‘American Horror Story’ premieres
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Lacrosse beats Canada’s Simon Fraser
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Blind Scream terrifies Sonoma County
Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979
VOLUME 73 // ISSUE 8
SONOMASTATESTAR.COM
OCTOBER 14 - OCTOBER 20, 2014
Safety Week aims to educate students Kayla Galloway & Danielle Hansen News Editor & Staff Writer
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n collaboration with Sonoma State University, Police Services is hosting a campus-wide Safety Week through the remainder of this week. Each day will feature a variety of safety themes, all with the intention of educating Sonoma State students on what to do in times of danger. Sonoma State Police Officer Eric Wilde spoke of the purpose of the first Safety Week on campus and reinforced the priority of keeping students’ safe. “We want all students [and everyone else on our campus] to feel safe to be here. Safety Week has many goals but the biggest one is to show all that we have to offer both on and off campus,” said Wilde. Wilde also emphasized how Police Services is available as a resource for students seeking information on how to be safe and prepared in times of
tragedy. “I hope it will show that SSU Police and Safety Services, as well as other community partners, are here and available to answer questions,” said Wilde Sometimes I feel people just don’t want to ask anything thinking it is not important. All questions are welcome and we are here to answer questions.” On Monday, Police Chief Nathan Johnson hosted a lecture in the Alexander Valley room of the Student Center, focused on how to handle situations involving an active shooter. Johnson also discussed how to mentally and emotionally prepare for times of tragedy and situations involving an active shooter. Also in attendance at this lecture were the Sonoma County Sheriffs Department, Rohnert Park Public Safety, Rancho Adobe Fire Department and American Medical Response Ambulance. Wilde also spoke of how other California State University campuses have had similar events like this year’s Safety Week at SSU. “When Chief Johnson returned as our chief of police, he had mentioned that CSU East Bay had
done a Safety Week and asked me to look into it. I then found a lot of departments do similar events for their perspective community or campus they serve,” said Wilde. Today, the campus was exposed to the repercussions of drunk driving with the display of a car that was wrecked by a DUI accident in honor of Safety Week. The wrecked car served as a symbolic reminder of how driving impaired can have a life-altering impact. Sonoma State police officer Karl Mortenson encourages Sonoma State students to ‘’party smart” to avoid incident of tragedy when it comes to drinking and driving. On Wednesday, Sonoma State will host a series of events regarding sexual assault and self-defense awareness, which coincides with the recent passage of the ‘Yes Means Yes’ bill singed by Governor Jerry Brown last month that aims to improve the way sexual assault is handled on college campuses. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the Recreation Center will host a self-defense class aimed at teaching students the essentials when it comes to self-pro-
tection. There will also be a sexual assault panel discussion at 5 p.m. in Ballroom B of the Student Center with representatives from Police Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Verity as well as Sonoma County’s District Attorney’s Office. These representatives will be there to educate and discuss the affects sexual assault has on college campuses. They will also discuss what can be done to prevent incidents of sexual assault by educating and increasing students’ awareness. On Thursday, the final day of Safety Week, the campus will welcome the Sonoma County Sheriff’s helicopter HENRY-1 in recognition of emergency preparedness and how to handle an earthquake. At 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, students are encouraged to participate in the National Shakeout by dropping, covering and holding on. Those looking for further information on safety precautions, how to handle times of tragedy or on Sonoma State’s Safety Week in general are encouraged to contact Sonoma State Police Services or Counseling and Psychological Services.
University system reaches 3 million alumni Ryan Estes Staff Writer
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vate a mindset for lifelong learning and creativity,” said Halsema. “These are entrepreneurial skills that will be essential for innovation as our communities face environmental and economic challenges in the future.” The program was organized by the Startup Classroom that combines students from the schools of Education with the School of Business and Economics. The idea is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, based in the ideas that the Schools of Education as well as
hree million. Not a small number by any means, but rather the amount of alumni that the California State University system has produced since 1961. With the 2015 commencement, the number of alumni will surpass 3 million and in recognition of reaching this milestone, the university launched the “Class of 3 Million” celebration. “The Class of 3 Million milestone is a momentous occasion that allows us to honor all of the CSU students who have shaped the state, the nation and beyond,” said Chancellor Timothy White. The California State University system is one of the world’s largest comprehensive four-year public university system, which produces leaders who play a role in every major industry, making California one of the most successful global economies. The California State University system has produced many accomplished and respected leaders in fields including business, engineering, agriculture, education, hospitality, tourism, entertainment, athletics and health care. It’s one of the largest university systems in the country. The 23 campuses serve one of the most diverse groups of students (447,000), faculty and staff (45,000) and soon, over 3 million alumni. Some facts about how large the California State University system is include: One of every 20 Americans with a college degree is a graduate of the system and one of every 10 employees in the state of California is as well. To start the celebration, the university system is launching what will become the world’s largest yearbook. The “Class of 3 Million” online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. The yearbook is currently online and has information of students who have submitted it. Out of the three million graduates, about 60,000 of them are Sonoma State University alumni. “To help celebrate Sonoma State will invite all of its alumni and current class of 2015 seniors to take their place alongside the millions of CSU alumni who have shaped California by signing the world’s largest yearbook,” said Anne Biasi, director of the Alumni Association. “The university will be distributing ‘Class of 3 Million’ swag throughout the year, including ‘3M’ bracelets at commencement to graduating seniors and lapel pins to alumni.
See CHALLENGE on Pg. 4
See ALUMNI on Pg. 4
STAR // Nicole Detmers Sonoma State University’s Children’s School built a cardboard city as part of the Global Cardboard Challenge in the Stevenson Quad on Friday.
Cardboard Challenge channels creativity, imagination Nicole Detmers Staff Writer
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sing mostly cardboard and various other materials, younger children from the Children’s School could be heard shrieking in delight, running around through the miniature city that was being assembled in the center of Stevenson Quad last Friday. With the assistance from student volunteers and staff members, the city within Stevenson grew to include a solar-powered pet shop, a train and even a café.
“The goal is to encourage imagination and experimentation, collaboration and problem solving, all with repurposed, recycled materials,” said Pamela Van Halsema, who coordinated the Cardboard Challenge on campus. “We know this is important from the youngest preschooler all the way through college and adulthood. Sometimes the best ideas come through play, through tinkering. Halsema believes everyone is a creative maker inside, and those skills can be intentionally developed with practice. “We think you need to start early to culti-
William Kanengizer entertains at Schroeder Hall
Poetry reading at The HUB attracts students
Club Profile: Fishing
Check out the review on Pg. 6
See the full story on Pg. 9
Read more on Pg. 10
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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 & Distribution Manager Amanda Saiki, Advertising Manager Anika Jess, Marketing Coordinator Eddie Blake, Editorial Cartoonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser
Star Production Lab Sonoma State University Salazar Hall 1053 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 664-2776 Advertising: sonomastatestar@gmail.com, attn: Amanda Saiki
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star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “‘Let’s Make a Deal’ student contestant” Game shows have been around for quite a while now, and no matter how old we get, there’s always something special about seeing a contestant win a big prize. Now what if that prize was being able to be a participant yourself? Staff Writer Brittany Finley covers sophomore Amanda Avery, and how she got an opportunity to make a deal of a lifetime.
Turn to page 8 for the full story Letters to the Editor
A letter to the editor forum will be open to the expression of fact or opinion that will be of interest or importance to readers of the STAR. Letters which fit within the scope of First Amendment protection, and that meet other stipulations spelled out in this document, will be published on a space available basis as explained below. Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available. Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available. Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts. The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length. Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. The STAR will honor requests for anonymity at the editor’s discretion. To send a letter to the editor email star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by email will not be published.
Corrections/Clarifications
In last week’s article, “Player Profile: Caylie Seitz,” the amount of games played was reported incorrectly. The story states the women’s soccer team had played 11 games at the time, when it was 13.
Publication
The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Healdsburg Printing. The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.
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Opinions expressed in the STAR are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the STAR or SSU. The editorial reflects the views of the STAR Editorial Board on issues it considers to be of particular relevance to the campus community.
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Three million footsteps worth following Read more about the celebration announcement on page 1.
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t isn’t unheard of for students to feel concerned about graduating in four years. Despite the possibility of overextending this timeframe, it doesn’t take away from the fact of how many people do end up graduating in the California State University system. After the spring 2015 ceremonies, more 3 million alumni will have done so. This milestone is being celebrated with the “Class of 3 Million” campaign, which will honor everyone who has graduated in the university system. One out of every 10 employees in California is a graduate of a state school, and for students of Sonoma State University, there is no exclusion among being placed in this category. There are many who believe earning a master’s degree is the only way to be successful these days, yet time after time this is being challenged as not necessarily true. Students who settle for a bachelor’s degree are able to get respectable jobs within their field of choice, and although they may not pay as much as one’s dream position, recent graduates have come to expect that everyone needs to start somewhere before the most ideal opportunity presents itself. According to the Los Angeles Times, someone with a college degree makes 84 percent more in a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. In this way, students
may be delaying the amount of money they make immediately in comparison to their high school peers, but in the long run it proves well worth the time spent learning. While there are issues for students who are hoping to graduate in four years, the possibility of staying for a longer period of time has its benefits as well. By continuing to take classes and expand one’s mind, an individual creates opportunities to discover new interests and passions that may have never been realized in their lifetime.
No matter how long it takes to accomplish, graduates should be proud. At a California State University, students can attend part time, and evening classes are available for those who work during the day, which makes things even more convenient for choosing the perfect learning atmosphere. This is also ideal for people who have families or those unable to fit in a full-time schedule. The conveniences of these universities attract more people to enroll, making the population of students on each campus higher. This is directly affected within Sonoma State, as the overall population has reached its largest in history this year.
STAR // Eddie Blake There are also more locations to choose from when deciding on a campus, unlike University of California schools. In regard to the latter, there are only 10, while with the former there are 23 campuses across California. It’s truly an accomplishment how many people have
graduated from California state universities. While students will continue to point out frustrations such as class availability and financial woes to earn a degree, the end result has proven to be worth it thus far. No matter how long it takes to accomplish, graduates should be proud.
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.
