Volume 78 // Issue 10

In this issue: Opinion: Muslim judge’s death sheds light on under representation in politics. Pg. 3 A&E: Kendrick Lamar releases “DAMN.” Pg. 7 Student Life: Phi Delta Theta hosts annual Teeter Totter event. Pg. 8

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 78 // ISSUE 10

Sports: Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith comes to SSU. Pg. 11 APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

Degree planner allows students to plan for graduation early Braden Cartwright Staff Writer

S

See candidate profiles on pg. 5

onoma State has instituted a new online degree planner that will allow students to plan their path all the way to graduation. The degree planner shows necessary courses by semester and allows for adjustments based on personal preferences.

The degree planner will make registration easier and could potentially raise the four-year graduation rate. Data from the degree planner will be available to the departments, allowing them to plan the courses offered around what students plan to take.

“It gives students a voice in the curriculum planning process,” said Sean Johnson, senior director of Reporting and Analytics at Sonoma State. “Before, the departments didn’t have a way to identify how many students wanted to take a specific class at a specific time.” Johnson oversaw the degree planner project, which was part of the California State University’s EAdvising Initiative, along with the Seawolf Scheduler.

Students can import their information from the degree planner to the Seawolf Scheduler, where they can then plan their courses for that semester. The degree planner does not plan your schedule by section, professor or time. Instead, it shows what courses students should take for that semester, regardless of whether it’s full.

The degree planner, accessible via MySSU, adjusts based on personal preferences, such as how many units a student wants to take each semester or when a student wants to take a particular course.

Students can also view different scenarios if they were to add a minor or change their major.

Wilson Hall, the incoming Associated Students president said, “The degree planner is a great first step towards improving our four-year graduation rate, one that I’m happy to have been a part of on the academic advising subcommittee this year. But students still crave an interpersonal connection. We need a face to pair with the degree planner, someone we can go to for guidance, and that’s an advisor.”

Donna Garbesi, an adviser for the Hutchins program and the School of Arts and Humanities says she thinks the degree planner will be useful. “The type of advising questions that I get routinely is ‘What order should I take my classes in?’ Students often want help planning a two or threeyear-plan,” Garbesi said. “It’s nice to have this tool where they can arrange it in a logical fashion rather than them randomly putting things in that they think might work.”

Garbesi expressed a similar sentiment to Hall, noting that the degree planner doesn’t make advising obsolete. “College is not just registering for classes and checking off boxes. It’s about your education, and getting advising from a real human being can only enrich that,” Garbesi said.

When students lay out their schedule

STAR // Joseph Encinas The university’s new degree planner is intended to make registration easier, with the goal of raising four-year graduation rates. Available now, it also adjusts based on personal prefrences, such as a student wanting to take a certian course, or units desired. from now until graduation, the system makes assumptions about when Sonoma State offers courses despite possible changes. Since the courses laid out are so far in advance, students should understand the path laid out by the degree planner is flexible.

Departments will be able to plan better the more students use the degree planner. Using it isn’t required to register, but if more students use the tool, then it will be

more accurate.

The two main benefits of the degree planner are to make it easier for students to see their path to graduation, and to give students a voice in what classes Sonoma State offers. Johnson said he is excited about the degree planner making registration easier for students. “Between the degree planner and the scheduler, if everything goes perfectly you could register in three clicks,” he said.

STAR //Nate Galvan Earth week, which began on Monday, will host events such as the renovation of the lawn near Parking Lot G and a week-long clothing drive.

Join Us Making Progress will conclude Earth Week with a lawn renovation Sam Evans Staff Writer

Courtesy /// Variety.com The television series “13 Reasons Why,” based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher, premired on Netflix on March 31.

As if you needed another reason to catch “13 Reasons Why” on Netflix, check out our review in the Arts & Entertainment section on Pg. 6.

Follow The STAR:

@sonomastatestar

@sonomastatestar

T

he large lawn area across from G. Edward Rudloff pool near Parking Lot G will be getting a transformation on Saturday as part of Earth Week.

The 4,180-square foot lawn will be taken out and replaced with mulch in a process called sheet mulching.

According to Sonoma State’s NewsCenter, the large expanse of grass requires 134,763 gallons of water each year to maintain. The renovation project seeks to reduce the amount of water allocated to lawn maintenance.

“The lawn transformation will involve taking out all the grass and putting in drought-tolerant landscaping.” said Campus Rec Sustainability Coordinator Savannah Guinn.

/sonomastatestar

Many organizations on campus have fought in an ongoing struggle to make this renovation happen.

“This is something that the students working on the STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Report have been pushing for,” said Jeff Baldwin, professor and chair of the geography and global studies department, “This is something that a lot of different groups have been pushing for.”

According to Guinn, JUMP tried to apply for a grant to fund the project from a California State University Campuses program called The Greenovation Fund. When the program denied the grant request, the students dedicated to the lawn transformation project had to reassess their strategy.

See EARTH WEEK on Pg. 5

Visit: sonomastatestar.com

Page 2

Editorial

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

THE STAR Editorial Board Shannon Brown, Editor-in-Chief Thomas Call lll, Executive Editor Kim Baptista, Managing Editor Joseph Encinas, News Editor Nate Galvan, Asst. News Editor Jenna Fischer, Opinion Editor Emma Devitt, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Ethan Helms, Student Life Editor Bianca Sanborn, Spor ts Editor Sara Wildman, Photo Editor Rene De Amaral, Copy Editor Alex T. Randolph, Copy Editor Ashley Mar tin, Adver tising Manager Brennan Chin, Distribution Director Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser

Staff Writers Alyssa Archerda, Alexis Austin, Kevin Brill, Nolan Brough, Emma Capper, Braden Car twright, Simon Cherin-Gordon, Sean Curzon, Alexandra Daniels, Amira Dabbas, Sam Evans, Cailan Ferrel, Annie Finck, Kitana Gachero, Peter Gatembu, Kendall Grove, Tyler Heberle, Naaman Hightower, Lindsey Huffman, Olivia Hunt, Jacqueline Huynh, Nathan Jew, Matthew Koch, Brigitte Maina, Joseph Magill, Amber Rodar te, Edgar Sanchez, Konrad Schoffer, Chad Shaver, Lauren Sniffin, Jacob Tucker, Antonia VanWinkle, Michelle Violetti, Bailey Young

Photographers Megan Corcoran, Jade Eriksson, Erika Peterson, Konrad Schoffer, 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: “Student artists and writers celebrate twenty-first edition of Zaum”

Zaum, Sonoma State University’s literary magazine, recently celebrated the release of their 21st edition. This year’s theme centered on “chaos” featured poetry, short stories and art focusing on the topic.

STAR // Nate Galvan

New parking policy a step in the right direction

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onoma State University has taken some needed steps to revamp its parking policy. The revisions allow those with general or housing parking permits to park in reserved parking lot between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 a.m., those with general parking permits can now park in the housing parking lots between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and those with reserved parking permits can park in housing parking lots at all hours of the day.

Now that students can park in different lots for extended hours, the parking problem is officially resolved, right? No, but this is a good start to gather momentum to change the parking policy. The biggest silver lining is these policies were put forward off a push from Associated Students. It shows the administration is listening.

Extending the hours students can park in these lots will not make much of a difference seeing as many students take chances and park in lots they are not technically allowed to park in. Sure, these parking lots are now open to students for a wider range of hours, but it was not the hours students were allowed to park there that’s the issue. It’s the fact that these lots are seemingly always full at any given time. Students will still endure the long walks from the outskirts of campus.

The parking lots closest to campus are by far the smallest, which means they fill up the fastest.

The issue is not where students can park with what

permits. The problem is the amount of parking close to campus buildings and halls. Since 2011, Sonoma State University has seen a rise in student body numbers from 8,102 to 9,408 but not an increase in parking for students.

Not only that, students will still feel the hurt to their wallet when it comes time to purchase parking permits. The prices start at $94 for a general or housing permit and skyrocket to $262 for a reserved semester pass.

Those who purchased a reserved pass most likely purchased it so they can park closer to campus, especially for their night classes.

It could be upsetting to those who purchased a reserved pass because of the new policy making those lots more open to general pass holders.

So you pay more than double to get a reserved pass but now general pass holders can also park there? That doesn’t seem fair.

Hopefully next semester, the university will lower the cost of a reserved pass.

It’s understandable why it’s more costly being that the demand for a reserved spot is far higher than a general spot, but with less exclusivity the cost needs to be lowered.

This is a large step in Sonoma State’s students push for better parking. We thank our Associated Students and the administration for the changes but ask that pricing changes be considered for the fall.

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.

Read the story on page 6

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

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

Opinions

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

HAVE AN OPINION? WE'D LIKE TO READ IT. THE STAR WELCOMES AND ENCOURAGES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND GUEST SUBMISSIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, READ THE LEFT SIDEBAR FOR OUR POLICIES ON EDITORIALS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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.

E-MAIL ALL OPINIONS TO STAR@SONOMA.EDU

Opinion

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Page 3

United Airlines boycotts prove to be difficult

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Kendall Grove Staff Writer

nited Airlines has been under fire for the viral video that depicted Dr. Daniel Dao being violently dragged off of their commercial airline.

Dao, 69, suffered a broken nose, concussion and lost two front teeth from the altercation, according to the Daily Mail.

Many sources claim the reason for United having to ask for volunteers to give up seats was to clear space for a few United employees. When no one volunteered, they began choosing people to without

consent.

