Volume 77 // Issue 10

In this issue:

Student Life: Ice-T gives top five life lessons he has learned. Pg. 8

Opinion: World Series bound Cleveland Indians mascot raises issue of racism. Pg. 3 A&E: David Coulier stands out with impressions and “Full House” jokes. Pg. 6 Sports: Men’s soccer earn spot in CCAA playoffs. Pg. 11 SINCE 1979

VOLUME 77 // ISSUE 10

NOVEMBER 1 - NOVEMBER 7, 2016

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

An SSU student’s journey to Standing Rock Noah Treanor Staff Writer

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Commentary

here is an ancient Native American prophecy that speaks of a great black snake that will one day run through all the valleys and rivers, desecrating life in its path. From east to west, tribal elders have warned for generations this monster was coming. And today it seems it is finally upon us.

Fifteen hundred miles away, just outside the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota, lies more than 300 native tribes gathered to protect water from a 1,172-mile-long oil pipeline that, when completed, will cross both the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

No effort has received as much unanimity among Native tribes in the history of American colonialism. Since April, an estimated 50,000 people, native and nonnative, have made their way to and from the Oceti Sakowin encampment on the shores of Sacred Stone off Highway 1806.

Energy Transfer Partners, the Texasbased company that’s building the Dakota Access pipeline, contends the project will create thousands of jobs and help America break its dependence on oil from the Middle East.

So on Oct. 19, I decided I would pack up and drive halfway across the country to witness David face Goliath for myself.

No holds barred. I didn’t know what I was expecting to see or learn from any of this, but what I experienced soon became one of the most horrific events of my life during

which I was threatened with batons, rubber bullets and pepper spray. I witnessed innocent people, including credentialed journalists, chased by private security on ATV’s across rivers and hills, and elderly men and women in prayer, handcuffed and maced.

The great black snake had indeed struck.

These are my accounts from inside the belly of the beast. Following a 30-hour drive, I arrived at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation just as the sun was mounting the hills to the east. I told the men and women at the front gate that I was a reporter from my college paper. Without pledging any kind of loyalty to their cause, I was welcomed in with smiles and blessings.

Given their placement, I took these individuals to be camp security. They pointed out two things to me: The first was where I needed to go in the morning for a press pass. The second was a great big sign that said “We are unarmed.” As I read it aloud, one of the men replied, “and we ask that you are the same.” An hour or so passed. The sun rise was accompanied by a morning prayer lead by elders at the main fire.

Before long, I was up in a tent with journalists from across the country. There were two men there from Slate Magazine who came and left by midday.

In fact, many whom I spoke with did not plan a long trip in fear of being arrested from what they heard and saw on the news. Afterwards, I was credentialed and put through a security debriefing on what to expect on the front lines of the protest.

I was told I would be targeted. I was told I could be charged on felony counts and that my property might not make it back in one piece. Don’t get me wrong, this was a friendly warning, not a scare tactic. Still,

STAR // Noah Treanor At the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota, hundreds of protestors have come together to stand against an oil pipeline that would cross the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. it didn’t take long before I understood that I was a candidate for pepper spray solely based on what side of the line I was reporting from. Less than two hours later, I found myself in the bed of a full pickup truck on the way to sacred burial grounds for my first experience on the front lines.

I was told there was already a barricade set up along Highway 1806 awaiting the arrival of protesters. On the way, our caravan drove past a U.S. Bureau of Indian

Affairs officer who surprisingly held up his fist in solidarity with the yips and whoops coming from our mechanical chariot.

After about five miles, we hopped out and gathered with the rest of the group for a pre-march prayer down to the police blockade.

Precise instructions were given on how this march would unfold.

See STANDING ROCK on Pg. 4

Search for provost and other executive positions underway

sonoma.edu Environmental studies and planning students work with NOAH Food Pantry in Rohnert Park to help grow their garden as part of their class.

Food services available for local students Tyler Heberle Staff Writer

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or hungry or food insecure Sonoma State University students living in Rohnert Park or Cotati, help is closer than they may have thought.

The Sonoma State STAR previously ran an article a couple weeks ago which listed food banks available farther out in Sonoma County, such as Farm to Pantry in Healdsburg and Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa. It turns out, food-deprived students need not travel so far from Sonoma State to receive meals, as similar nonprofit organizations exist closer to Rohnert Park.

The Sonoma County branch of St. Vincent de Paul is a wide-stretching example, combining services in Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa. This Catholic-based nonprofit organization centers around a Santa Rosa dining hall that’s open 365 days a year from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Over 300 people visit the dining hall per day, which means the organization serves more than 90,000 meals per year, according to Operations Manager Lonnie Rivas.

Rivas said St. Vincent de Paul accepts phone calls from anyone requesting food and they can plan food delivery for people incapable of leaving

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their homes. The organization does not screen people who request food pickup, nor does it discriminate based on age or other factors.

“If folks phone in here to the main office, depending on their location in Santa Rosa or Rohnert Park or Petaluma, we have different food pantries,” said Rivas. “If the list isn’t filled, we’ll give them a time and location where they can pick up food if they’re hungry.”

Funding for the dining hall and food pantries comes from a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Rohnert Park, according to Rivas. The thrift store also works with local facilities to provide clothes vouchers for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, granting them two free sets of clothing from the store’s inventory.

For hungry students less concerned with clothing or furniture, one food pantry especially close to campus is Neighbors Organized Against Hunger (NOAH). Located in the Cross & Crown Lutheran Church parking lot across from Rancho Cotate High School, this nonprofit organization serves food to the citizens of Cotati, Rohnert Park and Penngrove, according to Darlene Phillips, secretary of the NOAH board of directors.

@sonomastatestar

See HUNGER on Pg. 5

@sonomastatestar

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Charlotte Grayson Staff Writer

he search is on for candidates to permanently fill executive positions at Sonoma State University, starting with a new provost.

Representatives of students, staff and faculty will take part in the selection of the candidates for these positions.

In an email sent last week to all students, faculty and staff, Sonoma State University President Judy K. Sakaki offered an update on the search for a permanent provost and vice president for academic affairs. When Sakaki became president of the university, she appointed candidates to the positions on an interim basis.

“Most universities will have four senior-level administrators. We have five,” said Sakaki during a recent interview with the STAR. “After I was appointed in January, two of the five announced that they had promotional opportunities and were leaving, but they were staying one month after I started in order to help with the transition. One of those was the provost, which is a key position oversees all of the faculty and hiring.”

Sakaki also explained her options for choosing who would fill these positions. She could have chosen someone personally, or promoted a dean already working at Sonoma State, but instead she chose to complete a nationwide search, which takes the most time but provides the most options.

The search for the new provost is being led by Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeri Echeverria, along with representatives from the faculty, staff, students and a dean. The email encourages the campus community to consider and recommend qualified candidates for the positions, including a link to submit names of candidates for consideration and contact information for the representative from the firm conducting the search.

“We have begun a search with the national search firm Isaacson Miller, who is going to help us. We have faculty and students who have been appointed to that committee, who are going to help us find our next provost,” said Sakaki.

The next position to be filled will be the vice president of advancement. The search for candidates is scheduled to start soon using a different search firm, the Aspen Leadership Group. After that search has been completed, the remaining positions will be filled.

“All vice president search committees will be comprised of at least 50 percent faculty members, with no more than eight members total,” said Nicolas Grizzle, news and information coordinator for Sonoma State University. According to an email update sent by Echeverria, the committee for the search for the new provost, of which she is chairperson, consists of eight members, four of them faculty, one of them a dean, and one of them a student.

However, the message does not include any information regarding when the search is expected to be completed.

/sonomastatestar

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Page 2

Editorial

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Editorial Board Shannon Brown, Editor-in-Chief Ashley Mar tin, Executive Editor Kim Baptista, Managing Editor Joseph Encinas, News Editor Jenna Fischer, Opinion Editor Emma Devitt, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Ethan Helms, Student Life Editor Bianca Sanborn, Spor ts Editor Thomas Call III, Spor ts Editor Sara Wildman, Photo Editor Rene De Amaral, Copy Editor Rachael Newman, Copy Editor Hailee Zastrow, Adver tising Director Brennan Chin, Distribution Director Julia Albo, Editorial Car toonist Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser

Staff Writers Trevor Abrams, Travis Adams, Perla Alvarez, Alexis Austin, Phil Baculik, Taylor Berghoff, Analy Bravo, Karlee Budge, Amanda Buth, Ronald Campos, Francisco Carbajal, Braden Car twright, Sara Citti, Sean Curzon, Amira Dabbas, Gerard Desrosiers, John Dolan, Sam Evans, Noe Felix, Annie Finck, Kitana Gachero, Nate Galvan, Charlotte Grayson, Kendall Grove, Kaitlyn Haga, Tyler Heberle, Naaman Hightower, Lucy Lopez, Jahred Nunes, Samantha Olyer, Alex T. Randolph, Marcella Richmond, Christopher Schwarz, Tatiana Serrano, Andrea Sims, Sierra Straub, Noah Treanor, Lindsey Huffman

Photographers Megan Corcoran, Bryce Dowd, Reagan Dowd, Jeno Veltri, Jenna Qualls, Madison Muro, Sara Citti, Nickey Homen

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: “Dave Coulier brings nostalgic laughs to the Green Music Center” Actor and comedian Dave Coulier from “Full House” brings his stand-up comedy show to Sonoma State University.

Read the story on page 6

Corrections/Clarifications The STAR values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at star@sonoma.edu.

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

Opinions

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

Letters to the Editor Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 400 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length. Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. To send a letter to the editor, email star@sonoma.edu.

