Volume74 issue9

‘Furious 7’ breaks box office records

Pg. 7

Pg. 11

Men’s tennis recap

7 Cups of Tea: Anxiety relief app

Pg. 8

Sonoma State Star SINCE 1979

APRIL 7 - APRIL 13, 2015

VOLUME 74 // ISSUE 9

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

Campus addresses recent sexual assault Rissie Markarian Staff Writer

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tatistics suggest 1 in 5 women will be victims of rape or attempted rape during their college careers.

Between approximately 2-3:30 a.m. on March 7, a student was raped in the residence halls at Sonoma State University. This case is still under investigation, but is by no means being taken lightly.

“Even if it’s one, it’s too many,” said Sergeant of the Sonoma State’s Police Services Clarence Jones.

Rape and sexual assault are controversial topics for college campuses especially in recent months in regards to maintaining a positive and prestigious image.

According to Jones, Sonoma State is not a campus that tries to hide crimes

from the public to gain a certain reputation.

“Covering it up doesn’t benefit the community at all,” Jones said. “If there’s a suspect at large, you need to make a community-wide announcement and report it on your stats. It’s honest.”

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, nine in 10 rape and sexual assault victims knew their offender. Thirty-five incidents of rape occur for every 1,000 female college students every academic year. In roughly 66.3 percent of rape or sexual assault cases, the assault occurred offcampus and less than 5 percent of rapes or attempted rapes against women attending college were actually reported to law enforcement.

“It makes me feel really disgusted that these things happen on our cam-

pus,” said sophomore and business major Allison Metheny. “I don’t think any woman or man should have to constantly be worrying about whether not they could be sexually assaulted when they should feel safe. We need more preventative classes like we had at orientation to learn about how to handle these situations and stop them from happening.”

Sonoma State police are already at work to help educate students on how to identify potential predators and even eliminate themselves as potential victims.

Sergeant Jones urges people to be more involved with their own safety.

“There’s only so much we can do after the fact,” Jones said. “We aim to have people look out for themselves and look out for their neighbors. We want to eliminate it all together, but re-

alistically, we can’t.”

Police Services includes an extensive list on sexual assault prevention tips in addition to many other crime prevention tips. They encourage students to report these crimes and file charges.On campus, Counseling and Psychological Services aims to help students struggling with a multitude of problems, but Laura Williams, director of clinical services, is specialized in helping rape or sexual assault victims.

“In terms of crisis advocacy,” Williams said, “we provide information and support students in deciding about reporting, helping them locate on and off-campus resources for various forms of assistance such as obtaining restraining orders or having a forensic medical exam, assisting them with contacting professors to make arrangements regarding missed classes,

late assignments or other course requirements, and contacting housing if they need to move their room in order to feel safe. Counseling and Psychological Services provides support and treatment for individuals and group sessions.

Verity provides support and counseling for victims of sexual assault and abuse. They seek to end all violence by promoting social justice and equality in the community.

Verity has a 24/7 crisis line at 707545-7273 and is located in Santa Rosa.

People affected by sexual assault are encouraged to visit Ourverity.org for more information.

Sonoma State has continued to take preventative measures by implementing a mandatory online sexual assault education module issued to students via email on Wednesday.

Discussion highlights place of faith on campus Ciara Smith Staff Writer

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Christian club’s loss of status as a club at Sonoma State University last fall was the focus of a Student Center debate Wednesday between two instructors, a discussion that centered on whether there’s still room to talk about religion on campuses.

The two sides seemed to agree that there’s still space to discuss religion even within the confines of a new California State University rules limiting the ability of faith-based clubs to require choosing their leaders in the manner they would like. But they disagreed on whether changes in the policy were needed.

The controversy is rooted in a CSU chancellor decision enacted in 2011 that requires clubs on campus to not only allow anyone to be a member, but to allow anyone to be a club leader.

Jenny Klouse, director of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Sonoma State, acknowledged that her Christian club, as with Athletes in Action, is in conflict with the new rule because it has for years asked all of its leaders to sign a statement of faith.

“So therefore we violate the chancellor’s policy, we cannot be a club,” Klouse said.

As a result, InterVarsity, and Athletes in Action, has been derecognized as clubs, which means they can no longer put out tables at orientation activities and other events and cannot use on-campus meeting space for free. In order to continue meeting on campus, the group is paying $900 a week to use the Cooperage on Thursday nights for meetings.

Eric Williams, chair of criminal justice department and one of the panelists at the event, said it was unfortunate what happened to InterVarsity but he understood why the chancellor adopted the non-discrimination rule regarding clubs.

It’s related to some court cases including a 2010 case involving the University of Hastings Law School in which the courts found that the university didn’t violate the rights of students in a Christian group that was decertified because it required its members and its leaders to sign a statement of faith in order to join and lead.

“One of the big issues when it comes to religion, especially on a campus like this is that, on one hand, every citizen of the United States has See FAITH on Pg. 4

STAR // Brandon Stachnik Gov. Jerry Brown imposed a 25 percent water reduction in California on Wednesday in light of a winter with record-low snow-fall.

University responds to water reduction, drought Michelle Welling Staff Writer

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COURTESY // Jenny Klouse Since the organization’s derecognization in the fall, InterVarsity has worked to spread their message.

ov. Jerry Brown ordered the state’s first mandatory water-use reduction on Wednesday in response to California’s near-crisis proportions drought.

After a winter of record-low snowfall, Gov. Brown issued an executive order directed at the State Water Resources Control Board to impose a 25 percent reduction on the state’s 400 local water supply agencies over the coming year. The agencies will be responsible for implementing their own area-specific incentives for water use compliance, and consequences for overuse.

The newly mandated restriction is a 5 percent increase from last year’s voluntary 20

percent reduction. One water agency that achieved water usage very close to the governor’s request is Santa Rosa Water.

In a press release recently delivered through the City of Santa Rosa, the water agency urged residents to take simple steps to reduce water use, such as: taking advantage of free water saving resource (i.e. water audits and rebates), heeding water smart recommendations for irrigation, and quickly identifying and repairing leaks.

Sonoma, a region so diverse in industry, has felt the choke of the drought in all areas of development; be it rural or urban, agricultural or commercial, the drought does not discriminate.

Because of this everyone in the county, as well as the state, has had to adjust the way they use

water.

“The use of water and energy are deeply intertwined, particularly in a state like ours where we are constantly moving water around,” said Laura A. Watt, associate professor and chair of the environmental studies and planning department.

“So I think developing a greater consciousness of how water gets used, as well as a personal commitment to learn to use less [is important], not just in a drought year, but all the time.”

In an effort to strengthen the response to the state’s fouryear drought, Brown announced the 25 percent reduction order while attending the annual April 1 measuring of the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. Snowpacks See DROUGHT on Pg. 5

Page 2

Editorial

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Editorial Board

Dylan Sirdofsky, Editor-in-Chief Peter Njoroge, Executive 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

Staff Writers Kory Arnold, Jake Burke Samantha Cardenas, Jennifer González Aidan Guthrie, Joshua Gutierrez Olivia Johnson, Emily Johnstone Kimmie Jones, Kayla Kring Rissie Markarian, Ashley Martin Ancia Purdy, Alex Sanchez Ciara Smith, Sierra Smith Aaron Walker, Michelle Welling

Photographers Connor Gibson, Niquie Wilson

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:

“Universities respond to Indiana legislation” When a controversial new law comes into play, there is bound to be many different parties taking sides on the pros and cons of the matter. Staff Writer Joshua Gutierrez tackles Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and where Sonoma State University stands on the issue at hand.

Read the story on page 4

Corrections/Clarifications The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication.

However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.

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.

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.

STAR // Eddie Blake

Becoming an ‘Agent of Change’

T

o create positive change, the first step is learning how to approach something differently and in a timely manner.

Sonoma State University students received an email Wednesday regarding an online training program about sexual violence among college students. This program requires students to participate in a 10-level interactive game where they listen and converse with the online characters about sexual violence.

Sexual violence is a problem on college campuses across the nation, but can a program that takes roughly an hour to complete—with little to no concentration or effort—really tackle a problem that is so deeply rooted in society?

