Volume74 issue2

Page 1

Auction supports university art

P. 6

P. 8

Restaurant Review: Redwood Cafe

Seawolves lose nail-biter, 9-9 overall

P. 10

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

FEBRUARY 3 - FEBRUARY 9, 2015

VOLUME 74 // ISSUE 2

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

Chancellor proposes graduation plan Aaron Walker Staff Writer

I

n his annual State of the CSU address, Chancellor Timothy White announced a Graduation Initiative 2025 intended to increase the amount of bachelor degrees earned in the CSU system. This initiative was created in order to meet the state’s future workforce demand. This initiative aims to increase the six-year graduation rate from 46 percent to 60 percent and increase the amount of bachelor’s degrees earned by 100,000 in the next decade. At the rate the current system is going, the state university system will not be able to keep up with California’s workforce, which is the seventh largest economy in the world and that is why this initiative is in place. White assured listeners the university system is fulfilling the current goals put forth by Gov. Jerry Brown. “The California State University is meeting the imperative, put forward by Gov. Brown, in his recent state of the state,” said White. “To achieve affordable and timely completion with excellence.” Although White is confident state universities are up to par, some students disagree with him. “School is super expensive, and the gap between UC and CSU is getting smaller,” said Morgan Wildeman, a finance student. “It’s crazy how much a CSU is to a UC, considering how much more you get out of a UC.” The California State University system is vital to California’s economy, providing one in 10 jobs in California to a degree holder, and making up 5 percent of the total degrees earned in the U.S. White acknowledges that this achievement would not have been possible without the support of donors, who invest in the students future, because the state university system provides graduates to some of California’s most iconic companies. “The 23 campuses of the CSU combined is California’s no. 1 supplier teachers, engineers, accountants, health care and hospitality professionals, agriculture scientists, business leaders, filmmakers, journalists, social workers,” said White, “and the list goes on and on.”`

Many of these donors see the university system as an investment, considering many graduates will enter some of the most important positions in California’s workforce. Ensuring a quality education will help provide skilled workers for the state’s growing workforce. White also said the success of the students would not have been possible without the public investment from the state of California, and the state must remain a reliable partner to ensure the prosperity of the university system. Students graduate with their bachelor’s degree in fewer than five years on average and with Graduation Initiative 2025 the goal is to move that number closer to four years. Although students believe the problem is many students don’t see the rate at which they graduate as priority, rather some believe there needs to me focus on the opportunities the system provides. “There needs to be more internship programs, because degrees aren’t enough,” said Nima Iravani, a pre-medicine and biology major. “ Employers are looking for experienced workers, and I would like to see more opportunities for work experience on campus.” Although the Graduation Initiative 2025 aims to improve the rate of graduates, there was no mention in White’s address of how the initiative plans to improve the quality of the state’s university system. White said achieving these graduation goals will be a measure of the system’s shared success and this success will only come through shared commitment. Many students are unsure about their future in the state university system, while some are unsure if they will graduate on time and others are worried that they are not acquiring all of the experience they need to enter the workforce. White assured students that the California State University system is improving graduation rates, while constantly creating new paths to success. Although some students worry about potential increases in tuition, or whether they are receiving the experience they need to enter their desired line of work, White said that the California State University System is thriving and the future is bright for all students.

STAR // Connor Gibson Students celebrated the life of theatre arts and dance major Dominic Dei Rossi at a memorial by writing letters to him on Thursday in Ives Hall.

Read about Dominic Dei Rossi’s memorial on page 5.

Grant set to support wine business Joshua Gutierrez Staff Writer

S

onoma State University is laid upon the same ground as some of the finest vineyards in the world. Sonoma State and the Wine Business Institute have strived toward education that reflects the region. On Jan. 25, Sonoma State University received a $500,000 grant in order to better serve those educational goals. Tatiana and Gerret Copeland, owners of Bouchaine Wineries in Napa, donated the gift toward The Wine Spectator Learning Center. “This grant is extraordinarily meaningful in a couple ways,” said William Silver, dean of the School of Business and Economics. “The expression of support from vintners who are well-known and such strong business people, that they see value in our program is something we’re

proud of. The amount of the donation is significant as well. It will help us as we are developing the Wine Business Institute.” The $500,000 gift will specifically support The Copeland/Bouchaine Terrace and Gardens. On preliminary designs of the Wine Spectator Learning Center, the terrace and gardens will overlook commencement lawn and lake. The University Commons is the future site of the learning center. Marvin Shanken, CEO and president of Wine Spectator, a wine magazine which bears the future learning center’s name, connected the Copeland’s with an opportunity to support Sonoma State’s new building. The donation opportunity allowed the Copeland’s to invest in the education of students, specifically in the areas of hospitality and management. “I think there is a lot of sweet innocent people that go into this business not knowing how tough it is

from a business or financial sense,” said Tatiana Copeland. “I think there was this hole or gap in business education. We saw the need for this. Since we are pursuing our own dream of hospitality and the whole wine experience, why not do that for the university.” Tatiana Copeland also reflected on the effect Sonoma State’s campus had on her in a previous visit. While in attendance of the Green Music Center’s presentation of Festival del Sole, the Copeland’s had an opportunity to visit the campus. “I thought it was one of the most beautiful campuses I had been to in a very long time,” said Tatiana Copeland. “We went to Sonoma State University with the perspective of enjoying a nice evening of music, I just put it in the back of my mind of what a fantastic campus it was. Never for a moment did I think that there would be an opportunity of doing like this See WINE on Pg. 4

Campus welcomes new career adviser Ciara Smith Staff Writer

S

onoma State University students may soon find it easier to meet with a career adviser thanks to a grant recently awarded from the California State University system. Sonoma State University’s staff of career advisers is about to double – to two. Ann Mansfield, Sonoma State’s only career adviser, is looking forward to having another join the university. Career Services is a campus resource

where students can go to if they need help with job interviews, understanding what career properly suits them, internships, workshops, resumes and cover letters and all other career-related questions. “A typical day for Ann includes educating, providing resources, connection and insights to help the students of SSU determine and pursue their professional aspirations,” said Brittany Silva, the communications coordinator for Career Services. “This occurs through individual career counseling appoint-

ments, workshops, and classroom presentations.” Luke Tesluk, student services senator of Associated Students, sees the benefit of having another career adviser. “I think Ann is doing a great job and having an adviser that could be just like her is what our students need,” said Tesluk. Career Services welcomes everyone to come and see what they can do to help students in the best possible way they can. Career Services also run Seawolf Jobs online so students can find a

job on campus or off campus while attending Sonoma State. “Raising awareness about the importance of Career Services and having student’s recognize they need to take charge of their futures is something that I am continually invested in,” said Mansfield. Mansfield has worked hard to make Career Services a lively space where students can learn how to enter the work world. Sonoma State is getting an adviser thanks to work of John Kornfeld, associate vice president undergraduate

studies and a professor of education. Kornfeld was successful in getting a grant from the California State University. “I’ve sent students who they don’t know what major they wanted and I knew a career adviser would help them,” said Kornfeld. “It’s only one person we are talking about. Ann has done an unbelievable job, she has refurbished the Career Center by completely and totally remodeling it and redoing website.” Kornfeld hopes students will use See ADVISING on Pg. 4

Lighting the key to safety?

Album Review: Title Fight

Turn to Pg. 3

Turn to Pg. 7


Page 2

Editorial THE STAR

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

Contact Information Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

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

“Hidden dangers in our everyday diction”

Sometimes, whether it’s engaging in a casual conversation with a total stranger, or catching up with a group of friends, we end up saying things that come off aggressive. Staff Writer Aidan Guthrie delves into the world of microaggressions, with just how significant of an impact they can make, and how we can avoid them as a generation.

Imagining an effective education system

S

chool is killing creativity, and here’s why. From the beginning, children grow up taking courses like English and mathematics every year, and as they get older, have little chance to branch out into other subjects they have more passion for. Even when college comes around, students still need to take courses they are uninterested in just to prove one can get through it all. Teachers usually anticipate parallel reactions in general education when asking students to introduce themselves and why they’re taking a class—“because I needed upper division GE.” Now, what is the point in proving someone can write a five-paragraph essay? Furthermore, Sonoma State University requires students to pass the Written English Proficiency Test to graduate, which is equivalent to proving whether or not someone took an English class

In the Issue 1 article, “New show with a new perspective,” there was a misinterpretation of the usage of the phrase “colored individuals” (See Letter to the Editor, “Old terminology creates demeaning interpretation”). The terms were meant to describe individuals of many different cultures, and corrections were made online.

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.

throughout their entire life. An effective alternative is evaluating which students actually struggle with writing, and advising them to take courses or encourage tutoring to improve their skills. Sure, writing is a vital skill in many careers, but not everyone is interested and planning to go into a field that requires it. Also, instead of end-ofsemester Student Evaluations of Teaching Effectiveness surveys, students deserve the opportunity to grade their teachers on a weekly basis. This could include a fiveminute form to rate interest level, teaching ability, engagement, etc. How often do teachers get to go through and truly appreciate constructive criticism when they are flooded with such surveys at the end of the semester? According to a 2012 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, primary teachers in the U.S. spend nearly 1,100 hours a year teaching, with

lower secondary instructors around 1,070 hours and upper secondary at about 1,050 hours. Despite all this time

a day of recess rather than 27 in the U.S. and the only required standardized test is taken at age 16. Instead of requiring high STAR // Eddie Blake

teaching, the U.S. falls behinds in average reading, mathematics and science literacy scores compared to other countries, as evident in the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment. One example of a country which excels is Finland, which has some of the highest test scores—not to mention minimal standardized testing and smaller classrooms. More importantly, teachers are required to have a master’s, and are held on the same scale as doctors and lawyers. The country also doesn’t have separate classrooms for accelerated learning or special education. Students have little to no homework until their teens, have an average of 75 minutes

schoolers to pass a civics test to graduate like Arizona is doing, the U.S. needs to restructure and balance its priorities for students and teachers. Some teachers don’t believe in homework, others aren’t allowed to show films in class. School boards don’t like their instructors to show students movies that don’t have anything to do with the curriculum, arguing they are for home life, which needs to be separate from school life. So then, why give students homework? Whoever has the answer to that argument is encouraged to respond during office hours, because there obviously isn’t enough time to address it during a three-and-ahalf-hour class.

