Volume73 issue4

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Women’s soccer undefeated

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Hypnotist draws crowd

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Bike rules confuse students

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

VOLUME 73 // ISSUE 4

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

SEPTEMBER 16 - SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

Remembrance day marked with speeches, memorial

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Peter Njoroge Copy Editor

ith nearly a full attendance and moving personal speeches, the Filipino American Association of Sonoma State University and the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition of the Bay Area organized a Pacific War Remembrance day on Sunday at 2 p.m. at SSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Memorial Grove. According to an article on Sonoma State’s NewsCenter website, Pacific War remembrance is specifically related to crimes the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces committed against people in the Pacific during World War II. “Thousands were crowded into the holds of Japanese ships without water, food or sufficient insulation… massacres only occurred in schools, hospitals and convents,” said senior and biology major Paolo Ochoa. The memorial event continued with Ochoa giving a speech on the history of the war and asking for the Japanese government to acknowledge its past military actions. “My ancestors had suffered untold pain and loss. The government of Japan must formally acknowledge its war crimes and make fair compensations to pacific war victims and their families,” Ochoa said. Professor of mathematics and statistics Jeen Bee Chan, who’s also chair of the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition gave the next speech. She began with thanking all the attendees and pointed to the memorial rock that she helped contribute to the memorial grove. “This memorial rock is significant. It is the first and only memorial in North America to honor the memory of all 35 million Pacific War victims. The enormity of 35 million is staggering,” said Chan. “If you add up the population of the 27 most populous U.S. cities, it is still under 35 million. Just imagine, all of those people were killed in Asia during the forgotten holocaust.” She continued by addressing how much the memorial rock represents in context to the atrocities that the people endured. She termed these atrocities as the “forgotten Asian holocaust.” “People in Manchuria were chased away from their homeland, they gave up their treasure and they left their old parents to die there because they couldn’t run away. That marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China. They lost their homes, they were murdered, burned, villages were looted and women were raped. All of the numerous unspeakable, physical and emotional torture,” Chan said. Chan also addressed the issue of living human beings being used as experiments during the war. She also used the example of Germany, acknowledging their war crimes and paying their dues and asked this to be done with the “forgotten holocaust”. As for the students who were in the crowd, some expressed the fact that they learned more and connected certain aspects of the presentation to their own family history. “I could actually relate to this whole situation as well because my parents are Albanian and they just recently got their independence five years ago. If people know about this, then people become more aware and if more people are aware they become more active and more involved into making sure this doesn’t happen again,” said junior and biochemistry major Liridona Leti. For more information about SSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Memorial Grove, visit their website at sonoma.edu/holocaustmemorialgrove.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez The Carpenters 46 Workers Union protested in front of the Sonoma State University last week.

Labor union protest sparks controversy Sara Molenda Staff Writer

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embers of University Carpenters 46 Workers Union gathered in protest at Sonoma State early last week. Representatives from the union passed out flyers on campus sporting a grim reaper holding a money bag with the words SUNDT and Profit on the image. SUNDT Construction is not working on any current projects at Sonoma State, however this is the third demonstration where members in construction unions have protested against the actions, or lack thereof, of SUNDT Construction and the lack of action against the university to act on the demands of the protestors. Two separate protests occurred on two other California State University campuses earlier this year, one at San Jose State University and the other at Cal State East Bay. Descriptions of the flyers from each of the protests all seem to match up. The flyer states, “Community Beware: SSU has failed to require SUNDT Construction and all of its subcontractors to pay the Carpenter Area Standard Wages and Benefits and to provide Training and Apprenticeship requirements on all their jobs all the time!!!” The other side of the flyer, bearing the title, “Shame on SSU & SUNDT,” provides two contacts, Ruben Armiñana, President of SSU, and Eric Hedlund, chief operations officer/executive vice

president. Though the contact information listed was incorrect. The disclaimer at the very bottom of the flyer reads, “We do not seek recognition nor are we asking anyone to stop working, stop deliveries or cease doing business with any employer. Carpenters Local 46.” The union representatives were not chanting nor answering questions. Rather, they passed out the flyers and stated that all of the necessary information was on the flyer. While union members were not available for questioning, a representative from SUNDT Construction, Jeffrey Perelman was able to comment on the protest. In response to the printed statement about SUNDT failing to require certain stipulations involving equal wages and benefits, Perelman said that the union is responsible for Training and Apprenticeship requirements. “Promises between the union and its members are for the Union’s consideration,” said Perelman. The definition of a union, as found online at the Carpenters Local 46 website, states that men and women within the union work together to stand together for better wages, working conditions and benefits. According to this definition, the union is responsible for what workers need to work in a safe and suitable environment, not the employers. While it is difficult to know who is responsible, SUNDT Construction, SSU or the union, it is evident that the issue will continue.

Young’s Market donates to Wine Business Gustavo Vasquez Staff Writer

Business and Economics Dr. William Silver. “It was an incredibly exciting conversation, because they aren’t merely interested in helping us to build the Wine Spectator Learning Center, but are also interested in building a collaborative partnership,” Silver said. Young’s Market Company plans on not only making a partnership with the Wine Business Program, but also plans on having several of their own staff participate in the program. Gaby Aguirre, a junior and business major with a concentration in wine business strategies had many positive things to say about the recent contribution and partnership with Young’s Market Company. “Young’s Market has great values and business ethics. It has already been very supportive in the past of the Wine Business Institute. They’ve even hired graduates from the program. Partnerships like this are what help better the institute and its growth to becoming the best,” said Aguirre

Aguirre also had this to say about the program and partnership with Young’s Market Company. “The institute is already a prominent aspect of the campus but there has never really been a physical and more technical building to actually aid the students here. A main worry of students in today’s generation is not getting a job when they graduate. The career center and other partnerships like Young’s Market have definitely helped put that worry at ease,” said Aguirre. The recent contribution is just one of many which were made to Sonoma State for the construction of the Wine Spectator Learning Center. In July, President Ruben Armiñana announced that Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator Magazine donated $3 million toward the Wine Spectator building.

Volleyball splits series

Jhené Aiko’s “Souled Out” is refreshing

Escape to Italy at Riviera Ristorante

See the recap on Pg. 10

See the review on Pg. 7

Read more on Pg. 9

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nother donation was made to Sonoma State University for the construction of the new state of the art Wine Spectator Learning Center, which is described as the showcase of the Wine Business Program by the recent donor. Young’s Market Company, a distributor in the United States of wine and spirits recently donated $250,000 to Sonoma State for the construction of the Wine Spectator building, which begins construction in 2015. “I am pleased to announce the gift from Young’s Market Company in support of SSU’s Wine Business Institute. The President and executive vice president of Young’s Market Company came to campus to discuss our programs and students and how they can be involved and support our goals,” said Dean of the School of

See DONATION on Pg. 4


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Editorial THE STAR Fall 2014 Editorial Board

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

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Building from the ground up

Read more about the rededication of International Hall on page 5.

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ears of physical improvements to Sonoma State University’s campus have produced varied reactions from faculty and students alike. Whether or not the general population of the school is in favor of the expensive makeover that has been taking place over recent years, it’s still happening. However, one must look past the basic aesthetics of this revamping. What may seem like hundreds of thousands of dollars spent merely on pretty buildings is actually a much more dynamic plan at work. A plan that many people are (so far, at least) surprisingly pleased with. In what used to be the building that housed the old Student Union and Pub, a lot of reorganizing has happened.

Sonoma State’s International Hall will be receiving a rededication this Monday after months of refurbishment. Now the space is being used to better suit the needs of international students, as well as house the Study Abroad and National Exchange Student programs. Although the controversial issue of the production of the new Student Center has been beaten to death, it’s important to take something away from the matter. Have we benefited from the dollars spent on this large-scale project? While some may be bitter from the extra money they had taken away via tuition, there has been plenty of positive feedback.

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

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

“Looking ahead: Men’s lacrosse” Being a popular sports club on campus, the men’s lacrosse team is gearing up for the new season ahead. Staff Writer Kyler Khan brings about the history of the group’s recent success, and the outlook of their upcoming year, with hopes to win a league championship, and perhaps continue on to reach a national victory.

Turn to page 10 to see the profile

STAR // Eddie Blake

The new eateries, while a bit pricey, serve much better dishes than those of the old cafeteria. Lobo’s has played host to numerous open mic nights and Seawolf showcases, bringing students together every week. Clubs and organizations were given a new, updated space to work with. One of the chief benefits of the new Student Center is its central location. This allows students to enter the building and take care of their hunger as well as look for a new book or sweatshirt. Students are able to enter discussion rooms and relax with friends. As years pass, we forget why we were so troubled by such a large new addition and instead we start to take advantage of the benefits. But that does not negate the fact that the addition of the new Student Center came at a cost worth more than money. We lost the beloved Pub and Ameci’s in all this change, as well as the building where the Bookstore was previously located. The Commons has also been vanquished of their kitchen. Ameci’s is temporarily a makeshift extra space for Lobo’s to use. The Commons is going to be replaced by the Wine Business Learning Center within the next two years. The addition of the Green Music Center caused a controversy just about as large as the one the Student Center produced. While the building itself is a gorgeous addition, many were distraught by the amount of money being spent on it. But, much like the outcome of the preceding tiff, many have learned to love the new building. It seems as if the only thing really getting in the way of adapting to these new changes, is time. With the start of a new school year, many new freshman and transfer students alike, have no idea or reason to feel bitter about what the campus used to look like or have available. It is not something they took part in voting for, and if they made the decision to come here, then the tuition cost shouldn’t be a big issue. Students on campus will probably grow to love all these new additions and changes, but until they are all completely finished and redesigned, people may continue to nitpick.

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.