This training, “Agent of Change,” is the university’s way of educating and preventing sexual violence among students and the campus community. According to the email, the program is mandatory and if not completed by June 30, a hold will be placed on students’ fall 2015 registration.

Besides the issue of the program’s effectiveness, a relevant question is whether it’s fair for the university to place a hold and stop students from enrolling in courses simply because they don’t want to participate in an online training program.

If this program weren’t mandatory, would students even consider completing it? Probably not, but since the university hasn’t publicly addressed the issue of sexual assault or publicized this mandatory training besides via email, what happens to students who simply overlook the email?

Besides the lack of publicity of the training, there is the underlying issue of how this training will begin to help students understand complex issues of sexual violence on college campuses.

An incident of rape was reported in the Sonoma State University residence halls on March 26, and few students and administrators are aware of the occurrence.

What originally happened March 7 from around 2-3:30 a.m. was not reported until later in the month, and is still being investigated with high priority.

Does an incident in the university’s own backyard and no one knowing about it prove the Sonoma State community’s ignorance and apathy toward crime, or does it prove college campuses truly don’t care about sexual violence happening against students?

The lack of concern from students and administrators about this incident shows

something needs to change among colleges and how sexual assaults are handled, and it won’t be found in an online interactive training game, mandatory or not.

With that said, this program could and hopefully will create dialogue about sexual violence, which is definitely important.

From dialogue, future behavioral changes might then be promoted through honest and open communication on campus.

But the amount of students who will take the training seriously, and actually think critically about sexual assault on college campuses, is likely very small, which makes the program’s effectiveness questionable.

Despite the many questions and doubts concerning the training game, the STAR applauds Sonoma State for taking a small step toward changing the culture of sexual violence and educating students, believing this needs to be the beginning of a conversation, not the end of one.

If students are held accountable for taking part in this dialogue, so should the university. In order to change this devastating aspect of college culture on the Sonoma State campus and all others, more education and awareness is necessary, and frankly a bit overdue.

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.

Have an opinion?

We’d like to read it.

E-mail all opinions to: star@sonoma.edu

The STAR welcomes and encourages letters to the editor and guest submissions. For more information, read the left sidebar for our policies on editorials and letters to the editor.

Opinion

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Secrets to longevity Olivia Johnson Staff Writer

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n this world, death is inevitable. It’s going to happen at some point whether or not a person is ready for it.

However, what if there was a way to prolong it just by simply choosing to live a certain lifestyle?

Specifically, eating healthy, participating in physical activity, maintaining stable relationships and having a little faith are options that seem to lead to a healthy and long life.

Another thing one must try to do is to remember to stay positive and to see life in a certain light. It never hurts to count one’s blessings, as it helps a person experience and feel gratefulness to see how much they are truly blessed, but it also helps with the overall outlook they will have on life.

“Eat and sleep and you will live a long time. You have to learn to relax,” said Miso Okawa, during an interview with the Japan Daily Press.

Okawa was given the title of the World’s Oldest Person alive, living until age 117. On Wednesday, the record titled woman died in her nursing home due to heart failure. After living an already long life, she was first given the record title at age 114 but before her death she shared her secrets to living a long, healthy lifestyle.

The article stated Okawa’s daily routine at her nursing home as she always made sure to eat three meals a day and sleep eight hours every

night. Japan Daily Press also pointed out how Japanese people are able to live long healthy lives as the average lifespan of a woman is 85 and a man is 79.

The key to living long?

Experts say it’s something to do with the Japanese community support, their strong healthcare system, physical activity, stability from family and the healthy diet they consume. It’s not a secret the Japanese culture eats healthier than Americans. Their meals are mostly consumed of fish, vegetables, rice and fruit while Americans are all about the meat.

Although diet plays a main role in an individual’s health, there are many other key components that should be brought to one’s attention.

Gertrude Weaver from Arkansas was given the title of the World’s Oldest Person after Okawa’s death; she is 116 years old.

Although Okawa believed her long life came from eating healthy, Weaver believes to live long one must be kind to others.

In an article done by Yahoo Health, Weaver said, “I love God. I worked hard, and I loved everything and everyone around me.”

Proving that the way one sees and puts themselves out into the world can have just as much impact as living a healthy lifestyle.

The article goes on to state how having religious faith can lead to health perks, having a respectful and positive attitude can lead to a longer life, as well as having a strong work ethic. Okawa and Weaver both agree on how important it is to have a community, the bigger the social circle, the healthier.

However, even though following these women’s lifestyles does not lead to a guaranteed 100-year lifespan, it sure doesn’t hurt to try.

Page 3

STAR // Gustavo Vasquez

The reality of mandatory voting

Aaron Walker Staff Writer

V

oter turnout has been on a steady decline since 1964, and according to the U.S. Election Project, the 2014 turnout was at a mere 36.6 percent.

Although President Barack Obama didn’t directly propose the idea of mandatory voting, he did show support for a compulsory voting system.

“In Australia and some other countries there’s mandatory voting,” said Obama during a town-hall meeting in Cleveland. “It would be transformative if everybody voted. That would counteract money more than anything.

If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map of this country.”

In the United States, we citizens have the right to vote, but not the obligation.

We are lucky to live in a democracy, and we are for-

tunate to have the right to choose the leaders of our country. However, there are times when people don’t support either candidate, yet if there is a mandatory voting law similar to Australia, people would be fined for not voting.

The United States is no longer a free country if citizens are forced to choose between two candidates they don’t support.

“Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil,” said Jerry Garcia, the musician most well-known from the band Grateful Dead.

Most people believe Obama is proposing this idea because he truly cares about democracy, and wants to see this country thrive. The reality is Obama is proposing this idea because he is trying to set up his political party for success.

David Ziblatt, a political science professor at Sonoma State said, “Current research on voting turnout tells us that higher turnout benefits democrats. So liberals would favor compulsory voting.”

It’s obvious why a liberal president would be the first to come out in support of compulsory voting, because the current research

shows that his party would benefit more, thus improving the chances of a democrat being elected.

Another issue is the people who normally don’t vote, are usually less informed on political campaigns. Less informed voters are more likely to cast a vote at random or be persuaded by campaign advertisements.

When Obama said this would counteract money, he was wrong. A good chunk of campaign money goes to advertising.

With mandatory voting, there would be a whole new market of voters that politicians will target with their advertisements. Do you really want uninformed voters deciding an election based on the propaganda they see on television, or read in the paper?

Personally I don’t vote, because by not casting my ballot, I am protesting the political institution that I have lost faith in. I don’t support republicans or democrats, so whom do I vote for?

There is the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party, but in reality those candidates never stand a chance of winning because they don’t receive nearly as much in campaign money as do re-

publicans or democrats.

So, my choice is not to vote. This is my idea of a protest, and every year more Americans like myself make the decision not to vote.

The answer to improving voter turnout isn’t forcing people to vote, but improving our election process.

People need a reason to vote, not an obligation.

The only effective way to improve voter turnout is to have candidates that inspire the country, and show the voters they are politicians because they care about improving the lives of all Americans.

Until there is a candidate who puts his party’s interests aside, and focuses on what the American people truly want, there is no reason for me to vote.

Even if there were a fine for not voting, I would rather pay that fine than vote a candidate into office I don’t fully support.

The idea of mandatory voting is absurd. There are far too many Americans like myself who have an active interest in the political system, but still refuse to vote.

This is a right that all Americans have, and that is what make the United States a free country.

We’re looking for Cartoonists!

Looking for passionate, artistic and responsible students.

Creates cartoons for weekly columns.

Will allow the opportunity to publish your artwork.

If interested contact: star@sonoma.edu

Page 4

News

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

News in Brief

Durham, NC

On Monday, a North Carolina judge approved a death penalty trial for a man accused of the murder of three Muslim students in February. The murder of three students, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, Yusor Mohammad AbuSalha, 21 and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, recieved national attention following the incident and also led to the social media campaign of #MuslimLivesMattere.

Charlottesville, VA A University of Virginia fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, is pursing a possible lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine in response to an article documenting the sexual assault of a freshman student at a Phi Kappa Psi party in fall 2012.

