Volume74 issue6

Possible bike law stirs controversy

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Seawolves lose in the capital city

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Video game review: ‘The Order 1886’

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Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

MARCH 3 - MARCH 9, 2015

VOLUME 74 // ISSUE 6

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

New pathway for bike community Joshua Gutierrez Staff Writer

T

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez The STAR hosted exclusive interviews on Feb. 24 with this year’s presidential candidates for Associated Students.

The candidates include environmental studies and economics double-major, Brandon Mercer, and psychology major, Nicole Dominique. The voting period begins Monday and ends on Wednesday with the election results announced at Lobo’s Pizza and Pub from 7-8:30 p.m.

Associated Students election underway See the STAR’s editorial endorsement on page 2.

Michelle Welling Staff Writer

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onday marks the next round of Associated Students elections at Sonoma State University.

The ballot will be distributed to students via Seawolf emails, and it’s to the benefit of students that this vote takes place.

Associated Students elections offer students the opportunity to catalyze change at the university through the candidates they elect.

The Associated Students is the official voice of the student body to school administration. The lead representative of this unified voice is the Associated Students president, the role for which two students currently strive for.

The candidates for president of Associated Students this year are third-year economics and environmental studies and planning doublemajor, Brandon Mercer, and Fresno State University transfer student and psychology major, Nicole Dominique.

While Mercer and Dominique have the mutual goal of enriching Sonoma State through their actions, they offer differing skills and strengths.

“Both candidates bring their own unique experience and perspective,” said Elections Commissioner Garett Knight. “I’m also curious as to which candidate students will relate more.”

Mercer, no stranger to student leadership, reached his current candidacy through his role as treasurer of Sauvignon Village Council, summer orientation leader, community service adviser, and most recently, serving on three Associated Students committees: academic senate, campus re-engineering and the graduate initiative group.

The third-year, doublemajor runs on a platform of two main goals: generating greater access to upper-division keystone classes, and creating more student governance on campus. With this experience in student leadership, Mercer believes he opens the door to represent-

ing students and communicating their needs.

“I understand one facet of what Sonoma State students go through,” said Mercer. “And I think this opportunity allows me to bring all that together and really focus on the critical points that not many students get to see, but affect them everyday.”

Sharing the ballot with him is Nicole Dominique.

Dominique offers the unique perspective of a transfer student, with fresh insight, bringing her experience from Fresno State to Sonoma State.

Additionally, her history of public speaking and participation in pageants gives Dominique the strength of communication, an important skill when representing the collective voice students, and, if elected, working with faculty and administrators to achieve student goals.

This asset in particular is what Dominique believes makes her a strong candidate.

“One of the main things you have to have in order to be president is communication skills,” said Dominique.

“It’s all about being able to, No. 1, communicate and be involved with your peers, and also be able to communicate with people on a [higher] level in order to get those changes made.”

As student government moves closer to the election date, student involvement becomes a recurring topic of conversation—most noticeably so with the absence of candidates running for the position of executive vice president of Associated Students.

“Unfortunately we had multiple candidates in numerous positions drop out the week before campaigning began. Each position is time consuming but more rewarding [than] I believe most students know,” said Knight.

“Right now, I’m focusing on what we do have rather than what we don’t. Once the election is over, the missing seats will be addressed. It’s my hope that the election will generate awareness about Associated Students and lead an See ELECTION on Pg. 4

he city of Rohnert Park is moving ahead with plans to build a 2-mile multi-use pathway which will run parallel to the SonomaMarin Area Rail Transit line.

The regional project is one of the earliest segments of a larger 70-mile trail-torail system that will run the length of the SMART rail line from just outside the ferry terminal in Marin County to Cloverdale.

The path will be built with the help of $4 million in federal highway funds. One grant is designated for East Cotati Avenue to Southwest Boulevard pathway and the other for Southwest Boulevard to Golf Course Drive pathway. Hopes are that construction be treated as a single project. On Tuesday, the Rohnert Park City Council voted to approve SMART’s request for an easement onto city-owned property, which includes more than a half-

mile section of the bike path.

Paul Klassen, manager of the pathway project for SMART, said that both grants are pending, a process that will last from a month to six weeks. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the area of future construction is reviewed.

Pathway construction may begin as early as the end of 2015, with projected completion expected for late 2016 or early 2017. The SMART train itself is scheduled to start running in late 2016.

“Looking at it from that point of view of the city, [the path] is a good thing,” said Jake Mackenzie, a Rohnert Park councilman and member of SMART’s board of directors. “But it’s a good thing for the university with connectivity on bike and foot. It’s also the beginning of making sure that we fulfill our promises that there will be a pathway along the whole railway.”

The distance between E. Cotati Avenue, SMART See BIKES on Pg. 4

Sonoma County rent skyrockets Rissie Markarian Staff Writer

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ent costs in Sonoma County have reached high levels, increasing 30 percent in the last three years alone.

In the United States, Sonoma County ranks no. 1 in terms of rising rent costs in any metropolitan area.

The price for an average apartment costs nearly $1,600 every month and that number may continue to climb rapidly.

This may seem like a small number in comparison to the other counties surrounding the San Francisco metropolitan area, such as Alameda, San Mateo and Marin. On average, they pay approximately $700 more each month.

However, this remains a pressing issue, especially for Sonoma State students. With the possibility of tuition costs rising and other monthly expenses to worry about, it’s difficult to find even more money to pursue higher education and maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

Two sophomores and business majors, Jasmine Scott and Brooke Shettlesworth, had a lot to say about how these rising

prices could potentially impact Sonoma State students.

“I’m already working so much and I have to work more hours just to compensate for my rent and for nothing other than living,” said Scott.

Shettlesworth believes rising costs will cause a setback for many students.

“With the rising housing costs, college students are forced to not only take out more loans and many take fewer classes so that they can work more just to pay the rent.”

Many Bay Area communities are seeing these increases due to workers trying to escape high living costs in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. There is a higher demand for cheaper housing, hence the increase of rent in desirable areas.

Real Answers spokesman, Nick Grotjahn, told the Press Democrat in October that “rents have skyrocketed in the employment centers. A worker can find much cheaper housing by commuting from Petaluma to San Francisco. Renters occupied 97.5 percent of the county’s apartments at the end of the third quarter, unchanged See RENT on Pg. 4

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Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board & Staff

Dylan Sirdofsky, Editor-in-Chief Peter Njoroge, Executive Editor Kayla Webster, Managing Editor Gustavo Vasquez, Managing Editor & Distribution Director Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Alexis Mills, Opinion Editor Brandon Stachnik, Arts & Entertainment Editor Jessie De La O, Features Editor Shannon Brown, Features Editor Kyler Khan, Sports Editor Edward Goquingco, Photo Editor Amanda Saiki, Advertising Director Brennan Chin, Marketing & Design Director Eddie Blake, Editorial Cartoonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser Kory Arnold, Staff Writer Jake Burke, Staff Writer Samantha Cardenas, Staff Writer Connor Gibson, Photographer Jennifer González, Staff Writer Aidan Guthrie, Staff Writer Joshua Gutierrez, Staff Writer Olivia Johnson, Staff Writer Emily Johnstone, Staff Writer Kimmie Jones, Staff Writer Kayla Kring, Staff Writer Rissie Markarian, Staff Writer Ashley Martin, Staff Writer Ancia Purdy, Staff Writer Alex Sanchez, Staff Writer Ciara Smith, Staff Writer Sierra Smith, Staff Writer Aaron Walker, Staff Writer Michelle Welling, Staff Writer Niquie Wilson, Photographer

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:

“Men’s basketball finishes on strong note” Despite tough opponents and injuries, the men’s basketball team was able to compete well in their final two games of the season. Staff Writer Kayla Kring covers the Seawolves as they faced CSU Dominguez Hills and CSU Los Angeles on the road Friday and Saturday, hoping to finish off a difficult year with a win.

Recap the game on page 11

Corrections/Clarifications In last week’s article, “North Carolina shooting shows media’s faults,” professor Peter Phillips was incorrectly identified as the founder of Project Censored. Emeritus professor Carl Jensen founded Project Censored in 1976. Phillips became director in 1996 and was director for 14 years.

Publication

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

Opinions

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

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Mercer for AS president

S

eawolves, it’s that time of year again.

The Associated Students elections are one-week away, and on Feb. 24, the STAR hosted both presidential candidates in an exclusive interview to make an endorsement for the 2015-16 academic years.

This year’s candidates, environmental studies and economics double-major Brandon Mercer, and psychology major Nicole Dominique, are two juniors who offer unique perspectives, experiences and a new take on how to lead the student body at Sonoma State University.

The STAR believes Sonoma State students would be well represented by either candidate, but in the end chooses to endorse Mercer.

Both contenders were asked a series of in-depth questions, which shed light on their knowledge and involvement in leadership positions at Sonoma State as well as an understanding of how the university operates.

Further, Mercer has a résumé full of relevant experience at Sonoma State, including time dedicated as a community service adviser, introducing incoming students as a summer orientation leader and being a faculty senate representative.

Dominique, who transferred to Sonoma State this year from Fresno State University, lacks the direct government experience Mercer has to offer, but makes up for it with her passion and personable demeanor, which would clearly play a role if elected.

Dominique said she would work for the students’ best interests, as she views them as her “coach” and herself as a “team player.” Dominique is very student-need oriented, which is shown through her love and devotion to those attending Sonoma State.

Offering a diverse perspective, Dominique brings experience at Fresno State to this campus. She has seen where Fresno State has prospered throughout her college career, and how Sonoma State could learn from its successes.

In this sense, Dominique could give the campus a push to become more unified, where students see Sonoma State as “a home away from home,” one of her primary goals if she becomes president.

Mercer, who appeared a bit stiff during the interview, is just as dedicated to the student body.

He has a strong understanding of how the university functions, as well as the importance of student governance and cooperating with academic leadership in the university’s administration.

Mercer credits his original interest in student leadership at Sonoma State with his involvement in Sauvignon Village Council as a freshman.

His position within the university’s academic senate, which he has served three committees focused on campus reengineering and graduation initiative, is something Mercer feels strongly about. He is interested in changing the six-year graduation average students seem to adhere to within the California State University system.

