the name of Cassidy performed two songs, which she wrote herself.

One was called “Goodbye”, a song that was fitting to the ending of the Friday night market. Cassidy has been performing at the Farmers Market for about four years and her music style has dubbed her the local Taylor Swift.

A local martial arts school, Kuk Sool Won, from Rohnert Park also did a great demonstration of the skills they have acquired throughout their training, which included a fake fight and wood board breaking to demonstrate the many skills that anyone can acquire through their training.

One Rohnert Park resident, Claire, stated that she has been coming to the market for a few years now because it is a great place to bring the family and meet up with other friends and their families.

The Rohnert Park Farmers Market strives to be family friendly, but most importantly kid friendly, with a variety of craft tables.

The Friday Night Farmers Market is simply a place for anyone to spend time with friends and have a good time while having great food.

For those tired of eating processed foods and in dire need for some freshly picked vegetables, then the Market is the place to be.

Unfortunately the Market has come to a close for the 2014 year, but will be back in August 2015.

STAR // Maud Busson Family and friends gather to enjoy all the Friday Night Market has to offer, such as music, food, drinks and each others company.

Page 10

Sports

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Rugby gearing up for the new season

STAR // Maud Busson Seawolf rugby placed third at the National tournament last year and are looking to continue that success into the new season.

Parents, families, friends and alumni of SSU: Want Sonoma State’s student-run newspaper delivered straight to your door?

Receive 14 issues of the STAR for the fall semester to stay updated on current events, Seawolf sports, campus arts and performances, student spotlights, clubs, student government and more.

To subscribe from AUG. 19 - DEC. 28, please e-mail

Subscribe to the STAR today!

A STAR subscription costs only $20 ($21 FOR PayPal) and is the perfect holiday gift for Seawolves, friends and family.

star@sonoma. edu

Follow us on Twitter: @sonomastatestar

Sports

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

STAR // Kyler Khan Jiu-Jitsu is a ground-based martial art that focuses on submissions.

Hitting the mats with the Jiu-Jitsu club K yler Khan Staff Writer

N

ow in its fourth year of existence, the Jiu-Jitsu club was founded by former SSU student Joe Pycz, and continues to offer opportunities for people to gain martial arts knowledge, practice and competition. In the words of current president and member Daniel Settlemeyer, the club is “mostly about fun, about learning the sport and becoming better at ground fighting and self-defense.”

“Anyone can find something they like about it, everyone has a place here and it’s a great environment. We’re all here to have some fun, meet people, and learn about self-defense.”

For those unfamiliar, Jiu-Jitsu is a ground-based martial art

that focuses on submissions. It is non-striking, contains no weapons and is about getting into position for fighting on the ground.

The club’s practices, which are more like training sessions, are held in the Fieldhouse, which is a separate court attached to the main gym. Each week sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m. Members can expect these sessions to have everything from warming up and jogging to one on one contesting with pushups, sit-ups, core exercise and technique practice in between. On top of the regularly schedule meetings, members are welcome to get outside work in at Esteem, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Petaluma.

As for tournaments, the club has nothing formally scheduled as of now but they are always looking to compete with clubs and schools in California. Just last year, the team competed against CSU Northridge, Santa Barbara, Humboldt State, and even rival Chico State in a tournament that they hosted at the Fieldhouse.

With their eyes on planning more events, it’s possible that members will be able to travel to events during weekends throughout the school year.

According to Settlemeyer, a couple of the past presidents, such as founder Joe Pycz, have come away from competitions with gold and silver medals in the last few years.

Player Profile: Laura Curtin Jake Tucker Staff Writer

W

hen you run into Lauren Curtin on the street, there is a good chance she is going to have a soccer ball in one hand, and a trophy in the other. In her one full season as a Seawolf midfielder, Curtin was given honors such as the CCAA Newcomer of the Year, NSCAA Division II Women’s Soccer All-America Team, Daktronics, Inc. NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer All-America Team, and NSCAA All-West Region First Team. Curtin, who is a local girl out of Santa Rosa, was only the 24th Sonoma State women’s soccer player to be given All-America honors. She led the Seawolves with nine assists, and also contributed eight goals in 2013.

Curtin graduated from Maria Carrillo High School in 2010, and went to Santa Rosa Junior College to play soccer. In her first year there, she was selected to the Big 8 First-Team AllConference. In her second and final year at SRJC, she earned All-American honors, and helped lead the Bear Cubs to the state championship. She was also named to the Big 8 First-Team All-Conference for the second straight year.

