Volume 76 // Issue 6

In this issue:

A&E: How “Zootopia” made box office records.

Pg. 7

Opinion: Staff Writer Noe Felix discusses diversity at the Oscars. Pg. 3 News: An inside look on the day in the life of a Sonoma State police officer. Pg 4 Sports: Women’s tennis team remains undefeated. Pg 10

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 76 // ISSUE 6

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14, 2016

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

Asbestos presents a potential health hazard in Stevenson Hall Edgar S anchez Staff Writer

L

ung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma are a few of the many health hazards related to the breathing of asbestos — a set of fibrous minerals formerly used for the construction of buildings prior to the 1980s.

Sonoma State University was founded in the 1960s, and at this time, the primary buildings on campus were Darwin and Stevenson Hall. During the construction of these buildings, safe asbestos regulations

were not yet in practice. It was not until 1989 that the United States Environmental Protection Agency established the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out policy which put a complete ban on all asbestos-containing products.

In 2005, Darwin Hall was fully refurbished and remodeled, however, in Stevenson Hall only a few areas were reconditioned at that time.

“We knew there is asbestos in these buildings. The important part is not to disturb it,” said Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications Susan Kashack.

According to the EPA, due to the nature of asbestos, disruption can occur very easily sometimes by simply rolling a chair on contaminated tile. Kashack sent an email to students, faculty and staff about air samples taken by a firm called RHP Risk Management. According to their results, no detectable airborne asbestos concentrations were found.However, according to faculty members, they are testing the wrong place.

Currently, there is a lawsuit against the university from a former employee who Sociology Professor Peter Phillips alleges was fired for being the whistleblower of the as-

bestos problem.

The testing is associated with a lawsuit filed in 2014 by Thomas Sargent, a facilities department employee at Sonoma State, who claims he was retaliated against when he complained about alleged health and safety issues, resulting from asbestos-related remediation efforts, according to a CSU document.

Sargent also claims he was discriminated against and harassed as a result of a disability. Trial is set for July 29.

See ASBESTOS on Pg. 4

Cal State tackling food security, homelessness Ethan Helms Staff Writer

S

ince April 2015, the California State University Office of the Chancellor has funded research regarding homelessness and food insecurity among CSU students.

Chancellor Timothy P. White announced the research has been extended with a second phase.

According to a newsletter from White, systems need to put in place across every campus to ensure students are supplied with support when they need it in order to achieve success.

Across the 23-campus CSU system, only 11 campuses have programs in place to aid students struggling with hunger and shelter.

Sonoma State University is not one of them.

Some campuses, such as Chico State, have already created campus food pantries and have implemented other methods of providing nutrition to students in need.

“Through our partnership with Center for Healthy Communities, 620 students have applied for CalFresh and over 50 percent have qualified for benefits,” Wildcat Food Pantry Founder Kathleen Moroney said. “We have had students visit the Hungry Wildcats Food pantry 531 times and distribute Veggie Bucks to 128 people, enabling more students to avoid hunger.”

Moroney also explained that one of the biggest hurdles in the fight against hunger on campus, is a general disbelief that a problem exists and

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a lack of resources.

However, the community support which came with the development of the programs was enough to encourage Moroney’s efforts.

“I’d say, building partnerships within the college community as well as your local community is key to maximizing your efforts,” Moroney said. “We started with a food pantry, but it soon turned into a collaborative effort of campus-based programs whose goal is to improve student success through the provision of supplemental food, nutritious meals, governmentfunded food benefits, research-based education and single-pointof-contact referral services for students experiencing food insecurity, hunger and poverty.”

The second phase of the research being done will focus on gaining more in-depth information from students, earning funding to create programs, and creating program policies, according to the Chancellor’s newsletter.

The data, however, is being selfreported by students who are asked to participate in the survey, which means some figures have the potential to be skewed.

It’s still undetermined whether this effort will be systemwide across all 23 CSU campuses, or simply aimed to boost existing campus programs.

“The aim of the study is to assess how widespread the issue of hunger and homelessness is on CSU campuses. This is be See HUNGER on Pg. 4

@sonomastatestar

STAR // Brennan Chin Alpha Delta Pi won this year’s Lip Jam competition, hosted by Alpha Gamma Delta. Lip Jam is an annual event created to raise money for the Alpha Gamma Delta foundation, which supports diabetes research.

Alpha Delta Pi delivers spell-binding performance to win Lip Jam 2016 See the full story on page 8.

University warns of phishing emails

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Nate G alvan Staff Writer

ue to a recent increase in phishing emails sent to students, Sonoma State University Police and Safety Services has sent out warnings of the potential criminal activity that could entail by participating in these emails.

Potential scams are said to be on the rise by either mail or telephone from criminals posing as the Internal Revenue Service. An email was sent by Police Services alerting students about the possible arrival of new phishing emails in their inboxes.

Phishing is the act of trying to trick someone into giving out their personal information to a trustworthy business or entity for possible

@sonomastatestar

malicious reasons. This information could include usernames and passwords, Social Security and bank account numbers, as well as credit card information.

“It is generally performed by impersonating an organization with whom you have an existing relationship,” said Andru Luvisi, the information security officer at Sonoma State. “The name is a metaphorical pun on the word ‘fishing’ because the criminal is sending out ‘bait’ [or enticing emails] and hoping that you will ‘bite’ [or give them your sensitive information].”

The most recent attempts at exploiting student trust have come from people pretending to be associated with Wells Fargo Bank and the campus Exchange administrator. Students who provide sensitive

/sonomastatestar

information to these emails put not only themselves but the univeristy at risk. Students who did fall for these scams are asked to change their passwords immediately.

“I have got two phishing emails so far,” said Cailin McCarry, a sophomore kinesiology major. “Because of the emails from Sonoma State, I knew to delete them, but it’s scary knowing they are targeting us students and can take our information.”

Furthermore, Career Services has noted on its homepage online of potential job scams that can be received via phishing email as well.

They have multiple examples of potential fraudulent behavior such as; emails showing a student has been See EMAILS on Pg. 4

Visit: sonomastatestar.com

Page 2

Editorial

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Editorial Board

Brandon Stachnik, Editor-in-Chief Peter Njoroge, Executive Editor Kayla E. Galloway, News Editor Joseph Encinas, Asst. News Editor Jenna Fischer, Opinion Editor Ashley Mar tin, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Shannon Brown, Student Life Editor Thomas Call III, Spor ts Editor Aubrey Tolliver, Asst. Spor ts Editor Brennan Chin, Photo Editor Kaila Sanders, Asst. Photo Editor Kimberley Baptista, Copy Editor Kyler Khan, Copy Editor Julia Albo, Editorial Car toonist Cassandra Owens, Adver tising Director Connor Gibson, Distribution Director Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser

Staff Writers Audrey Altman, Diana Arroyo, Shane Bickford Nikki Bridges, Josephine Clements, Sean Curzon Rene De Amaral, Nicole Detmers, Emilie Devitt Christine Edwards, Noe Felix, Sarah Fishback Nathanael Galvan, Nicholas Gray, Florencia Hasson Ethan Helms, Michele Herber t, Naaman Hightower Olivia Hunt, Allison Kelley, Vasilios Loufas Rachel McCloskey, Katelyn Quinn, Kathryn Reidy Blake Robinson, Carly Saber, Bianca Sanborn Edgar Sanchez, Andrea Serles, Nathan Shapiro Jessica Shipma, Kristen Spear, Hailee Zastrow

Photographers Megan Corcoran, Sara Wildman, Shane Bickford

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: “Asbestos presents a potential health hazard in Stevenson Hall” Much controversy has been created over the asbestos testing that took place in Stevenson Hall. Staff Writer Edgar Sanchez details the dispute on the issue.

Read the story on page 1 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 Sonoma Media Group. 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 400 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 // Julia Albo

The clown trumping the polls

Trump’s laughable campaign is making numbers

A

mericans are captivated by Donald Trump’s campaign for presidency, and not because he’s the best candidate.

Outlandish proclamations, empty promises and disrespectful quotes toward women, minorities and nearly all Americans whom he disagrees with have earned him his popularity. He is proving that any publicity is good publicity.

Trump has been a frequent headline-maker in the media in recent months and the subject of too many social media conversations.

As November nears, Americans are beginning to realize Donald Trump’s campaign isn’t a joke after all.

He is delegitimizing American politics one crazy comment or tweet at a time and is ultimately embarrassing the United States on an international level. He’s continuously emphasized his plan to make America great again, but who’s to say America isn’t already great?

His entire political platform relies on the idea that Americans are desperate and in need of a savior to return the nation to prosperity, and he suggests he’s exactly that.

This year’s presidential election is strikingly similar to the political shift seen in Europe nearly a century ago, when nations like Germany were desperate for a change in leadership. Leaders preyed on citizens’ vulnerabilities and lack of faith in past political systems to gain popularity.

The majority of Trump’s campaign relies on the ideas that he will make America great, fix everything

wrong and that he is the best candidate in the race. His claims and promises are unsubstantiated, and he has yet to explain actual solutions to the problems the U.S. faces today and, with that, is playing the American people for fools.

Last week, former governor of Massachusetts and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney made headlines for calling Trump a phony and a fraud who is playing citizens for suckers.

Romney is exactly right.

Trump fired back by recalling that Romney asked Trump for his support in his 2012 campaign. This is an example of how the Republican Party is falling apart. Trump is in this election solely for himself and to promote his own agenda.

Not too many years ago, Americans were captivated by the widely known Occupy Wall Street movement — a movement which criticized the top 1 percent of the richest citizens in the nation and fought to change the issue of income inequality. Americans seemed to have forgotten the value of the Occupy movement and who it criticized, exactly.

Trump is the 1 percent. He is one of the richest people in the nation and does little for the lower-to middle-class in the U.S. What is even more baffling is how Americans have latched onto his empty promises, having faith in his worthless claims.

Looking at Trump’s campaign for the presidency from a different perspective, how does his campaign influence America’s appear-

ance to the rest of the world? An island in Canada has already offered refuge to Americans if and when Trump becomes president. Ironically enough, Google announced that after Super Tuesday last week, searches for “How to move to Canada” hit an all-time high.

Trump is making a farce of America and undermining the power of democracy. America is supposed to be the most powerful country in the world, and though that’s still true, Trump is making it hard to maintain that reputation.

Americans who see through his campaign are scared for the future of the nation. Some have even compared Trump to Hitler — a comparison that initially seems hard to imagine, but it’s a situation that is frighteningly foreseeable.

Trump is merely a businessman and a reality TV star. Since when did America’s richest citizens and reality TV hosts become viable candidates for president?

If being rich and famous are the new qualifications for becoming president, Americans are better off with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West taking over the White House.