STAR // Julia Albo

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Marijuana legalization could turn ugly

f the election were held today, some 55 percent of California voters would likely cast their ballots in support of Proposition 64, according to a recent poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. That means Calfornia could potentially join Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska in legalizing the recreational use of marijuana; but voters should be wary. Here’s why: In 1996, voters approved Proposition 215, thus legalizing medical marijuana for those who needed it, making California the first state to legalize medical marijuana. The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 was intended for those with legitimate medical needs to be recommended by a physician to possess or cultivate marijuana to combat illness. Nowadays, it’s not hard to find a “doctor” to permit the use of marijuana for various reasons, warranted or not.

Attempting to legalize recreational marijuana is a big step for a state that has yet to find a way to properly regulate the medical marijuana industry. There has been clear and present abuse of the system currently in place, and Proposition 64 would do nothing to combat the issue and make the multi-million dollar cannabis industry harder to control and make the rich obscenely more rich. According to industry groups, there are 1,250 dispensaries operating

in California bringing in approximately $1.3 billion in sales.

Gov. Jerry Brown has noted the need for stricter guidelines on the medical marijuana industry and supported recent legislation that imposes statewide regulations on the cultivation, transportation and sale of the plant. The three bills signed by Brown create a Bureau of Medical Marijuana system for medical cannabis, a system that’s mandatory to ensure that California can contain the rapidly growing industry. One of the authors of this landmark legislation was state Sen. Mike McGuire, a Sonoma State University graduate who represents Sonoma County and is opposed to Proposition 64. He has said he would like to see the medicinal marijuana regulations take effect first. We agree with him.

A no vote on Proposition 64 may not follow the current trend among California voters, but it’s ultimately the best choice to give the state a fighting chance to control a possibly volatile environment. California must find a way to improve the regulation of medical marijuana before prematurely introducing a larger, unstable structure that would allow recreational use.

Local growers also have legitimate fears that the way Proposition 64 is written, “big marijuana” industries will dominate the playing field, similar to

how “big tobacco” dominates the smoking industry. It’s alarming that voters are ready to legalize the recreational use of marijuana given that the current system is in shambles.

According to the California Growers Association, consolidating the cannabis industry around a few large growers would result in fewer jobs which leads to more crime in communities where growing weed is prevalent. The CGA also believes big marijuana companies will turn into conglomerates that dominate smaller operations and would own a vast majority of the wealth.

The possible ramifications of legalizing medical marijuana this election cycle are far too negative and risky.

Another reason for concern is for law enforcement, there is no way to properly test for when someone is driving under the influence of marijuana. There also is no controls on doses, meaning young children could end up ingesting strong edibles without knowing the risks.

Given these and other concerns, it’s clear California is not ready to take the next step.

Before taking a very large misstep, California voters need to focus on containing the current can of worms that is the legal medical marijuana industry for patients who actually need the help, not just those who are looking for a way to get high.

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.

Letter to the Editor

Patron parking at GMC not sustainable

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ear Editor: Sustainability Day, Bill McKibben, a Bronze Star for SSU -lots of “green” consciousness on the campus, and that’s great. Yet the way parking is handled for the Green Music Center is anything but green, indeed, pushes in the opposite direction. Every GMC ticket-holder is entitled to free parking on the campus. “Parking is included.” This is not a way to discourage patrons from driving to campus or to encourage them to come by alternative means such as walking, biking, busing or carpooling.

Moreover, the system is totally unfair to people who don’t need a permit to park a car on campus -- like, say, a family of four that comes in one car but has to pay for four parking spots, or a pair of couples who carpool and also pay for four spots but need only one. Also, campus staff, students and faculty who already have a semester pass are paying twice for parking.

Moreover, I can’t imagine what they tell the meter maids. There is no identification provided to ticket holders to put in their windshield. So how does a meter maid know whether a parked car is legit or not? Are they just told

to stay away from the GMC parking lots when there’s a show? Then lots of people not attending a show might park for free. Contrariwise, a patron having paid for “included” parking should be able to park elsewhere on campus, and for 24 hours, but how is a meter maid to know?

The former CFO and GMC co-director justified this system on the grounds that forcing GMC patrons to buy a permit as they arrived would be chaos -- and of course it would.

But there’s another way. Patrons can be asked when they purchase GMC tickets (by phone, on-line, or walk-up) whether they will be bringing a car to campus, and if so how many. Then they can be sold a permit right then and there, and the cost can be added to their ticket charge. They can be issued a windshield document to attest that they’ve paid. What’s wrong with that?

But the main point is that SSU is not being very green by encouraging people to drive a car to GMC events.

— Rick Luttmann Professor Emeritus of Mathematics

Opinion

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Sustainability isn’t just for ENSP majors

Taylor Berghoff Staff Writer

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he planet doesn’t need a hero or an elaborate scheme to be saved; it needs small, long-lasting changes everybody can commit to. Many of us are guilty of thinking we are insignificant, that our actions are so miniscule that doing nothing is better than doing something.

Many believe the government or large companies are to blame. Yet in reality, the responsibility and future of our Earth belongs in the hands of everyday citizens.

According to EcoCycle, the average American will throw away 600 times their weight in garbage in the span of their life. This means each person will leave about 90,000 pounds of garbage for the future generation of children.

What’s more, EcoCycle says 75 percent of the waste Americans create is recyclable, and only 30 percent is actually recycled. In just looking at beverage containers, about 144 billion containers end up in landfills, in-

cinerators or on the streets. A college student alone produces 640 pounds of solid waste on average each year.

In addition, The University of Southern Indiana states that the average American destroys seven trees each year from using products like paper and wood. This amounts to a staggering 2 billion trees per year.

Aside from recycling, carpooling can make a great impact as well.

According to the Sustainability Hub there are about 250 million cars on the road in the U.S., which is more than one car per American adult.

Even though there is more than one car per person, 78 percent of people drive to work alone. Only 1 in 10 people choose to carpool.

If more people put effort into making small, everyday changes, the impact could be enormous. Each year, carpooling saves 85 million gallons of gasoline and $1.1 billion in gasoline and other car expenses, according to carinsurance.org. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey states only 9.7 percent of employees carpooled to work that year.

Imagine how much gas and carbon dioxide emissions could be saved if everybody carpooled.

Even simply changing appliances and fixtures makes a difference.

According to National Geographic, switching a regular showerhead to a low-flow showerhead saves 15 gallons of water during a 15 minute shower. Upgrading a regular toilet to a low-flow toilet reduces water usage from 3-6 gallons to about 1.6 gal-

lons and turning off the faucet while brushing teeth saves 200 gallons of water monthly.

There are even some well-believed myths that may be hindering the planet. Surprisingly, taking a bath uses approximately 70 gallons of water per use while showering typically takes about 15-20 gallons of water National Geographic states. In addition, using a dishwasher is more environmentally friendly than hand washing. A dishwasher usually takes 4 gallons of water to operate while hand washing can use up to 20 gallons.

There are many small changes each person can make to ensure a healthy planet for generations to come. Instead of waiting for someone else to find the all-encompassing “cure,” people need to form environmentally-friendly habits that translate into everyday life.

Many efforts can be done without even stepping foot outside of the house. Opening a window instead of turning on a light, grabbing a blanket instead of reaching for the thermostat, or walking down the street instead of driving, are all simple fixes that could help further damage the planet.

The health and future of the Earth is the responsibility of each individual citizen. The legacy left behind relies on the actions of today.

The mentality that these small changes don’t make a difference can spell disaster. There is power in numbers and each and every effort counts.

Racism has no place in professional sports

Braden Cartwright Staff Writer

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here is something problematic about one of the teams playing in the World Series this year.

The Cleveland Indians have a team name and logo that is racist and offensive.

Chief Wahoo, the logo of the Indians, is where the bulk of the problem arises. He is a red-faced, grinning Native American with a feather behind his head. There is a mischievous look to him, which is not a flattering portrayal. Stereotypes are behind every one of Chief Wahoo’s features.

The Indians changed the logo on their cap from Chief Wahoo to just the letter “C,” so they must know Chief Wahoo is offensive. This is not enough, however, when the logo is still featured prominently on team apparel.

Some fans take Chief Wahoo a step further and decide it would be a good idea to dress up as him. Although these fans might not have

bad intentions, they end up making a mockery of Native American culture.

They paint their faces red, they wear feathered headdresses and they make fools of themselves.

Philip Yenyo is a Native American civil rights activist who has spoken out against Native American team names. “I think they’re offensive. I don’t believe that any group of people should be used as mascots. We’re human beings, we’re a living culture,” he said to Al-Jazeera Media Network.

He also pointed out the eagle feather Chief Wahoo sports on his head is sacred to some and should not be used for entertainment. Yenyo is just one of many Native Americans who does not like the Cleveland Indians name.

Most Americans are not directly offended by Chief Wahoo or the Indians team name. That is expected.

Most Americans are not part of the culture that it’s portraying. In fact, many would be bothered if the Indians changed their name because baseball fans cling to tradition.

According to a poll by the Denver Post, 65 percent of its readers didn’t find the name offensive.

However, I ask you to be offended on behalf of the ones who are harmed by this stereotype. Understand how this team name and logo can be seen as racist. Appreciate the culture of the indigenous people, don’t make a mockery of it.

The Indians are not alone in their team name controversy. Across sports,

the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Redskins all have names with this same facet. The Redskins is the most egregious of them all. It’s literally a slur that has been used against Native Americans.

All of these teams should evaluate their priorities. Driven by jersey sales and tradition, the default position is to keep the name.

There is no place in baseball for a team name like the Indians. The name stands out when next to other normal team names like the Pirates or Giants.

It’s not hard to find a team name that isn’t racially charged. There are no other team names derived from cultures that still exist. You would never see a team called the Cleveland Mexicans, so why is it OK to be called the Cleveland Indians?