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

Letters to the Editor

Read the column on page 3

Corrections/Clarifications

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

D

To live another day

ear Editor, Dominic Dei Rossi, 25, passed on Jan. 19. He was one of the bright lights in the theatre arts and dance department, where he acted and volunteered to assist in theatre arts productions, no matter what the size or whoever needed his assistance. At our memorial for him on Thursday, many of the students in attendance recalled that Dei Rossi was their first friend in theatre arts at Sonoma State University; and how open and welcoming he was to them. He was, above all else, a kind and gentle soul. He was bright, talented and endlessly funny with a brilliant imagination that knew no bounds. He was

very special and giving of himself, he will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him. He was not only a student of mine but also a dear friend. Yes, faculty and staff who work with our students can care that deeply for those we work with because the act of true learning is a mutual experience of shared knowledge that goes beyond information and touches the very core of our humanness. In honor of Dei Rossi’s life and passing, I urge all of our campus community to reach out to each other in times of sorrow and lend a helping hand; Dei Rossi suffered from depression in silence and solitude. When you’re feeling fragile, tell someone you trust.

With help from friends, family and professionals, you can get beyond despair to live another day. Some days are glorious, others not so much, but nothing is worth the price of suffering alone. Dei Rossi had so much light and so much to live for. It’s a great tragedy that he did not reach out to his many, many friends and family members who would have gladly helped shepherd him through his pain. At the memorial, we celebrated his all-too-short life and achievements. We are blessed for the gift of Dei Rossi, for the precious time that we had him in our midst. - Judy Navas, Professor of Theatre Arts

Subscribing

Get Sonoma State University’s student-run newspaper delivered straight to your door during the fall or spring semester. For details, email star@sonoma.edu.

Opinions

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

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.

Professor encourages efficient parking practices

D

ear Editor, The page-one story in the STAR’s first 2015 issue about a freetransit deal for students suggests Sonoma State University is doing everything it can to promote the use of public transportation. The bus program is great, but the university is defeating its own stated goals with its lame auto-friendly policies on parking for Green Music Center events. The university is happy to

tell patrons, “Your parking is included with the price of your ticket.” Not clear why any patrons should be happy they are forced to pay for parking whether they want it or not. A family of four rides together to the concert in one car? They still pay four times for parking. Someone comes on foot, or bicycle, or bus? They still pay for parking. Members of the Sonoma State community who already have semester parking pass? They pay again

for parking when they attend a Green Music Center event. Of course there would be chaos if every Green Music Center patron with a car to park had to stop at a kiosk and buy a permit—no concert would ever start on time. But there is another way: When patrons buy their concert tickets—by phone, online, or in-person—they could be asked whether they will be bringing a car to campus. If so, they can be sold the parking permit at the same time as

their tickets. One transaction (cash or charge). One packet (tickets and permit) to be delivered. Zero problem. The university should be a leader in encouraging people to use alternative means of transportation that are less abusive to the environment. Instead, the university is giving them an incentive to do just the opposite. - Rick Luttmann, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Mathematics

Old terminology creates demeaning interpretation

D

ear Editor, I was appalled to read in Sierra Smith’s article on Larry Wilmore’s new show, “...Wilmore highlights political issues in the point of view of colored individuals.”

The term “colored” is fraught with historical meaning that demeans all black people. It conjures up images of the south in the U.S. not that long ago, where drinking fountains had signs over them saying, “For col-

ored only.” I am very troubled to see this used by a writer for the STAR and also not changed by the editors. A better term would be “people of color” or “black individuals.” - Laurel Holmstrom-Keyes, Staff Member

STAR welcomes and encourages letters Have an opinion? The to the editor and guest submissions. For more information, read the left sidebar for our We’d like to read it. policies on editorials and letters to the editor. E-mail all opinions to star@sonoma.edu


Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Hidden dangers in our everyday diction

Aidan Guthrie Staff Writer

T

here is an ugly truth hiding behind the way many young college age people talk to and behave around each other. Microaggressions are an insidious force that creeps into our everyday thoughts, speech and actions. They may seem harmless, but they represent a real threat to the moral integrity of our society. What exactly is a microaggression? Derald Wing Sue, a psychology professor of Columbia University said it’s “the everyday slights and indignities, put-downs and insults that people of color, women and LGBT populations and those that are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people.” Examples of microaggressions could include: inappropriately inquiring about a person’s racial background, avoiding a person of color because of falsely perceived danger, catcalling, asking a transgendered person about their body or sexual practices. “One of the most common microaggressions I experienced throughout my life

is the jumping to conclusions about me being studious or not interested in having fun or partying,” said alumna Jessica Cho. The people that perpetrate microaggressions are usually well-intentioned citizens who do not intend on being discriminative. I admit occasionally and unknowingly using microaggressions. Senior Justin Bell, who spoke on his experience with microaggression relating to racial prejudice, said, “When I’ve walked around Rohnert Park I’ve experienced people lock their car doors as I got near them.” The danger and unconscious forces behind microaggressions cannot be understated. In a country with a long history of prejudice. The notion that people even think, consciously or not, to address other people with microaggressions, demonstrates that we are raised in a society that ingrains in us from birth the idea that there are different “kinds” of people. Microaggressions are not the overt prejudice experienced in civil rights era by any means, but they may be difficult to root out of our consciousness. This is because their seemingly harmless nature allows people to let them slip in to daily conversation without getting confronted about it. I personally have seen microaggressions play out time and time again, quite often in peers my own age. When people express ra-

cial preferences in dating it may not be a microagression in itself. But, statements like these can be a slippery slope toward being more overexpressionate with prejudices. I question the need for statements like this in conversation. Perhaps the most common expression of gender related microaggression is when men attribute negative experiences with women to them being on there period or some sort of inherent female irrationality. Also when someone asks where another person is from only to follow up the conversation with praise of how well-spoken their English is or how exotic their accent is. Classic microaggression. Freshman Michaela Luque said, “A lot of the time I’ll be in a group of people, say for a project, and someone will mention that they are Mexican and I will say that I am as well, to which I’ve been told that I’m not a ‘real’ Mexican because of my lighter skin complexion.” The attempt to define what a “real” American, Asian, Buddhist, Catholic, Indian, Latino or any other label is a dangerous road to go down. It has led to systematic discrimination in our laws and worse. Growing up in Oakland, I knew an elderly Japanese couple, the Obie’s, who lived next door and were more like grandparents. We would go over almost every day to play and get candy. But one day they sat me and my siblings down and

told us about how they were taken away to concentration camps in the desert during WWII because of their race. They told us how when the war was over and they returned home almost all of their personal possessions were gone. When they visited their neighbors after coming back from the Manzanar concentration camp and saw pieces of their furniture in the houses of white people that lived around them. The neighbors welcomed them back warmly but said nothing about the stolen furniture. The story of their plight horrified my siblings and me but they told it to us so that we would never let history repeat itself. When I see microaggressions in my peers I sometimes think back to the Obie’s and feel guilty. These small acts show that prejudice, even if it’s on a small scale, exists in all of us today and it terrifies me to think that if the right series of events happened today another group of people could be facing what the Obie’s did over 60 years ago. It’s these perceived differences constructed by a prejudiced society that seek to divide us. We as the younger generation ought to put more of a concerted effort to shake free the baggage of stereotypes from generations before us, even if it comes in the seemingly harmless form of a microaggression. We can do better.

Light the way to campus safety

Emily Johnstone Staff Writer

S

tudents have to worry about getting their papers in on time or studying for upcoming tests. The last thing they should have to worry about is whether or not they feel safe around campus. I believe feeling secure and protected while at school is something that should be a given. Yet, there have been multiple instances on campus and nearby at Copeland Creek of assault that has lead Associated Students to draft a resolution. Their resolution is to increase lighting on campus to help students feel safer and in hopes to decrease any sort of violence. Not to say that Sonoma State is in any way a dangerous campus. However when nighttime falls, there are many locations on the grounds students could be fearful of because of the lack of light around them. Personally, having a couple of nighttime classes has helped me realize just that. I feel the idea to increase the lighting throughout the grounds will help to continue the peace of mind and protection of students. Sonoma State’s website clearly states some ways that students can avoid being a victim of assault under the police services category. Some of the ways that are described have to do with being aware of your surroundings and to avoid isolated areas. I’ve even been told by my mother countless times that the most important thing is to always be aware of your surroundings. However, there are times that I’ll be walking with my head down completely

engrossed in my phone; even when it’s become dark outside. The reason some may not be as worried around Sonoma State’s campus is because they may not have heard of many instances of it happening. However, in a recent study done by the Justice Department, it was found that almost 80 percent of campus sexual assaults went unreported to authorities. Just because it’s not something you hear about all the time, doesn’t mean it doesn’t occur. I know I’ve been guilty of thinking of the topic of assault as something that would never happen to me. However, this mindset is by far one of the worst someone could have. The reality of these types of crimes is a scary one. “One in five women will be sexually assaulted in college,” said Laura Williams, a licensed psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services. Being aware and informed about the

“One in five women will be sexually assaulted in college,” said Laura Williams. possibility of crimes like this is just as important for the safety and well being of students. Those that are at the library, gym or classroom until late hours should feel just as secure at night as they do during the day. I believe that could happen with Associated Students plan to increase the lighting on the grounds of Sonoma State. Allowing this will bring a better sense of protection to all students whether they realize they need it or not. While we do have Police Services to call 24/7 or the Counseling and Psychological Services to help out students, it should be top priority to do whatever possible to keep the campus and students safe.