Young people hold a significant amount of power in the upcoming presidential elections and, hopefully, they will understand it’s not enough to deem Trump as an unacceptable candidate for president.

It’s even more important to register to vote by May 23 and visit the polls in June to denounce hatedriven politics.

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.

Opinion

M arch 8 - M arch 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

No diversity award for the Oscars

Noe Felix Staff Writer

“W

e want opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors. That’s it.”

Comedian/host Chris Rock said it perfectly during his opening monologue at the 88th Academy Awards. The subject of racial diversity in Hollywood has always been a controversial debate. In an industry dominated by White people, African Americans, as well as other people of color, are rarely recognized for their talent.

This marks the second year in a row that the Oscars have not nominated anyone of color for an award. This should be met with outrage considering that 2015 saw the uprising in black actors with the major success of “Straight Outta Compton” and the immaculate critical reception of “Creed.”

This year’s Oscars shook me to my core. The reason was because “Creed” had one nomination this year, which was “Best Supporting Actor.” Sylvester Stallone is a good actor, maybe even a decent guy, but the fact that Michael B. Jordan wasn’t nominated for best actor really infuriated me.

His performance was the biggest part of the film’s critical reception, one that brought me to tears.

According to “The Economist,” since 2000, only 10 percent of Oscar nominations have gone to Black actors. Their Hispanic peers have only received 3 percent, moreover, Asians have received 1 percent and 2 percent to people of different ethnicities. It’s hard to believe out of all the amazing actors of color, so few of them get recognized for their abilities.

The Academy Awards is made up of more than 5,000 members who are predominantly white, and they’re the ones who cast the nominations. After seeing statistics like these, shouldn’t the Oscars’ voting system go through a major overhaul and become one that not only incorporates more people of color, but more women as well?

I’m sure some people believe that Hollywood isn’t racist, or we are just blowing things out of proportion. However, according to a study done by University of California, Los Angeles in 2013, it found that a mind-blowing 83 percent of lead actors portrayed in film were white. Furthermore, they found 82 percent of directors, as well as 94 percent of show creators, were white.

University of Southern California had a similar study in where it examined the top 500 grossing movies between 2007 and 2012. The study found during 2012 alone, an abysmal 10.8 percent of speaking characters were African American. In addition, only 4.2 percent were Hispanic, 5 percent were Asian and 3.6 percent were from other mixed ethnicities. Both USC’s and UCLA’s study shows this is an issue that deserves everyone’s attention.

Film, actually ALL of media, should represent what America really is. A country that is full of diversity and one that is ever growing. Yet Hollywood refuses to grow with it. If the major backlash that emerged when the Oscar’s first showed their nominees isn’t a cause for concern, then what is?

As a person of color, I want to see more people that look like me on screen. I want to see Hispanics, African Americans and many other ethnicities be represented in our media and culture.

Furthermore, I want to see them be recognized for their hard work and talent, just like any of us would. The question still stands, “Is Hollywood racist?”

In the words of Chris Rock, “You damn right Hollywood’s racist.”

abcnews.com

South Dakota vetoes oppressive bill

Diana Arroyo Staff Writer

T

he transgender community has become more accepted in these past few years. With famous transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner, once known as Bruce Jenner, people have been praising and embracing those for their bravery to step out in the world for who they truly are.

In that aspect, young transgender teens have become comfortable with who they are as well as the people that surround them, including their own peers, in public places such as their schools. This past Tuesday, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed a bill that would have required transgender students to use the bathroom of their biologi-

cal sex at birth.

“Gov. Daugaard made the right call in vetoing this dangerous legislation, sparing South Dakota the risky and costly experiment of becoming the first state to mandate discrimination against transgender youth in violation of federal law and student privacy and well-being,” said Kris Hayashi, executive director of Transgender Law Center, in an interview with CNN. Why even try to pass such law if there are no cries of uncomfortable students having transgenders in their bathroom? Those brave young teens who probably already had a hard time adjusting to their new identities don’t need to be repressed even further. If a transgender girl is restricted from using the bathroom of the gender she associates with, how will they ever be able to really embrace their identity if they are still seen as their biological sex?

“It singles out transgender individuals and forces them to use something that they’re not comfortable using,” Nathan Leonard, a transgender teen and high school freshman from Watertown, told CNN. Many transgender advocates applauded this decision and mentioned how South Dakota is not a place

where discrimination is allowed nor valued, just as this nation should be as a whole. Many similar bills were proposed in other states such as Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin, to name a few, but South Dakota is the closest to pass such bill.

Many parents wanted the bill to pass for the concerns of their children using the same bathroom as someone who is transgender. It’s understandable parents would have some level of uncomfortableness but it would also mean they themselves are intolerant towards the transgender community. It’s been clear transgender students’ peers are accepting of them in the bathroom and there shouldn’t be a reason to make them stand out more than they may already do in a public place.

The veto of this bill is a great example of how our society is becoming more acceptable towards the transgender community.

At the end of the day, it’s unfair to them to be treated as unequal in communal places, such as public schools. If this bill passed, it would have just added that level of discrimination towards transgender students and would have made them feel uncomfortable, something they fear for just like anyone else.

Page 3

A fresh look on Disney classics

Sean Curzon Staff Writer

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ome of the first films many of us are introduced to as kids are in the Disney animated library. Many of these movies have come under fire for their portrayal of female characters.

Critics claim the princesses were all boring f lat characters who do nothing but wait for a handsome prince to save them and then instantly fall in love and marry them. Especially in regard to the classic films.

By classic I mean the films made before the seventies. Many people feel that young girls should be introduced to stronger role models. While these criticisms are valid I think people tend to use them too broadly. They ignore the positive aspect of the characters or ignore the interesting female characters. If you would go back and watch some of the old movies, you might be surprised at the range of some of the Disney’s characters.

Cinderella is unfairly picked on. I do think Cinderella is a bit bland in terms of personality, and I do roll my eyes at her and the prince getting married after one date night. But she isn’t saved by the prince, she’s saved by the mice. Why? Because she is nice to the mice. This may not seem like a big deal, but take a closer look. The Cinderella story is, at its core, a story about karma.

Cinderella is rewarded for her kindness. This is important because she stays kind despite her environment. Look at how she is treated by Lady Tremaine and her daughters. That scene where they completely destroy her dress is heartbreaking. How easy would it have been for that abuse to turn Cinderella into someone angry and bitter?

But she doesn’t. Everyone in their life has a Lady Tremaine whether it be a teacher, a boss or a relative. Cinderella shows us that we don’t have to become them to deal with them.

One overlooked female character is never saved by a prince or is passive. Alice from “Alice in Wonderland” is a bold character who tries to use her wits to get out of the difficult situations she finds herself in. The humor of the film comes from Alice applying logic to a world that has none.

She journeys on her own clear defined goal, to get home. She’s not defined by her relationship with others.

“Sleeping Beauty” is a strange case as it contains both the strongest and most interesting female characters and the weakest female in Disney canon. The titular sleeping beauty, Aurora, is every negative Disney princess stereotype come to life. She has zero personality and she falls in love after one dance. At least Cinderella had a night to fall in love. She is more of a prop for the heroes and villain. Who are the heroes? The good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are funny, resourceful and the ones with the actual goals.

They’re even the ones to defeat the villain.

These films and characters aren’t perfect. But it’s the total passive saved by the prince that many people like to paint them as.

They have problems like any movie made over half a century ago, but it’s okay to acknowledge the good while still condemning the bad. It’s important to see what worked in the past, the compassion, the cleverness and the boldness so we can get it right in the future.

Newsflash, the sky isn’t falling

Shane Welch Staff Writer

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orth Korean nukes, refugee camps, Zika outbreak; these represent just a few of the headlines found when peering at news stories that lead one to believe the world is terrible. Stories that perpetuate negative circumstances to get the most attention are common in mass media, “If it bleeds it leads” is the common phrase used to describe this set of circumstances.

Media focuses on negative circumstances because it gets the most attention is well known, people are perceptible to the information being presented. An article titled “If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding FearBased Media” in Psychology Today found that children and adults exposed to media are more likely than others to believe crime is rising and the world at large is a scary place that’s getting worse.

The findings from Psychology Today are further supported by data found in a Gallup poll that shows that 70 percent of Americans believe crime has worsened in 2015 from 2014 and 63 percent in 2014 believing crime has worsened since 2013.

Although the official report on crime for 2015 hasn’t been released by the FBI, the overall trend for crime nationwide is on a decline. Information compiled by the Disaster Center using the FBI’s annual crime reports show violent crime in 2014 at a 44 year low. Rates of murder and robbery were at its lowest levels since the 1960’s as well. Even

if crime has risen in 2015, the overall trend shows a long-term drop in overall crime.

Reality often clashes with public perception of well-being rankings as well. A study done by Gapminder in conjunction with Novus, a Swedish company, gouged American public perception of world rankings. The study found 66 percent of respondents believed extreme poverty in the last 20 years has almost doubled, the reality is that in the last 20 years extreme poverty worldwide is almost half of what it was 20 years ago.

In fact, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates believes that extreme poverty can be eliminated by 2030, a mere 14 years from now.

His vision for attaining this goal is posted on a website called Project Syndicate titled “Promises To Keep in 2016.”

Human progress has vastly improved over a short period of time. Professor of Psychology at Harvard, Steven Pinker repeatedly makes the case in talks, books and written articles that we are living in the most

peaceful era in human history. Pinker’s website contains a wealth of information about the march of progress humanity has made throughout the last century and how progress continually moves forward.

Acknowledging these statistics doesn’t come with a free pair of rose colored glasses, current events still require our attention. Admiring the progress we’ve made shouldn’t negate the other significant issues. There’s still a refugee crisis, student loan debt in America is still piling up and the Greenland ice sheet is still melting at accelerating speeds.

Seeing the forest for what it is means having a framework of context that leads us to sound decisions. We as citizens make our best decisions from a rational perspective.

Seeing the forest for the trees would be reacting to a headline emotionally about these issues without seeing the forest, the statistics and data about a certain issue are what provide an overall context to decide and act from.

Page 4

News

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

starting a car to a medical emergency. According to Mackenzie, there are no normal days. Calls are more frequent in the later half of the week from Wednesday to Friday.

During the first half of the night, MacKenzie made two stops. The first stop was to check on an idling vehicle in the health center parking lot behind the library. The vehicle’s lights were off and the driver was inside.

The car appeared to have been there for a while. MacKenzie parked and approached the car, in a professional quickness.

The driver claimed to be waiting for someone in the library.

“Be on your guard because technically, anything can happen,” Mackenzie said after being asked what goes through his STAR // Megan Corcoran mind during a stop.