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

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E-mail all opinions to

star@sonoma.edu

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

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

Opinions

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

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Opinion

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

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Beware of shallow dating app

Megan Minturn Staff Writer

I STAR // Marybeth Mondok

One bike at a time Shannon Brown Staff Writer

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ccording to bestc ol le g e s o n l i n e. com, UC Davis is ranked number two under Stanford University regarding the most bike friendly campuses in the nation. UC Davis, one of Sonoma States’s neighbor colleges, is rated so high because of all the bike accessible pathways that line most of the campus. The hundreds of bike racks and bike lanes make it easy for students to get to class in a more environmental and time efficient way. While walking the long trek of 50 feet from my dorm to my classes, I come in contact with a lot of bikes. A lot of these bike encounters ended in either me being inches from being hit, or hearing the bike and having to move five feet out of the way to make room for the bike rider. Sonoma State is not bike friendly. There I said

it. Yes, some parts of the campus have wider walkways, and therefore more bikes can get through, but most of the campus contains narrow pathways and rocky terrain. Although I personally don’t have a bike here, I use my roommate’s bike if I’m ever running late to class or am just feeling a little lazy that day. From the biker’s perspective, I’m constantly trying not to hit people as I weave my way through a sea of people. As a pedestrian, I have to constantly be on the look out for a bike coming up behind me in case I have to move out of the walkway. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that bikes are going to be on every college campus, but being that Sonoma State is such a small school, the annoyance of having to constantly move out of the way for bikes is getting old. It’s only my first month on campus and

I’m already getting tired of the bikes on campus. I mean, it’s not their fault that Sonoma State’s pathways from the dorms to classes are two feet wide. If there are ways to create more bike paths separate from walkways or to make the pathways wider to fit both bikes and people, I would be all for that. It would not only help the school run smoother, but both walking pedestrians and people on bikes would be put at ease. I recognize that this shouldn’t be Sonoma State’s top priority considering we are here to get the most out of our education, but I think that bike accessibility is something that should be brought up. Sonoma State will continue to grow and expand, and my only hope is that through this expansion, they will consider making more room for both walking students and students on bikes. I understand that Sonoma State supports bike riders through the

numerous bike racks and by having a bike maintenance station that is located in the recreation center. I also know that Sonoma State prides itself on being a green campus, so promoting bikes would be nothing but beneficial to them and even add to their reputation on being environmentally friendly. The amount of change and growth that Sonoma State will continue to go through will hopefully bring a change to the way bikes are seen as campus. I hope that bikes will no longer be seen as an annoying obstacle that runs students off the road, but a more peaceful and harmonious form of transportation. Bikes will continue to be a popular form of transportation for college kids across the country. However, an important duty of the schools is to make sure that the bikes and walking pedestrians are keeping the peace throughout campus.

DNA testing could help solve crimes this timeless interest in solving mysteries. Whether this interest is due to the fact that a mystery is an amusing puzzle to solve, a large population of people feed into the mystery genre of TV, movies, books and more. For the mysteries such as Jack the Ripper, that ultimately will never be solved, science forever changed the way police solved crimes, with DNA testing. Science Danielle Hansen has the ability to place people at a Staff Writer murder based off their genetics. DNA testing was first used in he term “ripperology” was the US in 1987, and has been used coined by Colin Wilson in since then. The case that started the the 1970s. Professionals and boom on DNA testing being used amateurs who study the Jack the in the courts was the infamous O.J. Ripper case and associated myster- Simpson trials. Up until this case, ies are known as a “ripperologists.” DNA tests were not well known. Jack the Ripper is the more infa- Since then, it has become one of the mous murder case of all time and it most influential practices in provdates back to Britain in 1888. ing individuals guilty or not guilty The murderer had apparently for a wide variety of crimes. written a series of letters that were Recently new information sursent to the police department or lo- faced for the Jack the Ripper Case. cal media outlets. Hundreds of let- Apparently a shawl that had been ters were received, but many or all worn by one of the victims was disof them were thought to be fake. covered. Keep in mind this shawl This case remained unsolved for is around 127 years old. It was said over 100 years, which raised the that a police officer asked to take the question if the case will ever be shawl home to give his wife. With solved. I believe the answer is, prob- new evidence coming into light, ably not. there will be a spark added to the Murder mysteries have always flame for the ripperology commuevoked my curiosity. Having an nity. over active mind does not serve me It was a different time then, well when reading or watching a clothing had to be tailor-made and mystery. My adrenalin starts pump- there was no mass produced clothing and my heart beats rapidly. ing. People wore what they could From the Nancy Drew mystery get and a shawl would have been an books and movies, to all the various uncommon article of clothing. Even CSI TV. series; there has been then, the wife did not want a blood-

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stained shawl. The wife was said not to have washed the shawl, and then to have packed it into storage. It then became a family heirloom that was recently sold to Ripper enthusiast, Russell Edwards. I am not sure if evidence that is over 127 years old can be untainted if not stored properly. Apparently it can. Edwards had DNA testing done to the shawl to confirm it did in fact belong to the victim, using a blood sample from her current female living descendent. Also on the shawl was male DNA, which Edwards claimed to belong to the murderer. It is amazing that so long after the event happened that science can still give us a piece to this ever ending story. In my opinion, we need to start putting DNA testing in more recent cases. Often times the police station will keep the evidence on file, to refer to at a later date. There are many people paying for crimes they did not do right now. I know it would be expensive to do, but innocent until proven guilty is our country’s motto, right? For all of the living inmates asking for an appeal claiming to be innocent, they need to be given the benefit of the doubt. Especially if their case was solved before DNA testing. DNA testing is a powerful tool that can be used to prove people’s innocent or guilty verdict. If DNA testing can be used to help solve a 127-year-old case, why can we not go back and solve cases more recent then over 100 years old? Personally, I think this technology should be used to go back and solve old cases. Unsolved or not.

f the Tinder app is an unfamiliar concept, let me break it down. “Are you an appendix? I don’t know how you work, but I have a feeling I need to take you out.” That was just one of the many creepy pick-up lines I received while I had a Tinder. Tinder is a dating app that uses Facebook and a location to match up an endless amount of people who also use Tinder. Since it is linked with a personal Facebook account, a lot of the time the individual will have mutual friends with the people they are matched up with. Users of the app are displayed with a picture of a man or woman along with their name and age. If the user is not interested in the presented match, they will swipe left for “NO NEVER HAPPENING.” However, if the user is interested in the presented match (thinks they are really hot) then the user will swipe right meaning they will have the potential to message if the person they liked, likes them back. So basically what we have here is a dating app where people establish some type of relationship, however weird it is, purely based on their appearances. I have always found it hard to believe when couples say they met on Tinder, but believe it or not, it happens. However, many people treat Tinder as a joke and people end up getting one because it is a fun game to judge people you don’t know based on their funny looks and ridiculous pick-up lines.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m bored I will sit on the couch and spend an hour on Tinder making fun of all the different guys I see. It is great because no one will ever know if you swiped left when his or her picture came up, it’s confidential. This is exactly why it seems ridiculous to even consider using Tinder for serious dating. Most people are talking to multiple Tinder users at a time and it is more than likely that all Tinder users are having very similar conversations. Start out with a pick-up line, attempt to find out some basic facts about the person, flirt a little and then see where it goes. We as college students already spend too much time on social media apps and mostly communicate through text. We don’t call on the phone very often or even socialize in person, so why do we need something else to inhibit ourselves from in-person interactions? This isn’t to say that people who meet on Tinder don’t ever hang out in person. They do. Hanging out after meeting on Tinder is like going on a blind date. And since Tinder is considered more of a casual dating site, you’re not likely going to start something serious or meaningful. Most of us can recognize that the dating scene has changed a lot because of our tech-savvy generation, and not necessarily for the better. Maybe I’m old fashioned or behind the times, but I think it would be really nice if people just tried to meet and get to know each other in person Lets slow down the Tinder-ing hype and try out real life interactions. Imagine that amazingly random moment where you bump into someone in the library, or meet at a party and have an instant connection. You might miss a moment like that spending your time staring at your phone checking to see if you have any new Tinder matches. There are so many ways to start dating, why does a shallow app like Tinder need to be one of them?

A man’s best friend

Veronica Benvenuto Staff Writer

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or centuries dogs have been described as a man’s best friend, but this may not hold true. There is a worldwide pet population and many people don’t realize how breeders are not the actual cause of this problem. Usually it is too late when people realize all the responsibility that goes into feeding, cleaning and spending time with their animal. People can easily lose sight of their responsibilities and interest in their pet. They may be animals, but each and every one of them has a personality just like human beings.

What needs to change is the attitude of the general public. When one decides to buy a cute little puppy or kitten, the decision should be looked at as a 10 to 15 year commitment. The American Humane Society website pointed out the vast majority of people who buy or adopt pets like a dog or cat, end up later getting rid of it or passing them onto rescues, pounds or even leave them abandoned. This summer, while driving after work, I saw this little fur ball wandering the streets, but I could not pin point what it was as it crossed over. Once I realized it was a Chihuahua. I slammed on my breaks and ran to pick it up before it became road kill.

The poor little Chihuahua must had been wandering for a while, because it was in bad shape with rocks stuck in its teeth and was extremely weak. The dog had no nametag, but I still took it to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Luckily, while at the SPCA, they were able to find a chip so they could contact the owners. As I was waiting, I noticed the incredible amount of dogs without owners, especially Chihuahuas. I asked the people working if all the dogs did not have homes. They replied yes, and that most of them were from people who couldn’t take care of them anymore. It wasn’t until I saw first hand at the shelter how serious the overpopulation really is. What needs to change is the attitude of the general public. When one decides to buy a cute little puppy or kitten, the decision should be looked at as a 10 to 15 year commitment. If one does not wish to commit this amount of time to a dog or cat, then don’t buy it. When it grows up and the situation does not work out as you might have envisioned it, the animals are the ones truly being affected. Another incident that I personally witnessed this summer at work is when someone dropped a box off outside of the office. A little white f luffy dog was lying inside the box. Luckily, one of the many dog lovers in the office decided to rescue the poor dog who had must been abused from their previous owner. There are many excellent dogs and cats in rescues and pounds. These animals are not the “reject” animals but animals that are unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of people who decided they didn’t want to take the responsibility. Each and everyday these animals are killed, simply because there are not enough homes, rescues, and manpower. Each and every one of us who want to adopt a pet should look into rescue to prevent being a part of the world’s pet animal overpopulation problem.


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News

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Pollution Prevention Week in Sonoma County Jalissa Tello Staff Writer

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n annual phenomenon of promoting sustainability and the environment has made its way back around this year to Sonoma County. Starting on the third Monday of facebook.com September each year is National Pollution The National Pollution RoundPrevention Week. table sheds light on the harm Originating in Califorbrought to Earth by toxins. nia in 1992, Prevention Week has gained popularity throughout the entire nation and in the local community. “The National Pollution Roundtable, based in Washington, D.C. and the largest membership association devoted solely to pollution prevention, is advancing pollution prevention awareness through efforts to encourage and promote widespread participation in National Pollution Prevention Week,” as stated on the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District website. The purpose of Pollution Prevention Week is to give the community and citizens the opportunity to learn about sustainability efforts and participate in activities and events by spreading awareness of the harms caused to Earth and its inhabitants through pollution. Pollution Prevention Week also focuses on informing the community about air quality advisories, air quality standards, the ozone and particle pollution.

The California Air Resources Board gathers data for California’s air quality. The board then implements air quality standards for the state. “The air quality in California has improved dramatically over what it was 20 years ago,” according to the Air Resources Board website. The Air Resources Board also explains that though pollution may be more prevalent in highly populated communities, it has its most effects on the less populated regions. “Statistics have shown that the worst ozone air quality tends to take place about 15 miles or more east of the urban core,” as stated on the Air Resources Board website. Counties all throughout California are preparing for this week long experience, putting together events and workshops to help their citizens engage in sustainability. For Sonoma County, one week devoted to the Earth just isn’t enough. The county has taken it upon itself to establish the Sonoma County Creek Week during the week of Sept. 20-28 along with a Coastal Clean Up being held by the Russian River Watershed. This event is held the fourth Monday of September every year, following Pollution Prevention Week. To see a full list of events happening in Sonoma County for Pollution Prevention Week and Creek Week, visit sonomacountygazette.com. Sonoma State University will be holding their very own Sustainability Day and Expo next month to promote the local and campus sustainability efforts that the university has taken in becoming more environmentally-friendly. Sonoma State’s Sustainability Day will be held on Oct. 21 and will be celebrated with many events, lectures and discussions. For more information regarding Sonoma State’s Sustainability Day and Expo as well as the campuses recent efforts in becoming a more sustainable and green campus, visit Sustainable SSU’s website at sonoma.edu/sustainablessu.

facebook.com Young’s Market Company donates $250,000 to the Wine Spectator Learning Institute.

