Volume 76 // Issue 12

B E S T O F 2 016 In this issue: Opinion: Graton casino expansion good for community. Page 3.

A&E: A look into the lives of Cinenoma’s best actor and actress.

Pg. 6

News: University says goodbye to long-time president. Pg. 4.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 76 // ISSUE 12

Sports: Softball team earns CCAA bid. Page 10.

MAY 3 - MAY 9, 2016

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

Former employee involved in asbestos lawsuit holds press conference

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STAR // Brennan Chin Erin Hardy, senior and dancer on Sonoma State University’s Sapphire dance team, has been accepted into the San Francisco 49ers’ Gold Rush cheerleading team following her graduation this month.

From Sapphires to San Francisco: Senior dancer Erin Hardy accepted to 49ers cheerleading squad

See the full story on page 8

Edgar Sanchez Staff Writer

he Mario Savio Speakers’ Corner serves the purpose to promote freedom of speech and civil rights at Sonoma State University. It’s also where former Sonoma State employee Thomas Sargent and his lawyers held a press conference last Thursday regarding the controversial asbestos situation in Stevenson Hall. In the conference, Sargent and his lawyers challenged the university to address the accusations.

“We are bringing this lawsuit not just on behalf of Thomas Sargent,” said Dustin Collier, Sargent’s primary lawyer. “But on behalf of a thousand potentially affected employees.”

Sargent filed a lawsuit in November against the Board of Trustees of the California State University with reference to “willful ignorance” from Sonoma State’s administration regarding the alleged asbestos hazard in Stevenson Hall. Sargent is a certified asbestos consultant and was an employee of the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Sonoma State for 24 years.

In his lawsuit, Sargent alleges that during his employment at the university he raised concerns about the way asbestos and lead paint chips were being managed in several campus buildings. Concerned about the wellbeing of students, faculty and staff, Sargent claims to have contacted several governmental agencies to speak about the unsafe working conditions at Sonoma State. Accord-

ing to the lawsuit, Sargent was then retaliated against to the point where he felt the need to resign.

During last week’s press conference, Sargent began by speaking about what he called the “misleading tests” that are being conducted by Sonoma State’s administration and the results being posted on the university’s website.

Sargent is referring to the test results available on the university’s Environmental Health and Safety website, which indicate a “non-detect” level of asbestos has been found in most areas in which the toxic substance is known to exist at Sonoma State.

“Non-detect examples are not zero,” said Sergeant. “And can be as high as 5,700 asbestos structures.”

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal-OSHA), states on their website there are no safe levels of asbestos. They also say that an exposure as short as a few days can cause mesothelioma in humans, a form of cancer in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs.

According to a representative of Cal-OSHA, “non-detect” levels of asbestos may or may not be dangerous, depending on the method of testing. Sargent tested the asbestos levels in the dust in Stevenson Hall, while Sonoma State tested the air. Both testings showed contrasting reports of asbestos levels, a point of controversy in the on-going asbestos case.

Through a press release, Sonoma State University claims it See CONFERENCE on Pg. 4

Research database being removed from all Cal State campuses Nicole Detmers Staff Writer

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exisNexis is an online database where students and staff can access digital news publications and articles, legal information and business information. The content is available through each of the 23 California State University librarys’ online search tool. According to a university email, the database was originally funded by the CSU Chancellor’s Office, however, this funding is being withdrawn and the cost of the database without the subsidy was “prohibitive.”

As of June 30, LexisNexis will no longer be accessible to the California State Universities, including Sonoma State University — a topic of concern for Sonoma State Sociology Professor Peter Phillips.

“I am strongly opposed [to LexisNexis being cut]. The largest state college system in the U.S. should have LexisNexis as a research source,” said Phillips. “[Doing this] says that full access to information is not important.”

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At Sonoma State, LexisNexis is available to all students and faculty commonly used for assigned class research. Phillips explains that LexisNexis provides essential research and sourcing for his class.

LexisNexis is an essential part of Phillips’ sociology of media class and he has sent an appeal to Sonoma State’s dean of the library in hopes of persuading the university to keep the program.

“Sociology of Media is a long time course at SSU linked to Project Censored. We release annual book Censored on the most important censored news stories of the year,” said Phillips. “We have used Proquest and Factiva for news story searches, but Lexis Nexis is not only the best most comprehensive source but it offers transcripts of TV and Radio news as well.”

According to Sonoma State University Library Dean Karen Schneider, the departure of LexisNexis from all CSU libraries is due to the draSee DATABASE on Pg. 4

@sonomastatestar

STAR // Brennan Chin Radio broadcaster Michael Krasny spoke at Sonoma State University on Wednesday as part of a forum hosted by KQED.

Broadcaster Michael Krasny discusses millennial voting Sarah Fishback Staff Writer

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his past Wednesday there was a live recording of KQED’s broadcast of “Forum on the Road” with Michael Krasny. In this two-hour long program in the Student Center Ballroom there were two topics discussed. The first half of the

@sonomastatestar

broadcast concerned wine tourism and its future, while the other hour was focused on millennials and their role in the upcoming presidential election.

In the first hour of the forum, the panel was comprised of Corey Beck, president of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, James Gore, member of Sonoma County’s

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Board of Supervisors, Judith Olney, co-chair of Preserve Rural Sonoma County, Kerry Fugett, executive director of the Sonoma County Conservation Action and Vicky Farrow, owner of Amista Vineyards.

“All of us are being impacted,” said Olney. “[Even] See KRASNY on Pg. 4

Visit: sonomastatestar.com

Page 2

Editorial

May 3 - May 9, 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 Emilie Devitt, Asst. A&E Editor Shannon Brown, Student Life Editor Ethan Helms, Asst. Student Life Editor Thomas Call III, Spor ts Editor Aubrie Tolliver, Asst. Spor ts Editor Brennan Chin, 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, Christine Edwards Noe Felix, Sarah Fishback, Nathanael Galvan Nicholas Gray, Florencia Hasson, 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, Kaila Sanders

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:

“Armiñana gears up for ‘graduation’ after 24 years” Sonoma State University President Ruben Armiñana has seen a lot at this University in his 24-year tenure here. Staff Writer Nate Galvan spoke with him and discussed the high’s and low’s of his career at the school.

Read the story on page 4 Corrections/Clarifications In a caption paired with the article titled “Student film-makers celebrated at Cinenoma,” published April 26, Mary Madison-Baldo is said to have graduated. She is currently a student, expected to graduate in the Fall.

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 grey area in sexual assault policy

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exual assault is never an easy issue to tackle. It happens on college campuses across the country, and has been a growing epidemic for years.

Sonoma State University has been trying to make advances to educate students about sexual assault. A mandatory, online training course proved to be unsuccessful as it seemed to be only glanced over by the thousands of students who didn’t want a hold on their registration.

Title IX is a law that requires all students, regardless of gender, to be treated the same and with the same educational benefits. Meaning all colleges and universities that receive federal funding must respond equally to all sexual harassment claims regardless of gender.

And now Title IX is going Greek. Representatives from the Title IX office came into both sorority and fraternity meetings the past month to educate Greek members on what sexual assault is and how to report it.

It’s important to acknowledge the signs of a sexual assault and how to prevent it.

This is the obvious lesson to teach students but it’s what happens after an assault takes place where the lesson seems to

end.

It’s the university’s policy to allow the victim of any sexual assault or harassment the opportunity to move classes or dorms without any hesitation.

While this is necessary, it begs the question as to how the perpetrator is still allowed to attend the university after being convicted of these crimes.

Joyce Suzuki, the Title IX coordinator for Sonoma State, said it would be handled on case-to-case basis with different options for each student who files the complaint when asked how the university handles reports.

Removing the person who is accused of committing the sexual assault from a class or housing during the investigation is procedure.

But as Suzuki said, “If after the investigation the respondent is found to have committed a sexual assault then there would be sanctions, which could include extending the interim measures but would also include additional sanctions such as disciplinary probation, suspension to expulsion.”

So the victim is able to skirt his or her way around their assailant, but is this enough?

There needs to be a better solution than just attempting to hide

it, or in this case moving schedules or dorms around.

Universities across the country need to have a firmer hand with their punishment of sexual assault or harassment cases.

Although this is easier said than done, it’s been shown time and time again how irresponsible universities are when handling such cases.

It’s hard to imagine what a life could be like after an assault. Unfortunately, one in every five women on this campus don’t have to because they’ve been victims themselves. Moving across campus to a new home and switching a math class isn’t going to change what happened to them.

If there is enough evidence to prove that those accused of sexual assault had actually committed the crime, it’s every university’s duty to make sure they are removed from the campus.

While most universities have training programs and sexual assault awareness programs, there needs to be further explanation for the reporting process and what happens when assailants are caught.

These people are dangerous, and need to be treated as such.

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 ay 3 - M ay 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Target hits the bulls-eye

Law enforcement in hot water again

Olivia Hunt Staff Writer

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Rene De Amaral Staff Writer

e have reached a point in society where it’s no longer uncommon to find many police officers who are explicitly racist and homophobic, and oftentimes channel this inappropriate behavior into the line of duty. A recent scandal focuses on a San Francisco police officer named Jason Lai. A plethora of unprofessional text messages involving a handful of officers were brought to light, ultimately leading to the resignation of the officer at the heart of the investigation. On top of these charges, Lai has had sexual assault allegations against him as well as multiple misdemeanor counts of illegally accessing the DMV computers for nonofficial purposes.

Some messages sent contained slurs against AfricanAmericans, Indians, Mexicans, Asians and homeless people. The officers involved used coded language to talk about gay coworkers and minorities from the low-income Tenderloin district. Police Chief Greg Suhr claims the problem is limited to a relative handful of officers and isn’t part of a broader cultural problem within the ranks. I respectfully disagree. According to CNN, this is the second time the department has been the subject of a racist texting scandal. Suhr has made a statement assuring the public of his plans to have the department undergo “bias training” to ensure every officer understands the behavior mentioned is intolerable.

In text messages unveiled by public defender Jeff Adachi, Lai makes disparaging jokes about President Obama as well as basketball player Lebron James. In another exchange during the civil unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray, he compared AfricanAmericans to “a pack of wild animals on the loose.”