Being on shift means anSonoma State STAR Reporter Nicole Detmers had the opportunity to do a ride-along swering calls and roaming the with Sonoma State Police Corporal Neal MacKenzie, gaining insight on day-to-day life school either in a squad car or on as a campus police officer at Sonoma State University. foot. The inside of a squad car is reminiscent of the inside of the Delorean from “Back To The Future,” if it were used to occasionally transport the occasional arrestee.

A panel of buttons rests in the center console that allow the officer to shine lights nearly all around the car for better visibility as well as the predictable sirens, and overhead lights. There’s a scanner and radio in the center console which covers both the campus and the rest of Rohnert Nicole Detmers shift, a night shift that goes from 7 that his job requires being obser- Park.

Staff Writer p.m. to 7 a.m. Two officers are on vant and reading body language.

When asked what it was like shift at all times to cover Sonoma When asked about myths working with students, MacKenState’s 9,408 students. about officers he’d like to have zie said, “Students are not here He has an easy demeanor; his debunked, MacKenzie said, “The to cause problems. They mostly voice is like that of doctor, look- myth that we enjoy arresting make minor mistakes, and they ing to reassure you in any circum- people and giving tickets when learn from it. On the flip side, it is onoma State University’s stance but still authoritative. sometimes a warning will suffice. an open campus, so we encounter Campus Police CorpoMackenzie talks about how Often times, cooperativeness and people from all over.” ral Neal MacKenzie is a he likes his job because he likes politeness go a long way.”

The next call was to a fire Sonoma State alumni who has knowing he’s the one keeping While on shift, calls can alarm in Beaujolais Village. The been an officer at the school for students safe. He says it’s a lot of range from none to 20 or 30 and resident seemed embarrassed, exten years. He works a 12-hour thinking on his feet, explaining include anything from jump- plaining she had burned chicken

Ride along gives insight on a day in the life of campus police News Commentary

S

and set off the smoke detector.

MacKenzie returned to the panel where he shut off the smoke detector and reported it back to dispatch. MacKenzie spends time on his shift walking the campus and residential halls, too. He hopes it helps students feel safe seeing an officer around.

“Even if it’s as simple as jump starting someone’s car,” MacKenzie said, “I like to help people.”

During part of of the shift, MacKenzie drove through campus reporting lightbulbs that were no longer working, and driving through parking lots looking for anything out of place.

MacKenzie explained a huge part of his job is maintaining the little things, campus police are responsible for a lot more than people often notice.

Programs exist among college campus police officers like CRU or Critical Response Unit that trains officers to respond to any kind of scenario including natural disasters, dignitaries, and civil disturbances.

“Campus police has to specialize in everything and know about everything. There is no task force,” MacKenzie said.

Programs occur, as unlike normal police officers, campus police don’t have specific units designated to each individual scenario — ­ instead, they have to be equipped to respond to anything and everything.

He said medical calls are relatively common. In the previous week, MacKenzie was a first responder to what appeared to be a seizure call and called the EMTs to the situation.

MacKenzie carries many titles including corporal, a supervisor responsible for the patrol officers; Field Training Officer, a training program that lasts 12 weeks after officers graduate from the academy, as well as being a firearm instructor.

HUNGER: University hopes to develop supplemental food program Continued from Pg. 1

ing done with the goal to launch campus-based intervention programs to support student success and degree completion,” said Interim Manager of Public Affairs Elizabeth Chapin.

it is still early in the stages, but we are researching it,” Director of Dining Services Lisa Andresen said. “As we go down this road, it would be my hopes that if we started a program, we would work in conjunction with the Associated Students.”

“We are looking at the programs that are out there, seeing what may or may not work here at Sonoma State University,” said Lisa Andresen.

In the first phase, results of surveys showed that 21 to 24 percent of students experience food insecurity, and 8 to 12 percent live in an unstable housing situation. On top of that, only 14 percent of students had knowledge of available support services on campus.

However, on the campuses with food security and shelter aid available, students are playing a vital role in the success of those programs.

“We also use student volunteers as needed to help with Pantry projects. Often a class will help the Pantry with fundraising, food donations or donated time. Students have been incredibly generous in contributing to the Pantry’s success,” Moroney said.

By using other CSU campuses as examples, Sonoma State could set up a very successful supplemental food program.

“We are looking at the programs that are out there, seeing what may or may not work here at Sonoma State University. So

Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, published a study in December about the same issue on community-college campuses.

Her findings show the issue certainly exists outside the CSU system.

According to a survey of more than 4,000 undergraduates at community colleges across the nation, half of all community college students are struggling with food and housing insecurity.

Fully 20 percent are hungry and 13 percent are homeless, according to the ‘Hungry To Learn’ study, performed by Goldrick-Rab. The majority of the issue was that many students wouldn’t buy enough food for the month and ran out of money for more.

It wasn’t that they didn’t have access, but they couldn’t afford it. However, the CSU Office of the Chancellor assured tuition wouldn’t be affected, and the research is important to future student success.

STAR // Megan Corcoran Sonoma State University officials have warned students recently about phishing emails attempting to steal students’ private information.

EMAILS: Students urged to avoid suspicious emails Continued from Pg. 1

hired for a job he or she never interviewed for, as well as the student being a recipient of a paycheck for work he or she never did.

“It’s scary because I’ve been told that these criminal emails look exactly like emails sent from the university,” said Aaron Bunfill, senior psychology major. “The fact that they are trying to take money from broke college students is really disgusting to me.”

While there isn’t a record to determine if there are students who have been victims of these scams, both Career and Police Services recommend students

contact the IT help desk if they are unsure of the origin of an email.

Sonoma State students are asked to be suspicious of any email that directly asks for their username and password, as the university’s IT will never ask for this information.

Additionally, students are asked to not click on any links or attachments connected to suspicious looking emails as these can infect the students computer with ad or malware and can aid in further criminal activity.

“Many phishing emails are caught by filters on the email server, but some still get through,” said Luvisi when asked about how police services

is alerted of potential harmful emails. “Occasionally, as in this case, a bunch of phishing emails that are part of the same campaign get through, and we take the opportunity to remind the community about the dangers of phishing emails.”

Students are asked to stay aware of future suspicious emails as they will always be relevant to such organizations like Sonoma State.

As the university’s population continues to grow so will the risk of criminal entailing emails.

As it is stated on the Sonoma State Career Services website, if an email is received and seems to good to be true, it probably is.

News

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Nineteen arrested at DUI checkpoint Christine Edwards Staff Writer

A STAR // Connor Gibson The Society and Culture Undergraduate Research Forum is now accepting submissions of student work. Last year’s forum (pictured above) was a popular event among students.

Research forum accepting student submissions Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer

The program, started by the Anthropology Club, aims to provide a way for students to present their research in a professional setting hoping to get published.

T

he Society and Culture Undergraduate Research Forum (SCURF) has been active for eight years at Sonoma State University.

The program, started by the Anthropology Club, aims to provide a way for students to present their research in a professional setting hoping to get published.

Every spring, about 15-20 reports are presented orally or through a poster. These students present their research in a professional conference setting knowing they have an opportunity to be in the annual SCURF journal.

There are currently seven volumes of this journal which display Sonoma State students’ research.

Started by the Anthropology Club, the forum was created to give Social Science majors a chance to get their research published.

As time moves on, students from many different

majors are being encouraged to participate to add an array of research from different walks of life.

Any research that covers topics of human or animal, cultures and societies is encouraged. L. Frank Manriquez, a well-known tribal scholar and activist, is expected to be the forum’s keynote speaker.

Manriquez is in multiple organizations that look to sustain Native California languages and cultures through travel, conferences, workshops and much more.

She has received many awards including an award from the American Association of University women.

This year’s forum will be held in the student center on May 4 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students, family, faculty and members of the public are welcome to

attend the forum. Drinks and food will be served to the crowd and the participants.

A journal is released and published yearly in a book of the greatest research presentations among the Sonoma State participants.

The cover art for thejournal can be done by any artist who volunteers their skill.

The theme this year is “Society and Culture however you interpret it.”

Those interested can send cover art to scurfssu@ gmail.com.

Those interested in presenting research can visit to the Department of Anthropology page on sonoma.edu and click on the SCURF link under ‘Department Resources’.

The final deadline to submit an abstract is March 22 by 5 p.m.

STAR // Kayla E. Galloway Stevenson Hall has been a topic of discussion among faculty and students because of a possible asbestos hazard.

ASBESTOS: Lawsuit against university Continued from Pg. 1

In 2013, the university conducted asbestos testing with a different firm called Millennium Environmental. Those reports showed 11 out of 112 dust samples had elevated levels of asbestos.

“The airways in Stevenson Hall and the dust are highly contaminated,” said Phillips.

“They are trying to say the air is still safe, but how can it be if the dust is contaminated and it’s coming through the airways?”

Philips has taught in Stevenson Hall for the past 22 years; however, for the last three years, he has decided to complete his classwork from home in order to minimize his time in his office due to asbestos and health concerns.

“There’s no reason why the university would want to hide something like this,” said Kashack. “These are people we work with. It’s ourselves who are also in these buildings.”

The Office of the President, along with those of other administrators including Kashack, are located in the in the first floor of Stevenson Hall. According to Phillips, that area of the building has been remodeled.

When asked about the concerns of professors, Burris said, “Anywhere you work you should feel like you are in a safe environment.

It’s important to be aware of one’s working conditions.”

“The faculty should be vacated from the building,” said Phillips. “They should be relocated like they were with Darwin, and it should happen sooner than later.”

ccording to Rohnert Park Police, a Feb. 27 DUI checkpoint led to 19 total arrests, including five arrests under suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Between 7 p.m. through 1 a.m. drivers headed eastboad on Expressway were stopped and over 1,300 vehicles were screened, 28 of which were told to park in a nearby lot for further questioning.

Police were looking for those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as unlicensed drivers, individuals violating probation or those with outstanding warrants. Field sobriety tests were conducted on several individuals.

This checkpoint has shown a dramatic increase in arrests from a series of checkpoints held in Rohnert Park last fall, one of which only resulted in a single arrest of a driver for not having a license present at the time they went through the checkpoint.

Police credit the zero DUI arrests during that particular checkpoint to the dramatic increase in the use of ride-

share companies.

Police were unavailable to comment on this increase in arrests from the series of checkpoints organized last fall.

A student explains why people may continue to drink and drive, despite the risks and cost associated with a DUI conviction.

“The amount of arrests that were made is crazy and I can’t believe that many people think they can get away with drinking and driving,” said senior communication major Makenzie Wynne. “I think that drinking and driving is so prevalent still because everyone thinks (a DUI) won’t happen to them and that they will be able to get away with it.”