Factual discrepencies and inaccuracies were found in the Rolling Stone article following its publication and the fraternity now intends to take legal action

New York, NY

wikipedia.com San Francisco State University barred all university funded travel to Indiana in light of recent legislation said to be discriminatory toward people who identify with LGBT.

Universities respond to Indiana legislation Joshua Gutierrez Staff Writer

ABC News journalist, Diane Sawyer, is sitting down with Bruce Jenner, former husband of Kris Kardashian, on April 24 for a televised interview concerning his much publicized gender-change. Jenner, a gold medal winning olympian, was also involved in a car wreck in recent weeks, of which has also been speculated to be discussed in the interview. The interview will air on ABC at 8 p.m. on April 24.

San Francisco, CA On Sunday, a mummified body was found in a home in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco. The body was of a 90-year-old woman who is said to have been dead for five years according to CBS. The body was discovered after the woman living in the home told her tax consultant about the body, which prompted the consultant to contact authorities.

San Francisco, CA On Sunday, legendary San Francisco Giants broadcaster, Lon Simmons, died at 91. Simmons was the play-by-play announcer for the Giants in much of the second half of the 20 th century. He also broadcasted for the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco 49ers during his career. Simmons began as a broadcaster for the Giants in 1958 when the team originally came to San Francisco, and he is the sole broadcaster to call opening day games for the Giants at each of the team’s three San Francisco homes of Seals Stadium, Candlestick Park and AT&T Park according to SFgiants.com.

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S

onoma State University currently holds no position in regard to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, even as San Francisco State University stated on March 30 that no funds will be used for employee or student travel to the state.

San Francisco State is currently the only university within the California State University to take a stance against Indiana’s controversial new law, which critics said allowed discrimination against those who identify with LGBT. President Les Wong’s decision adds the university to a multitude of corporations, cities and states which have already committed to similar action.

Sonoma State President Ruben Armiñana said there were concerns about Indiana’s law, but expected a revision to take place soon after controversy erupted. Even as a revised version was presented Thursday in Indiana, Armiñana said he will take all opinions into account before a decision is made.

“The emotional reaction is yes,” said Armiñana. “But once you think about it carefully, you have to be concerned about how far you go, where do you go, and how do you go. Things that sometimes make you feel good, but if you sort of uncover the layers, it’s not so good. I think this is one of those cases.”

Armiñana said Sonoma State’s expenditures to the state of Indiana are minimal to non-existent.

One of the only issues is Sonoma State’s membership with the NCAA, headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. NCAA President Mark Emmert has publicly voiced opinion against Indiana’s law and issued his concern over the Final Four and subsequent National Championship taking place in Indianapolis.

Sonoma State pays dues and receives revenue from the NCAA, which sanctions athletic programs. Armiñana said he was concerned if action was taken, it might affect membership with the NCAA and complicate the university’s athletics.

Another issue Armiñana said is many states and the federal government have similar legislation.

Since 1997, 19 states have passed similar Religious

Freedom Restoration Act-type legislation without public outcry. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed legislation which shares similar language as the one signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Armiñana said there is concern whether or not to take actions against all states, or even countries with discriminatory laws.

The decision to take action against Indiana’s law, is ultimately Armiñana’s alone. Stephanie Thara, public affairs communications specialist for the California State University said universities are autonomous in their decision and do not need to consult with the university system. Laurel Holmstrom, academic adviser for Sonoma State’s Queer Straight Alliance and Academic Senate Analyst, applauded San Francisco State’s stance, which is concurrent with the position of the Academic Senate.

“I think universities have a role in providing a certain amount of leadership in the culture,” said Holmstrom. “Universities are supposed to be the pinnacle of intellectual society and preparing people to be good citizens in a democracy. I think part of the process is that universities should engage in these conversations if nothing else. If they do come up with a position, then they should stand up for them.”

Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it was originally written, came under harsh scrutiny and left its defenders scrambled to justify it. Armiñana, with a deep education in political science, offered his opinion.

“In Indiana, I think they intentionally or unintentionally drafted a bad piece of legislation,” said Armiñana. “I think they tried to make a statement on religion, but it was so flawed, it went beyond what is acceptable. They got caught intentionally being stupid or unintentionally being stupid.”

Holmstrom said Indiana’s new law highlighted how unprotected lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are across the country. She said revisions to the new law are a good first step, but further legislation is needed.

“It is very difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to hear this kind of news,” said Holmstrom. “Where we have made a lot of strides since Stonewall, it shows people can still face discrimination. It’s very disturbing to see anything like what happened in Indiana.”

FAITH: Organizations still unrecognized Continued from Pg. 1

free exercise rights, which means I’m allowed to practice my religion without the involvement with the government,” Williams said.

On the other hand, he said, there’s also a clause in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits laws respecting an establishment of religion.

The courts have since found that establishment clause extends to prohibiting faith-based clubs at taxpayer-supported universities from discriminating in who they allow as members and leaders, he said.

Paul Gullixson, instructor and adviser of the Sonoma State STAR, said he understood where the rule came from but he disagreed with the policy saying, “Nobody should be happy with an outcome that requires a religious group to disavow its faith in order to stay on campus.”

“When students enroll at Sonoma State, they eat here. They sleep here. They study here. They engage in social relationships here,” Gullixson said. “They should not have to go off campus or pay extra in order to worship here.”

He believed the solution was to encourage the California State University system to exempt religious institutions from the rule, as has occurred at Ohio State University, the University of Florida and other campuses with similar non-discrimination policies. Fraternities and sororities are already exempt from the rule prohibiting discrimination by campus organizations.

He also noted that legislation has been introduced in Sacramento, AB 1212 by Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, that

would prevent the California State University and University of California systems from decertifying clubs for imposing requirements on its leaders or voting members.

Klouse said InterVarsity, which organized the Wednesday panel, plans to hold similar oncampus forums in the future.

The student’s supervisor asked the student to take off her necklace because of the message it conveyed to students and in fear of offending incoming students.

“Unfortunately, the story made national news and the administration responded quickly and appropriately apologizing to the young woman, acknowledging that the supervisor was out of line making such a request and fringing on her religious freedoms,” said Gullixson. “I do believe it was a mistake but I fear that this episode was reflecting of something more troubling of a culture that is growing on this campus, other campuses across the nation and California, one that sends of message for those of faith and particularly those who are unspoken about their faith that they are not welcome.”

It was also discussed at the event how InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Athletes in Action, two of the nation’s largest Christian organizations, were decertified as clubs at Sonoma State as well as other California State University campuses.

“InterVarsity has been at Sonoma State for over 50 years and is open to everyone. It’s important to know what led to their removal was not something the group did, but was something the California State University system did,” said Gullixson.

News

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Student becomes victim of scam Aidan Guthrie Staff Writer

W

hen he sat down in the Student Center to read the latest edition of the Sonoma State STAR on Wednesday, freshman Steffan Grace came across an advertisement offering a flexible position as someone’s “personal assistant.”

The advertisement lacked significant details such as the employer’s name and the exact tasks the job required.

In its description, the ad said applicants should have basic computer skills and good organization, qualities almost anyone would describe themselves as having. The starting pay was listed at $250 a week, a lucrative offer most college students would find tempting for a part-time job that only takes several flexible hours a week.

Upon responding to the advertisement, Grace was sent several thousands of dollars in checks from someone claiming to be a small business owner named Tracy Jefferson. He was given

the instructions to deposit the checks, take out a small amount of cash as personal payment, and wire the rest of the money to an unspecified bank account.

He wisely assessed the situation as suspicious and reported the checks to Sonoma State University Police Services.

“At first I thought this personal assistant position would be the perfect job to balance with my responsibilities as a student,” said Grace. “Tracy Jefferson seemed like a really nice guy, he said he was a small business owner with a sports equipment store in Virginia.

However, when I got the checks from him and saw how large they were ,I knew something was wrong.”

Grace’s case is not unique, college students and employees are often targets of scams involving fraudulent checks. Scamlaws.com reports fraudulent checks make up roughly 5 percent of scamming complaints annually, the largest categories were online auctions and falsified emails.

According to a recent public service announcement from the Police and Safety Services, scammers have

several techniques used in tricking their victims. This includes emails and phone calls where the perpetrator pretends to be the phone company or bank and calls regarding an “unauthorized transaction,” and requests personal information.