These messages were only revealed after a previous scandal involving similar text messages made by a sergeant who was convicted of stealing money and drugs from residents of Tenderloin hotels. Considering this scandal is only a reflection of one city’s police department, it makes you wonder what other inappropriate behavior goes on without knowledge within departments across the United States. The deep-rooted corruption that exists within a system that’s sole job is to protect the people of a community is frightening and frankly, intolerable. African-American Sergeant Yulanda Williams was singled out by name and called a racial slur during the first texting scandal. “It made me wonder what must I do as a black woman to prove that I’m worthy of wearing the same blue uniform as my fellow officers,” she said.

The institutional racism exhibited in these scandals is a major step backwards for minorities — especially women — who are already struggling to fight the system that so often discriminates against them.

District Attorney George Gascon, who previously ran the department, weighed in on the case by saying, “There’s a substantial number of people within the organization that are racist and there’s a culture that has allowed those people to thrive and survive and even promote within that environment.”

The relationship between police officers and minorities is a problematic one. The racial profiling taught within the academy is stunting the progress we are making as a society.

The intricate web of lies that has existed for years within the justice system needs to be eradicated on a federal level. If people in high positions were to begin implementing non-biased work environments, it would set an example for people and establish a sense of camaraderie among citizens and the law.

We cannot continue to be desensitized to the blatant racism that’s so prevalent within systems that hold so much power over. Racists shouldn’t be protected under any circumstance, especially when their job description relies on good judgement and precision.

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t’s crazy how logging into Facebook can ruin one’s day. There I was, minding my own business, doing my monthly check-in with family members, friends and acquaintances, when I stumbled upon a fresh batch of ignorance.

Target recently released a statement on their website addressing their policy on store bathrooms and dressing rooms.

The statement reads, “In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.”

When I first read that, I thought “Wow, what a large step forward, a major corporation is becoming gender inclusive!”

Of course I knew there was going to be some backlash, but many people are now taking it to the extreme.

In response to Target’s statement, many people are flooding Facebook with their “brave” stories of how they walked fearlessly into their local Target.

On their self-imposed, daring quest, the individual confronts their

local Target’s manager, asks them about the bathroom policies and then tells the manager they will no longer be shopping at Target. Clearly these individuals need to be praised for their misguided bravery. Most of these people are even using the hashtag #byetarget to express they’re boycotting the corporation.

In addition, the American Family Association has created a petition dedicated to boycotting Target, which, according to their website, has over 1 million signatures.

Let me drop some truth bombs on all of you right now.

According to the Office for Victims of Crime, 50 percent of transgender people have experienced sexual violence at some point in their life.

Most of this violence is result of being abused in places they assumed would be safe. Target has tried to cultivate a safe experience for everyone, whereas many people are trying to derail that.

Sexual assault is a horrific act committed by terrible individuals who only view people as objects to be taken advantage of. There are many news stories of people pretending to be transgender so they can enter a bathroom and prey on the people who enter. Don’t use a policy to spread misinformation.

Rather than looking at this policy and dismissing the needs of transgender people, look at it from the perspective many people are trying to avoid. This outcry isn’t about transgender people, it’s about rape culture.

I do understand a lot of this outcry. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 71 men will be raped or sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.

Those are scary numbers, and

many people, primarily women, believe male predators will take advantage of new policies like this and pretend to be transgender so they can enter the women’s restroom. But rather than being transphobic and alienating transgender people even more, think of ways to solve the problem.

One of the ways people can do this is encouraging corporations, like Target, to eliminate their atypical gendered stall bathrooms, and instead, put in individual gender neutral bathrooms that can be locked from the inside.

While this may be more expensive, if Target is truly trying to cultivate a safe experience, it shouldn’t be too big of an issue.

In addition, according to the Rape Abuse Incest National Network, 97 percent of rapists walk away with little to no punishment for their crime. Rather than accusing a corporation of encouraging sexual assault, organizations like the AFA should use their notoriety to encourage people to become more involved in sexual assault and violence lawmaking.

An example would be the SAFER Act, which if passed, would help reduce the amount of backlogged untested rape kits.

At the end of the day, the goal should be to keep as many people safe from predators as possible. Rape and sexual assault are horrible things and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

So before you check your Facebook feed and see something you don’t like, research it before you share it.

Look into the issue, understand why it’s important and how it affects everyone (not just how it affects you). Don’t be a passive bystander to the ignorance being shared via social media.

A new age of voters cross party lines

Naaman Hightower Staff Writer

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he term millennial represents the newer generation, born between the early 1980’s to 2000. Being a younger generation, millennials often are thought of as representatives of new thoughts and new ideas. The “old school” way of thinking is almost non-existent to them. They represent change.

Republican’s aren’t faring well in the eyes of millennials.

The preference of voters under the age of 30 is for Democrats rather than Republicans nearly doubled in the last year, according to the survey

by Harvard’s Institute of Politics.

The million-dollar question is “Why?” Is it truly the difference in perspective from the millennials?

Or are the Republican nominees simply out of touch with what matters most to the younger generation?

No doubt Republican front-runner Donald Trump has turned many young adults away from the Republican Party as of late. With his antics alone, he’s sure to rub some people the wrong way.

I’m not very big on politics. I barely watch the news and can’t understand half of what is going on at the time. However, when I hear some guy named Trump confusing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with an international chain of convenience stores, I immediately discredit anything he says. Regardless of his political stance, a person who represents something so important as the Republican party saying something like that is enough for me.

Yet, could his behavior be the primary source of millennials’ preference of a Democrats doubling in the past year?

The real issue that has forced the change in views upon my generation

is difference in priorities.

According to the Los Angeles Times, 48 percent to 16 percent of young voters said politicians today aren’t up to meeting the challenges facing the country. By 54 percent to 11 percent, they said elected officials don’t have the same priorities as they do. Six in 10 said elected officials are motivated by selfishness.

As the future of this great nation, millennials feel strongly about topics that matter to them. Healthcare, the cost of tuition and job opportunities are what we care about.

Trump has so far expressed interest in building a giant wall to keep out illegal immigrants from the United States. Out of all the problems we have going on inside our country, that’s one of your main focuses? It’s no wonder why we’re so turned off to the party he represents and its ideas.

Bernie Sanders is someone who reflects the ideals of the millennials the most.

He regularly expresses a change in the law enforcement, prison systems and cost of tuition. He is clearly running for president with the future of my generation in mind.

Graton casino expansion; A safe bet for local community

Christine Edwards Staff Writer

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wo and a half years after the widely debated opening of Graton Casino (and soon to be resort), it looks as though opponents of the development will have to eat their words. This monumental, $800 million project brought a Las Vegasstyle casino to the humble, family-friendly town of Rohnert Park in 2013, amid a decade-long protest from residents.

Some members of the community felt this development would create a traffic nightmare — which it did, briefly, upon its grand opening — and others feared the dreaded noise and light pollution would disturb this once peaceful area.

As it turns out, these assumptions were incorrect, according to residents and city officials. Graton Casino — the newest addition to the 13 other Indian gaming facilities within Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties — has had surprisingly little negative impact. Yes, on opening day there were lines of cars gridlocked for hours, as thousands from all over the Bay Area flocked to take in this spectacle.

However, after the grand opening madness wore off, traffic on Highway 101 did return to normal, and the new wave of crime that was thought to come as a result of bringing this gambler’s paradise to the city never materialized.

Conversely, the casino has had some positive effects on the community, bringing

with it 2,000 new jobs for its casino workers alone, not to mention the construction jobs created, and paying the city $13 million to offset the costs of increased law enforcement, among other public services. The casino has not had much impact at all on surrounding businesses, negative or positive. Indian gaming means big money for California and the 28 other states that operate the nearly 500 Indian gaming venues across the country. After five straight years of growth, the Indian gaming industry in the United States has reached a record high. According to the National Indian Gaming Industry’s 2016 Annual Report, gaming revenue generated $28 billion last year, and California controls about 25 percent of that revenue.

So it seems only natural that Rohnert Park city officials would want to tap into this veritable gold mine. But why were some residents so against it? Some might speculate Sonoma County is filled with sleepy farm towns that don’t have a need for a gaming venue of this magnitude, and smaller casinos

were plenty sufficient. Others felt this “eye sore” would not fit into its surroundings, located in the middle of wine country. Whether you love Graton or hate it, locals are going to have to learn to live with it, because the casino recently broke ground on its new resort, set to open this fall. The $175 million expansion will include a six-story, 200-room hotel, and 200,000 square-foot convention center, as well as an upscale spa and outdoor pool.

During this phase of the resort’s development, 1,000 construction jobs will be created and when finished, the hotel will employ an additional 150 staff members. Sonoma County doesn’t not currently have a convention center, and I suspect this new development will only bring more business, tourism and money to the area. Only time will tell how this new resort and expansion will affect the community, but rest assured, the city of Rohnert Park claims to have your best interests at heart. According to City Councilman Jake Mackenzie, “The tribe has honored its agreement, and has been a good neighbor.”

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News

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Armiñana gears up for ‘graduation’ after 24 years Nate Galvan Staff Writer

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ucked away on the first floor in the corner of Sonoma State University’s Stevenson Hall sits room 1062. Accommodating Sonoma State’s president’s office, as well as vice president and university affairs, the space has been home to one man for 24 years. By July 1, President Ruben Armiñana will no longer be occupying the office he has had for over two decades.

In 1992, Armiñana became the university’s sixth president. Holding his Ph.D in political science from the University of New Orleans, Armiñana was the vice president of finance at Cal Poly Pomona for four years and credits his wife Marne for convincing him to consider the position at Sonoma State.

“My wife, who is a lot smarter than me, [She] is the one who made me think about taking the position,” said Armiñana.

“She began to list off things such as size, location, and academic standing, and I really told myself I should listen to what she says.”

