Volume 77 // Issue 7

In this issue:

A&E: Jokes for Votes combine humor and politics. Pg. 6

Opinion: Birth control may lead to higher depression rates. Pg. 3 Student Life: Oktoberfest celebrates German culture in Sonoma. Pg. 9

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 77 // ISSUE 7

Sports: Men’s soccer goes undefeated in past five matches. Pg. 10 OCTOBER 11 - OCTOBER 17, 2016

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

Division over Proposition 55, funding for education Nate Galvan Staff Writer

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ccording to a study done by the Public Policy Institute of California, by 2025 California will need one million more college educated workers.

For the California Faculty Association (CFA), the endorsement of Proposition 55 is seen as a major advantage if these findings do in fact become reality.

The California Faculty Association, which represents more than 26,000 tenured and tenure-track instructional faculty, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches on the 23 campuses of the California State University system has come out in support of Proposition 55, the California Children’s Education and Health Care Protection Act, would extend by 12 years the increased taxation of California residents with incomes over $250,000 to fund education, in public K-12 schools and community colleg-

es, as well as healthcare.

The measure is facing stiff opposition from business groups and newspapers across the state.

According to CFA President Jennifer Eagan, the California State University system could lose close to $250 million from its base budget if Proposition 55 is defeated.

“We are endorsing Prop. 55 because of the good it does for higher public education in California,” said Eagan. “It would free up money from the general fund to free up other needs such as funding the CSU.” As stated by Eagan, it’s estimated that $4 to $9 billion in revenue would be generated annually, with 89 percent of that going to K-12 schools and the other 11 percent going to community colleges. In addition, the Cal State system received 17.7 percent less from the state than it did in the 2007-2008 school year, even though 13.5 percent more students are in the Cal State system.

“The CSU can not afford to lose that funding,” said Eagan. “The state’s disinvestment in the CSU over the past decade has taken a terrible toll on our system and it has still not fully recovered.”

Prop. 55 is an extension of Prop. 30, an income tax approved in 2012, which increased California’s sales tax while also imposing income taxes on incomes of $250,000 or more. Prop. 55 would not extend the 3.45 percent sales tax increase but would keep the income tax initiative until 2028.

The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle have all written editorials opposing Proposition 55.

The Los Angeles Times said that extending the income tax, but not the sales tax was, “bad planning, bad thinking, bad budgeting and cowardly politics.

In regards to Prop. 55, the San Diego Tribune states California public schools already get most of the state funding under Prop. 98 in a system where, “Califor-

nia Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers are valued far more than the interests of students.”

The San Francisco Chronicle notes its lack of confidence on the reliance of the state’s school funding to come from the the wealthiest California residentss.

The LA Times said, “A tax structure that depends too heavily on a small group of people, however wealthy they may be, also presents an insidious social and political problem.”

Eagan, in response to the opposition, said she understands a long-term plan may need to be put in place to help with school funding, but believes Prop.

55 is a necessary step.

“Our students deserve better than this,” said Eagan. “They don’t deserve to go back to the days of budget cuts, large class sizes, and understaffing.”

See PROPOSITION on Pg. 4

Jokes for Votes produces laughs, promotes civic duty

See the event breakdown and student reactions on page 6.

COURTESY // SMART SMART is expecting to have trains ready for public use by the end of the year. This train is stopped at one on ten stations that make up a 43-mile track through the Sonoma and Marin areas.

SMART train to begin operating soon Tyler Heberle Staff Writer

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s autumn falls upon Rohnert Park, the only sound one might hear while crossing campus is the crunching of leaves under feet — and a train whistle in the distance.

Once the train begins operation sometime in the coming weeks, this will happen every 30 minutes in each direction at the Rohnert Park Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit station on Enterprise Drive, according to SMART spokeswoman Jeanne Mariani-Belding.

The Rohnert Park station is one of 10 set to serve travelers along a 43-mile track running through Sonoma and Marin counties according to Mariani-Belding.

There is no set date for operation of the trains due to the fact that problems may occur and will need to be fine-tuned before public use.

“Anyone who has had to deal with traffic on Highway 101 understands that we need more transportation options in the North Bay, and SMART provides that safe, reliable option,” Mariani-Belding said.

SMART service will stretch from San Rafael to the Sonoma County airport, with stops at places like Cotati, downtown Santa Rosa and the Marin Civic Center.

The SMART train route is divided into five zones, each initially set to contain one to three separate stations, according to the SMART Train Fare Fact Sheet.

Ordinarily, travel between two zones will cost $3.50, with an additional $2 for each subsequent zone. The SMART website said its transportation will serve the 75

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percent of commuters in the North Bay who have to travel between Sonoma and Marin Counties for work, along with providing recreational travel for visitors worldwide.

Mariani-Belding said SMART trains have several benefits, especially for students who prefer to ditch the expense and hassle of owning a car.

“SMART trains offer free Wi-Fi onboard, so you can study, work or connect with friends and family on social media,” said Mariani-Belding. “Our trains also have a beverage car, where you can grab a cup of coffee or something to eat on your commute.”

Though SMART trains still must be tested for travel times, Mariani-Belding said she estimates taking a SMART train would be much quicker than driving on Highway 101.

She used a commute from San Rafael to Petaluma as an example. The trip may take one hour and 20 minutes on 101, but could be as quick as 31 minutes via SMART. Meanwhile, she estimated a SMART trip from downtown Santa Rosa to Rohnert Park would take merely seven minutes.

Mariani-Belding said she hopes for SMART to start a partnership with Sonoma State University, so students and faculty can take trains for a discounted price.

“We would love to partner with Sonoma State,” said Mariani-Belding.

“We think it’s a great fit.”

Passes issued through the proposed Eco Pass program would cost $1,658 per

@sonomastatestar

See SMART on Pg. 4

@sonomastatestar

STAR // Bryce Dowd Baron Vaughn was one of four comedians to take the stage in the Student Center Ballroom for Jokes for Votes.

More housing opportunities in Cotati Charlotte Grayson Staff Writer

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or many Sonoma State University students, finding affordable housing within a reasonable distance of the university can be a challenge. A new housing development now under construction in Cotati may help alleviate the lack of sufficient housing for students.

The groundbreaking

/sonomastatestar

for the construction took place this summer and the first houses could go on sale as soon as this month.

Village Walk will include 46 single-family units and townhomes in a walkable location, close to downtown, the SMART train station and the Oliver’s shopping center, according to Synergy Communities

by Christopherson. The three- and four-bedroom homes range from 1,300

to 1,890 square feet in size and will cost between the mid $400,000s to the low $600,000s.

The neighborhood in which the development is located, is only a few minutes from Sonoma State, includes multiple apartment complexes, some of which are specifically marketed as student housing.

See HOUSING on Pg. 4

Visit: sonomastatestar.com

Page 2

Editorial

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 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, 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, Nickey Homen, Lucy Lopez, Madison Muro, Jahred Nunes, Samantha Olyer, Alex T. Randolph, Marcella Richmond, Christopher Schwarz, Tatiana Serrano, Andrea Sims, Sierra Straub, Noah Michael, Jenna Qualls

Photographers Perla Alvarez, Megan Corcoran, Bryce Dowd, Reagan Dowd, Lindsey Huffman, Jeno Veltri

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: “Love your melon club reaches out to cancer patients”

The Love Your Melon Club at Sonoma State University raises awareness for childhood cancer by promoting their beanies. With each beanie sold, one goes to a child battling cancer.

Read the story on page 9

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

Propositions just as important as presidents

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t’s no surprise to hear someone speak of the importance of voting in this election, but there’s more information behind that statement than many may think. Although most of the focus is on the presidential race, there are also state and county propositions of equal importance on the ballot.

For voters who may feel their powers are lost in the race for the White House, the other issues on the ballot are enough to grab one’s attention.

With topics varying from the repeal of the death penalty to the legalization of marijuana, there is a high possibility this election could bring along monumental social change. Issues that have been highly debated topics in the past are almost being written off because of the absurdity of the presidential race.

The ballot will include 17 propositions for the state of California and three measures for Sonoma County. Voting ‘yes’ on Measure K, one measure affecting Sonoma County, would mean extending the requirement of needing a public vote for any development of the natural open spaces between cities, also known as “community separators”, according to the measure.

The preserved areas that exist in the county have had the protection of the public’s vote since 1989 and cover almost 17,000 acres. Companies that have an interest in developing the area are against Measure K, while the support comes from

groups like Greenbelt Alliance and other environmentally concerned groups.

Another choice on the ballot is Proposition 57, which if passed would allow non-violent criminals a higher chance at parole and early release.

A major issue for California is its overcrowded prisons, which is why Proposition 57 has been receiving attention from voters.

The law will lead to the release of many prisoners over time, by creating an incentive allowing them to take time off their sentence for educational and rehabilitative activities.

The law would also allow judges to determine whether a child, as young as 14, will be tried as an adult; a power that currently resides in the hands of the prosecutors.

The major issue of this election is the presidential race is overshadowing important decisions that will be made alongside the presidency.

Voters need to know this election can have major impact on the nation, and our state as well.

Propositions 62 and 66 are two that may be difficult to understand for the everyday voter. Both relate to the status of the death penalty, but Proposition 62, if passed, will repeal the punishment and make life in prison without parole the maximum penalty for murder. It would also require prisoners who are sentenced to life, to work and pay 60 percent of their wage as restitution to the victim’s family. Prop 66 however, will keep the death penalty in

place, but focus on changing the process for petitions and challenges to a death sentence. It’s important for voters to know how each one may affect our prison and social system.

For many college students registering to vote is the hurdle that is keeping them from reaching the ballot box.

But no longer can Millennials afford to sit back and watch as decisions are made. It’s time to cast a vote.

With the opportunity to register to vote on campus, through Sonoma State University’s student portal, or even through Facebook, the excuse of not being registered is on its way out.

Being informed on the information can still be an issue, and it can often be hard to sift through one-sided sources.

In an effort to become a more accurately informed voter, people should have a few basic tools in their arsenal including a reliable fact-checking site like PolitiFact. com and a trusted news-aggregate such as RealClearPolitics.com.

Using those tools in addition to credible sources such as BBC, NPR or the New York Times are key to developing an well-rounded voter.