Seawolf Sports Sept. 4 Women’s Soccer at Azusa Pacific 4 p.m.

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Laura Curtin scored all three goals in last week’s victory over UCSC. In 2012, Curtin transferred over to Sonoma State because she loved the campus, and it is close to home. Curtin was injured her first year as a Seawolf, and was forced to medical redshirt, while her twin sister, Cara Curtin would go on to win the CCAA Newcomer of the Year award. Seeing these two play on the field together must look like a blur of Curtin running right past you. Lauren says that running a subfive minute mile is her greatest high school athletic accomplishment.

In Sonoma State’s first game of the

season, last week against the University of Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, Curtin scored all three of the Seawolves’ goals in the 3-0 victory. The season is looking optimistic.

Lauren, now a senior at Sonoma State, is coming back with her sister in 2014 to help continue Sonoma State’s success in the CCAA Standings. The Seawolves are projected to finish second in the CCAA this year, which would give Head Coach Emiria Salzmann her third straight postseason appearance.

Seawolves give back with “Soccer Sundays” Meaghan Whitehorn Staff Writer

T

Settlemeyer feels that people can achieve a lot through being a member of the club beyond achievement through competition.

Since joining, he has made close relationships and he’s able to workout and hangout at the same time.

“It’s a really good way to blow off some steam as well,” said Settlemeyer.

The club is always open to new members. It’s a come as you please and drop in deal. No experience is necessary and the only requirement is showing up in regular gym clothes and athletic gear. Although, because of the physical nature of the martial art, compression shorts, polyester and rash guards are recommended.

“Anyone can find something they like about it, everyone has a place here and it’s a great environment. We’re all here to have some fun, meet people, and learn about self-defense,” said Settlemeyer.

For anyone looking to get in shape, this club is recommended because of the amount of cardio and body weight exercise that takes place in the sport.

Anybody interested in learning more about being in the club should stop in for a practice or contact president Daniel Settlemeyer. Both the club and Daniel are available through Facebook. Flyers with Daniel’s contact info are also located throughout campus.

he Seawolves are reaching out to their community with a new promotion, “Youth Soccer Sundays”, that was announced during the summer. The men and women’s soccer teams are sharing their love of the game with youth players and their families and coaches at select home Sunday games during the 2014 season.

All youth, club and school teams of the North Bay Area can sign up and receive free admission for all their players and coaches, with additional tickets for family and friends to join for just $2 per ticket. The kids will get to be right in the middle NCAA soccer action with exclusive opportunities to be up close and personal with the Seawolves.

Teams will receive team introductions, alongside the an-

nouncements of the Seawolves’ starting lineups. Some kids, a minimum age of 10, will get to be ball kids, helping the game flow run smoothly while being right next to the action. There will also be a half-time penalty kick competition, on the field photos with the Seawolves before or after the game and a free commemorative poster that is great for autographs.

Some Sundays there will be only one team allowed to take part in this special opportunity per game, so if you know teams that would be interested, people are encouraged to contact Brandon Bronzan at brandon.bronzan@sonoma.edu.

The schedule for “Youth Soccer Sundays” is: Sept. 14 women vs. CSU Monterey Bay Sept. 28 women vs. Humboldt State Sept. 28 men vs. Humboldt State Oct. 12 women vs. Chico State Oct. 26 women vs. Cal Poly Pomona Oct. 26 men vs. Cal Poly Pomona

Women’s Volleyball vs. Western Washington 5 p.m.

Men’s Soccer at Simon Fraser 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 5 Men’s Soccer at Cal State Monterey Bay 11:30 a.m.

Women’s Soccer at Cal State Monterey Bay 2 p.m.

Sept. 6 Women’s Soccer at Point Loma 1 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs Hawaii Pacific at Central Washington 2:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 7 Men’s Soccer vs. HawaiiHilo 1 p.m.

Sept. 8 Women’s Soccer at Dominican 3 p.m.

Sept. 11 Men’s Soccer vs. Cal Baptist 5 p.m.

Courtesy of

sonomaseawolves.com

Page 12

Photo This week in photos...

Sept. 2 - Sept. 8, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

Gypsy Kings

STAR // Jon Capetta Crowds of students and patrons alike filled the Green Music Center Thursday to enjoy the traditional style of Flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms.

Adjacent to the newly unveiled Schroeder Hall, the Green Music Center’s sprawling back lawn seated hundreds during the Gypsy Kings performance.

Friday Night Market

STAR // Maud Busson Fresh fruits and vegetables lined the streets Friday night as hundreds came out to enjoy the music and food of Rohnert Park.