According to Armiñana, at the time he was selected to become president, Sonoma State was known primarily as a commuter school, meaning most students lived off campus or at home. The university was also dependent on re-entry students who could only take one or two classes at a time because of other priorities. During his 24 years here, Armiñana increased the size of residential housing to hold 9,100 students from its previous capacity of 3,100. He sees the changing of Sonoma State from a commuter school to a residential campus as a highlight of his tenure.

“This feels like a university in every way now,” said Susan Kashack, associate vice president for marketing and communications in university affairs. “We have clubs, fraternities, sororities and others out every day talking about what they do and creating opportunities for every student to connect somewhere.”

Kashack has worked with Armiñana for nearly his entire tenure at the university.

Under Armiñana, there also has been the development of the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center, the Environmental Technology Center, the Donald and Maureen Green Music Center and the Student and Recreation Centers.

There has been some criticism from faculty and students over the years concerning the immense construction of architecture that has occured during Armiñana’s tenure, saying he has focused too much on buildings rather than on academics.

Costing an estimated $145 million for its completion in 2012, the Green Music Center was originally thought of as a $10 million auditorium project in 1997. In May 2007, Sonoma State faculty voted 73 percent in favor of a no confidence vote towards Armiñana, with about 68 percent of eligible faculty voting. With tuition and student fees rising throughout the years, students often looked to blame their university president. However Kashack accounts

the reason for increased costs coming from the CSU system.

“Anytime there is a rise in tuition, it is systemwide, not campused based and that includes President Armiñana as part of the campus,” said Kashack.

The achievement Armiñana considers to be his greatest is the increase of student interest in the university across California.

“My biggest accomplishment is the recognition, both locally and statewide, in the change of the university to a more desirable campus,” said Armiñana. “Instead of having a problem with a lack of enrollment, we have too many students enrolling now.”

While he has changed Sonoma State’s image and architecture, Armiñana does wish he could have changed the entire curriculum to reflect four-unit courses within each school instead of some classes being worth only two or three units. During his tenure, he’s managed to get every school to comply with this proposal except for the School of Social Sciences. When asked if he would work with incoming president Judy K. Sakaki to help fully incorporate this unit proposal across the university, Armiñana said he would not be coaching her on what she should and shouldn’t do.

Armiñana has known Sakaki since her tenure as Educational Opportunity Program director at California State University, East Bay over 15 years ago.

“The best thing [a] former president can do, is fade away,” said Armiñana.

After his exit at the end of the semester, he will still be involved with the university by being the last trustee professor ever in the CSU system. Armiñana will have to be available to give advice to CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White as well as Sakaki. In his first year under this new title he will also have a sabbatical year to decide whether he wants to come back to teaching at Sonoma State University involving his area of expertise, political economy. During his paid leave, Armiñana plans to travel to Wisconsin to stay in one a few cabin’s owned by his wife’s family sometime in the end of July as well as travel to Norway in the upcoming year. Armiñana believes he has accomplished what he set out to do 24 years ago and he feels good about the legacy he’s leaving at Sonoma State.

“It took 24 years to graduate but commencement day is coming,” said Armiñana.

matically increasing costs of scholarly resources.

Instead, Sonoma State will provide access to an alternative database called WestLaw, which, according to Schneider offers more resources than the limited version of LexisNexis previously available through the chancellor’s office.

Schneider explained for at least three decades, the cost of scholarly resources has been increasing 6 - 8 percent annually, and that journals can be expensive.

“Universities are paying exorbitant annual licensing fees to for-profit publishers in order to access publicly funded research produced by

Dustin Collier (right) is the lawyer of Thomas Sargent (left), a former employee of Sonoma State University who is suing the university because of the allegations of unsafe asbestos levels in Stevenson Hall. Collier and Sargent spoke at last week’s press conference.

CONFERENCE: Sargent, lawyers question motives of university Continued from Pg. 1

has followed Cal-OSHA’s and the Environmental Protection Agency standards by installing an asbestos management program since the early 1990s.

They are also conducting air monitoring on a monthly basis using EPA air sampling methodology, and say the university will take immediate action to reduce or eliminate risk, should airborne asbestos exceed EPA or Cal-OSHA limits.

During the press conference, Sargent also disclosed new results of a test recently conducted in regards to his litigation.

“In Stevenson Hall,

there is a book shelf with 22,000,000 asbestos structures,” said Sargent.

“Sooner or later somebody is going to pull those books down.”

The asbestos structures found by Sargent’s testing firm on the bookshelf are located in settled dust. The university continues to assert the only time asbestos are a hazardous is when they are present in the air. To that, Sonoma State cites the Environmental Protection Agency which claims, asbestos exposure results from breathing in asbestos fibers and that it is not a problem if it is left alone and not disturbed.

Collier stated in the conference the university is ignoring their results in

order to not spend the “astronomical” sum abatement would implicate.

Collier also said the university should act in the interest of the people, questioning the motives of the administration.

“Our lawsuit is about the university allowing unsafe working conditions to persist.” said Collier.

“Thereby creating the risk of exposure.”

Collier ended the conference with a challenge to the university.

“If we all agree that asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed, I challenge the university today, to answer the question why they are not testing under disturbance activities,” asked Collier.

STAR // Brennan Chin Sonoma State Univesity students Samantha Mraz, Ariana Diaz De Leon and Colin Chin represent the millennial vote at the KQED forum with Michael Krasny last Wednesday.

COURTESY // Gustavo Vasquez Sonoma State University President announced his plan to retire this year.

DATABASE: To be replaced by new program Continued from Pg. 1

STAR // Megan Corcoran

university faculty,” said Schneider. “That’s not sustainable for any of the stakeholders, from the chancellor to the universities to the libraries that select and provide access to scholarly communications.”

However, according to Schneider, with the removal of LexisNexis, Sonoma State will have access to an alternative online database.

According to Schneider, the version of LexisNexis the Sonoma State University Library was able to afford was fairly limited.

As of July 1, Sonoma State will have access to WestLaw, which is more comprehensive for legal research than the version of LexisNex-

is the library was licensing, Schneider said.

“It offers scholarly content and newspapers we didn’t have access to, and frankly is less clunky than LexisNexis,” said Schnieder. “So overall, we’re getting better value for the dollar.”

The WestLaw database will be available through the Library’s A-Z list of databases as well as the Library homepage.

“SSU’s faculty, students, and staff can be very proud that Sonoma State University is deeply engaged in statewide and national open access initiatives to speak truth to the scholarly-industrial complex and make scholarship available to everyone,” said Schneider.

KRASNY: Millennials play significant role in presidential election Continued from Pg. 1

community members pose this as a problem.”

The specific problem Olney brings up involves the negative impact of tourism that comes from the multiple wineries in Sonoma County.

Many community members are very frustrated about the increase in tourism because of the growing number wineries.

“The [tourism] industry remains the backbone of the [wine] industry’s economy,” said Krasny.

“But some neighborhood groups say that escalating winery tourism brings unwanted traffic and noise.”

Meanwhile, as the first hour of the broadcast came to a close, the conversation shifted the role millennials are playing in the upcoming presidential

election.

“Young people are voting in record numbers,” said Krasny. “What are they really feeling?”

As California gets closer to the June 7 primary election, many young voters are wondering whether presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will capture the majority vote of millennials. Either way, millennials have a major part to play in deciding the winner of the 2016 presidential election.

These were some of the topics addressed by Krasny, a panel of four Sonoma State students and professors and Mindy Romero, the founder and creator of the California Civic Engagement Project.

The four Sonoma State representatives were Political Science

Professor Richard Hertz, student Collin Chin, student Samantha Mraz and graduate student Ariana Diaz De Leon.

Each Sonoma State student representative supported a different candidate.

Chinn was a Sanders supporter, Mraz a Clinton supporter and Diaz is a Republican Party supporter, but remains undecided on who she is voting for.

“It rubs me the wrong way that many of [Sanders] plans are not feasible under the executive branch – it’s up to Congress,” said Mraz about Sanders’ platform. “It’s great that much of my generation is becoming engaged, but I really wish Bernie supporters would not only look at the pros of his campaign, but also the flaws it has as well.”

News

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sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

New course fees set to be implemented in fall Shane Welch Staff Writer

S

onoma State University administrators are considering a variety of course fee increases for the fall semester, according to correspondence between President Ruben Armiñana and Sonoma State University’s Fee Advisory Committee.

In a letter dated April 5, from Associated Students President Brandon Mercer and Vice President of Student Affairs Matthew LopezPhilips to Arminana, a fee of $60 for freshman science class SCI 120A and a $50 fee for SCI 120B were recommended against the wishes of the Fee Advisory Committee.

Both Mercer and Philips are co-chairs on the committee.

The fees were unanimously opposed by the Fee Advisory Committee citing the courses should be funded by existing university funding.

The fee increases were approved anyway by Armiñana.

“The Fee Advisory Committee voted to send a recommendation to President Armiñana to not approve the proposed course fee,” said Mercer.

“President Armiñana decided to approve the fee against the committee’s recommendation.”

Fees for the photography program in Sonoma State’s art and art history departments were discussed as well. In a letter to Arminana, the Fee Advisory Committee recommended fees for photography courses Arts 208, 308 and 457 be increased from $45 to $67 and Arts 210 and 310 be increased from $62 to $92 with the caveat that Arminana instruct the department not to ask students to purchase supplies in order to cover operating expense deficiencies.

Currently students buy printer ink separately from the lab fee.

The proposal to increase course fees for Arts 208, 210, 308, 310

and 457 were drafted

by Professor of Photography Shannon Benine and Matthew Barnes and were sent to the Fee Advisory Committee on Oct. 1, 2015. The original proposal cites that a lab fee of $120 is necessary to cover consumable supplies such as printer ink, tape and cleaning supplies. The proposal also states the fee would save students money as the new lab fee would be less than the current lab fee plus the cost of buying individual inkjet cartridges.

“When I came here, I was really surprised at how low our lab fees were and how we were operating to make it run. Like other programs across the nation, Sonoma State started to slowly add in a digital component to the analog curriculum,” said Benine. “As a lab fee the students are able to use their federal aid, grants or student loans to help cover these costs eliminating the stress of having to find money mid-semester to buy more inks.”