Still, no matter how educated a voter may be, they still need to show up to vote on Nov. 8 or be sure to submit their mail-in ballot by the deadline. It isn’t enough to simply discuss the issues at hand, it’s time to take action.

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 Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to clarify several points that were mentioned in the editorial “Does no home games equal no school spirit” in the STAR issue of Sept. 27 – Oct. 3.

1. Former President Ruben Armiñana never signed a contract to replace the bleachers. He did in fact authorize the funding for the project in late June.

2. “Why could this not have been done sooner?”

The project was originally scheduled to start in May of 2016 and be completed by August before classes started. Due to the delay in getting the project out to bid and subsequent delays in authorizing the funding for the project, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics had no choice but to complete the project in the late November to mid-January time frame.

3. The summer camps staged in The Wolves’ Den did not impact the original decision or the subsequent decision on when the project would take place.

The department was prepared to relocate the summer camps to off-campus sites to accommodate doing the project in the May – August time frame. The two programs this would have the most impact on is men’s basketball and women’s volleyball.

4. The proceeds from these camps directly fund the respective teams athletic scholarship funds that directly benefit their student-athletes.

5. The gymnasium was built 47 years ago. The bleachers are the original equipment and the west side bleachers have been inoperative since November of 2015. For the remainder of the 2015-16 basketball season, only the east side bleachers were accessible reducing the capacity and the crowds of The Wolves’ Den by 50 percent.

6. The Student Recreation Center was a first priority for team practices as a convenience to the studentathletes in keeping the practices on campus as much as possible. Some off-campus practices will take place when the university is closed for the holidays Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. No practices or games are permitted during the NCAA Division II “dead period.”

7. In summarizing the facts of the relocation games schedule, nine of the 13 relocated games will take place when the campus is on the traditional holiday break and attendance is historically low with the absence of students on campus (average student attendance for games in that time frame is 29).

In conclusion, the preference of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics would have been to have the project completed in the summer of 2016. Access to The Wolves’ Den in either the fall or spring semesters was not possible due to kinesiology classes scheduled on Monday through Thursdays. Delaying the project to the summer of 2017 was not possible due to the lack of interest in this project by contractors due to its “major cap” project status.

The Wolves’ Den has been in severe need of new bleachers for many years and, as a department, we did not want to miss the rare opportunity to have access to funding and a willing contractor to delay the project.

When the bleachers are installed, it will be an extraordinary and exciting time, especially for our studentathletes on the women’s volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams. The Wolves’ Den is the largest indoor venue on campus and with the new seating in place for over 2,000 individuals, it will open up new programming opportunities on campus for different events outside the realm of intercollegiate athletics including the opening convocation for Seawolf Decision Day next April.

As the director of athletics, I can assure you that no “disrespect” was intended for our women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams. There is no question that our teams are disappointed that their respective seasons have been disrupted. We will do our best to secure the best accommodations for games and practices that are available and work tirelessly to bring them back home to The Wolves’ Den in February.

- Bill Fusco Senior Director, SSU Intercollegiate Athletics

Opinion

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

Studies find birth control pill linked to depression

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Lindsey Huffman Staff Writer

he birth control pill women all around the globe rely on might cause depression as a side effect.

The oral contraceptive pill was invented in the 1960’s by Margaret Sanger. The pill was then approved by the FDA, and over the span of the next couple decades, millions of women were prescribed the pill in order to prevent pregnancies.

Amanda MacMillan from the LA Times, reviewed a Danish case study

that suggested, “the pill and other types of hormonal contraception may increase the risk of depression of more than one million women and teenage girls.”

The University of Copenhagen did a case study on more than 1 million women ages 15 to 34. The data showed “women using combination birth control pills—which contain both estrogen and progestin, were 23 percent more likely to have been prescribed an antidepressant, compared to nonusers.

Those on a progestin-only pill were 34 percent more likely.”

These findings supported the theory based on the overall idea that birth control pills may cause depression. Estrogen is the primary female hormone and is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system. When taken in birth control pills, it suppresses ovulation.

While on the other hand, progestin is a natural or synthetic hormone that will maintain pregnancy and prevent further ovulation during pregnancy.

Yahoo! invades users’ personal emails

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Jeno Veltri Staff Writer

he idea of privacy and social exposure is now a situation in which Yahoo! users have to face based on how the company is linked with US intelligence officials.

It’s hard to believe such a well respected company such as Yahoo! would be under the investigation of blackmailing its users email for government stipulations.

Without question, Yahoo! has been one of the biggest names for many years when it comes to the amount of users who use and work with their program.

According to the New York Times, Yahoo! secretly began to develop a custom software program that would provide service to search all of its user’s incoming emails which was provided to US intelligence officials.

This breaks the barrier when it comes to invasion of privacy especially in regards to someone’s own personal information. The intelligence officials, however, continue to prosper from it.

“Yahoo! is a law abiding company, and complies with the laws of the United States,” said Yahoo! in regards to the outburst of how they are dealing with the rules of invasion of privacy.

It’s still unclear which intelligence agency is working alongside Yahoo! to perform these acts of intercepting personal information. It’s beginning an uproar among users as well as the company’s main leaders.

There are hundreds of millions of people or more who have had their emails passed on to the US government for further documentation. This number can grow even bigger if nothing is done to prevent it.

The safety of our privacy is at stake, especially if intelligence agencies start reaching out to more companies that could hop on board with spying on their users.

According to the Washington Post, this isn’t the first time Yahoo! has faced the request for data by the government.

The company has such a huge reputation, which makes it easy to believe they were a vessel for the software that intelligence officials could feed off.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Yahoo! Chief Executive Marissa Mayer, made the decision to work with the government to help develop the software and left a bad taste in the mouth of some people, such as Alex Stamos.

Stamos was the former chief of information security who never liked the idea of merging with the government, which soon led to his departure of the company.

Stamos was asked recently about his thoughts on the company intercepting their users email for the government and he responded with “I’m not commenting at all.”

There have been rumors intelligence agencies such as the NSA or the FBI were also going after other internet companies with the same demand but continued to come up short. Many internet companies were not on board with the idea.

As consumers of the media and internet world, we shouldn’t be in the situation where we have to worry about the government reading and blackmailing our personal information on a daily basis.

Yahoo! has not only sparked a huge headline, but also put out the realization to users that you don’t know who’s reading your personal information at any time.

The future of invasion of privacy still remains to be a factor now and will be in the future, unless restrictions against intelligence agencies are made based on who they can operate with.

Some of the highest risks were actually found with teenage girls.

The study done by the University of Copenhagen also stated that “80 percent more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant when they were on combined birth control pills—and 120 percent more likely when they were on progestin-only pills—compared to those who didn’t use any hormonal birth control.

For teens who used non-oral hormonal products, their risk tripled.”

Depression is only one of the many side effects that comes with the pill.

According to the Medical News Today, the most common side effects are menstrual spotting, nausea, breast tenderness, headaches, weight gain, mood changes, missed periods and decreased libido.

Medical News Today reported even though birth control pills are a highly effective method for unintended pregnancies, according to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, “Pregnancy rates increase dramatically in women who miss a pill, rates rise 30-

80 times more.”

While birth control may be effective in preventing pregnancy, it can be a downside for those who forget to take it, along with the many side effects it brings to women’s bodies.

Other alternative options for birth control methods include NuvaRings, IUD’s, skin patches and condoms.

These are all healthier options and are less likely to cause depression and other side effects in comparison to the birth control pill.

Many young women refrain from using birth control due to the depression effects and other side effects it may cause their bodies. Women may need to reconsider whether the birth control pill is the method of choice for them in order to prevent pregnancy. There are many other contraceptives options in regards to preventing unintended pregnancies.

If birth control pills cause depression and all other side effects, it might be worth exploring other prevention methods.

Prop 57 inadequate solution to non-violent crime

Kendall Grove Staff Writer

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rison overcrowding has been a problem in California since 2009, but it’s something California is still struggling with today.

In November, California will be voting on 17 propositions that could change the state’s constitution. Proposition 57 would allow parole for non-violent criminals and change the juvenile court trial requirements. This change to the criminal justice system could create positive change in some areas, but also have a negative consequence.

First, Proposition 57 would directly help with overcrowding. According to Ballotpedia, California has around 25,000 criminals that could be affected by this proposition. This change could not only help with overcrowding, but it could also mean less of the taxpayers money is spent on prisons.

Although Proposition 57 sounds

like a money saving situation, it could lead to bigger sacrifices.

One of the biggest concerns with Proposition 57 is that “non-violent” is poorly defined. People who oppose this proposition claim the passing of it will allow seemingly non-violent criminals out on parole, when they actually committed violent crimes.

Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schhubert told Ballotpedia’s fact checkers “Domestic violence, rape of an unconscious person, exploding a bomb with the intention of hurting people ... The public rightly believes those crimes are violent, but under the penal code they are nonviolent.”

The flaws in Proposition 57 may provide too much wiggle room for violent offenders in the justice system, making it hard to support the non-violent parole part of it.

Currently, California has a three strike sentencing law which, according to the state courts, made it so people convicted of a second felony would be sentenced to state prison for twice what they would be sentenced for originally.

If someone already has a felony with two or more strikes, they would be sentenced to state prison for 25 years to life.

Because drugs are placed under this category, it’s easy for someone to end up with 25 years to life just from drug related felonies. Should nonviolent offenders take up space in the justice system? This sentencing law

creates too many non-violent criminals who only serve to back up the justice system and cost taxpayers more money.

Another significant change Proposition 57 could provide is by allowing judges to decide how a juvenile should be tried in court. Currently, the prosecutor gets to decide if the juvenile should be tried as an adult, which could lead to biased decision making. This can also cause many young defendants to end up in state prison for a good portion of their lives.

In 2014, California voted on Proposition 47, which lowered certain nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. It also helped increase possible parole for those with non-violent felonies, mostly focused non-violent drug felonies.

Proposition 57 attempts to do the same thing Proposition 47 did, but with the undefined non-violent felonies, it leaves too big of a gray area. Those opposing Proposition 57 even suggest this would create less safe neighborhoods.