DONATION: ‘A perfect collaboration’ Continued from Pg. 1

Jim Barich, senior vice president of government relation at Young’s Market Company had this to say. “What I see with this building at Sonoma State University is a showcase of the Wine Business Program,” said Barich. “This is the only place we know of in the world that offers a degree in our business.”

Young’s Market Company was founded in 1888, and is one of the oldest running family-owned companies in the United States. Young’s Market Company handles the sales and distribution of wine and spirits for wineries and breweries. “We are a symbol of whole sellers, our home base is California, and we are a big supporter of California,” said Barich “Sonoma State is located up in wine country, it was a perfect collaboration.”

Campus remembers 9/11 tragedy

A wikipedia.org The first public viewing night offered by the Astronomy and Physics Department will be held on Friday from 9-11 p.m. and will explore the Milky Way galaxy as well as Saturn and Mars.

Public viewing nights explore solar system Adam Roth Staff Writer

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or centuries, humans have gazed up at the night sky and wondered at the vastness of the stars and planets. Sonoma State’s Astronomy and Physics Department is inviting students, faculty and the general public to attend Public Viewing Nights, which are a series of free telescopic event that explores the mystery and beauty of the solar system. The first Public Viewing Night is scheduled for this Friday from 9-11 p.m. The event meets at the Sonoma State observatory, located on the far side of the track, next to Petaluma Hill Road. Observers will be able to explore the Milky Way Galaxy, view Saturn’s rings and also some of Mars’s landscapes. If the weather permits, there are four public viewing nights scheduled this semester. “This is a great opportunity to get a sense of how the night sky behaves and moves over time, ask questions to people in the know, and see what’s out there,” said visiting assistant professor and one of the event coordinators Dr.

Thomas Targett. These events provide opportunities for everyone to learn more about outer space and be able to look up at the stars in a more meaningful way. The observatory is strategically placed in the darkest spot on campus. However, fog or thick cloud cover can completely negate the possibility of viewing outer space. Targett recommends bringing warm clothes, a flashlight, and a telescope if one is available. Complimentary hot chocolate and cookies will be served for all who attend. For an optimal viewing experience, Targett also recommends turning the camera flash off while taking pictures so participants’ eyes will be fully adjusted to the dark. There will be a brief presentation at the beginning of each event to show observers what to look for, and coordinators are available to help and answer any questions. Junior, Samantha Eddy said, “It’s one thing to look up at the stars at night with just your eyes, but when you look through a telescope and see a star or a planet, it is the one of the most incredible sights.” The observatory is equipped with two main telescopes, a 12-inch and 14-inch mirror telescope along with

a smaller 8-inch telescope, which are staffed by students and volunteers. Former Sonoma State professor Joe Tenn, who retired in 2009, started the Public Viewing Nights. He often said that, according to Targett, “If you’re going to teach astronomy, you should at least teach students to look through a telescope.” Junior Pete Widders, said “I have always been fascinated with outer space, the fact that there is a free opportunity to view the stars and planets with the guidance of knowledgeable staff and students is something I am very excited about.” Each of the viewing nights has a specific theme based on what is visible on the given night. The dates, times and themes of the following three public viewing nights include: Oct. 10 from 8-10 p.m., Planetary Nebulae: Natures Watercolors, Friday Oct. 24 8-10 p.m., Globular Clusters: Ancient Relics, Friday Nov. 21 7-9 p.m., Uranus, Neptune and the Blue Snowball. If it appears that fog or clouds will force a cancellation, participants are encouraged to call Sonoma State’s Physics and Astronomy info line at (707) 664-2267. Further information is also available at the Physics and Astronomy web page.

Ashley Ronsse Staff Writer

merica will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. The smoke and ash that filled the air, the collapse and destruction of the World Trade Center and the piles of rubble are images that can never be erased. 13 years ago American lives were changed forever. A total of 2,996 people lost their lives during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Of these deaths, 2,977 were innocent American citizens including the passengers on the four airplanes, workers in the World Trade Center and Pentagon, first responders, police officers, paramedics, firefighters and military personnel. Many first responders risked their lives to save American victims trapped in the rubble and burning buildings, especially within the World Trade Center towers. Other first responders around the country were sent to New York to help respond to the disaster. “My dad is a firefighter so he was called to go to New York on a rescue mission with other firefighters from other states to recover and rescue fallen firefighters from the site,” said junior and psychology major Shannon Cosgrave. Her father, David Cosgrave is the Battalion Chief of Half Moon Bay, CA and spent about a week in New York, working to help cleanup and rescue bodies and wreckage from the rubble. Al-Qaida, the Islamic extremist group, coordinated four terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Terrorists hijacked four airline planes and crashed them into multiple locations in the states of New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. They attempted to weaken and destroy American power by attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Adrianna Lazar, a freshman and theater arts major remembered her parents’ reaction to the 9/11 tragedy, as they are both police officers. “They were affected as any first responder in America would be and that’s why they had a moment of realization: that it could be them. It also shows America that first responders put their lives on the line everyday and they know it. They return because to them the reward is greater than the looming possibility of death,” Lazar said. Freshman and undeclared major Diana Robles remembers Sept. 11 as a tragic and saddening day in the United States. She also recognizes the work and effort the police and military give back to the nation every day. “I realized how lucky I was to live in a country where attacks like that are very rare and that we were safe and we didn’t have to be scared because there were so many police officers and people in the military taking care of us on a daily basis,” Robles said. The effects of the tragic day of Sept. 11, 2001 that scarred the United States over a decade ago, are still present in the memories of many Americans today. The anniversary serves as a reminder to what has happen in the past and what Americans can do in the future as a nation.

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News

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

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Page 5

STAR // Sara Wildman International Hall is set to be re-dedicated on Monday. The facility will serve to primarily assist international and foreign students as well as study abroad students.

Preview, rededication of International Hall

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Kirsten Reeves Staff Writer

onoma State University will be welcoming the new International Hall to campus, located in what was formerly the Student Union. This rededication of International Hall will take place Monday, Sept. 22 from 3-5 p.m., and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with President Armiñana, along with music, refreshments and video and an image slideshow to celebrate. This rededication of the International Hall is being implemented to further meet the needs of international students attending Sonoma State as well as any current or prospective students who wish to participate in any international affairs. The lower level of the former Student Union is being officially renamed as International Hall and serves to “make a dramatic difference to international students and those who provide SSU services,” said Dean of the School of Extended and International Education, Mark Merickel. “These services are necessary to support the existing students and provide a motivation for a new model of worldwide recruitment of international students.” There are roughly 120 foreign students studying through the International Program, with approximately 40 in the Language Institute. The hall and its staff work with foreign students, helping them meet United States Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements, VISA assistance, passports, school transfers,

as well as employment permits. International students are also assisted in registration, payments and fees, scholarships, housing, health insurance and are even given the option of counseling in the case that they struggle adjusting to American culture. In addition to assisting international students, the newly rededicated International Hall will also handle the Study Abroad department and the National Student Exchange. The Study Abroad team works to assist students in completing part of their degree overseas. Workshops are held to help students choose appropriate academic programs, and Sonoma State hosts an Abroad Fair annually. Senior, Amanda Barr spent a year abroad in Sweden. “It was the most amazing year of my life. Sweden was an awesome country to live and grow in. I really appreciated the opportunity to travel the world and explore new cultures,” said Barr Student Nicole Weeber, who spent a year abroad in London says, “My year abroad was the most exciting and challenging adventure I’ve ever experienced. Gaining an understanding of how other cultures live, and getting the chance to be a part of that culture, is something I’m so grateful for.” National Student Exchange (NSE) is a program directed towards students who are interested in studying in a different state. There are almost 200 colleges and universities throughout the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands that participate in the National Student Exchange program. Students who take part in NSE study at another campus keep

STAR // Sara Wildman Goals of the university were discussed at the Associated Students’ meeting on Friday.

Provost presents strategic plan at meeting

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Nicole Detmers Staff Writer

ncompassing the University as a living instrument of intellect and engagement is the challenge being taken on by the University Draft Strategic Plan. The plan encompasses the viewpoint, culture and goals of the university while also pinpointing areas of success and improvement. Provost Andrew Rogerson presented the draft and was able to discuss it with Associated Stu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Twin_Towers_from_Empire_State_Building.jpg dents on Friday. “It is impressive that as a university we are already following through with some of these goals,” said Rogerson during the meeting. The current draft recognizes the culture including intellectual curiosity, diversity and inclusiveness, community involvement and civic engagement, sustainability and globalization, in the sense that there is an increased global awareness. The means and methods of achieving these goals are addressed by an increase in internal resource management and enrollment management During the meeting, senators from Associated Students were able to ask questions on the specifics for addressing some of the natures of the plan. The University plans to accomplish these goals through more academic integration of the

Green Music Center as well as hiring 19 faculty members by 2019. Concerns about verbiage and the priorities of expanding academic advising and diversity within the population of staff and students were also acknowledged. “Community is a huge part of both the university and AS strategic plans,” Erik Dickson, executive director of Associated Students said. Goals of the university directly affect the entire community of staff and students and various senators repeatedly stressed the importance of involvement in the development of these goals during the meeting. Multiple senators spoke about concerns with the attainability of the goals presented and means of achieving these goals all the while questioning the utilization of ambiguous terms throughout the document. In order to be an accredited university by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (commonly referred to as WASC) standards, the University must include a strategic plan. This document is intended to portray the intention and point of view of the school within a certain period of time. The current draft outlines improving the student experience, academic programs, faculty and staff quality of teaching. The Strategic Plan will be reviewed on a yearly basis and changes will be made in accordance to prevalent priorities of the university. Comments are due before the end of September as the final draft will be available by the end of this month.

their enrollment status at Sonoma State. Through this program students can avoid out-of-state tuition and utilize their financial aid. “Students cite academic diversification, the chance to travel, experiencing different geographic and cultural settings, personal growth and becoming more independent as reasons for participating in NSE,” as stated Sonoma State’s National Student Exchange website. These programs allow students to continue their degree, while getting the experience of studying amongst more diverse groups of people. Included in the rededicated International Hall are four “smart classrooms.” These classrooms “are equipped with stateof-the-art electronic teaching and learning systems, numerous whiteboards, and tables and chairs that can be arranged for various teaching styles including breakouts, teams and individual work.” The new International Hall was funded entirely by the School of Extended and International Education’s auxiliary funds. “The new Center for International Education will make a dramatic difference for International students and the individuals who provide the SSU services necessary to support the existing students,” said Dean Merickel. “[It also] provides a motivation for a new model of worldwide recruitment of International students to attend SSU and SSU students to study abroad.” See the ribbon cutting ceremony welcoming the rededicated International Hall on Monday at 3 p.m.