The Fee Advisory Committee settled on a fee of $67 for Arts 208, 308 and 457 and $92 for Arts 210 and 310 based on a Consumer Price Index adjustment from 1998 to 2015 levels, with the rest of necessary funding being allocated to Sonoma State’s Academic Affairs department.

“We cannot run a program on lab fees that haven’t been increased in 15 years, and fund both the analog and digital side of the program,” said Benine. “I have been teaching in higher education since 2005 and at every other institution I’ve taught at, this is a typical photography lab fee. We do not require textbooks, we require supplies for creating works of art.”

The increases for the photography courses were voted on by the Fee Advisory Committee on Oct. 28, 2015 and were approved by Arminana on Dec. 11, 2015.

As a response to the recommendation by the Fee Advisory Committee, Mercer wrote a

letter of dissent against the proposed fee hikes.

Mercer voted against the fee increases for the photography courses stating students shouldn’t have to cover shortfalls in department funding that the university is responsible for.

“Students taking these course are responsible for paying this new increased course fee for each photography course played out in the proposal,” says Mercer.

“Students that are pursuing photography are thus paying more for their degree than students like myself, an economics student who has not payed a single course fee.”

Mercer also stated in the letter that fully funding the photography department is a first step in returning Sonoma State to pre-recession funding levels.

“Prior to the Great Recession, when CSU budgets were cut by as much as a third of their original levels, departments were given an amount each year by the university that to cover the costs of providing a course,” said Mercer.

“Today, almost the entirety of money spent on instruction is on faculty salaries and benefits which does not allow for much left over to bolster department operating expenses to purchase needed supplies or other essential services.”

Students who take photography classes chimed in as well.

“The art department can use the money,” says senior Art major Simon Cherin-Gordon.

“Our tuition should cover paying for equipment that the department needs such as printers and ink.”

Fees for the photography courses were originally set to be implemented for the Spring 2016 semester, but have been pushed to the following semester.

Fee increases for Sci 120 A and Sci 120b as well as Arts 208, 210, 308, 310 and 457 are set to be implemented in the upcoming fall semester.

Chancellor to visit campus on Thursday Edgar Sanchez Staff Writer

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alifornia State University Chancellor Timothy White will be visiting Sonoma State University this Thursday. His visit is a part of the 2015/2016 CSU-wide tour “Innovations in the Learning Environment.”

White will commence his day at Sonoma State accompanied by rep-

resentatives of Associated Students from both the current and upcoming school year. After a day full of meetings with faculty, administrators and outside organizations like the Press Democrat, White will hold an open forum where students will have the opportunity to ask him questions.

The open forum will take place in Ballroom A of the Student Center from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

STAR // Shane Bickford A temporary cell tower is being constructed on the west side of Stevenson Hall at Sonoma State University.

Temporary cell towers being installed on west side of Stevenson Hall

S

Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer

tudents walking near near Sonoma State University’s Stevenson Hall lately might have seen several more construction workers than expected. This recent construction is because new cell phone towers are being installed on the west side of the building.

The cell tower being installed near Stevenson Hall is a temporary tower to replace the current tower. The new temporary tower is up and running and was built for AT&T. “What they’re doing is switching the cell signal from the cell towers that are on the Stevenson Hall roof to these remote cell towers that are now knotted on the ground next to the building,” said John Duke, Sonoma State’s director of operations and engineering. “The purpose of doing that is so that they can pull the equipment off the roof and allow us to re-roof the section of Stevenson Hall.”

The roof of Stevenson Hall is scheduled to be replaced over the summer because of a leak, according to Duke.

“If you look on top of Stevenson, there are three cell carriers presently up there: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.” said Duke.

All three carriers have to move their

equipment so that the workers can do roof work at Stevenson Hall.

“In order to do that, they are going to decommission their equipment at that time,” said Duke. “They are putting these temporary remote towers until this roof work takes place, then they will be decommissioned.”

There’s another tower that will be installed on the north side of Stevenson Hall.

The T-Mobile cell tower will be built on the north side in the grassy field between the art building and Stevenson Hall. Sprint has equipment on top of Stevenson along with the other two cell services. According to Duke, Sprint says at this point they will try to run their equipment in place while the work is happening on the roof and will not plan on putting a temporary tower on the ground.

The current AT&T tower on the west side of Stevenson Hall still has a piece of equipment that needs to be installed but is currently active. There will be a crane outside of Stevenson Hall pulling equipment off to prepare for the repairing of the leaking roof.

The roof is going out to public bid in the next couple weeks to find the company best suitable for the job. The roof will be replaced this summer and the temporary towers will be inactivated once the job is complete.

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Arts

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sonomastatestar.com

Cinenoma’s best: Two stars in the making Brett Mollard, Best Actor Emma Devitt Asst. A&E Editor

H

ard work and dedication will always be rewarded. Brett Mollard won Best Actor at SSUTVs Cinenoma last week after being dedicated to his craft of acting for over seven years. Mollard directed and acted in his film “Youth,” the story of a 21-year-old going back in time to warn his 18-year-old self of a terrible future. This tragic, five-minute film left the entire room at Cinenoma in silence.

“The idea for Youth has just been in my head for a while now,” said Mollard. “It’s the question of, if I talked to my 18-year-old self right now, what would I say? I thought of the ending and then I just had to figure out how to get it there.”

Mollard is 22 years old and in his junior year studying communications. He got his start in acting at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa.

Mollard had been looking for an easy elective to take, not realizing he would find his passion in it.

“I thought, this is so simple and fun, why wouldn’t everyone want to do this?” said Mollard.

After graduating high school, he originally went to a private college to study computer programming and game design, but noticed the void left in his life without acting.

“I was thinking, okay acting is fun but that’s not something I’d actually want to do, it’s just a hobby. And I realized when I got [to the private college] there was no art, there was no music, there was no acting, there was nothing,” said Mollard.

“I realized I actually really liked that stuff. So I dropped out and I came back.”

Mollard came home and got involved in the theater program at Santa Rosa Junior College.

During his time there, he was in eight shows including “Sweeney Todd,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “A Few Good Men” and “Les Miserables.”

Besides SRJC, he’s been in productions all over Sonoma County and even at Sonoma State University. Earlier this year, Mollard played the Baker in “Into The Woods.” Emily Rice played alongside him as Little Red Riding Hood.

“Brett is enthusiastic and extremely dedicated to acting,” said Rice of working with Mollard.

Mollard enjoys musicals more than any other type of production. He’ll be in two musicals over the summer, “My Fair Lady” in May and “The Fantastics” in August.

“I really love singing in musicals because there’s a character behind it,” said Mollard. “It completely changes what you’re singing.”

Mollard was involved in an independent production of “Star Wars: The Musical” last summer.

He was able to put the show together with a group of his friends from SRJC in a dance studio.

“It was a bunch of students putting it together.

It was satisfying to have a project that was ours, that we put up,” said Mollard. “We learned that we don’t have to wait for other people to give us opportunities for shows, we can create our own.”

Mollard got into filmmaking during his time at SRJC taking a video production class. He learned about the editing process and found he really enjoyed it.

“Because I love acting, I love being able to tell these stories and put them on the screen,” said Mollard. “And I love editing, so it works out that I can act and then edit.”

Among the many mentors in his acting career, the most influential for him has been Trevor Hoffman, his director for “The Fantastics.”

“He’s an incredible musical actor, a fantastic director, and just an awesome person. He’s just the ideal person for who I’d want to work with,” said Mollard. “He’s very passionate and down to earth.

He’s someone I really look up to in terms of talent and skill and just being a good person.”

Erik Weiss, a local actor, has worked with Mollard on a few occasions. Most recently, they shared the stage in the musical “Assassins.”

“He’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met,” said Weiss of Mollard. “We went to high school together. He graduated the year I was a freshman and he was always kind and inclusive.

As an actor, he brings so much energy and life to his characters, it’s brilliant to watch. He’s funny, smart and a dedicated and talented singer.”

As far as what character he would like to play, Mollard finds the characters as he finds more musicals. So far, he has played all of the characters he’s wanted to, but he knows there will be more.

“I just want to play something that will help me grow,” said Mollard.

His plans and goals for the future include moving to L.A. after graduation to try and act, either in films or on broadway. Mollard wants to use his degree to do something in the film industry.

“I really like the film industry in general. I’d really like to tackle something in it. If not acting, then something else behind the scenes,” said Mollard. “That’s why I think communications is really applicable because I could go try to act and if that fails, I have a degree and I can go try some other things in the field.”

The ultimate goal for Mollard is to be remembered in a positive light.

“My goal for the future is to have a positive Wikipedia page by the time I die,” said Mollard.

With all of the goals and projects Mollard has lined up, being remembered positively won’t be a problem. Mollard will be performing in “My Fair Lady” at Sixth Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa from May 6 to June 5.

Courtesy // Brett Mollard Actor and filmmaker Brett Mollard (left) onstage in Sonoma State University’s production of “Into the Woods.”

STAR // Brennan Chin Actress and filmmaker Bria Gabor (left) poses on the Cinenoma 2016 red carpet.

Bria Gabor, Best Actress Sean Curzon Staff Writer

B

ria Gabor didn’t make “Roommates” with the mindset of winning awards, but it’s always nice to win one. Gabor is a fourth year communications major. She won Best Actress for her role as the lead in her film, “Roommates” at Cinenoma on April 21.

Gabor was surprised she won.

“I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘I’m not winning anything tonight,’” Gabor said, thinking of the other films showing that night.

In addition to acting in the film, she wrote, directed and edited the film was well.

Gabor got the idea from difficulties that come from living with others.

“Someone will leave their clothes out or no one wants to take out the trash ever. Things like that I know are very prevalent in 95 percent of all living situations,” said Gabor.

She wanted her character to be relatable.

“I’m no stranger to stress anxiety. I’ll let my room get super messy and then I’ll have a panic attack and I’ll just clean the whole room,” said Gabor. “So I’m no stranger to having a big mess that I’ll have to clean up and sometimes you’re frustrated because you got things to do and so I think I just kind of tapped into that.”

Gabor got her start in musical theater in middle school.