In cases such as this, one should hang up and call back their bank or phone company and inquire whether such a transaction really did occur.

On college campuses scammers will often send checks or emails fraudulently using the name of the university.

Many students and college employees fall victim to this type of scam because they overlook the suspicious qualities of a check or email if it appears to come from the school.

Corporal LeRoy Swicegood of Police Services said, “Be careful in dealing with people you don’t know online or otherwise. If they make you an offer that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone sends you, a complete stranger, a check for thousands of dollars, than they are being far more trusting than any rational person would. Definitely a red flag.”

Swicegood also said how scammerss often play on the emotions of people who want to be kind and help out.

In the case of the website Care.com scammers often put out advertisements on the website looking for help in caring for children, the disabled, elderly or mentally challenged family members.

When people responded to the ads, they would then be sent checks under the false pretense that the employers were so grateful for their help that they wanted to send them an advanced payment.

At this point the victim of the scam usually feels grateful and trusting of the scammers who they believe to be people in need of assistance. So when they are asked to cash larger sums of money in the future and send the money back to the scam artist, they don’t perceive it as suspicious.

According to ABC 7 news, San Francisco State student Lauren Wells fell victim to a scam through Care.com.

Wells worked part time at Whole Foods Market but still needed extra money so she signed up with Care.com to look for babysitting jobs when she found an ex-

citing offer for $28 an hour.

The woman who put out the advertisement told Wells a heartbreaking story about how she recently lost her husband and baby in a car accident, and needed help with her disabled son.

Wells applied for the job and was immediately accepted. $3,000 was sent to her with the instructions to keep $300 and use the rest to purchase a wheelchair for the woman’s disabled son.

After giving the money to a fake wheelchair company, Wells never heard from the woman again. She was out $3,000 and owed all of it to the bank.

It’s important to know steps can be taken to protect oneself from being the victim of scams. One can place their number on a “Do Not Call List” that is found online. Always call the bank or other places of business if receiving unexpected checks.

Track your spending with online banking and set up alerts for suspicious activities. Never give out personal information such as date of birth, social security number, bank account numbers, passwords, pin, etc. over the phone.

DROUGHT: Concerns remain Continued from Pg. 1

wikipedia.com State officials have reported 2015 could be the driest year in California on record and Gov. Jerry Brown has imposed mandatory water restrictions of 25 percent on all cities and towns across the state. Because Sonoma State University is maintained on reclaimed and repurposed water, the campus is not tremendously affected by the recent mandate.

are a vital component of California’s water system as they store water that accumulates during the rainy and winter season, and release it through the summer.

“People should realize we are in a new era,” Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday, following the snowpack measuring. “The idea of your nice little green lawn getting watered every day, those days are past.”

Sonoma State University is a campus loved for its lush landscape. Students needn’t worry about wasteful practices being used to manage the deep vibrancy of campus lawns, as they are maintained using reclaimed and recycled water. Still, there are others in the community who resort to different methods.

“Let me take this opportunity to just state the obvious for those who may

not already be sensitive to the issues our communities will be facing in the future,” said Tomio Endo, lecturer in Native American studies, and coordinating officer for the Sonoma Student Growers Cooperative. “This drought is here to stay and it has a serious bone to pick with California.”

As a local and student-run growing cooperative in Sonoma County, Sonoma State Growers Cooperative recognizes that those participating in agricultural practices must adapt in ways that respect the constraint of resources, be they conventional or not.

“Our little farm continues to be blanketed in wood chip mulch thanks to the hard work of Jamal Edwards and Sean Stephens and we work to make sure our beds are always covered or planted with wood chips and organic matter,” said Endo, “which gives

our soil a nice ‘sunblock’ layer that keeps clay soil moist and friable with very minimal water usage from our closely monitored TTape drip irrigation system.”

Endo credits these strategies as helping the co-op stay proactive, creative and mindful.

Selectively growing crops to serve the specific needs of surrounding local markets is yet another tactic Sonoma State Growers Cooperative has implemented as an answer to current water issues.

It’s through the continued conservation efforts of water agencies like Santa Rosa Water, the facilities management at Sonoma State University, savvy local growers and farmers, and of course, the practices of waterconscious individuals, that Sonoma County can do its part in supporting the new reduction, and by doing so, combat the drought.

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Arts

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Brandon Stachnik Summerfield Cinemas, located in Santa Rosa, is a small theater known for screening independent and foreign films since its inception in 2010.

The little cinema that could Alex Sanchez Staff Writer

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f there are movie buffs or just fans of Academy Awards season on campus, chances are they’re going to want to see the films that have been nominated for such a prestigious award.

However, most conventional cinemas don’t typically show these films unless they have won something so large as an Oscar, so one can’t witness for themselves the hysteric anger of J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash” or Michael Keaton’s redemptive film stargone-Broadway in “Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), until after they’ve received the acclaim of the Academy.

Luckily for Sonoma County residents and Sonoma State University students, there’s a little cinema with a large history on the eastern end of Santa Rosa.

Summerfield Cinemas has gone through a rather tumul-

tuous life. The foundation it’s now on was once an ice rink in the 1950s and 1960s.

It was converted to a small two-screen theater known as Parkside before Summerfield owner Dan Tocchini’s partner sold the theater to Redwood Theaters.

Business dwindled and Redwood Theaters sold Parkside, where it was transformed into a church with two different chapels. Tocchini and his partner bought back the property in the mid 1980s and expanded the cinema into a fiveplex.

As a twin and five-plex cinema, one auditorium was known as Plaza at the Lakeside and showed strictly art films.

However, Parkside did not last once again.

In the 1990s, the property manager sold Parkside to Rialto Cinemas, a chain of cinemas that owns a multiplex in downtown Sebastopol, almost immediately after the lease was due to expire. Rialto showed conventional films, or typi-

STAR // Brandon Stachnik Summerfield Cinemas features a small lounge and Hollywood memorabilia adorned on the walls of the lobby. cally blockbusters and large name pictures for the time the company owned the property.

It wasn’t until November 2010 that Tocchini was sold the property by its owner’s mother in a rather dilapidated state.

It was in 2010 as well that the theater finally earned its name of Summerfield Cinemas. After $250,000 in repairs and another $800,000

remodel, Summerfield was back open for business. Since then, Summerfield has shown strictly art films with the exception of a few Hollywood movies that still hold some independent merit like the recent sequel, “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” or those of indie-film sweetheart Wes Anderson.

As well as Tocchini’s do-

minion over the Santa Rosa Cinemas, there’s also a special event held every first and third Thursday of the month. Enter Neil Pearlmutter’s CULT Film series.

“Classic Underground Lost Films,” or CULT, began in October 2012 after Neil Pearlmutter attended a showing of the 30-year rerelease of Harold Ramis’ classic “Ghostbusters.”

Pearlmutter believed he could use his extensive knowledge and childhood love of B-movies and slasher flicks to bring in some fans of the classics, like the “Weird Al” Yankovic-starring comedy “UHF” or even Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” series.

“I just wanted to share the same experience I had with double features with the people of Santa Rosa,” said Pearlmutter.

The series hosts diehards that once came to the films alone and ended up establishing a community of moviegoers who really enjoy the atmo-

sphere and the experience of seeing their old favorites on a big screen.

As an occasional treat, Pearlmutter secures either directors or B-movie actors relevant to the twice-monthly double feature for a Q-and-A session in-between films that allow the moviegoers to get to know more about the movies they adored as a child, or have even just discovered.

If independent films happen to be one of someone’s biggest interests, or if they just want to see what their favorite actors are featured in, Santa Rosa’s Summerfield Cinemas is just the place for that person to see them without having to wait for the film to possibly win some kind of film award.

And if they happen to be a large fan of “Halloween” or some good old-fashioned mid20th century cinema, then Pearlmutter’s CULT film series promises much more than just paying the price of a Bluray copy of a film before one can even decide if you like it.

Hidden FLIX Our Netflix favorites

facebook.com Vintage-esque “Axiom Verge” is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita as well as for PC.