Once Dao was identified as the passenger, multiple news sources claimed that Dao had criminal history and had received drug and sex charges. Even if these claims turn out to be true, it still doesn’t excuse the abuse Dao suffered.

Although some believe the source of the problem was the involuntary removal, the real problem may be a lot bigger.

Since the situation happened on April 9, the CEO of United has released multiple statements. First, CEO Oscar Munoz said, “I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers.” This statement upset many people because it only addressed the “overbooking” and not the abuse that occurred. After receiving an overwhelming amount of criticism, United Airlines released three other statements in attempt to save whatever reputation they have left.

In light of this situation, it’s easy for people to say they will never fly with United Airlines again, but this may prove to be a difficult task.

The Washington Post reported, “To-

Chechnyan LGBT prison camps violate human rights

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Alex Daniels Staff Writer

n the Chechen Republic, gay men are being assembled and thrown in prison camps, according to Human Rights Campaign. There they have endured torture and beatings, which even led to three alleged murders.

Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s spokesperson, Alvi Karimov, denied the talk about the prison camps by claiming there are no homosexual people in Chechnya.

“You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic,” he said, according to the New York Times. “If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them since their own relatives would have sent them to where they could never return.”

Svetlana Zakharova, from the Russian LGBT organization, said they are working on getting people evacuated from the camps and some have escaped and left the area. According to those who have escaped, men in the camps are tortured with electric currents and heavily beaten, says Zakharova.

A hotline has been set up by the Russian LGBT network, in which they claim to have received reports of the abuse happening inside the camps.

According to the Novaya Gazeta, a Russian opposition newspaper, the reason these men were arrested and imprisoned began when an LGBTQ rights group asked for permits for a pride parade. This was immediately denied.

GLAAD is the world’s LGBTQ advocacy program which is attempting to intervene and help. The United States ambassador, Nikki Haley, was called to condemn the attacks and supposed imprisonment of the targeted Chechen men.

“U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley must condemn this humanitarian crisis,” according Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of the GLAAD. “As the leader of the free world, we can’t watch in silence as the world slips back to an era we should never go back to.”

To help these suffering men, protests have been rightfully occurring. Many people gathered around the Russian Embassy with pink flowers and cardboard triangles, symbolizing the color associated with queer liberation. Crowds of people chanted “no human is illegal” on the streets outside of the embassy.

Sexual Avengers is a queer action group which was in support of the protests occurring in response to the prison camp allegations. A group member named Damien Arness Dalton told The Independent, “We will always face homophobia and it’s time we acted as a global community to ensure our voices are not silent. To think it could be any one of us in [those camps] breaks my heart.

Our geographical privilege shouldn’t blind us to the sexual freedoms we enjoy – or our unity with those who do not.”

In 2014, the number of reported “single-bias hate crimes,” done with one motivation, was 5,462, an FBI report showed. Out of that total, 1,115 were motivated by feelings against one’s sexual orientation or identity.

Although this is only a fifth of the total number, it’s far less than the amount that realistically occurs because hate crimes are difficult to gather. The collection of hate crimes relies solely on self-reporting, which usually rarely happens.

We need to come together to put an end to such hate.

As Ellis said, we cannot fall back into a time where prison camps were an acceptable and common action taken by government. Riots and protests need to continue to take place to stop the brutality enforced upon LGBTQ members of our world.

day, United commands over 50 percent of the market share in some places where it served fewer than five percent of air travelers ten years ago.”

In certain locations, options may be limited to only United Airlines. According to the Department of Transportation, United Airlines has 51 percent of the passenger traffic that goes through Houston, 37 percent of passenger traffic San Francisco and 30 percent of passenger traffic in Chicago.

United Airlines is often the cheapest as well, which could create a hardship on anyone committed to boycotting them.

The Washington Post explains this conundrum, “If I want to fly nonstop between Dulles and San Francisco, for instance, my options this weekend include a United flight for $632, and a Virgin America flight that costs $115 more. Virgin may offer better service — but is it $115 better?”

People may be upset about United Airlines treatment of Dao, but boycotting the airline is an ineffective stance on the matter at hand.

An economics professor from North-

eastern University, John Kwoka, told Bloomberg, “If you are in Houston, good luck if you want to boycott United...that’s called monopoly power, where you have little functional choice for your travel options.”

The real problem stems from the monopoly that has become the commercial flying industry.

Kwoka also said, “This is not the airline industry an economist interested in competition or a passenger interested in options would want. This is not where we should have ended up.”

For the majority of people that cannot spare the $115 dollar discrepancy, there is still something you can do.

Over the past few weeks, many stories have come out about people’s United Airlines experiences. Exposing the true nature of this industry will help document the ever growing need for change.

It’s important to continue upholding high standards of human treatment and moral in hopes that it will end this kind of behavior from corporations.

YouTubers, honesty is the best policy

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Kitana Gachero Staff Writer

hances are you or someone you know religiously watches YouTube videos from their favorite “gurus.” Mostly likely, if you’re going to invest in any beauty products then you’ll probably head to your favorite guru’s channel for more insight.

Given YouTube’s skyrocketing popularity, it has become a magnet for companies and beauty brands to partner with YouTube influencers as a way to market their products.

But when does this become problematic?

Recently, controversy has stirred around the fact that YouTubers are not transparent with their viewers about whether or not the products they showcase are sponsored by big brands. Ultimately, beauty gurus should identify in their videos if their content is sponsored, or if they are brand ambassadors for certain products.

More than ever, the millennial demographic is engaged with YouTube more than television. Accord-

ing to Tubular Insights, 59 percent of millennials 13-24 are following YouTube stars as opposed to a meager 32 percent following TV/Movies stars. Given this, young people passionately rely on YouTubers as influencers when it comes to purchasing products. Furthermore, a study from Variety magazine showed how six out of ten influencers for millennials were YouTube stars.

A platform that has been pinpointed as a resource for YouTubers to generate revenue is a website called FameBit. FameBit is a website exclusive to influencers with at least 5000 followers/subscribers, where YouTubers can directly partner with brands in order to spotlight their product in exchange for money or free product. Besides FameBit, YouTubers can become affiliates or brand ambassadors of a product which essentially allow them to get paid a commision whenever someone purchases a certain product with their promo code.

After understanding how much beauty gurus make from partnering with brands, it can be deceiving to their subscribers when they rave about a product because they were paid to do so. It becomes ambiguous to subscribers whether the guru actually likes a product or if they are compensated for it. Even more problematic is some gurus use clickbait titles for their videos in order to gain more viewers, only to find out the video is one big ad.

One YouTuber who is an absolute trailblazer in the beauty community is Jackie Aina. With over 1.3 million subscribers and 79 mil-

lion overall video views as reported by the Social Blade, it’s safe to say she is definitely a Youtube heavyweight. Aina, and several other gurus on Youtube, prides herself on being completely honest with her viewers on which of her content is sponsored and what brands she is affiliated with.

Recently Aina made a video called “The truth about sponsored video/coupon codes?” where she thoroughly detailed what brand she was affiliated with and what products she gets paid to promote. This is a model all beauty gurus should follow in order to increase transparency with their subscribers.

When beauty gurus aren’t honest it leads to a lack of trust among their viewers; viewers who specifically seek out Youtube in order to uncover and honest opinion about certain products.

According to Tubular Insights, are 63 percent more likely to try a product from a YouTuber because it’s someone they trust, whereas only 43 percent try a product from a TV/ movie star.

Given the trust put forth by so many subscribers, it’s vital that Youtubers are completely honest when it comes to reviewing products. A direct solution to this is to simply identify in the description box of the video, or verbally identify in the beginning of the video whether or not the content is sponsored.

When Youtubers are not honest it dilutes the quality of their videos and ultimately contributes to an unenjoyable viewer experience.

The tragic loss of Sheila Abdus-Salaam

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Olivia Hunt Staff Writer

uring the turbulent political climate we are currently in, it’s absolutely crucial now more than ever to have equal and fair representation within our judicial system.

Unfortunately, the current number of active female judges is a mere 36 percent, according to the National Women’s Law Center. For women of color, the numbers are even smaller.

Across the country, only 10 percent serve as active federal judges. Only 12 women of color are on the U.S. Court of Appeals, and one of them was just found floating in the Hudson River.

Finding a dead body floating in a river is already enough to justify a public outcry, but the body of Sheila Abdus-Salaam should particularly spark concern. Abdus-Salaam was the coun-

try’s first female Muslim judge as well as the first African-American woman to serve on New York’s Court of Appeals.

Educated women of color in positions of power are regrettably a rare breed. The late judge earned her higher education at Barnard College and went on to complete her studies at Columbia Law School in 1977. In her early years, she worked at the Civil Rights Bureau and was deeply shaped by her poor upbringing, according to Seymour W. James Jr., the attorney-in-chief of the Legal Aid Society.

Despite only serving on the Court of Appeals for four years, she was called “a pioneer” and a “trailblazing jurist with a force for good,” by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appointed Abdus-Salaam to her position back in 2013. According to the New York Times, her voice was one who stood up for vulnerable citizens such as the poor, immigrants and people suffering from mental illness.

Back when she was first appointed to her position, Abdus-Salaam won an anti-discrimination case for over 30 female New York City bus drivers who had been wrongfully denied promotions. Last summer, the judge helped overturn a 25-year-old law that stated the nonbiological parent in a same-sex

couple had no standing to seek custody or visitation rights after a separation.