“That’s when I knew I liked being in front of a lot of people, doing ridiculous things,” said Gabor.

Philip Gilbert, a senior communications major, has known Gabor in professional and casual settings as he has worked with her on film projects as well as taken a fitness class she’s instructed.

“What makes Bria stand out is that she thinks outside of the box,” said Gilbert. “[She] strives to create content that gets the audience thinking about issues that are prevalent to our generation. She’s a great actress and can convey a variety of roles well. My favorite part about work-

ing with Bria is that she is a super fun person to be around and so work doesn’t actually feel like we’re working.”

Gabor didn’t experiment with film until she got into college.

“CMF (Campus MovieFest) was my first try at film. I started SSUTV last semester and it’s just gotten better from there. I submitted a couple of films for contests and I’ve gotten in the top 16, but I’ve never won anything until now,” said Gabor. “It really is a blessing and an honor and I’m really excited that this film was the film that is really being recognized. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve made.”

Comedy is not the only thing that Gabor focuses on. In fact, most of her films tend to be more serious.

“I’ve made a kind of a documentary on human trafficking since it’s so prevalent in Santa Rosa and this area,” said Gabor.

Gabor also worked as a production assistant on the short film “The Secret of 40,” which was shown at the film festival Cinequest in March. SSUTV General Manager Anna Luna, who also worked on the film as a production coordinator, has worked with Gabor behind-thescenes.

“Bria is a very talented individual,” said Luna. “Her creativity and inspiring work ethic make her extremely valuable with the projects we’ve worked on. I trust she will continue to pursue her passions.

Bria attempts every challenge with a smile and great attitude.”

Gabor describes the community of SSUTV as a warrior. “We’ve all worked together to build what is here today.”

Despite winning, Gabor doesn’t want the experience to got to her head.

“It was such an honor and I’m really excited that I won. I guess I don’t win a lot of things, so to have that recognition is really cool, but also very humbling,” said Gabor. “I don’t want it to be some sort of ‘Oh, I’ve won. I’m so cool.’ I don’t want it to be like that. It’s more of a personal achievement and a consent strive to continue what I do and get better.”

STAR Exclusive: Behind the scenes of ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ Audrey Altman Staff Writer

T

he Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tale has been around since 1938. As a sequel, “The Huntsman: Winters War,” takes a dark twist on the initial fable following up the recent film released in 2012.

What happens behind the scenes of a movie isn’t always known, but the amount of work that goes into one film is much more than someone may think.

“Most people don’t realize that making a movie starts years before the movie even films,” said Alyssa Altman, assistant to Producer Jeff Kirschenbaum. “There is a pitch that turns into an outline, which turns into a script, and that script is rewritten many times before it goes to screen.”

“My position was assistant to Jeff Kirschenbaum at Universal Pictures,” said Altman. “He was the co-president of production, but then I moved with him to his new company called Roth-Kirschenbaum Films.”

Christina Tellez was an assistant to Maradith Frenkel, a Vice President of Production at Universal Pictures.

“People would be surprised to know how many departments and crew members it takes to make one film,” said Tellez. “A film could involve hundreds of people’s input.

Whether it be on set, in post-production or VFX.” There are many different roles people play behind the scenes in movies. For this film in particular, a lot of work went into making sure it wouldn’t let down the original fans of the fable. What is vital to making a film successful is the relationship among the cast and crew on set.

“What is really cool is seeing the relationships evolve,” said Altman. “On ‘The Huntsman,’ everybody became really great friends.”

With all the fun and entertaining aspects of working on

a movie set, there are also difficulties that come along with that. “‘The Huntsman’ shot in London, so my boss had to fly back and forth from London to L.A. every other week for three months,” said Tellez.

It takes a certain type of person to work the long hours and daily pressure, but it’s that person’s drive that will make a movie so successful.

“The one thing everyone has in common is being super passionate about movies and TV,” added Altman. “Sometimes it takes many different paths in the industry to see what you respond too, but once you find it and love it, you will never leave.”

For this movie in particular, the film’s director Cedric Nicolas Troyan was a first-time feature director.

“He was able to handle the creative criticism really well and the actors loved him,” said Tellez. “It was really interesting to see how the studio executives and producers problemsolve creative notes.”

While filming a movie, problems may arise that could not have been foreseen. That’s when quick thinking and problem-solving becomes vital from all of the crew to make sure it doesn’t harshly affect the film or push back the release date.

“We had countless very smart, creative individuals who put years of their life into making this movie,” said James Burg, Assistant to the Director of Development at Universal Pictures. “From start to finish, a movie like ‘The Huntsman’ can take three to four years from when we first talk about it to when you finally see it in theatres.”

Many things happen behind the scenes of a movie that viewers are unaware of.

“There are infinite decisions of writers, directors and cast. To locations, budget, and wardrobe, to marketing plans, merchandise, and release schedules,” added Burg. “Every single one of these complicated problems are meticulously

thought out to provide the best movie going experience that we can provide.”

On websites like Rotten Tomatoes, “The Huntsman: Winters War” didn’t receive the rating that the cast and crew were hopeful for.

“The reviews we got in for ‘The Huntsman’ were less than perfect, and a lot of people trashed it in the press,” said Burg. “It’s unfortunate that some critics saw it in that way, but the cast and crew are still proud of their product.”

“Being at the premiere was so surreal, I had been to others, but this one was special,” said Altman. “Knowing all my hard work had paid off, I was there from my pre-pro to post and seeing it on the big screen, there is not quite any other feeling like that in this world.”

Although the movie may not have gotten the reviews the cast and crew had hoped for, it’s clear that so much work went into creating this film and that the cast and crew should be applauded for their time and dedication.

Alyssa Altman, the assistant to Producer Jeff Kirschenbaum is Staff Writer Audrey Altman’s sister.

facebook.com/TheHunstmanMovie Despite luke warm reviews, the crew of “The Hunstman: Winter’s War” are proud of the finished product.

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Entertainment

Page 7

From sketches to theaters: A charming mess Diana Arroyo Staff Writer

Review

F facebook.com/Drake Drake’s latest album, “Views,” released on April 29 and has been praised for highlighting Drake’s roots, which originate in Toronto.

The softer side of Toronto Noe Felix Staff Writer

Review

“C

ertain people need to tell me they proud of me/ That mean a lot to me/ Not having closure takes a lot out of me.” It’s vulnerability of this stature that is rarely seen in hip-hop.

It’s what makes “Views” so special.

“Views” is a journey, it’s a tale that takes course over the seasons.

As the seasons change, so do relationships, love, friends, success and failures. It’s an album unlike any other released this year. “Views” decides to focus on soul, on love, on hardships over machismo and bravado. It’s a return to form for Drake.

While 2015 saw the release of “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” and his collaboration with Future, “What A Time To Be Alive,” fans were left wondering if they would ever see the Drizzy from his “Take Care” and “Nothing Was The Same” days. Well, that wait is finally over.

What makes “Views” so distinct from Drake’s prior work is its sound.

Drake has always been known for delivering bleak stories over moody and dark atmospheric beats. While the content in “Views” is as deep, meaningful and heartfelt as ever, its sound is more lighthearted. It leans more toward the R&B side of hip-hop. “Views” is an album that sounds laidback, something you play on a ride home. It’s much different from his previous work, where it felt secluded from the world at four in the morning.

The production is some of the best Drake and his team have ever created. “Views” takes a lot of inspiration from hip-hop and R&B legends of the past. Many tracks sample

songs from the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s, and re-imagine them for the new era. DMX, Mary J. Blige, Ideal and more are paid tribute to as Drake adds his own twist on the classics. “Views” finds Drake trying out more upbeat odes that still have his signature “longing for love” style. Tracks like “One Dance,” “Controlla,” and “Too Good” are all dance songs have that have been heavily inf luenced by Reggae and Caribbean music, showing Drake as nothing less than versatile. While the production is a force to be reckoned with, it’s Drake’s lyricism that steals the show.

There’s complexity in simplicity, and no one knows that better than Drizzy. He knows that one doesn’t need to overcompensate with wordplay in order to deliver a memorable track. Drake’s lyrics are at their finest when he paints images of hardships and strife. “U Got Me?” finds him arguing with his lover about where their relationship stands. “Redemption” finds himself struck by grief by the wrong he’s done to women, by what they’ve done to him. Album highlight, “Weston Road Flows,” sees Drake telling his underdog story and the hard work he put in to achieve his accomplishments.

“Views” finds Drake romancing women as well. On the steamy bedroom jam “Faithful,” he tries to pursue a woman too busy working to settle down with him. He raps, “You don’t have no time to lay up/ You just trying to be somebody/ Fore you say you need somebody.” On “Fire & Desire,” see’s him falling in love with a woman in a committed relationship.

This album finds Drake going back to the roots that made him great. It ventures into some new territory, while not straying too far way from his winning formula. “Views” shows that Drake remembers who got him here.

facebook.com/Drake Drake’s “Views” climbed billboard charts rapidly, reaching the number two spot on the Hot 100 last week.

or those who are familiar with the popular “Key and Peele” sketch series, the new film titled “Keanu” is something to look forward to. Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key star in this film about their love for a kitten and the extreme situations they are willing to put themselves into in order to rescue it.

From their series they’re known to make fun of various pop culture’s, stereotypes and race relations.

Their new film, titled after the small cat, is something Hollywood has seen before. The plot revolves around the two stars, Rell (Peele) and Clarence (Key) who come across the kitten not knowing about the dangers surrounding it. After going out one night, Rell discovers someone has broken into his home and kidnapped Keanu.

They soon discover Keanu in the hands of a dangerous gang leader named Cheddar and decide to go along with him. Cheddar mistakenly believes Rell and Clarence are two infamous assassins. Stepping out of their comfort zone, the two make a deal with Cheddar to help distribute his new drug in return for Keanu. After shoot-outs, blood and

several predicaments, everything turns out just as expected.

Viewers are able to see Peele and Key’s humor from the beginning. Their style involves silly jokes and mentions other Hollywood favorites. One of the funniest scenes is when Clarence and a group of Cheddar’s gang members are waiting inside a van singing along to George Michael tunes.