STAR // Kadie Anderson

Opinion

Page 3

STAR // Caleigh Hanson

New policy unfair for smokers

Alex Sanchez Staff Writer

A

ccording to last week’s issue of the STAR, Sonoma State University will undergo a zerotolerance no smoking rule and join campuses like UC Davis or CSU Fullerton, with San Jose State University joining in August. As a trial period to acclimate students to the new policy, for the next few months, effective Sunday, there is no smoking on the campus quad and areas around housing except for parking lots. This is a threat on the personal lives of people on campus who even every once in a great while like to have an occasional cigarette or a Swisher Sweet. This policy also affects those who prefer to smoke ecigarettes or vaporizers. I am a smoker. I have smoked for almost two years. My habit of smoking cigarettes began in the latter half of my freshman year. I remember leaving my dorm and walking back behind Merlot in Cabernet, sitting against the bike racks, smoking and talking to fellow students that came to grab their bikes or throw out their trash. I met new people, caught up with old ones and had time away from my roommate when he was getting under my skin. I smoke a lot, but not as much as people make it out to be. When I say I smoke a lot, I don’t mean a pack or more a day, but rather four or five depending on the day. Typically, I smoke by the round cement structure outside the library if I have free time in-between classes. I’ve made a lot of friends by smoking, and I even got closer with my nonsmoking girlfriend because I went out for a smoke as an excuse to hang out with her and share stories of our lives. Smoking cigarettes has shaped a lot of my adult life in these past years. In fact, if I wasn’t a smoker, I don’t think a lot of these events would have even happened. It’s a horrendous habit that I’ve tried to quit in the last six months, but I succumb to the tempting feeling of inhaling chemicals into my body all too easily. The student body received an email on Friday stating the new smoking policy. The new policy states the term “smoking” counts as “lighting, burning, carrying, inhaling, exhaling or holding a lit cigarette, cigar, bidi, pipe or other smoking or recreational vapor delivery apparatus containing tobacco or another substance.” Additionally, the policy also bans the use of e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. In my opinion, this is not only a terrible policy to usher in slowly but surely during the spring semester but is also a rule that infringes on what we as students are allowed to

do during our downtime. The 20-feet-away-from buildings rule seems to be the most effective policy from what I can see, and it’s worked pretty well thus far. The fact that they are implementing this rule for students and employees alike is pretty ridiculous, quite honestly. In my experiences of working in Culinary Services, chefs and students wait anxiously for their 10-minute breaks in order to go out behind the Student Center Kitchens and have a cigarette to fight the anxiety and stress that is working in Culinary Services. If anything, the administration should have implemented the slow change in August during the fall semester. Instead the policy has no signage ushering this in, save for the email the students and administration received and last week’s article, from anything I’ve seen on campus. This is infringing on our own habits and poor stress-management aids, especially for the students who have poor ways of dealing with the stress of school and their non-academic lives, is downright unnecessary. The only times I have seen a “Smoke-Free Campus” sign is around the campus of a hospital, for good reason. Never in my life did I imagine that smoking would not be tolerated in an environment where a majority of people are stressed and need some outlet to deal with their problem before they lose it. The article states the smoking ban on campus will help users to quit. I know this to be false. If I want to smoke and can’t, chances are that by the time I get to a parking lot to have a cigarette, I’m going to be three minutes away from having to be seated in my next class, and this will make us smokers very irritable due to the fact we can’t get our fix of nicotine in us to tolerate the day. The corralling of students into a confined designated spot for the next few months leading up to the ban will just make us smokers feel like outcasts, shunned to where students fight for parking spots. Whereas the non-smokers will still catch smoke at a more than likely higher concentration than when they pass someone smoking by the quad, the smokers will be looked down upon or given passive-aggressive statements regarding their habit as students walk by. Yes, the policy does seem sound, and yes, it may even get a few smokers to quit, but implementing this policy with no warning other than an email, and no signage telling us smokers we can’t be outside of Salazar Hall on the stairs smoking in-between classes this coming week or semester for that matter, doesn’t sit right. What are the repercussions of smoking on campus and getting caught? For a plan so large that is to be implemented so soon, there are a lot of details left unanswered. The smokers on campus will soon learn the hard way, the consequences of having a cigarette or a puff of an e-cigarette on campus.


Page 4

News

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

News in Brief NORTH AMERICA According to reports from The California Aggie, University of California, Davis’ student-run newspaper, two swastikas were found painted on an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity building Saturday Jan. 31. The culprits and cause are under investigation. The vandalism happened a few days after Associated Students of UC Davis passed a resolution, which asked authorities of the University of California to dissociate with companies who have ties to Israel.

AFRICA According to The New York Times, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, 90, was given a role as chairman of the African Union. His goal for Africa is to reduce the threat of foreigners who may abuse its mineral resources. However, Mugabe’s record as a president isn’t clean due to allegations that claim he rigged elections as well as used intimidation to remain president.

EUROPE Reports from The Passport blog, which is associated with BBC Travel, say Denmark consistently ranks in the upper echelon of the happiest countries in the world. Some reasons why Denmark is so happy includes the fact that it strives to keep each aspect of social and political life sustainable, about 40 percent (480,000 people) of the population bike each day, there’s minute pressure to work overtime, parents receive a years worth of maternity or paternity leave and Copenhagen eats more organic food than any other country in Europe.

SOUTH AMERICA According to The Associated Press and The Washington Post Chile’s president, Michelle Bachelet, sent a bill to congress Saturday which aims to ease the ban on all abortions in the country. If the bill passes, it will decriminalize three types of cases, which are the malformation of a fetus, conception caused by rape and if the pregnancy is life-threatening for the female. Even though medically beneficial abortions were allowed during 1973 to 1990, the bill still faces a lot of opposition.

HEALTH The Ebola virus has mutated according to reports from BBC. Scientists from France are researching whether it has become more contagious. According to the health article, over 22,000 people were infected with the virus and over 8,000 have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Scientists are using genetic sequencing to observe the changing genetic composition of the virus. Currently, the survival rate of those with the virus is approximately 40 percent.

WINE: Learning center to take place of Commons Continued from Pg. 1

in the future.” According to Silver, the Wine Spectator Learning Center is currently in the design phase with architects and will not begin construction until the end of 2015. A rough estimate of the project’s completion is late 2016 or early 2017. The initial design and amenities of the learning center is subject to change, but preliminary sketches and artist renditions give insight into what is expected. Built upon what is currently the University Commons, the learning center will be a state-of-the-art building with “space for the present and future of education,” said Silver. A commons area will still exist within the building, an area likened to the Student Center. Equipped with a Café, and “hubs” where students can connect their mo-

bile devices and work interactively will be a focal point. Three classrooms will occupy the remaining space within the structure. The classrooms will serve various purposes, including lectures, seminars and a more interactive environment with what Silver described as including a station similar to Apple’s Genius Bar within Apple Stores. The new learning center will not be exclusive to Wine Business Institute enrollees, but for the entire student body. But the new learning center will provide the Wine Business Institute with a facility, a point that Silver feels is necessary to the wine business. “This has been one of our challenges. We have this thing called the Wine Business Institute, but there is no institute, no physical infrastructure,” said Silver. “Wine is one of those that conveys a sense of place. Our goal is to be the global leader in wine business education and research. We want to bring people all over the world here.”

ADVISING: Resources available for students Continued from Pg. 1

the Career Center even more in the coming semesters with the addition of a new career adviser. He credits Mansfield with transforming the Career Center to better assist students in the careerrelated pursuits. Ann has made the Career Center very present and having another person will make it possible,” said Kornfeld. “What amazing things she

is doing and how much more she will be able to do if there is more staff there. This new adviser coming can double the services for helping out the students on campus and that is the main goal.” The Career Services is looking forward to meeting the new adviser, as the adviser will be helping not only Career Services but also Sonoma State University as a whole to increase students’ knowledge of the work world. For more information.

Subscribe to the STAR! For details, email:

star@sonoma.edu

STAR // Edward Goquincgo The Spring Club Fair gave students the opportunity to explore Sonoma State University’s many diverse clubs and find clubs of interest on Thursday.

Spring Club Fair enlightens students Rissie Markarian Staff Writer

D

ozens of clubs and organizations set up booths in the area between the Student Center and the Recreation Center on Thursday, for the annual Spring Club Fair. Hundreds of students pursued the different booths in search of a club to call their home away from home while music played on surrounding speakers. Getting involved on campus can be enriching and give many a more fulfilled college experience. Students can become more connected to the school and feel a greater sense of community. Meeting students who are like-minded and driven can also help in the pursuit to find strengths and passions that help transform the college experience and even serve as great resume builders to many. “Coming to the club fair and talking to the wide variety of clubs present, made me realize that getting involved with clubs on campus is very important,” said Michelle Reese, a sophomore and psychology major. “It helps you feel more connected to the university.” “I think the club fair is a great way to get involved and it shows how creative people are in how they set up their tables and clubs,” said Nik Stelmashenko, a junior and English major. Sonoma State University has a variety of options to choose from leadership, volunteer work, sports, culture and activism – the list goes on. Meeting with members of any of these clubs proves how dedicated and involved Sonoma State students are on the campus and the community surrounding. Students interested in learning about c making positive change may be interested in the Sociology: Social Justice and Activism Club. They will host a string of events from March 23-27 during Social Justice Week, which includes special guest speakers such as Peter Dale Scott, a writer and researcher from UC Berkeley, and former Black Panther Charlotte O’Neal. “Some of our events are actually getting live-broadcasted on the radio,” said Club President Shelby Wade. “Organizing events looks really good on resumes and since we

have such a big week of events coming up in March, you can help run some of [them].” For those interested in student government, consider joining Associated Students. There are a variety of positions available to members to develop a stronger relationship to the student body, school and general community. “We have elections coming up in March, so we really want to get students involved,” said Bianca Zamora, chair of the Associated Students senate. “We represent the student voice to make change and empower our campus.” There are several culturally-based clubs on campus. One such example is the German Club, which holds weekly meetings to discuss the culture and show interesting German films. “Everybody is welcome,” said Wylie Windheim, German cultural studies major. “Most of the people that come to our meetings are in the German classes, but you can totally come and not speak a lick of German and probably pick up some stuff.” Sonoma State University even has an archery club. No previous experience is needed and everyone is welcome as long as they are willing to be respectful toward other members and contribute to a safe environment. “Archery is just a club that gets people together around a certain commonality,” said Shawn Kelley, president of the archery club. “We share it and it becomes our little niche.” The club now competes in many different tournaments during the school year and invites anyone interested to join regardless of skill level. They also hold practices every day of the week and branch out to other clubs in the area to learn from other Sonoma County archers. “Last semester we went to a shoot in October at night out in the woods,” said Kelley. “We were shooting in the dark with flashlights and glow-sticks. It was really cool.” Kelley encourages anyone interested to email him at kelleysh@seawolf.sonoma.edu. For more information on any of the clubs on campus, students are encouraged to visit the Center for Students, Leadership Involvement and Service on the second floor of the Student Center.