It’s important to note the significance of her religion as well as her race when considering this tragedy. Following her recent death, speculations have been made that suggest her death was a suicide due to no obvious signs of injury on the body.

Postings on social media have been quick to question the assumption of suicide due to a general distrust of police and the trend of brushing black death’s under the table and ruling them suicides. Earlier this year, the mysterious death of Sandra Bland in jail was broadcast as a suicide which led to much skepticism.

Currently, members of Congress are more than 80 percent male, about 80 percent white and about 60 years old on average. The entirety of the U.S. law system is in dire need of gender, racial and religious diversity in order to avoid corruption and provide a genuinely safe country for all of its inhabitants.

The loss of Judge Sheila AbdusSalaam is a devastating setback for the judicial system. The quite obvious lack of diversity that we are being represented by today is an outright disservice to the majority of people living in this country that don’t fall under the aforementioned statistic.

Page 4

News

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

NEWS IN BRIEF

Rohnert Park Rohnert Park police arrested the treasurer of the nonprofit Project Graduation Mary Katherine David on Thursday on suspicion of embezzling money from a fund that provides an alcohol-free graduation program for high school seniors. According to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, $55,000 was embezzled from the Project Grad bank account, and police later found paperwork associated with the account at David’s home. According to police officials, David has admitted to taking money and that the money was unrecoverable. The president of Project Grad reported the embezzlement after a check was returned in March due to insufficient funds.

Cleveland A 37-year-old Cleveland man is the subject of a nationwide manhunt after allegedly murdering 74-year-old Robert Godwin and posting the video of the killing on Facebook. The suspect, identified as Steven Stephens, posted a string of videos on Facebook citing problems with his girlfriend as the reason why he decided to start killing people. According to Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams, authorities do not know the location of Stephens, but there is no evidence that suggests that Stephens had left the region. Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to Stephens’ arrest.

Arkansas Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson scheduled eight lethal injections to take place over an 11-day period, which was met with much uproar. Hutchinson defended this unrivaled pace of lethal injections due to one of the drugs needed for the injection expiring this month with no replacement in the near future due to the drug’s ongoing shortage. Hours before the first execution was scheduled, deathrow inmates kept battles going in state and federal courts. Ultimately, the Arkansas Supreme Court blocked the planned executions and the state’s attorney said the state will seek immediate review of the decision. Many different groups have put forth their opinion including the state of Arkansas, deathrow inmates and drug companies.

CAMPUS CRIME Date

Reported Crime

Location

Status

March 31

Petty Theft

Unknown

Parking Lot J

April 1

Driving on a suspended license

Petaluma Hill Road

April 2

Public Intoxication

Verdot Village

Unfounded

April 3

Petty Theft

Gymnasium

Suspended

Vehicle Theft

Person Theater

Open

Petty Theft

Tuscany Village

Suspended

April 4 April 6

Closed

News

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Page 5

Q&A with candidates for open AS seats Edgar Sanchez Staff writer

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ssociated Student elections will resume next week for the unfilled senate positions. Emily Hinton, current AS president who lost reelection to sophomore Wilson Hall, is running unopposed for the Arts and Humanities Senator position.

Hinton was unavailable to comment after requests from the STAR. Three candidates are disputing the undeclared senator position: third-year business major Christina Gamboa, third-year biology major Allan Chornak and fourth-year biology and philosophy major Aaron Quinnell.

The STAR interviewed all three candidates and asked about their platforms.

Elections will take place April 24 -25. Students will be able to vote through a link sent to their SSU email.

This is not an endorsement of any candidate.

STAR: Why are you running for Undeclared Senator?

Christina Gamboa: Because I have been highly involved in student leadership all my three years at SSU. Coming back from an internship with the Walt Disney Company, I want to focus on advocating for students in the corporate affairs of the university, and I believe Associated Students would be the best avenue to do that. I want to make a difference for students by helping execute the student success center on campus, which a lot of students don’t know it exists.

STAR: If elected, what do you hope to achieve?

Gamboa: If elected as undeclared senator, I will work towards accomplishing two main goals. First, working with students affairs in executing the construction of a student success center, a centralized

STAR: Why are you running for Undeclared Senator?

Allan Chornak : Because it is important that people know what they want to do with their lives.

When people come to college they may not know what they want to do, so it is important to give them a direction, not only in college, but also in life. Ultimately, college shapes your career and what you will become as a person.

STAR: If elected, what do you hope to achieve?

Chornak : Progress for the students. I don’t want to be a talking head or distant. I want to represent the students.

I want them to know that there is someone fighting for them. I want to be real with them, and don’t make promises I can’t keep. If elected I will be dedi-

advising office in Salazar Hall for students seeking to change their major and for undeclared students to explore different majors in different schools. Second, to help establish a better way for the four-year degree planner to serve undeclared students. Right now, the four-year degree planner only helps students who have a major, leaving undeclared students without the opportunity to graduate in four years.

STAR: Why should undeclared students choose you to represent them?

Gamboa: My expanded knowledge in leadership and experience in different departments of this university can help undeclared students have a bigger voice all throughout campus. Currently being a student assistant in the orientation office, where EOP, Carrier Services, and Undeclared Academic Advising reside, has allowed me to become approachable and

cated to the job. I will work to the full extent of my abilities to make sure undeclared students have the representation they deserve.

STAR: Why should undeclared students choose you to represent them?

Chornak : Because they have my promise that I will fight for them, and because they need to know that I understand them. I know what it’s like to have no direction and to be practically left behind by the school system. I don’t want anyone to have to go through that alone anymore.

I have experience working with people, volunteering, working for myself and pushing myself. I want nothing more than to make a successful life for myself, and that starts by helping others. Other people’s success is just as important as my own.

STAR: Why are you running for Undeclared Senator?

Aaron Quinnell: I want to give a voice to those who think they don’t have a voice. People I’ve talked to that are undeclared feel that they don’t have a voice on campus.

I want to bridge that gap between undeclared students, advising and AS. I will use AS as the bridge to make sure the administration hears the voice of undeclared students and prioritizes their needs.

STAR: If elected, what do you hope to achieve?

Quinnell: If elected, I want to prioritize the needs of undeclared students. We only have four advisers for undeclared students, which is a 400:1 ratio.

I want to help lighten the load for the advisors and show undeclared students they’re not alone.

I want more peer-to-peer student connections so undeclared students feel less intimidated to ask for

help. I will also work closely with president Sakaki to help fulfill and achieve the needs of undeclared students.

STAR: Why should undeclared students choose you to represent them?

Quinnell: I have been in various leadership positions throughout my life. After graduating from college, my goal is to work in a hospital as a doctor or nurse to provide help to those in need.

Being a double major I understand the complexities of choosing a major. Bioethics is a huge deal for me. At Sonoma, we don’t have a major for that, but I created my own major by connecting biology and philosophy.

With that experience, I know how to aid undeclared students. I am confident, enthusiastic and reliable which will aid me in helping the students and giving them a voice for progress.

RENOVATION: Earth Week to showcase sustainability at Sonoma State University

STAR // Nate Galvan Sonoma State’s Earth Week began with an effort to spread the word about sustainability on campus.

Continued from Pg. 1

“We still wanted to do it even though we didn’t get the grant,” Guinn said.

“JUMP had to put some of their resources towards it [and the] Campus Rec is providing a lot of the cardboard needed for the sheet mulching process. Now the university is getting free labor since student volunteers will be doing the work. We’ll take it any way we can get it, as long as it happens. That’s what’s important.”

After finding an affordable way to organize the project, facilities management gave JUMP the go-ahead. Now the lawn transformation will conclude the Earth Week celebrations, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m on Saturday.

In addition to the lawn transformation, there will be many other events and activities on campus to help get students involved with Earth Week.

There was an Earth Day Fair from 11 a.m. to– 3 p.m on Monday in Darwin

Stevenson Quad with interactive tabling activities, prizes and free bike maintenance. Tuesday there will be free yoga from noon to 1 p.m. outside the Rec Center and a Campus Garden Work Party from noon to 2 p.m. at the Campus Garden.

On Friday, a documentary called “Time to Choose” will be shown on LoboVision at 7 p.m.

There will also be a weeklong clothing drive with drop-off locations in the Campus Rec, The Student Center, the library, and International Hall.

When asked to explain the purpose of Sonoma State’s Earth Week festivities, Guinn said, “Earth Day is an internationally celebrated holiday that’s a celebration of the environment, resources and all that the planet offers us.”

Sonoma State’s fervent dedication to the environment and sustainable practices has earned it the school’s Bronze Award in sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Page 6

Arts

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Student artists and writers celebrate twenty-first edition of Zaum Emma Capper Staff Writer

A

s one of the smaller CSU campuses, Sonoma State University may appear to have fewer outlets and opportunities for students. However, this assumption could not be farther from the truth. The extracurricular life at Sonoma State was especially apparent during the release party of Zaum XXI, Sonoma State’s literary magazine.

The twenty-first edition of Zaum is more alive than ever. While it’s formatting has remained the same over the years, containing submissions of prose, poetry and visual art, the theme and content set new standards for Sonoma State’s artists.

“The theme focuses on the beauty of chaos,” said Sean Johnson, the senior editor of Zaum. “There can be a lot going on in the work but there is still an ultimate message.”