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Opinion
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
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Living in a world without animals
Jalissa Tello Staff Writer
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ith so many events going on in the world and so much that happens within the daily lives of millions of humans across the nation, it is hard to focus on one issue at a time. Before we know it, another event storms news headlines and it is easy to forget about the previous topic. But what if one day there was breaking news that a pack of lions had viciously attacked and murdered thousands of human beings for the past few years and that they are getting closer? These lions are destroying everything in their path and taking over homes. Now, how easy would it be to look away. What if I were to tell you that the pack of lions is actually an army of millions of human beings, and that the people being slaughtered were actually animals? This is actually the
sad truth. This is going on everyday in the lives of animals across the globe. Animals are being pushed out of the homes they have come to know and adapt to. Humans are known as the most intelligent animal because of our mental capacities and abilities to build and create new technology. In the beginning, these capabilities were used to survive and build a foundation for the next generations to follow behind. If animals could talk, I bet they would plead with us to leave them be. They would inform us of how our decisions are affecting their ability to survive. Lastly, they would beg us to settle for what we have been blessed with, instead of dangerously conquering a new world; like the settlers who discovered America, enslaving the Indian population. I use this example to bring to light the seriousness of our actions. Life can definitely be busy at times, if not at all times, but we must learn to take action. Even if it is taking silent action by not taking part in activities that endanger our fellow species, one person advocating for the defense of animals will eventually turn into two and that makes all of the difference. While scrolling down my Facebook news feed earlier this week, I saw a report on endangered animals and the species that have become extinct due to human behavior within the last 10 years. This sparked my interest, and I
found that literally dozens of species are going extinct each day. There is a natural rate of extinction, which is about one to five species each year. This means that humans are causing this number to be multiplied by 1,000 to 10,000. This is not to cause anyone to be-
Travel the world, you won’t regret it
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Veronica Benvenuto Staff Writer
he saying “you only live once,” otherwise known as “YOLO” is partially true. People have one chance to live life to the fullest and experience many different things. The best way to accomplish that is by having a better insight of everything through traveling. Traveling is important because it fundamentally transforms us. Just book a flight, pack a bag and go to a place you have always dreamed of going. It’s that
simple right? It may not be that simple, but you have less responsibilities when you’re younger which makes it the best time to travel. After talking with friends who have studied abroad or have traveled recently to extraordinary places, I have found that they have changed as a person. These friends are more cultured. They are open to trying new things and seeing what is out there, instead of being stuck in a bubble. They had to step out of their comfort zone and take a chance by being away from home for a long period. Now that they have seen so many places, they want to see more and they admit traveling becomes an addiction. It’s a big world and there are many places to go and see, so start young because it’s one of the only times in life where responsibilities do not hold you back. Traveling gives us the opportunity to disconnect from our regular lives. It presents the opportunity to forget your problems and issues for a few weeks. Crazy schedules are a part of life.
Going away can give perspective on distance and perhaps realization on how important life is. Like the saying says: we never know what we have until we lose it. I experienced that when I went to Canada for a few weeks with my family. We stayed in the middle of nowhere. There was always the possibility of running into mountain lions or a bears. Having no cell reception or wireless Internet for two weeks was soothing, yet difficult. It also made me realize how important friends are in life and how valuable home is. Even though it was such a fun trip, long periods away from your normal environment can be hard. I’ve learned that everyone can take things for granted. Some of the things include food, electricity, transportation, heating and safety. Traveling is eye-opening because you see how different cultures live. The things we take for granted will be more appreciated after traveling.
Students, make your voice heard
Shannon Brown Staff Writer
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e go to college to get an education and to become better, more outstanding citizens that will one day go out into the world and do amazing things. Right? That’s always been the perception of what college is, but is it actually the truth? If I am truly here to get the most out of my education, it should be my right to question, and sometimes even refute things that are told to me by professors and speakers. Meaning, this is no longer high school where I have to sit back and listen to the teacher talk about their opinions in fear that I will get sent to the principal’s office. This is college where our minds and hopefully our belief system is expanded. It isn’t the time to just sit back
and allow for unwanted opinions to fill our heads. If we truly want the most out of our education, we as adult-college students should have every right to maturely refute an argument made by a professor or speaker. Take the guest lecturer for my Freshman year experience class for instance. Now, there may be some grunts and sighs that come along with this speaker for most of the freshman population, but to me the speaker is just an example as to how important our right is to speak up. It is as new college students to be able to voice our opinions without the fear that professors and guest speakers will try and discredit them because of our age. After the guest speaker’s hour long lecture, there was a round table. Now, this wasn’t any other round table where the speaker and some students got to ask interesting and engaging questions. In the entire hour, and in the mere six questions that were asked, there wasn’t much engaging and interesting discussion. Instead of listening and talking about what the students were saying, the speaker got extremely defensive and refused to hear any constructive criticism. At the end of the round table, an argument between one student and the
speaker had become heated quickly. This isn’t how it should be. As students and more importantly adults, everyone should be able to speak their opinion without being shut down by someone who is supposed to be an educator. As an educator, it’s their duty to make sure that students are exposed to different opinions and viewpoints in order to think critically and make important decisions. It only causes more problems when the speaker or educator isn’t willing to listen to what is said. We should be able to have a mature discussion with another adult. What the speaker had to say in the lecture believe it or not, was hardly even brought up in class discussion. Rather, the way the speaker handled student’s opinions and comments on the ideals was the topic that could send any freshman year experience student in a tizzy. Sharing beliefs and comments on a certain topic is important to our education. It is the foundation to build strong, independent adults who will graduate with knowledge from all different perspectives. My hope for the rest of my education and time is that I am challenged. Not only by my peers, but by my professors that will want to discuss important topics and want to hear my voice.
lieve that I am against humans. However, I did want to use this opportunity to express gratitude for nature’s beautiful creations. Every animal that has been placed on Earth has been created a specific way. Isn’t that just amazing? How is any one person to choose who has a right to live. Many of us already
STAR // Marybeth Mondok eat animals on a daily basis. I don’t believe that the intentions of humans are to do harm to animals, but it is happening. We need to take a step back, and realize that today matters. Our actions today may harm or benefit the future of our loved ones in generations to come.
Senioritis is upon us
Alexandra Rentoria Staff Writer
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enior year will be a walk in the park and classes will be a breeze for the rest of the year. It is not always necessary to go to every class and it won’t matter skipping a couple small assignments and not reading every textbook. It won’t make a difference if drinking with friends takes the place of studying for a test. After graduation, the job of my dreams will be waiting. Well, if only these carefree senior year examples were true. In reality, senior year is not all what it’s cracked up to be. Students need to make sure that they have met all their requirements, pass the Written English Proficiency Test exam normally done junior year, complete an internship and fill out graduation forms. Students need to make sure that they do not miss a single thing or else they cannot graduate. During this time, most students are stressed out about meeting all these requirements and passing the current classes that they are taking. These requirements mean completing general education, upper division general education, and doing all the necessary courses for an individual’s major. While there are a various amount of classes offered at Sonoma State University, it is hard to get the classes necessary to graduate. Seniors get to choose classes before freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, but it is still difficult to get classes. Since school has become more impacted, it makes it even trickier. Some students are only able to get classes because of being on a waitlist and other students dropping the class, or emailing the professor for an approval code. But lower and upper division general education courses are not the only thing students have to take into account.
Completing all of the requirements for certain majors can be a very difficult task. For example, as a communications major, students have to take core classes in a certain order. When classes fill up or are offered at times when other important classes are offered, it is difficult to obtain that class. Communication majors are not the only students that face these challenges. Classes are not the only priority because students must complete an internship to graduate as well. Every major has a different amount of hours they need to have met for their internship. Internships can be fun and a great experience in the work force. They can be stressful as well, mainly if the student has a lot on their plate.
There is that undeniable feeling that some seniors get which is not wanting to go to class, putting off homework and going out to party instead of studying. Another aspect students must be on top of is filling out all the necessary forms. It’s very easy to miss a small thing on graduation form, but if it is not filled out correctly students cannot graduate. These forms must also be turned in by a certain time depending on when the student plans to graduate. Then there is that undeniable feeling that some seniors get which is not wanting to go to class, putting off homework and going out to party instead of studying. Graduating from college is a great experience that students work hard to achieve. While many students want the perfect job right after school, that doesn’t always happen. In fact, not everyone goes into a career in the field that they majored in. While some students might not get the most glamorous job right after graduating, the only thing that really counts is that a person does something they enjoy. This could mean going to school to further one’s education, work for the family business or obtaining the job some students dreamed of doing as a child; no matter what path one follows, being happy is most important.
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News
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
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STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Sonoma State University students and members of the Lambda Kappa Pi sorority participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk on Saturday in effort to raise money for cancer research and awareness.
Light The Night walks to fight cancer Gustavo Vasquez Staff Writer
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ommunity members and students of Sonoma State University rallied together Saturday, to fight for a cure for cancer at the Light The Night Walk in Santa Rosa. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society held it’s annual Light The Night Walk on Saturday, where hundreds fundraised and walked to find a cure for blood cancers. Dean of the school of business and economics, William Silver, was at the Light The Night Walk with his son Benji Silver, who is a Leukemia survivor. “The Light The Night Walk is a very special event because it brings the community together in support of people that [have] fought cancer
and tonight we honor those who have survived and remember those that haven’t,” said Silver, “There is no bigger team here than the one from Sonoma State. It’s real exciting to see the Seawolf community rally.” The Light The Night Walk consisted of almost two miles, and started and ended in downtown Santa Rosa, in old courthouse square. Benji Silver was the honored hero at the Santa Rosa Light The Night Walk; he was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three months, with only a 30 percent chance of survival. With several treatments including chemotherapy, total body radiation, early experimental target therapies, and a bone marrow transplant; Benji now lives cancer free. Benji is the team captain of ‘The Cancer Conquerors’ which fund-
raised over $32,000, of which over two-thirds was fundraised by Benji. “Benji, he’s really an amazing young man,” said Ray Johnson, director of the Wine Business Institute. “It’s great to see the community come together, to rally around something like this to support to find a cure, to support people who have suffered with this terrible disease.” Over 170 students signed up to fundraise and walk at the Light The Night Walk Saturday. Including several sororities like Lambda Kappa Pi and Alpha Omicron Pi were in attendance. The Silver family has not been the only ones at Sonoma State affected by blood cancers. Sophie Edwards; a Hutchins major had her life affected by Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Edwards was at The Light the Night Walk with the support of her soror-
ity, Lambda Kappa Pi. “There’s a whole Sonoma State team we didn’t have last year, I’m really glad to see everyone out here supporting it,” said Edwards. Thirty-two members of Lambda Kappa Pi came in support of Edwards at the Light The Night Walk, including Emily Gonzales a Hutchins major at Sonoma State. “I’m here to support my sisters and people with leukemia and lymphoma,” said Gonzales “It’s good to see that our school is supporting a cause, I didn’t think I would see this many people.” The Light The Night Walk raised $206,031, just under the total goal of $250,000. Light The Night Walk, hosted by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, funds life-saving research and gives support to people who are battling cancer.