News

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

COURTESY // David O’Connell (left), STAR // Connor Gibson (center, right) Sonoma State University student, Dominic Dei Rossi, died on Jan. 19, and was remembered at a memorial on Thursday in Ives Hall. Family, friends and members of the campus community gathered to celebrate the life of Dei Rossi.

Campus mourns second student death Gustavo Vasquez Managing Editor

M

ore than 125 people stood side by side, creating a large circle in Ives Hall 119 on Thursday, celebrating the life of Dominic Dei Rossi, a 25-year-old Sonoma State University theatre arts and dance student who died on Jan. 19. This marks the second time in two weeks the campus has been shaken by the death of a student. Just eight days earlier, students filled the ballroom at the Student Center to remember Francis Lynch, 21, who died in his sleep of unknown causes on Jan. 15. On Thursday, students and others honored Dei Rossi by sharing memories and moments about him.

“Dominic would have wanted the memorial that we had tonight, with everybody trying to comfort each other,” said Katee Drsydale, a theatre arts and dance student. “I went to his memorial on Saturday in San Carlos. It was nice to see everybody from Dominic’s life that we didn’t know here at Sonoma.” When walking into Ives 119, family, friends, students and faculty were asked to share an experience, memory, moment, and something they observed or loved about Dei Rossi by writing it down on a slip of paper and share it with the group. “Dominic was a really good person; brilliant, intelligent, talented and the most comedic person you will ever meet,” said Carlos Rodriguez, biology major. “Dominic will be a person who will be in my heart forever, I will never forget him.”

Judy Navas, professor and director of Theatre Studies program, lead the conversation on Thursday, organizing the circling and passing around a large pink flying disk, a way for people in the circle to choose the next speaker. “Dominic in a nutshell was just charming, talented, witty,” said Renee Hardin, theater arts and dance major and friend of Dei Rossi. “He knew every single line from every song, movie, musical, TV show, play that ever existed and will quote them without anyone know what he was talking about.” On Saturday, a memorial for Dei Rossi was held at the church of the Epiphany in San Carlos with his family. Dei Rossi was a major influence to many students and friends at Sonoma State, being deeply involved

in the theater arts and dance department, and the live action role-playing group on campus. “He’s one of those people that surprises you with his wit and his charm,” said Renee Hardin. a theatre and arts major and friends of Dei Rossi. “He was such a huge part of the theatre department, everyone knew him, loved him, everyone thought he was talented.” Dei Rossi has acted in numerous performances at Sonoma State, including: “The Importance of Being Earnest” as Dr. Chasuble in October, “How I Learned to Drive,” “Die Fledermaus,” “Loot,” “Hedda Gabler,” and “Stone Cold Dead Serious”. Dei Rossi was also a technician for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “She Kills Monsters” and was stage manager for “Ghost Sonata”. “He always used to help me prac-

tice my lines back stage or my British dialogue,” said Drysdale. “He was already an expert at it because, he’s an expert at everything.” Sonoma State is offering grief counseling for students on campus through Counseling and Psychology Services. More information, including hours and contact information, is available at sonoma.edu/counselingctr. “Every building that I have walked in on campus is just a constant reminder of him not being here,” said Drysdale. “It’s as if you can feel this hole in the theatre arts department, we are missing him and we aren’t getting him back.” Drysdale, coming to Sonoma State as a freshman in fall 2014, did not know anyone and Dei Rossi was the one of the first students she met at Sonoma State.

Semester brings influx of international education

S

Michelle Welling Staff Writer

onoma State University students may be unaware of the 42 international students from around the globe that have recently joined the campus through the Sonoma State American Language Institute, a program that accepts students from all over the world and teaches them English. The Sonoma State American Language Institute has provided English instruction to students, professionals and others since 1979 through Sonoma State’s School of Extended and International Education. Many of these students will go on to earn their bachelor’s or master’s degree at Sonoma State, or take their new language skills home with them for work or school. “It’s just so much fun, the interaction with different students from different countries,” said Selene Li of Beijing, China, who, after participating in the learning program in 2012, enrolled as a student at Sonoma State. She is also a student ambassador at the Center for International Education.

“It’s a way to let you know their home culture,” Li said. “You know, sometimes you can’t travel to that country, but at least you met someone from there.” Typically, the language institute students participate in the English-learning program for at least one semester before moving on to further education or employment. “It’s an intensive academic English program,” said Daniela Kingwill, the language institute academic coordinator, and one of the instructors. As with any complex subject, learning a new language requires study at various proficiency levels. With so many students at different levels, it can be difficult to integrate and create a community. The program organizes several activities that encourage foreign students to engage with each other and with Sonoma County. The language institute has organized a trip to Korbel Winery on March 9, to taste the wine of the Sonoma-Napa region, and then visit some local beaches. “We have mid-term students coming in right before that,” said Kingwill. “It will be a good way for the mid-term

students to integrate with the [SSALI] students that have already been here.” But that’s not all the international activity going on at SSU this semester. The start of the spring semester marks a turnover of international and national exchange students: some who are leaving Sonoma State to return to their home countries, and some who are setting foot at Sonoma State for the first time. In addition to these, there are many students who have just submitted applications with the hope of studying away next year.

“It’s a way to let you know their home culture,” Li said. “You know, sometimes you can’t travel to that country, but at least you met someone from there.” All of these students must, at one time or another, pass through the Center for International Education. Previously located in Salazar Hall with Seawolf Ser-

STAR/ Edward Goquincgo International students and those of the national exchange program enjoyed a welcome reception in the Center for International Education last week.

vices, the center finds its new home in International Hall, just across the Salazar Green. International and Exchange Programs Adviser Hope Ortiz, explained the different study-away options available at the Center for International Education. The Center for International Education offers two programs, the California State University International Program, where students can study abroad in 18 different countries for one year and the National Student Exchange Program which allows students to study at one of the 200 universities across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. “Also, through this program we offer NSE Study Abroad, where students can study abroad to almost any country in the world,” said Ortiz. “Both NSE and NSE Study Abroad programs can be for one or two semesters. Through all of these programs, all majors can study abroad.”. The Center for International Education is also home to Sonoma State’s International Education Exchange Council, a student organization on campus

that seeks to build community with the Sonoma State domestic and international students, as well as exchange students visiting campus. The group plans numerous trips and on-campus events in which students can get involved. One such event is the Welcome Reception that coincided with the International Education Exchange Council’s Coffee and Culture gathering that meets every Thursday at the Center for International Education from noon to 1 p.m. The Welcome Reception welcomed the new and continuing student exchange and international students, as well as returning students and study abroad alumni. In recognition for upcoming National Student Exchange application deadlines, The international council will host a National Student Exchange-themed Coffee and Culture Hour each week. This Thursday’s event will be luau party. For those who would like to visit the Center for International Education and become a club member or learn about opportunities to study abroad, sign up for an information meeting at the Center for International Education.


Page 6

Arts

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Connor Gibson The Art From the Heart auction brings artists from all around the bay area together to support Sonoma State’s University Art Gallery.

Creativity meets generosity Ashley Martin Staff Writer

H

undreds flooded the art building on Saturday evening to experience the annually held Art from the Heart Benefit Auction, a celebration and fundraiser for the University Art Gallery. The event, featuring dozens of original art pieces by local artists, students and Sonoma State faculty, was graced by the upbeat music of the Dave Getz Jazz Trio, immediately setting a formal, yet fun mood for the evening. Alumni and current students alike attended the event, which seemed to morph into more of a celebration as the night went on. Whisperings of artistic speculation regarding certain pieces were heard throughout each room, which proved this was no amateur ordeal; this was a well-established event, with regulars who were both art enthusiasts and avid supporters of the local art scene. While admiring a black and white drawing,

Brian Connolly, a local Santa Rosa resident and first-timer to the event, said, “the difference between good and really good art is whether a piece has a sense of energy.” Connolly’s wife Lynn said “We just like to support the arts and see what local artists are capable of.” “Art from the Heart” was an \ opportunity to mingle casually with \artists, such as John Sappington, a professor of photography at Santa Rosa Junior College. “Everything becomes a point of aesthetic,” Sappington said, describing how he came across the idea of photographing something as simple as the road he jogged on in the morning. He donated a piece that consisted of several shots of differently painted and distressed concrete, highlighting the inanimate street’s “emotional state,” showing the everyday subject in a unique creative light. A piece that seemed awfully popular was a small hanging sculpture of a heart made of glass beads and buttons. Greer Upton, the local artist of the piece, said she created the piece tradition-

The rebellious, harmonious ‘Heroines’ Kimmie Jones Staff Writer

I

n a school with 3 to 1 ratio of girls to boys, it was only a matter of time a musical about female heroes hit the stage. “Heroines” is a new musical that offers a story about women fighting for independence. This musical brings together iconic female characters from “The Merry Widow,” “The Threepenny Opera,” and operettas of Gilbert & Sullican. “Heroines’” Musical Director Lynn Morrow had asked Stage Director Jane Erwin Hammett to put together operetta scenes for what at the time they knew would be a production featuring a mostly female cast. Hammett wrote and choreographed this steampunk production. “I realized when I started, I wanted to rattle the cage,” Hammett said, referring to the rebel spirit of the female character. “I took the traditional role of the obedient wife and mother, and with some challenges, showed the ability of women to acquire some say in what happens in their life.” Hammett hopes that the audience leaves with a sense of how important it is to have control over their lives. These issues occur within different races, socioeconomic statuses and any other situations that can cause someone getting marginalized

from society. Each character is pulled from her original opera, and in this one they all come together to share their stories. When they begin to witness each other’s struggles, they realize the need to stand up for other women in their shoes and rebel against the society they are living in. Jenny is the protagonist in “Heroines” who has to decide whether or not to betray the man who controls her. Manon, a French chanteuse, is determined to survive with or without a man. Anna is a woman trying to negotiate more say in her relationship. Freda, Lotte, Guisse, Ida, Melissa, Lucy, Margaret, Rose and Patience also join this cast to help women gain independence of their lives and change the way women are treated. A Sonoma State University theatre arts department original, an empowering story of women and for anyone who wants to gain control over their own life. “Death to the Invader,” “Ladies of the Town,” “I Wanna Be Bad” and a list of other musical numbers will fill the show with the sound of these talented performers. Admission prices to performances range from $10 to $17. Sonoma State University students are admitted free for all performances with valid SSU ID. The show opens in Person Theater on Thursday and runs until Feb. 15.

ally in remembrance of the former mandatory heart theme.