The Public Safety Division of the Rohnert Park Police Department organizes all of the city’s DUI checkpoints and works closely with the Department of Public Safety in an effort to crackdown on drunk driving.

Funding for this checkpoint was provided to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Campus welcomed First Secretary of Cuban Embassy Joseph Encinas Asst. News Editor

M

iguel Fraga, the first secretary of the reestablished Cuban Embassy in Washington D.C., visited Sonoma State on Monday Fraga’s visit to Sonoma State’s campus serves as his first of many stops along his tour around the Bay Area, where he will take the chance to speak to audiences about U.S.-Cuban relations and whether or not relations are being improved.

Prior to arriving on campus, Fraga spent his day in Sacramento, where he was introduced on the Senate floor.

“I do not take that for me, I take that for my country,” said Fraga.

The talk, which was held at the Cooperage, was co-sponsored by Sonoma State’s Sociology Social Justice and Activism Club, Project Censored and the Media Freedom Foundation, Inc. Fraga attracted over 50 people to his presentation made up of students, community members and other media outlets.

Cuba now has the opportunity to send its first American Embassy Secretary in over 50 years due to a history of tension between the U.S. and Cuba. The tensions began to thaw out in April 2015, when President Barack Obama and his administration announced that Cuba would be removed from the list of countries that sponsor and support terrorism.

“Greater information about Cuba and the changes that it is and will experience is a good thing for students to understand,” said Sonoma State University President Ruben Armiñana.

As Fraga addresses the question “Has U.S. policy towards Cuba really changed?”, he brings a wealth of knowledge surrounding foreign affairs. Fraga has worked in the office of the United States Division of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Havana, Cuba and served as the Third Sec-

retary in the Cuban Embassy in Canada.

He also boasts a Master of Science in Foreign Relations from the Higher Institute of Foreign Relations in Havana.

“I think students [missed] a rare opportunity to be a part of history if they choose not to come listen to [Fraga] speak,” said Christian Francisco, freshman undeclared major at Sonoma State University, “He carries the experience and knowledge that many students can use to change future generations.”

His knowledge extends from his work, but also being on the other side of the story. Fraga argued that although relations are beginning to normalize, the media does a poor job of accurately representing Cuba.

“The real issue is that people don’t have enough information about Cuba, only misinformation that paints a completely different picture about modern day Cuba,” said Fraga.

Fraga presented his argument with numbers and facts that he felt had been left out of the story for far too long; he noticed that a gap between American knowledge of Cuba extends all the way back to the early 1960s and he thinks it is a travesty that over 50 years of history of a country can manage to fly under the radar for so long “Looking into whether relations are really changing is important when it comes down to the business side of things,” said Alex McCarson, freshman pre-business major, “Once Cuba solidifies itself as a solid business partner with the U.S., there’s no telling how much of a drastic change both countries will undergo.”

The future of the two countries and the way they will manage to work together is still very much up in the air, but Fraga and many others are working to inform people about the mysterious county of Cuba.

Fraga stresses, Cuba is not a country to fear, rather a country prepared to help and support those who need it.

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Los Angeles Nancy Reagan, 94, wife to the 40th president of the United States Ronald Reagan, died in her house in Los Angeles on Sunday. She died of congestive heart failure. Nancy was known for being a fierce advocate for her husband before and during his presidency.

Page 6

Arts

From the classroom to Hollywood S

Sarah Fishback Staff Writer

onoma State University alumn Alex Bretow used to walk the halls of Sonoma State University like any other student - but now he is producing movies for Hollywood. Bretow was known by many throughout the communications and media studies community and Sonoma State; he even got the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the Cannes Film Festival for one of his films that won recognition during his senior year.

“The Secret of 40” is Alex Bretow’s newest movie he is the producer of, alongside director Kourosh Ahari, who also directed the noteable film “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

“Ahari was inspired by an old book he read a long time ago,” said Bretow. “He took a ritual that was supposed to be used to bring about good things, and turned it into something much darker.”

What most don’t know is that “The Secret of 40” was a book originally written in Farsi before it was a movie.

Some of the actors in the film, which released Friday, include Julian De La Celle (“Ugly Betty,” “The Fosters”), Christy St. John (“I Had Fun”) Robert Rusler, Judie Aronson and George Maguire.

In “The Secret of 40,” De La Celle’s character, Josh becomes desolate after the death of his mother. In order to cope with her death, he tries to figure out how he could potentially contact her after her death. That’s when he uses “an obscure ritual and performs it in an attempt to reach her beyond the grave.” The aftermath of the ritual that Josh had done to get to his mother “unlock unseen doors as he taps into powers beyond his control” stated Bretow.

The movie was created and filmed in San Jose and worked on by other Sonoma State University students and alumni, including co-executive director Jason Weiss and production coordinator and script supervisor Anna Luna.

For Ahari, working with the cast was what he enjoyed the most.

“Bretow is very passionate which makes getting work done very easy,” said Ahari.

When creating a movie such as this, Bretow talked about the timeline of the movies production and what pieces of technology they used in order to create this three panel movie experience.

The timeline for the film began in August and when asked how long the production of the film took, Bretow responded, “Two months. That was the crazy part.”

One of the hardest things for Bretow during the creation of this movie was figuring out how to use a new type of technology called three screen technology.

Bretow also spoke of the impact that the small, but mighty film community at Sonoma State University has had on his career. Because of the small film community at Sonoma State, Bretow helped develop it during his time as a student.

Bretow helped form the current curriculum for SSUtv while his films were constantly featured at the CineNoma film festival as wells as Campus Moviefest.

“The most valuable thing I learned as a Sonoma State University student was that hard work pays off,” said Bretow, “and the power of building relationships.”

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Courtesy // A Hero to Fall A Hero to Fall has made a name for itself not only in Sonoma County, but throughout California during their tour in January.

A Hero to Fall displays an unparalleled passion for music Misha Herbert Staff Writer

F

or most students, winter break is a time to go home for the holidays or binge watch a series on Netflix. For John Benitez, Andrew Gonzales and Michael Guerrero, the month of January brought an entirely different opportunity: the chance their band to go on tour.

A Hero to Fall, founded in 2011, is composed of John Benitez (drums), Andrew Gonzales (guitar/ vocals), Michael Guerrero (guitar/vocals) and Nico Mulletgnarly (bass). The group has released one EP, “What Doesn’t Kill You,” along with several singles and is currently working on its upcoming EP, “Past Lives, Current Lies.”

Although AHTF has performed several shows throughout Sonoma County and the Bay Area, the band is most proud of their recent west coast tour, which took them across three states and twice as many venues.

“It took us five years to get there,” said Benitez, a fourth-year communications & media studies major at Sonoma State University, “We put in a lot of hard work, determination, and dedication to do so. We couldn’t have been happier and more excited to hit the road and play in cities we had never been to before.”

The music they play is fast and powerful. The energetic drums are paired with hyper-technical guitar phrases that make it almost impossible to not get pumped up while listening.

If restricted within a single genre, AHTF would most closely resemble progressive metalcore. But the everyday relevance of the themes within the music cannot be denied, touching on subjects ranging from relationships to depression and suicide, the lyrics are meant to shine light on topics that affect a large part of society.

In “Breathe Again,” from the album “What Doesn’t Kill You,” the lyrics emphasize the struggles that many young adults go through: “As time stands

still/ And you don’t feel like you can go another day/ Just remember, it goes away.”

For Guerrero, a fourth-year early childhood development major, playing music is much more than a hobby.

“I’m planning on becoming a special education teacher,” he said, “There are tons of ways that music can benefit children, both typically and non-typically developing.”

The passion for playing music is paralleled by all the members of the band as well.

“There are so many times where I can be found beating the living daylights out of my truck steering wheel with my fingers,” said Benitez, “It’s all because of the music I’m listening to… It’s infectious.”

The band’s energy is most palpable at their live shows, which they frequently have all around Sonoma County.

“I have lots of fun memories at their shows,” says Lizzie Trout, a longtime fan. “There was a holiday show that the guys did at the Arlene Francis Center where the bassist wore a Grinch mask and danced on stage while he played. He was the highlight of the show.”

While being in a band has been very rewarding for its members, it has not been without a few challenges. According to Benitez, the most difficult obstacle has been funding the project.

“There’s recording costs, merch costs, transportation costs, equipment costs, management costs, not to mention personal costs,” he said. “Nonetheless, we are determined to get our music in the hands of people, and if that means paying for it ourselves, then so be it.”

The burdens of being in a band became all too real when the AHTF’s brand new equipment trailer got totaled while on tour in January. “It put a halt to the project and we are still feeling the effects of the incident,” said Guerrero. Still, the group remains optimistic and directs their energy to the music.

Information for upcoming shows can be found on A Hero To Fall’s Facebook page.

The origin of the Seawolf Allison Kelley Staff Writer

W

hat exactly is a Seawolf? Many Sonoma State University students have probably heard this question countless of times.

Since the answer isn’t an obvious one, most might not know exactly how to respond to curious relatives and friends who ask.

Recently, the walls on the first floor of the Student Center were decorated with giant works of art. They portray the inspiration by which Sonoma State got its mascot and give students the opportunity to acknowledge and understand part of the school’s history. The hope for these new art additions is to liven the school’s spirit and honor the Seawolf.

The first thing one might see as they enter the Student Center are the large framed photos hanging on the back walls. These blown-up photographs portray books from author Jack London.

London was a highly successful writer in America during the early 20 th Century.

His life was not easy as he grew up in poverty in the Oakland slums. Most of his story creations came from his own experiences and hardships. His most popular book, “The Sea-Wolf,” is shown as a theme throughout

the display.

This famous book, written in 1904, depicts one man’s journey through the Pacific Ocean.

Living an upper-class lifestyle, Humphrey Van Weyden struggles with balancing good and evil within himself. He goes out to sea to seek adventure and experience to become the writer of his dreams. He then falls under order from the sea captain, Wolf Larsen, who is otherwise known as a bully, murderer and madman. As the story progresses, the characters undergo many obstacles and struggles for survival.

This book demonstrates how the battles in nature can cause humans to lose their grip on reality.

Ryan Ernst, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sonoma State, describes how these art pieces came alive.

“The Living Room art is one of the last permanent installations originally planned as part of the Student Center interior design,” said Ernst. “The concept was envisioned by the art consultants who assisted with selecting with most of the wall mounted art in the building. These photos reflect the University’s association with Jack London.”

“The Sea-Wolf” is shown several times - 13 to be exact throughout the art collection. On the left side of the room hangs a photograph that blurs out every book except for “The Sea-Wolf,”

making it easily visible. The next photo expands across the entire wall next to the fireplace.