Voting on Proposition 57 brings two different viewpoints into play. On one hand, it’s dealing with overcrowding and saving taxpayers money, while on the other hand it’s allowing for criminals with violent felonies to have a second chance.

Safety is something citizens value above all else and they have good reason to. Creating a safer environment that doesn’t waste taxpayer money should be the priority, and passing of Propostion 57 will not accomplish this.

A long overdue educational update

Taylor Berghoff Staff Writer

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roposition 58 is on the ballot this year in hopes of repealing Proposition 227, a decades old law established in 1998 which restricts what methods can be used to teach English to non-English speakers.

Under Proposition 227, speakers of foreign languages must be taught in classes where only English is spoken.

Before entering these English-only classes, non-native speakers are required to take a year of intensive english instruction. Many people recognize inefficacies within the programs and hope Proposition 58 will ensure brighter futures for young immigrants and foreign students of California.

Under Proposition 58 Englishlearners will no longer be required to take a year of intensive English. Instead, schools will have the power to structure their language programs according to what they think is most effective. With this, parents will have more say in what

they want for their children. For many schools, this will mean offering classes with bilingual instruction.

Bilingual instruction will help increase the chances of success among young students trying to learn English.

Instead of being thrown into intensive English-only classes, students will be able to learn and transition with ease.

Bilingual instruction will allow students to ask questions and interact more easily with their teachers. With their native language as a security blanket, students will feel more confident in their learning abilities.

According to a demographics report by Stanford University, 40 percent of California’s population speaks a language other than English at home.

The report also states only half of the foreign-born Spanish-speaking population of California speaks English “well” or “very well.”

It’s no surprise that much of California’s population speaks a foreign language. According to the California census, 32 percent of the population was made up of Hispanics and Latinos as of 2010. Mexicans made up about 25 percent of the population and Asians made up 12 percent. With such diversity, Proposition 58 has the power to help countless students.

Not only is California a melting pot of culture, but it’s continuously growing. California was home to more than 10 million immigrants as of 2011, more than any other state.

With such diversity and so many

people immigrating to California each year, language programs to better serve the people of the state are long overdue.

What worked in 1998 may no longer work for the current generation. Times are constantly changing and so should legislation. The school system needs to cater to the diversity of its students.

Supporters of Proposition 58 make it clear that bilingual instruction isn’t meant to prevent children from learning English. Nor will the proposition make bilingual instruction mandatory.

Instead, Proposition 58 hopes to enhance and accelerate the rate English is learned by giving schools the power to create programs that work. With the ability to create more up-to-date programs with more effective teaching methods, English-learners have a greater chance of becoming fluent in English at a much quicker rate.

With Proposition 58, students will no longer be thrown into overwhelming English-only classes or taught by English-only instructors.

Instead students will develop their language skills with ease and will be emerged in an environment more suitable for learning.

Proposition 58 will get rid of the restrictive and ineffective methods currently set out by Proposition 227 and will allow a more promising future for the students of California. The current legislation is outdated and no longer serves the needs of the current population. Proposition 58 will help California continue to move in the right direction.

Page 4

News

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma State student recognized for community service and academic excellence Alexis Austin Staff Writer

S

onoma State University senior biochemistry major Elizabeth Valverde Campos was only 10 when her family fled to California from violence in Mexico City. After overcoming the challenges coupled with documentation, learning a new country and a new language, Valverde Campos’ hard work is being recognized with the California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement.

This award is presented once a year to 24 students who exhibit personal achievements, participate in community service and demonstrate academic excellence.

“She is an amazing student who cares about helping undocumented and first generation students like herself, especially in STEM education,” said Sonoma State President Judy K. Sakaki.

Valverde Campos said it was not easy to begin a new life. She learned English in the fourth grade and explained how difficult it was not understanding her teachers and to experience a communication gap with her peers. When it came time to apply for college, she said she was grateful to have help from her older sister, who had already gone through the process.

“I think it was actually a lot harder for her, because she really had no help. I had her, but the hardest part was financial aid. The DREAM Act was not approved yet, so things were different,” said Valverde Campos.

Many of the obstacles that Valverde Campos can prove challenging, and this award recognizes her academic excellence in the face of adversity.

“Her story about overcoming hardships as an undocumented and first generation student is inspiring to all of

us,” said Bill Kidder, associate vice president at Sonoma State, Valverde Campos works in the tutoring center on campus, assisting fellow students with the hardships of chemistry. When she was in high school, she tutored as well, helping students from elementary to high school and with SAT preparation. Her achievements and hard work have additionally led her to her be recognized with Presidential Scholar and the 2015-2016 McNair Scholar honors.

Valverde Campos said she loves working at the tutoring center as she wants to be a teacher and believes tutoring has set her in the right direction.

Valverde Campos was the top applicant chosen at Sonoma State to be recommended to the California State University as an award recipient.

“When I got the call from scholarship services that my application would be the one sent in from Sonoma State, I was thrilled,” said Valverde Campos. “I was having a very stressful week, then I immediately felt better.”

Actually receiving the award came as a surprise, she said.

Valverde Campos shared she would not have applied if she had not been encouraged by Mariana Martinez, McNair Scholars program research coordinator at Sonoma State.

Since having received the award, Valverde Campos says she feels as though much of her hard work in college has, in a way, paid off.

“When they flew us all out to Long Beach for the ceremony on Sept. 20, I was given the opportunity to meet so many important people like President Judy Sakaki, and it was really exciting to meet the other award winners from the other CSUs. I was happy for them, as well as myself,” said Valverde Campos.

COURTESY // Sonoma State University The California State University Trustees’ Award is given to 24 students every year. Elizabeth Valverde Campos was the top applicant recommended for this award at Sonoma State Valverde Campos believes the award could possibly open up doors for other opportunities. It’s more important to her right now to focus on the continuation of her studies, graduating and applying to graduate school.

“The CSU Trustee Award is a huge honor. I’m sure I will be able to go even further having been given that recognition,” said Valverde Campos.

Financial aid moves up deadline Perla Alvarez Staff Writer

J COURTESY // SMART SMART train offers a student discount to provide incentives for Sonoma State and Santa Rosa Junior College students to use this novel form of transportation through the Sonoma and Marin areas. The train hopes to expand to a 70-mile track.

SMART: Students will have access to cheaper, faster transportation Continued from Pg. 1

year, which equates to $6.50 per weekday with free weekend rides and unlimited transportation throughout the week.

“SMART’s Eco Pass is a deeply discounted universal pass that would allow students to ride the train for half the cost of standard fares,” said SMART senior administrative analyst Katherine DiPasqua. “The passes would be purchased in bulk through the university and then distributed to students.”

The Eco-passes are only available to be purchased on an annual basis.

Jessica Jordan, a third-year student at Sonoma State, said she likes the idea of using SMART for discounted travel.

“I think it would be beneficial for students and the company. It would allow students to be more mobile between neighboring cities,” said Jordan.

SMART hopes to expand after the service’s debut to the public.

“Students who decide to start using SMART will have even more stops at their disposal after the service’s debut. The overall plan

for SMART is a route that will extend to 70 miles total, stopping in Cloverdale up north and in Larkspur down south,” said Mariani-Belding.

“The next step for expansion will be the Larkspur extension, which will help our passengers connect with the ferry to go to San Francisco,” Mariani-Belding said.

Before any of the trains can transport students and other Sonoma County citizens, however, these SMART vehicles must undergo safety testing. Mariani-Belding said SMART is ramping up its system-wide testing for the next few weeks, and urged passersby to be careful when trains approach.

“Always be alert and aware around all railroads crossings; drivers should never stop on the tracks or race through the crossing gates to try to beat a train,” said Mariani-Belding. “And never walk on the railroad tracks —walking on the tracks is dangerous and illegal.”

But Mariani-Belding said she still recommends SMART transit for anyone looking to save commute time.

For more information, students can contact SMART at (707) 794-3330, or visit sonomamarintrain.org.

an. 1 is no longer the first day to begin applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. Recent changes to FASFA will now allow students to complete financial aid forms as early as Oct. 1 and use the previous year’s tax return.

These new changes have begun this year and are intended to ease the application process for faculty, continuing students, and high school seniors in the process of applying for colleges, as financial aid is given on a first-come, first-served basis.

The application for the FAFSA used to require students to provide financial information from the previous year, but this is before the date for taxes to be filed, so estimations are normally made. This prolonged the process and students would have to amend their information once income taxes were filed.

“It was challenging before for students to estimate,” said Susan Gutierrez, director of financial aid at Sonoma State University When asked about the reasoning behind the start date for the application change and how it will impact the millions of continuing college students and hopefuls who are applying, Gutierrez said it’s a step in the right direction.

Gutierrez also mentioned the California Dream Act, which helps

aid undocumented students who have entered the country before the age of 16, will also follow suit and will begin on Oct. 1, effective this year.

“I’m really excited for this new transition, and I think it’ll make things much easier,” said Clarisa Rosas, a Santa Rosa Junior College student.

Students are now able to access, complete and submit their 2017-2018 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1.

President Barack Obama and his administration have made some significant changes to make the application process easier. The new and improved application process, according to the Department of Education, estimates these changes will now be more aligned with the college application process.

There will be fewer delays in the process, financial aid processing hours will go down tremendously, according to Time magazine and will relieve some stress for many by giving them extra time to complete these forms.

Emails will soon go out to inform Sonoma State students about the change to the financial aid process. They will be going out in November, as well as February. Gutierrez is working on promoting this critical information for many on Lobovision sometime this month.

March 3 is the deadline for California State University priority registration applications. For more information, visit FASFA.org.

STAR // Megan Corcoran California Faculty Association has endorsed Prop. 55 and believes it will benefit the CSU system.

PROPOSITION: CFA fears budget cuts Continued from Pg. 1

COURTESY // SMART Construction on the additional stations is expected to begin in 2017.

California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon believes Prop.

55 is benefical for the cal State system.

“The CSU system

is the largest public university system in the country and is respected for its quality of education and graduates,” said Rendon. “The CSU budget is funded by the gen-

eral fund and if we have to cut overall spending it will certainly affect the whole system.”

Oct. 24 is the last day to register and Election Day is Nov. 8.

News

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Seawolves SPEAK!