The Florida State Seminoles have managed to pay homage to the Seminole tribe with their team name. The university has permission from the Seminole tribe, and they work hand in hand with them to honor the traditions of the tribe. Classes are taught on campus about the history of the Seminoles.

Their mascot is an honorable and proper tribute to the Seminoles. This is simply not the case for the Indians.

There is no need for a team name like the Indians. The name was arbitrarily chosen decades ago, and has no place in modern baseball. The desire to cling to this name for the sake of tradition is expected, but logic must prevail. Change is long overdue.

Page 3

Local school vandalized

by Trump supporter

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Amira Dabbas Staff Writer

f you passed by Cali Calmecac Language Academy early Wednesday morning, you would’ve seen a group of community members crowded around the school entrance holding signs reading “have a great day at school” or” Windsor loves Cali.”

This wasn’t a protest, it was a heartwarming gesture demonstrated by Windsor community members as a response to the awful vandalism which took place earlier that week.

Cali Calmecac Language Academy is a kindergarten through eighth grade emersion school in the Windsor Unified School District, where students start out speaking only Spanish and are fluent in English by the time they graduate 8th grade. On Monday morning students arrived to find their school horribly vandalized with graffiti writing throughout the walls of the campus.

Around 6 a.m., a janitor found the words “Build the wall higher” on a wall inside the school along with Donald Trump’s name spray painted on doors and other walls. It was clear this was a reference to antiimmigrant comments made by Trump.

Many parents and students of the school said they felt the graffiti portrayed an offensive and racist message.

“It was disrespectful. This school has a lot of different people with different skin (colors),” said Dither Ochoa, a 10year-old student at Cali Calmecac.

The vandalism was so bad that the Windsor Unified School District sent over additional janitorial staff to assist with the cleanup.

According to Sergeant Eddie Engram, Windsor police can’t yet say anything about the identity of the suspects because they are still waiting to review security footage from the school.

Council members Debora Fudge and Bruce Okrepkie made an appearance on Wednesday, along with around 40 supporters which included Windsor Unified School District Superintendent Steven Jorgensen and Jeanne Acuna, principal of Cali Calmecac.

“There’s been so much support and just an outpouring of goodwill from the community,” Acuna said. “It’s just amazing. The positive in this outweighs the negatives so much that it’s very heartwarming.”

It’s very unnerving that members of a community could take Trump’s words so literally, that they would go so far as to vandalize a children’s school in an attempt to make a statement.

“I don’t think they were trying to get votes here,” said Christina Keller, a fifth grade teacher at the school.

The awful spray paint is now gone, but you can still notice the freshly painted patches where the hateful words once were.

Now, the question we must ask ourselves in this situation is what caused this? Is this in fact an act of racism? Or is this the product of an election with a candidate who is creating a hateful dialogue that individuals are taking too literally?

Sonoma County Republican chairwoman Edelweiss Geary said that this stunt reinforced an incorrect narrative about the national campaign, and called the vandalism a “dirty little trick.”

It’s horrible that a person running for president of the United States is spewing out such ridiculous rhetoric that became a reason for vandalism.

What will this mean for us if Donald Trump is actually elected? Is this a glimpse of what is to come if he wins?

Mississippi high school student victim of racial hate crime

Kendall Gtove Staff Writer

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he Mississippi NAACP reported on Oct.13 at Stone High School in southern Mississippi, a white student threw a noose around a black student’s neck and pulled the noose tight.

It’s believed the white student who threw the noose is a high school football player and that the situation occurred in the football field house.

The NAACP is calling for a federal investigation because it was found that the alleged attacker was not expelled and the victim’s parents were not informed of what disciplinary action was being taken against the attacker.

In response to the NAACP’s claims, the Stone County School District Superintendent Inita Owen said in a statement to CNN that their district “takes all matters involving students very seriously and will do everything within its power to make sure that all policies and procedures were adhered to and that all of its students have a safe place to receive an education.”

The Stone High School Football Coach John Feaster told ESPN that the attacker, who was a football player, was kicked off the team.

Although we are living in 2016, it’s easy to forget that many areas in the United States are not as far along as they should be in creating a society free of racism.

The African-American Civil Rights Movement which lasted from 1954-1968

was only 48 years ago. Forty-eight years later, we are still facing racism in the U.S. Some think that because we have desegregated, racism is no longer a problem.

Not only was the situation with the noose a form of bullying, it was also racially triggered.

By not protecting the victim, Stone High School is setting an example for the rest of its students. The NAACP said in a statement, “Allowing students to commit blatant hate crimes without severe consequences, sends a message to students that their safety and well being are not valuable enough to be protected.”

If Stone High School had used this policy, the attacker should have been suspended at the very least.

Counseling Today, a magazine run by the American Counseling Association, suggests that when dealing with multiculturalsocial justice situations it’s important to “implement comprehensive counseling and advocacy services in school settings that are aimed at preventing [racial problems].”

Most high schools don’t have discipline in place for racial situations, so there is a gray area when it comes to the school administration.

Although expulsion seems to be the obvious answer for this problem, it may only be the easy answer. Suspension with a mandatory attendance of a social injustice class that covers the civil rights movement would be more effective in the long run.

Simply expelling the attacker does not do anything to prevent the racist behavior from happening again.

If high schools could implement a antihate or hate crime policy in regards to racial problems, it would help to educate and prevent racist behavior from continuing to happen.

Most high schools leave racial education to history and English classes. This isn’t enough to counteract the racism students could be seeing outside of high school in their community and families. High school’s need to take responsibility and step up their race acceptance education.

Page 4

News

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Noah Treanor Protestors march along the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota in order to protect thousands of sacred and ancient Indian grounds from being destroyed by an oil pipeline.

STANDING ROCK: peaceful protests turn violent continued from Pg. 1

“We’re going to go down there. We’re going to put this flag in the ground. We are going to pray. And we are going to leave,” said one young man, who couldn’t have been more than 20 years old, and appeared to be in command of approximately 70 people.

A half hour of prayer, song and dance in the face of riot police was enough for the day. With no arrests, we made our way back to camp for the evening.

I overheard a man in a traditional dress say how the following morning would be a big day, and it seemed everyone in camp was under the same impression.

On my way from the main fire, I came across what I later learned was a school for children. In an interview, a woman explained to me how they left their reservation four months prior to join their people in protecting their sacred lands and waters.

She reassured me that the decision wasn’t an easy one. Being a mother of a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old child, she said she understood the importance of keeping her kids in school.

“That is why this community is so important to our success. It makes it so we can stay here and fight the black snake as one,” she said.

I wandered through a few more camps before heading back to my tent for the night.

It was 8 p.m. and the temperature was in a rapid decline so I thought I’d build a fire.

I grabbed my ax and began to break down a fallen tree nearby. It couldn’t have been more than a minute and the group camped next to me came over to offer their assistance. Before you knew it there was seven of us huddled by the fire sharing stories.

They were a mixed group of Comanche and Kiowa Apache that hailed from Oklahoma. For them, this was either their fifth or sixth time traveling out to stand with their Standing Rock Sioux brothers and sisters.

Jeremy Tahhahwah, a full blooded Comanche and Kiowa Apache, reminded me of how his tribe nearly killed off all the other native tribes due to their ruthlessness, and how Comanche solidarity with the Standing

Rock Sioux meant something powerful is at work.

“We all know of this black snake. We Comanche will continue to fight for our land, but this here is something far more sacred. We need water. Water is life and we need to protect it,” said Tahhahwah.

At 5:30 a.m. the next morning came the call to duty.

“Wake up brothers and sisters. It is time to join us in prayer. Wake up brothers and sisters.”

I don’t think I’ve ever moved that fast that early in the morning. This time in my rental car, I made my way across camp and got in line with those headed out for the daily action. There were nearly 500 people amassing at the exit to send off the water protectors in prayer.

“From our vantage point we could see men, women and elders being grabbed from the crowd and body slammed to the floor.

Everyone was locked in arms and still in prayer.”

After a two-mile drive north cars began to pull off the road and park. I recognized this place. This was the site I saw online where private security used attack dogs to restrain water protectors a month earlier.

My stomach was in knots. But using the dark as camouflage they began to march toward those construction sites once again.

Unsure of what was about to happen, I followed.

From this point on my faith in this country changed forever.

I did my best to stay at the front of the group capturing every significant moment I could. It was hard. There were more than 350 people in prayer. All nationalities and religions. Prayers were made to the Grandmother and prayers to the Holy Spirit. There were tears of joy and tears of fear for what

may lay ahead. In one moment, everyone’s cell phone rang with an emergency alert warning, and you could feel the anxiety creeping into the voices of the protectors.

“They blocked off the highway behind us,” a young woman shouted. “It says to avoid the area at all costs due to extreme rioting.”

Those who brought it began to light up sage and share it with those who were quivering. Sage is used in Native American rituals as a way to cleanse yourself of bad energy and omens.

As we approached the construction site, we were met by a force unlike anything I had seen outside of a video game. Over 50 officers, two heavily armored riot vehicles, Knightsbridge Risk Management private security on ATV’s, and SWAT were waiting for protestors.

It was a daunting sight. So, instead of marching directly towards the line of officers, water protectors did their best to literally take the road less traveled and access the construction site from the long way around.

Still in prayer, the majority of the group continued on, dedicated to spreading the officers thin and getting to the site. At the same time, I saw one man approach the initial police blockade.

Once the water protectors realized there was no hope of reaching the site without antagonizing police, they began to retreat back where we parted. In that moment, an officer came over the microphone and said, “We have identified you all. You are all under arrest for criminal trespassing. Stay where you are. If you leave you will be pursued.”