It incorporates many of London’s other books, which include “The Call of the Wild,” “South Sea Tales,” “The Iron Heel,” “When God Laughs,” “Moon Face” and a few others. Hanging directly above the fireplace is a close up individual photograph of “The Sea-Wolf.” Although a passersby may easily miss the other photographs, this particular piece can capture attention from across the room.

“These photos add life to the Student Center,” said junior Ricky Komaroff. “It gives me something to look at. Also, Jack London is one of my favorite authors so it’s nice to see his work recognized through art.”

The once bare walls are now filled with images students can relate to.

“I knew that we were named after “The Sea-Wolf” by Jack London, I’m just not sure if a lot of other students know where our mascot comes from,” said junior Gaby Hingley.

Jack London’s book collection can be found in the Sonoma State library. He was a devoted writer who incorporated strength and empowerment into his books. The Seawolf can be viewed as a courageous character that succeeded regardless of the predicaments.

facebook.com/ thesecretof40shortfilm Sonoma State alumn Alex Bretow has made a name for himself in the film industry, most recently by producing the film “The Secret of 40.”

STAR // Sara Wildman New art pieces can now be found on display in the Student Center’s Living Room.

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

Page 7

‘The Legend of Zelda,’ restored

Rene De Amaral Staff Writer

Review

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hen Nintendo decides to release and revamp one of their popular Legend of Zelda games, that can normally only be played on older systems, they don’t disappoint.

The new “Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” is no exception and is a wonderful addition to the Wii U’s already expansive game library.

Like every “Legend of Zelda” game, you start your journey as Link, the series’ main protagonist. After running around doing various tasks, gathering items and Rupees and going over the game’s basic tutorials, you must guide Link throughout the Kingdom of Hyrule with the hope that he can defeat Ganondorf (or his alter-ego Gannon), rescue Princess Zelda, and save Hyrule from the impending darkness.

“Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD,” really lives up to its name. Its graphics have had a complete overhaul. Wandering around in in this new HD version of Hyrule offers the player many opportunities to bask in the game’s gorgeous world. On top of the overall look and views to be seen in the game, and stray pixels or oddly drawn features character’s faces have been smoothed out, making for a very seamless look while playing. In addition, any castles, homes,

bridges, plants and anything else that may not be as noticeable at a glance have been completely retextured, to the point where individual bricks can be seen on the expansive Hyrule Castle rather than blurred or stray pixels.

Another substantial improvement to this classic game is the overall control the player has. Twilight Princess is distinctly different from others in the “Legend of Zelda” series because in this setting, Link will be occasionally turned into a wolf (until later on in the game when he is able to transform at will), and in this wolf form, you have Midna, a mysterious being who assists you throughout the game.

In the original release of the game, it was often difficult to control Link’s wolf form, as he was not as f luid as human Link.

While not perfect, the controls now respond much faster, the combat feels more f luid in the sense that you’re not charging at enemies in rapid circles and Midna’s assistance is not as sporadic and actually helpful.

Becoming a wolf in the game is no longer annoying and it helps the player truly appreciate what the intention was when the game was original released.

An interesting new feature this version of the game offers is the use of the popular Amiibo figures. If the player has access to the Link, Toon Link, Princess Zelda, Sheik or Ganondorf Amiibo figures and places them on their Amiibo reader on their Wii U gamepad, they will be able to access various benefits, such as having Link’s health restored or

his arrows refilled. An exclusive Amiibo called “Wolf Link,” which depicts Link in his wolf form and Midna on his back, can be purchased with the game. Not only does it look awesome with your ever-growing and possibly excessive Amiibo collection, it also allows the player to experience a brand new dungeon: The Cave of Shadows.

Twilight Princess has arguably some of the best and most interesting dungeons and puzzles in the series, which makes The Cave of Shadows seem slightly disappointing.

It’s a long, arduous journey with a total of 40 f loors to complete, and should not be attempted until the player has gotten at least seven to eight health hearts, have a few fairies in a jar available and maybe invests in a beneficial Amiibo or two. Save yourself the frustration and enjoy the main story until you’re ready to tackle it. While it’s a cool addition to the game, and allows the player to explore more Wolf Link combat, it’s definitely a long, repetitive journey for a very minimal reward (a Colossal Wallet that holds 9,999 Rupees), acting more as a purely combat dungeon, rather than a combination of puzzles and combat.

Overall, “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” is a great addition to your game library, whether you played the original or are fairly new to “The Legend of Zelda” series. Even with a few f laws scattered here and there, its story, combat, dungeons and breathtaking world is exciting enough to attract any gamer, old and young.

facebook.com/TheBachelor ABC’s “The Bachelor,” which has had 10 seasons, brings reality TV to the next level by making love a topic of entertainment.

The love, the lies, ‘The Bachelor’ Emma Devitt Staff Writer

W

Commentary

hen it comes to love, some will go to extreme lengths to find it. Whether it’s downloading Tinder or attending speed dating events, there are multiple ways to find love nowadays. But for those particularly desperate love-seekers, there’s “The Bachelor.”

“The Bachelor” is television’s most popular reality show. The show started in March of 2002 and has gained an almost cult-like following. Viewers tune in every season to watch 25 women compete for the love of one man.

Each week, one or more women are eliminated to narrow down who the Bachelor gives his final rose to, and maybe even an engagement ring too.

Let’s just take a minute to talk about how insane this is: America has been obsessed with watching women, season after season, make fools of themselves fighting other women for a chance at a relationship with a man, which most likely won’t last (out of the 19 seasons of the show, only a few couples have remained together). Viewers are even encouraged to make a fantasy draft on who will make it to the final episode.

The show is currently in its twentieth season, and ABC is boasting its celebration of “20 years of love”more like 20 years of extremely unhealthy relationships and of depicting women as insane and overly-emotional.

Even “The Bachelor’s” sister show, “The Bachelorette,” depicts the female as the one upset by the decisions made, even though she is the one making them. Sure, the guys might shed a tear after being eliminated, but watching a woman blubber “I was falling in love with him,” with mascara running down her face is apparently more entertaining.

Women who watch this show are basically being told that you have to be the best to get picked, to win and to be loved. You have to look a certain way, be a certain size (the average contestant is a size 6), and have a certain attitude to deserve love. If you don’t fit into the criteria, you don’t deserve love. A past contestant said she “really deserved this,” telling audiences that love is something to be won like a fancy car or the lottery.

Gender stereotypes are not the only thing wrong with this show. A simple google search on “The Bach-

elor” will show that ABC doesn’t treat its cast members very well.

For example, not one of the contestants are compensated for their time on the show, which no doubt interferes with their careers. Only the bachelor or bachelorette is paid, the sum being over $100,000.

The women are told to buy their own dresses for every episode of the show. They are also told that they can’t wear the same thing twice. Because of this rule, some women cash in their 401k’s early to be able to pay for them.

During the seven weeks of filming (yes, it only takes seven weeks to find love), the contestants are not allowed to have their phones, computers, books, magazines or music- though they are given plenty of alcohol.

When the couple is given time in the “fantasy suite,” the network doesn’t even supply condoms. A former contestant alleged that the producers would call the girls names and curse at them to get good footage.

The rose ceremonies take hours to shoot. Contestants are forced to stand in place sometimes until 6 a.m. to get all of the shots the producers need. The producers even make flashcards with pictures for the Bachelor to help him remember the names of each woman.

Relationships are hard work. They take time, conversation and dedication to each other to build. This show puts people in fantasy-like situations on unrealistically romantic dates where a few words are exchanged, and in no time the couple resorts to making out. How viewers are led to believe that the love supposedly being built is anything but physical is insane.

“The Bachelor” aids the belief that love is all roses, romantic outings and fun. Though many tears are shed on this show, they’re never for anything hard or worthwhile.

Love is easy in the world of “The Bachelor”; the hardest part is picking which beautiful woman to have it with.

You don’t have to be a feminist to see that this show reduces women to a commodity and men as the ultimate prize to be won. The main viewership of this show is high school to college-age women, mostly young and impressionable minds ready to be twisted and told that they are not good enough.

“The Bachelor” and programs like it are tearing away creativity and honesty and replacing it with stupidity, telling its viewers that this is what is desired: To be tan and a size 6, to have silky hair and perfect makeup and to be loved for your looks instead of your personality.​

facebook.com/DisneyZootopia Disney’s “Zootopia” broke a box office record this weekend, earning $73.7 million, surpassing “Frozen’s” $67 million earned on its opening weekend.

Disney finally gets real Olivia H unt Staff Writer

Commentary

T

he quirky yet culturally-relevant new release “Zootopia” dominated the box office by reaching $73.7 million during its opening weekend alone.

Unlike other recent animated films that have shown less success such as Disney’s own “Tomorrowland” and “The Good Dinosaur,” this film shows immense promise.

The “Zootopia” world features a clever mix of archetypal Disney tropes blended with witty pop culture references, and feels like an authentic Disney classic.

Although the film is overf lowing with humor, including a scene at the DMV which is ironically run by sloths, it’s strategic in its undertone.

The premise of the film follows a young and eager bunny rabbit named Hopps, who leaves her large family behind to prove she can make it in the big city. The concept of Zootropolis aims to portray a world in which mammals have evolved beyond their traditional predator/prey relationship in order to form a fully functioning society.

The intricate ecosystem they’ve built exemplifes how discrimination of any kind is unethical and holds a society back from their full potential. The idealistic and somewhat naive Hopps enters Zootropolis with the intention of fulfilling her lifelong dream to become the first bunny officer on the police force, and she does just that.

Although she’s still in awe of her new life, she soon experiences the demeaning nature in which her coworkers treat her with. The audience first witnesses the underlying focus of the film when Hopps coworkers refer to her as “cute” to which she responds with, “I’m not just a token bunny,” beginning a potent feminist streak.

Among other scenes, this sets up the audience to think of this movie in relation to our society today and how it is plagued with bigotry. Whether intentional or not, the film brings up the topic of policing, a topic of much discussion in recent years.

Inherent racism is shown in several scenes, one of them being a mother pulling her children closer to her when a tiger sits next to them on the subway. The film tries to give the audience a nuanced understanding of how this sort of prejudice works and just how common it is. By using unmistakable satire to present these factors through the lives of animals, it allows the audience to compare this prejudice to our current era and put things in perspective. In the words of Officer Judy Hopps, this is a place “where anyone can be anything.” This valuable lesson is not only positive for children who naturally grow up insecure and lost, but also extremely imperative for adults as well.

All of the elements of “Zootopia” are cleverly interjected through extreme creativity and open-mindedness by the usage of layered subtext. The imaginary world serves as a timeless allegory that magnifies and features the troubles of human society through a fictional mammalian civilization.