Each year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hosts it’s Light The Night Walk in the San Francisco Bay Area, the money fundraised goes to researching for a cure for people with blood cancers. Research made by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society states that an estimated 1,129,813 people in the U.S. are living with, or are in remission from, leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s goal is to cure all forms of blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
ALUMNI: Launching ‘Class of 3 Million’ Continued from Pg. 1
STAR // Nicole Detmers Children and volunteers from the Children’s School built a unique cardboard ‘city’ complete with a hospital and cafe.
CHALLENGE: Seeking to inspire children Continued from Pg. 1
Business and Economics could learn and grow together. “The Cardboard challenge was a place where the adults had as much fun as the kids,” said Senior Tyler Sewell. Sewell was one of the many volunteers that helped facilitate the challenge. The original Global Cardboard Challenge came about through a viral video of the story of a young boy’s dream to run his homemade arcade. The idea began with a boy name Caine who built an arcade out of cardboard in the back of his father’s car part store. One day, Caine received his first customer who was inspired to make a video. The video went viral and people from all over the world went to Caine’s Arcade to see what the boy had done. Realizing the potential to make a difference, Caine and his first customer made a video challenging people all over the world to join the “Global Cardboard Challenge.” The movement has spread across the country to encourage children to understand the importance of their own creativity to utilize cardboard and easily accessible tools to see their dreams to reality. “The Cardboard Challenge is an amazing opportunity to allow kids to develop their imagination and cre-
ativity” said senior and volunteer Karina Serrano. Taking place on Friday, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. volunteers helped students from the Children’s School create this city made from cardboard. The city included a bell tower, train, café, pet shop – even a solar powered jail that children could sit in and peer out from behind the cut out cardboard bars. The train, named “SSU Choo Choo” was stationed in the center of the city, letting curious onlookers sit inside each of the four cars. “Collaborating with 4-year-olds, that’s how you get things done,” said volunteer and senior Sasha Wroten said. Like many Cardboard Challenge participants around the world, the entire event was extremely well documented. Both filmed and photographed, the story of the cardboard city at Sonoma State will premier on Sustainability Day (Oct. 21) in the Green Music Center. “I enjoyed helping the children create the item they imagined by cutting the cardboard since they couldn’t use the sharp blades,” said Senior Grace Martinez. “We found Sonoma State’s happiest place on Earth with these children.” Those looking for further information on the challenge are encouraged to contact the Sonoma State Children’s School or visit cardboardchallenge.com.
The bookstore will also be selling some 3 Million gear,” Biasi said. As the SSU Alumni Association continues to grow with increasing number of alumni, the SSUAA’s purpose is always to provide quality programs and services for all alumni, “It is fun to look through the yearbook and see where my old classmates have ended up and make new connections since I relocated back to Sonoma County,” said Jenna Hennessy, a 2008 Long Beach State graduate. The Association also looks to enhance alumni relationships with the university, support the university financially with alumni resources and assist in the development of student relations and promote student involvement in the SSU’s Alumni Association. “The main goals of the Sonoma State University Alumni Association are to foster, renew and enhance the relationship between
alumni and the university. The association continues to actively pursue amenities that bring together students and alumni in ways that benefit them both, like mentor programs. Students should join to tap into the network of alumni for advice, support and to stay connected with SSU after they graduate,” Biasi said. For more information on what the Sonoma State Alumni Association has planned, stop by their office at Stevenson 1071 or visit their webpage at ssualumni.org. To view the online yearbook and some of the distinguished graduates of Sonoma State, visit classof3million.calstate.edu. “We encourage students who aren’t part of the Class of 3 Million, to visit the yearbook to check out who’s who, what companies CSU grads go on to work for, what cities they land in, what industries our grads go into and so on,” said Stephanie Thara, a web communications specialist, public affairs for the office of the California State University chancellor. “It’s a great networking tool, considering that the CSU has one of the largest alumni families in the world.”
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Students work to eliminate sophomore slump J on Cappetta Staff Writer
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onoma State University is unique from other California State Universities in that it has a massive sophomore slump rate. The sophomore slump is a term used to describe the concept of students dropping out of their college, during or after their sophomore year. “For the SSU student who began their first year at SSU in 2009, 80 percent came back for their sophomore year, while 68 percent came back for their junior year and 65 percent came back for their senior year,” said Heather Smith, professor and Organizational Justice Research Team coordinator. “Sixtytwo percent continued at SSU for their senior year- consisting of the 28 percent that graduated and the other 34 percent continued on to the next year.” As Smith explained, 20 percent of the SSU students leave the school before they reach their sophomore year. Sonoma State students and faculty have come together to find out why the sophomore slump is specifically common at SSU and aspire to make a change. Under the instruction of Smith, these students are collectively a part of Sonoma State’s Organizational Justice Research Team. Since January the team has worked on the survey, which will help eliminate the sophomore slump issue at SSU. After 10 months of hard work the team has officially created the survey called “Track the Pack” which is currently ready to be taken. The survey has a variety of questions that are asked to gain information on why students are choosing to leave Sonoma State. The goal of Track
the Pack is to gain information regarding the overall campus climate and to therefore find out where reinforcements are needed for students. The survey is offered strictly to sophomores and juniors who started SSU as a freshman. This will gain more accurate results of why the sophomore slump is occurring. “Track the Pack isn’t just a small-scale survey project we’re doing to turn in for a grade. It has the potential to directly impact the student experience at Sonoma State,” said Nicole Bravo, student and organizational justice research team member. “We have many stakeholders who have given us ideas and direction in our development of the survey, and they are all very interested in the data we receive. The feedback that students give will be available to campus figures who have the ability to make changes and implement programs on campus, everyone’s opinion matters.” The survey has
been active for about two weeks. Sophomores and juniors who started as freshman at SSU received an email on their Seawolf account with an attached link to the survey. Around 3,000 students were asked to take the survey and around 220 surveys have been completed. Track the Pack survey takes around 30 minutes to complete, however once the survey has begun one can start and stop the survey whenever they please. The format of the questions consists of a rating scale and free answer questions. “From a student perspective, one big advantage of the survey is that it captures a lot of information about how students both view and use the campus. For example, do students feel safe and respected when on campus and in the classroom?” James Davis, student and Organizational Justice Research team member said. “How might these views impact students level of participation in
various SSU academic and social activities? The answers to these questions directly benefit SSU students, and they are the answers the survey is designed to discover.” Track the Pack is offered until January 2015, the Organizational Research team members hope to receive completed surveys as soon as possible bringing Sonoma State one-step closer to eliminating the sophomore slump. “The Track the Pack survey provided me with the opportunity to really reflect on my experiences during my time at SSU. I hope that it will raise awareness of the issues that our students face every day,” said student Liliana Morales. “I believe it will be a great tool in perceiving how our students really feel at SSU and what can be done to make it a better experience for all.” Sophomore and junior students are encouraged to take the Track the Pack student survey via their Seawolf emails.
sonoma.edu Sonoma State University research team and students seek feedback and input from sophomores and juniors in the Track the Pack student survey. The survey has been sent to students via their Seawolf email accounts.
wikimedia.org Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute and the Domaine Chandon Winery are offering a series of seminars next month for students and members of the community.
Wine Business partners with Domaine Chandon Amy Lee Staff Writer
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he Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute is excited to share that they recently paired with Domaine Chandon to offer a seminar series with wine industry professionals of the Napa Valley on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5. Chandon was the first winery in the United States established by a French wine producer, Moët & Chandon. The origin of Domaine Chandon dates back to 1690. It became the first French-owned sparkling wine venture in the U.S in 1973. Aside from the sparkling wine, they also produce still wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Chandon is located in Yountville, which is local to Sonoma State and is in the Napa Valley. Students can thank Ray Johnson, director of the Wine Business Institute, for this connection resulting in an invitation to the seminar. He is constantly working to keep positive relations in the wine industry and forming relationships that benefit Sonoma State students. This past year, Johnson participated in a panel discussion at the Direct to Consumer Symposium with Matt Wood, who is the Chandon Estate director. “It’s a commitment of resources for a company to host our seminars on their estate and something you don’t typically see,” Johnson said. However Chandon has opened their doors to our students to give them a better insight into the wine industry. Although this seminar may not help students directly with getting jobs or internships, it helps them make connections. “One of the great benefits to students who
participate in our programs are the great relationships that are made with industry professionals or organizations via the transformational learning experiences we provide,” said Erin Ringstad, assistant program coordinator for the Wine Business Institute. Early registration for the event ends on Oct. 28 for the Nov. 4 seminar and Oct. 29 for the Nov. 5 seminar. The cost for early registration is $150 and after that the cost increases to $180. The two-day seminar has three sessions, each lasting four hours. The first is Budgeting, Forecasting and Best Practices for Wine Businesses. This section goes over the basics of the best planning strategies for wine industry businesses. The next is Practical Strategies to Increase eCommerce, which focuses on the design of the company’s website and using social media to increase the user’s experience. The last seminar is called Direct to Consumer Marketing. This section focuses on sales that are made due to newsletters, wine club activity, events and other strategies that aren’t online. “It’s always an honor to receive these endorsements from the wine industry. Connections like this, to the wineries of California, open the door to career opportunities for all of our students. The more often that Sonoma State is top-of-mind with the leaders of the wine industry, the more that the value of our degrees raise higher,” said Johnson. The employees of Domaine Chandon are also welcomed to enroll in this seminar. This gives them the chance to further their knowledge and expertise in the wine industry, and it adds more connections that SSU students can make while at the seminar. If interested in this opportunity visit sonoma.edu/winebiz for more information on how to sign up for the seminar.
Zaum literary magazine accepting submissions Jonas B rock Staff Writer
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aum is a word defined as being transrational, beyond what is perceived by the senses or understood by rational analysis. Zaum is also the name of Sonoma State’s literary magazine. Commencing its 19 th year of publication, Zaum is getting ready to release their latest issue. In anticipation for the newest issue, Zaum is currently accepting submissions. The priority deadline for all entries is Friday with a final deadline on Nov. 7. Guidelines for students sending in their work include: limiting prose entries to less than 15 pages, and poetry entries to less than six poems. On their website, Zaum states that it accepts prose, poetry and visual art of graduate and undergraduate students from around the world. The magazine aims to showcase students’ work and gives writers and artists the opportunity to find their place in the literary world. Despite the many entries, each issue only showcases the work of 20 to 30 students. Further, despite the magazine being distributed solely in the Bay Area, it has gained national recognition as well. A true testament to how successful the publication is echoed by the fact that Zaum has received several national awards
from the Associated Writing Programs. The highlight of their acknowledgments being when issues six and seven were nominated for the Pushcart Prize, a national prize open to any writer in the country. The magazine, which was named Mandala changed its name in 1996 to Zaum and has existed on the Sonoma State campus for over 35 years now. The program itself serves over 100 students each year. It’s a great opportunity for students who wish to get involved in publishing on an established magazine. It provides students the opportunity to gain experience in layout, design and marketing of the publication. What makes this magazine special is that it gives students the chance to showcase their talents. This allows for variety in every issue as the range of entries stretches across the country. Last year the magazine celebrated its 18th publication with a gala at the Redwood Café in downtown Cotati. Attendees celebrated the evening by taking in poetry readings that were published in the magazine while also enjoying complimentary appetizers, music and a raffle. Those interested in submitting their work to Zaum should send an email to zaummag@gmail.com.