The relationship between the main characters is something that really made this film funny. Although there were a few scenes where one could tell they tried too hard, the film still worked. The main plot being the rescue of a kitten is something abnormal and ridiculous for them to kill others and involve themselves with gang members just to get him back.

Keanu, which in the film has a rare disease where he will be a kitten forever, adds more to the film’s humor as you see him dressed up as a gangster and in calendar pictures posing in other film’s iconic scenes.

The film, although lacking suspense and twists, is a bearable production by the two sketch stars. This movie is not any different from what other comedy movies in Hollywood have done before.

Keanu is one of the cutest kitten actors in Hollywood and the relationship with every character is loving and close.

The transformation of Peele and Key as bad-ass characters in order to rescue a kitten is what makes the film a comedy.

facebook.com/KeanuMovie Key and Peele’s film “Keanu” is centered around the rescuing of a kitten, and highlights the comedic pairing’s signature style.

Page 8

Student Life

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

A day in the sun at Sonoma State

STAR // Megan Corcoran Phi Delta Theta held their annual, week-long philanthropy event last week benefiting cystic fibrosis.

Phi Delta Theta’s 17th annual Teeter-Totter benefits cystic fibrosis for lost brother Nathan Shapiro Staff Writer

F

or the seventeenth year in a row, the men of Phi Delta Theta hosted their week-long philanthropy, TeeterTotter, to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening disorder that took the life of a former brother of the chapter.

“In the beginning, this event was not about cystic fibrosis,” said current brother Alec Pesavento.

Pesavento and Ryder Da Silva were at the head of operations for the entire 104 hours.

“Originally, this event was to raise awareness about ALS, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease,’” said da Silva. The Hall-of- Fame New York Yankee who the disease was named after was a brother of Phi Delta Theta.

In 2006 the chapter lost a former brother, Brent “Woody” Bolin to cystic fibrosis, a condition where mucus can build up in the lungs. Bolin was teaching at California State University San Marcos when he had to eventually go the hospital. On

August 2, 2006, he died surrounded by friends and family.

Bolin donated his liver, kidneys and eyes. Because of this, there are two people still alive and well today in San Diego.

When he was attending Sonoma State back in 1999, Woody held positions such as New Member Educator, Historian and Treasurer. Bolin met a his wife Allison on campus and in 2004 they married.

This year, Phi Delta Theta joined up with Allison’s sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, to set up a teeter-totter on Person Lawn.

A table was put out with mason jars for each Greek organization to donate spare change for the cause.

Tents and couches created a comfortable lounging area for anyone to show up and relax throughout the day and even overnight.

Ring toss, cornhole and other games were also available for those more active. At night, hot cocoa was provided along with a DJ and movies. Of course, there were people tee-

tering at all times.

“At first, the challenge was only twelve hours,” said sophomore Phi Delta Theta memeber Max Hull. “But we kept seeing if we could push the limit, so now the challenge is 104 hours.”

They culminated the event at 7 p.m. Friday evening with a ceremony, and in attendance were a few of Bolin’s brothers from back in the day, including his best friend John Kreuzer.

“Woody was a man who made a friend in every person he met,” said Kreuzer. “He looked for and found the positive in every part of his life.”

Kreuzer and another former brother, Matt Nicholson, shared stories of Woody’s actions and his legacy at the closing ceremony.

“If there is anything to take away from this whole event, it’s that cystic fibrosis is a very real thing and it took one of our own,” said Pesavento. “Being aware and knowing is half the battle, and I think we have been very successful in fulfilling our goal with this event and that is why we have been doing for the past 17 years.”

STAR // Brandon Stachnik Associated Student Productions hosted its annual ‘Day in the Sun Festival’ last Saturday. Free pizza, a live band and crafting were available for students to enjoy.

A Sapphire’s golden opportunity Carly Saber Staff Writer

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any students play sports throughout their childhood and into high school, but a select few continue on to play their sport in college. From there, it’s only the best of the best that continue on professionally. It takes a certain kind of dedication and talent to enter the professional realm.

Erin Hardy, senior psychology major and dance minor, been given the opportunity to be a professional dancer. She will be dancing for the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheer team for the 2016-2017 football season.

Hardy has been dancing her entire life. She started dance in kindergarten when it was an option to be in a ballet dance class instead of going to recess.

“I was pretty self motivated right from the beginning, but I also only wanted to take ballet and not branch out into any other style,” Hardy said.

Ballet became her passion and she continued to dance all throughout her childhood.

Her mom encouraged her to try out for her high school dance team and she ended up being on the team for all four years. Hardy’s time in dance was not all glamour and fun.

“Before high school, I was dancing with a ballet company where I was bullied pretty bad. I was so conflicted because I hated the environment I was in but I loved ballet and performing,” said Hardy. “I did end up switching ballet schools, but I feel like if I hadn’t found my new school when I did I might have hit my breaking point and quit dance all together.”

She didn’t let the bullies win and she went on to continue dance throughout high school.

“My inspiration to continue has always come from trying to be the best possible role model I can be. Throughout the years, I wanted to set a good example for the younger girls on my team.” Hardy said. “Then, when people who had just seen me dance in shows would approach me and talk about how I inspired them to pursue dance and improve, I began to realize the impact I was having on others.”

Hardy knew she wanted to dance in college and joined the Sonoma State University Sapphires dance team her freshman year.

“Erin is a beautiful dancer, she is very passionate about dance and really cares about the overall success of the team. She is extremely friendly and just an overall genuine person,” said Erica Pecho, captain of the Sapphires.

Hardy was able to broaden her dance styles and gain confidence on the stage.

“Being on the Sapphires and being surrounded by dancers so talented and versatile has definitely helped me improve my own dance and performance skills,” Hardy said. “One style I really struggled with coming into college was hip hop, and three years ago I would have never thought I would be able to call myself a hip hop national champion.” The Sapphires won the Grand Hip-Hop Championship title for division II and III at their national competition.

Hardy decided she wanted to audition for the Goldrush team two years ago and she made it all the way to the final round. She was offered a position for a pre-game rally event at Great America, but not a spot on the team. “It was great experience and gave me a better idea of what I would be doing if I made the Goldrush,” Hardy said.

STAR // Brennan Chin Erin Hardy, a senior on the Sonoma State Sapphires dance team, recently made the San Francisco 49ers Goldrush cheerleading team.

When the time came to audition this year, she was ready.

“Pro dance is always something I had in the back of my mind and I felt like the 49ers had the platform I was looking for,” Hardy said.

“I was really excited for Erin when I found out that she made the 49er cheerleaders.

This was something she had wanted for a really long time, so I’m happy that she made the team. It’s great that all her work has paid off,” Teammate Lena Stephens said. “Not only that, it’s great that someone is representing Sonoma State and the Sapphires through this wonderful opportunity.”

Hardy is extremely grateful for the opportunity to dance professionally. “It is something I worked very hard to achieve. I hope by being on this team I can inspire young girls who have been bullied or who have low self-esteem. I want to prove to them that it is possible to accomplish a dream as long as you persevere and do not allow your insecurities to stand in your way,” Hardy said.

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Comedic vulgarity at its finest

Student Life

Page 9

Brandon Stachnik Editor-in-Chief

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s Nick Swardson walked the backstage foyer of Weill Hall he marveled at the portraits of the past performers who’ve earned the concert hall its pristine reputation. He recalled to the audience his final thoughts before his performance.

“Welp, I’m about to take the stage, so that’s all about to change.”

He was right. The Green Music Center had yet to host an act like his.

Jokes about farting, cocaine and getting blacked-out drunk at a Carrot Top show were not in short supply during the comedian’s stand-up last Tuesday night.

Of course, avid fans of Swardson would expect no less from the raunchy actor, director and screenwriter.

He’s known for his roles in movies like “The Benchwarmers” and “Blades of Glory” and most notably for his character, Terry, in Comedy Central’s “Reno 911.”

Swardson even boasted during his act that Terry gets him out of speeding tickets since most of the cops who pull him over are fans of the show. “F*cking Terry, get out of here,” they say.

He’s produced successful stand up specials that landed him his own sketch comedy show, “Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time,” although it only lasted two seasons. However, Swardson was able to swoon the crowd with his animated personality and jokes tailored to Sonoma State University.

“This can’t be a university campus. This must be a front for something. Everyone’s just high and chugging wine,” he joked.

Swardson even made fun of the school’s mascot.

“What even is a Seawolf? I’ve been to the sea…been on a boat…been surfing... and no one’s ever said: ‘Bro, scared?’ ‘No, why? Shark?’ ‘No…wolf.’”

Later he threatened to throw a few annoying audience members to a pack of Seawolves outside the hall.

Much of his act was built on making fun of alcoholics or stories of getting drunk himself. He recounted getting so wasted before a carrot top show in Las Vegas that he didn’t remember the name of a movie he was starring in after being asked in front of the audience.

“Drinking is fun but you should do it in moderation,” he advised. “You should get f*cked up at a Carrot Top show though.”

The crowd laughed uncontrollably at his stories and yelled out portions of their favorite jokes. He handled them professionally but was taken aback after he saw two girls in the front row who looked familiar.

He told the rest of the audience that he couldn’t believe they were in attendance since he’s only met them previously on a cruise ship. When looking for alcohol, he met a group of girls who showed him they came prepared with five shampoo bottles full of Fireball whiskey. He was no longer confused as to why he was hearing shouts of “fireball” from an audience member that night.

What was more shocking to the crowd was that Swardson, with his dumpy figure and immature personality, is set to turn 40 this year. He didn’t seem to mind the mixed reactions he received when revealing that to the audience. “I know I dress like I’m 14 but I don’t give a f*ck.”

STAR // Brennan Chin Comedian and actor Nick Swardson came to The Green Music Center last Tuesday. His routine varied from a jab at Sonoma State’s mascot to his drunken nights at a Carrot Top show.

What wasn’t shocking was his eagerness to start reciting his favorite fart and poop jokes, the funniest of which was Swardson’s concept of a “sh*t sprinkler.”