Mercer is running on the platform of creating more upper-division general education courses, as well as increasing shared governance at Sonoma State. This means he intends for students to have increased access to on-campus, entry-level jobs, offering career-building skills and things to enhance their résumés.

On the other hand, Dominique’s primary goals include diversity, student involvement and creating a home for students at Sonoma State.

Mercer has a better understanding of Sonoma State and the leadership experience to back it, but Dominique appears to have more passion for the campus.

Despite their contrasting strengths, the STAR has chosen to formally endorse Mercer for Associated Students president.

Dominique, however, is a compelling

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez Associated Students presidential candidates, Brandon Mercer and Nicole Dominique, answer questions with the STAR about their goals and plans for Sonoma State University on Feb. 24. Read the news article on page 1. candidate for executive vice president, being interested in working not only for, but also with students. In essence, Mercer and Dominique working together is the best op-

tion for Sonoma State.

Voting begins Monday and ends March 11. Results will be announced from 7-8:30 p.m. in Lobo’s Pizza and Pub.

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

Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed 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 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. To send a letter to the editor email star@sonoma.edu.

Letters to the Editor Yarnall known for police officer reputation

D

ear Editor, Jason Yarnall, featured in a recent student spotlight, was well known to a generation of Sonoma State

students of the mid 2000s. As a Cotati police officer, Yarnall, whose sole duty was traffic law enforcement, preyed upon and cited students who navigated

the speed trap on East Cotati Avenue from Cotati to the campus and back.

Such citations typically added $200 or more to the stu-

dents’ already mounting expenses while adding to the City of Cotati’s coffers.

Joseph Kessel is a resident of Cotati.

Opinion

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

It is time to save the planet

Olivia Johnson Staff Writer

W STAR // Gustavo Vasquez

California cyclists aren’t so hard-headed

Gustavo Vasquez Managing Editor

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equiring everyone to wear a helmet sounds like a good idea, but in reality it just doesn’t make sense.

Helmets only prepare you for the worst; it doesn’t make the user any safer on the streets. In fact, because you feel there is less risk, more risk-taking is bound to happen on the road.

The recent bill announced to the public by California Sen. Carol Liu will require all cyclists to wear a helmet, and wear ref lective material that I can’t even buy in a bicycle shop, just doesn’t make sense.

Fewer cyclists will be on the road because not everyone will hassle with buying or wearing a helmet, which means drivers, will become more unfamiliar

with sharing the road.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for helmets. I use my helmet for my two-mile ride each morning to school and two-mile ride back home at night. I feel like the most safety conscious cyclist at Sonoma State with my helmet, ref lective bags, ref lective inseams in my pants and jackets; the quintessence of bicycle safety in a world where I rarely see anyone wear helmets, ref lective clothing or safely ride a bicycle.

Helmet laws change the dynamic of bicycle safety; fewer ride, and more take risk because of the stigma of wearing a helmet guarantees safety, because as stated it doesn’t.

“We support helmet use,” said Gary Helfrich, executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, “yet, we have not seen any evidence that a mandatory helmet law reduces crashes.”

Research shows when helmets are required, one of three possibilities happen. One, cyclists will buy helmets. Two, cyclists will go out and still ride without a helmet, thus breaking the law and getting cited. Last-

ly, people will just stop riding because it’s costly and a hassle to buy a helmet or because of this new stigma that cycling is somehow dangerous.

A study released in 2011 from the University of Alberta, conducted by Mohammad Karkhaneh found some surprising results on mandatory helmet laws. In May of 2002, Alberta, Canada put into effect a mandatory bicycle law for people under the age of 18. The study found that by 2006, there was a 56 percent reduction in children cycling, and a 27 percent reduction in teenagers.

Looking further into the research, both head and non-head injuries increased, with only one possibility; mandatory helmet laws causes cyclists to take more risks when cycling, or the absurd idea that a helmet makes cyclists a target.

The only thing in the bill that makes sense is the second part. Cyclists are required to wear ref lective clothing at night. Just one thing, the clothing has to be rated to a standard that one will have to go to a construction store and buy construction vests rather than

ref lective clothing designed for cycling.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows there were 726 pedacyclists deaths in 2012, out of 33, 561 fatalities. Those statistics show pedacyclists represent 2 percent of the fatalities of the whole nation. By those numbers, we shouldn’t require cyclists to wear helmets; we should require motor vehicles, which have a higher fatality rate.

In the same data, most pedacyclist related fatalities occur between 4 p.m. to midnight. I can see that wearing ref lective material and having lights will make the cyclist more visible on the road and safer.

For the data above, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration categorizes pedacyclist as any vehicle powered by feet, with wheels and no motor.

Unicycles, tricycles and bicycles fit this category.

Before introducing a bill to require everyone in California to wear a helmet on a bicycle, a smarter approach is to tackle the problem and prevent avoidable accidents rather than preparing for the worst.

ith Sonoma State University students able to attend the pool in February, it’s quite obvious something is off about today’s weather. After only a few rainstorms, the weather in Sonoma County has taken a turn for a warm winter.

Flowers are already starting to bloom, which is another realization that our world is going through global warming. I can’t help but ask, is our world really coming to an end?

Scientists are equally divided over whether our recent occurrences of abnormal weather is due to global warming or the natural cycle of weather.

However, I don’t think there’s anything natural about the lack of rain or the random warm weather.

It’s February, people shouldn’t be wearing shorts or f lip f lops. When I was growing up, the type of climate in February was cold and cloudy where people wore jackets, scarves and boots.

Some may ask, what is causing the climate to change so drastically? There is an increase in greenhouse gases and the pollution of the past 50 years are making our cloud cover denser.

This causes the Earth’s heat to be pushed back into the surface, instead out into space, allowing more moisture to be trapped in an endless cycle.

The only way this cycle can be broken is by human intervention.

Meaning that if we want our Earth to go back to the normal cycle patterns we are used too, it’s time somebody stepped in and did something about it.

Therefore, it’s time people

realize the human activity that is taking place on this planet is destroying it. The pollution that is being created is horrible for not only the environment, but for one’s own well-being.

Just think about how the pollution is affecting the Earth’s atmosphere and what it could be doing to a human’s lungs.

The climate change should not only be a warning about what is taking place on this planet, but also what humans are doing to their health.

Another huge component to abnormal climate is the fact that while the east is forced to face tons of rainstorms, the west is struggling to keep their grasses green.

The current drought in the west coast is starting to get more extreme. Each year there is desperation for more rain, yet barely any is getting received. In fact, the rain level is dropping, when it needs to be increasing.

2014 was a rough year for the west coast as water had to be taken from numerous lakes to meet demands.

Bringing disappointment to those who enjoy water activities such as boating or camping.

As those hoped, 2015 would bring more rain and snow, all it brought was devastation. Even though Sonoma County did have a couple of harsh rainstorms, the rain level is nowhere near where it needs to be.

Tahoe was only given minimal snow, and the west coast depends highly on the snow because when it melts, it turns into the water supply that is needed.

Also, the lack of snow disappointed those who enjoy snow activities. Personally, as a snowboarder I couldn’t help but feel distraught as I only enjoyed fresh powder once this season.

Further, now that the weather is jumping ahead into spring, any snow received is limited before it turns to mush.

With the west coast drought and increases in pollution, it’s only a matter of time before humans are forced to step in to save their planet.

Change of pace with marijuana legalization

Aaron Walker Staff Writer

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arijuana legalization is making tremendous strides in the United States and support for legalization is outpacing the opposition.

Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in four

states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Recently, Washington, D.C. passed recreational pot use, which means congress can legally get high before they go and vote on any marijuana laws.

Around 40 percent of Americans have reported trying marijuana at least once, while a slim majority of 52 percent support legalization throughout the country. It’s easy to see why, considering marijuana possesses a wide-range of medical benefits and has the potential to be a cash crop.

So then, why is it still illegal? Many anti-legalization groups believe there isn’t

enough science to support the medical benefits and legalization would set a bad precedent for younger generations. This logic is wrong on many levels.

According to the federal government, marijuana is a schedule I narcotic, which means there are no acceptable medical uses and has a high potential for abuse. Other drugs on the schedule I list include heroin and LSD, while drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine only qualify as schedule II narcotics, substances that have a high potential for abuse, but less potential for abuse than schedule I. The federal government

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firmly believes that marijuana is a dangerous drug with no medical benefits, but there are countless individuals who have experienced the plant’s healing abilities.

“If it wasn’t for medical marijuana I would have severe back pain and social anxiety,” said Chris Graham, a medical marijuana patient at Sonoma State. “It’s nice to treat myself with a natural remedy, rather than a prescription medication.”

I find it hard to believe that marijuana has “no acceptable medical use” when the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion found that 73 percent of doctors supported use of marijuana to treat nausea, pain and other symptoms associated with AIDS, cancer and glaucoma. However, the federal government still holds the stance that marijuana is a dangerous and abusive drug with no medical properties.

This is absurd. Considering, 23 states have legalized medical marijuana, and four states as well as the nation’s capital have legalized recreational use.

It’s evident that many Americans are starting to realize that this war on drugs is a joke and that marijuana belongs

in this nation’s culture.

There is a dark side to the war on marijuana, which is the 700,000 people every year arrested for marijuana violation.

88 percent of those arrests were for possession only.

According to the White House there aren’t many people in state or federal prison for marijuana-related crimes.

Jeff Mizanskey, from Missouri, would disagree, considering he is serving a life sentence without parole, because he was found in possession of seven pounds of marijuana. Mizanskey had two prior non-violent felony pot convictions, which set him up for this life sentence.

Life for Pot currently lists 25 other non-violent offenders who are serving life in prison for marijuana-related crimes.

Marijuana is a multi-billion dollar industry, and currently all of that revenue goes directly to cartels and criminal gangs.

In the first four months of legal marijuana sales, Colorado generated over $10 million in taxes, and the first $40 million of the tax revenue collected by the state is going directly to the public school system.

Imagine if a state like California did that. We are a state known for our beautiful beach-

es, warm weather and also as one of the premiere locations in the world for outdoor marijuana cultivation. Highly regarded strains such as Grand Daddy Purple, and OG Kush have their origins in California, and some of best the growers in the world reside in this state. There is no doubt that if weed were legal, California would be one of the most sought after tourists spots for marijuana lovers.