Students react to Trump video and second presidential debate Analy Bravo Staff Writer

W

ell over 80 million people tuned in to see the first debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, setting a new record in the history of televised presidential debates. The night of Oct. 9, millions once again tuned in to witness our candidates go at it. This time, however, Trump was challenged to defend his newly uncovered audio about sexually degrading women during a conversation with Billy Bush calling it “locker room talk,” while also bringing up Clinton’s husband’s infidelities from the past. The STAR asked Sonoma State University students about their thoughts after watching the second presidential debate.

“To be honest, no matter what either one says during these debates, they’re both going to lead us into war.

If there was an option on the ballot to replace both candidates, I would vote for that.” -Bryan Miller, senior

“I think it’s funny how lot of Republicans are going against Trump even more now because of the 2005 video. Before the video, there were some Republicans that were not for him, and now those numbers are getting higher.” -Alyssa Wright, third year

“Because of all the scandals and information that is being leaked of both candidates, it seems like they are just using the debates to make each other look as bad as possible and not using their time to tell us about what they’re going to do if they become president.” -Clyde Kozak, junior

“It’s not about what policies each candidate is going to enact, instead it’s more about how much dirt you can dig up on your opponent to destroy their reputation and vote for the opposition.

The debates should be about what each candidate stands for and why their policies are better than the other.”

-Brandon Chin, fourth year

Earthquake safety 101 Francisco carbajal Staff Writer

A

fter a series of small temblors under the Salton Sea, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced on Oct. 1, that there was a high probability of a major earthquake hitting the Southern California area during that week.

The earthquakes that could be triggered were of a magnitude of 7.0 or higher on the San Andreas fault. The chances of this happening could have been as high as 1 in 100 and as low as 1 in 3000. As the week progressed, the chances of this happening returned to the normal odds of 1 in 6000.

While the main cities in Southern California were at the most danger during the week, Northern California would also have been affected. Students at Sonoma State University were a little freaked out by the news.

While the earthquake advisory has passed, California is not yet out of the woods, the state is long overdue for a big earthquake. The official Sonoma State emergency plan warns a major earthquake would create damage to the school. Sonoma State University is located near the Rodgers Creek fault, which is capable of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

Due to the proximity, any significant earthquake on the Rodgers Fault could cause major damage to University facilities.

Students at Sonoma State said the warning left them a little shaken, even though no strong earthquakes happened.

“I just saw the movie San Andreas with The Rock and I was a little bit scared the whole week while this was going on, I’m not going to lie. I was looking out for all the emergency exits throughout the week,” said Nate King a junior psychology major.

The official earthquake protocol at Sonoma State consists of using the procedure “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” According to the “Great Shakeout” website, the main point is to not try to move, but to immediately protect yourself as best as possible where you are. Drop to the ground before the shaking knocks you down, take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and hold onto it until the shaking stops.

“I really don’t want to be here for a huge earthquake. As soon as I get my diploma in the spring, I am gone,” said fourth-year Becca Dedekind, with a laugh.

After the shaking has stopped, students and faculty are supposed to exit the buildings and enter safe zones, while the emergency evacuation plan is being implemented.

Faculty is trained to lead the class out of danger into these safe zones. Students living in the dorms have specific areas to evacuate in case of an earthquake or a fire and Com-

COURTESY // USGS California is long overdue for a major earthquake and Sonoma County be heavily effected. Sonoma State University advises students to always be prepared for an earthquake and urges students to have an emergency kit prepared. munity Service Advisors are trained in evacuation procedures.

Students living on campus are encouraged by Sonoma State to have an emergency kit on hand in case of a major emergency. This emergency kit should include three days worth of supplies, such as water and food, basic first aid supplies, and any special need items.

“The scariest part about the earthquake in August 2014 was not the earthquake itself, but the feeling of not feeling prepared and what to do next,” said Dedekind.

HOUSING: Units up for sale next week Continued from Pg. 1

“The city is excited to see this project come to fruition and continue our partnership with the private sector to bring more desperately needed housing to Sonoma County, as well as develop our community for the benefit of all Cotati residents,” said Cotati Mayor John Moore.

Though this development is not specifically for students, housing is in short supply for all residents of Rohnert Park, Cotati and the surrounding areas, which Moore cited as the reason for the new development. The new development seeks to create more housing in the community for students and other residents.

“We are looking forward to bringing these new homes to market. Our county’s families need access to quality-built, affordable housing and that’s exactly what we’re providing,” said Managing Member of Synergy Communities Keith Christopherson. “We have had a wonderful experience working on this project with the

city. They have been great partners every step of the way, helping make this project a reality. We hope to continue our partnership with the city to bring other developments to Cotati.”

Units in the Village Walk will be on sale soon for prospective buyers.

“The Village Walk is for sale housing, so it would be 46 new units, some of which could ultimately be rented to students,” said City Manager of Cotati Damien O’Bid. “This housing is at the corner of East Cotati Avenue and Lancaster Avenue, is currently under construction, and I understand that the first units will be going on sale as soon as next week.”

According to O’Bid, construction is likely to start next year on other housing for rent.

Between this housing development and the residences under construction in the University District across the street from campus, there will soon be more housing available close to Sonoma State, which potentially means that students could have an easier time finding available housing.

Page 6

Arts

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma Laughfest brings a taste of L.A. to wine country Noe Felix Staff Writer

T STAR // Jenna Qualls Alissa Lederer from CMF gathers information for equipment rentals.

Campus MovieFest reels in student filmmakers Katie Haga Staff Writer

T

he Campus MovieFest has made its way back to Sonoma State University for its eleventh year.

The purpose of this event is to give students an opportunity to get their creative juices flowing and construct a five minute film.

Campus MovieFest (CMF) is the world’s largest student film festival. Beginning in 2001, their goal has been to provide resources for students to make a five minute film in one week.

CMF came to Sonoma State on Wednesday, providing cameras, tripods, laptops with editing software and microphones to students who were interested in creating a film. The student’s five minute films, due Oct. 11, will be judged by a panel of anonymous Sonoma State students and faculty.

Since the deadline for this Campus MovieFest has passed, those who didn’t know about the event can sign up for it next year.

Any student is eligible even if they haven’t made a movie before. CMF encourages anyone to give it a go at this fun experience.

“About 90 percent of participants in this film festival have never made a movie before,” said CMF Promotions Manager Raghav Ravichandran.

CMF provides on-campus tech support as well as a 24/7 hotline for students who have questions concerning filming or editing.

“CMF provides help in hopes it will bring about a whole new generation of filmmakers, as well as inspire passionate individuals that thought they would never do something like this,” said Ravichandran.

The guidelines for Campus MovieFest are simple.

Everyone who helped with the film must attend Sonoma State, however, the actors do not have to be students.

The film must be five minutes or less. No copyright music will be permitted and no nudity or extensive drug use is allowed. Full rules and guidelines can be found on CMF’s website.

The panel of judges will choose the top 16 films, and these films will be shown at the finale on Oct.13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. However, the students who made the films will not know which films will be shown until the night of the finale.

Out of the top 16 films, only four will be awarded.

Those four films will be entered to compete in the CMF national competition “Terminus” that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia to compete for $150,000.

The other prizes include a director’s slate and winners t-shirts. Films may be selected to be screened on Virgin America Airlines and screened at the Cannes film festival in France in the summer of 2017.

Campus MovieFest provides many different opportunities for students, filmmakers and non-filmmakers, to explore their creative sides. There are several other contests students can make and enter films for.

One being the “Seeker’s Stories,” the documentary category, where students are given an opportunity to tell a story about something interesting or unique that is occurring around the world, within five minutes or less.

The winner of the “Seeker’s Stories” will be awarded $10,000 in cash, a trip to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as well as have their film premiered at the festival.

Campus MovieFest is made specifically for pushing students out of their comfort zones, making films that have great potential and to find the generation’s next best filmmaker.

STAR // Jenna Qualls Christian Kramer from CMF filling a backpack with equipment for a student to make a short film in a week.

he one thing that everyone on this earth loves to do is laugh, and if there’s one person that knows this best, it’s Brooke Tansley.

Tansley is responsible for Sonoma Laughfest, taking place Oct. 20-23. Tansley is executive producer of the second annual Sonoma Laughfest, a comedy festival that brings over a 100 comedians together from across the nation into one affordable experience for the community.

Tansley is no stranger to comedy, she has a rapport in acting and comedy that spans 26 years. She was a part of Amy Poehler’s “Upright Citizen Brigade,” an improvisational and sketch comedy group which laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Sonoma Laughfest. During her time with “Upright Citizen Brigade,” she met co-founder and best friend Kristen Rozanski.

Tansley originally came to Sonoma County in 2013 and eventually fell in love with the place. During her first six hours in Sonoma, she fell in love with a man who would eventually become her husband. As a result of these magical events, Tansley eventually moved to Sonoma.

She was eager to find a way to connect with the community and become a part of it. Tansley noticed the area didn’t present her with things that she was heavily interested in.

There weren’t a lot of things young people could do. She recalled when she lived in Los Angeles, there would be comedy shows twice a week that many people would attend.

Tansley wanted to bring what she loved about L.A. to Sonoma. Tansley and Rozanski began working on a plan to bring all types of comedy, be it sketch, stand-up or improv to the local community.

Last years Laughfest was planned in a little over a month and a half. However, Tansley and Rozanski had much more time to plan and prepare this year.

They wanted to go bigger and better.

They put out the word they were searching for comedians, and over 600 hundred replied with videos of their work.

A majority of the comedians have extensive backgrounds working on television, be it writing or acting. Tansley and Rozanski spent an entire week narrowing down their selected acts.

The chosen comedians have been featured on shows like “Broad City,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Modern Family” and “Comedy Bang! Bang!”

Tansley and Rozanski themselves have been featured on “Ugly Betty” and “Law and Order.”

Once the acts were chosen, it took a lot of coordination to get everything up and running. They had to schedule the acts, find housing and transportation for them, get sponsors and start marketing the event.

At the heart of everything, it was really important to Tansley to make this as cheap and inexpensive for everyone in the community, especially the younger crowd.

“So much in Sonoma is geared towards the luxury crowd,” said Tansley. “It was really important to me to make something for the community that was affordable.”