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Arts
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
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A classical, acoustic experience Sara Molenda Staff Writer
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he guitarist immediately sat down on a black stool in the middle of the stage and set his guitar on his knee. Without a word to the crowd, he began playing his first song of the night. The delicate and invested way in which he plucked each string in his guitar grabbed every ear in the audience right from the start. On Friday night, Sonoma State University hosted the talented classical guitarist, William Kanengizer in the recently renovated Schroeder Hall. Kanengizer was greeted the enthusiastic crowd, eager to hear his worldrenowned talent. “It is great to be here tonight,” said Kanengizer, immediately after he played his first song. “This space is wonderful, I feel like I’m playing inside of a guitar.” Kanengizer split his program into two parts. The first, titled “Music of Spain,” featured songs written by a variety of artists such as Manuel de Falla, Francisco Tárrega, Fernando Sor and Joaquin Turina. From the title of the first part of the program and the names of the writers, one can imagine that they might hear fast rhythms paired with f lamenco techniques. But what audience members experienced was a visual performance as well as an auditory one. Kanengizer attacked each note with a delicate yet playful technique while simultaneously using facial expressions to set the members of the audience right in the scene of the
STAR // Maud Busson Classical guitarist William Kanengizer performed two acts in Schroeder Hall on Friday. music. For example, when he played the three songs “Marieta!” “Lágrima” and “Maria” in a row, all of which written by Tárrega, Kanengizer was able to tell the story of the man who would call out to his wife Marieta and cry for her absence before being reminded of his wife’s playful personality by his daughter Maria. Audience members were able to match the tone changes from happy to sad with correlat-
ing melodies. Kanengizer ended the first half of his performance with an animated song, “Fantasia (Sevillana),” by composer Turina. The song, which began and ended with a single strum, kept audience members at the edge of their seat as Kanengizer portrayed his ability to master crescendos and descendos. Throughout the song he moved his fingers quickly and gracefully back and forth to high and low notes. The audience gave him a stand-
ing ovation. The performer’s return to the stage for the second half of the performance featured a shift from Spanish to North American music. Kanengizer featured artists from Cuba and Mexico and three artists from the U.S. Kanengizer put audience members in a happy trance with two Cuban folksong arrangements originally composed by Léo Brouwer, which resembled a mother singing her child to sleep with a lullaby. He then woke the crowd back up with music from Fred Hand and Brian Head in an effort to stir the crowd’s jazz hands. The guitarist was able to deliver the bluesy improv style of jazz music on the strings of his acoustic guitar with the songs, “The Magic Serenade” and “Brookland Boogie.” For Eric Cabalo, the classic guitar and ensemble guitar pedagogy at Sonoma State, seeing William Kanengizer perform right in his own backyard was a dream come true. “He [Kanengizer] is someone I have always admired and it was wonderful to hear him play some wonderfully technical songs in such a great space,” said Cabalo. Cabalo particularly enjoyed Kanengizer’s rendition of “Missing Her” by Fred Hand, as it is a “great example of combining classical and jazz elements in one song.” Audience members found themselves both entertained and impressed by the abilities of a guitarist who used the simplicity and intimacy of the setting to grab listeners from the very first strum, only to leave them in awe of the beauty of the music created by one man and his guitar.
Student-produced films: Showcased Ashley Ronsse Staff Writer
STAR // Jenna Fischer Tim Brody is an artist who opened his studio for Art Trails this year.
Local artists display works Jenna Fischer Staff Writer
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very year, artists from Sonoma to Bodega Bay open up their studios for anyone and everyone to appreciate their work. This year, the Art Trails program has 161 participating artists who opened their studios last weekend as well as this weekend. Each year “Art Trails” sends out a catalog of all the available artists, and this year the art styles ranged from traditional oil painting to abstract sculpture, to nature photography to handmade leather bags. The artists open their studios, which are often time their personal homes, and create a welcoming and warm atmosphere by offering food, refreshments and plentiful conversation. Each artist is more than happy to share their inspirations and techniques, making each visit to a studio a personal experience. There are a few studios near Sonoma State University, the first being the studio of Tim Brody, a local nature pastel artist. Brody’s medium is oil pastel and his style is realistic. “Being present to nature’s healing influence is the guiding principle of my life,” Brody said. When entering his studio, one would see a collection of beautiful, life-like pieces of artwork that reflect the nature of Sonoma County. Brody chooses his subjects by using a reference photo that he takes himself while on bike rides in areas such as Sea Ranch and Tomales Bay. With this photo, he creates a numbered grid on the canvas where he recreates the scene, square by square. Even though he uses the grid technique, he said each painting is a fresh start and there is no road map or set formula. Brody has won many awards for his paintings, his most recent being second place in the Marin County Fair. Nearby in Penngrove was Michael Ecton, a Sonoma County photographer. His photographs vary in composition from beautiful landscapes, to abstract forms. His overall theme is beauty in nature, and his inspiration is to “capture moments fleeting in time.” Ecton said his love of photography started when he was 16 years old, and his extensive travel across the U.S. and Europe have strengthened his love of nature photography. He specializes in wine country photography, which can be seen by the extensive collection of Sonoma County themed photos in
his studio gallery. Ecton was given an award by the Art Trails program for participating for 20 years. Another artist in the area is based in the outskirts of Cotati. Her name is Louise Comora, and she is a designer who specializes in custom Italian handbags. Comora had her beginnings in fine art, and then transferred her talent to leather craftsmanship after she was taught by a famous Parisian designer Hermes. She only uses exotic leathers and old style techniques for her bags, and her business, Itzalulu, is based in Sonoma. Each artist has many pieces of their work for sale, ranging from full-scale paintings to postcards. While making sales is not the basis of Art Trails, this program is the perfect place to find a small painting to take back home or a postcard to send to grandma. Each artist opens up their lives to the public, and it is a great chance to branch out into the artistic community without the formal atmosphere of a gallery. Art Trails extends into this weekend, each studio is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A catalog and map of all the artists’ studios can be found at sonomacountyarttrails.org.
STAR // Jenna Fischer Brody uses photos of real landscapes as inspiration for his paintings.
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rama, horror and comedy are just a few of the genres of short-films screened at the Campus MovieFest Finale Friday night. As part of Sonoma State University’s seventh annual Campus MovieFest, a total of 87 student teams created a short-film. The finale screened the top 16 films chosen by the judges and awarded special recognition to some short-films. The short-films were screened at the event in the Green Music Center. The pathway of the Green Music Center was lined with a red carpet and photo booth to provide the audience a feeling of walking down the red carpet in Hollywood. There was also a woman handing out Doritos chip bags and free Doritos swag, along with someone passing out raff le tickets to call out during the show. The first audience give-away prize was a box of Doritos. Manager of Campus MovieFest, Avery Grant, and Ciera Leidheisl, senior and employee of Associated Students Productions, hosted the Campus MovieFest Finale. Grant and Leidheisl gave their Twitter usernames in their introduction and encouraged the audience to participate by tweeting to #CMFatSONOMA. In addition to encouraging social media participation on Twitter, Grant and Leidheisl lead multiple door prize give-aways which included a computer harddrive and a f lashddrive. The four judge-nominated films that won the jury award included “Call,” “Na$areth,” “Rampage” and “Snake Eyes: Part 1.” “Call” is a film about a freshman that answers a random ringing phone on
campus to realize that the devil is on the other end. “Na$areth” is a music video film that discusses the city of San Francisco. “Rampage” is a film that follows a group of five SSU students as they go missing on a camping trip. Snake Eyes is a Western drama about a widow seeking justice and revenge for her husband’s murderer. While the top 16 movies were shown at the Campus MovieFest finale, the top three movies were “Stay Calm,” “Lucky” and “High Stakes,” respectively. “Stay Calm,” featured four students who became locked in a classroom together. The lights went out and the screen f lashed to the whiteboard which read: 20 minutes remaining. A student told the others not to worry because they “go to Sonoma State. Nothing ever happens here.” The screen then f lashed to a piece of paper on the f loor which read: “I see you.” Three of the students disappeared, which left one student remaining and repeating the line: “Nothing happens at Sonoma State.” “Lucky,” an Andrew Kass production, is about a college freshmen who learned that “if you pick up and keep going, you realize that everything happens for a reason.” This film’s cinematography made use of a GoPro camera to catch aerial shots. “High Stakes” was about college students preparing for a huge test. The student with the highest score received an automatic internship to Stanford. Tensions rose as a student found the answers to the test. These 16 films have the chance to make it to the Hollywood viewing of the Campus MovieFest. All the films are on the Campus MovieFest website and the film with the most views will move onto Hollywood with other popular films.
STAR // Edward Goquingco Sonoma State University’s Campus MovieFest finale was held on Friday and featured the top three films: “Stay Calm,” “Lucky,” and “High Stakes.”
Entertainment
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
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The freaky fourth season Kirsten Reeves Staff Writer
T facebook.com “Dracula Untold,” Directed by Gary Shore, hit theaters on Friday.
Dracula’s tale, revisited Natalie Bergman Staff Writer
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hat happens when one mixed the vampire element of the classic story of Dracula with some of the true history of Vlad the Impaler? The result is the ever-so-clever film of “Dracula Untold”. “Dracula Untold” revisited the origins of Bram Stoker’s iconic monster, winding back from the late 1800s of Bram Stoker’s novel to mid-1400s Transylvania. In this story, Dracula began as Transylvanian prince Vlad III Tepes, a man, who as a boy, was trained by Turkish overlords to become the savage warrior known as Vlad The Impaler. As a grown man, free of Turkish hold, Vlad ruled peacefully over Transylvania, loving every day with his wife Mirena and son Ingeras. Time of peace came to an end when Vlad’s old companion-in-arms, Sultan Mehmed II came to Transylvania demanding tribute of 1,000 young boys for his army, including Vlad’s own young son. Distraught at the thought of his son sharing the same bloody fate he had suffered as a boy, Vlad seeked out a way that could help protect his family and kingdom from Mehmed’s endless horde of soldiers. This desire led to Broken Tooth Mountain, where a dark creature of myth holds the secret to a great and terrible power. However, in asking for this powerful gift, Vlad tempted a fate that may be worse than the death of his own kingdom. As he drank the mountain-dwelling vampire’s blood in
desperation, Vlad gained unearthly powers that allowed him to defeat any and all foes in his path, but in return, he is doomed to live in the darkness forever. From there, the nightmarish legend of Dracula began. If Vlad could resist the thirst for human blood for three days as he fought Mehmen, he would return to his former self; release himself from this curse and will be aff licted no longer. This twist in “Dracula Untold” provided the film with some tension and an extra mythic jolt. As Vlad struggled to resist his blood lust, especially around his devoted wife, Mirena, he must also elude typical cliche vampire snags such as sunlight and silver, all the while fighting a gory bloodbathed battle to save his kingdom from war. The ending was a bit unclear how Vlad’s fate turned out, considering the ending felt tacked-on as it took things from the late 1400s into present day. The ending meant as a stinger for future sequels. It was so nonsensical, one would have to wonder what the filmmakers were thinking by adding it on in the first place. But that’s just it, they might not have been thinking, at all. “Dracula Untold” is not a masterful nor deep re-introduction to the franchise, but is a basic genre fair that’s only relatively amusing in its depiction of the monster in a different light. While this film may not be all that engaging as a standalone story, the concept of merging vampires with a famous historical figure was admittedly a clever thought. Clever concept or not, the film definitely falls short in entertainment value and depth.