The party, which began with wine and appetizers led to students reading their selected pieces, ranging from poetry to short stories. No piece was the

same, but they were each rich with intention and personality, covering topics from racism and death to the DMV. When discussing the selection process, Johnson shared that he tries to run Zaum in a democratic sense, since the magazine is really for the students. The staff votes multiple times on work before any publication takes place.

“The selection is hard because who is to say what’s chaotic and what’s not,” said Johnson.

Although the English Department staffs much of Zaum, submissions are open to anyone. Brooke Mallory, an art major has several paintings and drawings featured in the magazine with one as the cover piece.

Zaum is a great way for aspiring writers and artists to archive their talents. Having work published before graduation is something that will stand out to employers. Like Cinenoma and Campus Movie Fest, Zaum is an outlet for creative students to meet likeminded people and to grow in skill and credibility.

Bringing awareness to existing clubs or outlets will help improve the programs

STAR// Nolan Brough Students with work featured in the newest edition of Zaum came together for a release party on Thursday in the University Art Gallery. and will also make the transition to college easier for students who feel they may not have a place at Sonoma State.

“If you’re looking for a career in publication or journalism this is a great class to take” said Deborah Lightcap, a contributor, prose editor and English major. “It is a stimulating class environment as well as a great work environment.”

Finding your place at Sonoma State

can be intimidating, but for those who are struggling it’s important to know that there are so many people who share interests as well as classes that will act as hobbies.

Zaum is just one of these outlets.

With more attention on extracurricular outlets, it’s likely that fewer students will leave Sonoma State, and that benefits all students.

Alumni talent fills Schroeder Hall Alexis Austin Staff Writer

O

n Saturday at Schroeder Hall, the stage was scattered with an array of instruments; the grand piano at the center. An eclectic performance was inevitable.

The recital was composed, arranged and performed by alumni of Sonoma State University. The first groups to perform were announced as having been here in “the 70s.” Robert Gilmore, a composer, flutist and vocal performer began the recital along side Rita Thies for a formal yet melodic and expressive flute duet, titled “Elsewhere” accompanied by pianist and composer Jan Ferrin.

Ferrin began studying classical technique at the age of five and was considered a professional pianist by the time he was twelve. He received his B.A. in music with distinction from Sonoma State in 1975. After a busy career in the music and film industry, he was back to share this piece as well as four others, “Futureshock,” “Awaken,” “Believing (But being Something Else)” and “Looking Glass.”

This piece was performed towards the end of the recital with the largest group that featured vocals from himself and Gilmore.

The following piece, “Three Hymns,” a light and bright selection, was arranged

by Thies and written by Charlie Stevens, who listened from the audience.

Gilmore composed seven of the pieces performed. These included “Undercurrent,” performed by Moira Little on the oboe and English horn and accompanied

by Ferrin. Little stretched the sounds of the oboe from the highest to lowest notes and quickly changed back and forth to the English horn. The song seemed to be a conversation between the soprano tones of the oboe and the rich and robust tone of the English horn. This piece was truly beautiful; one could imagine a romantic film, as a certain melody was comfortingly revisited throughout.

Four particular alumni performers, Jeremy Cohen (violin), Anthony Blea (violin), Chad Kaltinger (viola), and Andres Vera (cello), met each other at Sonoma State 40 years ago. 24 years later, they teamed up as the “Quartet San Francisco” and have been recording and performing

together since, earning Grammy nominations for their last three CD releases.

Cohen, the founder of the group, looks back on his time at Sonoma State as, “the most important and formative years. Although after my time at Sonoma State I continued studies in Brooklyn, NYC, my time here I spent learning vital music history and theory.”

He also remembers Anne Crowden as one of the most influential teachers he had the opportunity to study with. Coincidentally, the third piece the group performed written by Cohen, was dedicated Crowden, titled “Crowdambo.”

“Because there are not enough mambos written for string quartet in the literature,” Cohen joked.

This dynamic and unusual composition was a masterful blend of excitement and charm.

Included in the Quartet’s repertoire as well were Gilmore’s “Lord Chumley’s Romp” and “Distance.” Cohen clarified that Lord Chumley was “Robert’s huge, striking cat known for his very unusual personality.”

The piece was actually first performed at a chamber music recital at Sonoma State in 1978. Chumley’s image was preserved well, as the music performed could have been interpreted as an adventurous day in the life of the feline, cartoonish and charismatic, to say the least.

“Distance” was more than music. It sounded like a movie. Appropriate because it was originally developed for a Film Orchestration class at UCLA. According to Gilmore, “’Distance’ was originally written to convey feelings of love and longing, in the context of a long distance relationship, which later led to marriage.”

The four stings conveyed this filmlike sequence beautifully and naturally as they brought unison, harmony and dynamics to a new level or prestige.

Needless to say, Sonoma State’s talented music alumni have gone far. However, distance and time should no longer be an obstacle from this shared community and foundation where the music department has only further expanded and proves to extend welcome to music from all around the world, including musicians just touching back in with a place near and dear.

STAR // Alexis Austin Quartet San Francisco features four Sonoma State alumni who met at the school 40 years ago.

facebook.com “13 Reasons Why” was released on Netflix March 31.

New Netflix original highlights bullying and teen suicide Brigitte Maina Staff Writer

Review

T

here’s no simple explanation to the rollercoaster of emotions felt after finishing “13 Reasons Why.” Don’t adjust whatever screen or medium you’re reading this on. There’s no one word to tell you why these feelings are swirling.

There are no return engagements, no encore and absolutely no requests. Get a snack. Settle in. Because you’re about to read the story of Hannah Baker.

Adapted from Jay Asher’s New York Time’s best-seller “13 Reasons Why,” Netf lix’s 13-episode series of the same name follows high school junior Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) who’s welcomed home one afternoon by a mysterious package on his doorstep. Uncovering 13 tapes numbered with electric blue nail polish inside, Jensen pops tape one into his dad’s boombox and to his surprise, hears his former co-worker and crush Hannah Baker’s (Katherine Langford) calm voice through the speakers. Two weeks prior, Baker committed suicide.

And the tapes? 13 different accounts of 13 different peers who contributed to her decision.

Other than dragging your feelings through the mud, this “passion project,” as executive producer Selena Gomez refers to it, takes it’s viewers back to the four years we try so hard to tuck in the back of our minds: high school.

It reminds us of the good parts: basketball games, house parties, homecoming; they’re nostalgic. It reminds us of the annoying parts: cliques, gossip, hormones; they’re irritating.

The scary parts: first loves and college prep; they’re nerve-wracking. But it also focuses on the parts you only heard of when the extreme occurred.

And it did. Bullying, sexual assault, depression, lies and deceit guide us in and out of each episode exploring the real and unpredictable consequences of constant, berating hate.

Baker’s false “slut” reputation rose after her then crush Justin, played

by Brandon Flynn, took and shared an angled photo without Hannah’s permission and tagged a sultry backstory to it. The school took it and ran, beginning a chain reaction of uncomfortable, traumatic events. Langford and

Flynn displayed the honeymoon-only stage high school relationship with quickness, like the duration of those romances, and ease. Their chemistry made none of their conversations, nervous glances, and constantly changing moods feel forced, unlike other cast members. The overwhelming teen angst is kept to a minimum during the series, cleverly dropped in sideline conversations and explosive reactions.

Safe to say, it’s no “Secret Life of the American Teenager.”

The deeper into the tapes, the more confusing it is to understand what is reality and what are f lashbacks. Because Hannah’s story is told as Clay listens to it, he often snaps out of his listening modes, which are a slightly sepiad over to hint the viewer, and back to present day to ask questions from guiding consultant Tony Padilla (Christian Navarro). It’s manageable during the first half of the series, but requires more attention after that.

The double tasking from familiar faces strongly channel emotionally vacant characters like Hannah’s mother, played by Kate Walsh, famously known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy,” whose expected to keep her grieving within her home as students and parents fail to keep Hannah and teenage mental health in conversation despite the administration’s efforts.

Alisha Bo, portraying Jessica Davis, begins as a bubbly cheerleader enjoying people watching and becoming Hannah’s best friend, f lips, for good reason, into the girl your mom warned you about.

The binge-worthy series overall reiterates the importance of being able to be comfortable with asking for help when in need, but more importantly treating others as you’d expect to. Just because something is uncomfortable to talk about doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed. It’s more of a reason to, a reason executive producer Brian Yorkey deemed the series “a steady diet of truth.”

If you are thinking about self harm, don’t hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 1-800-784-2433. Both are available 24 hours everyday. To discuss sexual assault, you can contact local lifeline VERITY at (707) 5457273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

Entertainment

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

“Doctor Who” makes longawaited return

facebook.com Jordan Peele on the set of his break-out horror film, “Get Out.”

Why “Get Out’s” historic box-office numbers are so important Simon Cherin-Gordon Staff Writer

Commentary

I

t doesn’t really matter how much money a movie makes. At least it shouldn’t to those who judge art on aesthetic and conceptual merits.

When Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” surpassed the $150 million mark though, it mattered. The film became the highest-grossing debut from a writer-director with an original screenplay, breaking a record previously held by “The Blair Witch Project.”

“Get Out” beating “Blair Witch” is kind of cool. It was made on an even smaller budget ($4.5 million in 2017 compared to $5 million in 1999).