That’s when things got ugly. From our vantage point, we could see men, women and elders being grabbed from the crowd and body slammed to the ground. Mind you, everyone was locked in arms and still in prayer. You could hear police shouting “get the camera.” Out of about 20 journalists I saw go out with the group, all of five made it back. One man came back with a broken lens afer being tackled. One man came back without any shoes. One man could hardly see from the pepper spray in his face. We

sat there and watched as one by one they arrested everyone who stood their ground. We watched them spray pepper clouds on the water protectors as if it was silly string at a party.

What moved me the most was the reaction from the crowd behind me. There was no malice. No hated. Anger, maybe, but sadness and solidarity with the movement was all I heard. “We love you.” “We respect you.” “We are here to defend your children as well as ours.” That’s it. These water protectors want anything but to incite violence.

As the police pushed us back to the highway, they picked off everyone they could from the back of the group. The slowest and the weakest; the 75-year-olds and up.

We did our best to keep the elders in the front, but it became impossible to save everyone. Riders on horseback came stampeding down the hills like a scene out of “Lord of the Rings” to grab whomever couldn’t move fast enough. At the end of the day, more than 140 protestors were arrested, including one of whom I met in camp and some I met that morning.

During the hours that followed, I never felt so low. My insides hurt. I never thought I would see police treat people in prayer the way they did. It made me realize something about the world we live in. It showed me the lengths big banks are willing to go to in order to make more money.

The next morning, I picked up my camp, said goodbye to my Comanche brothers and sisters and headed back to California. Now, I’m doing everything I can to help from here.

At this moment, there is a letter of solidarity bouncing around from department to department where professors are signing up to stand with Sanding Rock.

We are planning to attend the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting this morning to ask for similar support.

For more information on how to join the movement please contact me at Treanor@sonoma.edu or check out the Sonoma County Solidarity Facebook page @SonomaNoDAPL.

Restructuring of Student Affairs department underway Nate Galvan Staff Writer

D

uring Sonoma State University’s fall convocation, President Judy K. Sakaki stated that she believed the university should be “student centered.” After surpassing her first 100 days on campus, Sakaki has announced organizational changes to aid with this idea.

In an email sent to faculty, staff and students, Sakaki announced, effective immediately, numerous departments will be moved to student affairs in order to revitalize the division under interim vice president of student affairs Michael Young.

There are a total of 19 departments moving to student affairs with seven moving from administration and finance and 12 moving from academic affairs.

However, moving departments is not a new change some faculty will have to deal with.

“This is my third time changing departments in my 28 years here,” said Cyndie Morozumi, the director of residential life. “When President Sakaki started here, it was always clear to me that we were moving because residential life is primarily a student

affairs program.”

Due to the goals stated at President Sakaki’s convocation speech, the restructuring of the student affairs division was not a surprising move to some faculty on campus.

“One of the things President Sakaki wanted to improve was to make a more robust student affairs division,” said undeclared advisor Edie Brown. “This will hopefully make it so students are served better.”

The addition of departments to student affairs is a move Morozumi believes shows President Sakaki’s willingness to add representation for the student affairs division.

“For the first time the staff and student affairs leadership are being asked their opinion,” said Morozumi. “You are asking a group of people who know and research students as a profession to weigh in on decisions that are going to impact students and this is a bonus for them.”

The impact of these divisional changes will not only be felt by the students but the faculty working in these departments as well. However Brown, whose department is moving from academic affairs, see these moves as an achievable task.

“Over the years the student affairs resources have been stripped,” said Brown.

“This is a good move for students and as far as the faculty, there will be challenges but nothing that isn’t doable.”

News

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Affordable textbooks grant approved

by Academic Senate Ronald Campos Staff Writer

S

onoma State University students got the bad news last month that their tuition will probably be going up next year. The good news? They may soon get some help paying for their textbooks, thanks to a $50,000 grant approved by the Academic Senate on Thursday. Professors call this change the Affordable Textbook Initiative in an effort to work together and offer students the most affordable books. This grant is obtained when applying for financial aid. When students apply for financial aid, they will gain a little bit more money for school supplies and books as a result of this grant.

Members of the Academic Senate also spoke out about a $271 possible per year tuition hike for undergraduates, which the chancellor’s office has proposed. Furthermore, members of the Academic Senate all agree that although the tuition increase may open up more courses for students and expand more services such as tutoring and counseling, it is still a burden for students to pay off.

The main concern for the Academic Senate is to help students graduate within four years with as little to no debt possible. However, without proper funding to open more courses, the senate faces a tough predicament.

“My first choice is for the state to come up with the funding rather than increase tuition,” said Ben Ford, a mathematics professor at Sonoma State. “Tuition has gone up so much every year. The big push at the CSU right now is graduation initiative which is an effort to increase the graduation rate for students within four years. In order to do that we need better advising, more courses, that’s the main purpose of the tuition increase. However, that’s not going to make students graduate faster, if this passes, students will have to work more hours.”

On the bright side, the Senate is in the process of approving a new degree for Sonoma State students in film studies, Melinda Milligan, chair of the Educational Policies Committee said.

“The new program would offer two paths for students. One would be to go with film studies and develop a master’s thesis, or go through digital media to create a project. The purpose behind this is to educate students on the history and aesthetics of filmmaking in an “interdisciplinary context,” said Milligan.

In the future, students can use what they learned from digital media and implement those skills in film and digital storytelling to address social issues. Beginning fall 2018 Film Studies will become available for students to major in.

STAR // Nickey Homen Sonoma State students, staff and faculty met on Thursday in the Student Center Ballroom to discuss the tuition increase proposed by the Chancellor’s Office.

The EPC, Engineering, Procurement and Construction, a form of contracting arrangement used in some industries, reviewed this proposal to start Film Studies in Sonoma State and approved it by a 9-0-1 vote.

The proposal had to be approved by the Academic Senate because “proposals for new degrees programs are a major commitment on the part of the university and merit through evaluation and the Film Studies MA proposal uses a funding method that is new to the campus,” said Milligan.

In addition, the revision to the academic probation disqualification and progress policy was brought up by Michelle Jolly, chair of university standards. More details will be released in the next meeting, but for now senators are looking into giving students a better chance to stay in school despite poor grades.

For Sonoma State students who are looking into becoming business majors, there will be a new version of the business administration concentration for Fall 2018, but it will be run through SCIE. The purpose for this is to help out business majors at Sonoma State get into business administration concentration due to its competitive spaces for courses.

HUNGER: Several local organizations pitch in to help fight local student hunger Continued from Pg. 1

Phillips said anyone in the applicable areas who wants food must show local identification and bring a personal storage bag. Recipients are then allowed inside the NOAH building to select their preferred food items.

“We try to put together meals every week, and they take what the offering is for that given Wednesday.” said Phillips.

The NOAH food pantry is open to the public from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. every Wednesday.

Fresh vegetables are delivered weekly to the pantry from Lydia Commons Community Garden and Sonoma State’s on-campus gardens. Redwood Empire Food Bank provides additional food items every Wednesday — NOAH pays for the canned goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, while Redwood Empire gives them with 350 free loaves of bread every week. Local K – 12 schools can also donate items at food drives, which are held three to four times per year.

“We exist mainly just on donations and hard work,” said Phillips.

According to Philips, around 400 – 500 people come to pick up food every week. Though there is no kitchen available for on-site cooking, a variety of non-perishable food items are available to recipients.

“Sometimes we have frozen pizzas, or Amy products—burritos that we give out,” said Phillips. “We do pastas and spaghetti sauce, an assortment of veggies and canned fruit, all kinds of beans, that type of thing.”

In addition to Cross & Crown, many other churches and organizations volunteer on a yearly rotation to organize and hand out food for one month at a time, including St. Johns

United Methodist Church, Discovery Church, Rohnert Park Bible Church, the Rotary Clubs of Rancho Cotati and Rohnert Park and Coca-Cola. These volunteers are not paid for their work, Phillips said.

“We have no paid employees within NOAH,” said Phillips. “Everyone is a volunteer… nobody is paid one cent.”

One such volunteer is Chantal Vincent, a chef in the Kitchens at Sonoma State. Vincent, who is Phillips’ daughter, said she signs up to organize and prepare food for clients around once a month.

Vincent said even though all ages are welcome at NOAH, she rarely sees college students coming by to pick up food.

“When I hear [anyone] say, ‘I need to eat before I go home because I don’t have any money for food,’ it breaks my heart,” said Vincent. “So I always tell them to go to NOAH.” Students and other recipients will not have any info about them made public, according to Vincent. They don’t need to provide a home or email address, and student IDs can be used for admission into the NOAH food pantry.

“It’s completely anonymous,” said Vincent. “They don’t have to worry. You do have to sign your name, but that’s as far as it goes.”

Vincent said she would like to see a service similar to NOAH offered on Sonoma State campus and her service at the food pantry has given her more compassion for others “I’ve always been aware, but it wakes you up a little bit more,” said Vincent.

Students who are hungry or need help can call St. Vincent de Paul at (707) 584-1579, or NOAH at (707) 548-6624.

SSU class seek student input on election Noe Felix Staff Writer

W

ith the election being just seven days away Sonoma State political science professor Richard Hertz’s along with the students of his special class this fall on the 2016 election have developed a survey to measure the general knowledge and enthusiasm students have for the Nov. 8 ballot. The survey consists of 29 questions that are meant to critically assess student’s familiarity with the political process.

With this election being one of the most important in quite some time, and with 17 state ballot propositions that await to be decided, Hertz and his team say they hope to shed light on the important issues ahead.

Hertz, whose “POLS 199 - Introductory Topics in Political Science” class includes some 60 students, said his students suggested most of the questions and he reworded them and “wove into the poll questionnaire.”

The survey, which is available through a link on sonomastatestar.com, has been available for the past week. The last day to take it will be on Saturday.