Weezer’s triumphant return Marisa Oliveira Staff Writer
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rom “The Sweater Song” to “Beverly Hills,” Weezer has had their fair share of hits. They formed in 1992 and have gained much popularity in the last 20 years. Weezer’s brand new album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” released on Tuesday. The 11-track album had many fans waiting since their 2010 album, “Hurley.” The lead singer, Rivers Cuomo, was pursuing his solo career for the last couple years after the death of their former bassist Mikey Welsh. The opening track of the album, “Ain’t Got Nobody,” begins with a little-kid saying “I had another nightmare,” and a mother comforting her child saying “Go back to sleep honey, everything will be alright in the end.” Weezer performed “Ain’t Got Nobody” on late night show “Kimmel” last week. The lyrics go, “I thought I had a friend, but she was just pretend. She didn’t have a soul, nothing I could hold. Ain’t got nobody. Ain’t got nobody. Ain’t got no one to really love me.” This song was a personal favorite on the album, it’s catchy and upbeat, plus the lyrics are easy to follow and sing along to. The third song on the album was, “Eulogy for a Rock Band.” The lyrics were funny and witty, but not the best song on the album. “Adios rock band that we loved the most, this is a toast to what you did and all that you were fighting for.” The eighth song on the album is another favorite. “Go Away” features lead singer of the surf-rock band Best Coast, Bethany Cosentino. It’s a duet piece where Cosentino and Cuomo pretend to be ex-lovers and who communicate through the song. Cosentino sings, “Stupid boy, you keep on begging but I won’t let you in, you keep on crying but you know what you did, I’ll never let you back in.”
The ninth song on the album is “Cleopatra” which is also another solid addition. The lyrics go like, “We grow old, our hearts are dim. But our minds are free, to f ly where they will. Your beauty is faded, you’re a broken shell, it’s only the weak that fall for your spell. You can’t control me no more Cleopatra, patra, patra.” It’s about a boy who is controlled by this girl but he won’t let her take control of him anymore. The last three songs on the album are called “The Futurescope Trilogy” which contains three parts called, “The Wasteland”, “Anonymous” and “Return to Ithaka.” These last songs are kind of either love or hate. Overall the album gets a six out of 10 since out of the 11 songs on the album, there were only three that were really enjoyable. Although just the thought of Weezer releasing a new album is enough to excite fans, the album needed more hits to be successful.
facebook.com Weezer released their latest album “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” on Tuesday.
he FX hit show “American Horror Story” returned for its fourth season on Wednesday, which drew in over 6 million viewers during its 90-minute airtime. Over the course of the past three years, Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” obtained somewhat of a cult following, with many of its viewers having been faithful to the show since its debut season, “Murder House.” Every year the show has a new storyline, with the same cast returning to play different roles. The theme this year is “Freak Show,” and it features Twisty the Clown as the primary antagonist. Nightmares come to life as people watch the silent Twisty murder civilians and kidnap children. The highly praised Jessica Lange, who has been a consistent cast member throughout the years, returned this season as the ringleader of an unsuccessful freak show. Similarly, there is Sarah Paulson who played conjoined twins Bette and Dot. Kathy Bates took on the role of a bearded lady, and a fan favorite Evan Peters played Lobster Boy, a name he received due to a deformity of his hands. Another appearance in this season’s “American Horror Story” is the world’s smallest human Jyoti Amge. The India native is 20 years old, 23 inches tall and only 11 pounds. In addition to Amge, who plays Ma Petite, viewers can expect to see a three breasted hermaphrodite portrayed by Angela Bassett, Amazon Eve who stands at 6 feet 8 inches, Legless Suzi and a little boy who enjoyed biting the heads off of chickens. “American Horror Story” stays true to its past techniques, evoking fear from its audience by providing a disturbing form of shock-factor. It’s definitely not a show for the conservative or faint of heart because it seems as though, like past seasons, “Freak Show” will have no boundaries. While gore and violence is a common theme in the series, so is sex. Within the first hour of the first episode there are several sexual encounters with different characters, including arguably the most interesting, the conjoined twins Bette and Dot. Small controversy arose surrounding the show and its portrayal of the “freaks.” Most of the deformities that are featured in the show are daily
struggles for those who may have them in reality. Real-life bearded lady Jennifer Miller spoke out on the portrayal of bearded women in the media and debunked some of the stereotypes, including one that the woman who portray them in film are often bigger. “Real-life famous bearded ladies were not bigger, but on television they always have that maternal vibe,” said Miller in an interview with cosmopolitan.com. “And that’s interesting, that the bearded lady becomes a motherly woman, often. It’s probably because she can’t be the sexy one. Mother, goddess, whore — you know?” This stereotype is no exception to “Freak Show,” because the bearded lady (Bates) is the mother of Lobster Boy (Peter). Once viewers were able to stomach the disturbing parts of the show, the series becomes visually appealing. “Freak Show” is set in 1952 Florida, so every outside character’s appearance is very believable for the time period. The show is filmed like a photograph in full contrast, and the eerie music in both the opening theme and throughout the show sets the scene for the perfect creepy carnival. The uniqueness of a horror-drama centered television show may be a reason for its large amount of viewers, or it may be its strange and twisted plotlines. Whatever it is, it’s a hit. Join the battle between the “freaks” and the “outsiders” and tune into “American Horror Story: Freak Show” next Wednesday for it’s second episode.
facebook.com American Horror Story returned to FX for its fourth season, entitled “Freak Show.”
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Features
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
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‘Let’s Make a Deal’ student contestant Brittany Finley Staff Writer
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ver dreamed of being on TV and competing for cash and prizes? Well for one Sonoma State student, this dream came true. Amanda Avery, sophomore, will be a contestant on the show “Let’s Make a Deal” October 28 at 9 a.m. on CBS. Avery is very involved on Sonoma State’s campus as a member of Alpha Delta Pi and the Nursing Club. “Let’s Make a Deal” is a television game show that has been on the air for over 50 years. Audience members dress up in costumes to stand out in hope of current host, Wayne Brady, selecting them to be a contestant. The host makes deals with audience members who are then selected to play different games. Avery decided to audition for the game show, after seeing the success of her friend and former Sonoma State student, Melody Forsell, on the show “The Price is Right.” Avery and her two best friends from high school decided they wanted to be on “Let’s Make a Deal,” so they went online to see how they could audition. Because Avery is from Los Angeles, it worked out perfectly. She auditioned to be on the show over summer. “The process was really easy,” said Avery, “we just went online and reserved a ticket. Then when we got to the studio, they had us stand in a line where a cameraman came around and filmed us, it was our initial interview.” After the initial interview there is also a group interview where the potential contestants are interviewed with the people they came with, in this case Avery and her two friends. They also watched a few episodes of “Let’s Make a Deal” so that they could understand the game and know learn game etiquette. They were given scenarios of dif-
ferent prizes they could win and were asked to show the face they would make if they won. “Let’s Make a Deal” is known for the costumes. Each contestants chooses their costume and sometimes groups or couples decide to do matching costumes. People are given the opportunity to be as creative as they want with their costume. “I love seeing people’s costumes,” said Avery, “there was one guy who was dressed as a coffee mug and a donut.” Avery and her friends decided to dress as loofahs. Each of her friends used different color tulle to make their costumes, so they were each a different color loofah. Avery was the only one of her friends to get chosen to play the game. “They didn’t tell us who was going be picked,” said Avery. “So we had to stay excited to make sure we would get picked. It was really cool.” “Let’s Make a Deal” consists of numerous different games. Avery was selected to play the marble game, which is all about luck. The game works by having two contestants face off each other winning cash. “The show was really fun but also tiring,” said Avery, “during the commercial breaks they made us dance and sing, to keep us pumped and ready if we got picked. It was a good experience. It was really fun and everyone should go if they get the opportunity.” In the game there are five marbles: four blue marbles and one red. Each contestant secretly chooses a marble. If a blue marble is found, the contestant wins cash, but if a red marble is found, the game is over and the other contestant wins. “I am having a bunch of friends and girls in my sorority over for a viewing party,” said Avery, “I’m really excited to watch and to not have to keep the results a secret anymore.”
STAR // Sara Wildman The Blind Scream Haunted Houses at Sonoma Mountain Village, only six minutes from campus, got people in the Halloween spirit with adrenaline and screams.
Blind Scream Haunted House horrifies crowds
Kimberly Paasche Staff Writer
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here was a girl who laid bloody on an operating table, guts spilled out and still alive as she gasped for her last breath of air. A demented doctor stood hunched over her and laughed. This was just one of the many terrifying things found in the Swamp Shack at the Blind Scream Haunted House. “The most clear memory I have is of the girl who was laying on the operating table, guts spilled all out and still alive gasping for air as the demented doctor stood hunched over her laughing, and then quickly shooed us away,” said Jenaca Voth after walking though the Swamp Shack at Blind Scream. In previous years Blind Scream had only one haunted house attraction. This year, there were three different haunted houses each with a storyline to explore. The three houses included Black Out, Carnicus and the Swamp Shack. The stories came about when Blind Scream Haunted House started out at the close and boarded up Hunter Steakhouse building, and have morphed over time.