It has a black protagonist and a black director. It’s more of an “underdog” horror film. From a “level the playing field” perspective, it’s symbolic. It’s important that black filmmakers can make movies with black stars about the black experience and make money in Hollywood.

But, again, it isn’t really about the money. What matters is credibility and perception. “Get Out” could be seen as a flavor of the month thing, a well-made horror movie with an absurd, hilarious or disturbing twist, depending on your inclination (for those who have not seen it, no spoilers here). It is a good horror genre film.

An impressive, commendable effort from a sketch comic trying his hand in a higher art form. A nice tale on microaggressions and white liberalism.

It’s so much more than a morality tale, though. And while those who hold the keys to a film’s legacy—reviewers and analysts in all forms of media and academia—certainly fancy themselves people who can discern greatness from goodness, they seem to need a nudging in this case.

Away from making it clear that they “get” the film’s surface-level message

and towards its merits as a truly great piece of art.

Peele takes the 1967 comedy-drama “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” about a black man meeting his white girlfriend’s parents, mixes it with equal parts Stanley Kubrick and Quentin Tarantino, and creates a psychological thriller/traditional horror/ revenge/satire that, despite its ambitious genre blending, feels cohesive and concise.

“Get Out” doesn’t have Kubrickian cinematography throughout, but it does in enough key moments to assert the variation in shots is a stylistic choice. It doesn’t have the consistent, seat-gripping dialogue of “Inglourious Basterds,” but an equally-potent script, albeit delivered in a different fashion.

Peele’s music choices, set design and pacing are all ingenious, creating a foundation of cinematic greatness on which his ambitious film can stand.

We experience the unconventional, profound story and themes to the fullest because there is no conventional filmmaking flaw stopping us from doing so.

Some will see “Get Out” and appreciate it solely as a good horror film.

Others will give it credit for being unexpected and original. Others will prescribe its value to the tropes that it plays with and breaks. These have been the common critical reactions.

All positive, none overwhelming.

But this film is overwhelming.

It’s canonical. Maybe it will be nominated for an Oscar, maybe not. That doesn’t matter; “The Shining” wasn’t nominated for anything, but is now seen as perhaps the greatest psychological horror film of all-time, a masterpiece of directorial brilliance on every metaphysical level. That’s exactly what “Get Out” is, and that’s why the $150 million matters. It will hopefully serve as a clue to critics, who have been giving Peele the “my man!” pat on the back, that something greater is on their hands.

Page 7

Sean Curzon Staff Writer

Review

“D

octor Who” returns with its tenth season after a year and a half since the last full season.

This season is not only the last season for current Doctor Peter Capaldi, but also the current showrunner, Steven Moffat.

The British science-fiction show follows an alien traveler known only as The Doctor. He explores both time and space, visiting different time periods and planets.

The season 10 premiere, “The Pilot,” is a bit of a slow burn but makes up for it with strong atmosphere and intriguing characters. Warning, minor spoilers ahead.

This time, The Doctor is accompanied by companions Nardole, played by Matt Lucas, returning from the last two Christmas specials and Bill Potts, played by Pearl Mackie. Bill marks the first lesbian companion in “Doctor Who.” Potts isn’t played as a stereotype but the fact that she’s gay isn’t just reduced a brief token mention either. She’s just a character who happens to be gay.

Potts works at the cafeteria at a university in Bristol. She catches the attention of a professor calling himself The Doctor. It turns out The Doctor is guarding something below the school. In typical “Doctor Who” fashion, the university finds itself invaded by a mysterious creature.

The episode is designed to be a jumping on point for newcomers. The original

series ran from 1963 to 1989. The series was revived in 2005 with new production numbers. They started with season one as opposed to starting with season 25, which is where the old series left off.

Despite this, the old series is still considered continuity. This can be daunting for new viewers. Even the revived series has 10 seasons. So, every few seasons, the producers will write a season premiere that’s designed to explain the premise to a new audience while remaining interesting for old fans. “The Pilot” does a solid job of this.

The episode is told from Potts point of view. As the universe and the Doctor is explained to her, it’s explained to the audience.

Unfortunately, the episode itself has a slow pace, taking it’s sweet time to get to the plot. The fact this is a jumping-on point exasperates this problem, especially if one is already familiar with “Doctor Who.” The episode makes up for it with some creepy atmosphere. It does a great job of building suspense and paranoia in the story.

The production helps with it as the show is hot with high production values making it seem like a movie. Not just the sets and effects, but the cinematography.

The acting is amazing as well. Pearl brings an honest eagerness to her character while Capaldi continues to own the role of The Doctor.

The episode speeds plot points that will either be addressed later in the season or completely ignored. Either one is likely.

Showrunner Moffat is great at writing individual episodes but his multi-episode arcs tend to fumble. As his last season working on the show, hopefully he’ll pull out all of the stops.

facebook.com “Doctor Who” entered into its tenth season April 15 starring Peter Capaldi as the twelfth Doctor.

Kendrick Lamar does a “DAMN.” good job.

Matthew Koch Staff Writer

Review

K

endrick Lamar’s new album title serves as both its name and a reaction to itself: “DAMN.” Making its way as Lamar’s fourth studio album, the Compton rapper has proven himself as a great man of equally great skill. Lamar first graced his presence in the mainstream with his first studio album “Overly Dedicated” in 2010.

Since then, his work has only progressed more and more, dropping critically acclaimed work left and right, with albums like “Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City” and “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Now, only two years later, we have “DAMN.” On his intro track “BLOOD.,” Lamar begins by saying, “I was taking a walk the other day...” and immediately the listener is left intrigued with how the story plays out.

Thrown into this trance state of rhythmic bass, underlying itself with sounds only relatable to music found in a 70s movie, the track continues as the listener is deep in its throws.

It isn’t until Lamar’s last line of lyrics, “You have lost something/ You’ve lost, your life,” that the listener finds they are shot out of their trance with a pistol round that heeds no warning. On the dreamscape track “YAH.,” all prior scare caused by Lamar may be forgiven, leaving the listener, as Lamar puts it, “buzzin’.” In this track, with a melody that could almost pass as one being played in reverse, Lamar covers a wide variety of topics. From his niece being his muse for life, to speaking out against Fox News who try to name-drop Lamar for profit.

Tying the two together, he says, “Interviews wanna know my thoughts and opinions/ Fox News wanna use my name for percentage/ My latest news is my niece, she worth living/ Seen me on the TV screen, that’s Uncle Kendrick.”

Near the middle of the album, Lamar gives the listener a real gift. Not only a real banger of a track, as it surely is, but also one surely to live on as an anthem for the ages: “HUMBLE.” “Aye, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances/ Finesse a n**ga with

facebook.com Kendrick Lamar released “DAMN.” April 14. some counterfeits but now I’m countin’ this,” Lamar roars with a cool, calm and collected confidence that oozes from his words and straight into the most deepest pits of the listener’s soul.

Regardless of whether the listener is a connoisseur of rap music or a more frigid, older person who can’t stand it, they’re going to find it far too difficult not to bump this track wherever they find themselves standing, for this is a track that takes the pause button out of the equation. After all, “This that Grey Poupon/ That Evian, that TED Talk,” Lamar raps, signifying this record as one surpassing his rivals to the tune of a piano that’s as equally zealous as K-Dot. Even if hip-hop or rap music isn’t one’s forte for audible accompaniment, just play a few of the tracks on “DAMN.” even if it’s just in the background of some task at hand.

Eventually, some part of some track will entice the listener, forcing the words to be exclaimed from their mouth, leaving them conflicted and only left with one possible thing to say: “DAMN.”

Page 8

Student Life

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Olympic gold medalist speaks on social justice Tyler Heberle Staff Writer

A

fter winning a gold medal, a record-breaking sprinter also broke cultural norms at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, making U.S. citizens more aware of their country’s f lawed racial relations in the process.

Tommie Smith, the sprinter who broke the 20-second record for the 200-meter race that year, shared his life story and experiences with a crowd of Sonoma State University students on April 11 in the Student Center. He was the last featured speaker in the 2017 Sonoma State Sport and Social Justice Lecture Series.

Smith is best known for the political statement he made after winning the 200-meter gold medal at the 1968 Olympics. Wearing no shoes with black socks and a black scarf while receiving the medal, he raised a black-gloved fist during the National Anthem to protest poverty and discrimination against AfricanAmericans, according to an archived BBC article.

Lauren Morimoto, kinesiology professor and director of diversity and excellence at Sonoma State, introduced Smith. She said his actions in 1968 inspired her to study race relations in sports as a graduate student.

“If you pick your heroes well, they won’t disappoint you,” Morimoto said. “Dr. Tommie Smith has shown that he is as thoughtful, committed, political [and] educational as he seemed back in 1968.”

Smith began his speech by acknowledging Sonoma State was a “more relaxed” platform for making a statement than the Olympics. He discussed his early years in a family who moved from Clarksville, Texas to Stratford, California in 1951.

Before moving to California, Smith said he attended an all-black grammar school where one instructor taught all the grade levels. This was before Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience in 1955, so Smith said he was never told he could sit in the front of the classroom.

“I received no encouragement, civil or human,” Smith said. “These liberties were nonexistent. There was no mention of black history or black pride in any

books.”

In the years leading up to his participation in the Olympics, Smith said he worked in the fields 12 hours per night and attended classes during the day. He said when he graduated from high school, he didn’t know he “was being groomed to stand for social justice on the world’s platform” at the Olympics.