The results will be reported in the Nov. 8 edition of the STAR. They also will be available on the SSU website and in the “Election Resource Center” area of the political science department web site.

Hertz, who is a professional pollster by trade, said it was hard for him to predict what the results would show. “I think we will get a good response,” he said. “People have strong feelings about this election” People certainly have strong feelings, but that don’t, on average, have a lot of knowledge about what is on the ballot aside from the presidential race, studies show.

A recent study by the “American Council of Trustees and Alumni found “there is a huge lack of political knowledge among Americans.”

The study found that recent college graduates have especially poor knowledge about the government and the economy.

The president of the ACTA, Michael B. Poliakoff, said the lack of political knowledge raises serious questions about how well college institutions prepare their students to engage in the electoral process.

Hertz has said that is exactly what his class is trying to address.

Creating the survey was a team effort, he said.

Hertz said he hopes that voters will do research and make informed decisions on Election Day. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Those with mail-in ballots now are allowed to put their ballots in the mail as late as Election Day. It will be counted as long as it is postmarked not later than Nov. 8.

NEWS IN BRIEF Chicago, IL The Chicago Cubs kept their hopes of winning the World Series alive in game five of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. The Cubs dodged elimination Sunday night in Chicago by beating the Indians 3-2. The series heads back to Cleveland for game six on Tuesday with the Indians leading the series 3-2.

Sebastopol, CA Sonoma County sheriff’s investigators have identified two suspects in the Sebastopol double homicide on Oct.15. A third victim remains hospitalized. The suspects have been identified as 30-year-old Robert Lee Randolph and 28-year-old Maria Teresa Lebron, both from Philadelphia, PA. Randolph and Lebron are on the run and considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone who has any information about Randolph or Lebron are asked to call Detective Jeff Toney at (707) 565-2650.

Cincinnati, Ohio Top aides for Hillary Clinton accused FBI Director James Comey of using double standards in his handling of the private email investigation while Clinton served as Secretary of State. Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook said Comey was quick to disclose new information the director opposed releasing information close to Election Day about Russian interference in the White House race. The FBI has declined to comment.

Page 6

Arts

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

“Lady Wood” stands tall Karlee Budge Staff Writer

Review

facebook.com Season seven of “The Walking Dead” aired on Oct. 23.

“The Walking Dead” makes an ultra-violent return Sean Curzon Staff Writer

Review

“T

he Walking Dead” returns for its seventh season after season six ended on one of the biggest cliff hangers in the show’s history. The season premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” aired Oct. 23 and the second episode, “The Well,” aired Sunday. Minor spoilers below.

The first episode was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple. It takes place right after the season six finale where the new big bad guy, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), killed one of the main characters by bashing their skull in with a baseball bat, based on an infamous moment in the hundredth issue of the comic. But the episode doesn’t reveal their identity right away.

In fact, it’s a full 20 minutes until they show who was killed.

At one point, Rick f lashes back to all the possible victims with no other reason than to tease the audience.

The entire episode centers around the aftermath with Negan taunting Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the other survivors. The entire episode is just Negan taunting Rick.

I understand what the show was going for. A major theme in season six for Rick was over-confidence.

After living in a nightmare for so long, Rick thought he had seen it all.

He’d survived the Governor, beat the cannibals and killed countless walkers. So, when Rick heard about a

group taking half of people’s stuff, he thought he could handle it without any difficulty. “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” serves as a wake up call for Rick.

Negan metaphorically drags Rick through the mud to show just how much Rick had screwed up. The problem is the show gets this point across after 10 minutes and the entire episode is about nothing but this. It doesn’t help the show is so smug about it.

This is by far the most violent episode of “The Walking Dead,” and that’s saying something. The scene where Negan kills the person is incredibly graphic. A little too graphic.

Somebody should have told the producers that less is more.

The show wants the viewers to think this moment is brutal and shocking. It’s not. It’s more annoying than anything. Killing someone with a baseball bat stopped being shocking when the last episode ended by saying they were going to kill someone with a baseball bat.

Morgan does a good job with Negan, playing him with psychotic glee.

The second episode, “The Well” is much better. While it serves as a breather episode to the premiere, it’s true strengths are it remembers story, character growth and has more than two locations.

“The Well” follows Carol (Melissa McBride) and Morgan (Lennie James) as they find themselves in The Kingdom lead by King Ezekiel (Khary Patyon). Ezekiel puts on the act of a medieval king to help his people cope with life among the undead. It was a great character study while setting the stage for the rest of the season.

A

s an emerging pop star, Tove Lo quickly rose to popularity following her release of “Queen of the Clouds,” which left her fans wanting more.

Tove Lo’s talent led her to the opportunity to collaborate along side several talented and well-known artists, such as Ellie Goulding, Coldplay, Flume, Alesso, Nick Jonas, Adam Lambert, Years & Years, Seven Lions, Broods, Lucas Nord and Urban Cone.

After experiencing an overwhelming amount of success with her debut album “Queen of the Clouds,” Tove Lo was riding on a high note due to the fact her hit single “Habits (Stay High)” was number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in October 2014.

Tove Lo brings forward a unique approach to traditional pop music. Her style is a bit darker as she offers a grunge-influenced take on pop music. Her music is centered around something almost anyone can relate to, relationship hardships. Through personal experiences, Tove Lo creates an honest storyline of love and heartbreak that shines through each one of her songs.

“Queen of the Clouds” was produced to follow the steps of a relationship; the sex, the love and of course, the pain. “Talking Body” one of Tove Lo’s most popular songs released within the album offers an upbeat electronic vibe that centers around physical intimacy.

The pop star’s newest release, “Lady Wood” is also centered around relation-

ships, but is separated into two chapters.

The first chapter of the album conveys the highs of relationships whereas the second half is centered around the lows. Although the second chapter of the album speaks to the lows of relationships, Tove Lo ensures her fans that there is plenty of joy included in these songs.

“Lady Wood” is comprised of songs that offer listeners a way to connect with personal relationship hardships while enjoying an upbeat tune.

The combination of Tove Lo’s rhythmic voice and catchy beats makes listeners want to dance while singing out the lyrics.

Tove Lo’s bold personality shines through her album, “Lady Wood,” which is especially showcased in the more popular song from the album, “Cool Girl.” The song showcases her thinking when it comes to dealing with men and relationships.

“No, let’s not put a label on it/ Let’s keep it fun/ We don’t put a label on it/ So we can run free, yeah/ I wanna be free like you,” Tove Lo sings.

Tove Lo exclaims that she desires love and romance while at the same time she wants to have fun and be free. “Cool Girl” offers listeners a storyline to sing along to accompanied by a catchy, but chill melody.

“Influence” which features rapper Wiz Khalifa, covers a fast pace melody in which Tove Lo explains the freedom that comes along with making decisions when under the influence. “Influence” showcases Tove Lo’s risque and free-spirited aspect of her personality, which can be heard from the lyrics in this song. Following the release of “Queen of the Clouds,” Tove Lo’s fans were eager for another crowd pleasing album filled with relatable, catchy songs that make listeners want to dance, and the release of “Lady Wood” offered just that.

facebook.com Tove Lo’s latest album “Lady Wood” was released on Oct. 28

Dave Coulier brings nostalgic laughs to the Green Music Center Sam Evans Staff Writer

I

t’s hard to imagine Dave Coulier without a mullet and a ridiculous 80s buttonup. Coulier is an American actor who is best known for his lead role as Uncle Joey in the ABC sitcom “Full House.” On top of starring in “Full House,” he has been featured in many other television shows, primarily as a cartoon voice actor. He has done voices for shows such as “Scooby Doo,” “Muppet Babies,” “The Jetsons,” “Extreme Ghostbusters” and many more.

Outside of television shows, Coulier does stand-up comedy, and on Thursday night he performed at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center. His popularity among the students attending the show was instantly recognizable due to the passionate and deafening applause the audience gave him as he came on stage. Coulier’s entrance was heralded with the “Full House” theme song. The first comment he made as he came on stage was, “I just made 14 cents for that Full House theme.”

Coulier knew the main reason the audience was interested in him, and he wisely started the show out by frontloading most of the “Full House” jokes. He shared some of his previous experiences with how fans always try to get him to say his catchphrase, “cut it out.” In order to avoid similar requests that evening, he said it for everyone right off the bat. This excited nearly everyone in the building.

Coulier went on to recall a specific encounter where a fan told him that he used to be fat when he was on the show. He responded by saying, “Well, the mullet tends to add about 10-15 pounds.” He then teased the audience’s curiosity by bringing up the money he makes from the show today. After building up to what appeared to be a large amount of money, he turned 180 degrees and jokingly boasted, “If I wanted to, I could buy a new shirt every week.”

After talking about “Full House” for a bit, Coulier moved onto a more traditional comedy routine. He even made the nowadays practically obligatory airline joke.

The main factor that separated Coulier’s performance from most other stand-up comics was his unmistakable talent for doing impersonations. Although complaining about the service at airport security or joking about experiences on an airplane isn’t necessarily groundbreaking material, Coulier’s impressively accurate pilot, and stewardess voices set his joke a notch above standard practice.

From there, Coulier covered a variety of topics ranging from sports to family to colonoscopies. All the while incorporating his hilariously convincing voices.

One particularly funny moment was when he talked about how he likes to freak out telemarketers by making demonic sounds into the phone. He then proceeded to

show the audience several examples that probably would have terrified anyone who was hearing them out of context.

Coulier closed the show by surprising everyone with a harmonica performance.

What started as a parody of blues singers turned into a remarkably skilled concert that thrilled everyone in the audience.

Comedy shows at the Green Music Center are somewhat rare, but when they happen, they tend to please students, faculty and Sonoma County citizens alike.