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Arts

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Comedy party animals visit Sally Tomatoes Natalie Bergman Staff Writer

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t’s important to take a night off and laugh every once in awhile. At Sally Tomatoes venue on Saturday night, a small crowd gathered for drinks and comic relief to see the Party Animal Comedy Tour. The tour consists of a collection of local and non-local comics headlining for the world famous comedy rock duo, the Beach Bum Alcoholics. The tour was completely put together by the lead singer of the BBA, Mikey G. The line-up featured comics Lucia Carol Tuman, Jefferson Mars, Tommy Broome, Hamburger and Mean Dave. Before the show, a couple of the members of BBA spoke with the STAR. Mikey G and Nightrider from the BBA described their music as a “party-style Tenacious D” describing their lead singer Mikey G as a “sex machine—the James Brown of comedy.” This was their second show in their Party Animal Comedy Tour, with 18 other shows lockedin for September and even more shows planned in facebook.com the months to follow. The first comic to perform was Lucia Carol Tu- The Beach Bum Alcoholics were the headlining group of the Party Animals Comedy man, a girl from Chicago that kept it real about life Tour. stuff without any filter. Her accent and sass were easily lovable, as she did jokes mainly revolving ing, “So I’m single…” that fit perfectly after an awk- as he talked about failing his drug test to work at Walaround being a Chicago girl, single life and admit- ward silence when his jokes were too much for the Mart, being a stoner and going to reggae concerts ting to being a stoner and a bum. Her honesty was older crowd to handle. and the countless things you can find on the Internet brilliant, bold and of course, comical. Comedian Broome came on third, a bit heavier that are both awesome and stupid at the same time. “I’m kind of a bum, but I’m always in denial than the other comedians he entered the stage by Just like the other comedians before him, he had about it though, because bum has such a negative jumping onto it with all his might, energy and en- a no-filter realness about him. connotation,” Tuman said, talking to the crowd about thusiasm. “I could get lost for hours reading about stupid herself in first person and by name. “Lucia you’re not “Rohnert Park what’s up, how you all doin’ to- shit on the Internet,” said Broome. “There’s the LFL, a bum, just because you live on a couch and make night?” Broome said. “I’m a little out of breath be- which is the Lingerie Football League. They take remajority of your income trimming weed for people cause if you guys didn’t notice I just did something ally hot women, dress them up in skimpy lingerie who pay you in weed.” hella athletic.” and unsafe padding, and then they go play football She had no shame in her bit, and you could tell His jokes were based off heckling the audience, horribly. I know what everyone here is thinking, wait that most of what she was saying was truth rather going from table to table trying to pick up women and wait wait, so you mean to tell me that I can drink than fiction to please the crowd, which gave her poke fun at everyone. There was one audience mem- beer, watch sports and masturbate?” stand-up routine both credibility and respect. ber in particular he favorited that referred to himself A comedian by the name of Hamburger came The second comedian to perform was Jefferson as “Lar-Dog” (who was obviously much more drunk on fourth, following Broome with sexual single Mars, a tall guy in a brown blazer who did bits on than the rest of the audience). jokes, dildo jokes, and stoner jokes. Much of his bit divorce, nerds and sex. His sexual jokes were tasteful Broome and Lar-Dog went back and forth sev- seemed to go over people’s heads, which was a disand very matter-of-fact, which was what made them eral times throughout his bit, commenting every time appointment for the few who understood his clever hilarious. After saying something raunchy referring he over-clapped or ripping on his name for sounding word play. to boobs or herpes in a straight-forward fashion, he “rape-y.” “My dick is like pi,” Hamburger said, “it goes on trailed off with a slight put-down toward himself sayBroome’s bits were down to earth and hilarious, forever and yet it’s still only three inches.” When

barely anyone laughed he joked again at both himself and the crowd, “Oh boy… that was a math joke” causing people who didn’t grasp it the first time to feel stupid and laugh at themselves. Mean Dave was the fifth and final comedian before the Beach Bum Alcoholics, and just as Broome did, he took pride in heckling himself, his fellow comedian buddies and the crowd. He poked fun at Sally Tomatoes for being “a venue in the middle of f****ing nowhere.” He tried getting grumpy women at the bar to smile and when they weren’t having it he moved to “Lar-Dog” who was always down for a cruel heckle. Dave’s jokes revolved mostly around making fun of his own appearance, being a former drug and alcohol addict who’s now in recovery, and referring to himself as a “grammar Nazi.” If a joke wasn’t popular, he’d counteract the awkward energy by coming back with a line like, “I don’t always do these jokes for the laughs. Sometimes I do it for the peace and quiet.” His profanity was loud and mean just as his name Mean Dave entailed, closing with a big smile on his face, “My name’s Mean Dave, f*** off.” Finally the headliner, the Beach Bum Alcoholics, came on to perform a musical comedy show that featured a mixture of all original pieces and some covered mash-ups. Mikey G and Nightrider put on their shades and started off with a song called “Don’t Touch My Butt” that had some of the crowd laughing and some of them shaking their heads. Their songs were on sex, drugs and being completely and hilariously inappropriate. Some titles were, “Good Weed In CA” “C*nt-Tree” and “Mother F***ers.” In the end, they closed out with a mash-up featuring songs by several popular artists such as Usher, Ludacris, Nelly and Snoop Dogg. The whole show ended in great energy as the band closed out and all the comedians came to the stage for a final bow. The audience clapped out of respect even though many of them were either angry at themselves for bringing their kids or just downright confused by the wild ride they had just dedicated their night to. Overall this show truly was a “Party Animal Tour” as the name implied, and unless one have a dry sense of humor, bring young children, or are too old to laugh at immature crudeness, it was one hell of a time.

Inspiring poetry shared at Person Theatre Sierra Smith Staff Writer

A gmc.sonoma.edu Pepe Aguilar performed in Weill Hall at the Green Music Center on Tuesday.

Aguilar’s dazzling show Alexandra Rentoria Staff Writer

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epe Aguilar impressed the Weill Hall audience on Tuesday with his voice, extraordinary light show and his children’s performance. Aguilar is the son of well-known Mexican celebrities, Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. Aguilar produces music in several different genres including ranchera, mariachi and pop. Refreshments were available, memorabilia was sold and plenty of seats were available. A paisley design hit the screen. While it moved, it started to change various colors and the announcer introduced Pepe Aguilar. As soon as Aguilar came on the stage, the crowd went ecstatic. Members of the audience screamed Aguilar’s name and recorded him while he sang. Two members of the audience held up a Mexican flag and others waved their hands in the air while Aguilar sang. Student Polette Gonzalez said, “It was really good. I grew up listening to this music and it’s nice to be able to listen live now that I’m grown up.” Aguilar began his second song with an accordion player. His band and back up dancers joined him on stage for the whole performance. Aguilar sang several of his mesmerizing songs which made the audience cheer and scream. He also announced that he finished recording his 25th album and that he will be on the TV show “MTV Unplugged,” which is coming out in October. Spectators enjoyed Aguilar’s musical performance and they also liked the jokes he told in-between his songs. One of them was about a song he wrote for a soap opera that only lasted two weeks.

Another was when he asked the audience, “do you like my Spanglish?” Every joke caused a wave of laughter throughout the crowd. Aguilar played several songs during the show, including, “De Qué Te Quejas Mujer” and “Por Unas Monedas”. Leonardo Antonio Aguilar made a surprise appearance and the crowd (especially the girls) started to scream with excitement. Leonardo Antonio Aguilar sang a couple of songs before his ten-year-old sister, Ángela Aguilar, came out to sing. Not only does she have an amazing voice, but she can dance and has the courage to perform on stage in front of hundreds of people. She wore a beautiful red dress and twirled her way around the stage. Just like her father and brother, she can hold notes for a long time and has good pitch with the band. SSU student Tamara Obando said, “He is a very talented singer, and I’m not surprised his children are equally as talented.” After Ángela Aguilar finished her songs, Pepe Aguilar came back onto the stage to do a couple more songs. While Aguilar’s last song was played, some spectators stayed and sang with him. After his performance, he took a final bow to his audience and touched the hands of the first row next to the stage as he walked off. Not many musicians have their family come on stage with them and perform like Aguilar. His music genres is not normally the type of music that is played at the Green Music Center. His show was a fresh, new and stimulating production that SSU has not seen before. Even patrons that do not speak Spanish can enjoy this production. The music, songs and overall production was thrilling and gave spectators a look at a culture they may not be familiar with.

small crowd of students and professors filed into the lobby of Person Theatre on Tuesday, for a poetry reading presented by Writers at Sonoma. Tables lined the walls filled with books of poetry by featured authors Julie Carr and Claudia Keelan. The poets began by introducing some of the pieces that would be shared in the reading. Although the event was held in a large venue, the theatre was encompassed with a small audience that created an intimacy that provided the poets the opportunity to reveal the inspiration behind their work. Carr, who is author of six books of poetry, including her most recent publication, titled “RAG,” began the evening with some of her best work. Her writing focused on concepts of feminism and racism and the oppression that girls and mothers experience in the home and racial discrimination in a social setting. Carr’s tone was solemn, yet powerful enough to convey the struggles that sexist and racial oppression brings to the current decade. Carr mainly focused on 14 line poems, in which she addressed as her own “joke on the sonnet.”

Some of her titles included “Black and Red,” “Thirteen,” “The Male Body” and “In ‘N Out.” After sharing with the audience some of her sonnets, Carr read directly from her latest book, “RAG.” “I think of it more as a single long poem,” said Carr. “I’m going to read throughout the book to try to give you a sense of the shape of the page.” In closing of Carr’s reading, she shared more sonnets entitled “Boredom,” “Love,” “The End,” “Healing” and “Adoration.” Keelan, who is also an author of six books of poetry, presented her book, “O Heart,” which actually began as documentary of the human heart before it was a book of poetry. In addition to her publications, she has received two awards: the Beatrice Hawley Award from Alice James Books and the Jerome Shestack Prize from the American Poetry Review. She began her reading by sharing with the audience how her father, sister and husband all have heart issues and since then has always been interested in how the heart works. She examines the heart through different voices of people in her work, mostly in the perspective of “the woman.” The readings were peaceful, inspiring and enjoyable to listen to.

STAR // Jon Cappetta The lobby of Person Theatre housed tables that featured original works by the performing poets.