“I can’t imagine school without the arts, it’s just part of the learning and living experience.” When describing the piece, Upton answered, “It took me 65 years to complete this. That’s how old I am.” Upton said how art is the result of the sum of an artist’s life so far. “Your past ties in with it.” Throughout the evening, Carla Stone, the University Art Gallery Director, buzzed throughout the gallery rooms, chatting it up with visitors and friends, all while making sure the event was functioning smoothly. She made it clear this wasn’t just an entertaining party, despite the lively atmosphere. “The funds raised by this event allow us to display professional, museum-quality art all year

round,” Stone said. “It’s a very important part of our department.” As fine wine, cheese platters and pieces of cake that commemorated the 31st year of the event were dispersed among the guests by student volunteers, bids began to pile up on the donated paintings, drawings and sculptures. The snack selection was definitely not the only reason why there was a large turnout on Saturday. “The cheese and cracker table alone was worth coming for, but I also feel as though art galleries nowadays are taken for granted,” said freshman Jocelyn Peñaman. “I can’t imagine school without the arts, it’s just part of the learning and living experience.” The Art from the Heart auction was certainly not the typical pretentious event that one might drag their new boyfriend to against his will. Familiar warmth filled the gallery that was created by old friends with stories to reminisce over, all sharing a mutual love of art that will continue to bond all generations alike for years to come.

Albums releasing this week

Bob Dylan - “Shadows in the Night” Kid Ink - “Full Speed” Death Grips - “The Powers that B” Diana Krall - “Wallflower” JD McPherson - “Let the Good Times Roll” The Church - “Further Deeper” TeeFlii - “Starr” Movies releasing this week

Jupiter Ascending - starring: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis Seventh Son - starring: Ben Barnes, Juliane Moore, Jeff Bridges

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water - starring: Antonio

COURTESY // David Papas “Heroines” premieres in Person Theatre this Thursday.

Banderas, Frankie Muniz Ballet 422 - starring: Tiler Peck, Sterling Hyltin


Entertainment

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

Title Fight is not slowing down Brandon Stachnik Arts & Entertainment Editor

O

Review

ld punk is dead. Classic ballads on black coffee and skateboarding have been left in the 80s. Today’s punk has just as much emotion as it did years ago; it’s just a little sadder.

facebook.com Katy Perry entered her Super Bowl performance atop a huge mechanical tiger.

Katy Perry’s roaring halftime Commentary

Sierra Smith Staff Writer

A

fter a slow first half of Super Bowl XLIX, Katy Perry took the reins (quite literally) to entertain football and pop-music fans alike.

Perhaps Perry should have saved her childlike façade for her concerts on tour and save the tigers and dancing sharks for the circus. Perry impressed the audience with her eccentric performance, entering the field atop a large metallic tiger while launching herself right into her hit single “Roar.” The University of Phoenix stadium shined with bright colors and incredible stage graphics for another round of Pepsi’s Half Time Show. Her f laming costume ensemble made its way through the largest halftime stage the NFL has seen before transforming into a 3D chess board for her song, “Dark Horse.” Guitarist Lenny Kravitz joined Perry on stage for her first debut ever, “I Kissed a Girl,” while ferociously f lipping her hair before bouncing on stage alongside lip-syncing palm trees, sharks and beach balls for “Teenage Dream” and “California Gurls” while the entire stage lit up like an island in the middle of the ocean.

As halftime performances tend to do, another artist joined the stage with Perry: Missy Elliot. Thrilling the audience with songs “Work It” and “Lose Control,” Perry joined her in an oversized jersey while rocking out to Elliot’s classic hits. Signing off her performance atop an oversized shooting star, Perry wowed the audience again with “Firework,” before the game returned with the Patriots later claiming the Super Bowl champions title. Although Perry is known for her childlike theatrical performances and quirky costumes, did she really blow away her audience with an ensemble of older hits? Perhaps another artist such as Taylor Swift would have been more appropriate with her new hit album “1989” – but unfortunately, Swift is sponsored by Coca-Cola and is rumored to have some sort of rivalry with Perry. Perry definitely took the cake for the most enticing part of the Super Bowl (other than Richard Sherman’s crying face and the Patriot’s winning title). However, Beyonce’s performance for Super Bowl XLVII had a lot more excitement, especially for the short reunion of Destiny’s Child. Even Bruno Mars’ performance was more exciting with his instrumental talent of drumming and his clever footwork alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers for Super Bowl XLVIII. Perhaps Perry should have saved her child-like façade for her concerts on tour and save the tigers and dancing sharks for the circus.

esque feel. The guitars and drum track prove to be louder than the vocals themselves that completes a sound that might be compared to My Bloody Valentine. “Your Pain is Mine Now” is made up of slow, lazy guitar riffs that feature bits of distortion throughout the song. Rhoden’s singing is soft and glum, which continues the overall sound of the LP. While soft, it is important not to confuse lack of drive for a sad attitude.

In the band’s latest LP, “Hyperview,” they demonstrate their ability to produce passionate music without having to yell on every record. Pennsylvania band Title Fight is no novice to punk rock. Since 2003 the band has produced three studio albums and countless EPs. Debut album “Shed” yielded several songs with rage and vigor lasting from start to finish. The band continued their intensity for albums to come, with their live shows representing the physicality felt in the music. In the band’s latest LP, “Hyperview,” they demonstrate their ability to produce passionate music without having to yell on every record. With individual tracks ranging anywhere from two minutes to almost five-minutes long (unlike most punk songs), Title Fight has matured from the three-chord status quo of hardcore music into a more intricate sound of their own. One of their singles, titled “Chlorine,” attests to the band’s new method of writing noisy music with solemn lyrics. “Silhouette of a violent view. Felt it fade, was it too soon?” Guitarist/vocalist Jamie Rhoden’s nasally voice aided to the feel of the record when singing his drawn-out syllables. Avid listeners may miss the harsh yelling of bassist Ned Russin, who’s singing was essential to the band’s signature sound. Russin’s vocals are only featured on one song, titled “Rose of Sharon.” All vocals on the LP have been edited and feature plenty of reverb to give the band a shoegaze-

Title Fight may not be considered the epitome of hardcore punk-rock, they are still able to demonstrate progression, which many bands are lacking. While they no longer make listeners want to aggressively demonstrate their internalized anxiety, they are definitely not slowing down.

facebook.com Title Fight’s newest LP, “Hyperview,” was released today. “Hyperview” features numerous records that have a much sadder tone than avid listeners are used to.

flickr.com Pennsylvania punk band Title Fight is known for putting on physical and energetic shows.

facebook.com Missy Elliot joined Katy Perry mid-show to perform three of her own hits.

Day Camp Jobs- Northern & Southern CA Seeking outstanding summer staff- live at home, work at camp! Now hiring counselors, lifeguards, & instructors. Specialty areas include archery, sports, crafts, nature, horses, ropes courses, & more!

www.daycampjobs.com


Page 8

Features

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Innovative app takes learning mobile Samantha Cardenas Staff Writer

I COURTESY // Nick Hunley-Moore “Facing Our Truth” will consist of six, 10-minute plays based around the topic of race and privilege.

‘Facing Our Truth’ to enlighten audiences Jake Burke Staff Writer

I

t’s no secret that race is a hard thing to talk about in any community. There are always implications and any word can be a dagger used to destroy the initial speaker. In February, the Sonoma State University theater arts and dance department, in collaboration with Black Scholars United and The HUB, have found a way to change that with the power of the stage. In less than a month,“Facing Our Truth” will help open up this typically tough conversation topic. “Facing Our Truth” is a series of six, 10-minute plays written by Dominique Morisseau, A. Rey Pamatmat, Winter Miller, Dan O’Brien, Mona Monsour, Tala Manassah and Marcus Gardley. This show had a fairly unique creation process, after the death of Trayvon Martin and after the jury acquitted his shooter, George Zimmerman. A group of playwrights were asked to create several short plays on the topic of race and privilege. Now the Sonoma State theater department has brought these short plays to campus. According to Scott Horstein, a theater professor at Sonoma State University and the play’s show runner, “The goal is to create conversation on this campus. That is why the show is free, not only for students, but for any of the public interested in going as well.” At any particular viewing of “Facing Our Truth” an audience member will see six different short plays in a staged reading setting, which means scripts in hand with minimal sets and movement from the actors. Each of these six plays are vastly different from the other. Anywhere from a simulation where a white woman experiences life as a black male, to a full-blown 10-minute musical composed by 2013 Grammy Award-winning composer Quetzal Flores. Despite the f lashy songs or plot devices, the focus is still on conversation and that’s why after each performance there is a facilitated talk with the directors, cast and audi-

“The goal is to create conversation on this campus,” said Horstein. “That is, why the show is free, not only for students, but for any of the public interested in going as well.” ence. Horstein urged viewers to, “come prepared to think and feel.” It seems like the show’s goal is not just to entertain its audience, but also to really change them. “It’s an event that creates community on campus,” said Horstein. The series of short plays are used as an entryway into real issues. “It opens up a little more leniency in terms of what we can actually talk about,” said Audrey Rink, one of the play’s actors. “There is a certain belief that this series of plays will make its viewers more comfortable with one of our society’s more taboo topics. Race is obviously one of the harder subjects to tackle especially in schools.” “It’s going to put people closer to the issue and open their eyes a bit more than what the news and the Internet can do,” said actor Rose Kingfisher, “and hopefully it will spark a discussion here that makes them ref lect more than they normally would.” Each of these actors may only appear in a few of these six plays, but the issues are still prevalent in their minds. “It is such a relevant issue of our time and I think we are going to have to look back at the time we are dealing with and need to know how to deal with it,” said Kingfisher. “Facing Our Truth” is a unique theatrical experience that helps tackle one of the toughest subjects. Rink said, “One person can’t change the world, but you can be the one who plants the seed for more people to collectively make a change.” “Facing Our Truth” hits the stage Feb. 2022 and March 6-7 in Ives Studio 76.