“I am very blessed to have stood at a time when standing for social equality was not a safe indulgence at 24-years-old,” Smith said.

Smith faced persecution and threats on his life when he returned from the U.S after the 1968 Olympics. He said he spent money on locks to protect his car after receiving numerous bomb threats.

In spite of the adversity he faced after protesting racial inequality, Smith stressed the importance of working to provide a good example for children, who often idolize athletes, he said.

Smith said people who value social activism need to be able to explain why they stand for a particular cause.

“I pity the person who [opts] to accept ignorance in the face of adversity,” Smith said. “You have a responsibility—you have a grave responsibility.”

Angelique Lopez, finance and budget coordinator for Sonoma State’s Black Student Union, said Smith’s speech encouraged activism for rights that too often go unnoticed.

“It was something we’ve been needing…it was encouraging in the sense that it empowers us to be more active on campus,” Lopez said.

Morimoto, who created the Sport and Social Justice Lecture Series through Sonoma State’s IRA funds, was instrumental in Smith visiting the campus. She said she reached out to Smith since he had a unique perspective among the scheduled speakers given his activism in the 1960s.

“He was probably one of the most visible athletes to first use his platform to make a political statement,” Morimoto said. “So in many ways, he is groundbreaking, and I think for others who might not be as overt in their activism…he could give us a sense of what was at risk.”

Morimoto said she liked the amount of student participation during a Q&A session that followed

Smith’s speech. Some of the questions asked during this time drew connections between Smith’s 1968 protest and recent activism from 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

While answering a student question during the Q&A, Smith said he felt Kaepernick’s protest was in response to recent police brutality against AfricanAmericans.

Smith said there is no one proper way to make a stand through activism.

“There is no best [approach], there is a choice,” Smith said. “You pick your choice, and it might work for you, it might not. But you get a message out.”

Morimoto said she hopes Smith’s protest will convince Sonoma State students that “one person raising their voice can make a difference.”

“We all have choices to make,” Morimoto said.” Are we going to put our [fists] up and say things are not OK...or are we going to keep our [fists] down and collect our gold medal and call it a day?”

Fraternity philanthropy celebrates 18 years Antonia Van Winkle Staff Writer

F

STAR // Megan Corcoran Phi Delta Theta’s teeter totter event earns donations for Cystic Fibrosis.

rom April 10 until April 14 the men of Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Sonoma State University hosted a philanthropy event lasting 104 hours, where participants teeter tottered to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis.

The 18th annual event gives back to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Brent “Woody” Bolin, a member who passed away in 2006 from the disease.

“Woody practiced Phi Delta Theta’s main principle, which is brotherhood. He left an impact on a lot of men in this chapter and still does to this day through all the stories that our alumni have to tell about him,” said Alec Pesavento, a sophomore and member of Phi Delta Theta.

Pesavento began planning the event in December 2016.

Last year alone they raised over $22,000 and this year’s goal wasn’t far behind.

Everyone was invited to participate and help reach the goal of $15,000.

“Teeter totter is a unique philanthropy idea and I think that is partially why many love this event,” said Korin Holda, senior and member of Alpha Xi Delta.

Holda has participated in the philanthropy event for the past four years.

“No one chooses to have a disease alter their life. I have been lucky enough to not face challenges like such, therefore, it’s extremely important for me to give back and help in any way that I can,” said Brinkley Temple, third year and member of Gamma Phi Beta.

In hopes of accepting more donations the chapter set up both a GoFundMe and a Venmo, accessible at www.gofundme.com/teeter-totter-2017 and @PDTSSU.

Campus club provides professional opportunity Erika Peterson Staff Writer

T

o be successful in the workforce today, it’s crucial for people to earn an education. For many, it seems almost impossible to be considered for any job without a college degree.

According to statistics from CNBC, after college many students and their employers, feel that many students are not fully prepared for the real world and they possess many weaknesses.

While students at Sonoma State University continue to prioritize their GE requirements before their major, it can make a student wonder if they’ll ever use the information in the future. The Professional Sales and Marketing Club, or PSMC, at Sonoma State may be the answer.

“The goal of the club is to educate business students outside the classroom,” President of PSMC Alicia Rivett said.

The PSMC feels that their club can better prepare students for the real world after college ends. “The ultimate goal of PSMC is to help each club member build their confidence and successfully find a job within [their] industry after graduating from Sonoma State,” Rivett said.

While the club was only founded a couple years ago, the club has been exceedingly growing since then.

“PSMC was founded two years ago by four male transfer students, Nick Mendelson, Nicholas Langer, Ryan Gradney and Max Heller who wanted students to have a club where they could become more engaged outside of the classroom,” said Rivett.

Since its beginning in Fall 2014, the club has grown to 50 active members.

Like most clubs, PSMC also has weekly meetings for all their members.

“This semester [the meetings] were on Tuesdays at noon in the Erin Fisher Room.

We cover topics such as hosting guest speakers from firms of all sizes and industries and holding hands on workshops including elevator pitches, mock interviews, resume building and more,” says PSMC Vice President Andrew Jarmicki.

Through these different events and activities the club makes their main focus young professional networking.

To help make their club more familiar on campus, they continue to make more public events and trips.

“We have a social chair executive position that plans social events such as trips to Rebounderz, Epicenter, bowling, Lagunitas and LinkedIn photo shoot workshops,” said Jarmicki.

Although their club has continued to grow PSMC has faced their fair share of bumps along the road.

“In the beginning it was difficult to retain and gain club members because the club

didn’t have brand awareness. It is amazing now that almost every business major knows of PSMC. It shows the importance of word-of-mouth and perseverance to develop and grow a name for the club on campus,” Rivett said. “This was achieved by meeting with teachers who spoke to students about the club and also Executive Board members dropping into business classes to educate the students the importance of getting involved on campus.”

PSMC does not only focus on helping students be more prepared for the workforce after graduating, but also helps people who hope to strengthen their credentials in sales and marketing.

“The club started when the schools sales club and marketing club combined to

build a bigger and better club in order to have a place for people in the marketing concentration, but also people who decide to go for their sales certificate,” said Riley Friar, PSMC’s marketing and social chair.

Many members of the PSMC, have goals for the club’s future.

“We hope to continue to increase student involvement and increase the amount of public events we hold. We also hope to bring more students in from outside of the marketing major, so we can help them learn marketing and sales skills as well,” Friar said.

“I would love to see PSMC club members reach out to me after I graduate and share with me how PSMC helped them gain confidence and land their dream job postgrad, that is the ultimate goal,” said Rivett.

LinkedIn.com

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017

sonomastatestar.com

Student Life

Page 9

New ‘Faces of SSU’ pop up on campus Jade Eriksson Staff Writer

‘F

aces of SSU,’ is a display featuring 27 students who used their college experience to make an impact on the campus community. The collective exhibit highlights each of the students, and their positive and challenging experiences in their own story. The exhibit was created by HUB program director, Carina Buzo. The faces were featured on the first week of April and will continue to be shown through summer orientation. The exhibit was designed for the incoming freshman on Seawolf Decision Day to give them a taste of student life. The STAR was able to interview some of the featured students and asked further questions of their experiences and how other students could get involved.

Allana Peerce is a 20-year-old junior majoring in anthropology.

She came to Sonoma State from Simi Valley and found it tough adjusting until she joined Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and became a CSA. STAR: How has your experience been at Sonoma State so far?

Peerce: “It has been life changing and has helped me grow as a leader. Especially, all the positions I’ve had.”

STAR: How did you get involved on campus?

Peerce: “By taking leadership positions like becoming a CSA, joining the sorority Alpha Gamma Delta, Panhellenic President, planning an Alternative Spring Break Experience where students volunteer for community service.”

STAR: What advice do you have for new students or those looking to find their fit on campus?

Peerce: “My advice is to find an organization that makes them feel happy and to find their place on campus. Even if they can’t find it at first to not give up because Sonoma State has it.”

Cristina Ramos is currently a hutchins liberal studies major pursuing a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Born in Vallejo, the 20-year-old junior grew up in Fairfield. Ramos tries to create a sense of community anywhere she goes and wanted to find it at Sonoma State.

STAR: How has your experience been so far at Sonoma State?

Ramos: “My experience here has been positive. Sonoma State has a great atmosphere that’s laid back and enticing, which is why I chose it in the first place.”

STAR: How did you get involved on campus?

Ramos: “I got involved on campus through leadership. I was in the Theatre FLC and had a great peer mentor who inspired me. It was my sophomore year when I took interest into that and it has been a great journey.”

STAR: How can students make the most of their time at Sonoma State?

Ramos: “I think students could make most of their time by exploring their personal interest. Just know regardless of what you’re going through, Sonoma State has a great community you can find your niche in.”

Andrew DeSantis is 21-year-old junior pursuing a major in business.

DeSantis, originally from Santa Clarita, is an active member of Alpha Psi Fraternity. Outside of campus his passions include biking, filmmaking and taking care of his car.

STAR: How has your experience been at Sonoma State so far?

DeSantis: “My experience at Sonoma State has been great. I got involved by joining a fraternity, and making friends with people of similar interests.”

STAR: What advice do you have for new students or those looking to find their fit on campus?

DeSantis: “For those new students on campus, I’d recommend getting involved in other activities with other seawolves and keep an open mind while joining clubs and Greek life.”

STAR: How can students make the most of their time at Sonoma State?