Tickets start as low as $14 and even have multiple show passes that start at $39. The shows will be held at the Sonoma Community Center with three to four shows a day, offering plenty of times for those with busy schedules.

Why should you go to Sonoma Laughfest? Well, in the words of Tansley, “It’s an incredible opportunity to enjoy the show with the company you love, with the people you love and have a great time.”

Visit sonomalaughfest.com for tickets and more info.

COURTESY // Brooke Tansley Co-founders of Sonoma Laughfest Kristen Rozanski (left) and Brooke Tansley perform together with “Upright Citizen Brigade.”

Inspiring students to think and vote through humor Kitana Gachero Staff Writer

S

onoma State University’s Student Center Ballroom was rolling with laughter Thursday night when Jokes for Votes hosted popular comedians Demetri Martin, Baron Vaughn, Taylor Tomlinson and James Adomian.

Some can be seen on well known programs such as “The Daily Show,” “Bojack Horseman,” “Grace and Frankie” and other shows on Comedy Central.

Their various style of comedy and provocative jokes had the crowd consumed with laughter the entire night.

The event encouraged students to come to a great comedy show as well as register to vote.

Just outside of the event, there were several volunteers with clipboards that were registering students to vote.

Opener Taylor Tomlinson wooed the crowd with jokes that ranged from innocently quirky to brutally raunchy. One of her most memorable puns was, “If there’s no God, then I told the wind a lot of secrets.”

Tomlinson even heckled the crowd a bit, teasing a few people sitting in the front row, which is known for being the danger zone at most comedy shows if you don’t want to be the pun of the comedian’s next joke.

Following Tomlinson, James Adomian engaged the crowd with his blunt humor. He relentlessly joked about typically taboo subjects like homosexuality and drug use. Ultimately it’s safe to say his jokes were definitely not safe for work, but nonetheless hilarious.

Baron Vaughn also did a laugh provoking set where he touched on topics like English accents, police brutality and unordinary names. Currently he plays Nwabudike “Bud” Bergstein on popular Netflix comedy “Grace and Frankie.”

He is also known for his roles in movies like “Cloverfield” and “The Kitchen.”

“I really like when Sonoma State has comedy events like these, and it’s cool how it also encourages students to vote considering how important the election is this year,” said sophomore Olivia Hurst.

Crowd favorite Demetri Martin closed out the show with his surreal and alternative comedy and even incorporated music by playing a guitar and harmonica simultaneously.

Martin is well known for contributing to shows like “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Daily Show” as well as starring on his very own program “Demetri Martin.

Person.” Martin had the crowd on their backs when he made a joke about Sonoma State’s Mascot.

“So I went to your guy’s bookstore and saw that your mascot is a Seawolf… sounds very vicious and imaginary,” said Martin in his signature sarcastic monotone that he carried throughout the set.

“I enjoyed Demetri Martin’s set the most,” said freshman Brian Daniel. “He was heckling the crowd and the way he told jokes made it hard to tell if he was joking or being serious.”

Ultimately the voter participation from the millennial generation will prove to be instrumental in the elections coming up Nov. 8. Events such as Jokes for Votes can only help in that participation and influencing college students to vote.

STAR // Bryce Dowd Comedians Dimetri Martin and Baron Vaughn perform at Sonoma State University for Funny or Die’s “Jokes for Votes.”

Entertainment

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 7

“Bioshock: The Collection” reignites players love of the game Jahred Nunes Staff Writer

facebook.com “The Birth of a Nation” hit theaters Oct. 7 and earned a measley $7.1 million its opening weekend.

“The Birth of a Nation” raises praise and controversy Alex T. Randolph Staff Writer

Review

I

n 1915, “The Birth of a Nation” was praised as a groundbreaking work of cinema that invented the epic movie and created filming techniques that directors still use.

Over 100 years later, it’s a little-remembered embarrassment that no one dares touch, thanks to being considered highly racist even in its heyday.

Nate Parker’s film of the same name has similar themes and takes place around the same time, but is not a remake. If anything, this film is a rebuttal to the first, or as Parker calls it, a reclamation.

Telling a rather romanticized version of Nat Turner, a black slave and preacher that spearheaded a slave rebellion in 1831, “The Birth of a Nation” focuses on a dark time in US history that’s often overlooked.

However, while the parts that work are great, there are quite a few stumbles too, and the whole thing is overshadowed by real-life controversy.

The film starts with Nat (Nate Parker) relatively comfortable in his position as a plantation slave in Virginia, at least compared to other slaves. His master, Sam Turner (Armie Hammer) was a childhood friend and treats him with respect.

He has a wife, Cherry, (Aja Naomi King), and a daughter. Most importantly, his old mistress, Elizabeth Turner, (Penelope Ann Miller) taught him to read the Bible as a child, and he has since gained some infamy as a preacher, telling other slaves how God will reward their diligence to their masters.

But as he bears the indignities done to his fellow slaves and to himself, for his master’s respect is far from friendship, his readings of the Bible inspire him to rally his flock together to fight for their freedom.

While it ends badly for him, we see

his influence inspire others to take his place.

The buildup is the best part of the movie, as we see the cruelties of slave life firsthand. Nat travels from plantation to plantation, preaching to his fellow slaves about how they should be subservient while seeing the casual savagery routinely heaped on them in graphic detail.

It therefore makes it all the sweeter in the final act when the slaves turn upon and kill the men who have been oppressing them. The slave owner’s deaths are brutal, but well deserved.

Parker’s name is plastered all over the credits. He’s the star, director, producer and writer.

When Parker is loudly preaching to the slaves as Nat, or inspiring them to fight, he’s on fire.

The problem is, there also lots of scenes that’s supposed to humanize him, and those smaller scenes tend to fall flat.

Nat is mostly portrayed here as a largerthan-life folk hero in the vein of Paul Bunyan and Davy Crocket, and trying to make him a regular guy at the same time only undermines that.

If you are starring in the movie you wrote, produced and directed, then perhaps you can’t help coming off as a little self-serving. Especially when you are presenting your role as a destined savior figure, complete with heavy religious imagery, such as the prominent feature of crosses in just about every poignant scene.

It would be remiss not to mention the controversy from behind the scenes as well. Parker was accused of sexual assault in 1999.

While he was acquitted, some call the ruling into question, and there’s no denying the pall it has cast over what was first exalted as a breath of fresh air after the infamously whitewashed Oscars last year.

“The Birth of a Nation” is not the groundbreaking tour de force the original was, and unfortunately has controversy surrounding it, just as the original does.

But while it sometimes falters at telling its story, it’s still worth seeing for the content of the story itself.

J

ust last month, 2K Games released the renewed and remastered versions of one of the most creative and mystifying first-person shooter games of the twenty-first century. “Bioshock: The Collection” once again takes the spotlight as one of the greatest video game stories ever told.

The collection is comprised of “Bioshock,” “Bioshock 2” and “Bioshock Infinite,” each of which earned a 84 percent on Metacritic, a website that creates an average of the reviews of other top game critics such as IGN, GameSpot and Game Informer.

The first installment to the series, “Bioshock” takes place in the early 1960s in the underwater metropolis of Rapture.

Originally created to be a place free from religion and overbearing government, it becomes clear that Rapture’s glory days have faded into a world of horror.

The citizens of Rapture began to turn on each other as the use of a powerfully addictive drug called ADAM drives users into a murderous frenzy. The player, known as Jack, becomes stranded in Rapture and has to fight his way back to the surface.

In “Bioshock 2,” the player is a man, called Subject Delta, in the same city of Rapture and has been tasked to protect his daughter who has the ability to extract ADAM from those who have consumed the drug.

The girl is taken from him in order to be used in lab experiments surrounding the use of ADAM. The game then flashes forward 10 years to the main character waking up on

the ground in the same place his daughter was taken. He sets out in search of not only his daughter, but his memories as well.

Both “Bioshock” and its sequel match the dark history of Rapture with the melodic yet somewhat menacing tones of 1960s jazz.

Part of what makes the game so thrilling is the meticulous attention to detail, taking environmental storytelling to the next level.

The final installment takes a whole new spin on the series. “Bioshock Infinite” takes place in 1912 just after the Battle of Wounded Knee in the bustling sky-city of Columbia.

Held in suspension above the clouds with a special technology, Columbia is a city created by the religious prophet, Zachary Comstock.

“Infinite’s” main character, Booker Dewitt, travels to Columbia in search of a woman but slowly begins to realize that his presence is more than coincidence.

Signs around the city warn of a “false prophet” bearing a brand on his right hand, the same brand that’s on the main character’s right hand.

Now with high definition graphics and bonus content, the newly remastered versions now give players a deeper look into the creative process behind the making of the “Bioshock” universes.

Director’s commentaries are now hidden items within the game accompanied with free downloadable content such as new levels and weapons.

Impeccable sound direction fuses with rich environments to build this epic trilogy. The “Bioshock” games were instant classics when they first began in 2007 but have now been exposed to new audiences to create a whole new fanbase.

facebook.com “Bioshock: The Collection” was released Sept. 13 featuring directors commentaries and free downloadable content.

Danny Brown changes the rap game Sam Evans Staff Writer

Review

H

ip-hop today is largely oversaturated with the same played-out clichés and uncreative tropes that have been carrying mediocre rappers and producers to commercial success since the early 2010s.

Trap Rap is a style of hip-hop that has been steadily gaining momentum since the initial craze of America’s Dubstep movement, and the public’s subsequent infatuation with bass-heavy electronic music.

During the inception of trap, hip-hop artists were able to bring these elements together to create some original, hard-hitting party music. But as the commercial success of the style grew, so did the pool of copycats. Today, it’s difficult to find a hip-hop artist who hasn’t subscribed to the stereotypical formula of trap. That’s why Detroitbased rapper Danny Brown is a diamond in the rough.

As the majority of modern hip-hop artists continue to beat a dead horse, Danny Brown has decided to pave a new path towards the post-punk music of the 80’s with his paradigm-shattering new album, “Atrocity Exhibition.”

Whether examining lyrical content or musical qualities, there are many parallels that can be drawn between “Atrocity Exhibition,” and classic post-punk bands such as Bauhaus, Talking Heads and Joy Division.