t’s 1:30 a.m., studying for a test taking place just hours later. One begins to panic because nothing is making sense with only having the notes and what was remembered from class. If only somebody were up this late who could make sure one is prepared to ace a test. Well look no further. HelpHub is the first fully interactive mobile tutoring app which allows students to connect with tutors by way of messaging, live chat and FaceTime, all at just a few taps away. Being able to have access to a resource where students can quickly get answers to their homework problems is ideal for those who are on a time crunch. This innovative app has taken long, in-person tutoring sessions and has shrunk them into snapping a photo of the student’s homework or a test prompt, and getting the help they need for those problems from the comfort of their home or wherever they are. Tutors are able to set their rates and customize their profiles based on what subjects they specialize in so that when students are searching for a calculus or chemistry

tutor, they can refine their search and find people across the map that can help them. “During our soft launch of the app, we received thousands of downloads with little marketing,” said Ryan Iacoviello, business development manager at HelpHub. One of the appeals of the app is its accessibility and easy-to-use feel. All students have to do is register, select what subject they need help on and from there HelpHub connects them with hundreds of tutors that are available to help them. When students find a tutor that best suits them, they can instantly chat with them for free until they decide to work with them. From that point, all students have to do is link a form of payment to their account and click pay and the learning begins from there. From a tutor’s perspective, the HelpHub app is a great way to receive additional income. A good amount of the tutors are students themselves who are working through school to earn their degree, so this is a way for them to earn some extra money. Other tutors include established professors who are currently teaching or retired, as well as working professionals with regular day jobs, who

still want to help others. The word about HelpHub is spreading like wildfire, which means with more people finding out about it, more tutors are needed to fulfill that demand. “I heard about HelpHub while doing online searches and was looking to increase my online presence and to expand my math tutoring business,” said HelpHub tutor Reza Shenassa. With a simple search, Reza was able to use his skills and apply them to a market he didn’t even know existed. Although the main purpose of the app is for students to receive the help they need through messaging or chatting, students and tutors also have the option to meet inperson if they choose to. “I had never heard of the HelpHub app until today,” said junior Savannah Gentile. “I wish it was available all those nights I spent cramming for exams and stressing over finals week.” With a majority of students currently on their phones for up to 10 hours a day, taking tutoring mobile is making learning much more convenient for them. Webbased learning is the way of the future and HelpHub app is heading in the right direction.

flickr.com The HelpHub app allows students to connect with tutors by way of messaging, live chat and FaceTime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Restaurant Review: Redwood Cafe Olivia Johnson Staff Writer

W

hen it comes to college students and eating out, there are always two things that immediately come to mind: price and variety. Whether it’s waking up at noon on the weekends or just looking for a good bite to eat with a reasonable cost, Redwood Cafe on Old Redwood Highway in Cotati always sounds appealing. From their broad range of menu options to their quick service, the cafe is a top choice for Sonoma State University students. “Redwood Cafe is the place to go for brunch on the weekends,” said SSU junior Catie Dumount. “Their breakfast is always to die for.” The cafe serves breakfast all day, every day and many of the options include classic breakfast delights. From the eggs benedict to the pancakes, the taste of the food is pleasing and it’s rare for a

customer to leave unsatisfied. Another bonus the cafe gives to their customers is the option to pick from many selected vegetarian breakfast items. Allowing those who live a different lifestyle to choose what classic meal they prefer. The only difference in the entrée is the substitution of a type of vegetable instead of a meat. However, the delightful taste remains the same. Another particular difference about Redwood Cafe is the setup and theme of the restaurant. From the moment one walks in, a traditional and family-like atmosphere is noticeable. The theme of the cafe is a country one with wooden floors and walls and vintage looking pictures hung all around. A stage is set up in the front of the restaurant where live performances go on during specific nights. Sometimes, Redwood Cafe has open mic nights and conversely, has individuals playing an instrument and singing dif-

ferent songs. Overall, all of these aspects give the cafe a warm and comforting atmosphere. Another student, Kayla Swenson, couldn’t get over how quick and easy the process of ordering and receiving one’s food is. “The first thing you do when you walk in is go straight to the counter where you order your food,” said Swenson. “After that you get a number and can pick whatever table you choose to sit at. Then I swear your food is out and in front of you within 10 minutes.” Swenson’s favorite place to sit? Outside, on the side of the restaurant, where they have multiple table and benches set up with umbrellas. “The perfect Saturday morning for me includes breakfast at Redwood Cafe with a good group of friends,” said Swenson. “That place is a classic.” However, let’s not forget about a college student’s most important priority when it comes to going out: the cost.

Although Redwood Cafe is not the cheapest place to eat at, the small amount of extra money one spends is definitely worth the quality of the food. The prices range from $8 to $17 depending on the plate and what one orders. For a classic soup salad combo, the price is a lot lower than a plate of steak and potatoes. Yet, whatever one orders one can guarantee the price is going to be worth it. “The wraps are my ultimate favorite,” said student Brianna Perkins. “They have so many different options you can choose from on what type you want and I swear every time it is bomb.” So when it comes to college students’ favorite place to eat out, Redwood Cafe is a definite favorite. The prices, options, quality and taste of the food, have won over Sonoma State students’ votes as well as admiration. Redwood Cafe is located at 8240 Old Redwood Hwy in Cotati, and is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

STAR // Sara Wildman, flickr.com Redwood Cafe in Cotati offers a variety of dining options seven days a week.


Features

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com Fe ee Advisory Committee

Page 9

ferendum Notice o of Fee Ref m

The Fee Advvisory Committee, per Executive Orde er, has produced th ment for the Associaated Students. he following docum The AS will be hosting a Fe ee Increase Referendum at its generaal election. Belo ow you will find info ormation regardingg the Fee Proposal and Pro and Con SStatements regardin ng the merits and sshortfalls of the pro oposal.

This referendum allows the e Associated Studen nts (AS) Fee to be in ncreased by $3 for the next four yearrs starting 2015/2016 academic year aand concluding in the 2018/2019 acad demic year.

A YES vote meaans that you ARE in n favor of the AS fe ee being increased by $3 to support th he AS programs as well as funded pro ograms ‐such as the e Tutorial Center an nd chartered student organization funding.

A NO vote means that you ARE N NOT in favor of the AS fee being increaased by $3 to supp port the AS program ms as well as funded programs ‐such aas the Tutorial Centter and chartered student organization funding. How to Vote th th th th th Voting will take place through your SSeawolf email Marrch 9 , 10 , and 11 1 starting at 8am o on the 9 and ending at 5pm on the 1 11 .

2015 5 Associated Stude ents Fee Proposal W What is Associated d Students and what do they do? TThe Associated Students (AS) is respo onsible for a varietyy of programs and sservices on the SSU U campus including the campus student government, JUMP – the campus sstudent communityy service p program, ASP – the e campus student p programming and e events planning orgganization, and the e Children’s School – the campus earlyy childhood education center available for students, facu ulty, and staff. AS iis the financial sup pport of student oriiented programs an nd services includin ng clubs and organizations, scholarshiips, entrepreneuriaal grants, the tutoriial center, the Centter for Student Leadership IInvolvement and Se ervice. W What is the AS Fee e? TThe AS fee is curren ntly $99 per semesster and has not be een increased since 2008. The AS fee o offers campus proggrams and services to help change the e nature of our cam mpus with the incre easingly growing sstudent population n. The current AS Budget projects app prox. $1,725,210 in the student fees in n the 2014‐15 fiscal year which is budgeted for the follow wing: $1,053,992 ffor operational costts including sstudent employeess, professional stafff, office operationss, university utility ccosts and insurance e; $133,100 for fun nding clubs and student oriented proggrams and services;; $115,481 for the Children’s SSchool; $251,000 fo or the ASP program m; $110,482 for the e JUMP program an nd $150,495 for the e student government and student se ervices. W What is the propossed increase? A AS proposes to raisse its current semester fee of $99 by $ $3, for the next fou ur years, beginning with the 2015‐16 aacademic year. The e first $3 of the fee increase shall be aallocated to the Tuttorial Center. The ffinal $3 increase off this fee will occur in the 2018‐19 acaademic year where the AS fee will be $111 prior to Consumer Price Index aadjustments. FFinancial Breakdow wn: A A $3 increase for fo our years will resultt in the following fiinancial impact. Eaach year assumes a marginal increase in headcount and allows for 2% wortth of student fee w waivers and unpaid fees.

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Projected Fee $ $102 (+2%cpi*) $1 105(+2%cpi*) $108(+2%cpi*) $111(+2%cpi*) Total A AS Fees with Increaase $1,815,716 $1,908,247 $2,002,844 $2,099,551 *Projected cconsumer price indeex (cpi) W Where would an in ncrease to the fee ggo to support? T Tutorial Center ‐‐ TThe Tutorial Centerr is broken up into ttwo distinct areas, Supplemental Instruction which focuses on “at risk courrses” and the Tutorrial Center which p primarily focuses on n “at risk sstudents”. The Tuto orial Center and Su upplemental Instrucction have seen no oteworthy influxes o of usage, 61% incre eased total traffic o over the past year; and as a result, the e current funding le evel is iinadequate to effecctively serve the ne eeds of students. A A modest fee increaase would require A AS to dedicate a tottal of 6$ per studen nt to the Tutorial C Center in order to fu urther provide and d expand tutoring w while assisting stud dents in the quest tto achieve academic success. C Clubs and Organiza ations ‐‐ AS serves as the primary sou urce of funds for ovver 130 student clubs and organizations. SSU Chartered SStudent Organizatiions (CSOs) comprise the largest area of involvement o on campus. Due to increased operatio onal costs, AS has h had to substantiallyy reduce funding to o CSOs. A modest fe ee increase will enaable AS to provide a more rich pool o of funds and will in tturn allow the A Associated Studentts to better fulfill its mission. Their success is vital to the e growth and develo opment of many sttudents and of the campus itself. Existting clubs, such as Men and Women’ss Volleyball, Early C Childhood Educatio on, the Filipino Ame erican Association of SSU, Psi Chi Hon nor Society, Nursingg, and Chemistry re ely on AS funding to operate and to o offer safe and consttructive programs aand events. A AS Programs – AS iinternal programs, such as Associated d Students Producttions (ASP), Join Us Making Progress (JJUMP), and the Children’s School pro ovide campus eventts, community servvice programs and aactivities, and earlyy childhood education services to the campus communitty. The number and d type of programss offered by ASP, JU UMP, and the Children’s School has in ncreased significanttly. As ASP’s sstructure has changged, the students o of Sonoma State haave expressed theirr desire to see more large scale eventts which requires ad dditional funds. JUMP’s Alternative Break program has ggrown from one tto five impactful se ervice endeavors. TThe Children’s Scho ool, a nationally reccognized model forr early childhood ed ducation, has a high demand from the e campus commun nity and a resulting long wait list. D Differing Economie es IIncreased costs will require AS to makke a choice of eithe er increasing revenue through student fees or make cutss to funds dedicate ed to student orientted programs and sservices. The ever cchanging nature o of the world, speciffically related to th he increase to the m minimum wage, cosst of goods and serrvices, insurance, ad dditional staffing and operational nee eds outpaces the in ncrease in revenue. The result is ffewer dollars availaable to address the e AS mission statem ment and serve the students of Sonom ma State University.