Retro-styled game boasts vibrant graphics Jake Burke Staff Writer

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Review

hen it comes to “Axiom Verge” there are two certainties. One, it’s a complex and challenging experience, and two, it’s downright addicting. “Axiom Verge” is a game that pays homage to the Metroidvania genre, made famous in the 90s by games like “Super Metroid” and “Castlevania.”

If unfamiliar with either of the titles, the primary objective of the game is to explore an environment while slowly acquiring new equipment in order to traverse other parts of the map. “Axiom Verge” excels at recreating what made those games so special.

One of the only places “Axiom Verge” truly struggles is located within the game’s actual story.

The player takes control of a young scientist named Trace, who after a fatal accident awakens in a mysterious new reality.

From here, the player slowly discovers a strange new world. The story is told through old school-like cutscenes, similar to what would be seen in Super Nintendo games. Despite the retro style, there is never anything interesting happening. In fact, most of the story is somewhat confusing. But “Axiom Verge” isn’t about story; it’s about so much more.

“Axiom Verge’s” art and world are some of its greatest features; the 2D side-scrolling gameplay is a wonderful compliment to the vibrant colors in each of the different areas. As the player traverses the game’s many different environments, a massive sense of nostalgia is bound to kick in as every sound and pixel is reminiscent of the past games.

There is a real feeling of retro gaming, but like

most modern games, there is a wonderful twist.

While the game relies on familiar mechanics like shooting enemies and jumping from platform to platform, it still brings something entirely new to the table. Like the games of the past, “Axiom Verge” is filled with various glitches, but there’s a catch—they’re just another tool on the journey.

With this mechanic, the game’s potential is revealed as the player changes the game world.

Every enemy has an alternate glitch form that can either become a helpful ally or a weaker version of its previous self. Where this feature truly excels is when the map changes in order to help Trace.

Soon these tactics feel like cheating as a boss that may have been near impossible is now taken down because of an exposed “glitch.”

The game’s many bosses are some of the most appealing-looking the player will ever see, and each is bigger and scarier than the one before it.

Yet, the player will discover each can be defeated with ease by using a certain weapon or a hidden glitch.

After defeating each boss, the player is back to exploring the game’s massive map, which presents another problem. While each of the “Axiom Verge’s” levels are certainly beautiful at first glance, the game’s level design becomes progressively more confusing over time.

The player is bound to be lost more than once while exploring “Axiom Verge.” With no way to ask for help or have story exposition retold, the map may become a place of hopeless wandering.

“Axiom Verge” pays excellent homage to games of the past like “Metroid” and “Castlevania” while still doing its own thing. The map may be confusing at times, but “Axiom Verge” is still an amazingly addicting experience. If looking for a game that taps into that classic genre rarely found in current games, pick up “Axiom Verge.”

“In Bruges” (2008) Two hit men, Ray (Colin Ferrel) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), travel to Belgium to await instruction from their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes). Relationships are tested when these gunmen are faced with the most difficult task of their lives while staying in the fairy tale-esque town of Bruges.

“In Bruges” is available to stream on Netflix.com

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

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New Sufjan is stripped down Alex Sanchez Staff Writer

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facebook.com The passionate cast of ‘Furious 7’ is what ultimately helped the film achieve boxoffice success.

‘Furious 7’: Record-breaking fan favorite Brandon Stachnik Arts & Entertainment Editor

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Review

he record-breaking seventh installment to the “Fast and Furious” franchise proves that anything can be accomplished with the support of family.

“Furious 7” reached $143.6 million in the box office last week, making the ninth most successful opening weekend in the United States of all time.

The film, directed by James Wan, featured an all-star cast that long-term enthusiasts of the series have come to consider as family themselves.

“Furious 7” is the culmination of the 14-yearlong saga and is the wildest, most outrageous (and corniest) chapter in the series.

The tragic passing of the beloved “Fast and Furious” star Paul Walker took a huge blow to everyone involved in the production and fans alike. Despite this loss, “Furious 7” continued to convinced audiences that the recipe for a high-velocity storyline, combined with a crew of actors with unparalleled passion for the franchise, makes for an awesome film.

The success of the street-racing-turned-vehicular warfare series began in 2001 with the release of “The Fast and The Furious,” where leads Brian O’Conner (Walker) and Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) meet on the streets of Los Angeles.

After a bond between the two expert drivers developed, a family blossomed over a span of six films. The once-convicts transformed into a group of people whose love for one another enabled them to overcome the consequences of the criminal life they are trying to escape.

“Furious 7” is the culmination of the 14-year-long saga and is the wildest, most outrageous (and corniest) chapter in the series.

The crew, including: Roman Pearce, (Tyrese

Gibson), Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), and Luke Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) along-side Brian and Dom, mourn the death of a Han, a member of the group who was killed while in Tokyo.

The man responsible for the death of Han is Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), brother of Owen Shaw, a criminal mastermind the crew exterminated in the previous film. Little brother Ian is a former Special Forces assassin whose lust to avenge his brother is unprecedented.

Dom and company hook up with a CIA director-type character, “Mr. Nobody” (Kurt Russell), to stop becoming the hunted and become the hunters. The chase takes them through Tokyo and Abu Dhabi before ultimately returning to their hometown of Los Angeles to finish the fight on their own turf.

Along the way, they must jump their cars through buildings, parachute out of planes in their cars and even exchange people between their cars while evading an airborne terrorist.

Numerous outrageous stunts were performed and near-death situations were evaded in typical “Fast and Furious” manor.

If one is not for clichéd special effects or endless fight scenes, this movie is not for them.

It takes a true fan of the franchise to look past the corny one-liners and flawed plot-holes of these films, with “Furious 7” being no exception.

Yahoo! Movies themselves came up with 40 comments regarding the inconsistencies in the storyline.

However, when taking the film at face-value and ignoring the traits that hinder it’s chances of winning best original screenplay at next year’s Academy Awards, it ascertains its status as the most successful installment in the franchise.

A very touching ending paid tribute to Walker and left theater attendees, as well as a STAR reviewer, in tears.

While his untimely death took place before Walker was able to complete the film himself, his brothers Cody and Caleb were able to step in with the help of computer-generated imagery.

The family that won the hearts of car enthusiasts and action movie fans worldwide stuck together to produce a film that properly concludes one of the most enthralling epics of this generation.

usically speaking, Sufjan Stevens has been all over the place. His indie rock beginnings in a band named after his brother Marzuki led him to start a solo project performing folk songs about everything from Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” to his own neuroses in daily life.

Following a couple albums of this type, 2001’s “Enjoy Your Rabbit” and 2002’s “Seven Swans,” he began a very ambitious project where he planned to write an album based on each of the 50 United States, beginning with “Welcome to Michigan, the Great Lakes State,” based on his home state of Michigan.

The second installment of this project, what many consider his best work, was written about the state of Illinois, titled “Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On, Feel the Illinoise!” “Illinois,” as it’s come to be called by fans and critics, was a sprawling 21-track album full of bells and whistles and lyrics about John Wayne Gacy and the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

He also used these themes to describe his struggle for survival as a traveling musician as well as illustrate the constant battle between the devout Christian Stevens and the slowly evolving world around him.

It’s been five years since his last solo release, 2010’s “The Age of Adz,” and now Stevens has learned that music isn’t all about elaborate orchestration and odd gimmicky concepts.

“Carrie and Lowell,” his first album since “Adz,” is 44 minutes of Stevens stripped bare, using only a guitar and his voice to eulogize his mother, Carrie Stevens.

Carrie fell prey to controlled substance and familial issues and abandoned her two sons at a video when young Stevens was only four, but she was still loved unconditionally

by Stevens and Marzuki as well as their stepfather Lowell.

With “Carrie and Lowell,” Stevens has realized that his message is best conveyed when there are no aural distractions, especially when the songs are as soul-baring and personal as the 11 tracks on this album.

It’s almost as if Stevens has revisited the idea of bedroom recording like on his first albums, “A Sun Came!” and “Enjoy Your Rabbit.” The guitar is clean and his singing

is impeccable as always.

Songs like “Should Have Known Better,” where the listener learns that “when I was three/three, maybe four/You left us at the video store” are more lyrically complex and honest than anything Stevens has written to date.