Most of the songs here feature a distinct style of sputtering, tribal percussion that is very reminiscent of the drumming on “Remain in Light” by Talking Heads, and “Closer” by Joy Division.

The entire instrumental of the song, “Dance in the Water” could have been pulled straight from a Talking Heads record, while “Hell For It” could easily be mistaken for a New Order song, with its icy synths and its plodding, minimalistic beat. The sampled bass line of “Golddust” sounds like it could have come from a Bauhaus or Joy Division record.

One of the defining qualities of Danny Brown’s music is his unique voice. He raps in a frantic, high-pitched yelp that would almost be comedic were it not for the bleak lyrical themes that he frequently tackles. On “Atrocity Exhibition,” he addresses problems such as drug addiction, poverty, depression and the struggle of trying to find meaning from a shallow, hedonistic lifestyle.

In “Downward Spiral,” he says, “Everybody say, you got a lot to be proud of/ Been high this whole time, don’t realize what I done/ Cause when I’m all alone, feel like no one care/ Isolate myself and don’t go nowhere.”

On the other hand, Brown still finds plenty of time to rap about the more traditional topics hip-hop tends to focus on, such as sex, drugs and partying. But he spends so much time critiquing this lifestyle, it seems like he’s addressing these themes from a purely autobiographical standpoint, while actively advising against them.

“Atrocity Exhibition” has many highlights. “Pneumonia” is an aggressive song that goes straight for the

throat with menacing synthesizers, an industrial, polyrhythmic beat, a climactic build and a chillingly anticlimactic hook.

“Really Doe” is the most traditional song on the album, but it’s a complete banger that features guest verses from hip-hop heavyweights Ab-Soul, Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar.

A few of the songs on this album are so weird and experimental, that they become something to marvel at from a distance, rather than something that’s actually enjoyable to listen to.

“Ain’t it Funny” is easily the most abrasive song on the tracklist. The instrumental consists of a dissonant honking sound that blares over a loud, throbbing beat.

Brown delivers an impressively wild and rhythmically complex rap, but in the end, the song is just too obnoxious and hard to listen to.

“Get Hi” is a sarcastic commentary on marijuana culture, which is actually kind of clever conceptually, but the intentional kitsch of the song renders it practically unlistenable.

“Atrocity Exhibition” is a polarizing album. It’s directly following Danny Brown’s most commercial release, “Old,” which greatly expanded his fan-base into a more general audience in 2013. People who have only been exposed to his radio hits, such as “Dip,” are likely to run and hide after hearing “Atrocity Exhibition.”

But those who are into experimental hip-hop will probably find a lot to enjoy here, or at least something that will make them cock their head and raise an eyebrow.

Page 8

Student Life

Oct. 11- Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // Brennan Chin Graduate student Brennan Chin will have the opportunity to show followers of the Sonoma State University Instagram, what stands out to him on campus. Chin has experience shooting many events, including on-campus concerts and professional sporting events.

University Instagram hosts student take over

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Karlee Budge Staff Writer

t the end of the month, Sonoma State University’s Instagram account will be taken over by one very talented young photographer. On Oct. 25 the public will have the chance to see campus through the eyes of Brennan Chin, a Sonoma State graduate student.

Chin graduated from Sonoma State in fall 2014 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. Starting in spring 2015, he began pursuing a master’s degree in biology, something he is still working on.

While studying at Sonoma State, Chin served on the Sonoma State STAR editorial board as the online editor and photo editor and recently

became distribution director this term.

Chin’s passion for photography began in 2010 with his purchase of a DSLR camera, which was needed to shoot video footage for his YouTube technology channel, “Brennan’s Tech Bite.” DSLR cameras enable the user to shoot cinematic video as well as the basic ability to shoot photos. Chin decided he wanted to explore the aspects of photography and became self-taught through online instructional videos and books. Chin’s hardwork and effort is clearly visible through his photos.

“He has a remarkable talent for capturing beauty, elegance and spontaneity in his photos. I’ve been on many photo shoots with him and it is there that you can witness his creativity and passion for photography. Chin has a remarkable ability to connect with peo-

ple given his caring, cheerful and amiable disposition. It’s no wonder that his clients feel so beautiful and confident when they see their portraits. Brennan doesn’t simply create ‘professional’ level photographs of people and landscapes; he turns them into works of art,” Dipali Vasadia, Chin’s long time friend and lab mate said.

“One of my favorite things about being a photographer is capturing a special moment in time so it can be shared, enjoyed and preserved for posterity. I also love that being a photographer allows me to be more adventurous, meet new people, and to shoot cool events,” Chin said.

He has been a photographer for almost seven years now.

“I continue to pursue photography to refine my craft, to shoot new places

and people, and to capture life’s special moments,” Chin said.

As a result of Chin’s talent, he has been fortunate enough to shoot events such as a San Francisco Giants game, concerts at the Green Music Center and the Country Summer Music Festival.

These are just a few of Chin’s favorite events he has photographed. Chin describes shooting events like the Giants game and the Hunter Hayes concert as a once in a lifetime experience.

Chin added that shooting such exciting events requires him to control his excitement and remain professional.

“When I shot the San Francisco Giants game, to get to the photo wall where the photographers shoot, I had to walk through the dugout where all of the players were. It was an awesome experience,” Chin said.

Studying abroad provides unique education Amanda Buth Staff Writer

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cuba diving in the ocean, exploring and hiking tropical islands and skydiving from above while learning the ropes when sailing at sea, these are just the few out the many unforgettable memories longtime crew member Taylor Shedd experienced while studying and working abroad at Seamester.

Seamester is one of several study abroad programs offered for students looking for transferred credits or work experience after graduation. While traveling the world is at the top on most students bucket list, affordability and time are usually two of the leading factors that end up keeping the dream from becoming a reality.

On Wednesday, tables each presenting their own study abroad program were lined up starting at 10 a.m. in the Salazar Quad for the Study and Work Abroad Fair. Whether students who are interested in continuing their education in a different country through Sonoma State University, or those looking at options for traveling abroad after graduation, they can find the most information at this event.

“Why wouldn’t anyone want to study abroad? Not only is one of the most exciting experiences you can have in college, but there are also many different programs to choose from internally and externally that it will in no doubt change your life,” International and Exchange Program Advisor Hope Ortiz said. “That’s why this event is so important for students to ask questions and find out more information on the many possibilities.”

According to Ortiz, there shouldn’t be any reason a student in college can’t study abroad financially. Stating it is actually cheaper for students to study abroad than to take classes at the university especially when financial aid pays for students. Studying abroad can also benefit students that need classes in their impacted majors. Students that have trouble finding the classes they need in order to graduate will have easier access to gaining the credits that they need when studying abroad ultimately helping them graduate faster.

According to UC Merced study abroad statistics,

97 percent of study abroad students found jobs within 12 months of graduation, while only 49 percent of nontraveling students found employment.

Some of the study abroad programs that were tabled at the event included; The Education Abroad Network, Barcelona Study Abroad Experience, Academic Programs International, Peace Corps, Semester at Sea and Seamester. Each program includes its own unique experience for students that have either a particular destination or interest.

“I’ve been in the study abroad field for about 20 years now landing a job working for Academic Programs International. I’ve traveled just about everywhere from Australia to France and then to South Korea making incredible memories that have lasted and it all started taking the chance to study abroad in college. I will never forget teaching English in South Korea and listening to how men in military so easily picked up on the lingo of another culture,” Senior Director of University Relations Julie Van Vechten Smith said.

Those that are interested in traveling by boat should look at the programs Semester at Sea and Seamester. While both offer a semester of classes on ship taught by professors, students obtain hands on learning that can’t be experienced anywhere else. Seamester is unique in a way that students on board have the chance to learn sailing and scuba diving skills in addition to classroom studies.

“It is absolutely life changing because you get be completely out of your comfort zone and everyone is set equal so you can be yourself with no outside pressure to be anything else but yourself. And working on a boat is such a unique environment where you rely on everyone else for your own survival so there is a huge amount of trust in a way that I have never had the chance to get to know someone as closely be-

fore. The craziest thing for me as a student and a staff member is everyone back home seeing your pictures and asking about the trip when there’s only so many things you can say because no one will ever fully grasp the extent that each person has on board,” Shedd said.

“I definitely felt this fair was welcoming to new students like myself who is are interested in traveling while taking the classes that we need. It also helped me realize the many options that I have for the next four years in college. I’m now interested in interning in Australia with The Education Abroad Network program,” freshman David Burkhalter said.

STAR // Nickey Homen

Student Life

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Program helps deliver art to classrooms

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Lucy Lopez Staff Writer

his past year Sonoma State University’s Arts Integration program has helped more than 48 different courses on campus by combining academics disciplines with live art. Over $45,000 worth of tickets have been reserved for Sonoma State students at the Green Music Center. These tickets are part of the schools’ Arts Integration program that will allow academic classes to attend some events.

According to their website, the Arts Integration program focuses on the classroom. The program puts a human face on abstract concepts and creates non-instructor-centered lessons. The experiential learning lets students use their imagination to dream about the subject they are learning. The program is for any subject, any major or any interest in art.

Chair of the Theater Department Scott Horstein wants to get as many faculty as possible to work with the program so it can develop into a regular thing.

“It takes a little bit of planning and course design to figure how you’re going to get your students to an art event or have art-making happen in class,” Horstein said. He added that he really values the idea of incorporating art in a classroom.

“Art is the realm of the imagination, the realm of dreams, the realm of stories,” he said.

Horstein wants more students to get involved with art and this program is helping accomplish that.

“Every instructor secretly hopes their

student is going to, at some point, become so curious and fascinated about biology or whatever the subject being taught, that the student starts to dream about it. But art is a waking dream, and if that art somehow captures the themes or ideas of the course, then the instructor and student get to use the art to dream about their subject together,” Horstein said.

This past spring, several classes got to experience the program hands on.

Business majors attended rehearsal and performance of HERE: A US-Korean Dance & Live Music Exchange. This original dance work fused traditional Korean dance, contemporary American dance and Indie-Rock music, with student and professional dancers and musicians working together.

“Our analysis of the theater program as a business was an insightful and valuable experience,” instructor Dan Virkstis said.

Students who went to any of the events last year found it valuable to their learning experiences, and some professors really enjoyed it as well.