DeSantis: “I would advise students to take classes that they’re interested in and explore the community offcampus.”

Lecture finds focus with the Clean Water Act Michelle Violetti Staff Writer

K

arrigan Börk, assistant professor at the University of Pacific spoke at Sonoma State University on Wednesday. Börk’s lecture ‘Ditching Our Innocence: The Clean Water Act in the Age of Anthropocene’ was apart of the the John and Mary Louise Riley Geology Lecture Series, sponsored by the Sonoma State Geology Club.

Due to recent federal legislative changes ditches are no longer protected under national the Clean Water Act. This has sparked disapproval and concern in the environmental community. Missouri Farm Bureau has promoted #ditchtherule in efforts to express objection to the new outlines of the water policy.

Börk described his last experience at the Grand Canyon where he felt connected to the environment.

“The epitome of nature and wildness is very much a manufactured [or] created experience by engineers upstream. I submit that most places we experience have a very strong human fingerprint,” Börk said.

Some cities may have an overwhelming human fingerprint where it seems to decrease nature, but nature is still present and thriving. This is a concern for environmentalists as explained in the lecture. Börk’s focus was to explain what the Clean Water Act protects, what the environment could look like under the Trump administration and common myths regarding the balance of nature.

Börk explained that the new regulations, which ex-

clude man made habitats, were written by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and the Court of Engineers.

The executive order has created questions of what the exact changes are and what their implications may be.

According to a White House transcript from Feb. 28, President Trump labeled the ‘Waters of the United States’ rule one of the worst examples of federal regulation. Calling the policy a disaster, Trump noted that the rule is opposed by many farmers and agricultural workers across the country.

Trump’s view is not an outlier, since many people have the same separatists viewpoint when it comes to nature and people.

There are many who view nature as an entity that can and will continue to thrive on its own, thus creating a hypothetical wall between people and nature which supports the separatist viewpoint.

“Nature without us moves towards a climax. [It] maintains balance. Like a forest fire coming through, that forest will rebuild itself in the same way,” Börk said. Börk explained the balance of nature myth and its problematic consequences.

Börk explained science does not compel the new changes. Data from the EPA and other sources prove the dangerous effects the new law may cause.

“About 22 percent of watershed drain to roadside ditches before they reach a natural water body. So an awful lot of our water passes through these ditches which the EPA is now linked to give up,” said Börk.

“Since water does pass through roadside ditches I feel that they should be covered by the [Clean Water Act] be-

cause once those ditches meet up with the mainstream, all the pollutants and bacteria such as e.coli are now infecting the rest of the water supply,” said Noël Skocko, geology major and sophomore that attended the event.

“About 22 percent of watershed drain to roadside ditches before they reach a natural water body. So an awful lot of our water passes through these ditches which the EPA is now linked to give up” “Vegetation likes the moist conditions in the bottom of a ditch and in time can fill the ditch if not removed early enough. One consequence of this is that the groundwater table will rise and moisture content will increase in the road structure,” said senior and hutchins major Danielle Sprouse.

“If the ditches aren’t covered under the Clean Water Act, shoulder deformation and pavement cracking can occur which can result in vehicular problems and accidents.”

Ditches are just one example of the problem concerning the changes to the Clean Water Act. As a result of the recent changes, anything manmade encompases non-protection and could bring a notable change to our environment.

There will be one last lecture at Sonoma State, by Dr. Charles Lesher of UC Davis, on May 1 at noon in Darwin 128. Lesher’s talk will be ‘High Pressure Research in the Earth Sciences: Simulation of the Deep Earth Using the Multi Anvil and Brilliant X-Ray Beam.’

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Sports

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves take two of four against Cal State East Bay T

Jake Tucker Staff Writer

he baseball season is starting to wind down to a close, as the race in standings grows increasingly more competitive. The Sonoma State University baseball team split a four-game Easter weekend series with Cal State East Bay, bringing its league record to 15-13. The Seawolves and the Pioneers began their first matchup Thursday afternoon with an estimated attendance of over 200.

The Pioneers got off to an early lead in the top half of the second with three runs plated by an RBI single, an error and a bases loaded walk. The Seawolves quickly retaliated in the home half of the fourth with three runs of their own.

The scoring began with a double down the left field line by Trevor Abrams that scored Daniel Caresio.

Two more runs then came in on a single to right center by Nathan Mann, plating Abrams and Grant St. Martin.

The scoring continued pretty consistently as the Pioneers scored in the next half inning on an RBI single, followed by two runs by Sonoma State in the next half inning on a bases loaded walk by St. Martin and a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Abrams.

The scoring resumed in the next half inning as CSEB put up three more runs on an RBI single by left fielder Kris Bartlett and a two-run single by its first baseman Troy Resch. The Seawolves put up a rebuttal run in the bottom of the eighth, but ultimately fell short 6-7.

The loss tagged Sonoma State’s se-

nior starter Haydon Turpin.

“East Bay was a huge series for us,” Turpin said. “The North is battling it out for playoff spots and it’s a close race. We had a few close games this weekend and our team battled.

Couldn’t ask for much more, that’s just how baseball goes. Now that makes next weekend even more important with a series against Monterey who’s right in the playoff race with us.”

Game two ended much more in Sonoma State’s favor. The Pioneers put up the game’s first run on a double by Resch, then Sonoma State put forth the rest of the scoring. It scored the equalizing run in the home half of the second on a sacrifice f ly by Mann. St. Martin put the team in the lead in the sixth with a towering two run homerun to left center field.

The homer was St. Martin’s teamleading fifth of the season. He is also leading the team in runs, doubles, RBI’s, slugging percentage, sacrifice f lies, and walks, while maintaining a .321 batting average.

“It’s great to be playing playoff level games with a couple series to go on the season,” St. Martin said. “We had some great pitching from our staff and got the bats to fire up at the right times. From here on out it’s basically time to play like it’s the last game of the season and put our best effort forward to make it to the CCAA tourney, West regional, and then the Division Two World Series.”

An RBI base-hit by Mann followed St. Martin’s home run, bringing the team’s lead to 4-1. It then tacked on three more insurance runs in the

eighth. Mann drove in another run on a single through the left side that scored Jackson Leslie, followed by a steal of home by Bryce Nagata and a double to left center by Jake Sahagian, securing the victory for the Seawolves 7-1.

Senior starter Matt Hammonds was given the no-decision, despite throwing five and two-thirds innings while only surrendering one earned run.

“We battled the entire weekend,” Hammonds said, “had some tough breaks, and didn’t play our best but we were able to split and stay in the race.

We need to focus all of our attention on Monterey and get ourselves into a better playoff spot.”

The win was given to Bennett, bringing his record to even at 2-2.

The Seawolves were unable to keep their momentum from the win, as the Pioneers took game three 6-5. Sonoma State struck first with a double by Mann to right center that scored St. Martin and Caresio. CSEB responded with a run in the next half inning on an RBI single by shortstop Colt Parshall.

The 2-1 Seawolf lead remained until the fifth when they tacked on three more on a home run by Joshua Montelongo that brought in Abrams and Matt Richards. They were unable to sustain their 5-1 lead, as the Pioneers put up five runs in the next half inning, securing the one run victory.

Senior pitcher Ricky Clark threw an inning and a third with no earned runs to finish the game, bringing his ERA to an immaculate 0.64 on the season.

“This weekend had the potential to

be a big weekend for us, just a couple mistakes came back to bite us,” Clark said. “A split wasn’t the worst thing as we just kept pace with the rest of the league even though it would have been nice to jump East Bay in the standings.

Now is the time for us to get hot going into the final three series.”

The two teams finished the series on Saturday afternoon. The series concluded on a positive note for Sonoma State, shutting out the Pioneers 6-0.

St. Martin drove in the first two with a double down the left field line that plated Mitch West and Caresio in the first, followed by a single to left field

by Montelongo that brought in St. Martin.

St. Martin drove in Caresio on a sacrifice f ly in the second for their fourth run, then a home run to left center by Montelongo in the seventh drove in the final two runs.

Coombs earned his second victory of the year, tossing six shutout innings, allowing five hits and one walk, while collecting four strikeouts. Two shutout innings by Matt Stafford and a scoreless ninth by senior Cody Bennett finished off the game.

“The series was pretty frustrating but also promising at the same time,” Bennett said. “We showed how good we could be at times and that we could compete with anyone in this league.”

The Seawolves have a full schedule for the upcoming week, as they will defend their home field with a midweek matchup against Holy Names on Tuesday afternoon, followed by a three game weekend series in Seaside against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Women’s tennis team end regular season with five-game win streak Kevin Brill Staff Writer

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Junior driver Lily Carlon lead SSU with two goals against CSUEB.

Women’s waterpolo team falls to pioneers Annie Finck Staff Writer

T

he game started with the Sonoma State University women’s water polo team giving up the first two points to penalty shots within five minutes of start time. This unfortunate start left the team fighting an uphill battle against rival Cal State East Bay. As the clock ticked on, it became increasingly more difficult for the team to play catch up, which resulted in a loss with only one game left in the regular season.

“It definitely brought me down, but also made me want to go out and score one on them,” sophomore 2-Meter Defender Lyndsie Williams said. “I think that was the overall feel with the team as well. And I think the people on the sidelines helped a lot with the energy and keeping up positivity, which helped out with momentum.”

Even with the help of a goalie switch during the first quarter from Taylor Plorin to Lisa Rodarmel, the damage was already done and Sonoma State’s fate was already set, despite Rodarmel’s nine saves.