Entertainment

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

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Aiko not quite ‘souled out’ Alyssa James Staff Writer

rapper Drake on his songs “From Time” and “WuTang Forever” from his third album, ‘Nothing Was the Same.” &B singer Jhené Aiko, is known for her In October 2013, Aiko began touring with smooth soulful voice - in the lyrics, rhythm, Drake on his Would You Like a Tour? concert tour, beats and tone of her voice. Her new album, which helped her obtain much notoriety. Aiko has “Souled Out” is just that – full of soul. Released also worked with other well-known artists such as Tuesday, this album truly encompasses who Aiko Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar. is as an artist and what she is trying to convey to the “Souled Out” is similar to Aiko’s last album, world. “Sail Out,” but conThe Los Angeles tains fourteen songs native began her muinstead of seven. All sical career in 2002, of her new songs consinging vocals for vey a greater level of R&B group, B2K and honesty, depth and was signed to The Ulfeeling. They repretimate Group record sent the people and label. She featured things that are imporon five of the songs tant to her in her life. on their album “B2K: In her song, enThe Remixes – Voltitled “W.A.Y.S” she ume 1” and her song sings, “At 44 min“Dog” was a bonus utes to four, an angel track on the record. walked up to my door, Aiko also made apopened the windows pearances in numerto my soul, told me ous music videos for he thinks that I should many smaller artists. know, that life only During this time, Aiko facebook.com gets harder but you made the decision to gotta get stronger. Jhené Aiko’s newest full-length studio album leave the music indusThis is for my broth“Souled Out” was released on Tuesday. try in order to focus on er; I do this for my her education. daughter. That’s why After a long hiatus, Aiko returned to music in I keep going, that’s why I keep going, that’s why I 2007 and stated on her web site, jheneaiko.com, keep going.” “Shortly before I conceived my daughter, I stepped This song was written about her daughter, who back into the field and took a meeting with a label she had at the age of 20 and her brother, Miyagi, head. In this meeting, I was innocently told to ‘sell’ who passed away due to cancer in 2012. It portrays myself when walking into these meetings. That’s a bold statement about moving forward through the when I decided I would ‘sail’ myself rather than sell hard times and staying strong despite the trials life myself.” throws at people. On March 16, 2011, Aiko released a mix tape Her song called “Promises” also gives off a entitled “Sailing Souls” on her official web site, similar message: “Everything is alright, everyJheneAiko.com. The mixtape also featured col- thing’s in your mind, life is what you make it, life is laborations from well-known artists, Miguel, Drake what you make it. And anything can happen, anyand Kanye West. In 2012, Aiko met with Def Jam thing can happen, but you just gotta get past it, you record producer, No I.D and was signed to Artium just gotta laugh at it and anything can happen, you Records. fall down get back up and you better believe that 2013 is the year that Aiko obtained fame from nothing is holding me back.” working closely with many big-name artists. She Aiko’s recurring theme of promoting positivity was featured on Big Sean’s song, “Beware,” which throughout her lyrics is refreshing and motivational. made it on the Top 40 chart in the United States and Her soulful, relaxing music allows listeners to sit was her first song to chart on the US Billboard Hot back, hear and feel the messages that she is trying 100. During that same year, Aiko collaborated with to convey.

R facebook.com The first season of the TV show “Married at first Sight” concluded on Tuesday.

Blind marriage gets a TV show Marisa Oliveira Staff Writer

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ix people, three marriages, and one social experiment turned into a TV show called “Married at First Sight.” The premise of the show is to have contestants interview with a sociologist, sex therapist, psychologist and a spiritual advisor. These specialist ultimately find the contestants a perfect match. This show brings arranged marriages to the next level by having the contestants marry a perfect stranger. The first time they meet their spouse-to-be is as they are walking down the aisle. Throughout the first season of the show, the couples faced many obstacles. There were couples who were not attracted to their matches, couples who felt the pressure of having sexual relations the night after they just met and couples who felt no pressure at all. The experts worked with each couple to try and resolve issues that came up in the relationships. The couples were required to move in together like any married couple. The season finale of the show concluded on Tuesday. After 10 episodes and four weeks of marriage, the couples had to decide whether they were going to get divorced or stay married. The first couple, Monet and Vaughn, were immediately sexually involved with each other but the emotions were lacking and they fought throughout the season before starting to make things better in the finale.

The second couple, Jason and Cortney, was both very dedicated to each other throughout the season. However, in the final episode, Cortney was still questioning whether Jason could open up to her and was ultimately unsure if he wanted to continue the marriage. The third couple, Jamie and Doug, had some rough spots from the beginning of the marriage because Jamie didn’t find Doug attractive, but since then she slowly fell in love with him (at least until he lied to her). The pressure was on to make a decision for the season finale. The producers aired the best and worst moments for each relationship. After, the couples talked and met with the experts, they made their final decisions. Doug and Jamie were the first to talk with the experts. They both talked about how they had many obstacles to go. The couple was not in love and had not had any sexual relations though they did care about each other. Doug decided he wanted to be with Jaime. A more hesitant-looking Jaime said that they would continue their marriage. The second couple to go was Vaughn and Monet. They both realized that they might not have known what they were asking the experts to give them and decided to get divorced. The third couple was Cortney and Jason. They both talked about how they really cared about each other but are still young and are unsure of where the relationship will go. Cortney and Jason decided to stay married. Out of three marriages, two came out of the experiment happily married and now experts feel they might have found a third option for hopeless singles.

High fashion meets live music Brittany Finley Staff Writer

T facebook.com Actors Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson star in “No Good Deed.”

‘No Good Deed’ is no good Edward Goquingco Staff Writer

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ecently released movie “No Good Deed” is just another typical suspense thriller. Rotten Tomatoes would not disagree with this statement as a consensus of movie critics reviewed it at a measly 12 percent fresh. One would think that with strong actors such as Golden Globe Nominee Idris Elba and Academy Award Nominee Taraji P. Henson, the movie would be average at best. Elba plays Colin, a charming, witty, and narcissistic murderer. A character opposite of Henson’s who plays Terry, an attorney who gave up her career to be a full-time mom. “No Good Deed” fails to explore character development, great directive narrative and innovative story telling as it just delves quickly into its predictable plot. Elba and Henson are both strong actors with respectable accolades known for great films such as “Mandela” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” respectively. Both Elba and Henson deserve better than this poorly written script and film narrative. This predictable thriller plot begins when Elba’s character was denied parole after spending 5 years in a penitentiary as judges deemed him to be dangerous to the public. From there Elba escapes and kills the law enforcement officers in cold blood whom was escorting him back to jail. Eventually he hijacked a car to drive away from the crime scene but the car broke down on the side of the road. Elba is forced to go to Henson’s home to find help. At first, Henson was reluctant to

help and let in a stranger as her house is zoned in the middle of nowhere. But with her character’s kind nature, she eventually obliges to help the stranger due to the stranger’s charming and witty character. These skills help him get inside Henson’s home and mind as he manipulates her to help him. From there on, the plot escalates as it various showing of domestic violence ensues as Elba’s character, described as a “malignant narcissist,” demonstrates that he has no remorse as he terrorized and physically abused Henson throughout the movie. Elba even goes to kidnap not only Henson, but her two children as well. Even with a wild plot twist, the movie fails to capture audience due to the poor execution. Movie Critics and avid moviegoers alike should expect more from Elba and Henson as they are not only great actors but they are also the executive producers for “No Good Deed”. Maybe they should have read the script twice before signing on to the project, as it does not offer any internal logic. The final act of the movie was stale. This movie displayed domestic violence and strong showings of murder. Elba’s character showed him killing and hitting women with blunt objects throughout the film and gunning down law enforcement officials with no remorse. Fans of good thrillers should stay away from this film as the plot is poorly written and badly directed. It may remind viewers of Elba’s identical thriller titled “Obsessed” from 2009. But that film was passable as suspense movies go. His newest is definitely no good at all, and this deed irreparably earns one out of five stars.

he relationship between fashion and music is celebrated during New York fashion week during “Fashion Rocks.” This music special featured the world’s top designers presented during live performances by popular musical acts. “Fashion Rocks” is an international charity fundraiser event that takes place during New York’s Fashion Week. The event started in 2003 and was held in London. It was then brought to New York the following year due to its success. In the following years, several events by Fashion Rocks were held in different countries all celebrating music, fashion and a worthy cause. Charities supported ranged from the AIDS foundation, Stand Up to Cancer, Hurricane Katrina relief, and more. After the 2009 show in Brazil, “Fashion Rocks” took a hiatus and this year’s show marks its return. Ryan Seacrest hosted the show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He told CBS News “I think what makes this show so special is that it all unfolds live. You never know what exactly is going to happen -- who’s going to do what and who’s going to not do what. And I think that’s the beauty of a show like this.” Fashion Rocks gave viewers at home the opportunity to shop online live. Macy’s, the official retail partner of “Fashion Rocks,” showcased their fall 2014 collection, including Seacrest’s new line, and allowed viewers of the show to purchase these items as they were seeing them across the runway. Viewers could also go online and buy outfits the performers and presenters were wearing as well. 100 percent of proceeds of tickets purchased through Macy’s were given to Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.

As Seacrest mentioned in the show, “Every form of music has its own style just like fashion,” and each genre represented its style. Performers included: Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, Enrique Iglesias, Duran Duran, Nico & Vinz, Afrojack, MAGIC!, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj. Usher kicked off the show with a performance of his hit “She Came to Give It to You,” a song that fit the occasion. Rita Ora performed a cover of David Bowie’s song “Fashion,” another appropriate choice for the night. Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to disco and 70s inspired fashion with her own dazzling performance. The most buzzworthy performance came from Minaj who performed “Anaconda.” Unfortunately the buzz was only due to the filming of the performances rather than the performance itself. CBS panned the camera through the audience and used zoomed out angles so that the choreography of the routine would not be shown live on television due to its suggestive manner. Lopez also created buzz with her performance of “Booty.” There were some notable presenters that included Paris Hilton, Naomi Campbell, Lara Stone. Some presenters were booed upon taking the stage. Some of which were Victor Cruz of the New York Giants and Justin Bieber. Bieber responded by stripping down to just his boxers and giving credit to Calvin Klein. KISS, who definitely has a fashion style of their own, closed out the two hour extravaganza with a performance of their hit “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Seacrest ended the show by alluding to the possibility of next year’s show. Until then “Fashion Rocks’” sister show, “Movies Rock,” is set to air in December.

facebook.com Numerous hit artists performed for the “Fashion Rocks” special on CBS.


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Features

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Jenna Fischer Hypnotist Brian Imbus made a stop at Sonoma State University to put students into a different state of mind where they responded to all of his ridiculous demands.

