Volume74 issue10

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CineNoma film festival this Thursday

Pg. 6

Clotheslines Project hangs on campus

Pg. 8

Softball team conquers rivals

Pg. 10

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

APRIL 14 - APRIL 20, 2015

VOLUME 74 // ISSUE 10

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

Caravan of the missing Gustavo Vasquez Managing Editor

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STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Man in crowd bows head during testimonies that were given April 7 in the Grand Ballroom of the Student Center by the Caravana 43, a caravan of parents, friends and classmates of the 43 students who have been missing since September in Guerrero, Mexico.

he room overflowed with members of the community and students as the Caravana 43 gave their testimonies on the 43 missing students from Guerrero, Mexico, and their stories of abductions, poverty and government corruption. The purpose of the event is to shed light on what many consider a corrupt government, and protest the Merida Initiative, an agreement between the United States and Mexican government and allocating funds to aid in the war against corruption and organized crime. “The most important things to say about this event are that the Mexican government’s version of the story, that the students are dead have not been extensively proven,” said Joseph Persico, member of the Comite por la Justicia (committee for social justice in Mexico) and alumni of Sonoma State“The Mexican government wants to sweep us under the rug, There have been no evidence shown except for a extracted tooth and part of a finger.” Persico also went on to say, “Obviously, you don’t have to kill somebody to take tooth or

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he controversial life and legacy of Sonoma State University’s fourth president, Peter Diamandopoulos, ceased when he passed away on April 1 in New York City at the age of 86. Diamandopoulos’ presidency at Sonoma State began in 1977, but ended six tumultuous years later with his resignation at the behest of the California State University. As president of Adelphi University in New York from 1985-1997, he garnered national attention for excessive compensation and mismanagement. At an institution of no more than 6,000 students, Diamandopoulos became the second-highest paid president in the nation. After an investigation by New York’s attorney general, it was discovered among numerous perks, the university bought a $1.2 million condo, $82,000 Mercedes and leased a $7,500-a-month Manhattan

apartment for Diamandopoulos. Diamandopoulos was ultimately dismissed when New York’s State Board of Regents replaced 18-of-the-19 Adelphi University trustees for neglect of duty and misconduct. Over a decade before he became a national figure at Adelphi University, Diamandopoulos became embroiled in an era of turmoil at Sonoma State. “There was a great deal of fear on the campus during his service,” said Noel Byrnes, former chair of the Academic Senate and professor of sociology. “Under Diamandopoulos lots of faculty lost their jobs. Administrators had no protection and were extremely vulnerable. He fired people on a whim.” Victor Garlin, Academic Senate member and former president of the California Faculty Association chapter at Sonoma State, was critical of Diamandopoulos. “He was a person who had utter contempt for the opinions

of the faculty,” said Garlin. “He was an autocrat. He would love you on a Monday and hate you on a Tuesday. With this kind of behavior, there was no stability on campus.” Byrnes said Diamandopoulos’ arrival at Sonoma State was met with particular enthusiasm. From 1970-1976, four individuals held the position of president, one of which under interim basis. The arrival of Diamandopoulos as a Harvard educated elite, who most recently held the position of chairman of the Philosophy Department at Brandeis University, was a welcome hire. Susan Moulton, chair of the art department at the time of Diamandopoulos’ arrival, said rhetoric ensued of efforts to build Sonoma State’s prestige to the caliber of private institutions on the East Coast. Spurred by reduced enrollment and budget, Diamandopoulos quickly lost favor among faculty as he proceeded to terminate employees. Byrnes said his personal experience in the sociology depart-

College earlier that morning, the visit to Sonoma State at noon, and another forum at the Labor Center of Carpenters in Santa Rosa later that night. The visit to Sonoma State was not by coincidence, but organized by members of the Comite por la Justicia de Mexico and by students in MEChA of Santa Rosa Junior College and of Sonoma State. The caravan for the 43 missing students that visited is not the only effort being made by the parents, family and friends of the missing students. The caravan is one of three caravans driving through the United States in April. The three caravans divided the United States in three sections, Pacific Region, Central Region and Atlantic Region. The pacific region caravan, which one visited Sonoma State is touring through six other states other than California. “They are raising awareness on how they can have people connect and continue the support as a whole movement,” said Argelio Giron, studying Chicano and Latino Studies at Sonoma State, “and to pressure the U.S. government to stop the Merida initiative. See CARAVAN on Pg. 4

Realities of the California drought

Former president’s passing reflects turbulent history Joshua Gutierrez Staff Writer

their finger.” Six Students of Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College of Ayotzinapa in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico were shot dead by local police, and 43 were abducted in September when on route to protest a conference of the mayor’s wife. The caravan included Bianca Luz David Valez, Estanislao Mendoza Choclate, Jasmin Arla de Cruz and Angel Neri de la Cruz Ayala, classmates and parents of the deceased and missing. Shortly after the start of the public forum for the “Caravana 43,” the location of the forum switched to a larger room of Sonoma State’s Grand Ballroom; which could accommodate about 200 people. “We are not any different from the students of Ayotzinapa, we need to stand in solidarity,” said Griselda Madrigal, Junior at Sonoma State, majoring in Chicano and Latino Studies. “We are living in the U.S. but what is happening in Mexico is affecting us too and we cannot be indifferent.” Sonoma State was just one of the three visits the caravan planned in the San Francisco North Bay on Tuesday. There was a college welcome for the caravan at Santa Rosa Junior

sonoma.edu ment reflected the turnover across campus. Hired on contract in fall of 1978, Byrnes said the department started with 12 professors, much of whom were tenured. In a matter of semesters, the department shrunk to three. Byrnes said most professors who survived this era, picked up classes in other departments. Neither Byrnes nor Moulton alleged Diamandopoulos engaged in blatant financial misconduct, which spurred his removal at Adelphi University. Moulton said Diamandopoulos did elect to promote programs which accentuated his personal standing. Byrnes said he didn’t make any sacrifices in his salary while others See PRESIDENT on Pg. 4

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Aidan Guthrie Staff Writer

he drought in California is truly unprecedented and the National Academy of Sciences found the present drought as the worst in 1,200 years from research examining tree rings across the state. Gov. Jerry Brown’s 25 percent mandatory reduction on city and towns water usage is certainly an improvement on the situation, though critics say it woefully fails to address the true problems of where California uses its water and offers no long term solution about how to better conserve and utilize water in all industries throughout the state. Adam Scow of Food and Water Watch California said, “In the midst of a severe drought, the governor continues to allow corporate farms and oil interests to deplete and pollute our precious groundwater resources.” Brown’s order on water reduction in domestic use carries no legislative enforcement. It leaves the enforcement up to

individual water agencies. How seriously citizens take this order in terms of their personal usage can only be determined with time. “Personally I think the order for water reduction is a bit arbitrary, the mandate needs to be stricter because the severity of the drought still isn’t fully appreciated by many people.” Said freshman Steffan Grace. “Northern Californians are uniquely unaware aware about the issue because we receive water first from reservoirs that is later distributed to southern California. Access to water is a fundamental human right and our current system involves a great deal of water control under private industry that ought to be remedied.” Grace’s statement reflects the sentiment of many SSU students. That is that they understand the severity of the drought, but are dismayed by doubts over how effective a 25 percent cut domestic water use will prove in the long run. Other students See DROUGHT on Pg. 5


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