To tell the joke, he first let the audience remember the feeling one gets before they really need to go. He then told them to picture a scenario in which an Olympic figure skater gets that same feeling, right before she is supposed to get thrown in the air.

“Don’t throw me,” Swardson mimicked as he danced around the stage. “Don’t f*cking throw me.”

He proceeded to receive some of the biggest laughs of the night as he depicted what it would look like if she was thrown and turned into the fabled “sh*t sprinkler.”

While the Green Music Center has played host to big names in comedy like Aziz Ansari and Gabriel Iglesias in the past, Swardson set a new standard in his level of filth and lewdity. It will be hard to find another act like his without them looking completely out of place within the classy walls of the concert hall.

As far as other comedy shows to look forward to, Iglesias is scheduled to return to The Green Music Center in July and “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah is slated to perform there in August.

FAASSU celebrates culture through dance Jessica Shipma Staff Writer

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ackflips on benches, 50 years of marriage and guest performances were just a few of the aspects packed into this year’s Pacific Cultural Night.

The two-hour-long show was put on by the Filipino American Association at Sonoma State University (FAASSU).

The seventh annual Pacific Cultural Night was held at the Green Music Center for the very first time on Friday night. The show sold out the first level of Weill Hall.

This year’s theme was “Kuwento,” which means “story” in Tagalog. The stories, told through dance, were about Lola and Lolo’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. Lola, played by Cat Madriaga, and Lolo, played by Sebastian Cardona, created a comedic environment for the audience in-between the more serious performances. Lola and Lolo constantly made wisecracks at each other throughout the show and depicted the perfect stereotype of lovable Filipino grandparents, although they weren’t inspired by anyone in particular.

“Lolo is based off of a lot of people.

When I was young me and my cousins used to be loud mouths and we used to make fun of all of our uncles and aunties. Whatever they’d say to us, we would mimic it back in an even deeper accent and that’s kind of where Lolo derived from,” said Sebastian Cardona, a senior and jazz studies and piano major.

The night started out with the American and Philippine national anthems, and progressed into the first performance of the night, “Malakas at Maganda.”

This was a dance about the first man and woman in the Philippines. The dance was choreographed by Jessica Amen and Jason Valdez and told the story of a bird that discovered the first man, Malakas, and the first woman, Maganda.

Another dance performed was Ilaw Anahaw which required the girls to balance candles on their hands and heads

while other performances, like the Haka, intimidated the audience with a war cry.

This year’s Pacific Cultural Night included dances from the Philippines, Hawai’i, New Zealand and Tahiti. All choreography was designed and created by students of FAASSU. Pacific Cultural Night also brought about the debut performance of KAPWA Modern with a hip-hop dance routine.

This year’s coordinators, Jessica Amen and Stacey Smyth, have been planning Pacific Cultural Night since the beginning of the school year.

Practices for the show begin during the Spring semester and were held Monday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. along with occasional weekend practices. Every member of FAASSU was invited to perform in any dance that had unlimited space.

“It’s been extremely crazy to be a leader and communicate with people your own age. To step up and lead them is a whole new experience for me. Next year I will follow through being coordinator again so at least I know what I should be doing. I’ve learned a lot, it’s such an amazing experience I can’t even put it into words,” said Jessica Amen, a sophomore and technical theater major.

The show also included guest performances by the Blue Baronz Dance Club, Hip-Hop artist DJ Pauze, Ballet Folklorico de Sonoma and jazz performances by Sebastian Cardona and Joel Renteria. FAASSU holds themselves to a high standard of being inclusive to all cultures on campus which is why they invited groups like the Ballet Folklorico de Sonoma, who performed a Mexican folk-dance, to partake in the show.

The audience was in for quite the shock as the night ended.

The first of the final two dances required assisted backflips on benches and the second dance had performers maneuver through moving sticks while blindfolded.

For students interested in being a part of Pacific Cultural Night next year, FAASSU is open to all students at Sonoma State regardless of cultural background.

BEST OF 2016 re

He n Sca

Page 10

Sports

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Softball team advances to NCAA championship tournament Hailee Zastrow Staff Writer

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or the eighth-straight year, the Sonoma State Seawolves are headed to the NCAA DII Softball Championship tournament.

The selection show aired Monday morning and the Seawolves found themselves on the coveted list, among 63 other teams. The Seawolves will compete in a double-elimination tournament with hopes of advancing to super regionals.

Along with this accomplishment, seven of Sonoma State’s roster were named onto the All-CCAA team. Senior Amanda Llerena (20-9), a two-time CCAA pitcher of the year, leads the team in all pitching categories with 165 strikeouts, five shutouts, and 22 completed games.

She finishes this season with a careerbest 1.63 ERA and was named First Team All-CCAA for her third consecutive year.

Senior Carlie Daniel and freshman Alee Balanon were honored to Second Team All-CCAA, while Sarah Langley, Alison Strycula, Jena Kaser and Jordann White each received an Honorable Mention for their efforts this season.

With this All-Star lineup, the girls are hoping the NCAA tournament goes better than this past weekend’s.

They traveled to Stockton for the CCAA Softball Championships, but they left feeling less than satisfied. Despite a huge win against the Humboldt State Lumberjacks, two slow starts

against Chico State was enough to eliminate the Seawolves.

On Friday, the Seawolves played their first game against Chico State. The Wildcats came out ready to compete, scoring five unanswered runs to back the Seawolves up against a wall.

The Wildcats’ starting pitcher Brooke Langeloh wouldn’t let the Seawolves get a hit in until the fifth inning, but once she did, the Seawolves tried to take advantage.

Carlie Daniel put the Seawolves on the board with a 2-run double in the fifth, tying the program’s single-season doubles record with 18. In the sixth, Sarah Langley hit a home run to give the Seawolves a fighting chance, but it still wasn’t enough.

The Wildcats quickly pulled Langeloh from the game and Haley Gilham came in and regained control, leading Chico to the 5-3 victory.

On Saturday, the Seawolves started the day with an elimination game against the top-seeded Humboldt State Lumberjacks who lost to UC San Diego 6-4 on Friday.

The Seawolves recovered from the tough defeat the day before and performed, winning 4-2 and handing the Lumberjacks only their fifth loss of the season.

“We were nervous going into the game but we were also focused and deter- mined,” said Aubrie Tolliver. “It could not have felt any better to knock out Humboldt.”

The Seawolves took the lead in the first inning, with Alee Balanon’s single to start the inning and scoring on a triple by Jordann White.

Then in the fourth, Lindsey Calcany-Blair scored to give the Seawolves the 2-0 lead.

Humboldt fought back, scoring one run in both

the fifth and sixth innings, but the Seawolves answered back with two runs in the seventh. A double

by Sarah Langley gave the Seawolves the final run and the win 4-2.

“Sarah did awesome this weekend. She called a great game behind the plate and was on fire with the bat,” said Tolliver.

Despite a positive afternoon, that night Seawolves had a déjà vu when Chico went up 5-0 again, paving the way to their 6-4 win.

Langley performed again with a double and an RBI, but the 5-run start by the Wildcats proved to be too much for the Seawolves. Amanda Llerena was credited with the loss.

The Seawolves will face Humbolt State once again to start the NCAA DII Softball Championship, and are hoping for another upset.

“We made it to super regionals last year for the first time and want nothing more than to do it again,” Tolliver said. “We know what it takes and will do ever ything we can to get to the top 16.”

The Seawolves will play their first game of the tournament on May 6 at 6 p.m. in Arcata, California.

Women’s water polo finishes third in WWPA Sonoma State’s women’s water polo team matches best finish since 2004 Allison Kelley Staff Writer

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he sharks have disappeared and the waters are calm again. The Sonoma State women’s water polo team wrapped up their season with a third-place finish in the 2016 Western Water Polo Association Women’s Championships this weekend. The ladies finished their season with a 13-14 record, matching their best-ever finish in the conference since 2004. The Seawolves defeated Mercyhurst 7-5 at Chabot College in Hayward early Sunday morning.

The semi-finals began Saturday in Hayward, with a head-to-head battle against the No. 3 seed Cal State East Bay. For the second year in a row, the game went into overtime, but unfortunately the Seawolves did not come out on top. The ladies suffered a 12-9 loss to the Pioneers.

The game was tied up for the first 32 minutes in regulation play. Both teams combined scored a total of 14 goals, and by halftime the score was 7-7.

During the second half each team scored two goals, resulting in a tie that would send the teams into overtime. Cal State East Bay scored both of its goals in the third quarter, advancing with a 9-8 lead. With 1:35 left to play, Noelle Herrera fired one into the net, bringing her team into overtime with the 9-9 tie.

“It felt good to go into OT,” said Herrera. “for the fact that the game wasn’t over. We weren’t giving up easily. We wanted to finish strong,” Despite their efforts to power through and get the win, the Seawolves could not stop the three goals that CSUEB would score in the OT period.

Lyndsie Williams scored three goals, while Carleigh Robinson and Herrera both scored two goals each. Ellen Peterson handed out three assists and Taylor Plorin made five saves in the cage. Despite the hard loss, the Seawolves enjoyed their second-to-last game of the season.

“Playing the game was easier and more fun when everyone was positive and into it,” said Plorin. “Without the support of our team, coaches and crowd, the game would not be as fun.”

The Seawolves’ last game took place Sunday morning in Hayward against Mercyhurst where they dominated and took third in the conference.

Herrera threw in four goals to lead the team with a 7-5 victory. Herrera and senior Kaysie Lewis were named to the All-Tournament First Team, while teammate Peterson was selected to the All-Tournament Second Team.

“The most rewarding part of the season was being able to end with a win,” said Plorin. “It shows all the hard work we’ve put into the season. Being able to see where we started and where we finished is reward enough.”

Courtesy // sonomaseawolves.com The Sonoma State women’s water polo team celebrates after 3rd place finish.

Courtesy // Craig Stock The D’vine ultimate frisbee team celebrates after advancing to regionals.