Student minds reach level of trance

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Taylor Graham Staff Writer

girl was running around screaming about the bees flying around her head. A guy had multiple band-aids on his face because he kept bleeding. Another guy was scooting around the floor on his butt to try and put a fire out. The Fun Police were writing tickets to the audience members who laughed. There was even a girl who was having an argument with a chair. Along with the extreme weather changes, the reeking odor and the dance auditions, the audience was thoroughly entertained. On Saturday night, students gathered in the Student Center Ballroom to see Brian Imbus, a very sought after hypnotist, perform. He, along with 20 volunteers, entertained the crowd for almost two hours. Imbus has been traveling the world as a professional hypnotist for 16 years. He does about 250 shows a year at plac-

es such as universities, high schools and corporate events where his years of experience have made him an expert. He is able to tell just from a flutter of the eye, or lack there of, if someone is fully hypnotized or not which makes it very unlikely that someone will fake their way through a hypnosis show. “I’m sure that it has happened,” Imbus said. “I have gotten a lot better at making sure that it doesn’t.” Students were able to see his expertise as he took people off stage when they were not in a state of hypnosis. “After today, I believe it is [real],” said Sonoma State sophomore, Amira Martinez. “I think some of them were faking it. The ones who got called off stage, I think they were playing around for awhile.” “Sometimes you would never know because some of the people that were on stage are probably telling their friends right now, ‘I was not hypnotized’ but they do not know,” Imbus said. “Some of them do not remember

anything.” Right off the bat, Imbus addressed the misconceptions about hypnosis assuring everyone that they would not be stuck in hypnosis forever and that he would not have them do anything too embarrassing under hypnosis. He revealed that he was a skeptic before he saw a hypnosis show. “I was skeptical,” Imbus said. “If my friend had not of gotten hypnotized, I probably would not have believed in it. But after seeing him do it and talking to him afterwards it made me a believer.” Before choosing his volunteers, Imbus put the entire audience through a few tests to see if they were susceptible to being hypnotized. After testing the audience, he called up 20 volunteers: 10 men and 10 women. He started putting these volunteers into a hypnotic state, and invited people who were still in the audience to be hypnotized as well. Two of the most entertaining participants started out in the

audience, but were hypnotized in their seats and were brought up to the stage for the rest of the show. For the next hour and a half, students under hypnosis thought they went to an island where they had to deal with drastic temperature change and had to paddle their canoe away from a shark. They also became professional entertainers who were DJing at a nightclub, acquired a fear of flying as their plane was taking off and started watching a movie where their emotions quickly changed from laughing to crying to screaming in fear. One of the most entertaining parts of the show was when those who where hypnotized thought that they were auditioning for the last spot on “Dancing With the Stars”. Each time the song changed, they changed their style of dance to correlate. They twerked, did ballet, did an Irish jig and attempted many other styles of dance. Hypnosis is not always used to make people dance or to entertain an

audience. It also has very practical uses. “Hypnosis can certainly be used for self-improvement, and alleviating bad habits and those types of things,” Imbus said. Although they enjoyed the show, when asked if they would ever want to be hypnotized, sophomores Ashley Johnson and Rayleen Dudley automatically said, “No.” Whether or not people want to be hypnotized, it is very entertaining to watch others in a state of hypnosis. That entertainment and energy begins with Imbus’ stage presence. Although he claimed that he is typically very shy, he has a strong, confident presence on stage. His passion and love for what he does is evident to audience members. “When I am on stage, I do not get paid for that. What I get paid for is the stress of traveling, flying and being away from my family,” Imbus said. “The pay off is being on stage. That is what I love. That is what I enjoy.”

Professor Malpica makes everlasting impressions Emily Hill Staff Writer

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teacher that is passionate can create inspiration among students. A student’s experience in a class can be majorly altered because of the teacher. There are even points when a teacher can alter students previous outlooks on life. For many fortunate students, Dr. Daniel Malpica has done all of that. His contributions to Sonoma State are endless and he has been a huge asset to the university as a whole. Malpica did his undergraduate studies in sociology at Whittier College in Los Angeles County and received his bachelor’s and doctorate in sociology from University of California, Los Angeles. After receiving his doctorate, he became a temporary professor at Claremont Pomona and Claremont Pitzer. He has worked at Sonoma State for seven years now and is the only faculty in residence on campus. Malpica said that he loves living on campus with the students and enjoys being able to bond and get to know them throughout the school year. He also said that he feels now for the students after living with them. “Its tough to be a college student, there’s so much to balance. I like understanding what the students are going through,” said Malpica. He explained how he has become a better teacher from living in the same area as the students. He is able to connect with them and get to know them in a more personal light. Malpica enjoys being a resource to those who live around him and believes that living on campus is the best

COURTESY // Dr. Malpica Daniel Malpica excels as a professor at Sonoma State by caring for his students and their individuality. way to get to know his students. When asked what he was going to do after teaching at Sonoma State, Malpica said, “They are going to have to ask me to retire. I can’t see myself doing anything else.” Dr. Malpica is extremely involved on campus. He is a professor in the Freshman Year Experience (FYE) and Second Year Research and Creative Experience (SYRCE) programs, on the Scholarship Committee, Curriculum Committee for the Arts and Humanities Department, Engineering Committee and a beloved teacher in the Chicano and Latino Studies Department. Along with his role on campus, he is a father and a husband. His two daughters, Lucia and Elena, have become part of the Sauvignon community and are loved by all the students. “Being a first-year student at Sonoma State, I was not the most outgoing person. I was incredibly shy, and did not like to break out of my shell much, if at all,” said Kellie Douglas, one of Malpica’s

previous students. “However, between the course materials and professor Malpica’s attitude toward teaching, I became a different student. Professor Malpica taught me to be confident in myself, and to believe that I could accomplish much more than I initially thought I could. My first year at Sonoma would not have been as successful without the support I received from Professor Malpica.” It is clear that Malpica has changed the lives of many students at Sonoma State. Outside of being a professor, Malpica does informal economy work, and conducts research on Mexican migrants and with indigenous migrants living in the Los Angeles area. “I am a migrant so it helps me connect with the individuals I am interviewing for my research,” said Malpica. His passion is in sociology and chicano latino studies and has been studying these topics since he attended Whittier College. “Dr. Malpica is a wonderful colleague. He cares deeply about all the majors and minors in the CALS department and serves as a mentor to Latina/o students all over campus,” said Dr. Patricia Kim-Rajal, CALS department chair. Dr. Rajal mentioned how Malpica has the ability to create a safe environment for students where they can discuss important issues like racial inequality, immigration and class differences. Malpica’s presence at Sonoma State is highly valued by students and faculty both in departments across the university. He has become a helpful on-campus resource for freshman students and has impacted the lives of many throughout his seven years at SSU.

STAR // Jenna Fischer Students enjoy the new weekly Sunday football food and drink specials while cheering on their favorite football team.

Lobo’s new Sunday football specials

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Lauren O’Malley Staff Writer

ootball is back, and it’s even better. Game day can now be enjoyed at Lobo’s while enjoying a soda, beer or a burger. Since Sonoma State does not have a football team anymore, Lobo’s is now offering to let people come and watch the games all day long and enjoy food and drink specials. Lobo’s is located in the new Student Center next to Weyden and Brewster; they are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day so that people can enjoy every game all the time. With many games on Sundays, people can come and relax with a beer and friends while enjoying the game. While the San Diego Chargers play the Seattle Seahawks on one screen students can also watch the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns on another screen. With an assortment of appetizers and drinks to choose from, there is an endless amount of options. Students can even build their own pizza to pick exactly what they want. “I love watching football and the fact that I can watch it at Lobo’s on High Definition TV’s makes it even better,” said junior Karina Whitehouse, “Especially with the fact that I can now watch the Chargers dominate the Seahawks.” Whitehouse has a tradition of wearing everything blue to match the Chargers on game day. While NFL game day is new to Lobo’s, the menu is not and it is constantly chang-

ing with five different circuits, which start at the beginning of each month and end on the last day of the month. Having such a diverse menu allows students and faculty to try all different foods. “I hate that I can’t always have my favorite food, like the Firebird sandwich, they only have it like twice a year so I always get those [sandwiches] when my roommates and I go to Lobo’s. The sandwich is so bomb,” said junior Autumn Nelson. Nelson was upset that certain food isn’t always showcased but she loves going to Lobo’s no matter what. While having a menu that changes can be difficult because a fan favorite may not be featured year round, it is always enjoyed just enough when its circuit is in effect. While there weren’t many students at Lobo’s on Sunday to watch the games, more and more are bound to find out that their favorite teams are playing on a 50-inch television. As 14 teams were getting ready to play and hopefully start off the season strong, employees at Lobo’s were also getting ready for a busy Sunday afternoon. “I love Lobo’s pizza, it always tastes so fresh,” said senior Katelyn Robb. Robb was watching the Charger game with her friends enjoying their veggie delight pizza. With so many options Robb and friends had a difficult time choosing which pizza to have but settled on the veggie delight so that they could have something slightly healthy. Sundays are Lobo’s game days to enjoy a relaxing afternoon of football and food in the Student Center with friends and fellow students.


Features

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Young’s Market attracts wine lovers Amy Lee Staff Writer

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eople say, when it comes time to find a big job, it’s all about who a person knows. On Thursday, a select amount of students from Sonoma State will get the opportunity to do that networking to get to know employees from Young’s Market Company. Young’s Market Company is a large, family owned distributor of wine and spirits that has been around for over 125 years. They originally began operating in Southern California and have now expanded further north in California as well as in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming.

STAR // Sara Wildman Riviera Ristorante features food, wine and an environment that makes customers feel as if they escaped to Italy while staying local.

A local Italy escape Nataly Estupiñan Staff Writer

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any are indecisive when it comes to choosing a great place to eat. If one goes off the beaten path and just a little further down the road, 75 Montgomery Dr. to be exact, they will find the hidden gem known as Riviera Ristorante. Nestled in between a tiny creek and small business center, the Riviera has been providing amazing food and spectacular customer service to the wine county for 25 years. This family owned and operated restaurant was started by the Pesce Family, whom one will often find cooking in the kitchen or waiting on their customers. Gianluca, whom has been working at the restaurant for six years, has nothing but positive things to say about the Riviera. “I love working here,” said Gianluca. “It’s like a family, the atmosphere is great, the food is amazing, I eat here about five nights a week and sometimes find myself coming here for dinner on my days off. It definitely helps me miss my family in Italy a little less.” During weekends one can always find the Riviera alive and buzzing. When one walks in their friendly staff is always very welcoming to newcomers and happy to see familiar faces. “Every time I come here the staff is always very welcoming and so are the customers; it’s like dining with a big family,” said long-time customer Bryan Bautista. This is definitely a great restaurant to come and celebrate a birthday or a special night when one feels like splurging, due to the fact that their main entrees range from anywhere between $14 and $29. The atmosphere at the Riviera was very warm and inviting. Once seated by the greeter, a friendly waiter arrived at the table to state the specials. As an added bonus, when asked, their waiters can provide great wine recommendations to accompany their tasty specials as well regular dishes. Riviera Ristorante provide an array of

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tasty appetizers and salads, such as their bruscetta al pomodoro. The bruscetta is to-die-for and makes ones taste buds explode with their mixture of tartness; from the extra virgin olive oil that seeps into the rustic Italian bread, to the cool freshness of the tomatoes and light hints of basil. Their caesar salad is also a crowd pleaser, “it is fresh and delicious, the anchovy dressing is just right and does not overpower the entire salad and it is just enough to give it that tangy taste,” said Carolyn Kristof, a customer of the restaurant. The food at the Riviera is always delicious with their array of pastas, meats and seafood. Their capellini is always a crowd pleaser, for anyone looking to enjoy a tasty pasta dish. Customer, Francis Aner can only describe it as “perfecto.” The angel hair pasta is topped with fresh basil tomato sauce and tastes simply amazing. The capellini seems to melt one’s mouth and leaves one wanting more, with its hints of cooked tomato chunks and sliced basil. Dinner and lunch at the Riviera are always accompanied by their delicious warm bread and fresh butter, one will find themselves soaking up the delicious juices and sauces from their meals in this bread. And who can forget about the desert? One can choose from their many Italian desserts on the menu, such as their amazing tiramisu, doused with espresso, mascarpone frosting and chocolate. There is also a lemon sorbet, which comes in a frozen lemon and is nothing but tangy delectableness. Riviera Ristorante is open seven days a week, with lunch provided from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and dinner provided from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Walk-ins are always welcome, but it is always best to make a reservation, especially during weekends. Next time one finds themselves in Santa Rosa, go and try the amazing food at Riviera Ristorante and bring a “buon appetito” (good appetite).