In fact, there is so much raw emotion and vulnerability in these tracks that every message, no matter how inane, strikes a nerve for the listener, like in “No Shade In the Shadow of the Cross,” where Stevens sounds so numb and proclaims “F*** me, I’m falling apart” that one can empathize with the emptiness he experiences after losing the person that despite gave him a harsh upbringing was loved unconditionally and wholly.

Yes, the tracks are depressing and yes, they will make one very emotional, but it may very well be one of, if not the most, rewarding albums to listen to in its entirety.

Fans and first-timers alike will hold this album very dear and close to them as they anticipate the next five years they’ll have to wait before Stevens releases another heartfelt and raw record.

Stand-out tracks: Track 7: “The Only Thing” Track 10: “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross”

en.wikipedia.org Sufjan Stevens’ latest release, “Carrie & Lowell,” is titled after his parents’ names.

Albums releasing this week Matt and Kim - “New Glow” (Idie dance)

Shlohmo - “Dark Red” (Electronic) Toro y Moi -

“What For?” (Indie Funk)

All Time Low - “Future Hearts” (PopPunk)

Movies releasing this week The Longest Ride - starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda

Ex Machina - starring: Alicia Vikander,

Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac

Clouds of Sils Maria - starring:

Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz facebook.com The Late Paul Walker completed 85 percent of his role in “Furious 7” before his fatal accident. The rest of his scenes were filmed with his brothers and incorporated CGI technology.

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Features

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

flickr.com, STAR // Gustavo Vasquez The new “7 Cups of Tea” app is a tool that individuals, including students, can utilize when they are feeling depressed or anxious. The app puts them in touch with trained listeners, who can offer assistance by just listening to their troubles they’re feeling. The app is free and is available to Android and iPhone users.

A helpful resource for distressed individuals Ashley Martin Staff Writer

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college sophomore comes back to her dorm after a long day at school. She had a miserable 8 a.m. class, she attended an archery club meeting at lunch, she had an essay to write and statistics homework to complete; all before her class at 3 p.m. At 5 p.m., she starts a five-hour shift at Lobo’s and then returns to her dorm to study for an upcoming psychology midterm until 3 a.m.

This typical day in the life of a college student doesn’t even mention relationships,

family, social or personal distress that most college students face on a daily basis.

According to the American College Health Association, 33.4 percent of college students reported to have felt too depressed to function properly. With all of the adversity that one faces during the years of college, it can be extremely difficult to function or stay relatively happy.

With the progression of technology, comes the progression of many other things, such as help with anxiety and depression. The “7 Cups of Tea” app for Android and iPhone users does just that.

The app is completely free, and completely anonymous, making it very accessible and convenient for anyone to use. The app connects a distressed individual to one of 70,000 trained listeners, all of which remains anonymous, making the app a useful resource for those who are unable to talk to friends, family or an expensive professional.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt sad about something, and nobody was there to help,” said Devin Wilkes, a third year business major at Sonoma State. “7 Cups [of Tea] was a huge help when I was overwhelmed with per-

sonal issues I had a couple weeks ago. My listener was so understanding and entirely supportive. Sometimes you just can’t go to your friends with all of your problems.”

The smartphone app is basically a best friend in one’s pocket. When the listener says they know how one feels, they actually do. Many listeners specialize in a specific area of depression or anxiety, such as body-image and relationship issues. These listeners have faced similar problems themselves, knowing how to deal with these issues from experience.

“I’ve definitely been

stressed out by school to the point where I’ve felt the need to talk it out, but I’m always so busy,” said freshman Leah Christensen, whose major is undeclared. “Knowing now that there’s an app for that, which I can use anywhere at anytime is, so comforting.”

As most students are on a budget, this free service is a convenience to use, since professional counselors can charge hundreds of dollars for one session.

In the busy college world of homework, exams, financial issues and relationship issues, knowing that one always has a friend to talk to can be

priceless. The best part is that all it takes is pulling out one’s phone, rather than one’s wallet.

A fact that most are aware of is that anxiety and depression can all too often lead to self-harm, or even death by suicide.

The makers of the app urge those who are in lifethreatening situations to call the Suicide Helpline at 1-800273-8255 immediately, as “7 Cups of Tea” is for those who just need someone to talk to.

The trained listeners at “7 Cups of Tea” are not trained in suicide prevention aid or emergencies.

Alexandre Purroy named new executive chef Shannon Brown Features Editor

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ince Executive Chef Eric Lees’ depart from Sonoma State, culinary services has been scrambling to fill the void he’s left behind; but the wait is over with the arrival of the new executive chef.

Alexandre Purroy, a local chef with international experience, has joined university culinary services as their new executive chef. Growing up in Santa Rosa, Purroy graduated from Montgomery High School and went on to study in the hotel and restaurant department at City College of San Francisco.

He first became interested in the restaurant business after a New Year’s Eve job as a busboy. After walking away with $100, he found a passion for a new career in the cooking industry.

After college, he did his apprenticeship at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. It was always

Purroy’s dream to travel the world and work on his cooking skills. He has spent over 20 years traveling the world and holding chef positions at five-star hotels over 10 countries.

If that didn’t make him qualified enough, he has spent the last 15 years as the chef and owner of the restaurant Doce Lunas in Kenwood. Traveling and cooking all around the world gives Purroy an edge because it gave him inspiration from different foods and places he has been.

Sonoma State students are looking forward to the changes regarding their food.

“I heard that there was a new executive chef, but I didn’t realize how much experience he had,” said freshman Sarah Joyce, who eats at The Kitchens regularly. “It makes me wonder what ideas he has in store for the food here.

I can’t wait to see the improvements he can make.”

A large part of being executive chef of Culinary Services requires knowl-

edge of what the students at Sonoma State want when it comes to their food. Purroy wants students to know he welcomes and accepts their suggestions to all the food options on campus. “[Students can] feel free to… talk to me and let me know how you like everything or how you don’t.

[I’ll] have an open forum policy, let’s talk about food,” said Purroy.

According to a prepared statement by Sonoma State about Purroy, he hopes students are placed into a comfortable environment with their food and are able to recall their experiences, and have a better appreciation for other types of food.

With the start of his new job at Sonoma State, Purroy is meeting with members of the community to get their take on Culinary Services to see if any improvements need to be made. Overall, Purroy is excited to take all of his culinary experience and turn it into a culinary learning experience for the students.

COURTESY // University Culinary Services Alexandre Purroy was recently named as the new executive chef at University Culinary Services at Sonoma State University. Purroy, who grew up in Santa Rosa, has spent the last 15 years as the owner and chef of the Doce Lunas restaurant in Kenwood. Purroy welcomes and accepts suggestions from Sonoma State University students to all food options on campus.

Features

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

STAR // Samantha Cardenas On Saturday, InMotion zumba instructors and the Relay for Life foundation teamed together to put on Shakin’ it for a Cure Zumbathon. The event helped raise money and brought awareness to cancer. About 15 people participated, taking part in two 45-minute zumba sessions and listened to speakers discuss their experiences with cancer.

Zumbathon advocates awareness, educates Samantha Cardenas Staff Writer

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here are certain topics that most people get squeamish talking about and more often than not, would rather avoid completely. Cancer seems to be one of those topics. Although a very serious and heavy subject to talk about, it’s something that needs to be addressed. What better way to talk about something so critical than to lighten it up by dancing the day away.

On Saturday, the InMotion zumba instructors teamed up with Relay for Life foundation to put on Shakin’ it for a Cure, an event to raise money and bring awareness to cancer.

Attendees took part in two 45-minute zumba sessions and listened to speakers talk about their experiences with cancer. When the music started to play, it didn’t mat-

ter if people were expert zumba dancers or if it was their first time; there wasn’t a still body in sight.

One of the best ways to prevent diseases like cancer is staying active, and this event was just another way to educate people about prevention, and to have fun at the same time.

The interest to hold this type of event had been brewing for quite some time now.

“As zumba instructors, we’d been wanting to do a zumbathon for a long time but we never had a cause to go about it,” said zumba instructor Tanisha Larson. “I was considering joining the Colleges Against Cancer Club and talked back and forth with Michael Harris for a little bit about it and told him our interest.

The event was originally supposed to be for Colleges Against Cancer, but we decided to co-organize and partner up with Relay for Life.”