Frisbee’s flying high at Sonoma State K risten Spear Staff Writer

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he Sonoma State University ultimate frisbee teams are ready to take the sport to the next level, but don’t confuse frisbee golf with ultimate frisbee. Ultimate frisbee consists of a mixture of football, soccer and basketball components with little contact, but quick with a high intensity pace.

“Ultimate frisbee is a really unique combination of sports and it is such a great time. A lot of people misjudge the sport because it is not as big yet but, it’s getting there,” said junior Tyana Ruiz. “We all are very friendly and welcome everyone. We would love to get more players each year and we don’t expect anyone to know how to play because again, it’s a new sport.”

Ultimate frisbee has unique sense of leadership since all trainings, tournaments and travel are self regulated, meaning all fundraising and drills are planned by students only. Reffing is provided by both teams during the game by their knowledge of rules and sense of fairness.

“Every person is held accountable for admitting when they foul or do something against the rules. It’s a competitive and fun sport and we are excited to see Ultimate gain more recognition nationally,” said junior Jacqui Bonner.

They meet three times a week with practices consisting of conditioning, throwing drills, and scrimmages. Don’t worry boys ultimate frisbee isn’t only for girls men have thier own ultimate frisbee team as well, know as the Grapes of Wrath.

“We are looking for new teammates next semester. Everyone is welcomed in the fall,” said Megan Stock.

Both teams will start back up in the fall and anyone is welcomed to join. No tryouts or experience needed, just bring yourself and willingness to learn and have fun.

“Honestly, it has changed my life,” said Ruiz. “I love the spirit and the sport as a whole. The spirit of the community is supportive and fun.”

Sonoma State’s women’s ultimate frisbee team, also known as D’Vine, travels and plays against teams such as UCLA, UCSD, Arizona State, Cal Berkeley, and Chico State as well as hosting their own tournament here on the Sonoma green. Through their tournament-based season, D’Vine was able to make it to regionals as one of the top-16 teams in the southwest this past weekend where they competed against nationally-ranked opponents. Unfortunately, they were unable to solidify a spot for nationals.

For those who are unsure about the sport, want to try it before going to the club practices, or can’t fully commit, co-ed pick-up games are played every Thursday at Sunf lower Park on Expressway and Snyder. Join in on the action from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m with other Sonoma State students and community members.

“I don’t know what I would do without Ultimate Frisbee. I’ve never met a group of girls that are so funny, fun and welcoming,” said Bonner. “This sport has given me a real sense of belonging and a family here at Sonoma State. I feel so lucky to be a part of D’Vine.”

Sports

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Study, sleep, Jiu-Jitsu, repeat

STAR // Megan Corcoran Daniel Caresio at the dish vs. Stanislaus State.

Seawolves split Stanislaus State in doubleheader Bianca Sanborn Asst. Sports Editor

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he Sonoma State Seawolves proved themselves an equal and worthy opponent to the Warriors, splitting both doubleheaders against Cal State Stanislaus this weekend in Turlock.

On the last day of a rough month for the Seawolves, the boys stepped onto Warriors ground ready to play, scoring two runners in the top of the first when Grant St. Martin hit a homer to right field.

Stanislaus retaliated with a homer of their own in the second inning. While Sonoma State held steady on defense, they pounded the Warriors offensively with four more runs in the remaining innings.

Stanislaus tallied one more on the scoreboard in the seventh inning, but couldn’t shake the Seawolf lead, losing 6-2 in the first matchup on Saturday.

Matt Hammonds (3-3) kept the Warriors weapons sheathed for seven innings, striking out three and allowing only two runs on five hits and two walks.

DeVon Golden took over in the last two innings, holding strong while striking out three and walking one.

The competition was far from over, however, as Stanislaus State looked to redeem themselves in game two.

After an uneventful first inning, the Warriors held true to their mascot and went on an offensive crusade, stacking seven runs in six innings while holding the Seawolves in offensive shackles.

By the time Sonoma State was able to free themselves it was too late, and Stanislaus captured their first win of the weekend, 7-1.

Sunday’s battles played out simi-

larly to the day before, with Sonoma State taking the first victory of the day but losing their momentum in the second matchup.

The Seawolves got the ball rolling early in the first inning when Ryan O’Malley scored Daniel Caresio for the early 1-0 lead. Stanislaus looked to even out the playing field with a run of their own in the top of the fourth, holding a tie game until the eleventh inning, when Trevor Abrams hit the single that scored Jared English and ended the first matchup in favor of the Seawolves, 2-1. Pitcher Aldo Severson (1-1) was attributed with the Seawolf win.

Back-to-back losses are not the name of the game for the Warriors, who ignited their offense and held steady on defense in Sunday’s second game.

Their soon-to-be massive lead started early, with one run in the top of the first. After a scoreless first inning for the Seawolves, the Warriors took advantage of their slow start with an offensive burst in the second inning that added five runs to their now 6-0 lead.

Sonoma State was finally able to get on the board when O’Malley doubled to right field, scoring Rayson Romero.

Unfortunately, the Seawolves would only score one more runner that day, while Stanislaus State stacked four more runs for the 10-2 advantage.

After this weekend’s losses, the Sonoma State men’s baseball team now holds an 18-26 overall record, 16-17 in the CCAA. They now hold the No. 4 position in CCAA standings, with just one more weekend of conference matchups ahead of them before the championships.

Sonoma State will look to challenge the San Francisco State Gators all weekend, starting on Friday.

SPORTS SCHEDULE Tuesday 5/3 Men’s Golf

NCAA Regionals

Women’s Golf

NCAA Regionals

NBA Playoffs

Game 2 Warriors vs Blazers 7:30 p.m.

Friday 5/6 Baseball

@ SF State 3 p.m.

Saturday 5/7 Women’s Track

CCAA Championships

Softball

Wednesday 5/4

NCAA West Regional Semi-Final

Men’s Golf

Baseball

NCAA Regionals

Women’s Golf

NCAA Regionals

Thursday 5/5 Women’s Track

CCAA Championships

Friday 5/6 Women’s Track

CCAA Championships

Softball

NCAA West Regional Round 1 Vs Humboldt State

VS SF State (DH) 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Seawolf Diamond Special Live Broadcast only at KSUN Radio

NBA Playoffs

Warriors @ Blazers Game 3 5:30 p.m.

Sunday 5/8 Softball

NCAA West Regional Finals

Baseball

@ SF State Noon

Page 11

Sonoma State Jiu-Jitsu started as a club and has grown into a family Blake Robinson Staff Writer

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iming beats speed, precision beats power and Jiu-jitsu beats everything. A tightknit club based on the brazilian martial art jiujitsu has been forming for multiple semesters now.

“Our purpose is to give you that Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle experience you can benefit from on and off the mats,” said the president of the Sonoma State Jiu-Jitsu club Giovanni Del Valle.

Don’t be afraid to take that first step, even if you have no experience at all, this club is a great avenue for beginning what will surely be a lifelong love of martial arts.

All you need to do is sign a practice waiver and show up to a training session with a positive attitude and willingness to learn.

That being said you have to be committed; a typical training session can be hard work.

“Jiu-Jitsu makes you think ahead like a game of chess,” said Emily Sussman. “You have to plan ahead and be able to think on your feet if things don’t work out like you anticipated.

Instructed by Del Valle, the class will learn new techniques and skills daily, which is demonstrated, taught and then eventually practiced amongst each other.

“Simply put, we’re family. There is no way you could not be close to the people you train with.

What we do isn’t easy and we train hard,” said Lisa Churchman.

“After, we’ll start sparring and that gives us a chance to really apply the techniques to a fast paced, more realistic practice,” said Sussman.

“Giovanni taking over really progressed our club and lead it to where it is today,” said retired member Eric Vega.

President and coach Del Valle has taken a strong role in the evolution of this club. Preaching a highly-f lavored sense of family amongst the team members, “We operate as a team no matter where we are with each other,” said Del Valle.

It’s always good to do your best, and you can’t just expect to pick up a new technique in just one try. You have to constantly drill and practice.

Del Valle, with a colorful background, acquired a BJJ Purple belt. He was trained under first-degree Black belt Adam Piccolotti and inspired by third-degree Black belt Raul Castillo of Half Moon Bay, CA. Castillo encouraged Del Valle to start a team at Sonoma State and continue training Jiu-Jitsu. Once approved by mentor Piccolotti, Del Valle really started to lockdown the club.

“I have gained my teaching experience through teaching kids classes at Raul Castillo Martial Arts and assisting Adam Piccolotti in adults classes,” said Del Valle.

Warm-ups are hard and Del Valle really pushes the team to try harder and put more effort in. One more rep easily turns into ten.

Growing stronger physically and mentally, the team pushes each other in all-purpose directions.

Welcoming all new members with open arms, there is a mutual respect and supportive environment to learn from.

Inside and outside of practice the team will quickly include you in the family, from club bowling nights, mini golfing days and even post-practice food runs.

“In the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community we make sure to have a great time while still training hard,” said new member Jasen Merilos.

The best way to get involved is to keep up with team’s Facebook page, facebook.com/sonomastatebjj.

From there, you can communicate directly on an open group for Sonoma State students.

“BJJ is not only safe and effective, it can also be a lot of fun and great for the mind, body, and soul,” said the club’s advisor Billy Lo. “Come out and see for yourself. Maybe you might just decide to be a part of our family.”

Page 12

Photo

May 3 - May 9, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma State University through snapshots

STAR // Brandon Stachnik Students created temporary tattoos at Day in the Sun on Saturday.

STAR // Brennan Chin Comedian Nick Swardson performed at the Green Music Center last Tuesday. Pg. 9.

STAR // Sara Wildman Sororities participated in Nu Alpha Kappa philanthropy event, “Nakland.”

STAR // Brennan Chin STAR // Megan Corcoran Sonoma State cheerleaders perform stunts at Phi Delta Teeter-Totter charity event. Read the full story on pg. 8.

Radio host of KQED FORUM, Michael Krasny held a live broadcast at the Student Center and discussed the upcoming election with students.

Read the full story on pg. 1.

YOU HAVE OPTIONS!

SUMMER

SESSION 2016

DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR SUMMER SESSION CLASSES SONOMA.EDU/EXED School of

Extended and International Education