Each of the three haunted houses this year had professional actors, who were well trained in the art of scaring. The actors looked very real with broken bones, horrible intentions and hungry for human f lesh. Each haunted house was not just a show, but also an improv production. “Guests are submerged into the whole horror scene,” said one of the owners and operations of Blind Scream, Drew Dominguez. Brian Abbot, the Rancho Cotati High School drama teacher helped train actors, and some of his students even worked as actors in the production. “Even though it’s a haunt, being in different roles can help them find out they want to be in their future,” said Abbot. The first haunted house is called Black Out. Just as it sounds, this house played up on the fear of the dark. It is a pitch black maze, where creatures stirred. A creature would jump out and scream at you, but it was way more terrifying being at the back of the pack. The last person in the group while in Black Out usually gets scared the most. The creatures in this house
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On top, Amanda Avery, Sonoma State University student, poses with friends Alexis Sunga, in the middle, and Alexis Gomez, on the left. On the bottom Avery ,on the right, and Sunga, on the left, show off their “Lets Make a Deal“ name tags.
Swamp Shack was dark and steamy, with terrifying actors. The Swamp Shack was not limited to the swamp. It included an operating room with patients for the demented Doc Hunter. “It’s part of Halloween, in October you need to go to a haunted house,” said owner Judy Walker. “People need to slow down and laugh and a haunted house is the perfect opportunity.” Blind Scream has been around since 2008. Due to financial reasons the haunted house does not stay open year round. It is not always in the same location, but just as last year, the haunted house is located in Sonoma Mountain Village at 1500 Valley House Dr. in Rohnert Park. Blind Scream is just a six-minute drive from the Sonoma State University Campus. The hours vary, so it is best to check the schedule before planning a trip. Attending the house is affordable, even on a college student budget. The cost is $10 for one house, or $20 to attend all three. More information on Blind Scream can be found on their Facebook page, or at blindscream.com.
Opportunity lies abroad Nataly Estupiñan Staff Writer
COURTESY // Amanda Avery
followed guests quietly and closely with out guest’s knowledge. The next house, known as Carnicus, was a bloody demented version of a circus. Guests were greeted by P.T. Hunter, who was the brother of Doc Hunter, another character from previous years of the Blind Scream Haunted House. P.T. Hunter was the crazy ringleader of the demented bloody carnival. Participants found many deformed sideshows, bloody killer clowns, a 3D glow maze and more manic family members. The music and atmosphere really added to the experience. The 3D section of this haunted house required 3D glasses, which were supplied before that section of the house. The glasses had the wall paintings jump into vision and real live blood thirsty clowns. The last house was considered to be the scariest. The Swamp Shack was filled with zombies, swamp monsters, the demented Doc Hunter and Mama Sante Hunter. The story said Mama Sante was the voodoo witch. If someone looked into her eyes long enough, the nightmares of the haunted house will follow. The
here are a good chunk of students who dream of studying abroad as they arrive to campus. The only problem is, they do not seem to know where to go or how to get there. Luckily, on Tuesday, Sonoma State University hosted its Go Global! Study and Work Abroad Fair, in front of the Student Center between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. One will be handed a passport to the world, which one can fill with 12 stickers in order to receive a free tote bag and be entered in a raffle to win one of three free ISIC cards, which is an international student ID card worth $25. Students took a look at the multitude of options for going abroad and enjoyed some free candy and key chains that were offered. Some students appeared to beam with excitement and eagerness to go abroad. The fair featured about 34 tables, all with information about studying, working or interning abroad. “I thought that it was great that the fair was not only geared toward studying abroad,” said senior Montserrat Camacho. “There are many great intern and work abroad options, which is what I am looking for.” One of the interesting work abroad programs is JET, which is a Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, where a student can work in Japan as an English language-teaching assistant. This program assists graduate students with the majority of their needs such as airfare and housing and a student can start earning $36,000 in their first year. If one is not looking to work abroad and is nearing toward graduation, there are also a variety of intern abroad programs. The Intern Group is one of the many in-
tern abroad programs featured at the fair, which offered five destinations: Colombia, London, Melbourne, Hong Kong and Madrid. After choosing a location, the Intern Group works hard to find an internship in the foreign country in the student’s field of study. These internships can range anywhere from finance, real estate, fashion and law, just to name a few. If one is simply looking to study abroad, there are a variety of great options. There is the California State University International Program, which is yearlong where students can choose to study abroad in one of 18 different countries. “What makes this program great is that a student can still be enrolled at SSU and earn credit and also take their financial aid with them,” said Elsa Sanchez, a representative for the CSU International Program. There are even programs for those who enjoy traveling to other countries and going off the beaten path, to non-tourist
places. One of those programs is University Studies Abroad Consortium, which is a study abroad program in which one can study in a more non-traditional city and get more of a feel of the local’s experience. Some of the other programs worthy of mentioning for studying, working, interning or volunteering abroad are: Kaya, panrimo, British Uiversities North America Club, Peace Corps, Education First: language courses abroad, Semester at Sea and World Endeavors, just to name a few. Aside from these non-SSU affiliated programs, WIVA, the Work, Intern, Volunteer Abroad program, is located on campus and offers a multitude of programs for students to be a part of. “Our role is to help students find the best work, intern or volunteer programs that meet their needs,” said Ihssan Osman, a WIVA representative. There are many options for students of all years, so now is the time to take a chance and experience something new.
facebook.com On Tuesday Go Global! Study and Work Abroad Fair offered booths of all the different options and programs to study, intern and volunteer abroad.
Features
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Page 9
Mindy Nettifee moves with inspiring poetry Lauren O’Malley Staff Writer
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icture this; a woman standing in the middle of 12 college students. Each sat on colorful couches and chairs ready to listen to the woman’s famous thoughts. On Thursday, 12 students huddled into the HUB, an integral center for diversity, vitality and creativity, to hear Mindy Nettifee read some of her world famous poetry. “I didn’t really know what to expect because I have never been a poetry person myself but I was blown away because I could understand it or at least understand what you think it means, either way I really liked it and I’m glad I came,” said junior Karina Whitehouse. Nettifee is a critically acclaimed poet, who has been to over 500 universities, colleges and venues to perform and teach others
about the beauty of poetry. Nettifee has competed in five National Poetry Slams, toured with indie rock band the Cold War Kids and headlined on some national poetry tours such as The Last Nerve A High Tea Poetry Brawl, The Whirlwind Company and The Poetry Revival, as well as speaking at The Drums Inside Your Chest, a critically acclaimed poetry concert in Los Angeles. Nettifee started out her night like any other. She spoke to the crowd. The first poem she read was “Prayer for a Party”, which involved the crowd while they stomped their feet during certain parts of the poem so that people were engaged. A member in the crowd asked Nettifee how she became comfortable speaking in front of so many others on stage. “Volume, volume of practice,” said Mindy Nettifee.
Nettifee has written three books such as, “Glitter in the Blood”, “Rise of the Trust Fall” and “Sleepyhead Assassins”. Along with writing her own books, Nettifee has edited other poet’s books. She also has a nonprofit organization called Write Now Poetry Society, which she started about nine years ago with Amber Tamblyn. They decided to put on a big show called The Drums Inside Your Chest with an audience of about 500 people, just so they could increase the amount of people who listened to poetry and get others to want to understand their passion for poetry. “I started writing poems in the third grade, but by the time I was almost 13 I decided to start going to this open mic in Huntington Beach,” said Nettifee, “because it was [the only]place my mom would let me go when
I was young, that was safe and wholesome, but it was not wholesome.” Nettifee lived in Iowa where it was mandatory to take music and poetry in elementary school. She was inf luenced by this and started to create her own poetry. “I fell in love with how weird and free everyone was, and they weren’t competing with others directly, it was more like who could be the most themselves,” said Nettifee. In regard to how to write poetry, Nettifee said, “Learn to not care.” Nettifee explained that in order to be who a person wants to be, they have to learn to not care about others thoughts. Nettifee read eight more poems before ending the night by having a guest play guitar as she read her final poem of the night called, “Last Act”.
STAR // Sara Wildman Mindy Nettifee came to Sonoma State University to read some of her famous poetry while she tried to give vision and motivation to students and other poets.
Bring civility to campus Megan Minturn Staff Writer
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Light It Up with glowing dance moves Jonathan Angulo Staff Writer
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hree DJs took the stage on Saturday and played to a wild crowd of Seawolves who danced, socialized and waved around large glow sticks. Campus Life Programming and Associated Students Productions collaborated and decided to throw a dance party for Sonoma State University this Saturday. Light It Up Glow Dance Party was held in the Student Center, Ballroom A, at 10 p.m. This event was the brain of Ciera Leidheisl of Associated Student Productions, and Mo Phillips, associate director of Student Development. Saturday night’s DJ was Clint Kuper from Degy Entertainment. Kuper not only was DJ for the dance party, but also the instructor for the event, Be the DJ Master Class, which took place at 7 p.m. in the same room. However, at 7 p.m. only two students decided to show up for the event and take advantage of the opportunity to work with a professional DJ. Although they had a small turnout for the master class, Mo Phillips was not discouraged. “As long as someone gets something out of it, I am happy,” said Phillips. Kevin Hill was one of the two who showed up for the Master Class. This is not Kevin Hill’s first experience as a DJ, he also participated at Big Nite with his own stage set up in front of the Rec Center. Hill was able to work with Clint Kuper and get personal advice every step of the way. “He has some software that I am not used to using, but it is good to know different techniques and learn the foundations. You cannot be proficient when it comes to DJing if you are not well-rounded,” said Kevin Hill. Beginning at 10 p.m., the people began trickling in through the front doors of the Student Center.