P Pro Statement A Access to affordablle education is the first and foremost priority for the AS,, aand this proposal iss designed to have the least amount o of financial impact p possible to our stud dents. Though the proposal is minimaal in size, the A Associated Studentts plan will greatly improve services, ccurrent and potenttial, aafforded to the students of Sonoma SState University. So ome of the services ccurrently funded byy the AS include grrants for clubs and scholarships for sstudents, other pro ograms include ASP P, JUMP, and the Ch hildren’s School. A Another importantt, heavily utilized se ervice is the Tutoriaal Center. The U University has not been willing to fund the Tutorial Centter, and the studen nt b body has stepped u up to cover the cossts associated with this integral prograam, b but it is still not eno ough. Data compile ed by the Tutorial C Center staff has iindicated that the d demand and usage e of their services has grown substantially. A As a result, it is imp perative the Tutoriaal Center has the re esources to aaccommodate the needs of the stude ent body. A yes vote e for the proposal w will aallow the Tutorial C Center to expand th heir hours of operaations, hire more tu utors aand offer a more ro obust variety of sub bjects, in effect me eeting the current d demand of studentts. This choice prop posal provides acce ess to supplemental iinstruction and is aa considerably redu uced cost compared d to private service e, w which can cost rem markably more than n the Tutorial Cente er allocation. Finally, ccharted student organizations comprise the largest areaa of involvement on n ccampus and AS sup pports many of these clubs through grrant funding. The p proposal will allow AS to further assisst these organizatio ons by providing a rricher pool of funds, and potentially e expand the types off grants we offer. A A yes vvote is critical for A AS to continue serving students to the e level they deserve e. W Written by Anthony Gallino, President of Associated Stu udents

R Rebuttal of Pro Statement TThe Tutorial Centerr is undoubtedly an n invaluable resourrce for students on ccampus. However, if this particular accademic‐based program offered throu ugh A AS is in such high demand compared tto other social proggrams, wouldn’t it be iin our best interestt to more efficientlyy allocate the resou urces accordingly? FFurthermore, I thin nk it’s fair to say thaat no student should have to pay to ccontribute to a “po ool of funds” for clu ubs and organizatio ons they are not a p part o of. If I’m contributing to such a pool, iit better be my own and I should be the o only one swimmingg in it. W Written by Yadira D D. Molina, Senior Political Science Student

Con SStatement Mone ey makes the world d go ‘round, and ass a college student yyou have probaably let out a sigh o of relief when you w were able to make the money in your wallet make your o own world go ‘roun nd, if only for anoth her week. I identify this as the merccy of the cosmos, b but in economics it would be called “efficciency”, and college e students can be u unbelievably efficie ent. We eat food past tthe expiration date e, use tissues when we run out of toile et paper, and if you’rre like me you’ve te ested how much lon nger your car can ggo after the gas light h has turned on. When it comes to efficciency, students at Sonoma State know w how to sap every last resource. So w why aren’t we demaanding this same dediccation to efficiency of our peers who rrun Associated Stud dents? A $3 hike doesn’t seem like a big deal in th he narrow scope prresented to us by AS. Liike any good busine ess, they have liste ed all the great wayys this fee increase will help students and o organizations acrosss campus. I have no o doubt that great things could be done wiith more money, bu ut why more? I havve not seen a probllem with the qualitty of services offere ed and funded thro ough AS with my $99 in nvoluntary donatio on, but let’s step baack and look at the bigger picture. Consiider the fact that our rising college tuition at a state school no longer guaraantees the classes w we need to graduatte in four years. In addition, stude ents pay a $16 Conssolidated Service Fee, $223 Instructio onally Related Activiities Fee and whop pping $364 Studentt Union Fee. All thin ngs considered, I wond der why AS has the audacity to believe e their particular w work has merited a fee hike. I believe in the e positive effects th hat come with the e extra‐curricular activities offered througgh AS, but greater e efficiency ‐ not a fe ee hike ‐ is the answer. In short: Mo’ m money, mo’ problem ms. Writtten by Yadira D. Mo olina, Senior Politiccal Science Student Rebuttal of Con Stateme ent At Asssociated Students,, we believe in makking a difference in other people’s lives. The AS is the only fare students pay tthat they have com mplete and total contrrol over. As studen nts, we chose how m much we pay and h how our money is spentt. It’s the only orgaanization on this caampus that not onlyy offers student orien nted activities, but aalso provides servicces, resources, and d employment oppo ortunities for studen nts if they were to encounter an imm mense hardship – such as homelessness and financial strain. This proposal is ab bout more than efficie encies, it’s about p eturn on their providing students w with the greatest re invesstment in themselves. Every student sshould have the opportunity to succe eed at SSU, and thaat starts with provid ding the resources and services needed for all of us to p prosper, in both the e academic and co‐‐curricular fields. Writtten by Anthony Galllino, President of A Associated Studentts


Page 10

Sports

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

sonomaseawolves.com Left: Sophomore Nathan Molony-Benjamin battles for rebound position. Right: Junior Jabri Jenkins drives left past the defender.

Men’s basketball goes down to the wire

T

Kory Arnold Staff Writer

he Sonoma State University men’s basketball team hit the road this weekend to face Humboldt State on Friday night and end at CSU San Bernardino Saturday evening for two California Collegiate Athletic Association games. The Seawolves looked to make the best of the weekend and build back some confidence after suffering their previous home loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills, but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. The Seawolves dropped both games this weekend, falling short to Humboldt State 73-81 and although it came down to the final buzzer, they weren’t able to pull off the win against CSU San Bernardino in dramatic fashion, coming up one point shy to end the game 77-78. With these two losses, the Seawolves drop to seventh place and are now below .500 for the season in conference play at 6-8, (9-9) overall. In the loss to Humboldt State, Seawolves’ senior forward J.J. Mina put up season high numbers for both points scored and rebounded with 24 points and 12 boards secured for the doubledouble. The Seawolves maintained solid control of the score in the

first half, leading the Lumberjacks for all but about two minutes and were able to hold onto the lead at 33-31 to end the first half. The second half however, belonged to the Lumberjacks as they almost doubled their first-half point total by putting up an even 50 in the second half while also taking advantage of their stellar turnover ratio and outscoring the Seawolves 19-9 off of turnovers. The Seawolves put up a valiant effort in cutting down the lead, thanks to a three-pointer by the already hot Mina, bringing it to within four points with only 27 seconds left on the clock. With the Seawolves now having to foul in order to conserve the time on the clock, Humboldt State was able to successfully make all four free-throw shots attempted and pushed the game out of reach with a final score of 73-81. Seawolves’ junior guard Jabri Jenkins was able to match his career high with 16 points and also contributed with a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Trying not to focus too much on the previous loss, the Seawolves traveled down to CSU San Bernardino to attempt to even out their weekend series. This task would be much easier said than done as the Seawolves and the Coyotes of CSU San Bernardino grinded it out for two long, grueling halves, as both sides had mul-

tiple lead exchanges. Things really started to get interesting in the second half when the Coyotes, who were already down by nine points, went on a 27-9 run to turn the deficit completely around, giving themselves a nine-point advantage with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Seawolves were able to fight back and get on a run to slim the lead down to 76-71, when senior forward Mike Harris was fouled on a three-pointer and was able to successfully convert the four-point play to trail by just one point. The Coyotes were then able to score easily on a layup and immediately fouled to prevent the Seawolves from being able to score a three-point play. Jenkins was successful in making his two foul shots, which set up an inbound play for the Coyotes. As the Coyotes attempted to make a half-court pass, it was intercepted by sophomore guard Khalid Johnson who then dished it to junior James Davis to put up a last second three at the buzzer, but came up short on the rim, handing the win to the Coyotes 77-78. Davis finished the game with 27 points as well as contributing with four assists. Other standout performers from the game were Mina finishing with 19 points and Harris who finished with 12. The Seawolves’ next matchup is against CSU East Bay in Hayward this Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Seawolves Sports Feb. 4 Softball vs. Dominican University 1:00 p.m. Rohnert Park Seawolf Field

STAR // Connor Gibson Left: Players get off the bench to celebrate the play. Right: Junior Taylor Acosta dribbles past a defender.

Women’s basketball falls on road trip Ancia Purdy Staff Writer

T

he Sonoma State University women’s basketball team traveled up and down California, but suffered losses to both Humboldt State and CSU San Bernardino. The two losses brought their record to 4-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Seawolves first travelled to Arcata to face the Lumberjacks on Thursday. Despite two Seawolves, Hannah Sourek and Emilee Osagiede, scoring 12 points, Sonoma State fell 88-62 to Humboldt. “An important thing that helps us become more comfortable when playing away is talking on and off the court,” said junior guard Taylor Acosta. “The environment can be hostile but when you’ve got your team around communicating, the environment doesn’t affect you.” Humboldt scored the first six points of the game before the Seawolves added two on a jumper by junior center Sourek. The Lumberjacks then went on a 23-6 run to lead by 19 well into the first half. They would lead by that much several other times in the half. Humboldt brought its lead to 32 halfway through the second half, and the Seawolves were not able to gain control of the game. Sonoma State had 39 rebounds in the game and six steals. As a team, they shot 33.7 percent, making 23 out of 61 field goals and were successful on 13 out of 21 free-throws. In addition to Sourek and junior forward Emilee Osagiede’s combined 24 points, Tanner Adams and freshman Molly Donovan each added eight.