I am dumbfounded there are still people out there that regard marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical benefits and support federal prohibition.

Those people need to open their eyes and realize people stand to gain a lot from legalization, and blindingly supporting antilegislation is hurting the people of this country.

I could care less if someone smokes or doesn’t smoke marijuana. One thing that does bother me is the fact there are still people out there doing everything in their power to keep this potentially life-changing plant illegal.

The movement for marijuana legalization is moving at a steady fast pace, but more people need to wake up and realize this prohibition is only holding the country back.

Page 4

News

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Act aims to improve education system Ciara Smith Staff Writer

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he U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee approved the Student Success Act on Feb. 11 to replace the No Child Left Behind bill.

This bill is an attempt by Congressional republicans to salvage the No Child Left Behind act which is universally condemned by many schools as a mandate to improve student performance without the funds to ensure schools help students get the extra help they need to do better on tests.

As a result, many school districts, including those in Sonoma County, want to get out of No Child Left Behind and most Democrats in Congress are wary of attempts to salvage the law.

Even if the Student Success Act, as the Republicans are calling it, gets through the House and Senate, the president will likely veto it.

The Student Success Act changes the current civil liability plan that was based on all-or-nothing tests with state-led accountability systems, returning the responsibility for grading student and school performance to the states and school districts, assures parents to continue to hold local schools accountable for their chil-

dren, and removes more than 65 programs that are redundant.

It’s also will be helping schools support the students more efficient, protects state and local independence over the decisions in the classroom.

The Success Act would enable parents with more school choice options by continuing the support for magnet schools and growing charter school opportunities, and then allowing the Title I funds to pursue low-income children to the public or charter school of the parent’s choice, and strengthens the efforts to improve student performance among specific student populations, including English learners and homeless children.

“It seems that the cons outweigh the pros because budget cuts was really hard before and now cutting them even more is ridiculous,” said undeclared freshman Kelly Quick. “I know that personally they took away pretty much all the electives in high school, so overall budget cuts overall is bad idea for education. It’s not like teachers should be more efficient, but need to be more creative to get the students more involved with school.”

The Student Success Act offers a better a way to help the nation’s classrooms by returning the responsibility for stu-

dent success to the states, school districts and parents, while keeping up with the high expectations.

Also eliminating unnecessary federal programs and spending limited taxpayer dollars intelligently, strengthening programs for schools, and supporting local achievements to measure teacher effectiveness.

“I think they should be wary of the fact that of mostly high school, they don’t have a lot of motivation any ways, they don’t know that it’s a privilege to get a higher education because in other countries kids don’t get that privilege,” said freshman history major, Hayley Beeman.

“Cutting funding doesn’t seem like a good idea but if they think it will actually help focus the teachers and the students somehow, they need to be clear on how they think it will make the students work harder.”

The question of whether this act could improve or worsen the education system for children in the United States has arisen.

If the act does in fact improve the education system, universities in the United States may have more students entering college with a higher proficiency in math and English, which would ultimately improve the higher education system in addition to K-12 education.

News in Brief Africa The Ebola crisis continues in West Africa but has shown signs of improvement with decreasing numbers of new infections. So far, over 23,500 people have been infected with over 9,500 dead. Local critiques in Guinea, such as the ‘association of traditional healers’ have begun releasing statements that if they were more included in the initial efforts to fight Ebola, the impact of the disease could have been greatly reduced. Local healers are traditionally the first people called on for issues of health in Guinea.

North America Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to speak before Congress today. His trip is shrouded in controversy due to Speaker of the House John Boehner inviting the prime minister to speak before Congress without notifying the White House. A growing number of democrats plan to walk out on Netanyahu’s speech because of objections to Israel’s war crimes and the circumstances surrounding his visit being viewed as disrespectful to the president.

Europe An international team of scientists from the journal ‘Nature’ have found evidence of a massive migration of nomadic herders from the near east into the European heartland roughly 7,000 years ago. This population was later mixed with the indigenous hunter-gatherer population which may have been the impetus behind the spread of Indo-European languages in the region. The scientists research comes from the genomes of 69 ancient individuals.

Australia Madonna is scheduled to tour through Australia for the fist time in 23 years. In early 2016 the performer is planned to travel to the country. Dates and locations are still undisclosed.

Health A study from the University of Missouri, Colombia and Bradley University reveals that heavy use of Facebook can lead to envy and depression. The study surveyed hundreds of college students and found a strong tendency of respondents to measure their lives against the edited feed of pictures and statuses from their peers on Facebook. The result of this behavior prompted most respondents to experience sensations of envy and disappointment over their personal lives or achievements.

ELECTIONS: Candidates dream big Continued from Pg. 1

even more successful elections next Spring.”

Student involvement is the quintessence of Associated Students, particularly in the voting arena.

Student participation is what gives Associated Students its legitimacy; the number of students who vote directly translates to the influence their government carries. Elections officialize that.

If Associated Students stand with the support of

7,000 student voters rather than 1,000 when communicating and negotiating with faculty and administration, its goals stand a greater chance of becoming recognized because it represents what matters to the majority of Sonoma State’s student population.

Becoming informed is the first step toward becoming an effective voter. Students are encouraged to check the STAR for candidate information, as well as the website for Associated Students to learn about election details.

STAR // Niquie Wilson The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Line has approved the plan to construct a 2-mile bike pathway in Rohnert Park. Many students at Sonoma State University ride bikes to school and on campus. Students hope the pathway will be beneficial to Sonoma State upon its completion in late 2016 or early 2017.

BIKES: Early stages underway Continued from Pg. 1

station and Sonoma State University’s campus is one mile. That’s about a 6-minute journey by bike, according to Google Maps.

“If you are living in Rohnert Park, it can potentially give an opportunity to ride your bike to school and not deal with parking,” said Gary Helfrich, executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.

“If you live on campus, it lets you reasonably get to Cotati without taking your life into your hands.”

Briana Valenzuela, treasurer of Sonoma State’s Triathlon Club offered her perspective as an athlete.

“The distance for the bike course in a triathlon is 12.1 miles so it [Rohnert Park pathway] doesn’t really do anything,” said Valenzuela. “I might be able to go back and forth six times.”

But the path is a start, and Valenzuela said she is excited at the opportunity of

the 70-mile pathway, a more suitable distance for training or recreation.

“The SMART project as it was approved by the voters is breathtakingly bike friendly,” said Helfrich. “In fact it’s an unprecedented marriage of bike trail and commuter rail line. The question I always have is: ‘Is the commitment to the bike trail the same as the commitment to the train. The trouble is that there are pieces of trail being built, but it has to get connected up.

Then it will be a big deal.”

In addition to the pathway, SMART trains will be designed to maximize bike capacity.

Proposed in a 2014 document by the Sonoma County Alliance, a two-car train can carry up to 158 seated passengers, 160 standing passengers and 24 bicycles is planned.

Currently, 10 segments of the 70-mile multi-use pathway are funded from San Rafael to Santa Rosa, which includes Rohnert Park’s re-

cently approved segments.

Similar to Rohnert Park, these segments are treated as regional projects.

“Bits and pieces are being built but we are far from fulfilling our promises to have this open by the time passenger rail service is complete,” said Mackenzie.

“It’s just not going to happen. We do not have the money, we do not have the permissions. But, we have the plans and we have the intent.”

Construction of the 2-mile segment in Rohnert Park nearly fulfills the city’s requirement toward the 70mile pathway.

Mackenzie said building the remainder of Rohnert Park’s path can be “tricky” and are not funded as of yet.

The remainder of the southbound pathway will be a joint task between the city of Cotati, Rohnert Park and Penngrove. Northbound pathway beyond Golf Course Drive will involve deliberation with the city of Santa Rosa.

STAR // Kayla E. Galloway The majority of Sonoma State University students live off campus after their freshman year.

RENT: High costs burden students Continued from Pg. 1

from a year ago. The rate essentially amounts to full occupancy.”

“It has been more difficult for students to find off-campus housing,” said Nicole Hendry, director of housing. “The real estate market has rebounded and there are less vacancies in this area.

Due to the low vacancy rate, landlords off campus tend to raise rates because of the demand.”

On-campus housing has remained wildly popular among Sonoma State students. Princeton Review has even named Sonoma State’s on-campus housing as one of the best in the nation.

Hendry said the campus uses the Consumer Price Index for the Greater Bay Area to determine the housing rental rate and campus fee increases from year to year.

Using this method, on-campus housing rates have only increased about 2 percent each year in the last five years. Sonoma State’s housing options may increase in popularity and competition as Sonoma County’s rent continues to increase on a much more substantial level.

It’s already becoming more difficult for students to find off-campus housing in recent years.

The problem is in part due to the lack of rental units or buildings being built in Rohnert Park or surrounding areas.

Students planning to live off campus next year are encouraged to attend the Campus Housing Fair on April 14, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Student Center ballroom. Materials will be provided to make the process easier and local landlords will be present to answer any questions students may have.

News

March 3 - March 9 , 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Associated Students election campaigning continues

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ssociated Students elections are approaching at Sonoma State University and below are statements written by each of the candidates that are running for an elected position for the 2015-16 school year.

Each statement ref lects candidates’ goals and

Kevin McMahon Candidate for Vice President of Finance

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y name is Kevin McMahon and I want to serve as your Vice President of Finance.

I am currently a third-year majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Economics. From the

Ana Tongilava Candidate for Diversity Senator

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y name is Ana Tongilava. I am currently a freshmen and a Math major here at Sonoma State University. As you may be aware, I have announced my candidacy for election to be a Senator for Diversity as a representative for the students of Sonoma State University.

Diversity is generally defined as a range of

Lucas Ammerman Candidate for Undeclared Senator

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s an Undeclared Sophomore at SSU and I am interested in running for Undeclared Senator. As a second year Undeclared student I can relate to and recognize many issues we as undeclared students run into, whether it is

Olivia Smith Candidate for School of Arts and Humanities Senator

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y name is Olivia Smith; I will be running for Senator representing the Arts and Humanities Department. I am currently majoring in English with a minor in psychology. I am

intent in running for the Associated Students.