“Learning art techniques... inspired me to use them in my own course and adapt them for my learning goals,” professor Cinzia Forasiepi said.

The Arts Integration Program has been successful amongst students and faculty here at Sonoma State.

This year the program is offering many events such as: Tomatito, Spanish flamenco guitar, on Oct. 23, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, on March 12, at 3 p.m. in Weill Hall. Leela Dance, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Weill Hall and “Waiting for

the Parade” by John Murrell on October 13-23 in Person Theatre.

All of these performances have themes that can be applied to any major.

Professors can request free tickets for their class, and can arrange an arts integration for their course by contacting Horstein at horstein@sonoma.edu. Horstein will find the right event, get related readings, and arrange for facilitated discussion with students before or after the event.

Students and faculty can also check out their website http://arts-integration. info/#upcoming-events.

“When people say there’s nothing to do on campus, they don’t realize the hundreds of concerts, exhibitions, dances and plays put on by the arts, music, theatre arts and dance departments, in addition to the GMC. We want students to have fun with the art in class so they know it’s there for them outside of class as well,” Horstein.

COURTESY // sonoma.edu From creating art galleries, to dance shows and musical performances, the Arts Integration Program gives both students and professors a unique opportunity to learn.

Oktoberfest brings culture to Cotati

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Sierra Straub Staff Writer

ive participants lined up at the start line, eager to start the race. Their legs were ready, their tongues out and eyes on the finish line. Onlookers lined the course with their cell phones out ready to record the race. And then they were off, five little weiner dogs running to their owners.

Weiner dog races were just one of the many activities that took place during the tenth annual Cotati Oktoberfest. Hosted by the Cotati Chamber of Commerce in La Plaza Park, festival attendees were privy to an authentic Oktoberfest.

“It’s action packed from the minute we start to the minute we close,” said Rick Minervini, the administrative coordinator for the Cotati Chamber of Commerce.

The six hour festival featured a yodeling contest, German potato sack races, a 50/50 raffle, a tankard hoisting contest- a contest in which participants hold a stein filled with water at arms length and whoever can hold it the longest is de-

clared winner, and of course, the weiner dog races.

Authentic German music was performed by “The Continentals.” A performance was also given by the Sonoma State University German Club singers.

Festival goers, some donning traditional lederhosen, sipped beer provided

by Lagunitas and danced to live music. Attendees posed for photos proudly showing their steins and bratwursts. Others found shade from the heat underneath a large tent.

People brought their pets and their children, who ran around the square.

Booths lined the premises of the Plaza, selling jewelry, beer and other homemade gifts.

“It was really cool to see that everyone was there for beer and fun,” said Linnea Rimal, a festival attendee. “The atmosphere was really lively and fun.

People brought their kids and dogs. The sense of community was almost overwhelming.”

Proceeds from the event go back to the Chamber of Commerce to help fund

future Cotati events, such as the Jazz Festival and Kids Day Parade which take place in the summer, and the Three Nights of Fun Festival, a three day holiday event taking place in the beginning of December, featuring carollers, tree lighting and shopping.

Reggie Slater, owner of the “Hot Spot” restaurant in Cotati, manned a booth selling authentic German beer. His selection included Weltenburger Kloster, a beer that has been made since the year 1050.

“I’m here because I love it,” Slater said. “German beers are good, pure beers good for eating with. They enhance the experience, not overwhelm it.”

Also participating in the festival was Sonoma State’s German Club, who volunteered at the pretzel and root beer booth and gave a performance later in the afternoon.

“It is cool to have seen it grow from something small to something kind of big and hard to miss,” said Wylie Winheim, a junior German Cultural Studies major and member of the university German

Club.

The German Club has been volunteering at Oktoberfest for three years.

Winheim says the festival is a great place for people to find out about the German Club. The club features six officers as well as members of the German Studies program at Sonoma State.

Another club member, Kaslin Ettema, a senior communications major and German minor, just got back from Germany, where she attended similar festivals.

“I love this event because I was just abroad in Germany, so it makes me feel like I am back in Germany,” Ettema said.

“It does a good job at bringing music, people, and food.”

Rimal, who attended the event for the first time this year, definitely sees herself attending the event again. “I would absolutely go again. The atmosphere was the main draw. It was fun to see so many locals that love beer and want to have a good time,” she said. “The weiner dog race and the yodeling were entertaining too.”

Love Your Melon club reaches out to cancer patients Braden Cartwright Staff Writer

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ore than 40,000 children undergo cancer treatment every year, and at Sonoma State University Love Your Melon club is doing everything within its power to brighten the lives of these kids. They have an admirable mission: to give a hat to every child battling cancer in America.

Love Your Melon is comprised of a national network of clubs based at different college campuses. These clubs are called Campus Crews. When junior, Casey Elbert, saw that Sonoma State did not have a Love Your Melon club, she decided to start one.

“Cancer causes have always been really important to me,” said Elbert, president of the Love Your Melon club.

The Love Your Melon club at Sonoma State encourages people to buy Love Your Melon apparel. After raising a certain amount of money, they get the chance to visit a child with cancer. The opportunity to make a kid’s day special is welcomed by the club’s members.

“We get to visit a child in our area who is battling cancer, or visit a hospital and give out Love Your Melon beanies,” Elbert said.

For members of the Love Your Melon Club, the most rewarding part is visiting with the kids. “Last April we visited a girl who lives here in Rohnert Park. Her name is Aniston and she’s in second grade,” Elbert said. Aniston was undergoing chemotherapy at the time of their visit.

“We had a scavenger hunt with her and her friends, it was so fun,” said Elbert.

At the end of the scavenger hunt, Aniston was greeted by Lobo, the mascot of Sonoma State.

“The purpose is to brighten a child’s life that is going

through something that none of us should have to go through,” Elbert said. The visits are all about making the kid feel special.

Love Your Melon sells apparel to raise money for cancer research, and they make hats for kids who have had cancer to wear.

Sophomore Glen Kueffner has been the public relations representative for Love Your Melon since its formation in December. Having had cancer four times, he knows what these kids are going through maybe better than anyone.

“I have experienced childhood cancer, so I wanted to give back to that community in any way I could,” Kueffner said. “I feel gratified. I feel like I am making a difference. For every hat that we sell it affects someone’s life somewhere, so that pay it forward aspect is pretty cool.”

Half of all the money raised by Love Your Melon is given to their partners, Cure Search and the Pinky Swear Foundation. Cure Search’s mission is to find a cure for childhood cancer. The Pinky Swear Foundation helps families through financial and emotional distress. All three companies are focused on the singular goal of helpings kids with cancer.

The other half of the money is used to produce more apparel.

A typical Love Your Melon Club session might involve discussion of marketing strategies and fundraising opportunities. This is not what the core of the club is however. Most of the time is spent planning house visits around

the idea of putting a smile on the kid’s face.

“That’s really what the center of the organization is, everything else is minor,” Elbert said.

The capacity for the Love Your Melon Club is twenty. Since 5 people graduated last year, there are a few openings which are in high demand with a waitlist of seventy people.

The Love Your Melon Club is bringing good karma to Sonoma State. Anyone can help the cause by buying apparel from loveyourmelon.com and selecting Sonoma State as the Campus Crew they are supporting.

facebook.com

Page 10

Sports

Oct. 11- Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Chemistry and coaching drive women’s golf team Tatiana Serrano Staff Writer

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ast week, the Sonoma State Women’s golf team finished sixth at the Dixie State Invitational at the Sand Hollow Golf Course tournament in Hurricane, Utah.

Sonoma State tied with Cal State Monterey Bay. The team was finished +32 (608), 17 shots behind tournament champion California Baptist.

Senior Hayley Whitbeck carded rounds of 75 and 69. This lead her to tie for second place with three opponents. Sarah Kim of Dallas Baptist and Katie Perkins of Dixie State were Whitbeck’s matching players.

Whitbeck has been a strong player for the Sonoma Women’s golf program.

During the 2013-2014 season, she once finished ninth of 72 participants at the St. Edwards Invitational, and her best round in that season was a 71 at the Sonoma State Invitational.

The finalist was Sterling Hawkins of Academy Art. She scored a 72 and 69, which tallied her 3-under-par 141.

“I feel as a team we did alright, although we struggled the first day, it was great to see us come back the second day,” said team captain Erin Martens.

The rest of the girls did not finish as strong as they intended, but some were still able to stand out. Sabrina Virtusio tied with six others for 23rd place. Samantha Oliva tied for 31st place.

“This season I’m really focusing on my putting and just bringing my scoring average lower than last season,” said Oliva. Cristina Picariello tied for 35th spot.

Martens tied for 40 th place.

The team overall received 311-297—608, which helped place them in sixth place of the tournament.

“This season I am focusing on getting better each and every tournament to hopefully get back to nationals with my team,” said Martens.

Val Verhunce is an important aspect of the team, and has been head coach for about 14 seasons. He has led both the men’s and women’s teams to many championships.

“He runs our program. He’s a great leader and coach and this program is really lucky to have him,” said Oliva.

Another important factor of the team is the team captain and chemistry. Martens, as a team captain is the one who is able to reach out to the team when the coaches are unable to.

“I love helping everyone on my team and trying to motivate and push everyone to be the best they can be”, said Martens.

The program is able manage a family bond throughout the players. They motivate each other through various struggles and push them to success at all levels.

Sonoma will host their annual Sonoma State Fall Invitational Oct.17-18 at Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park.

Hopefully with the home advantage on their side, the team will be able to place even higher.

Men’s soccer unbeaten in last five matches After a nearly scoreless first half, Daniel Theobald found the back of the net for the Seawolves. Maury Lopez reinforced the Sonoma State lead with another goal in the second half to ensure the 2-1 win against Fresno Pacific. The Seawolves have remained undefeated through its last five games.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com

COURTESY // Megan Corcoran

COURTESY // Megan Corcoran

Sonoma State is now 4-1-1 on California Collegiate Athletic Association play, holding the No. 2 conference ranking.

Sonoma State building confidence after win vs unbeaten UC San Diego Christopher Schwarz Staff Writer

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fter dropping the first set to UC San Diego 24-26 Sonoma State University went on a tear to win the next three sets to take the match with scores of 25-21, 28-26, and 25-23 last Saturday in La Jolla.