Coulier’s stand-up show on Thursday was no exception. The standing ovation at the end of the show was a testament to that.

facebook.com Dave Coulier performed at the GMC last Thursday. Coulier is most remembered as Uncle Joey on the 90s sitcom “Full House.”

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

Page 7

“RWBY” returns, looking better than ever Alex T. Randolph Staff Writer

Review

A

fter a year of waiting, Rooster Teeth’s anime-inspired hit show “RWBY” is back. Now in its fourth volume, “RWBY” continues to balance out fights and dramatic scenes with moments of humor and good character work and animation that is much improved from previous volumes.

The basic plot feels like it’s straight out of a Japanese role-playing game. The world of Remnant is overrun by the creatures of Grimm, mindless monsters that live only to kill humans. In humanities’ defense are Huntsmen and Huntresses, trained warriors who use unusual weaponry, spectacular abilities and the mysterious substance known as Dust to drive the Grimm back and let civilization grow.

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Rose (Lindsay Jones) is a young, sweet, innocent Huntress in training, whose skills with her massive scythe/sniper rifle hybrid gets her into the esteemed Beacon Academy two years early. She is joined by her boisterous older sister, Yang Xiao Long (Barbara Dunkelman), spoiled but good-hearted heiress Weiss Schnee (Kara Eberle) and the enigmatic Blake Belladonna (Arryn Zech). Together they make team RWBY, and must learn to fight and get along as a group if they’re going to stop the rising evil forces that threaten to destroy their world.

The show was, and in many ways still is, a cheaply made, non-professional animation. As a result, the first few episodes were lackluster. Main characters mostly had the same model and face, with only outfits and hairstyles telling them apart. Scenery was sketched in broad strokes, and background characters were simple black silhouettes.

Character’s voices didn’t always work either, as most voice actors were amateurs who hadn’t gotten their roles down yet.

But the show has noticeably improved as it’s gone on. Voice actors have grown into their characters, the plot has gotten tighter and the animation has steadily improved as the creative team has gotten their act together.

This came to a head in the last volume, which saw a dramatic rise in the stakes of the show after a relatively low-key first two seasons. Beloved characters died, Beacon Academy was trashed beyond repair and the main characters were scattered across the world, each worse off than when they started.

Volume Four picks up a few months later. Ruby and her friends, all of which have new costumes and abilities, are still dealing with the fallout of the last volume. Each are facing their own personal demons while making new friends and reuniting with old ones. Meanwhile, the evil responsible for Beacon Academy’s fall has started to move again, setting its sights on another kingdom and on Ruby herself, who possesses a mysterious power that is now a threat to them.

At only two episodes so far, it’s still too early to tell if Volume Four will continue to live up to elevated expectations with its story and characters. We’ve only seen Ruby in her travels for answers and Weiss dealing with her distant family, while the other two protagonists haven’t appeared yet. The animation on the other hand has noticeably improved by leaps and bounds, with a new animation program that makes the characters and world look better than ever before. Characters have a greater range of both motion and emotion, and clothes and backgrounds have far more detail than they did in earlier seasons.

“RWBY’s” strong points have always been fun characters, good writing, spectacular fight scenes and an impressive original soundtrack and these things have only im-

“Doctor Strange” - Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams.

“Trolls” - Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick.

“Hacksaw Ridge” - Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington.

Alicia Keys - “Here” Bon Jovi - “This House Is Not For Sale” The Darcys -

“Centerfold”

American Wrestlers - “Goodbye Terrible Youth”

proved as the show has continued, with one exception. “RWBY” was originally the brainchild of the late Monty Oum, who was considered a wizard when it came to making fast-paced, intricate fights that ran solely on rule of cool. His tragic, unexpected death in 2015 meant the rest of the creative team had to struggle to take his place, not always with great success. While fights are still fun to watch, with each character having their own unique weapon, powers and fighting style, there’s a noticeable, if slight, dip in quality. This hasn’t been such a big problem this season so far, with its emphasis on character interaction, but might be an issue further down the line.

Some viewers might also be turned off by the very blatant anime influences in art style and presentation. The show looks like a computer-animated anime, complete with overly long, intricately animated opening credits, face-faults, sweat drops and other common tropes found in Japanese anime, to the point that it’s gotten a substantial Japanese fan-base and an official release there.

This next volume is still in it’s infancy, but so far appears to be taking what has been established and improving upon it, just like what “RWBY” has been doing all along.

“RWBY” airs on Saturdays on Rooster Teeth’s website for paid subscribers, and on Sunday for free subscribers. Everyone else will have to wait a week for it to be posted on YouTube.

facebook.com “RWBY” is available for subscribers of Rooster Teeth but is also available on Youtube.

Page 8

Student Life

Nov. 1- Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Sara Wildman Tracy Marrow, more commonly known as Ice-T, has pursued many avenues throughout his life. From illegal activities during his youth, to his rise in the hip-hop industry and even his time on television, Ice-T has learned that it takes dedication and commitment to complete the impossible.

Ice-T speaks on accomplishing the impossible Perla Alvarez Staff Writer

H

ip-hop legend and television icon Ice-T spoke to an audience last Friday at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center about his journey from struggles with gangs, to his successes in film.

His lecture “Overcoming the Impossible” was a raw talk in which he held nothing back and gave advice on what it takes to reach for your dreams.

“We are going to talk about how I made it to your college and not the penitentiary,” said Ice-T. Born Tracy Lauren Marrow, Ice-T began his life with loss, after both his parents passed away before the seventhgrade. He eventually lived with an aunt, who provided a paradox of being a caring social-worker by day and an alcoholic by night. This figure seemed to emulate just what the entertainment icon of Ice-T embodies; a man who has always intended

to do his best and what is right, but also manages to be involved in some trouble.

After impregnating his girlfriend shortly after high school, he proceeded to join the U.S Army for economic reasons.

It wasn’t too long after his four-year tour that he got himself entangled with the wrong crowd, stealing radios and getting involved in criminal activity.

Ice-T pondered through his life story, revealing that “gang rhymes” were the initial start to what has influenced other artists such as Public Enemy, N.W.A and Tupac. His 1991 album “O.G: Original Gangster” was the introduction of his heavy metal band, Body Count, a band that he co-founded.

Many celebrities seem to play a role in front of the public eye, but not Ice-T. Filled with charisma and continuous humor, he politely let the audience know that if people easily got offended, they needed to look for the green exit signs in the GMC. “I enjoyed the show because of the realness of it. He didn’t censor himself,”

said student Katrina Miles.

“I was intrigued with the lecture and how Ice-T opened up about his beginnings,” said student David Ward.

“We are going to talk about how I made it to your college and not the penitentiary.”

Towards the end of his talk and many personal stories later, an earnest Ice-T wanted to give his audience five keys to success.

He said to only take advice from people you admire, have the courage to push past your insecurity and reach your potential, don’t attempt to do what everyone is doing, remain true to yourself and strive for the best results, and maintain a good work ethic and always remain driven and never stop your hustle.

Being offered roles in movies such as his film debut “Breakin” in 1984, “Tank Girl” and “New Jack City,” he

initially wasn’t being compensated what he expected. But that didn’t prevent him from continuing to accept and pursue other ventures.

“When you get an opportunity, you take it,” said Ice-T. The hunger to reach goals in life will always present themselves and you’re responsible for making this option a reality.

Years later, he was offered a part in “Law in Order: Special Victims Unit”

by Dick Wolf, who originally wanted him for only four episodes. Wolf saw the magnitude of how Ice-T played his detective role of Odafin Tutuola and decided to extend his stay on the show.

At first, Ice-T had his doubts about playing the role of a police officer, considering his own criminal past.

However, he chose to seize the opportunity that was presented to him and encouraged the audience to do the same when facing their own challenges.

“What you are trying to do, people are going to think you are crazy, so you are on your own,” said Ice-T.

Freshman chases passions in Equestrian Club Amanda Buth Staff Writer

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hen she’s not studying for exams, freshman Devon Szanto risks jumping over threefoot fences on a 1,000 pound animal.

The most common styles are Western and English, both complicated and each have their own differences and similarities. Many times it’s just referred to as horseback riding.

Born and raised in Temecula, California, Szanto’s passion for riding horses began at a young age.

While no one else in her family shared a passion for horses, her family was supportive. However, her parents were concerned for their daughter’s safety riding horses at such a young age. When Szanto was seven her parents took her to a horse camp for the summer where her love for riding grew. Deciding what style

of riding was never a question for Szanto.

“I’ve always enjoyed English jumping. I enjoy the shows because I work with the horses in order to show off our best skills and it’s so rewarding when you place high and your hard work pays off,” Szanto said.

Over the years Szanto has been competing in shows with programs outside of her schools. Starting her first year at Sonoma State University she wanted to continue riding while developing her skills.

While most freshman students are dealing with first year struggles like adjusting to moving away from home, Szanto was focused on nothing but joining the Equestrian team on campus. Although she had been riding for many years, catch riding was new for Szanto. Her whole life Szanto was used to competing with her own horse she had been training with for months prior to the competition and now has to compete on a horse picked the day of performance

without a practice ride or warm up.

“It is very different than what I am used too but I also enjoy it because it can show who some of the best riders are,” Szanto said. “It’s hard to get on a random horse and jump them when you know nothing about that horse.”

In this first year while learning new setups at the start of the fall semester, Szanto scored second place at her first show in her class of 13 people. While merely placing at show is an achievement of its own, Szanto surprised everyone at her first college competition by also ranking fifth in her class of 16 people.

“Devon is a great rider and has such a great attitude. We are thrilled that she is part of the team.

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association is very different and the rules are sometimes challenging, but she handled everything exceptionally well,” said President of Sonoma State Equestrian team Rebecca Mitchell.