Voting period for the Associated Students elections begins Monday and ends on March 11 at 5 p.m. with the election results to be announced at Lobo’s Pizza and Pub in the Student Center between 7-8:30 p.m. The moment I saw this campus I knew that I wanted to make something of myself here. There is so much passion and creativity running through the roots of this campus that inspires me everyday. Throughout my time here I have tested the waters on sports teams, clubs, and other extra curricular activities.

Through my time playing sports at Sonoma State I learned many leadership qualities such as responsibility, time management, teamwork, and perseverance. After my time with sports ended I still carried these qualities with me into the clubs that I became involved in.

I found my calling at SSU once I began participating in Entreprenoma. I want to bring the same passion and excitement that I have for this club back into our school. Being a student here I am aware of the amazing things that this school has achieved along with the areas that can be improved upon.

Serving as your Vice President of Finance I will further the betterment of our wonderful campus by making smart financial decisions and be that voice for those that want to be heard. We have a solid foundation set by previous leaders; now let me help you continue to make this campus a place that we are all proud to call ours. different things. To me, diversity is beyond that.

It is a variety of cultures and ethnicities coming together to a common ground to embrace the cultures we carry within ourselves. Being a Senator for Diversity requires a responsibility of advocating for more diversity in which it takes effort to commit into a role of supporting a positive experience for others. This position would allow me to be inclusive as a whole so everyone can feel as if they matter.

Coming from an island in the Pacific such as Tonga gives me the opportunity to view life from a different lense. One of the many factors I want to contribute by having this role is having to create more traditions that allow students’ individual experiences to be more memorable.

As a senator for diversity, I would be able to bring to the table a different point of view from everyone especially underrepresented students.

From previous experiences, I’ve done a variety of volunteer work for my community such as feeding the homeless and providing clothes drive that could supply for them.

These experiences have helped me realized how blessed and grateful I am for life everyday.

I’m asking for your support and vote in making this campus a more diverse environment.

trying to declare into an impacted major, figuring out where to take the first step in our career paths, or just simply registering and hoping to get those pre-requisite classes we need.

I believe the biggest issue with declaring a major is the lack of communication. The inability to explore new subjects and discover the right major for yourself, not being aware of all of the important dates sent out by all the different departments due to excess emails. I propose developing a more effective way to help you discover the major that could be the first step in the right direction, with an easier and simple notification process to relay the information of major requirements, prerequisite classes, workshop dates, and deadlines. I also have a history of leadership and professional experience. In high school I was a class officer for 3 consecutive years and held a year as the Head of the ASB technology committee, these positions familiarized me with the formal process of addressing school issues, planning and executing tasks, and also instilled in me useful skills such as efficient decision making, time and stress management, effective listening and verbal communication, working well with others, and leading with an open mind and most importantly, leading by example. from Santa Rosa and have lived there most of my life.

I arrived at Sonoma State University last Fall transferring from Santa Rosa Junior College, not sure what to expect on my first day of class.

It took me only days to realize I felt at home and that Sonoma State University was the school for me. I really enjoyed the quality, inspiration, diversity, variety, and support I gained from my classes and professors. I was inspired firsthand to be the Student Senator for the Arts and Humanities Department because of my great experience with classes and professors within the Arts and Humanities Department.

I want to be a part of ensuring other Arts and Humanities students are having just as wonderful academic experience as me by acting as a voice between students and the department, also working on department projects that will benefit the students.

I would also like to be a part of promoting what the department has to offer the local community as well as students, such as, art exhibits, music and theater performances, as well as speakers for various topics that relate to the Arts and Humanities Department. As a senator I plan on working with the senate and department to develop, promote, and improve the various programs on a path of continuing excellence.

campaigning period for all candidates running for an elected office began last week and will continue until Friday.

Students will get a first-hand look at the students running for an elected office with a debate happening in Ballroom B of the Stu-

Matthew Goodin Candidate for Student Services Senator

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y name is Matthew Goodin, and I am from lovely north county, San Diego.

I have been fortunate to have been raised in a wonderful upbringing and have always been taught by my parents to encompass

Claudia Sisomphou Candidate for Sustainability Senator

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i, my name is Claudia Sisomphou and I am a sophomore. I am an Environmental Studies major with a focus in Planning and a Computer Science minor. I am running for Sustainability Senator to further my involvement in student advocacy and promote the values of sustainability within our University’s curriculum, administration,

dent Center today.

The following statements do not ref lect the ideas or opinions of the STAR staff or editorial board and are written for the sole purpose of informing the community at Sonoma State. sincere values and motives. Because of this, I take pride in the work I do, and be sure to do it to the best of my abilities.

Looking back some years, I went to Torrey Pines High School, which was a diverse, but very well rounded public school. Since coming to Sonoma State, I have continued to love the environment around me, and especially the people.

Since attending school, I have taken it upon myself to get involved in various programs in the community, including many volunteer programs with the locals and various experiences on campus.

Now that I am a junior, I have been able to realize how much this campus has to offer, and what it is like to navigate and transition from the first day on campus, to being situated within this university.

I have invested time in Student Government and decided to run for a second term, because I plan to lead students and also help spread knowledge between the Senate and the students to bring awareness of all that Sonoma has to offer. The position of student services will help me voice your opinions and have them heard. and student body. Since freshman year I have been a part of various SSU clubs including Associated Students Lobby Corps, which discusses bills from State Senators and Assembly Members that affect higher education, leads voter registration drives, and travels to the Capitol to lobby for funding the CSUs. As a member of the Sonoma Student Growers Cooperative, I grow organic produce and sell to the University’s cafeteria and local restaurants. I am the Activist in Residence at the Center for Community Engagement, and my job is to create and implement projects that engage students in sustainability and diversity.

I have published the Top Ten Tips that everyone can do to live a sustainable lifestyle, and I will soon present to Senate, Greek Life, and Residential Housing to start an educational campaign teaching students how to manage their health, money, and planet. I am very passionate about sustainability because its practices can be found in all aspects of life. The very fact that our society and economy are dependent on higher education graduates, and yet students are forced to pay enormous tuitions themselves is not sustainable. I care about our future as students and the future of our planet. I hope you will give me the opportunity to be your voice for sustainability and environmental affairs.

ello, my name is Russell De Jong. I seek to represent all Social Science majors from Anthropology to Women and Gender Studies as Senator of the School of Social

Sciences. I am a Psychology and Chemistry double major in my third year, and on schedule to graduate in four. I have served as the treasurer of the Baseball Club and VP of the Pre-Health Professions Club in the past, and currently am President of the Baseball Club and Treasurer of the Pre-Health Professions Club.

I hope to take my leadership on this campus to the next level with an appointment to the Student Senate. My primary goal is to help you get the classes you need. As I’m sure you know, popular classes are very hard to get into. They chronically have waitlists of over 30 people, some of whom have been trying to get into the class for two years or more. My plan to address this is to work with the Dean to open more sections of these chronically waitlisted classes. I will be your voice in the decision making process when it comes time to plan the next semester’s courses. My secondary goal is to use my extensive fundraising experience to bring more money to the academic clubs across the School.

Whether or not you are a member of these clubs, this money would equate to more events such as preparing for graduate school admissions or landing the job you want after graduation.

Shannon Garcia Candidate for Community Affairs Senator

believe that I would be the ideal candidate for Community Affairs Senator. I am currently involved in the Alpha Xi Delta chapter as Financial Vice President and as a member of Greek life, I know that many students want their voices heard.

I would like to be the channel through which they can speak to their community.

I hope to give the Rohnert Park and Cotati communities a better sense of the positive affects the students at Sonoma State have on their community.

I hope to build on the relationship between SSU and the surrounding communities.

I also want to make sure that students feel that they are a part of the community instead of a temporary resident. SSU has a lot to offer the community and I want people to be more aware of this fact.

Russell De Jong Candidate for School of Social Science Senatore

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I

See the STAR’s online coverage of the Associated Students election at sonomastatestar.com/as-election

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Arts

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

A philanthropic trip through America 23rd annual Lip Jam Sierra Smith Staff Writer

T

he Green Music Center beamed with red, white and blue lights for Alpha Gamma Delta’s “See America in One Night” themed 23rd annual Lip Jam philanthropy event on Saturday night. Alpha Gamma Delta swept the audience off their feet with a thrilling ride across America at Sonoma State University, with seven sororities and three fraternities showcasing their lip-syncing and dancing talent to raise awareness for its foundation in support of diabetes education and awareness.

Since the Delta Rho chapter was founded at Sonoma State in 1991, the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta have worked tirelessly to make Lip Jam one of the most anticipated events to attend on campus.

With its third year hosting the philanthropy event at the Green Music Center, Alpha Gamma Delta has raised most of their revenue for its foundation through ticket sales and over $20,000 in donations. The final total hasn’t been announced.

“Ticket sales alone were more successful than last year,” said Erica Purcell, sister of Alpha Gamma Delta. “We completely sold out in less than a week, which was the fastest we’ve ever sold out in Lip Jam history.”

In 2014, Delta Rho earned the award of Best Financial Support over the Biennium among over 120 Alpha Gamma Delta chapters internationally for raising over $70,000 for the foundation. Last year alone, the ladies of the organization raised over $36,888.

People’s Choice, a Greek competition between sororities and fraternities to raise proceeds for the foundations that choose to partner with them, was another opportunity for community members, students and families to donate money. Alpha Omicron Pi won with a grand donation of $605.76.

In order for the audience to see America in one night, each Greek organization was given the opportunity to choose a state to create a theme for each performance. Two musical artists/bands with origin in their perspective state needed to be incorporated with the usage of two different genres.

Each organization also had to incorporate Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me” in the performance.

Through the consultation from a board of judges consisting of various staff members of Sonoma State, it was announced Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Psi earned the titles of Lip Jam 2015 Champions, breaking the two-year winning streak of Alpha Xi Delta as sorority Lip Jam champions for 2013 and 2014, and maintaining the fraternity championship title for Alpha Psi for the second year in a row from 2014 to 2015.

“It was such a privilege to be able to work with and participate in Alpha Gamma Delta’s philanthropy, and I’m so proud of the hard work that my sisters have put in and the support from my chapter,” said Gamma Phi Beta Lip Jam Coordinator Carley Herrera. “We all had so much fun and it was an incredible feeling being on stage with so much talent.”