The Seawolves then flew down to Southern California to face off against the Coyotes of San Bernardino on Saturday night. Dropping the game 60-48, the Seawolves lost their eighth straight game. Again, the Seawolves’ opponent started off the scoring, this time the Coyotes went up by five before Sonoma State got on the board. Scoring went back and forth during the first half, but the Coyotes never relinquished the lead. The first half ended with the Coyotes up by seven only to increase their lead to 16 several times in the second half. The Seawolves made four three-point shots and shot 60 percent at the free-throw line. Sonoma State also out-rebounded CSU San Bernardino 5037. The bench added 23 points to the Seawolves’ total. “At the beginning of the game our coaches made clear to us that rebounds would be one of the key factors to control if we were to win,” said Acosta. “I think we achieved our goal in controlling the board.” In addition to the non-starters 23 points, freshman guard Madison Burroughs and Sourek each had eight points and a steal. Donovan and Acosta contributed six rebounds a piece to the team’s total of 50. “I think the highlight of both games was the fact that we never gave up,” said Acosta. “We were able to make short runs and play hard even though we weren’t able to capture the lead in the end.” Sonoma State will continue conference play on the road against CSU East Bay and CSU Monterey Bay on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both games are set to start at 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 5 Men’s Tennis vs. Santa Rosa JC (Scrimmage) 2:00 p.m. Rohnert Park Seawolf Courts Feb. 6 Baseball vs. Academy of Art 2:00 p.m. Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond Women’s Basketball at Cal State East Bay 5:30 p.m. Hayward, CA Men’s Basketball at Cal State East Bay 7:30 p.m. Hayward, CA Feb. 7 Women’s Water Polo vs. Arizona State 8:00 a.m. La Jolla, CA Triton Invitational Feb. 7th and 8th

Men’s Tennis at Fresno State 10:00 a.m. Fresno, CA Baseball vs. Academy of Art 11:00 a.m. Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond Women’s Tennis vs. UC Santa Cruz Rohnert Park Seawolf Courts Women’s Basketball at CSU Monterey Bay 5:30 p.m. Seaside, CA Men’s Basketball at CSU Monterey Bay 7:30 p.m. Seaside, CA Feb. 8 Men’s Tennis at UC Davis vs George Fox 9:30 A.M. & 1:30 P.M. Davis, CA Women’s Tennis vs. Holy Names 12:00 p.m. Rohnert Park Seawolf Courts


Sports

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

sonomaseawolves.com, facebook.com Left: Head Coach John Goelz has been part of the SSU program since 1985. Right: The Seawolf Diamond is prepared for the season of games ahead.

Seawolf baseball looks to repeat New year comes with roster changes

Kayla Kring Staff Writer

C

racker Jack’s, nacho’s, Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and the sound of cleats in a dugout can only mean one thing: Baseball season is back. As defending champions, the Sonoma State University Seawolves are preparing themselves for what many hope to be another winning season. However, the Seawolves were picked to finish fourth in the 2015 season. Why is that? Maybe it’s because 17 players graduated, and among the 17 were the starting second basemen, starting third basemen, and No. 1 pitcher. Despite the roster changes, the Seawolves are back and are ready to defend their California Collegiate Athletic Association title. When asked about his thoughts on being picked fourth, outfielder, Daniel Caresao, said “It motivated us more.” “I laughed, I thought it was funny,” said first baseman Alex Crosby. Sonoma State has won 10 league championships, been to the Western Region Tournament 13 times, as well as two College World Series appearances. In other words, they have shown both the skill and determination to win it all. This is exactly what they want: to win the National Collegiate Ath-

letic Association Division II Baseball Championships in Cary, North Carolina. As the team heads into the 2015 season with the end goal of winning the championship, motivation alone wont get these boys there, but coming together as a team and working hard on the field everyday will. “We have a pretty well-rounded team this year, we have a pretty good defensive team this year, and our pitching is deeper throughout the rotation,” said Head Coach John Goelz. Coach Goelz knows what he’s talking about, with 37 years of coaching baseball. He started in 1977 at his alma mater San Francisco State and has been at the helm of Sonoma State Baseball since 1985. “We work a lot harder and the guys are a lot closer,” said Crosby. “I feel like knowing that they ranked us fourth it helps us and motivates us a lot more to be in that first seed, because they won’t expect it, but that is what we are all expecting.” It’s developing the talent that coaches enjoy so much. “We are really team oriented,” said Goelz, “It comes down to team chemistry, for the most part I think our players like each other a lot.” Sometimes team chemistry can get a little thrown off. “Sticking as one team, as one unit. We all pull on the same rope, all on the same side,” said Caresao, “We are going to be very good this year, we have a lot of talent.” With 18 new

flickr.com Next year, Super Bowl L (fifty), will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

additions to the team, new talent is definitely something the Seawolves have. When that happens a game can become a tough obstacle to overcome. “You just play your best that game, and try to forget the last game and try not to go beyond the next game,” said Goelz. This season does not just hold an opportunity for championship title. It also holds the chance for Coach Goelz to reach 1,000 victories on the diamond. “It’s very humbling to approach this mark. It’s not about me, as we get closer and closer to it, it’s more about all the people that made this possible, for one coach to be here long enough to reach 1,000 wins,” Goelz said. “All the players that [gave] their blood, sweat and tears, the program, it’s a good thing for them. I have great assistant coaches, players and for me to take credit for 1,000 wins is awfully arrogant, because that’s not the way it works.” As humble as he is, Goelz may say it’s about the players’ efforts on the field that make the 1,000 victories possible. Players play the game. But no individual achieves success alone. Everyone needs coaches, mentors and teachers to push us through, to be honest in order to get every bit of talent to achieve success. The Seawolves are fortunate to have Goelz coaching the baseball team for 30 years, challenging every player who puts on cleats to be their very best every day.

Like us on Facebook

Super Bowl views at Lobo’s Jennifer González Staff Writer

S

uper Bowl XLIX (fortynine), took place in Glendale, Arizona and still has everyone talking about the game itself with the commercials that were shown throughout the breaks and the half time show that has Katy Perry still trending throughout all of social medias. The New England Patriots took on the Seattle Seahawks at the University of Phoenix Stadium, resulting in the Patriots becoming 2015 National Football League Champions. Some students and football fans made their way to Lobo’s to watch the game and enjoy the food. This Super Bowl game was bound to be an intense game considering the Seahawks were given the Vegas betting odds by just one point. “Both teams played really good, I think. I wasn’t cheering for anyone special, but I thought it was a great game and I enjoyed watching every second of it,” said Sonoma State freshman Kirsten Miller. Even though none of the teams made any scores in the first quarter, there were some incredible plays made during this time. About 1 minute and fifty seconds into the first quarter, Patriots’ quarterback Tom

Brady tried to pass the ball to Julian Edelman, but then Seahawks defensive back Jeremy Lane intercepted the throw and took it back fourteen yards. An unfortunate result of the play was a gruesome forearm injury to Lane after he was tackled. “When seeing this play go down, I already thought this was not going to be a good game for the Patriots,” said Sonoma State sophomore Roger Patterson. “I definitely wanted New England to win, especially since the Seahawks beat the San Francisco Niners for NFC Champs in 2014.” Brady and the Patriots started the scoring when he threw the ball short and left to Brandon LaFell for a touchdown. The Seahawks tied it up when quarterback Russell Wilson handed Bay Area native Marshawn Lynch the ball 3 yards away from the endzone. At the end of the first half, both teams were tied 14-14. Former Foot Locker employee Chris Matthews made an incredible 45-yard catch after Wilson threw him the deep ball during the third quarter. This was just one of many of his great plays on Sunday. “Can you imagine how many people are out there who have such great potential to play professional and this guy was given the opportunity,” said Miller with enthusiasm.

“He was working at Foot Locker a couple months ago and now he’s at the Super Bowl.” With just seven minutes and 55 seconds left the Patriots’ Danny Amendola caught a touchdown pass, making the score 24-21 with the Patriots only needing 3 points to catch up. Just a few minutes later, Brady threw a touchdown pass to Edelman making the score 28-24 with the Patriots taking the lead. With only a minute and fourteen seconds left on the clock, Wilson threw a pass to Jermaine Kearse who made an unbelievable catch at the 5-yard line. After a run by Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks had one more yard to go before becoming the 2015 Super Bowl Champs. Russell Wilson dropped back and got rid of the ball quickly to the right side of the field. The Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler beat the wide receiver to the ball and made an interception that brought the Super Bowl victory to the Patriots. “I was really excited to see Butler make the interception. It couldn’t have ended in a better way for the Patriots,” said Patterson. “But during the whole game both teams did such a great job playing. This game is really how a Super Bowl should feel like.”

facebook.com/sonomastatestar

Follow us on Twitter

@sonomastatestar

Follow us on Instagram @sonomastatestar


Page 12

Photo This week in photos...

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

Club Fair Showcases Campus Opportunities

Right: Students gather at Seawolf Plaza as they approach tables and inquire which clubs they can join for the upcoming semester. Bottom Left: The Model United Nations Club invites students to join the club. As both a club and class component, they encourage students to join the club and class that go to the Model United Nations conference in New York every spring semester. Bottom Right: The Filipino American Association of Sonoma State University show off their diverse heritage through creative dance. They will showcase their talents at the annual Pacific Cultural Night in May.

STAR // Edward Goquingco

STAR // Edward Goquingco International students at Sonoma State University are welcomed back to campus with a banquet of food and beverages in International Hall.

A New Operatta Revue! Includes The Merry Widow, Threepenny Opera, Gilbert & Sullivan and More!

STAR // Connor Gibson People attend and share their enthusiasm for art at the Art from the Heart fundraising event.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.