Between 10:30 and 11 p.m., students were coming in packs. Once climbing the steps to the third f loor, one would notice the table that was outside the entrance of the dance. White tubes that emitted changing colored lights, which guests could wave in the air while they danced. It was the quintessential dance scene. Bass vibrated the very f loor one walked on. The music was electronically based with a combination of pop and rap music. There were student’s break dancing in a circle while others danced around them. According to the box office, they sold somewhere between 300 and 400 tickets. “It was a pretty good turn-out tonight, about medium size,” said Elizabeth Sanchez, member of Associated Students. Wallf lowers gathered on the outskirts of the large dance group with folded arms and talked amongst themselves. Inside, a couple fought in the corner and a person danced by themselves. It seemed like an ordinary dance; until a confrontation broke out in the middle back of the dance f loor. The people involved were quickly removed from the scene and the dance continued with hardly a whisper. “That is why we are here,” said Sanchez. There were workers and police stationed throughout the ballroom to ensure the safety of students. Even though a fight broke out, it did not stop other students from dancing wildly and socializing. By the front of the stage people danced more lively and were really into the music. Garret Gooch is one of those students who came out to release some energy. “I have been studying for five hours straight. After I was done I decided it was time for dancing,” said Gooch. These dances provide a release for students like Gooch, who might want to escape the mental stress of studying for long periods of time.
tudents and faculty members enjoyed homemade soup and good conversation on Wednesday in the HUB. The title of the meeting “Soup and Substance” provided an environment to discuss building a more civil and inclusive community at Sonoma State University. The HUB was designed for meetings that foster an environment on campus that can be filled with mutual respect and appreciation of those who are a part of it. “We are hoping to engage civility among students in this three-part meeting series,” said Rosa Serratto. The idea for the series started after there was a racial graffiti incident in the dorms a few weeks ago. The three-part series suggested started with the first part which focused on close circle civility. This means understanding and creating civility among individuals, close friend groups and roommates. The second part of the series encourages students to look outside their circle and promote civility around Sonoma State, Rohnert Park and even the state of California. The last part of the series would encourage students to promote civility on a global scale. “I think the reason civility is lacking at Sonoma State is because it is not understood,” said Austin Dillon, a Residential Area coordinator. “We need to get people educated and start sparking conversations about it.” Students at the meeting tried to define civility. Most of them agreed that one should treat another the way they wish to be treated. They said that each person should be aware that the way one treats another can affect the other’s personal thoughts and feelings. Everyone at the meeting agreed that there needed to be a common goal to want a civil environment in order to actually create one. The leaders of the meeting brought out an in-
tersections board, which had different categories that defined people and generated values and ideals. The categories included; race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, spirituality, personal abilities, generational and regional factors. Meeting goers discussed how all of these could affect why people make certain choices. They discussed how individuals could react to those things in a way that is civil. At the meeting, different possible scenarios that can happen between roommates were talked about. For example, dealing with a roommate that does not understand personal space, and how one could deal with that in a civil way, or a situation where a roommate has started eating less and how to bring it up in conversation to confront their roommate in a non-attacking way. “A lot of times, individuals want someone else to take care of their problems so it can be less awkward,” said CSA Matt Lindenberg. “The problem with that is having someone else solve your problems will only make your relationship with that person more awkward.” Lindenberg told the STAR that he deals with a lot of on-campus residents who expect him to solve all their roommate problems. “It’s more important to have open communication between roommates because it can strengthen [the] bond and create a healthier living environment,” said Lindenberg. Meeting goers seemed to have a positive outlook afterwards and discussed how they were going to work on civility in their own living situations and friend groups. The point of the meeting was to understand that everyone has a reason behind their choices and that individuals can change their reactions and quick judgments. It has yet to be decided when the other two parts of the series on civility will take place. However, keep looking at the HUB’s Facebook page or information page on sonoma.edu to find out when to attend following meetings about this issue.
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Sports
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Lacrosse gets the ‘W’ Kyler Khan Staff Writer
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he Seawolves came away with a victory against a not-so familiar opponent this weekend. The opponent was Simon Fraser University, a public school with around 35,000 students located in Burnaby, Canada. Burnaby is a city located about 10 miles from Vancouver, about a 15 hour-long bus ride from Sonoma State University. SFU and SSU are both members of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association, but they compete in different leagues. The SFU Clansmen have a history of being a tough opponent after being top in their division every year since 2008. But on Friday, the Seawolves came away with an 11 to 9 victory over SFU. Faceoff started around 3:30 p.m. Friday, and it didn’t take long for the scoring to start as SFU took a quick 2-0 lead. Shortly after, No. 46, sophomore Connor Chanault responded with a big goal that started the scoring off for the Seawolves. From there on, the Seawolves seemed to take control of the game, despite the physicality of the SFU defense, with an 8-3 lead going into the half. Senior Connor Kuehnle and junior Brad Bochesa provided four of the first half goals, with a pair each. The SFU team was most likely distracted by the noise and shouting from the Seawolf fans, who stood on the sideline throughout the game and congratulated the team after the win. Junior Michael Tomita scored the lone goal of the third quarter for the Seawolves, putting the Seawolves up 9-5 going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, SFU started a small comeback as they tightened the game to 10-8. The SSU crowd
kept their enthusiasm and drew laughter from spectators with a “back, back, back,” chant after the referee had motioned to move away from the sideline. With not much time left, two goals by senior Blane Sando, and a big hit by junior Zach Swinford capped the win for the Seawolves. After the game, coach Matt D’Angelo talked about the team’s plans and what he saw in the scrimmage. “We wanted to see where we were as a team…see how we played,” said D’Angelo. “Especially the freshman, to see how they actually played in a game against a good opponent in Simon Fraser.” A couple of Seawolf players also commented on the keys to victory over Simon Fraser. “We really had to contain their craftiness I think…they’re from Canada so they play a little bit different than us…we just had to have solid [defense],” said freshman Gio Rico. “They hit us a lot…they didn’t switch hands a lot…we’d slide one way thinking they’d switch hands and they wouldn’t.” Junior Cameron Revere also mentioned the different style of play from the Canadian opponent. “Key to the victory was probably just playing hard,” said Revere. “They came out tough… they’re Canadian so they like to hit each other or hit us at least.” The win marks the Seawolves’ third in as many scrimmages so far in their solid start. For those interested in keeping up with the team and following their season, visit their website and Facebook page. Home games are located at the old football field and are free for students to attend as this 2014-15 season is just getting started.
STAR // Sara Wildman The Seawolves beat Canadian college Simon Fraser 11-9.
COURTESY // Jake Banuelos 4G Bait Company is one of the many sponsors of the Fishing Club.
Fishing Club gets hooked on competition Adam Roth Staff Writer
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or centuries, people have caste a lure into the water in hopes of catching a fish. It’s a timeless activity that has brought families together and helped civilizations thrive. The Sonoma State Fishing Club provides an excellent opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature with fellow fishing enthusiasts with the added perk of bringing home a chunk of change. “Fishing is a huge stress reliever for me, I love to be out on the water setting hooks and catching big fish.” Banuelos said, “Whoever has never been fishing, needs to. A lot of people think it’s just a hook, line and sinker but it’s a completely different story once your out on the water” The Fishing Club is home to about 12 fishermen who compete in the College Fishing League Worldwide. Club President Jake Banuelos, along with his fishing partner Brent Nelson, senior, competed in the Clear Lake Invitational tournament over the weekend and finished in seventh place, out fishing more then 45 different teams. This means the pair will continue on to South Carolina for the National Championship, held at Lake Keowee where they will compete for $30,000 and a new bass fishing boat. Nelson said, “It’s a lot of fun, it’s a great group of people who enjoy fishing at different places and different lakes, it’s just a good time to get outdoors and hang out with your friends and meet new people.” The tournaments are judged by weight, each team is allowed five fish per day. Once
the fish are weighed and the scores recorded, the fish are then put back into the lake. Banuelos and Nelson caught over 24 pounds worth of Largemouth Bass in the two-day event. Banuelos said, “Everything was going against us in the beginning; we had a lot of boat issues, we had a big fish get off, and just weren’t catching the fish. So the fact that we were able finish within the top 10 and advance to Nationals is awesome.” The Fishing Club is sponsored by several companies who help the team with merchandise and various forms of tackle. Some of the sponsors include Monster Fishing Tackle located in Cotati and 4G Bait Company, known for their GMoney jigs and punch skirts. Banuelos said, “Without 4G bait company, we probably wouldn’t be here; they are a tremendous asset to the success of our club on campus and out on the water.” Nelson, senior, said, “Our sponsors help keep the expenses down a lot, we have to pay for gas for the car, gas for the boat, and of course our equipment, so our sponsors really help us out. Because after all, we are just college students.” The club runs year round and typically attends three tournaments. These tournaments are held at Lake Havasu in Arizona, the California Delta, as well as the New Melones Reservoir. The cost to join the Fishing Club is $40 and a California State fishing license is required. For more information about the Fishing Club contact Banuelos at banueloj@seawolf. sonoma.edu.
Women’s tennis hosts second Fall Invitational Aubrie Tolliver Staff Writer
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he Sonoma State University women’s tennis team hosted their second, annual Fall Invitational this past weekend. The teams from Dominican University, Academy of Art and Holy Names travelled to Rohnert Park to play against each other in the singles and doubles tournaments at the SSU tennis courts. In singles play, there were standout performances from junior Jacquelyn Ward, sophomore Kaitlyn Haithcock and freshman Julie Rea. After getting a first round bye, Ward went on to win her next two matches against Holy Names competitors Amaru Hernandez (6-2, 6-3) and Lexi Bevins (6-2, 6-3). Rea did the same against her Dominican opponents in three matches, beating Allie Rosa by walkover, Frankie Katafias (6-2, 6-1) and Kelly Zwicker (4-6, 6-0, 10-5). After two stellar matches, both Ward and Rea made it to the championship round in Pool B but would not play each other. Haithcock, playing in Pool A, won her first match against Holy Names’ Taylor Barajas (6-2, 6-1) and went on to play Mariel Bautista from Holy Names. The match would be the only one Haithcock would play that would make it to a third set and she would have to make some adjustments before securing the victory. “She liked to play a lot of high balls and I am not like that,” said Haithcock. “I am a very fast player.” After splitting the first two sets by scores of 4-6 and 6-4, the stands began to fill with her teammates and fans who were hungry for a victory. When she eventually won the final set 10-7, the cheering from the crowd echoed across all 12 courts. “I don’t think I could have won without the constant cheering,” said Haithcock after the match. “When there is a bad point and you are getting down on yourself, you hear your teammates, you hear your family… it gives you that much more energy.” After losing her next two matches to Academy of Art’s Lucy Zavarcikova (6-1, 6-1) and Nina Gajdosikova by walkover, she ended the weekend in fourth place in her pool. Sophomore Jordyn Kearney ended the weekend
COURTESY // SSU Athletics Sophomore Kaitlyn Haithcock placed fourth in her pool. in fifth place after splitting her four matches, beating Dominican’s Gianna Cupo (6-2, 6-1), losing to Lucy Zavarcikova (6-4, 6-0) from Academy of Art, winning against Bautista (6-2, 4-6, 10-6), and losing in the final round against Academy of Art’s Jenny Johansson (4-6, 6-3, 9-11). Other Seawolf singles players who competed this weekend included sophomores Karlee Budge and Lia Quilty, freshman Mariann Bukich and junior Janie Anderson. Budge, who came in seventh place by the end of the weekend, won two out of her four matches. Bukich won one out of three matches. Quilty and Anderson both ended the weekend without a win. It was a successful weekend for the Seawolves’ doubles teams, with two out of the four pairs making it to the championship round for their respective pools. Bukich and Budge paired up to take on Holy Names’ Maria Seaver and Rosa and eventually beat
them by a score of 8-0. After a win over their second Holy Names’ pair, Bautista-Barajas (8-6), the two players headed to the championship round to take on Academy of Art’s Johansson and Kurczbuch. However, the pair couldn’t play in the final match, so the victory went to Bukich and Budge by walkover. The Haithcock-Kearney pair would also make it to the championship match after beating Dominican’s Vicari-Karslen team 8-3. However, the Seawolves lost in their final game to the Torres-Cupo pair from Dominican by a score of 8-2. The pairs Anderson-Quilty and Rea-Ward both lost their first matches in doubles play against Holy Names’ Bautista-Barajas (8-1) and Dominican’s Torres-Cupo (8-4), respectively. These losses moved both teams to the consolation brackets where Anderson-Quilty would get the victory over Academy of Art’s Seaver-Flanagan team (8-6) but lose against Holy Names’ Bevins and Hernandez (8-5). The Rea-Ward team concluded the weekend for
the Seawolves with a lost in their final match by a score of 8-3 against Smitchback-Vieria, also from Holy Names. This was the Seawolves second year hosting their Fall Invitationals and Bukich believes that playing on their own courts worked into the Seawolves’ favor. “We are used to the speed, the everything of these courts,” said Bukich. “There is for sure an advantage when playing at home.” Assistant Coach Sara Celma said that other advantages to playing at home include choosing the best courts for the players and having more fans there to support the girls. However, the Seawolves won’t have these advantages this weekend because they are travelling to Turlock, where they will be competing in the Warrior Invitational, hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The matches begin Saturday and conclude the following day.