Although the ladies of Alpha Xi Delta surrendered the winning title they have maintained for the past two years, Gamma Phi Beta’s victory did not falter their spirit.

“It has never been about winning or losing for us,” said Brianna Williams, Lip Jam coordinator.

“Our main goal was for our chapter to have fun. As long as we went out there and had a blast performing, that’s all that matters. That’s exactly what we did and it definitely showed on stage.”

Hosts Julie Aldag from Alpha Xi Delta, Dominic Bing from Phi Delta Theta, and Conner Longmire from Alpha Psi commenced the event with witty jokes and clever references as they portrayed themselves as a flight attendant, bothersome passenger and pilot. Longmire was thrilled to have his fraternity win another year in his time as a host for Lip Jam. “I was absolutely ecstatic when I found out Alpha Psi won the second time in a row. They showed discipline, hard work and invested several hours a week in practicing to get [the routine] right,” said Longmire. “It was an incredible experience [being a host this year]. I always look forward to this event every year because it’s incredibly entertaining with the high energy that everyone enjoys while being

STAR // Brennan Chin Recycled Percussion put together an energy-packed performance and gave awareness to its non-profit organization, Legacy X. COURTESY // Angel Santos The 23 annual Lip Jam event sold out in less than a week. rd

on stage.”

Many Greek organizations had entertaining performances, but some stood out more than others. The newest initiate class of Alpha Gamma Delta kick-started the series of performances by the various sororities and fraternities with music from their state, Texas, with songs by artists such as Beyonce.

Following Alpha Gamma Delta’s opening performance, Alpha Delta Pi stormed the stage, showcasing Arizona through the theme of Disney’s “Cars.” With songs from Dierks Bentley and Michelle Branch, Alpha Delta Pi sped its way through the stage on Route 66. Lambda Kappa Pi revealed its inner dark side with a “Star Wars” theme, using glow-in-the-dark light sabers and storm trooper masks to fight its way through the night showcasing Utah.

People’s Choice winners Alpha Omicron Pi flaunted its clever theme of a circus freak show, exemplifying a Mardi Gras theme for Louisiana with the ringleader convincing a partygoer to join while including subtle references to TV show “American Horror Story.”

Phi Delta Theta presented its northern California spirit through Bay Area music, dancing the night away with its witty dance routines.

Returning Lip Jam fraternity champions Alpha Psi showed its college football spirit with an Ohio State theme with brother Lavante Cervantes leading the performances with his impressive dance moves. The champions for the second year in a row made their way through the stage with a touchdown, wowing the audiences with their spirited energy.

Lip Jam 2013 and 2014 champions Alpha Xi Delta revealed its Bonnie and Clyde themed performance through a cops and robbers chase theme with subtle references to TV series “Orange is the New Black.” Phi Sigma Sigma brought the 90s back with a Rugrats theme, using artists such as Miley Cyrus and Kenny Chesney to present the babies’ voyage to Tennessee.

Sorority Lip Jam champions Gamma Phi Beta showcased its inner musical talent with the Broadway play “Chicago” to represent Illinois using the 1920s Prohibition era that inspired the musical as their theme. With elaborate costumes and outstanding choreography, Gamma Phi Beta swept the audience off its feet with its rendition of the musical that included songs from the play.

“As the years progress, the participants are becoming more creative with their themes and choreography,” said Purcell. “This year, some of the handmade props and costumes included electric lights and glow-in-the-dark paint.”

Alpha Sigma Phi revealed its inner childhood memories through a World Disney theme for Florida, using frivolous costumes to depict Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and other elements.

Kappa Delta Zeta revealed Georgia through a “Kim Possible” theme showcasing her fight for justice with sidekick Rufus against nemesis Shego.

Alpha Gamma Delta’s senior graduating class concluded the night with a “Seniors and the City” theme for New York in reference to TV show “Sex and the City.”

“Before going to Lip Jam for the first time this year, I didn’t understand what the big deal about it was,” said English major Kim Hurtado. “My friends convinced me to go and I figured it would be cool because it was for a good cause. After seeing it this year for the first time, I can see all the hard work each Greek organization put in to make it as successful as it was.”

COURTESY // Angel Santos Gamma Phi Beta won this year’s Lip Jam with its “Chicago” inspired theme.

Trash can drumming for a cause Kimmie Jones Staff Writer

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Review

etween all of the country, hip-hop and pop music today’s kids listen to, it’s easy to say rock-and-roll is becoming less and less popular. During Recycled Percussion’s performance Friday night music was played on garbage cans, ladders and buckets; but the biggest part was the message sent to the audience and kids.

Recycled Percussion is made up of four incredibly talented musicians who performed a variety of rock songs, hilarious jokes and impressive tricks to entertain Sonoma State University students.

The group didn’t let empty seats or technical difficulties take away from their contagious energy.

The musicians were interactive throughout the entire show.

They even poked fun at the one old couple in the audience, saying “you sir, were alive during Woodstock,” and later kissing him on the head with red lipstick.

The best interaction was with a young boy sitting in the front row. They explained how kids back then didn’t have 7,000 songs in their pocket with games and Internet on one device. They had seven songs on a tape and had to pick which one to bring to school and listen on their Walk-Man. This is their lesson to kids today. Music is such an important part of people’s lives, and it important to understand where it came from and for them to be passionate to learn.

“I was actually a fan of Recycled Percussion when I was a kid, and I tugged on Justin’s [sleeve] and begged him to be in the band, and I was only 7 so he said no,” said Blue Team percussionist Ryan Vezina, older cousin of founder Justin Spencer.

All of these band members were childhood friends and started off in New Hampshire performing for a talent show.

These boys had big dreams and later performed

on “America’s Got Talent” and began touring all over shortly after.

It’s clear the fame hasn’t gotten to their heads.

Even for a small show in Person Theatre, they performed with high energy and an obvious love for their art. The passion they had for it as kids has carried on to their performances today.

The show called for a division between the performers between the Red Team and the Blue Team.

During the show, Red Team drummer Alex Stickle, took a moment from the comedy and hard rock to share a more serious message. Recylced Percussion’s founder, Justin Spencer, created a nonprofit organization about a year ago called Legacy X. Legacy X raises money and awareness to stop bullying in schools. “[Legacy X] does everything from helping to achieve your goals, for people who have something that they’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t had the motivation to do it. To kind of have a family,” said Vezina.

On the Legacy X website, the description is written out plain and simple.

“Legacy X is a plan for transforming oneself from the inside out and blasting a permanent mark on one’s world.”

The proceeds made from the merchandise sold at the end of the show went toward funding the organization, along with donations from the audience.

Donations and Legacy X paid memberships provide the organization with funds for events to help raise awareness and inspire those who want to change their own lives and the lives of people around them.

What started out as a dream for these boys, is now their life and reality. With a show in Las Vegas, a non-profit organization and the ability to travel all over doing what they love, it’s easy to say the members of Recycled Percussion’s dreams have come true. Now they are inspiring kids just like themselves to better their lives to help make their dreams come true.

Not only was the show itself entertaining and impressive, but the band plans to leave behind them an inspirational and powerful legacy.

STAR // Brennan Chin Recycled Percussion’s performance featured trash can drumming and acrobatics.

Entertainment Seawolves SPEAK!

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

Representation of minorities in Hollywood Alex Sanchez Staff Writer

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t seems like every year, there’s one film with a non-Anglicized cast that grabs the attention of awards committees. This year’s Academy Awards featured the film about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march from Montgomery, Alabama to Selma for the voting rights of African-Americans in 1965 Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.”

In 2014, critics were floored by Steve McQueen and Brad Pitt’s “12 Years a Slave,” where not only did the film win the Academy Awards’ Best

Picture category, but actress Lupita Nyong’o won the coveted Best Actress award. The prior year, critics were abuzz about Quvenzhanè Wallis being the youngest person ever nominated for an award at age 9 for her work in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

Yes, these films deserve the merit of being nominated for something like the Holy Grail of film awards. However, it seems that they are chosen for a reason other than this.

In 2008, critics couldn’t stop talking about Dev Patel’s role in the film “Slumdog Millionaire” or the ensemble cast in 2005’s “Crash.” Surely the predominantly middle-aged academy has

a sort of obligation or bias toward the inclusion of these.

While “Selma” was nominated for Best Picture this year, it was the first time in a long while there were no nonwhite nominations for acting awards.

And while Common and John Legend won Best Original Song for their track “Glory” for the film “Selma,” there were no other nominations for this film that was described as moving and pivotal by countless reviewers.

It’s because of these criticisms of the academy that Seawolves were asked, does its demographic create an under representation of minorities in film roles?

“On one hand, I think that maybe the academy isn’t honoring enough minority roles, but on the other hand I think that maybe there isn’t that good of movies in that vein. I haven’t seen ‘Selma,’ but I heard that it wasn’t actually that good.”

commons.wikimedia.org

“I feel like they’re definitely expanding on more diverse roles but I don’t like when they play the multicultural card; I think there should be a greater amount of multicultural roles in mainstream films.”

-Ben Altman, Kinesiology

-Nick Karkas, Business Administration “Most definitely. The fact that most AfricanAmerican films are about slavery or the Civil Rights era seems demeaning. It’s historical, but a normal film should be made rather than one that repeatedly displays this history.”

“I feel it’s based on merit, but certain roles in mainstream films seem as though they’re meant to fit an archetype.”

-Johnathan Bullis, English/Business

-Elizabeth VanPuyvelde, PreNursing

Albums releasing this week Of Montreal - “Aureate Gloom” (Experimental Pop) facebook.com

Kelly Clarkson - “Piece by Piece” (Pop)

Purity Ring -

“Another Eternity” (Electronic)

“The Order 1886” is a new third-person story game set in an alternate version of London in year 1886.

New PlayStation exclusive is lacking Jake Burke Staff Writer

Never Shout Never - “Recycled Youth (Volume One)” (Indie Rock)

O Movies releasing this week Chappie - starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - starring: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy

Unfinished Buisness -

starring: Vince

Vaughn, Dave Franco, Tom Wilkonson

Review

n the surface of the new third-person story based shooter game, “The Order 1886” is a remarkable feat. Sadly, once your eyes adjust to its console defining graphics, the feeling of greatness slowly fades and this PlayStation 4 exclusive becomes an incredibly conflicted game.