STAR // Sara Wildman Located in Santa Rosa, Riviera Ristorante is a hidden gem that creates an escape for the customer’s experience.

Erin Hill, the Senior Recruiter of the Human Resources Department at Young’s Market Company, is looking forward to this event. “I think networking and getting a prospective from industry professionals is always a wonderful thing,” said Hill. Over the years, Young’s Market Company has hired many SSU students. A few alumni will be at the event to talk about their experiences thus far with Young’s Market Company. This will give current Sonoma State students a greater chance to see exactly where they could be a few years from now from the prospective of people who used to stand right where they do now. The company has multiple potential career paths people can choose from. “The most popular path is going into our sales world and starting with an entry-level Sales Rep Merchandiser position, to gain the foundation and company exposure,” said Hill. Young’s Market Company does offer a very small internship program, usually taking only one or two interns per year. They do this mainly to be able to give the students the hands-on learning time and experience that they each individually deserve. The internships are paid and typically last two or three months.

Sonoma State is the first CSU to hold an event like this thanks to the recruiting success Young’s had on campus. There will be an overview of the company and how they operate as well as information for students to learn more about entry-level positions with the company and potential career paths. The event on Thursday is by invitation only. It was opened up to all majors, but the primary focus being business and economics, athletics and communications. Young’s Market Company is expecting to have a turnout of 40-50 students. The event itself will be taking place in the Overlook Restaurant of the Student Center. Interview attire and a resume are both required for entry into the restaurant. Junior Nikki Lougee is excited for this event. “I think it will be a great opportunity for me to put my foot in the door of a potential career path,” said Lougee. Career Center Director Sarah Dove has been responsible for putting together this event. In the School of business and economics, they make sure to hold both on and off campus events like this throughout the year to connect students with industry. “Our November Career and Internship Expo and the SSU Career Fair are the two largest venues at SSU,” said Dove. This particular event pulls interest in from the Wine Business students. There are so many different types of career paths one could take in the wine and spirits industry, so it is an amazing opportunity for those who get to attend. “Young’s Market Company seeks students with a strong results-orientation, excellent communication and organization skills, and enthusiasm to join the wine and spirits distribution industry,” said Dove. Hopefully, this event will further help upperclassmen interested in the industry learn more about what they want to do in it as well as make connections. After all, it’s all about who a person knows.

wikipedia.org At the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco holds the largest spherical rainforest exhibit in the world. Sonoma State science-lover students were able to visit the rainforest along with other interesting exhibits.

Let the wonder begin Kimberly Paasche Staff Writer

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here can one visit an earthquake site, a four-story rainforest, the California coast, an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, a room full of skulls and over 40,000 different animal species including an albino alligator all under one roof? The Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The RSA or Residential Student Association treated students with a trip to the Academy of Science on Saturday. The charge was only $20 and included admission to the museum as well as transportation. The Academy of Science is less than an hour drive away from the SSU campus, located in San Francisco. The Academy is a quick day trip away for SSU students to discover another amazing world. The Steinhart Aquarium located at the Academy alone has 38,000 living animals from all around the world. You can see penguins, sharks and watch sting rays soar and zoom under people’s feet. One of the many tanks in the aquarium holds a Philippine Coral Reef. The coral reef is one of the deepest exhibits in the world. Another tank holds the underwater life of what can be found in the California Coast. A touchable tide pool, a swamp, a rainforest and African penguin exhibit can all be found in the aquarium. If underwater life and penguins are not on the agenda, bone cleaning Dermestid Beetles will be demonstrating the skill of cleaning a skull to prepare its display in the museum. Not only will animal skulls such as deer and sea lion skulls be out on display, but a comparison between the chimpanzee to Australopithecus afarensis, a skull who is believed to be an ancestor to the Homo Sapien.

The Shake House is a great exhibit for anyone who may have slept though this last local earthquake. The Shake House simulates the two biggest earthquakes in this area, the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta and the 7.9 magnitude San Francisco of 1906. The Morrison Planetarium has the largest digital dome in the world. It has a 75-foot diameter projection screen that can show anything from the every night starts to a tour throughout the universe. The Dark Force exhibit teaches how the universe and planets are all held together in their places. The exhibit also explores dark matter and dark energy, which are some of today’s biggest mysteries. The four-story living rainforest is unforgettable. Walking into the Rain Forrest, the air is humid and temperature promptly rises. Taking a trip down the elevator will take you to the bottom of the Amazonian forest where the creatures will be swimming above. Birds, frogs, lizards and tropical fish all call the rainforest at the academy home. These are just some of the exhibits that can be found at the Academy of Science, along with a Natural History Museum, The Big Picture exhibit, many animal attractions, a project lab and an evolving tradition museum. The building itself sets an example of sustainable living, and has been designed to be energy efficient and reduce the carbon footprint. The RSA club will have more get away trips this semester. The next get away trip is September 20th and students will be heading to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The RSA Six Flags get away trip is just $30, tickets are normally $66 at the gate. More of the upcoming trips can be found sonoma.edu/ welcomeweek/index.html. The tickets can be purchased at tickets.sonoma.edu/Online or at the box office in the Student Center.


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Sports

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Looking ahead: Men’s Lacrosse

F COURTESY // sonoma.edu Twenty people auditioned for the Sapphires this semester.

Lucky seven make Sapphire tryouts Aubrie Tolliver Staff Writer

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Sonoma State Sapphire dancer is, “a visible representation for the entire athletic department and sports division on campus.” This is the mission that each and every Sapphire dancer is taught to embody when they put on their uniform. With a new season underway, the Sapphires held open tryouts to try and find a new group of dancers to represent this motto and add to the team’s past success—a second place finish out of 22 Division II schools at the USA Nationals in Anaheim, last March. The tryout for this season’s team was held in the Niagara Studio on the second floor of the Rec Center on Saturday, Sept. 6 at noon. A total of 20 dancers came to the auditions this fall, not including the 35 that came for the spring auditions in May. Just seven of those dancers were given the honor of joining the team. With seven veteran dancers returning, the team total is now set at 14 dancers for the 2014-2015 season. For the tryout, the dancers were evaluated on their technique and overall ability to learn and perform choreographed routines. The entire tryout lasted about four hours. “It was really hard,” said Kelly Raab, a transfer student at Sonoma State. After hearing about the success of the Sapphires from a close friend, she was eager to tryout and experience it firsthand. She was one of the seven new dancers brought on to the team. The competitiveness of the team is what Raab said she’s looking forward to the most. That, and the contemporary dance pieces that the team performs at competitions. Junior Erica Pecho, the co-captain for this year’s squad, said that she is excited about the new dancers and believes that they will all make great additions to the team. The Sapphires’ 2014-2015 competition schedule has not yet been released; but, in the meantime, the team can be seen performing halftime routines for various soccer games and basketball games this fall. “We usually do hip hop at soccer games and jazz

at basketball games so we can turn,” said sophomore Sarah Stolze, who’s a returning dancer. For the beginning of the semester, practices are focused on providing routines for those performances, as well as putting together ones for their upcoming competitions. According to Stolze, it was not just the dancing that brought her back for a second season. Rather, it was the bonding that her and her teammates did last year that prompted her return. One could easily see the fun and vibrant nature of the team, which could be a contributing factor to their success. “We spend four days a week together and I never get tired of them,” said Stolze. Being primarily a club sport, the team is selffunded; meaning that expenses such as competition fees, travel costs and uniforms are all independently paid for by each of the dancers. According to the Sapphires’ official website, the cost for a new member can range anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 dollars. Therefore, the team relies heavily on fundraising and sponsorships to help pay for their season. During the year, the team participates in numerous fundraisers. Last year, the team took part in a Yankee Candle fundraiser in which all proceeds went to the dancers to help cover costs. In addition, the team also turns to sponsorships to help cover extensive fees. Some previous sponsors include Chili’s Bar and Grill in Rohnert Park and the Lafayette Park Hotel. In return, sponsors receive Sapphire apparel, tax write-offs, and advertising opportunities. “I had last semester and this semester completely paid for, which is great,” said Pecho. The team is always looking for new sponsors and fundraising opportunities to help fund expenses. For now, the team is practicing vigorously in order to reach their goals for this season, which include qualifying for USA Nationals in Anaheim for a consecutive year and, hopefully, making an appearance at the United Dance Association National Championships in Orlando, Fla. Each dancer is hoping to make this season an exciting and successful one with many victories, triumphs and, of course, first-place medals.

Kyler Khan Staff Writer

ounded in 1985, the lacrosse team is headed towards its 30th year of existence at Sonoma State University. The team will be lead by Head Coach Panchito Ojeda, with two former team members and SSU graduates, Alex Richmond and Matt D’Angelo, holding down the assistant coach roles. Richmond played on the team from 2007 until 2011, and D’Angelo played from 2008 until 2012. This is their second year on the coaching staff. Several years ago, the program became part of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association, also known as the MCLA. The team competes at the Division I Level in the West Coast Lacrosse League, or WCLL. The league is made up of well-known schools such as Stanford, Cal, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, UC Davis, Chico State, and as of this year, Dominican University. This past season, the team also faced non-division opponents like Florida, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, Chapman, and overall defending champion, Colorado. Despite the tough schedule, the team has put together winning seasons in the past. In 2002, the team earned a national title and was runner-up nationally in 2005. In addition, the team is four-time WCLL champion and has produced All-American players in recent years. This year, the team is planning on having another successful season, especially after graduating only four players. “Goal is to win a league championship first, and then go on to nationals to hopefully win a national championship,” said D’Angelo. “Ex-

pectations are definitely high on our part.” Some of the games along the way to a championship may be important than others. “The one that sticks out off the top of my head is Cal, we lost to them in the playoffs last year and we’ve got a big chip on our shoulder.” D’Angelo said. “I’m looking forward to playing Colorado and Colorado State, I think it’ll be a fun trip for us and a big test,” Richmond said. “It’ll be a good test.” This year the team will visit to play in Colorado as part of their annual Spring Break trip. The team recently added a group of recruits and walk-ons, but had to cut ten potential players, leaving the roster at 50 players. The team hasn’t picked captains, but expects impact performances from a select few, such as attacker Brad Bochesa, senior midfielder Connor Kuehnle, and four-year starting defenseman Sam Willon. Off the field, members of the team like to hang out together. “We’re a really tight-knit group,” said D’Angelo. “We all like to work really hard…we’ve meshed pretty well these last three weeks,” said Gio Rico, a freshman midfielder recruited from De La Salle High School. On game-days, fans can take part in the “Couch Crew” tradition of lining up couches for seating along the sidelines. Those looking to support our team won’t have to look far because home games are played on the Beaujolais playing fields. This year’s action begins with the alumni game on Saturday, Oct. 12. Additional information, schedules, news stories and video highlights can be found on ssulacrosse.com.