Sports
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
Page 11
Men’s soccer splits weekend home-series Vasili Loufas Staff Writer
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en’s soccer took a loss and a win from this past weekend losing to Cal State San Bernardino in a 4-3 battle, but recovered and beat arch-rival Chico State on Sunday 3-1. Sonoma State added a win and loss to make their current record 7-51, with a showing of 2-3-1 in CCAA league play. The San Bernardino Coyotes knocked in two early goals in the ninth and eleventh minutes to take an early lead, leaving Sonoma State to play catch up the rest of the game. Another Coyote goal in the 21st minute made it a 3-nil ball game only a quarter through the match. SSU was stuck in a 3-0 drought and needed something magical to happen. Brenton Frame knocked in the first Sonoma State goal off a corner kick that shortened the lengthy deficit to 3-1 with the Seawolves trailing in the 34th minute. Another Coyote goal came in the 57th minute to make the lead 4-1. Eric Alvarado scored a goal in the 61st minute and shortly after in the 72nd minute Brenton Frame scored his second goal of the day to cut the lead 4-3. The Seawolves never prevailed leaving their opponents to take the win edging the Seawolves with a final score of 4-3. SSU did out-shoot CSU San Bernardino 17-7, but failed to finish those opportunities resulting in a tough loss. Rival school Chico State came to Seawolf Field to take on the Seawolves this past Sunday afternoon, but the Wildcats were in trouble trying to come away with a win. Early in the game, a corner kick ball was touched around in the box and was finally scored by Seawolf Sean Callahan. The goal would make it 1-0 with SSU leading through the rest of the first half. In the early second half, Seawolves Manin Zahic and Callahan would assist a Brenton Frame score after the ball was headed around a few times. The score was 2-0 with Sonoma up early in the second half. Wildcat Justin Walmsley would knock in the only Chico goal of the day assisted by Justin Saul after a foul was called on SSU. Later on, a Chico foul was committed and Brenton Frame was left to take the set-piece just outside the box. Frame bent the ball right over the wall and into the net to clinch the Sonoma victory 3-1. Frame told the STAR, “I was thinking we need a goal to give us breathing room. It’s a big moment and I just felt like it needed to be done.” SSU outshot Chico State 10-5 and also had two more shots on
STAR // Maud Busson Junior Sean Callahan works the ball up to the goal. goal. Zahic said, “We battled hard. We had a couple unfortunate results prior to this game but we’re going to keep on moving forward. We were very excited to go out that way and pick up a couple good results.” Men’s soccer advances their record with this win to 7-5-1. Dylan Stafford said, “We had a couple tough results, but we
bounced back and now we’re looking forward to get some wins on our belt and just keep going.” Seawolves soccer will travel to southern California to take on Cal State Los Angeles on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday at 2 p.m. The final two games of the regular season will follow these games and will take place at Seawolf Field taking on UC San Diego on Oct. 24 and Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 26.
Player Profile: Maria Hurtado Ancia Purdy Staff Writer
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he junior cross country runner, originally from a small town in Mexico, has ran since she was 7 years old and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. She started running a few miles everyday with her mother and when her brother started cross country in high school, she wanted to be just like him. After joining a running club in sixth grade, Hurtado started to race competitively. “Running is more of a lifestyle than just a sport,” said Hurtado. “It’s something we plan to do for the rest of our life.” Hurtado and her family migrated to the U.S. in the early years of her life. Despite moving when she was little, Hurtado didn’t learn to speak English until around the same age she started running. She also loves listening to old school Spanish music. Through running cross country, Hurtado has learned to never give up. That is something that she uses in her everyday life, not just in her sport. In addition, cross country has taught her how to constantly stay positive and to keep trying no matter what.
“I have learned to keep pushing through the pain because you can always do better.” “I have learned to keep pushing through the pain because you can always do better,” said Hurtado. In doing so, Hurtado has accomplished many things in her 10 years running cross-country. In high school, she was the second person to make the varsity cross country team at her school, Vista Murrieta High School. In her senior year there, Hurtado finished in the top 50 at the Division I state meet in addition to her team finishing second in the state. So far in her college career, Hurtado has a few big accomplishments under her belt. In Sonoma State University’s Invitational held this year at Spring Lake Regional Park, Hurtado finished top 10, running a 23:37 6K race. Also, Hurtado became team captain this year. “I was never [team] captain in high school, so being captain in college never crossed my mind,” said Hurtado. Hurtado is very independent. She does her own thing and tends to not follow the crowd or do what everybody else is doing.
STAR // Alyssa James Volleyball’s overall record now stands at 11-4.
Volleyball hits seven-game winning streak Taylor Graham Staff Writer
COURTESY // SSU Athletics Maria Hurtado started to race competitively after joining a running club in the 6th grade. “I like to find a way to do things in my own way,” said Hurtado. “When people try to tell me that I cannot do something, I use that as my motivation to prove them wrong.” Hurtado chose SSU because of the size and beauty of the campus. She loves that the class sizes are small.
“When people try to tell me that I cannot do something, I use that as my motivation to prove them wrong.” Hurtado is majoring in global studies because she has always wanted to work for the government or work helping immigrants. But her biggest dreams would include making a change in the world. After college her plans include working for a nonprofit organization helping and protecting human rights or working for the U.S. government. Hurtado’s dream job is working for the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Hurtado and the rest of the SSU cross country team have their last regular season race on Saturday, Oct. 18 in Santa Clara for the Santa Clara Invitational.
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fter winning both of their games this weekend, the Sonoma State University volleyball team heads into the second half of their season on a seven-game win streak. On Friday night, the Seawolves, who lead their conference, beat Cal State Stanislaus, who is last in the conference, in just three sets. Although the Seawolves started off slow, going down 4-0, they quickly came back and won the first set 25-18. In the second set, they showed that they were clearly the better team. They played with poise and confidence and won 25-14. In the final set, they quickly took over and won 25-11 to take the match. Throughout the game, the Seawolves were aggressive and stayed very poised, which heightened the frantic play on the other side of the net. The Seawolves all played their individual roles very well, making it hard for Stanislaus to stop. The win was a complete team effort throughout the whole game. Madelyn Densberger led the Seawolves with 15 kills, Kelsey Hull had 12 and Caylie Seitz added eight. Calan Seitz had 20 assists on the night and Courtney Seda wasn’t far behind with 19. Kaitlyn Connolly played a huge role on the defensive end with 14 digs. Hull had nine digs and Calan Seitz added eight more. The win brought the Seawolves record to 10-4 overall and 8-2 in conference. Stanislaus’ record was 1-13 overall and 1-9 in the CCAA after Friday night. On Saturday night, the Seawolves took on Chico State to end the first half of conference play. Before the game started, the stands were packed with Sonoma State and Chico State fans, setting the scene for an exciting game. In the first set, the Seawolves came out strong and ready to play. They quickly went up 5-0, and continued to dominate the set as they won 25-10. In the second set, Chico was ready to redeem themselves. Chico got to an early lead until Sonoma
State came back and went up 16-15. Sonoma State won the set 25-22. In the set, there were five lead changes and the score was tied six times. In the third set, Chico was able to get an early lead, again, and the Seawolves were never able to get it back despite nine tied scores. Chico took the set with a score of 27-25. Although Chico came into the game with a record of 5-5, the Seawolves knew it was going to be a tough game. “They always come out and get people,” said Hull, a senior outside hitter for Sonoma State. In the fourth set, it was a battle from the beginning. With five tied scores and two lead changes, the crowd went crazy. The energy in the stands helped the energy on the floor as well. “We just tried to focus and get the energy up on the floor. They picked up their game a lot, so we knew we needed to bring it in the fourth,” said Densberger, a junior outside hitter for the Seawolves. Despite the energy and determined effort coming from Chico, Sonoma State was able to take the fourth set 25-21 and win the match. “They play really well, so it was important that we won that game,” said Hull. Both Hull and Densberger were huge contributors in the game. Hull had 17 kills, with a hitting percentage of .455, and 21 digs. Densberger led all hitters with 19 kills, hitting .415. Caylie Seitz added 16 more kills for the Seawolves, but hit just .297 on the night. Calan Seitz and Seda led the team in assists, with 32 and 22 respectively. Connolly had 13 digs. “Now we are in our groove,” said Hull. “We finally found a spot where we are really comfortable.” The win extended the Seawolves record to 11-4 overall and 9-2 in the CCAA. The game dropped Chico under .500, who now have a record of 7-8 overall and 5-6 in conference games. When asked about their upcoming games, both Hull and Densberger said in unison, “I’m really excited.” The Seawolves kick off the second half of their league at home on Friday at 7 p.m. against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
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Photo This week in photos...
Oct. 14 - Oct. 20, 2014
sonomastatestar.com
For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com
Blind Scream’s Haunted Houses
STAR // Sara Wildman Professional actors trained in the art of scaring are featured in three all-new haunted houses opening from Oct. 10 till Nov. 1.
www.sonoma.edu/sustainablessu/
Tues, Oct. 21
... and other days in the week
Weill Hall in the GMC... and across campus KEYNOTE
PANELS Three Pillars: What Do We Really Mean By “Sustainability”? Shifting Frames of the Global Marketplace Students & Sustainability University / Community Partnerships in Sustainability How Germany Has Gone Green
FILMS “Disruption” | “Chasing Ice”
TOURS Student Center Kitchens Rec Center PRESENTATIONS
Fairfield Osborn Preserve
Environmental Technology Center CLASSES
PRIZES... & MUCH MORE!
Volunteer Service Ops through JUMP