COURTESY /// Devon Szanto Sonoma State University freshman Devon Szanto has been riding horses since she was seven and plans to conitnue her passion in the Equestrian Club.

Student Life

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Cultural club encourages diverse participation Katie Haga Staff Writer

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he Filipino American Association of Sonoma State University, or FAASSU, has been an organization at Sonoma State since 1995 and initially was created strictly for students of Filipino descent to speak on issues affecting Filipino-Americans. This initial goal is exercised today however, FAASSU has grown into something much larger than the original founders could have ever imagined.

Accepting everyone and anyone from different cultures, FAASSU strives to not only educate and celebrate their own Filipino heritage, but those of other cultures as well. The club has about 60 to 70 members consisting of students from Filipino, European, African and Latin American backgrounds. Each member is encouraged to take part in the learning of Filipino heritage and culture.

“We always hear from people ‘I can’t join the club because I’m not Filipino’ but actually, FAASSU is currently the largest multicultural club on campus because the majority of our members aren’t even Filipino,” said junior Jessica Amen, president of FAASSU. FAASSU offers space for anyone looking to join and there are absolutely no requirements.

The most recent celebration FAASSU took part in was for Filipino history month which occurred the weekend of Oct. 21 at California State University Fullerton. This event is held annually and is titled Friendship Games.

The purpose of Friendship Games is friendly competition amongst over 40 Filipino American Organizations from college campuses all over Arizona,

California and Nevada. The event consists of picnic style games and performances, as well as to celebrate spirit, pride, unity and friendship.

“This was my first year attending Friendship Games and I loved it. My experience was great and overall it was something I didn’t expect,” said sophomore and FAASSU member Monica Gutierrez.

Members of FAASSU use this event as an opportunity to bond with one another as well as make connections and friendships with other students in the Filipino American Organization from other campuses.

The next biggest FAASSU event is their annual Pacific Culture Night. This event is a production hosted by FAASSU to celebrate their culture through performances of dance and song. Members come together, choreographing and participating in many different cultural dances emerging from the Philippines, Hawaii, Tahiti and New Zealand.

Pacific Culture Night is an event that all Filipino American Organizations host at their own schools however, FAASSU’s production is slightly different.

Not only do the members perform their cultural dances but they invite other multicultural organizations to participate in the show as well. This year marks the eighth annual event at Sonoma State and it will be held on May 6 - 7 in Person Theater.

The members of the club continue to gain different experiences. Some find themselves to be greatly affected by this organization and are thankful that they joined FAASSU. “Growing up in Hawaii, Filipinos were always negatively stereotyped and I was very ashamed to be Filipino American,” sophomore Jano Duldulao said.

“But as I got older I found a sense of pride in being Filipino and joining FAASSU has allowed me to

learn so much about my culture, allowed me to meet inspirational people and made me the better person I am today.”

Joining a club on campus is one of the easiest ways to socialize and make friends, but with FAASSU one gets more than just that. The organization offers other events that makes the bond of members stronger than just friendship. These events include food and clothing donation drives, free bowling nights, Halloween and Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas in San Francisco consisting of gift exchanges, shopping and ice skating.

The bond that members of FAASSU share is strong and continuously growing. The love and support each member shows toward one another is immense.

“FAASSU is simply a family,” Amen said.

Twitter.com

Alcohol Awareness Week fights drunk driving Sierra Straub Staff Writer

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here are 1,825 red flags placed on the lawn outside of Stevenson-Darwin quad.

Each flag represents a student who has died as a result of drunk driving.

The red flags, as well as a destroyed car, are a part of Save a Seawolf alcohol awareness week.

Each year 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol related injuries, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Drinking and driving is not the only danger that accompanies excessive drinking. Save A Seawolf week aims to educate students on all of the dangers of drinking, such as physical and sexual assault.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states approximately 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking, and about 97,000 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

For Sonoma State University students, the displays serve as a reminder of the dangers of alcohol.

“I think the amount of red flags really shows how many lives are taken and how many people get affected by drinking and driving,” said senior communications major Amy Ellsworth.

When Ellsworth was in high school she participated in Every 15 Minutes, a program designed to bring awareness to the dangers of drinking and driving to high school students.

“After participating in the program, I became even more serious. It was a life changing experience,” Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth feels Save a Seawolf week, especially the display of flags, is a great way to promote awareness and educate students.

“It makes students really think about the devastation and impact when choosing to get behind the wheel after drinking,” said Ellsworth.

Karl Mortenson, a police officer at Sonoma State, echoed the statement. “Anything that can bring attention to alcohol abuse is a good idea. Young people often think that they are invincible and alcohol related incidents will not

happen to them.” he said.

Mo Phillips, director of programming for campus life, is in charge of alcohol awareness week.

She sees the week as a great way to get students thinking.

“The idea is for students to think about their drinking, to make changes they see fit, to be aware of those around them…of their friends, or even of people they do not necessarily know,” Phillips said.

Save a Seawolf Week is part of the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, a national program designed to educate students on the issues related to alcohol use.

“The national week is usually the third week of October, but we decided a few years ago that we wanted it to be the week just prior to Halloween since Halloween is a time that many college students will overindulge to celebrate,” Phillips said.

The Save a Seawolf Fair, which took place on Wednesday, allowed students to participate in activities such as soccer, basketball and Mario Kart while wearing ‘beer goggles.’

“Having the wrecked car display out in the main quad is a great eye catcher that displays the possible consequences of a DUI related accident,” Mortenson said.

Additionally, a demonstration was given on how to responsibly pour alcohol, as well as tips on how to intervene if someone is trying to drink and drive.

“It is hard to walk by either display without wanting to know what they are about, and without reading the story boards and lawn signs,” Phillips said.

Students can also participate in a drinking distracted driving seminar taking place on Nov. 9 in the Rec Center lobby from 1-7 p.m.

“There is so much we want people to think about. Mostly we want people to think about the safety of themselves and others.

To be bold and take a risk if someone they know is in trouble and to call for help rather than thinking of things like getting in trouble. If you are that concerned make a call for help,” Phillips said.

If you are unsure if you or a friend needs help, call 9-1-1 immediately. For more tips on how to spot alcohol poisoning and how to stay safe while drinking, visit the police services page at https:// www.sonoma.edu/ps/police/.

STAR // Jenna Qualls Various displays on campus helped remind students of the dangers that come with the consumption of alcohol during Alcohol Awareness Week last Wednesday.

Page 10

Sports

Nov. 1- Nov.7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves secure spot in CCAA playoffs Andrea Sims Staff Writer

A

s the season is coming down to the wire and every win matters, Sonoma State Volleyball had a paramount weekend against Stanislaus State and Chico State, clinching a secured spot for the CCAA playoffs.

The Seawolves currently have an overall record of 12-9, and 10-4 for the CCAA, which puts them in second place for the CCAA North Division.

Traveling to Turlock, CA, the Seawolves lit up the Stanislaus Warriors Fitzpatrick Arena, by winning their fifth straight match after defeating the Warriors last Friday night.

Captain of the team, Rachel Andrews lit the court on fire with her kills, having a total of 13 against the Warriors.

“Every point is always important, especially when playing good teams. When everyone contributes we can be really tough to beat,” said Andrews.

The first set the Seawolves embraced their defense by accumulating a team total of 50 digs, along with blocks from Andrews and Calan Seitz.

Despite their opponents blocking defense, the Seawolves took the lead in the first set at 13-10, and from there the Seawolves made the first set theirs by containing the lead. The second set was a nail-bitter for both teams as the Warriors fought back and gave the Seawolves a run for their money.

Blockage from Andrews and Emily Papale and then a kill from Papale set the tone for the second set, and the Seawolves took the second set 25-21. Going into the third set hoping to take it all, the Warriors brought their game,

taking the win 20-15. The final set was a back-to-back point set, but with the errors from the Warriors and the Seawolves delivering some fierce kills, the Seawolves took the overall match.

Entering into rival territory, the Seawolves had their mind set for gold ready to take on the infamous Chico State Wildcats at Acker Gymnasium.

The Seawolves were more than ready to challenge the Wildcats, who are currently in first place for the CCAA playoffs.

Once again, with their phenomenal defense, the Seawolves swept the Wildcats Saturday evening, which secured their spot to enter the CCAA playoffs.

Seitz represented the Seawolves with phenomenal offense with 12 kills. The Seawolves stopped the Wildcats by leaving no holes on the court and having a team total of 84 digs and 4 blocks. While the Seawolves swept the Wildcats, the match was definitely an intense one.

The first set the Seawolves took on an early lead, but the Wildcats strategized and took it back. Seitz came back with a rock hard kill to stumble the Wildcats.

“My mindset against Chico was just to play with as much energy as possible. Chico is always super fired up and never gives up on any plays so we had to match their energy in order to be successful,” said Seitz.

Back and forth the leads were taken from each other.

While the set was tied at 22-22 Chico took a timeout, but the Seawolves came back to serve it up and take the first set 25-22.

While the Seawolves contained the lead, the Wildcats brought out their paws to tie it up, but Kelsey McIntire changed the momentum with a striking kill to have the Wildcats worried.

Another top-two finish for golf Annie Finck Staff Writer

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fter a season of ups and downs, the women of the Sonoma State University golf team finished strong with a second place finish at California State University San Marcos. This finish has helped secure their placement as 21 nationally ranking.

Tying for sixth place, Haley Whitbeck and Erin Martens had received a score of six-over-par 150’s. Following this tie for sixth, Sabrina Virtusio had tied for ninth place, receiving nine-over-par 153. With three of the women from Sonoma State placing in the top 10, they were able to secure the second place win.

The Sonoma State team only trailed the first place winning Cal State San Marcos team by 23 shots, and led Embry Riddle by 16 who took third place.