Over the years consumers have seen games become more focused on cinematic experiences and telling captivating stories; most games use a mix of gameplay and cutscenes to take the player on a journey. “The Order 1886” is the perfect example of taking this idea too far.

There is no denying the physical beauty of the game.

The player finds himself in a magnificent looking London setting during the year 1886.

Every physical detail is present, from the cloth movement to how a bottle rolls over the cobblestone streets.

This just proves how beautiful a game can look. Sadly the attention to the world’s aesthetics may be the cause of the game’s greatest downfall.

Just like “The Order” itself, the story is far better on the surface. The player takes the role of Sir Gallahad, a member of The Order and a modern facet of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. Their goal is to maintain peace within an alternate historical version of 1886 London.

“The Order’s” main enemies include a small band of Rebels, Werewolves and Lycans. From here the story kicks off and slowly unravels until reaching an ending that will make one shrug and say: “I guess it’s over?” When playing “The Order 1886,” shrugging will probably be something that happens incredibly often.

From the get go, the game’s main problem is revealed.

Irregular pacing is certainly the enemy to any story and it’s obvious from the start. Most of the game’s chapters are filled with sections that require one to walk, incredibly slowly, through a room, hallway or dark corridor.

The game’s total playtime is no more than seven hours long, but that really isn’t the issue. The problem is how conflicted the game is at its core. While trying to tell its less than satisfying story, the player watches cutscenes, slowly walks around and occasionally shoots enemies.

“The Order 1886” plays like the game equivalent to a pop-up book that only occasionally has little tabs one can actually use. While meandering through the game’s 16 chapters, some of which are only cutscenes, there’s something that becomes progressively apparent.

This isn’t an experience one becomes part of, no; this is a story that feels force fed. The story contains no sense of exploration, danger or depth. This style of storytelling only subtracts from “The Order’s” positive notes, like Sir Gallahad, the outstanding lead character, the overall remarkable world of 1886 and the interesting war between Knights and Werewolves.

“The Order’s” combat is one of its greatest aspects; it plays like a traditional third-person shooter, yet doesn’t add anything new to the genre.

Each encounter is still enjoyable and a welcomed break from the walking and waiting. The vast array of weapons is another strong aspect of “The Order 1886.”

Each gun is unique and fun, despite only getting to use each weapon once or twice because of how little combat situations appear.

Despite all of the game’s substantial issues, there is some definite promise for the future of this franchise. “The Order 1886” may not be the greatest third-person shooter, or even tell the most captivating story, yet there was a certain appeal.

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Features

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sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Connor Gibson Comedians Roger Lazole and headliner Samuel Comroe, who won the 2013 San Francisco Comedy Competition, took to the stage at the Person Theatre on Thursday to showcase their comedic talents.

Lots of laughs at SF Comedy Competition

Ashley Martin Staff Writer

Review

A

mong stressful midterms, ramen eating and college drama, a Thursday evening dedicated to laughter was just what the doctor ordered for students who filled the Sonoma State University Person Theatre to see winners of the San Francisco Comedy Competition perform.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said sophomore Marissa Sampston, “I have a feeling that it’ll be either really awful, or really great.”

Even though about half of the theater was filled, those who did attend the free event weren’t in for a

disappointment.

The first comedian and host was Nigel Larson, whose main gimmick as a comedian was the fact he lives at his grandparents house and plays the part of a somewhat loser. Larson was mediocre at best, with a joke that said, “Did you fall from heaven? ‘Cause you’re the devil,” showing not much thought was put into his act.

Despite how bland Larson’s act was, the following comedian Roger Lazole, made Larson look like Eddie Murphy.

“He was kind of weird,” said sophomore Alfonso Campomanes.

“He kind of seemed like he just wandered onstage aimlessly.”

Lazole provoked much nervous laughter from the audience, shaking the microphone uncontrolla-

bly, which prompted a student in the back to shout, “Is that guy on speed?”

The unorganized way that Lazole delivered his comedy material completely overshadowed the actual material, which, although racy, earned some laughs. He pulled out jokes reminiscent of the type an eighth grader might make.

It was obvious why the headliner, comedian Samuel Comroe, won the San Francisco Comedy Competition in 2013. Comroe, who has Tourette syndrome, made light of his situation throughout his act, and said, “I’m trying to milk this,” making for an extremely likable performance and onstage presence.

Impressively, Comroe has appeared on “Conan” on TBS, and is a regular entertainer at Flappers

Comedy Club in Burbank.

One thing that always tends to make good comedians great, is their ability to interact with the audience.

Comroe did just that. After hearing an unusual sound from an audience member, Comroe said with a surprised look on his face, “I’m not sure if that guy was laughing or if he just got stabbed.”

Comroe’s improvised humor was half of the fun of the evening.

To bring his interaction with the audience to the next level, Comroe then allowed the audience to ask him personal questions.

He was asked about the meaning of his tattoo of a lion and a rose, and to this he responded, “World Peace. Well actually it’s for my mom who passed away. Her name was Mufasa,” which earned a roar

of laughter from the entire audience.

When asked what advice he would give to college students, he said, “Get a puppy. Live your life.”

This advice was not helpful for those who live on campus with the strict “no pet” policy, but hey, a goldfish will do.

“The show was more than a pleasant surprise. The first two comics were solid, but Comroe blew me away,” said freshman Steffan Grace. “He gave a stellar performance that felt fresh and genuine in today’s stale world of comedy, and kept me smiling for the rest of the night.”

Thursday’s evening of comedy was the perfect way to end a week full of Seawolf spirit, with the stress that comes along with college, one cannot forget to laugh.

Carpooling application makes long-distance traveling easier W

Emily Johnstone Staff Writer

hen making plans for spring break, especially for those who live far away, consider the new Carpooling application. While college students constantly use applications like Lyft and Uber to get to and from places close by, the Carpooling application allows people to travel longer distances for a low cost and a more environmentally friendly ride.

The application is wildly popular in Europe.

Being of service to over 3.5 million rideshares, the popular application is now making its way to the United States. With the launch of Carpooling, people are now able to find safe, convenient and green-friendly ways of traveling while saving money. In addition, people can enjoy each other’s company on long road trips, instead of taking a boring bus ride or paying for an expensive plane ticket.

The main purpose of Carpooling is to “move the world.” Driver and passengers are able to connect easily via the application, allowing them to share the cost that comes along with longer trips.

It encourages those who are traveling in the same direction to carpool together, which is a great benefit to the environment by having fewer cars on the road.

“Students in particular need a cost-effective, eco-friendly and fun mode of transportation to get to where they want to be, whether they are going on Spring Break or headed to a concert in another city,” said Carpooling CEO Markus Barnikel in a prepared statement. “We recognize there won’t be an abundance of passengers and drivers connected with each other at launch, but we’re confident from more than a decade of experience in Europe that supply and demand will grow rapidly.”

Furthermore, the application allows students to post where they’re traveling to and find others who are looking to go in the same destination.

While some may question the safety of this, Carpooling lets its users create a profile that includes their license plate numbers, photo ID and Facebook profiles in order to ensure security for the passengers. Travelers are also given the opportu-

“The cost to travel can get to be pretty expensive, so it would be nice to be able to find people that need a ride in the same direction and would be willing to chip in for gas,” said student Callie Lockwood. nity to rate and comment on the driver once their trip is over to help others when they are choosing whether or not to use the application.

“Having my hometown in Southern California and going to school up here in Sonoma, I’ve made the long drive by myself to and from numerous times,” said Sonoma State University student Callie Lockwood. “The cost to travel can get to be pretty expensive, so it would be nice to be able to find people that need a ride in the same direction and would be willing to chip in for gas. This Carpooling application sounds like a pretty useful service, especially to us college students.”

The Carpooling application doesn’t employ drivers as Uber and Lyft do. It simply encourages people that are traveling a similar route to help each other out. However, Carpooling is integrated with Uber to offer an easier way to travel.

The two companies are working together to provide their customers with the best traveling service possible. It’s the first company in the United States to offer its users a door-to-door longdistance service. Once passengers book their trip, they have the option to have an Uber driver take them to the agreed meeting destination for the beginning of their carpool.

“In the U.S. market, where public transportation is limited, there was a missing piece to the puzzle: how does a passenger make it to a carpooling pick-up point, while still keeping the overall cost of the trip low?” said Barnikel.

The Carpooling application will help students and the environment through the simple method of sharing rides while making the entire traveling process much easier.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez, COURTESY // Carleen LeVasseur The Carpooling application advocates people who are traveling a longer distance (125+ miles) to carpool together, which helps ridesharers save money and allows for a more environmentally friendly ride.

Features

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Real-world preparation at Career Fair Samantha Cardenas Staff Writer

M

any college students worry about life after school and what kind of job they will eventually have. Most of the time, students aren’t even sure of what direction they want to head in as far as careers go because they don’t know what’s out there.

Further, students were able to explore their options a little more at Wednesday’s Career Fair held in the Student Center Ballroom. With over 100 employers in attendance, from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to Mary’s Pizza Shack, students were provided with a wide variety of industries to consider.

Students were encouraged to “dress to impress” and come with their résumés on hand.

This event gave students the chance to look the part, network and make connections with possible future employers.

Events like these are a great first step for

students to become more familiar with the professional workforce.

“This Career Fair is so valuable and provides a wonderful opportunity for students to engage with prospective employers and build their skills,” said Career Services Adviser Ann Mansfield. “Making connections at this Fair could be significant in developing relationships with companies that not only graduating students are interested in but also students who are not graduating.”

Upon arriving to the event, it was evident that every student took this opportunity to meet with potential employers seriously because everyone was dressed as if they were going to interviews.

Students were handed a list of employers they would see as well as a helpful list of conversation starters to help them feel at ease when talking to potential employers. Passing by each booth, talk of what each company offered its employees was heard. Students would then respond with what they would bring to

each company and what sets them apart from other applicants.

The general consensus was positive: Sonoma State University students and employers were thrilled to participate in the event.