Having one of the zumba instructors have a strong connection

with cancer was also a big push in putting on the event. A board titled “Who Are You Dancing For?” was posted at the event for participants to pay tribute to the people they were honoring who either lost their battle to cancer or conquered it.

“Today I dedicated my butt shaking to my dad. When I was in high school, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” said zumba instructor Megan Cooper. “I got involved with Relay for Life in high school and then zumba kind of led me to more zumba events. Being able to still remember my dad with it all makes it a good way to stay a part of Relay, a part of zumba, and a part of my dad.”

Although the event didn’t have a huge turnout, about 15 people in attendance provided a comfortable and intimate setting to discuss such a sensitive subject. One of the guest speakers included senior Michael Harris, a survivor of a brain tumor,

advocate and participant of Relay for Life.

“In high school I did a mentoring program where we would mentor troubled youth. During one of the trainings there, I met this really cool girl named Jacqueline,” said Harris. “We got to meet each other after this three-day training and when she found out that I had a brain tumor, she told me about Relay for Life. One of the cool things about Relay for Life is that it’s interactive. Every team has a fight back message.”

Another aspect of the event was it being open to the public and free.

Students brought along their friends to come and support the cause and get a workout in as well.

“I didn’t know about the event until my friend told me about it.

She’s here to support her friends that are the zumba instructors,” said UC Berkeley student Alice Kane.

“I’ve had relatives that have passed

away from cancer, and I have a relative that is currently struggling with cancer. I know that it’s for a really great cause, so I said that I would make the drive up here from Berkeley to participate.”

As the event came to an end, hugs were given all around and participants left the room a lot closer, now as friends, than when they first arrived.

“I’ll see you Friday” was exchanged between everyone as they signed up for Relay for Life. Attendees left with a better sense of understanding of cancer and learned ways they can participate, and help to spread the word about the disease.

Sonoma State will be hosting its own Relay for Life event on the Quad between Darwin and Stevenson on Friday from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Saturday. Students are encouraged to bring along their friends and family for a night full of games, music, prizes and good company.

Restaurant Review: Tex Wasabi’s Emily Johnstone Staff Writer

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ex Wasabi’s is a unique restaurant in Santa Rosa opened by Food Network star Guy Fieri. What makes it unique is that it specializes in BBQ and sushi, offering a variety of delicious dishes that can be found to fill any kind of craving. From rolls of sushi to savory sandwiches, this restaurant knows how to satisfy the customer’s taste buds.

“I’ve been to Tex Wasabi’s multiple times because their food is always so flavorful and the atmosphere is one I enjoy for a meal out with friends or family,” said customer Kiki Winslow.

“There are so many different things to choose from off the menu, I want to keep going back so I can try new dishes.”

The platters of BBQ lathered in Fieri’s Kansas City BBQ Society Award Winning Sauce are extremely popular amongst customers.

Not only is Tex Wasabi’s food a hit, but this restaurant is also known for its happy hour deals, which includes specialty alcoholic drinks called Bowlas. These extremely large drinks come in all different flavors and require two people, 21 years old or older, to purchase it to share because of how strong the drink is. The amount of customers during Tex Wasabi’s happy hour increases because of the tasty, inexpensive drinks and the special deal on appetizers.

“Tex Wasabi’s is known for having good food, but they may be even more well-known for their Bowlas,” said senior Lindsey Estes.

“As soon as I turned 21, I planned a birthday

dinner there because I had to try one; that’s what a lot of people tend to do.”

As customers sit and wait, the atmosphere and décor of the restaurant keeps them entertained and in positive spirits. Looking up, there are plates that are hanging, which were signed by different celebrities who have eaten there. If a group were seated in the upstairs area, there’s a possibility the table is located next to one of the many fish tanks at Tex Wasabi’s.

Finding a quiet spot in the restaurant can be difficult because of the constant groups of people that come in. Tex Wasabi’s appeals to patrons looking to have a night out because of the contemporary vibe it gives off. With dishes averaging between $11 to $30, college students may see the prices as being a little more than what they would usually want to spend on a

dinner.

“Tex Wasabi’s is a fun place to sit and eat with friends. However, its prices can be a bit high, so it’s normally a restaurant for special occasions or random nights out,” said junior Jessica Hoffer. “I’m someone who absolutely loves sushi and BBQ, so Tex Wasabi’s is a restaurant where I always have a hard time on deciding what to order. There are just so many yummy options to choose from.”

From appetizing dishes to an enticing atmosphere, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Tex Wasabi’s. This is why it leaves its customers wanting to come back for more.

Tex Wasabi’s is located at 515 4th St., in Santa Rosa, and is open Sunday through Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

flickr.com, facebook.com Guy Fieri’s restaurant Tex Wasabi’s offers a unique variety of tasty food and drinks. The restaurant, which specializes in BBQ and sushi plates, also offers sandwiches, burgers, salads, meat platters and alcoholic drinks, such as the popular Bowla. Food and drinks at Tex Wasabi’s range in price from $11 to $30.

Page 10

Sports

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Connor Gibson Left: Senior infielder Jourdan Weiks at the plate moments before making contact. Right: Senior pitcher Devin Alexander in his pitching delivery.

Baseball team takes three of four Final game turns into 14-inning marathon, gallery below

Kory Arnold Staff Writer

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s the baseball season begins to wind down, some teams need to flip a switch in order to make a lasting playoff run, and the Seawolves might turn that light on.

After last weekend’s tough series loss to UC San Diego, the Seawolves responded by taking three out of four games this weekend against the CSU East Bay Pioneers and nearly took the sweep, but fell just short in Saturday’s finale as they grinded the game all the way to 14 innings.

Game one was quite the breeze for the Seawolves as sophomore Hayden Turpin was lights out, tossing seven scoreless innings and only allowing four hits while also recording two strikeouts. The Seawolves were able to get out on the board early in the bottom of the third with continuous follow-up base hits from Jourdan Weiks, Alex Crosby and Cody Morris to put the score at 2-0.

The lead would eventually stick with Turpin, making light work of the Pioneers until the bottom of the eighth when the Seawolves tacked on one final run to make the final score of 3-0.

Junior Gerald Jamerson was then able to secure the win with a two-inning save by shutting down the remainder of hitters.

The Seawolves then took on the Pioneers for game two of which was the first of a doubleheader, and it was an absolute hit parade for the Seawolves, putting up 12 throughout the game.

However, the Pioneers would not be unheard as they made it extremely tight for the Seawolves in the top of the sixth as they went on a four-run rally to take the lead 5-4.

Completely unphased, the Seawolves answered right back as junior Adam Manzer, who already drove in a run in the fourth, started off the inning with a double in the gap and with a throwing error advanced to third to spark the flame. Immediately following Manzer was junior Spencer Neve, who singled him in to knot the score at 6-6.

As the inning continued, Jourdan Weiks was able to single in Neve who had made his way to third to break the tie only to be followed up by the red-hot bat of Alex Crosby who drove in Weiks to put the score at 7-5. Senior Devin Alexander would then come in to pitch the final three innings and shut down the Pioneers to solidify the win going into the third game later in the afternoon. Manzer, Weiks, Crosby as well as sophomore Daniel Caresio each recorded two hits apiece for the Seawolves with Neve leading the team with two RBIs for the game.

The bats from both teams were much more

quiet in game three, as there was only a total of seven hits throughout the entire game. The game would also come down to literally one run scored by the Seawolves in the bottom of the sixth inning as Crosby came up clutch once again and was able to drive in Jourdan Weiks from second base to take the series away from the Pioneers.

“If I get on base and Alex (Crosby) is up to bat, I know there is a very good chance I need to start running,” said Weiks. “He always seems to put the ball in the perfect place at the right time.”

Junior Ryan Luna who is already coming off a no-hitter this season, put up another masterful performance for the Seawolves pitching a complete game shut-out and recorded nine strikeouts, tying his season high.

With already taking the first three games, the Seawolves now approached game four looking for the complete sweep of Pioneers, but little did they know that they would be at the ballpark all afternoon attempting to do so.