Even with a strong finish at the San Marcos invitational, the women of the golf team were outshined by some of their opponents’ individual achievements. Jaime Jacob, a member of the Cal State San Marcos team received a honors after having a two-under 142, even with this achievement Jacob had received a 69 in the opening round, giving her a score which allowed her the best in the tournament as a whole.

Jacob’s achievement was a strong factor in San Marcos’ overall first place in the tournament.

With the fall season coming to a close after completing their last tournament, the women will start their fight for the top again this coming February when they participate in the PLNU reach in San Diego.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com The Seawolves went 2-0 this week.

With multiple kills from Seitz and blocks from Andrews, the Seawolves took the W for the second set of 2520.

In the final set Chico had a strong lead, until Wiesner shook the court with a fire kill to get the ball back and change the energy for the Seawolves. Seitz, with standout offensive kills helped the Seawolves tie the set, followed by another kill from Seitz to officially sweep the Wildcats with the win of 27-25.

“That match was such a turning point for us and made us realize that we have what it takes to be a great team.

We all stayed focus and kept the intensity high throughout the match and I was definitely feeling that energy,” said McIntire.

Pumped for the remaining games left and placing a spot into the CCAA playoffs, the Seawolves will be facing the San Francisco State Gators on Nov. 2 in Wolves’ Den at 7 p.m.

SPORTS SCHEDULE Nov. 1

Nov. 4

Women’s Basketball

Women’s Soccer

@ San Jose State

@ CSU San Bern or Cal State

5 p.m.

LA 4:30 p.m.

Nov. 2

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Volleyball

@ Loyola Marymount

vs SF State

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

Nov. 5 Nov. 3

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

@ UC Irvine

vs Pacific Union

2 p.m.

7 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs Humboldt State

Nov. 4

7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Nov. 6

@ Cal Poly Pomona or Cal

Men’s & Women’s Soccer

State LA

CCAA Final

11 a.m.

12:30 pm

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com

3 p.m.

The Seawolves placed second out of 13 at the CSUSM Fall Classic.

Seawolves enter playoffs as No. 2 seed Tatiana Serrano Staff Writer

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he Seawolves finished their regular season with two wins, placing them in the semifinals for the CCAA Tournament. Sonoma beat Dominguez Hills 3-0 on Thursday, and beat Cal State Los Angeles 3-0 on Saturday.

These back-to-back victories placed Sonoma State into the semifinals on Nov. 4. Sonoma is ranked 20th in the league.

The team maintained a strong mindset throughout the end of their season.

“We wanted to end on a high note to keep the momentum moving forward to carry us in the CCAA,” said Kristen Spear.

The weekend caused the Seawolves to have some downfalls since the rain caused the games to switch locations.

Thursday’s game was played at E. Washington Park, instead of Sonoma State’s home fields, but this did not stop the team from playing their hardest. Seawolves Holle Depina, Taylor Enzler and Alex Sifuentes helped Sonoma receive a win.

Depina scored after receiving a cross pass from Sara Van Wagner, which started the team off with a 1-0 advan-

tage within the first half. Taylor Enzler then scored with a pass from Miriam Bloom.

Bloom didn’t stop there, she later passed to Alex Sifuentes, who scored the final goal of the day, finishing 3-0.

Dominguez Hills had a total of seven saves and 14 shots while Sonoma had two saves with 18 shots. Sonoma’s goalkeepers Spear and Allison Hadidian showed a strong defensive effort for the Seawolves.

This win led the team to its No. 2 seed, jumping one spot in this week’s official NCAA Division II W Region Poll. UC San Diego received the conference regular season title.

“We’ve refined a lot of the fundamentals and that’s the key difference is that we’re doing the small things a lot better,” said Alex Sifuentes.

The last regular game of the 2015-2016 season honored the seniors on the team for their last home game: Hadidian, Anna Martin, Jori Wider, Enzler, and Madision Minton. After another adjustment from the home field, the teams played at the Santa Rosa College’s Sypher Field.

Two goals were made by Courtney Shoda Sifuentes.

Sifuentes was assisted by her sister Cecilia Sifuentes leading to the team’s second goal. In minute 59, Shoda scored her second and the last goal of the game, wrapping up the final home game with a strong win.

Hadidian accomplished her 33rd career win as the

SSU goalkeeper, a new record for Sonoma State’s women’s soccer program.

Even though the team has won their recent games, they need to continue to make improvements to take home another championship.

“We always played with heart and desire but sometimes we needed more,” said Kristen Spear.

The team will have a bye so they can rest and prepare for their upcoming competition on Friday. They will play the winner between No. 3 seed Cal State San Bernadino and No. 6 seed Cal State L.A.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Sonoma State holds the No. 2 seed in CCAA

Nov. 1 - Nov. 7, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Sports

Page 11

Men’s soccer team earns playoff bid

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Trevor Abrams Staff Writer

he Sonoma State Men’s Soccer team came into the week seeking a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association playoffs. Their toughest opponent this week may have very well not been the teams they played, but the weather that forced them off their home field. Despite the challenges posed by the rain, the Seawolves won both of their games, clinching a spot in the playoffs.

The first of those victories came on Thursday when Sonoma State dominated Cal State Dominguez Hills with a 3-0 victory. Daniel Theobald came off the bench to find the back of the net twice, along with Alex Cucuk to lead the Sonoma offense. With the win, the Seawolves improved to 7-2-2 in CCAA play and clinched one of six spots in the playoffs.

Sonoma State looked strong throughout the course of the game, showing that they are still hungry for a spot in the NCAA tournament, in which they need to be in the Top 8 of the west region rankings.

Still rained out of their home field, the Seawolves took the field at Santa Rosa Junior college on senior night to take on the Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles. Sonoma State will say goodbye to six seniors including local Santa Rosa product Armando Coronel.

Going into halftime the game was scoreless, but some offensive explosion from both teams took the game tied 2-2 into overtime.

Sonoma State came out strong in the second half when Eric Alvarado scored on a

penalty kick in minute 51. Just four minutes after, Cal State LA responded with a goal of their own by Ryan Arkelian. Sonoma State regained the lead when Maury Lopez scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season in minute 76. The cat-and-mouse game continued when Cal State L.A. found a way to respond quickly in minute 84 to send the game into overtime.

Just 2:09 into overtime, Andrew Ogilvy made a sensational play and headed a loose ball over the goalkeeper to score the game-winning goal. A wild on-field celebration ensued shortly after.

With the win, Sonoma State secured the No. 2 seed in the CCAA tournament and a first round bye next week in Turlock. Sonoma State finished just two points back of CCAA champion UC San Diego.

Sonoma State awaits the winner of the match between No.3 seed Cal Poly Pomona and No.6 seed Cal State LA in the CCAA semi-finals Friday in Turlock.

STAR // Megan Corcoran Sonoma State clinched the No. 2 seed in the CCAA after two weekend wins against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles.

Where is the punishment for Josh Brown?

Commentary John Dolan Staff Writer

T

he NFL has a lot to be outraged about these days. First, there was Def lategate that occupied the media’s coverage for an excessive period. Then, there is the backlash from bad penalty calls to how players choose to express themselves during the National Anthem.

Unfortunately, there has a bigger issue growing amongst the NFL that is receiving too little attention; domestic violence. The Josh Brown incident shows that it’s time for the NFL to craft an effective policy regarding players and domestic violence. Whether you are a football fan or not, it’s time for the public to demand a change.

This topic was brought back to life after former Giants kicker, Josh Brown was suspended one game for an incident in 2015 where he was arrested and charged for domestic violence against his wife. It took new information to leak about how their divorce papers detailed ongoing abuse for the Giants to finally release him from the team.

Looking back at Def lategate, the NFL has shown it can invest millions of dollars into an investigation if they really wanted to discipline a player for violating league policy. The NFL failed to take significant action on the Brown incident because it found “insufficient information to corroborate prior allegations.”

Despite the league’s multiple domestic violence advisors resources, and own investigation unit, they still failed to find anything. That is troubling for a league that has pledged commitment to coming down hard on incidents of domestic violence.

Under the NFL’s current personal conduct policy, there is an automatic sixgame suspension for first time offenders of domestic violence. Since its implementation, there have been nine suspensions potentially related to domestic violence. The league upheld suspensions that have been fewer than six games in all but two of the cases. That is despite the fact that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Our standards, and the consequences of falling short, must be clear, consistent and current,” and that consequences “must be implemented through procedures that are fair and transparent.”

When it comes to incidents of domestic violence, the NFL finds itself in a complicated position that goes beyond what is stated in the personal conduct policy. Factors such as guns and a history of violence haven’t been enough in upholding the length of suspensions as spelled out in the updated conduct policy.

Other considerations, such as victim cooperation or lack of cooperation seem to be working in favor of the players.

“It’s really hard, and often, victims aren’t forthcoming,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL vice president of social responsibility. Domestic violence experts and law enforcement have recognized for years that these incidents get more complicated when a victim doesn’t cooperate. It can range from economic reasons to fearing retaliation.

After the graphic video surfaced of former NFL player Ray Rice striking his then fiance and dragging her out of an elevator, it highlighted the issue of domestic violence and how it affects our society.

It is an issue that goes beyond sports. Raising awareness or volunteering time to victims is a positive step but we need to do more. Maybe the culture needs to be changed, but can it be changed?

Page 12

Photo •

Nov. 1, 2016 - Nov. 7, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

•

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BROKERS WELCOME ©2016 Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. All rights reserved. Brookfield Residential is a licensed real estate broker, CalBRE license no. 01996804. Builder reserves the right to make changes in design, pricing and amenities without notice or obligation. Model does not reflect racial preference.

BH008845 University District Ad | 11.5” x 20” | Sonoma State Star | 10/25

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