“To be able to have that face-to-face interaction with students who are just fresh coming out of a program or continuing their education into their junior or senior year of college is great,” said Kanani Arakaki, Recruiting and Credentialing Specialist at the Petaluma Health Center. “It’s just very refreshing to get to put a face behind a résumé immediately rather than having to go through the phone call process or the screening process.”

Students were excited and eager to get the opportunity to showcase themselves and make connections with employers.

“As students, we work really hard putting in hours of studying and trying to be the best at what we do,” said junior Kristen Torgerson.

“To be able to show people who could potentially hire us that we want to work for them and

that we’re an asset to their company is really important.”

In addition, it was clear that a lot of work went into planning the event. From contacting companies to take part in the event, to people helping work the event and make everything run smoothly.

“I began our recruiting efforts in August and [recruited] until the second week in February. It is a huge amount of work,” said Mansfield.

This hard work paid off and showed in the attendance numbers: more than 614 students were present, along with 34 alumni and 16 staff and faculty members.

From attending the event, it was obvious both employers and students took a lot away from it, however, there was room for improvement.

“Although we had an excellent turnout, it only represents 7 percent of our campus, I can’t help but feel many students missed a great opportunity by not attending,” said Mansfield.

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez More than 614 students attended the Sonoma State University 2015 Career Fair in the Student Center Ballroom on Wednesday, where they were able to network and make connections, as well as to acquire information about prospective employers. Far right: Kristin Papile, a 2014 Sonoma State Sociology alumni fills out an employment application while Justin Leong, also a Sonoma State Sociology alumni, looks at available positions to apply to at Sonoma County Water.

Students competing in wine mixology competition

T

Shannon Brown Features Editor

here is nothing wrong with a little competition. Texas Tech University and Sonoma State University are going head-to-head in a wine mixology competition and judged later this spring.

Students at each university studying wine marketing will get the opportunity to create a tasty wine cocktail to be judged by a panel of experts.

These experts include Ian Cauble and Gillian Balance, two Master Sommeliers from California, as well as James Tidwell and Melissa Monosoff, who are Master Sommeliers from Texas. Also Tim Hanni, who has an extensive background in both food and wine recipes, will join the five-person panel.

The idea for the competition came from two professors who

were concerned about toll craft beer and spirits taking on the wine market share in the United States.

Professors of wine business, Dr. Liz Thach, Master of Wine from Sonoma State, and Natalia Velikova from Texas Tech, were the masterminds behind this competition and began creating it while attending the Wine Industry Financial Symposium last autumn.

“While we were listening to some of the speakers describe the gains in market share of craft beer and spirits, and the allure of mixology,” said Tach, “we started wondering why people weren’t doing more with wine mixology.”

Sonoma State is definitely not new to the wine business.

Founded as a partnership between the university and the wine industry, Sonoma State was the first in the United States to offer an undergraduate degree program, an MBA, and more recently in 2012, an executive MBA focused entire-

ly on the business aspects of the competitive wine industry.

However, Texas Tech University is also very familiar with wine business. Although Texas Tech doesn’t offer a complete wine degree, students can study wine in the hospitality program.

In addition, undergraduate students may choose a wine track with specific courses related to grape growing, winemaking and wine marketing and sales. All are useful in this wine mixology competition.

Velikova said, “Many wine countries around the world have a healthy culture of wine cocktails.

But except for wine spritzers, the U.S. hasn’t really shown much creativity around wine mixology.

“Because of this, both professors have encouraged the students competing in the competition to look at the wine industry on a global scale and to research wine cocktails from around the

flickr.com In mid-April, a select number of Sonoma State University wine marketing students will participate in a wine mixology competition against Texas Tech University students.

world. By doing so, they will be able to add new and interesting ingredients along with attention- grabbing names to create a revived interest in wine mixology.

Students competing in the competition will present their

drinks the first week of April and each university will vote on their top three drinks. The final six wine cocktails will then be judged blindly by the panel of experts who will then decide on first, second and third place winners.

After the competition is judged, the results will be released in mid-April. The winners will receive cash prizes donated by the Wine Industry Symposium Group, Young’s Market Company and Dolan Family Ranches.

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Page 10

Sports

March 3 - March 9, 2015

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facebook.com Left: The baseball team lines up for the National Anthem at Raley Field in Sacramento. Right: The team enters the dugout before the start of the game.

Baseball team splits series against rival Annual Capital City Clash takes place

Kory Arnold Staff Writer

Y

oung ballplayers often dream of being able to play on the on the stage of professional baseball one day, and this Saturday, the Sonoma State baseball team got a small taste of that feeling when they faced off against arch-rival Chico State at Raley Field in Sacramento for the fourth annual Capital City Clash. Raley field recently became the new Triple-A Minor League home of the San Francisco Giants this previous year, which has already built up much excitement in the local area.

Building up to the main event on Saturday, the Seawolves traveled to Chico for the first three games of the series, with one game taking place Thursday night and a doubleheader on Friday to give both teams a full day’s rest before making the trip to Sacramento.

The Seawolves were able to take two out of three in Chico; despite losing the first game

in a heart-breaking walk-off win for the Wildcats Thursday night, they were fully able to bounce back and take both of Friday’s doubleheader, polishing off the road trip with a dominating 13-1 win in game two.

Senior Jourdan Weiks had a stellar three games at the plate going 10-14, reaching base almost all of the time.

“For some reason I felt extra-comfortable at the plate this weekend,” said Weiks. “When I first stepped in Thursday night and lined a base hit up the middle, I knew I was seeing the ball just right.”

Junior Adam Manzer also had a successful road trip as he was able to record his first home-run against the Wildcats Thursday night.

Although the Seawolves were able to produce at a high level in the previous three games, unfortunately their offense was almost nowhere to be found Saturday at the Clash as they fell to the Wildcats 7-2 for a series tie.

After coming off such an eccentric two

games, the Seawolves felt they were more than up to the task to finish the series on top, but the Wildcats had a different answer.

Starting it off in the first inning, Chico was able to rally and put up three runs, which would essentially be the cushion for the rest of the game.

The Seawolves attempted to claw their way back into the game but couldn’t seem to either get men on base or capitalize when they did so.

The only exception came in the top of the fifth inning when sophomore Daniel Caresio singled in a run with the bases loaded to give the Seawolves their first run. Jourdan Weiks then grounded into a double-play on the next at-bat but was able to score the runner from third, giving the Seawolves their last run of the day with the score then 2-6.

The Wildcats would then put up one final run in the bottom of the inning and hold on to make the final score 7-2.

Despite the loss, the Seawolves were still

facebook.com Fans enjoy the ballpark experience. thankful and appreciative of the aspect of being able to play on a professional level field.

“Walking on that thin cut grass and seeing the scoreboard gave me the straight chills,” said Adam Manzer. “It really felt like we were playing a professional style game just because of the environment, it’s something I will always look back on and cherish.”

Player Profile: Mayleen Mazon

I sonomaseawolves.com Junior center Hannah Sourek drives to the basket. Sourek had 16 points against first-place Dominguez Hills Toros.

Women’s basketball fights to the end

T

Ancia Purdy Staff Writer

he women’s basketball team took a trip down to southern California to end its 2014-2015 season with losses against No. 1 seed CSU Dominguez Hills, 78-73, and CSU Los Angeles, 67-39.

The Seawolves started the weekend off facing the first place Toros and gave them a run for their money. CSU Dominguez Hills took the early lead, but the Seawolves didn’t back down.

Despite being down for most of the first half, Sonoma State came back firing in the second half, with a 14-2 run, claiming the lead by five with 15 minutes remaining in the game.

“Once we started making our shots, our confidence was high,” said junior Molly Kommer. “And when we started coming back, that made it easy to score.”

The constant scoring started to die down, but the Seawolves commanded the floor, keeping the lead, and at one point, led the Toros by 10. But from that point on, CSU Dominguez Hills scored on a few layups and free-throws, which tied the game with only two minutes remaining.

The Seawolves were only able to score two points to finish out the half, as the Toros sealed the deal with two three-point shots and two freethrows.

“We have played from behind pretty much all season,” said Kommer, “and we have gotten used to the chase I think. One of the great things about this team is that we never give up and that almost paid off in the Dominguez game.”

Like the final score of the game, the shooting percentages of the two opponents was similar, with

Dominguez slightly higher than Sonoma State’s 44.4 percent. The Seawolves also shot 41.2 percent from the three-point line and made 10 of their 13 free-throw attempts.

The bench combined for 32 of the team’s 73 points, with junior Hannah Sourek adding 16 and junior Madison Burroughs tacking on 12.

After a close defeat against the Toros, the Seawolves rounded out their season against CSU Los Angeles the following night.

Not as high-scoring as the night before, the Seawolves were the first to get scored on, though they held their ground. The Golden Eagles never relinquished the lead and went into the second half with momentum.

While down by 12 going into the latter half of the game, the Seawolves couldn’t shift the energy their way. Sonoma State was only able to produce 18 points to CSU Los Angeles’ 34 in the second half, thus falling in their last game of the season.

“We really had nothing to lose,” said Kommer. “So we just went in with the mindset that we would play hard and have fun in our last couple games and try to pull out a win or two if we could.”

Unlike the night before, the Seawolves weren’t as successful in their percentages, making only 17 of their 64 field goal attempts and three of their 11 free-throw attempts. Burroughs ended the night with 12 points and five rebounds while Sourek added seven rebounds.

“We were an extremely young team with only juniors and freshmen,” said Kommer. “We have next year together again without losing anyone. We had some bad luck this year with injury and some ineligibility, so we’re excited for next year if everything goes as planned.”

Jennifer González Staff Writer

n just the fourth week of 2015 Seawolves Softball season, the California Collegiate Athletic Association and Sonoma named Mayleen Mazon Pitcher/Athlete of the Week.

Mazon, a junior, pitches and plays outfield.

The 20-year-old softball player is from Tulare.

She graduated from Mission Oak High School in 2012. During her high school career, she was a four-year honor roll student, varsity starter all four years, and was best offensive player. She was team captain sophomore, junior and senior year of high school. She was awarded Senior Athlete of the Year and was 2012 Varsity MVP. After graduating high school, she continued her education at College of the Sequoias. Mazon also continued to play softball for the community college where she was team captain her sophomore year. From there, she transferred to Sonoma State.