The game was a see-sawing rollercoaster as both teams continued to battle and exchange runs starting with the first inning as the Pioneers put up a quick two runs only to be mirrored back by the Seawolves to even the score at 2-2 with a two RBI single off the bat of Alexan-

der. The Pioneers put up another two in the top of the third inning but it wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth when the Seawolves responded with two runs of their own off of back-to-back RBI base hits by Spencer Neve and senior Cameron Merriwether to once again tie up the game.

It was at this point when the game hit fastforward, as seven innings blew by with no team scoring with compliments of excellent relief pitching on each side to take the game all the way to the 14th inning. CSU East Bay finally squandered over a run to take the sweep away from the Seawolves in the top of the 14th despite the valiant effort in the bottom of the 13th when the Seawolves loaded up the bases and failed to walk-off with the win.

“It’s really tough to let a game go on for that long and have it be extremely close to get away from you,” said junior Adam Manzer. “We really wanted the sweep but just could not execute at the right time.”

The Seawolves now improve to 20-17 overall for the year and 14-14 in conference play as they approach the final weeks of the regular season.

Their next game will also take place at Seawolf Diamond, as they face off against San Francisco State in a non-conference clash on today with first pitch taking place at 2:30 p.m.

sonomaseawolves.com, STAR // Connor Gibson Left: Senior infielder Ancia Purdy waits for the pitch to come in. Right: Junior catcher Aubrie Tolliver looks into the Seawolves dugout earlier this year.

Softball team has tough road-trip Jennifer González Staff Writer

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his past weekend Sonoma State University softball team played four games in Seaside against CSU Monterey Bay. The first game was played on Friday and resulted in a 3-1 loss for the Seawolves. It was in the second inning that third baseman Olivia Lucchese hit a double to center field that allowed middle infielder Ashley Long to run home, making it the first and only score of the game for the Seawolves.

It didn’t take too long for the Otters to catch up and take the lead of the game. In the bottom of the third inning, Monterey’s catcher Jenae Coleman scored a home run, bringing two of her teammates home, making the score 3-1. The game went seven innings and the score stayed the same after the third inning.

“It was a different environment watching the softball team play since they were not at home. I think maybe they also felt that feeling,” said junior and softball fan James Jones, after attending the games in Monterey. “But

you could still feel their energy which was great and exciting.”

The Seawolves definitely came into the second game of the day with a great attitude, not letting the first game affect how they would play in the second game. The team dominated the game, which showed since this was only a five-inning game.

Just in the first inning, Taylor Batey hit a homerun to center field that brought home Amanda Rossetta and Keeley Ray. The Seawolves were up 3-0.

The Otters also made their first and only score of the game during the first inning. Infielder Alissa Greenhaw stole home, making the score 3-1.

At the third inning, Batey hit a single through the left side of the field, and both Carlie Daniel and Ray scored. By the end of the third inning the score was 8-1 with the Seawolves on top.

During the fourth inning, Rossetta again hit a home run that brought both her and Daniel home. The score was now 10-1. Rossetta shared the spotlight with second baseman Holli Brown. Brown hit a home run to

left field that resulted in scores from Long and Alison Strycula. This second games score ended in 13-1. The Seawolves ended on a good note that day.

“They play with passion and you can see it when they are playing. They played two games in a row and you couldn’t even tell if they were tired,” said junior Charlie Mosley.

“It was a great way how they ended the day and I know they will continue to play with passion.”

In just the first inning of the first game of Saturday, the Otters were already ahead of the game with a score of 3-0.

During the sixth inning Ancia Purdy scored making it a tie of 5-5.

In the eighth inning, the Seawolves took the lead of 6-5. Rossetta hit a ground ball to third base allowing Ray to advance and Purdy to score home. The Otters responded with two runs of their own and took the lead, ending the game with the score 7-6.

The second game on Saturday didn’t turn out any better for the Seawolves, although they still kept their high spirits up and came out scoring.

“They play with passion and you can see it when they are playing. They played two games in a row and you couldn’t even tell if they were tired,” said junior Charlie Mosley.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Seawolves were ahead 5-4.

But quickly, in the bottom of the fourth the Otters put together a streak of runs and took the lead at 14-5.

“Even though the girls didn’t win all the games, they won emotionally because they never gave up and continued to have good spirits,” said Jones. “I know they will continue to have those spirits when they play CSU Chico.”

The final score in Saturday’s last game was 16-9. The Seawolves will play at home this Friday and Saturday against CSU Chico.

Sports

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

STAR // Connor Gibson The tennis responded from their doubles losses with three singles wins that tied the match up at 3-3.

Men’s tennis team battles at home

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Kayla Kring Staff Writer

onoma State University Men’s Tennis team faced off against Holy Names University on Friday.

While both teams played their best, the Seawolves were lacking in a few crucial areas. The Hawks were given a head start, with a 3-0 score, as they swept in doubles, before heading into singles.

“It’s time to get to work,” said Head Coach Steve Cunninghame, before singles play. “We need to play more aggressively and assertively.”

As they were told, the Seawolves got to work, starting off their matches strong with positive ball placement as well as execution of their plays.

No. 3 Blaine Mengert would be the first to give Sonoma a fighting chance as he won his match against Matthew Halligan (6-1, 6-2).

Following suit would be No. 5 Garrett Gooch against Jonah Tahilan (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) and No. 6 Vincent Paganetti against Ivan Parra (6-2, 6-2).

These three wins would begin to tie up the overall score at 3-3. Unfortunately, those three wins were all that the Seawolves could achieve.

Even though No. 1 Philip Holbrook and No. 2 Noah Lee put up a challenging fight against

their opponents, No. 1 Hawk’s player Tracey Bebile and No. 2 Rafael Martinez were able to keep a strong grip on the game as well to come out with a victory. As both of these final matches ended with their teammates cheering from a court away, the overall score was sealed with Holy Names taking home another victory at 6-3.

“We need to play better doubles and we need to finish our matches, also we need to stay aggressive,” said Cunninghame, when discussing the changes that would need to take place if they were to beat the Hawks next time around.“Some individuals lacked a little selfconfidence, tennis players have an inner critic that rages at them and they have to learn how to silence that and have some self-belief.”

As for Friday’s loss it was a bittersweet one for the Men’s Tennis Team, as Seniors Philip Holbrook and Vincent Paganetti played their final home match for the 2015 season. Before the match even began, both seniors were honored by their fellow teammates as well as their coach.

The men’s tennis team will, however, get the chance to redeem themselves as they head to Oakland on Sunday, April 12 to play against Holy Names one last time before traveling to Surprise, Arizona for the Pacific West Coast Conference Championships, which will take place on April 16-18.

STAR // Connor Gibson

Seawolves Schedule Apr. 7

Baseball vs. SF State 2:30 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Diamond

Apr. 10

Women’s Track & Field Chico State Distance Carnival San Francisco, CA Softball vs. Chico State 1 p.m./3 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Field Women’s Water Polo vs. Cal State East Bay 2 p.m.

Rohnert Park Pool

Apr. 11

Women’s Track & Field at Chico Twilight Invitational Chico, CA Women’s Water Polo vs. Alumni (Exhibition) 11 a.m.

Rohnert Park Pool

Women’s Tennis at Dominican 11 a.m.

San Rafael, CA Softball vs. Chico State 12 p.m./2 p.m.

Rohnert Park Seawolf Field

USF ADVANTAGE

SANTA ROSA EXPERIENCE

Apr. 12

Women’s Tennis at Holy Names 10 a.m.

Oakland, CA Men’s Tennis at Holy Names 1 p.m.

Oakland, CA

Apr. 13

Men’s Golf hanny Invitational Cal State Stanislaus 1 p.m.

Turlock, CA

Earn your MA in Teaching, Single/Multiple Subject Credential or MS in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader (RN to MSN) INFORMATION MEETING Wednesday, April 15, 5:30pm To RSVP call 707.527.9612 visit www.usfca.edu/santarosa email santarosacampus@usfca.edu CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE

Page 12

Photo This week in photos...

April 7 - April 13, 2015

sonomastatestar.com

For more, visit our galleries at SonomaStateStar.com

Seawolves baseball take three of four

STAR // Connor Gibson The Seawolves baseball team win three of four against CSU East Bay during the weekend. Read more on page 10.

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