The match was neck and neck from the start with both teams going point for point in the first set until Sonoma State was able to pull away to a 24-20 lead due to some UC San Diego Triton errors. Nevertheless UC San Diego was able to go on a roll allowed by errors made by the Seawolves to take the first set 24-26.

Early in the second set the Seawolves looked to be in trouble with the Tritons gaining some momentum after getting off to a 1-5 lead. After reaching an 8-8 tie the match continued to stay tight until it came to a 20 all at which point the Seawolves pulled away with a Rachel Andrews kill, several blocks by the Seawolves front line, an ace, and an error by the Tritons allowed the Seawolves to win 25-21 in set two.

Set three turned out to be an all out war with both sides trading impressive kills but yet again UC San Di-

Game 4: 10/08/16

SETS: Sonoma State (6-8): UC San Diego (9-6):

1 24 26

ego was able to get out to a 23-17 lead. After an offensive explosion with three kills and a Triton error allowed the Seawolves to bring the set back to 21-23.

Following a time-out by UC San Diego the match reached a point of intensity when the Seawolves fended off the Tritons to a 26-26 tie until an ace by Baelei Wiesner and a kill by Emily Papale ended the match at 28-26.

The Seawolves rode the wave of momentum into the fourth and final set to win the set and the match 25-23. The score was tied five times until at 23 all until Olivia Schonewise had a crucial kill and then the Seawolves forced a Triton error to take the match.

This close scoring match led to season high stats for many of the Seawolves players.

Papale had a .390 hitting percentage with 19 kills, a career record 19 digs, three aces and totaled 23.5 points throughout the match. In her CCAA debut, Wiesner had a season high 26 assists, Shonewise had 11 kills, Andrews had seven blocks and was hitting at a .350 percentage. The Seawolves had a combined 9 aces and team record of 90 digs for the season.

UC San Diego was previously undefeated in CCAA play. When asked about their upcoming matches, Calan Seitz was clear this win will help give the Seawolves the confidence they need moving forward into the remainder of league play.

“Beating UC San Diego was a big win for us, we’ve been having a lot of ups and downs in the beginning of the season and beating UCSD really lifted the team’s spirits,” said Seitz.

You can catch the women’s volleyball team in action tonight in The Wolves’ Den against rival Chico State before the team travels up to Humboldt to take on

2 25 21

3 28 26

4 25 23

MATCH 3 1

KILLS :Emily Papale (19) Olivia Schonewise (11) Calan Seitz (11) DIGS: Megan Bohorquez (20) Emily Papale (19) Lexi Mudd (16) ASSISTS: Baelei Wiesner (26) Courtney Seda (25)

Sports

Oct. 11 - Oct. 17, 2016

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

Garcia finishes first in back-to-back invitationals Andrea Sims Staff Writer

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he was exhausted, breathing heavily, and running as fast as she could towards the finish line at the Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa.

Analicia Garcia finished the Sonoma State University Invitational 6k with a time of 21:26 on Oct.1. As she raced towards the finish, she was able to take the individual title, crossing one minute and 36 seconds before her teammate Maria Hurtado. With Garcia leading the way, the women’s cross country team was able to take their first championship since 2010.

Garcia is a senior psychology major at Sonoma State University. Despite her impressive track record, this is her first ever season on the Seawolves’ cross country team.

“I have always loved to run, but never joined a team because I played volleyball all throughout middle school and high school,” said Garcia. “Running became a hobby when I started college. It was junior year when I took it more seriously and decided to try out for the Sonoma State Track team.

From being a distance runner in track, it made me interested in joining cross country for the season.”

A majority of cross country meets are typically in the morning, so preparation can be a little frantic. Garcia prepares for races by making sure that she remembers her uniform, to stretch, and eat a balanced breakfast before race time.

Garcia has also set goals for herself as the season continues. She is working hard to make it to nationals this season, and while it’s her first season with Sonoma State, she knows that setting nationals as her number one

priority will help her work hard and keep a drive throughout the rest of the remaining competitions.

“Although this was only Analicia’s fourth cross country meet ever, she is getting stronger and stronger with each of her races.

This last meet was a big stepping stone for Analicia in that it will give her the confidence she needs going into our CCAA conference meet in a few weeks,” said Coach Sean Fitzpatrick.

Sonoma State took their second championship on Oct. 1 with the help of Garcia.

“I felt so blessed that I was able to place first at Spring Lake. That was an awesome race because following after me were my other two teammates Maria and Jasmine. It was a great finish,” she said.

Glowing with pride and excitement, Garcia definitely was proud of her win and honored to play such a big role in the Sonoma State championship. Garcia was able to finish the 6k at a time of 21:26, which was recorded to be fourth best marked in seven years of the Sonoma State invite. she was surprised with her record-breaking time, especially with how experienced and talented her teammates are.

As the season continues, Garcia and the team are looking forward to competing in the CCAA championships, which will be taking place later in the month of October, as well as regionals which will be held in the beginning of November. Garcia is ready to take on the rest of the season and hoping to accomplish her goals of winning nationals.

SPORTS SCHEDULE Tuesday Oct. 11

Friday Oct. 14

Saturday Oct. 15

Sunday Oct. 16

Men’s Golf @ Sonoma State Invitational

Women’s Tennis @ ITA Oracle Cup

Women’s Tennis @ITA Oracle Cup Vs Sonoma State Invitational

Women’s Tennis vs Sonoma State Invitational

Women’s Volleyball vs Chico State 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs Cal State Monterey Bay 12:30 p.m.

Thursday Oct. 13

Women’s Soccer vs Cal State Monterey Bay 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis @ ITA Oracle CupFriday 9/16

Women’s Cross Country @ Santa Clara Bronco Invitational

Men’s Soccer vs San Francisco State 11:30 a.m.

Women’s Soccer vs San Francisco State 2 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball @ Humboldt State 7 p.m.

Sports in Brief San Francisco:

The San Francisco Giants are down 0-2 in the series against the Chicago Cubs for the Divisional Series. While the Giants finally touched the scoreboard on Saturday, scoring two runs, the Cubs were simply too much with a breakout second inning of three runs. Saturday’s score was 5-2, with the Cubs coming up victorious again. Giants look to make a comeback in the series by turning to their ace Madison Bumgarner in game three.

Philadelphia, Pa

The near-forgotten Joel Embid made his NBA Debut last week, and he didn’t disappoint. Named a starter for his first pre-season game for the Philadelphia 76ers, he went to score six points, four boards and two blocks in just 13 minutes of play On Saturday, the seven foot 250 pound big man recorded 12 points against Lebron and the reigning NBA champions, and in showtime fashion by hitting his first career three-pointer in the bount.

High-expectations are abundant for Embid.

Oakland

After a win Sunday vs San Diego, The Oakland Raiders are 4-1.

For the First time since 2002, the Raiders are tied for first in the AFC West. Last year at this time, the Raiders were 2-3 in the conference, and hopes weren’t high. Jack Del Rio, the team’s second year coach, certainly has turned things around. Raiders look to keep the hope alive next Sunday, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the Bay.

Toronto, Canada

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers with a walk off in extra innings to sweep Texas in three straight games in the ALDS. The Blue Jays will now wait for the winner of Clevland and Boston.

Santa Clara

Colin Kaepernick has restructed his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. After awful performances by starter Blaine Gabbert, Sources inside the 49ers believe Kaepernick will replace Gabbert and make his first start of the season vs The Bills this week.

If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em Commentary John Dolan Staff Writer

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ith the NBA season coming up, fans around the world are waiting anxiously for the first tip-off. The story hovering around this upcoming season was the free agency decision of NBA superstar Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. It was a decision that shocked the basketball world and added more talent to an already championship-caliber team. This decision should not take away from his talent, but it dilutes the notion of him being a champion. Durant’s decision should be seen for what it is, a weak move by one of the greatest basketball players of this era.

In the Players Tribune, Durant wrote about his decision to join the Warriors.

“I am at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.”

Durant does not deserve criticism for his right as player during free agency to choose another team if he desires. It’s the fact that he decided to join the Warriors, a team that beat him to reach the NBA Finals. Last season, the OKC Thunder were up three games to one in the Western Conference Finals. Durant was one game away from beating the Warriors in order to compete for his first championship. He had not one, not two, but three chances to do this, yet he fell short.

A lot of people excuse Durant’s decision because of the precedent set by Lebron James in 2010 when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. This isn’t a fair comparison.

Before joining the Heat, James had little to no help in Cleveland and was essentially a one-man show. The main team that stood in his way was Doc Rivers’ Boston Celtics. Instead of joining the team that beat him, James joined a Miami Heat team that could not make it past the first round of the playoffs. James stood toe-to-toe with the powerhouse team of the Boston Celtics, instead of joining them. This not only led to domination in the Eastern Conference, but it led to multiple titles.

The Oklahoma City Thunder was already an established championship contender. They were 48 minutes away from competing for the opportunity to win an NBA championship.

They had Russell Westbrook, one of the top five players in the league, and a solid supporting cast. Most teams dream of having one superstar. OKC had two. Although they lost to the Warriors, OKC still had the star power to compete and possibly dethrone the Warriors. Instead, Durant joined the team that beat him.

Responding to criticism over his decision, Durant said, “It really pains me to know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice, but I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing at this point in my life and my playing career.”

Durant joined a team that is coming off a 73-9 record and was one game away from winning back-to-back championships. A team led by a two-time MVP Steph Curry, and a team considered one of the greatest backcourt shooting teams in NBA history. By adding Durant into that mix, it would stun many if the Warriors come up short this year.

Page 12

Photo

Oct. 11, 2016 - Oct. 17, 2016 sonomastatestar.com

Jokes for Votes brings laughs and voter registration

STAR // Bryce Dowd Demetri Martin, left, and Baron Vaughn, right, performed at Sonoma State during Funny or Die’s “Jokes for Votes” comedy tour on Thursday.

STAR // Nickey Homen Students Jordan Eaton, left, Siera Cullins, middle, and Kathryn Sroka, right, gained information at the Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday.

STAR // Megan Corcoran Made By Seawolves, a small shop located on the outside of the first floor of the Student Center, features art by students.