This is her first year attending.

“I really loved the coaching staff and the [competitiveness] of the team. I heard a lot of good things about Sonoma, so I was really interested in continuing my softball career by coming here,” said Mazon.

At first Mazon was a chemistry major, but she then decided to change into Human Development.

She hopes to connect her new major with softball if she has the ability to get a coaching opportunity, she will have the skills in how to teach and talk to people or players in how to play softball, especially since she knows the game really well.

Mazon has played softball since age five.

“It’s pretty much my whole life,” said Mazon.

“My parents really love baseball and girls don’t play baseball, so softball was the closest thing to baseball.”

Going to college and playing a sport can be difficult for some players, but Mazon manages very well doing both. She is used to it since she’s been playing the sport for many years.

“I have practice Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning and then I have class a couple hours after that, and in the rest of the night is when I do all my work,” said Mazon. “You have to remember school comes first.”

Some athletes need people to encourage them or give motivation when playing or outside the field. Mazon has people to support her, besides her team.

“My parents aren’t able to make it to every game, but they’re always online, watching my games, checking up on me, and every gameday calling me to wish me good luck and it helps,” said Mazon.

With support comes good advice. Advice is something that all players take in consideration,

STAR // Kyler Khan whether it’s from coaches, teammates or family.

“Play relaxed when you’re really tense playing. You don’t do your best performance so whenever you’re relaxed and having fun, that’s when you perform your best,” said Mazon.

Mazon has had many accomplishments throughout her years playing softball. Being Athlete/Pitcher of the Week is another one to add to her list, as well as coming to Sonoma State.

“Coming out of high school, I wasn’t thinking I was going to make it to a university,” said Mazon.

“My success at the junior college level really made me believe that I can play at a university D-2 level.”

Playing a sport has a big connection in a player’s everyday life. Softball has a big impact on Mazon’s life, mentally, because the sport it all about knowing so much about the game. Just like in life when there are some bad days, there are some bad games in softball.

“Softball is a really mental game. You’re going to have a lot of ups and downs. You’re going to fail sometimes; you’re going to succeed sometimes,” said Mazon. “That applies to life because in life, you’re going to have some bumpy roads, but to be able to over come them is important.”

Mazon will have only one more year of school, meaning one more year of softball. After graduating, Mazon would like to have an opportunity to coach softball. With the Human Development major, she would like to see herself counseling at either a high school or a college, but still be able to coach or give lessons on the side at the same time while having a normal day job.

But before graduating, Mazon has a couple of goals she would like to achieve. “[Winning] conference would be a goal I’d like to achieve because our team has the ability to do so this year. Another one would be to just have fun and just remember why we are out on the field,” Mazon said.

Sports

March 3 - March 9, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

sonomaseawolves.com Left: Senior forward JJ Mina scored 24 points in the final two games of the season. Right: Junior forward James Slade made a layup that sent the Seawolves to overtime against Dominguez Hills.

Men’s basketball finishes on strong note

O

Kayla Kring Staff Writer

ver the past few weekends, the Sonoma State University men’s basketball team has struggled to achieve a win. They have put points on the board, given a decent challenge to opponents, yet they have lacked the execution to win. This past weekend was what the Sonoma State men’s basketball coaches like to call “Sonoma State basketball.”

The Seawolves started their season-ending journey with a trip down to CSU Dominguez Hills, and the season would end with their final game at CSU Los Angeles. They would lose to the Toros 64-49, but defeat the Golden Eagles 58-48.

On Friday night the Sonoma State Seawolves and the Dominguez Hills Toros faced off in a nailbiting game that would need an overtime in order to determine the winner. Unfortunately, the Seawolves would come up short leaving the triumph to the Toros.

While the past few games for the Seawolves have been troubling, they were able to pull themselves together and give the Toros a challenge with a total of 15 ties throughout the game. That alone should give you a brief insight into what Friday night’s game was like. As both teams would alternate leads, they both played defense too, standing in each other’s way.

In the first half of the game, the Toros scored the first basket of the night, but it wouldn’t be long after that the Seawolves would get a little run, sinking a few shots of their own thanks to seniors Mike Harris and Zen Maki. By the 12minute mark, the Toros would take a seven point lead against the Seawolves, leaving them with

no choice but to fight back. After several possessions of missed shots, turnovers and defensive rebounds, the halftime buzzer would signal the end of the first half. As both teams walked off the court, they would be met with two illuminated red numbers of 25-24, Seawolves.

Just as the first half went, the second half was not much different. Each team remained determined on winning the game. With another tie on the board at 26-26, Sonoma State senior JJ Mina would be fouled, giving him a chance at the freethrow line where he made the score 28-26. Yet, as fast as the score was raised, the Toros were able to tie it up again with a lay-up from sophomore Justin Sadler.

As the teams battled it out for even the smallest lead, the final score would not be determined until overtime. Even though the Seawolves battled till the very end with David Ahern making two lay-ups in the last 20 seconds of the game, it would not be enough to win the game. Instead, the Toros would not only take the lead in overtime, but won the game with a score of 69-64.

“We aren’t as athletic and we’re injured,” said Assistant Coach Natalie Wisdom.

Junior James Davis was back out on the court in Friday night’s game for the first time since his injury. Also, fellow teammate Ahern was still dealing with a broken nose. As for their athleticism, the Toros proved that they were more than capable of holding their own, for this is the second time they have beaten the Seawolves.

Upon entering the Eagle’s Nest of CSU Los Angeles on Saturday night, the Seawolves understood this was their last game of the season. There will be no advancing to the playoffs for this year’s squad. While the game was evenly matched, the

Seawolves Schedule Mar. 4 Baseball vs. Academy of Art 11 a.m./2 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond Mar. 6 Women’s Water Polo vs. Cal Lutheran/La Verne 11:20 a.m./3:20 p.m.

Claremont, CA Softball at UC San Diego 1 p.m./3 p.m.

La Jolla, CA Baseball vs. Cal State San Bernardino 2 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond

Baseball vs. Cal State San Bernardino 11 a.m./2 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond Women’s Tennis at UC San Diego 11 a.m.

La Jolla, CA Mar. 8 Baseball vs. Cal State San Bernardino 11 a.m.

Rohnert Park, CA Seawolf Diamond

Seawolves were able to cling to a six-point lead throughout the majority of the game, sending them out with a win in their final game of the season.

“It was a good win,” said Assistant Coach Natalie Wisdom. “They [CSLA] are a good team.

Their record doesn’t show it, but they are. They are athletic, they run the floor hard, crash hard and run a lot of cross streams making it hard to guard.”

Even though the Eagles posed as a challenge to the Seawolves that did not stop them from giving it their all and playing as a team. Instead they fought long and hard to keep the lead, only slipping up in the second half for a mere moment before regaining control.

Just as Friday night had gone, both teams played a see-saw game of basketball. The Eagles would score first thanks to senior Aaron Alston.

It would take the Seawolves until the 17-minute mark to score, as both teams missed opportunities on ensuing possessions before senior Maki was fouled and sank two free-throw shots to tie up the game. This would be one of the many point-alternating scenarios that the men would see during Saturday night’s game, since neither team would witness a lead larger than eight points throughout the first half.

With three ties in the first half and both teams fast paced offense racking in the points, it came down to free-throws for Sonoma State to take a three-point lead against the Eagles going into halftime.

Walking back onto the court with only 20 more minutes left in the season, neither team was going to give it up easily. That was proven when there were 11 lead changes in the second half. The first lead would be when Eagle’s senior David Hall came in with an exciting dunk at the 18-minute

mark changing the score to 30-29.

As the time began to dwindle down neither team would exceed a two-point lead. A freethrow made by Ahern would tie the game up at 43-43. From then on the Seawolves would remain in the lead, jumping out to a three-point advantage. With the Eagles slowly losing control of the game’s outcome and their momentum, it would be the Seawolves to finish the game strong and with a 10-point victory, 58-48.

After a five game losing streak, this win meant more to the Seawolves because it was their last game of the season, and of the careers of four seniors. “They worked really hard,” said Wisdom.

“It was nice to see the seniors go out in a nice way.”

While this game had a hiccup or two, the coaches reminded the boys to get out of their heads.

“We weren’t playing bad,” said Wisdom. “It was just a matter of finishing what needed to be finished. Take better advantages of our shots and reminding them of their opportunities and the little things.”

Now that the men’s basketball season is over, the boys will be taking a little bit of a break before walking back into the Wolves’ Den to get back to work. “During the year you are just trying to help them. During off season you have more of a chance to breakdown problems,” said Wisdom.

“We are returning a lot of guys next year, as well as some pretty high-profiled recruits. So, we are going to improve our fundamental skills [and] the little things.”

This means that, come next season, the Sonoma State men’s basketball team will be ready to take on any challenge that they must face.

Seawolf Standouts Amanda Llerena, Softball The junior pitcher recorded three wins, including a no-hitter and a one-hitter, both against CSU San Bernardino during a fourgame series this past weekend. The softball team has won their last five games.

Jourdan Weiks, Baseball The senior infielder hit .556 (10 for 18) at the plate with two doubles, a triple and four runs scored against rival Chico State in their weekend series. The baseball team split the four-game series.

Live without regrets, Learn without borders.

Men’s Tennis vs. Alumni (Exhibition) 12 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Courts

Mar. 7 Women’s Track & Field Kim Duyst Invitational (Cal State Stanislaus) Turlock, CA

Women’s Tennis at Cal State LA 11 a.m.

Los Angeles, CA

Women’s Water Polo vs. Redlands/Whittier 10:20 a.m./2:00 p.m.

Claremont, CA

Women’s Water Polo at Concordia (CA) 12:30 p.m.

Irvine, CA

Softball at UC San Diego 11 a.m./1 p.m.

La Jolla, CA

Mar. 9 Men’s Golf NDNU Invitational All Day Livermore, CA

Discover where you’ll study abroad at usac.unr.edu

USAC studyabroadusac@

Page 12

Photo This week in photos...

March 3 - March 9, 2015

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For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

Recycled Percussion at Person Theatre

STAR // Brennan Chin Spirit Week at Sonoma State University ends on a high note as musicians of Recycled Percussion perform at Person Theatre Friday night. Read the story on page 6.