At its core, “Zootopia” is a cautionary tale of prejudice, discrimination and overt xenophobia that exists so prevalently in our society today. The heartwarming messages of rejecting these societal inequalities and embracing the complicated nature of multiculturalism is crucial to educate ourselves on as we continue to progress. These heavy themes challenge the audience to be more tolerant, compassionate and loving during the trying times that envelop our world.

Page 8

Student Life

March 8- March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Sara Wildman STAR // Brennan Chin Last Friday, 12 organizations participated in Alpha Gamma Delta’s annual Lip Jam. The theme was ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ and each group got a movie to portray through a five-minute lip singing performance.

Lip Jam expected to have rasied record amount for the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation

H

Audrey Altman Staff Writer

ours of practice, crafting and more practice for one, five-minute performance. Twelve organizations gave it their all for Alpha Gamma Delta’s 24th annual Lip Jam last Friday in front of an audience of 1,600.

Each organization chose a popular hollywood movie to portray musically using new and old songs and voice-overs to tell the story of the movie they had chosen.

They were judged on how well they portrayed the film, their lip syncing ability, the choreography and the overall performance.

The night began with the new initiates of Alpha Gamma Delta taking the audience to 1985 with “Back To The Future.”

Wearing scrunchies and off the shoulder shirts, these girls danced their hearts out with characters portraying Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown. Using songs by Beyonce, Fergie, and Elvis to portray the film, the audience was tapping their feet along to the music.

Next on stage was Alpha Xi Delta, doing their rendition of “The Wizard of Oz.” They told the story of Dorothy waking up in Oz and meeting the lion, tinman and scarecrow on her way to find the Wizard of Oz to take her home.

Girls were dressed up as the yellow brick road, the people of oz and the main characters which brought back the true spirit of this classic tale.

After was Alpha Psi’s performance of “The Titanic,” which won them the superlative award for best comedic relief.

With some performers wearing dresses and tuxedos, one member dressed as the Titanic and the other as an iceberg, they had the audience laughing the entire dance.

Kappa Delta Zeta was up next with their lip sync to “Forest Gump.” With voice overs from the actual movie and both old and current songs, they told the love story between Forest and Jenny as portrayed in the film.

The ladies of Phi Sigma Sigma were up next, and they did their rendition of “Mary Poppins.” They had the crowd in awe of their dance skills and portrayal of the film while having girls playing Michael, Jane and Mary to give the audience a true feel for the movie.

For the first time in Lip Jam history, the Blue Baronz came on stage, winning them the superlative award of most entertaining for their performance of “West Side Story.” They didn’t need crazy outfits or voice overs to win over the audience, their choreography alone captured the audience.

The audience then took a quick trip to Hogwarts as Alpha Delta Pi was up next dancing and lip syncing to “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Characters inclued Harry, Dumbledore, Hermonie and Ron to give the audience a close portrayal of the film, while including popular songs like “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry and “Our House” by Flo Rida.

Afer an intermission, Last years’ winners Gamma Phi Beta took the stage, performing “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” winning them the superlative award of best portrayal of an original film, they also won the People’s Choice

award, which meant they donated the most money to the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation and got a $150 check to their philanthropy.

Phi Delta Theta made a dramtic entrance, entering the stage in all black tuxedo’s doing their rendition of the 1972 film “The Godfather.”

“We had such a blast choreographing and dancing on stage,” said Sam Gad, Phi Delta Theta’s lip jam delegate. “Lip Jam is such a fun event and it makes you feel so good knowing that you are doing it for such a good cause.”

Next was Alpha Omicron Pi performing their dance to “Annie,” using voiceovers, and both new and old versions of the classic song, “It’s a Hard Knock Life.”

With all the members of the orphanage, Daddy Warbucks, Miss Hannigan and Annie on stage, this broadway classic made the audience reminince and cheer.

The members of Lambda Kappa Pi did a rendition of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The pirate costumes kept the audience entranced as they danced with swords in hand.

Tau Kappa Epsilon took the stage right after, portraying the 1981 film “Indiana Jones.” They had the audience laughing the whole time, as they used homemade voice-overs and had members dressed up as snakes, rocks, Indy and Marion.

Closing the show out was the Alpha Gamma Delta seniors as they had Danny and Sandy on stage to portray “Grease.”

With their ending song “We Go Together,” the nastaliga on graduating hit the seniors and the audience. They all danced for one last time before they graduated, with the

pink ladies and the t-birds making an ode to the classic hit.

Participants waited anxiously outside the Green Music Center to find out who won.

In third place was Phi Sigma Sigma, second place went to Alpha Xi Delta, and first place was Alpha Delta Pi. “There was months of preparation that went into planning this event, and it’s such a great feeling to see how successful it went. In just ticket sales alone, we made over $23,000 dollars,” said Lip Jam Coordinator Alex Leininger. “All of our money we makes goes to the Alpha Gamma Delta foundation which supports Diabetes Education and Awareness, and it’s such an amazing feeling knowing that all of our hard work paid off and we get to give all this money to such a great cause.”

The Alpha Gamma Delta foundation gives grants, donations and assistance with the payment of diabetes related medical bills. It also helps fund leadership conferences, scholarships and grants to better the education of women.

“It’s so nice knowing that when you’re buying a ticket, that money your spending is going to something so much more than me just seeing a show,” said Theresa Lehr, mother of an Alpha Gamma Delta senior. “Getting the opportunity to watch my daughter dance on stage and see all the hard work her chapter put into this event makes me so proud.”

Last year, Alpha Gamma Delta was able to raise over $40,000 for their philanthropy, and has raised over $100,000 in the last three years.

Audrey Altman is a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Nate Campbell brings his experience to KSUN

“H

Rachel McCloskey Staff Writer

ey listeners, thanks for tuning into KSUN, the official Sonoma State radio station, for the students of Sonoma State, by the students of Sonoma State.”

This is a commonly heard line when tuning into Sonoma State University’s official radio station and radio class COMS 385, KSUN radio.

KSUN is a student-run online radio station that can be heard any time of the day through the Sonoma State App and through the Sonoma State Radio website.

KSUN is an opportunity for students to get real-life experience working for a radio station, and this is all done with the help of Professor Nate Campbell.

Campbell has been working in the professional radio industry for the past 20 years. He is currently a broadcaster for 100.1 KZST, 106.3 “The Bull” and 102.7 “The Wolf.” He started teaching as a student-teacher while getting his Masters Degree in interdisciplinary studies, when he realized his love of teaching.

“My favorite memory has to be looking back through the years at all the students I’ve taught radio to,” said Campbell. “Now you can hear their voices all over the airwaves of Sonoma County. Plus all my students who now work professionally in radio but not on-air.”

Campbell has taught in both the music department and the communications and dedia studies department during his time at Sonoma State. His music courses include History of Country music, Music of Bob Dylan and the History of Rock Music. The communications and dedia studies courses he has taught are KSUN: Media Lab, Intro to Radio Broadcasting, Advanced Radio, Sports Talk, The Music Business and Recording Industry, Music, MTV and the Media and Media Ethics.

Some of the KSUN leaders tend to think that Campbell shows tough love.

“Nate’s definitely hard on me, but I know it’s only because he wants me to thrive,” said Kayla Moshki, senior public relations manager for KSUN. Having an instructor that has real-life experience in the field they’re teaching can have benefits for students. Campbell is able to relate their everyday career to lessons taught in class and he is a big believer in not wasting the time of his students.

“Students should know the advice I give during their time at school here at Sonoma State. All the pieces matter,” said Campbell. “It’s the days that lie between the memories that are most impactful, you should always be honing your craft, whatever it is, and don’t waste your own time.”

“He creates a connection to the professional world by finding students with a passion for radio, loads of opportunities to get your foot in the door,” said Cody Gleason, general manager at KSUN. Campbell recently helped Gleason land an

STAR // Brandon Stachnik As the adviser for Sonoma State’s KSUN radio, Nate Campbell brings his real-world experience in radio to help guide his students towards their future careers. internship at ESPN sports radio after giving him the opportunity to be the General Manager for KSUN radio.

“Having Nate as a professor is what inspired me to want a career in radio,” said Gleason.

“Whether it’s radio, country music, sportstalk or media ethics, I hope students who take my classes develop a better appreciation for the topics. If I’m able to steer a student professionally, that’s great, but I also love when a student gains a sort of personal growth or understanding from a course that I teach,” said Campbell.

Student Life

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Headaches, not warm welcomes when house hunting in Rohnert Park

Carly Saber Staff Writer

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Commentary

ooking for housing off-campus in Rohnert Park can be one of the hardest things students will do during their time at Sonoma State University. The surrounding area is not what some would call “a college town.” It’s more like a small town filled with cranky old people and families with small children, oh and also a bunch of wild college students.

Of course, not all students are wild and not all of the old people are cranky. But it certainly feels that way when its time to look for housing.

The first battle of finding off-campus housing is finding places that are available.

There are multiple apartment complex-

es and various rental houses throughout Rohnert Park, as well as Cotati and Petaluma. However, the people who live in them are mostly here to stay.

That means it requires some serious internet scouring to find those that are available when the exact time comes.

If the house hunt search begins too early, then all of the currently available places will be gone when the time comes.

So, even though it seems stressful and that the search should begin as early as possible so do not freak out months in advance.

I needed to move into a place on Jan. 1.

This meant that by the end of October, I was already looking for houses. What did I find?

Through November, every place told me that it would be off the market by then and that I needed to check back in December to see what would be available.

Property owners do not like it when their houses sit empty. This means that they’re trying to fill the space as soon as possible.So the further away your move in date, the more likely they are to go with someone else. The second battle of off-campus housing is price.

The rental prices in the city of Rohnert Park are extremely high. Currently, twobedroom houses are renting for about $2000$2200 a month, and three bedroom houses are renting for about $2300-$2600. Apartments seem to range from about $1500-

Social media advice from a professional Jessica Shipma Staff Writer

O

ne-third of employers will pass on a candidate because of poor grammar skills used online.

Krista Neher came to Sonoma State University to give a seminar on social media use. A native Canadian, Krista starts the seminar off with an apology for the words she will surely mispronounce. She informs students that a great way to avoid a ticket is to claim you’re Canadian and don’t understand American laws.

All jokes aside, Neher had plenty of valuable information for students based on her eight-year career. Neher’s seminar focused on how students can make their online selves look more professional in order to secure a job.

She commented how students represent themselves on Instagram.

“If your Instagram is full of bikini pictures, alcohol and pictures at the club, out of context when people see that this is how you’re choosing to represent yourself, they may find it inappropriate,” said Neher.

Neher mentioned that individuals have been fired from ranting about their job on Facebook.

“We are all entitled to our opinions, but we’re not free from the implications of those opinions,” said Neher.