COURTESY // ssulacrosse.com The first men’s lacrosse game of the season is scheduled for Oct. 12

Volleyball splits against Dominguez Hills Toros Ancia Purdy Staff Writer

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ith an overall split over the weekend, Sonoma State women’s volleyball team breaks even at 3-3 overall at the start of the season. The team travelled to Southern California this past weekend to face off with Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Sonoma State volleyball team opened their CCAA play with a four-set loss to the Golden Eagles of Cal State L.A. on Friday night. Dropping their first two sets, the Seawolves were able to regroup and take the third set (25-19). They fell just short of taking the game into a fifth and final set, losing 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22). The Seawolves led most of the way in the first set, but fell short after four straight points by the Golden Eagles. The second and third sets were anybody’s game, with points going back and forth between the two teams. The Seawolves dropped the second set after four straight points by the Golden Eagles, but rallied to stay alive in the third set, taking the final three points. While not putting up their best performance overall, Caylie Seitz completed the game with a .238 hitting percentage and 22 kills, which led all hitters. Madelyn Densberger had 11 kills with a game-high 19 digs. “We all got in our heads and weren’t playing as a team,” said Seitz. “That’s not how you win.” Taking the lessons from the first game of working as a team and being confident in themselves and each other, the Seawolves rallied together to sweep the Toros of Dominguez Hills for their first conference win (25-19, 25-23, 25-16). Again, the Seawolves led the way most of the time during the first set, but this time were able to hold their ground and win the first set. Caylie and Calan Seitz solidified a second set win

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Madelyn Densberger scored 12 kills against the Toros. with the final three points and kills. In the third and final set, the Seawolves kept the Toros to a game low of 16 points, rallying together to end the game in three. “When I get a good swing, I cheer as loud as I can to get in the other team’s head,” said Caylie Seitz. “That let’s our team know everything is going to be okay and we can win.”

With one more kill than the night before, Densberger led the Seawolves with 12. Caylie Seitz and Ashley Robinson both added seven kills and a block apiece. The Seawolves return back home for their CCAA season home opener on Friday at 7 p.m. to face the Lumberjacks of Humboldt State in The Wolves’ Den.


Sports

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves grab nail-biter

Seawolf Sports Sept. 18 Men’s Soccer vs. Academy of Art 1 p.m. Sept. 19 Women’s Soccer vs. Academy of Art 5 p.m.

Vasili Loufas Staff Writer

Sept. 21 Women’s Soccer at Notre Dame de Namur 11 a.m. Men’s Soccer at Notre Dame de Namur 2 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs Hawaii Pacific at Central Washington 2:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Humboldt State 7 p.m.

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Sept. 20 Women’s Sept. 22 Volleyball Women’s Golf vs. Cal State WNMU Fall San Bernardino Intercollegiate 7 p.m. All Day

Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

M

en’s soccer played host on Thursday against opponent California Baptist at their home field here in Rohnert Park. California Baptist came in hungry to pick up their first win after coming off of a loss and tie to previous contenders. The Seawolves were looking to get their second win in their home opener over the Lancers and did just that with a goldengoal extra time score to put the game away 2-1. This may seem like your usual, smooth Cinderella story game with a game-winning goal but it was instead a rough and bumpy ride to get the victory. The Lancers didn’t take long to knock one in. Just seven minutes into the game, California Baptist’s Paul Oliver made the shot from closerange to slip past SSU goalkeeper Sean Taufer. The early goal gave the Lancers a one-nil lead. The two teams went scoreless for the next 49 minutes until the early second half. The Lancers made the mistake of turning over the ball in their own backfield. The regain of possession started with passes between strikers Armando Coronel and Brenton Frame and led to a stellar 18-yard blast from Seawolf Raspreet Sandhu. The shot propelled into the right corner and was shot by Sandhu from a fair distance. The goal would serve as the equalizer to tie things up 1-1. The match stayed consistent and so did the players. The two teams continued to battle all the way through regulation time. In the 89 th minute of the game the Lancers came just short of closing out the match with a gamewinner. Cal Baptist player Aidan Apodaca boomed a shot from the right side of the field that sailed over all players and bounced

STAR // Maud Busson Freshman Armando Coronel gains possession of the ball. off the crossbar. CBU’s Taylor Moe made the rebound but shot wide to end their last minute chance. The game would then head to extra time. In the first period of extra time, Sandhu dribbled quickly down the right sideline and made a smooth cross to the far post where Raad Aljabi received the ball. Aljabi kicked it to the top of the box where he would find teammate Sean Callahan. Callahan one-touched the ball and launched it past the keeper into the back of the net to seal the win. Sonoma’s crowd went wild as the goal was made and the SSU team made their way to celebrate on the field. The goal came in the 94th minute to claim the victory and put the Seawolves at a record of 2-1-0. Sonoma not only dominated this game, it also dominated the stats sheet outshooting CBU 14-8 and taking four times more

corner kicks. SSU goalie Sean Taufer made three saves, all in the second half. The Seawolves look to take on Academy of Art at their home field on Thursday at 5 p.m. Last night, the Seawolves played their fourth regular season match versus Fresno Pacific winning with a 2-1 score. Zanin Mahic scored the first goal and Eric Alvarado made the gamewinning goal to leave the Sun Birds in the dirt, handing them a tough loss. The Seawolves improved not only their record but their chemistry as a team with much potential this season. SSU now has a 3-1 record with the recent wins. They are displaying an early win percentage of .750 as the hustle for tournament qualification moves forward. The Seawolves look to take on Academy of Art at their home field on Thursday evening at 5 p.m.

Getting involved with Intramurals

T STAR // Maud Busson Women’s soccer stands at 4-0 this season.

Lady Seawolves go undefeated Jake Tucker Staff Writer

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he Seawolves looked to maintain their flawless record with a couple wins over the weekend series against Holy Names and Cal State Monterey Bay. Kickoff was at 3 p.m. Friday against Holy Names, and the Seawolves shot out to an early start with a goal in the fifth minute by Marissa Marable, and a goal in the 12th minute by Lauren Curtin. They would then have to wait nearly a half an hour for their next goal, as Marable scored her second goal of the first half in the 45th minute. The Seawolves would add four more goals in the second half from Margi Osmundson, Curtin, and two from Cecilia Sifuentes. Sonoma State shot a total of 27 times in the game, 11 of which were shots on goal. Jori Wider, Anna Martin, Taylor Enzler, and Mckenzie Maher all provided assists in the match. The lady ‘Wolves’ earned their fourth consecutive shutout, as their goalkeeping has been scary good, not allowing a goal all season so far. Allison Hadidian and Ashley Luis each played a half of the game and each pro-

vided one save. The 7-0 victory improved Sonoma’s record to 4-0-0 going into Sunday’s match against CSU Monterey Bay as they try to break a school record with their fifth consecutive shutout. The game remained scoreless all the way until the 60th minute when Sara Van Wagoner passed the ball to Junior Margi Osmundson, who chipped it over Monterey’s goalkeeper Samantha Webb into the corner of the net to put the Seawolves up 1-0. Osmundson wasn’t done though, six minutes later, she had a deja vu goal as she chipped a pass from Jori Wider over Webb for the goal to make it 2-0, which would ultimately be the final score. Allison Hadidian is having a great season so far, as she provides three more saves in the ‘Wolves’ fifth straight shutout. Sonoma had to deal with a little bit stronger of defense in this game, as they were only able to get off seven shots, three of which were on goal. Lauren Curtin provided the other shot on goal aside from Osmundson’s goals. The Seawolves are taking on The Academy of Art this Friday at the Seawolf Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Meaghan Whitehorn Staff Writer

he Sonoma State Intramural Sports program is perfect for students who are interested in sports, but maybe other parts of their lives get in the way. By involving yourself in an intramural sport, you can create your own team and play on your own time, all while indulging in friendly competition with your fellow SSU students. The website for the SSU campus recreation center says: “Intramural Sport programs connect students to the campus community and each other by creating memories through diverse sporting and recreational events that promote fair play, sportsmanship, relationships, and lifelong activity in a safe environment.” Season one of the Fall 2014 intramurals schedule is already under way, but sign up dates for season two begin in Oct., offering teams slots for volleyball, dodgeball, basketball and indoor soccer. Each team has the opportunity to play in four or five games per season. All the games are held in the recreation

center in the McKinley and Everest gyms. Competing teams can even select to play in a “Pros” league or a “Joes” league, where the Pros are more competitive and designed for students who have previous experience in the sport, and Joes are primarily focused on having fun and experiencing the joy of the sport. Convinced yet? Here is how you start enjoying the competitive and physical fun. First, download the Sign-Up sheet and Assumption of Risk form from the SSU intramurals website, or stop by the Recreation center and grab an entry form at the kiosk. Then, visit imleagues.com, select Sonoma State and create your account. Enter your team information, choose the days and times your team wants to play, and sign the rest of your teammates up. Next, make the required payment for your team at the front desk of the recreation center and attend the scheduled manager meeting for your sport and you’re ready for play! Also, check out the SSU intramurals website: sonoma.edu/campusrec/intramurals for more information on their policies, schedules for play and common FAQs.


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Photo This week in photos...

Sept. 16 - Sept. 22, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

STAR // Jenna Fischer Hypnotist Brain Imbus performed his fun and spectacular hypnotism to a row of participating Seawolves. Imbus brought out the laughs as he made his hypnotised subjects hand out tickets as the “Fun Police� to scooting across the floor thinking they were a dog.

Hypnotist Dazzles Seawolves

STAR // Sara Wildman Nestled in between a tiny creek and small business center, the Riviera has been providing amazing food and spectacular customer service to the wine county for 25 years. This family owned and operated restaurant was started by the Pesce Family, whom one will often find cooking in the kitchen or waiting on their customers.

Riviera Ristorante


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