She tells the audience how important it is to know their Facebook profile settings.

Another piece of advice she has is doing regular Google searches on one’s name and check their own Facebook regulary. Neher suggests locking down personal profiles and creating secondary, more professional profiles that employers are more likely to see.

“You can control what people see if you create public profiles that make you look smart, professional

and friendly. You can control a lot more of what people think about you,” said Neher.

Her best piece of advice, however, is to create a LinkedIn profile. ninety-five percent of job recruiters will go directly to LinkedIn to look up a candidate. She suggests students should start working on their profiles now rather than scrambling to get it done when they start applying for jobs.

Neher acknowledges that a lot of people struggle with old profiles that they no longer have access to.

Her advice in these situations is to build new content that will push those profiles down the page on Google search.

LinkedIn is typically one of the first search results you will see on Google along with a personal website. She suggests also creating an about.me account and a slideshare. com profile.

A lot of students found Neher’s advice to be new information, especially when it comes to making social media accounts professional.

“I’ve always viewed social media as something that’s detrimental to yourself, but it can be used as a tool to build up a better persona professionally,” said freshman Taya Andrade.

Most college students don’t think about owning their own website. For roughly $10 a month, students can maintain a website dedicated to themselves. It’s something they will have forever and can be a valuable tool when applying for jobs. “[I learned] to build a professional website and use the type of social media to build yourself as a smart professional,” said freshamn Samantha Noriega. “I didn’t know people could use social media as a tool.”

Neher gave students some life advice as the seminar drew near the end. “Do better than just not sucking” said Neher.

$2000 depending on location and number of rooms.

These are some pretty high prices to pay to live in a town that does not even want students living in it.

Most of the areas in Rohnert Park are safe and the buildings are in good condition. However, Rohnert Park is no Chino Hills and the prices of the rental homes reflect that. Chino Hills was ranked in Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” in 2012.

Will Rohnert Park ever be ranked?

Probably not. So needless to say, students are paying for overpriced off-campus housing because they simply have no other options.

The city knows that students will pay what ever is asked of them because they have nowhere else to go. The third battle of finding off-campus housing is the scams. Do not fall for the scams. Most scams can be found on Craigslist– so students should beware if that’s the site they are using.

To avoid scamming, students should drive by the property and see if there is a sign for the property management company in the lawn to make sure they match the company they talked to online. Also, if the landlord can only be contacted via email, if the house is listed considerably lower than others in the area or if the security deposit needs to be wired are all signs it could be a scam.

A good rule of thumb to go by while searching online for housing is “If it’s too

good to be true, it probably is.” The best way to avoid these scams is to go through a property management company.

There are a ton of different companies in Rohnert Park alone.

Zillow can be a great starting place, but try and find the house you like on Zillow on a property management site.

The last battle of off-campus housing is co-signers. This refers to having parents put their name on the lease and then listing their child as the tenant.

This is important because most college students do not have credit, or if they do, it’s not substantial and they do not have stable long-term incomes that show they will be a reliable tenant.

By putting a parent down on the lease, it makes the student appear to be a safer tenant.

However, many houses in Rohnert Park do not allow for co-signers because they are trying to avoid renting their homes to a group of college students.

Remember to ask about co-signers before getting too invested in the place. Even though it’s a struggle and a war to find housing, the victory is oh so sweet. Moving into off-campus housing is one of the best feelings.

No more CSAs, no more “quiet hours” (real-life quiet hours is an entirely different beast), and you can finally nail things into the walls. Hello shelves.

Page 10

Sports

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

OT not enough for Seawolf playoff comeback Bianca S anborn Staff Writer

S

onoma State University men’s basketball team nearly pulled off another upset in round two against UC San Diego, just three days after the Seawolves proved they could ball with one of the best in the league.

The battle against the Tritons was the first postseason berth for the Seawolves in their past two seasons.

The competition was fierce at the RIMAC Arena on Tuesday night, with both teams battling for a spot in the semifinals. The Seawolves played confidently, but San Diego was fighting for redemption, taking the 5-point lead in the bitter 71-66 Seawolf loss.

The Tritons secured the advantage throughout the first half of the game, but Sonoma kept up with the help of the team’s solid defense and key offensive plays by Luke Cochran, James Davis, and Michael Avery.

James Davis tied the second half with 18:23 left to play, but the vengeful Tritons went off on a 10-0 run against the Seawolves, putting the score at 3727.

“At that time, I was thinking that we had to find a way to score,” said Davis, “Our defense ranked No. 10 in the country in points allowed, but our offense sat at No. 281 in points per game out of about 300 teams. All season scoring has been our issue.”

Avery launched back into the game,

breaking the Triton streak with five points right off the bench.

With three minutes left in the game, Davis hit the 3-pointer that put the Seawolves at a 1-point advantage, 49-48.

Avery emphasized the lead with another 3-pointer, but the Tritons fought to tie the game at 53 points, just before fouling Davis at the 3-point line.

Davis drained all three free throws, putting the Seawolves up 56-53 with only two seconds left in the game.

Although the odds were stacked against the Tritons, they managed an impressive inbound play to the 3-point line to tie the game and send them into overtime.

Sonoma State took the lead in OT, but the Tritons went on a 9-0 run with 1:52 left in the game to pull away to a 5- point victory.

“In OT we could’ve done a better job on the defensive end getting stops,” said Ahern, reflecting on Tuesday’s game.

Although seniors Davis and Ahern weren’t able to end their collegiate careers with a win, they were selected to the 2015-16 California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Basketball AllConference team.

Davis received a Second Team nod, while Ahern was an Honorable Mention.

“It feels good to be recognized as one of the better players in the league,” said Davis, “but I think this is a team award. Without my teammates I

sonomaseawolves.com James Davis rises over UCSD defenders for two of his 26 points wouldn’t be able to get this acknowledgement.”

Davis finishes his notable career as the team’s leading scorer for two years in a row, averaging 13.9 points per game this season.

As a junior, Davis was a First-Team All-CCAA selection, and received recognition as the Sonoma State Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

Ahern, Sonoma State’s secondleading scorer at 11.4 points per game, is also the league’s second best free throw shooter at 87.6 percent.

“I feel honored to be recognized on the CCAA All-Conference team. It wouldn’t have been possible without my

coaches or teammates,” Ahern said.

What’s next for these star athletes?

“I’ll be graduating in May with a degree in marketing and would like to pursue a career in sales,” Ahern said.

“It’s bittersweet. I’ve played basketball my whole life so for it to come to an end is sad, but I am also ready to move on with life outside of playing basketball,” said Davis, “My plan is to get a job and start my career. Maybe someday get into coaching.”

This is the first time the Seawolves finished the season with a winning record in their past three seasons. They cap off their 2015-16 season with an overall record of 14-13 (9-11 CCAA).

Baseball team moves closer to .500 Hailee Zastrow Staff Writer

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he rain can’t dampen the Sonoma State University’s baseball team’s spirits after a huge road victory this weekend, winning two of its three games against conference foe Cal Poly Pomona.

According to the CCAA coaches’ preseason poll, Ponoma was predicted to finish first in the South Division.

The Seawolves, on the other hand, were predicted to finish in second in their respective, North Division behind Chico State.

Despite losing 10-2 to the Broncos in game one on Friday, the Seawolves fought back later that day, winning game two, 6-3. The next day, each offense came to play but is was Sonoma that came out on top, winning the game 8-7 and the series Saturday afternoon.

After a tough loss in game one Friday and a slow start in game two, Bryan Cid put the Seawolves on top late in the game. Down 3-2 in the sixth, Cid launched a double to left field, which plated two runs and put Sonoma State in the lead.

Cid continued to contribute with two stolen bases and a run,

ending the game 6-3.

Pitcher Cal Becker picked up his first win of the season, after coming in for starter Haydon Turpin in the fifth, throwing four innings. Adam Manzer, the left fielder for the Seawolves, had a 3-5 outing with three singles.

Saturday’s tiebreaker would be the most important of the weekend and the Seawolves weren’t going to leave in defeat.

“We felt very confident and excited going into Saturday because we played competitively in both games Friday, even though the score didn’t show it in game one,” said Manzer, who finished Friday’s double header with four hits.

It’s likely their positive attitude helped propel them to victory on Saturday. By the second inning they were up 7-0.

With bases loaded, walks to Rayson Romero and Bryant Cid started the action but it didn’t stop there.

“The best moment of the weekend was no doubt Spencer Neve’s huge RBI at bat in the second inning of the Saturday game that broke the game open,” said Ryan O’Malley.

O’Malley himself also contributed an RBI double to plate Neve in the second inning.

Manzer also credited Saturday’s second inning as the highlight of the weekend. “We battled, drew walks and got hits with two outs. That was huge.”

Seawolf Sports Tuesday 3/8

Saturday 3/12

Pioneer Shootout

@ Wildcat Invitational

Women’s Golf Baseball

@ Academy of Art 7 p.m.

Thursday 3/10 Softball

@ UC San Diego 4 p.m. & 6 p.m.

Friday 3/11 Men’s Tennis

@ Hope Invitational 9 a.m.

Softball

@ UC San Diego 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Baseball

vs CSU Monterey Bay 2 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo vs Harwick 3 p.m.

Women’s Track Baseball

vs CSU Monterey Bay 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

vs Stanislaus State Noon

Men’s Tennis

vs BYU-Hawaii 11 a.m.

Sunday 3/7 Baseball

vs Cal State Monterey Bay 11:00 a.m.

Monday 3/8

Women’s Golf

Interwest Wildcat Classic

Men’s Golf

NDNU Invitational

Women’s Tennis @ Azusa Pacific 1:30 p.m.

Courtesy: SonomaSeawolves.com

After trading runs in the next two innings, the Broncos kept things interesting, scoring six unanswered runs, making the score 8-7. Although it was quite an effort, it wasn’t enough for a Bronco’s comeback. Jackson Zarubin ended the game, striking out Alex Gaskin to secure the weekend victory.

Grant St. Martin, Cody Morris, Neve and O’Malley all contributed to the team Saturday with two runs each.

The Seawolves have won five out of their last seven games in CCAA play, giving them a 8-10 record.

“Our defense has improved immensely since the beginning of the year,” O’Malley said. “Once we figure out our pitching and hitting there aren’t many teams out there that can beat us.”

The Seawolves are only two games away from the .500 mark and will look to improve. “We played well this weekend but still not up to our potential, which is very exciting,” said O’Malley.

Their season continues today at 2 p.m. when the Seawolves head to Laney College in Oakland to face the Academy of Art. “We feel great going into Tuesday and will continue improving on playing clean and crisp baseball defensively and pitching in the strike zone,” said Manzer.

How sweep it is Softball team sends Monterey Bay packing after 2-game sweep Kristen Spear Staff Writer

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he Sonoma State University softball team stepped to the plate to claim two victories against rival Cal State Monterey Bay. The Otters were predicted to finish second behind the Seawolves in the CCAA preseason polls. The predictions proved accurate when they finished behind the Seawolves 6-0 and 4-2 in the doubleheader last Tuesday.

In the first inning of game one, the Seawolves capitalized on Monterey Bay blunders. An error and three walks brought home Leanna Georges. Two more runs were put on the board in the bottom of the second, as Monterey Bay once again issued a walk with the bases loaded to bring another run home and Carlie Daniel recorded an RBI infield single to put the Seawolves up 3-0. Sonoma State brought three more runs in the fourth inning again with a bases loaded walk and two more RBI hits.

“We did exactly what we wanted to do. We were patient at the plate and waited for our pitches,” said Sarah Langley.

Mandy Llerena made her presence known in the circle as CSUMB struggled to connect the bat only allowing six hits and striking out five, adding another complete game shutout to her belt. The Monterey pitching staff, on the other hand, recorded six walks over six innings.

“With Monterey being our rivals and conference champs in the past year, we have always been after blood with them,” said Llerena. “It sure did feel good to come out top dog. It was time to show them what our team this year was made of.”

Sonoma State came out swinging again in the second game of the day as Jordann White hit the first home run of her career bringing Alison Strycula home alongside her. Daniel kept her momentum going as she hit an RBI double at the end of the third.

The Otters broke their dry spell, scoring a run in the fourth and another in the fifth. But Sonoma State secured their lead when Olivia Lucchese stepped on home plate in the bottom of the sixth after a wild pitch.

“It was really great and kind of relieving. I’m also really glad it was off Monterey,” said White. “After the first game our energy was very high and we were all excited. Our whole thought was not to let them believe they had a chance of coming back.”

It was a game of firsts for the Seawolves as Mayleen Mazon pitched her first win of the season and Brielle Vidmar recorded her first career save. Sonoma State advances to 7-3 in the CCAA after Tuesday’s games.

Their weekend games against San Francisco State were postponed due to the rain, their eighth rain-out of the season.

They will, however, be back in action Thursday and Friday, as they are scheduled to take on UC San Diego in La Jolla, as long as El Niño allows it. First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 4 p.m. and at 11 a.m. on Friday.

Sports

March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

Golf team goes back-to-back Men’s golf team finishes first in The Tim Tearney Pioneer Shootout Blake Robinson Staff Writer

V

eteran senior Brandon Lee paired up with rising freshman Spencer Clapp to lead the Sonoma State men’s golf team to back-to-back victories. This power pairing led the Seawolf pack to a first-place finish at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout.

Last Monday and Tuesday the Seawolves took home the crystal trophy over nine other teams at the par-71 Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo.

“I do believe the win from last week carried over into this week,” said Junior Justin Shluker. “We were very confident and hopefully it will carry over into the rest of the spring season.”

The Seawolves needed to play more aggressive in the previous week at San Bernardino to secure its victory. However, patience was a virtue this week at Hiddenbrooke. “I believe as a team we were very good at letting the birdies come to us instead of trying to get after it,” said Shluker.

Moderation and perseverance played a major key on the course for Shluker’s teammate Spencer Clapp.

“I played very conservative this week. I kept driver in the bag for most of the tournament,” said Clapp. “I focused on playing my own game.”

Cal State East Bay not only hosted this tournament but also gave the Seawolves a run for their money. The battle on the links came down to the end of a long two days where the Seawolves prevailed with a

score of 871 (+19), while the Pioneers with an 879 (+27), 8 scores behind Sonoma State, captured the runner-up spot.

Cal State East Bay made a comeback in Tuesday’s final round, shooting 294 (+10) to slash eight strokes off their deficit, but the Seawolves remained ahead with a big lead in the second round with a low 282 (-2) for the day.

Brandon Lee came in second out of 54 other golfers, scoring an impressive 69-72-72 totaling a score of 213 for the tournament.

By the end of Monday, Clapp had scored the fifth-lowest round in the Sonoma State golf program’s history. Clapp’s score was also good for a tournament low. Clapp’s final score of 70-6679, earned him sixth place individually.

“I felt like my course strategy was one of the things that helped me create the big lead I had going into the final round,” said Clapp.

Shluker placed ninth at the end of the two days, bringing in a 72-71-74--217 (+4). Ian Hoffman scored a 76-74-77--227 (+14) and tied for 20th on the day. Nicolas Daniels tied for 22nd with totals of 76-73-79--228 (+15).

The Seawolves are not letting their win streak get in front of its main goal; bringing home a national championship to Sonoma State.

“Although it is nice to get these wins, we still have lots of work to do and improve over these coming weeks to prepare for postseason play including conference, regionals and nationals,” said Shluker.

Seeking a three-peat, the Seawolves will take a week off from competition before participating in the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational at the Poppy Ridge Golf Club in Livermore on Mar. 14-15.

sonomaseawolves.com Left: Junior Justin Shluker tees off. Above: The golf team celebrates its third top three finish of the spring.

What’s the price for play?

STAR // Sara Wildman Jensyn Warren setting up for an ace serve against Concordia- Irvine

Women’s tennis stays perfect Andrea Serles Staff Writer

I

t’s official, the No. 26 Sonoma State women’s tennis team is on fire.

With the threat of having the match cancelled due to the rain, the Seawolves stepped out under the clear sky and kept shining on the court, cruising to a 5-1 victory against Concordia-Irvine on Thursday at the Sonoma State tennis courts.

With its victory against ConcordiaIrvine the Seawolves are one of three teams left in their conference with an undefeated record.

This win pushes the women to a perfect 8-0 record, while the Eagles now stand at 3-6.

Junior, Hillary Fazekas, started the team off strong with a win early of 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6 singles match. With such a strong start to the match, Fazekas kept fans anxious and hopeful for what was to come.

Junior communications major Savannah Hanoum was in the crowd on this unforgettable Thursday. “I have always had faith in this team” said Hanoum, “They make it so easy to be a fan because time after time they never fail to disappoint.”

Hanoum, along with many other excited fans, sat and watched with anticipation as junior Kaitlyn Haithcock and sophomore Aman-

da Zuidema picked up right where Fazekas left off. Dropping their opponents in straight sets.

Preparation in practice led to Haithcock’s outstanding play on the court “It just goes to show you that hard work and effort really do pay off,” said Haithcock. “I may never get those countless hours of practice and preparation back, but I would not trade it for anything in the world.”

Freshman Jensyn Warren continued to wow on the court gaining her 15th straight victory, while jumping her staggering record to 17-1. With a 7-6 and 7-5 victory not only did Warren set records herself but this win put the Seawolves up 4-0.

After a disappointing loss by Karlee Budge, the fate of the team relied on junior Jordyn Kearney. It was up to her to make or break this match in order to keep her team undefeated.

“I wanted to win it so badly. Not only for me, but for my teammates, my coach and our fans. Winning is a team effort but needs to be solo at times,” said Kearney.

After a 10-point tiebreaker Kearney got the 11-9 win, making her season score 11-3.

The Sonoma State women’s tennis team is in for a fun ride if they continue to perform the way they have been. The Seawolves will now gun for a perfect 10-0 against Stanislaus State Saturday at the Sonoma State tennis courts.

J

Naaman Hightower Staff Writer

alen Rose, one of the most outspoken members of the Fab Five, a group of starting freshmen basketball players for the University of Michigan, puts his hand over his stomach. He has just left a grueling practice with plans to fill his starving mid section with some edible delights. As he arrives back to his dorm, he opens his refrigerator to the familiar view of nothingness. This is nothing new to him. Growing up on the streets of Southwestern Detroit taught him about that same struggle. Yet, he never would’ve thought his current life as a prestigious NCAA Division I star athlete would be so similar to the life he left behind Detroit.

Should college athletes be paid? This question is usually followed by answers filled with undying certainty and heavy opinions. I will only present the facts.

March will bring CBS and Turner Broadcasting one billion dollars for March Madness. Millions of fans will fill out brackets and tune in to watch their favorite institutions go head-to-head in the tournament known as the big dance. Do any NCAA athletes see any of that money? For the price of grueling pre-season workouts and tireless 2 a.m. binge study sessions, you are given the basic human necessity of a free education. That’s about it.

As a basketball player for Sonoma State, I take exception to this argument.

The “new rules” that started in 2006 states a player has to be 19 years of age or one year removed from high school in order to be eligible for the NBA Draft. So for the athletes that are especially gifted, the obvious thing to do is attend college for one year and then declare for the draft. An example is Chris Webber, a sixfoot-ten inch 17-year-old with an NBA-ready body, who is one of the Fab Five.

“I remember being frustrated about not being able to afford a Big Mac at McDonald’s, while local vendors were selling my jersey for 50 dollars,” he recounts.

Furthermore, while these players make schools like the University of Louisville $25.7 million dollars in profits, according to CNN, the players are the ones that suffer. Forcing these athletes to bide their time for at least a year, even when some are professional basketball-ready, is enslaving them to the middle-aged white businessmen who are profiting off their God-given abilities.

So, is a free education enough? Education is a great benefit, yet one cannot ignore the facts that some athletes go to bed hungry while corporations such as Nike, Adidas and Under Armour benefit financially from those very same athletes. Not to mention, without some sort of financial agreement, more young kids will find themselves in problems much more severe. Problems such as taking illegal money from coaches for sexual favors, like the recent University of Louisville scandal.

If student-athletes were given compensation that includes more than just a free education, problems like these could be fixed or even terminated.

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March 8 - March 14, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Lip Jam 2016: ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’

STAR // Brennan Chin Alpha Gamma Delta seniors closed out the show with a performance from inspired by the movie “Grease.”

STAR // Brennan Chin Left top: Winners of Lip Jam 2016, Alpha Delta Pi, performed pieces inspired by “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Left bottom: Blue Baronz, the first non-reek organization to compete in Lip Jam, danced in “West Side Story”-influenced routines. Right top: Alpha Xi Delta performed scenes influenced by “The Wizard of Oz.” Right middle: More Alpha Xi Delta performers. Right bottom: Kristi Mitrick, Katie Reidy, Matt Cinco and Jamie Maciel hosted Lip Jam 2016.

STAR // Sara Wildman Creed Bratton sang songs from his grassroots days during “Hanging with Creed”.

STAR // Sara Wildman Top: The Sonoma State Women’s tennis team remains unbeaten.

Jordyn Kearney returned the ball against Concordia-Irvine. Bottom: Jensyn Warren returning the ball to Concordia-Irvine opponent.