After East Bay scored the penalty points, Sonoma State was able to tie up the score to 2-2 when Nicole Groat and Williams scored back-to-back goals leading into half-time.

“After East Bay scored in the penalty we still knew what we had to do,” freshman utility Cassidy Mundt said. “At half time we realized that the only points they scored were penalties and we still fought hard.”

Although the women were playing an aggressive game, it ultimately led to their defeat against the Pioneers. Coming out of

the half, Sonoma State had another penalty which allowed East Bay the opening to take the win.

On top of East Bay receiving another attempt at a penalty shot, the referee majored Williams, resulting in her being kicked out for the rest of the game and giving East Bay the opportunity to shoot one-on-one against Sonoma State’s goalie.

“I think it affected the team defensively a little, but I think we still should have been able to go out offensively and score on them,” Williams said.

The Seawolves continued to cut it short when it came to their offensive game. They let the Pioneers shoot a total of 36 times in comparison to the 22 attempts the Seawolves made.

Leading the team in points, Lily Carlon added to the scoreboard by getting two in the net before the end of the game, helping bring the finishing score to 8-5 before time ran out.

The women’s team is already preparing for when they face off against the Pioneers again. “Next time we see them we will be more focused on our defense, but even more so on our offense,” Groat said.

“We will be more confident on shooting from the outside rather than rushing it into our center.”

Changing strategies is just what they need, with postseason action approaching quickly.

“Our offense may change slightly, but we need to stick to what we know works, which means we need to play the way we did when we beat them by one at their pool just a few weeks ago,” Groat said.

With their home game quickly approaching on Friday, the women of the team are aspiring to make a comeback.

T

he nationally ranked no.17 Sonoma State University women’s tennis team took down Dominican University over the weekend, winning 8-1. After weather conditions cancelled both games the prior weekend, the Seawolves determined to pull out another victory on Senior Day. The program honored five seniors from Sonoma State—Mariann Bukich, Karlee Budge, Jordyn Kearney, Kaitlyn Haithcock, and Hillary Fazekas—prior to the matches played on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, Sonoma State took on Dominican in hopes of advancing their record and continuing the team’s three-game winning streak. The Seawolves’ lineup consisted of Jensyn Warren, Amanda Zuidema,Haithcock, Budge, Kearney, Katherine Long, Jenna DeTurk and Fazekas. In the singles competition, the Seawolves were on fire and won all but one of the six matches. Sonoma State kept the momentum going and managed to win all three of its doubles matches. This left the Dominican Penguins unable to answer and in an 8-1 defeat against the Sonoma State Seawolves.

Sonoma State came out strong and prepared to fight, even after having a 7-2 win under its belt over the Penguins earlier in the season. The Seawolves were ruthless and only allowed one extra set in just two matches. Warren took down Dominican’s Skyler Schaar 7-5, 6-1. After her win, Rickimae Torres from Dominican defeated Sonoma’s Zuidema with an outcome of 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. Haithcock triumphantly followed,

beating Brooke Briseno 6-2, 6-0. Sonoma State’s Kearney held strong against Alex Wartenberg and won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. With two matches to go, Long battled Solveig Karlsen for a successful win for the Seawolves 6-2, 6-3. Budge finished her close match with a victory against Cori Beeby 6-4, 6-3.

“During the first set I was not playing my game and in the second set I tried my hardest to be as positive as I could and play my game, which was staying consistent and working the point to see how she responded,” Kearney said. “From there, I was able to take control of the match again.”

The Seawolves had a perfect record in the doubles competition, winning all three matches. Warren and Kearney teamed up to defeat Briseno and Skyler Schaar from Dominican 8-2. Sonoma kept the momentum going with Zuidema and DeTurk, who fought hard to win 8-2 against the Penguins’ Wartenberg and Torres. Budge and Fazekas played against Karlsen and Beeby in the third doubles match, where the two Seawolves were able to pull out a solid win, 8-2.

“It was our Senior Day and the last match that I would ever play at Sonoma State University, so I went in with mentality to have fun with the match and enjoy myself as much as possible,” Budge said. “I just stayed consistent, played my game and did what I needed to do to clinch the match.”

Sonoma State looks forward to playing in the PAC West Conference on April 20 in Surprise, Arizona. With this victory against Dominican University, Sonoma State improved their record of 11-6 and kept their national ranking of No.17 and regional ranking of No.5.

STAR // Megan Corcoran Junior Amanda Zuidema dominated in doubles competition with partner Jenna DeTurk, beating Dominican’s Alex Wartenberg Rickimae Torres 8-2.

Sports

APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

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STAR // Konrad Schoffer Freshman outfielder Alyssa Cuffia scored two runs in the Seawolves’ Saturday victory against the Pioneers.

Softball team split series against Pioneers Chad Shaver Staff Writer

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ith only eight games left in the season, the Sonoma State University softball team continues to strive for wins.

On Friday and Saturday, the Seawolves traveled to Hayward where they battled against Cal State East Bay in a four-game series, with two games on Friday and two on Saturday at the Pioneers Softball Field.

In game one of Friday’s doubleheader, the Seawolves had a slow start in the top of the first, scoring no runs.

Brielle Vidmar took the pitcher’s circle for the Seawolves determined to hold the score at 0-0.

Unfortunately for the Seawolves, their opponents came out hot in their first at bat, scoring two runs making the score 2-0 in favor of the Pioneers. Two RBI doubles

by Sara Fukushima and Ali Cerminara of the Pioneers brought in the two runs.

Unable to even out the score, the Seawolves fell to the Pioneers in game one on Friday, 2-0. Frustrated after a scoreless game, the Seawolves were hungry and pumped up for game two.

In game two, the Seawolves again had a rough start, unable to score any runs in the top of the first and leaving one Seawolf on base. Once again, the Pioneers came out to play in their first at bat in the bottom of the first when Fukushima homered. Luckily for Sonoma State, it was just a solo shot scoring one run, but now the Seawolves were in

the hole 1-0 in the first, Pioneers leading.

With both teams battling to increase their run count, the score stayed stagnant until the top of the fourth when the Seawolves finally got on board with a huge home run to center field by Alyssa Cuffia, tying the game 1-1. The tie didn’t last long. In the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers answered back with another home run.

With the Pioneers taking the lead again, the Seawolves knew they had to bounce back. With runners on base, Jenny Collazo of the Seawolves took matters into her own hands, blasting a two-run homerun to right center.

With this, the Seawolves gained the lead 3-2.

Gaining the momentum, the Seawolves knew they had to keep scoring, and in the bottom of the sixth they did just that. Collazo was able to homer again, but this time it was a three-run bomb, making the score 6-2. The Pioneers, with one last effort collected two more runs in the bottom sixth and the seventh, but it just wasn’t enough.

The Seawolves, with three home runs, were victorious in game two, 6-4.

Coming off this strong offensive performance, the Seawolves were ready to take on the Pioneers for the rest of the series.

In game one on Saturday, both teams started off slow.

In the top of the second, the Seawolves were able to manufacture some base runners and on a fielder’s choice they scored Cuffia from third, and on walk they scored Jenn Amaral. The Seawolves were first on the board, making the score 2-0.

In the bottom of the second, with a single up the middle by Jennifer Palmares, the Pioneers were able to score Marisa Lerma from third base making the score 2-1, Seawolves still leading. With the Seawolves’ lead slowly diminishing, the team rallied and in the top of the third increased its lead.

Alex Flores got the RBI train rolling with a single down the line, scoring both Jordann White and Cuffia.

Next for the Seawolves was Brigid Ruiz, with a single down the line that allowed Amaral and Flores to score.

With this big inning, the Seawolves were now up 6-1.

With the Seawolves in control, the Pioneers showed some light in the bottom of the third, picking up another run off a double by Fukushima and scoring Ashley Allen from third base making the score 6-2, Seawolves still leading. Bouncing back in their next at bat, the Seawolves were able to score off a solo home run by White. The Seawolves held the score for the rest of the game, winning 7-2 in game one on Saturday.

For game two on Saturday, the Seawolves were flat, and the Pioneers were the ones to come out to play. In the bottom of the second they collected their first run off a single by Emilie Portesi, scoring Tanya Galvan from third.

From then on out, the Pioneers scored runs every time they were at bat, skunking the Seawolves in a 5-0 victory.

With this loss, the Seawolves still split the series with the Pioneers 2-2. The Seawolves play Humboldt State next in a four-game series at the Seawolf Softball Field on Friday and Saturday in hopes of a playoff run.

U.S. Olympian shares his story of racial inequality Naaman Hightower Staff Writer

“Y

ou can run…but you can’t hide.”

These words echoed throughout the Student Center Ballroom Tuesday evening when civil rights activist Tommie Smith spoke to a crowded room of students, teachers and coaches.

Most know Tommie Smith not by name, but by picture. The iconic photo of himself, John Carlos and Peter Norman is a staple image for civil rights movements across the world.

The trio led a nationwide protest on poverty and racial equality at the 1968 Summer Olympics after Smith won gold at the men’s 200m race. Little did they know the tremendous effect they would have on racial injustice forever.

“As a 19-year-old at San Jose State, I did not know what I was doing,” Smith recalled. “I had no idea that five years later, I would be an image for civil rights across the world.”

An image he would be. Not only did he make his mark on history, he led the way for minority athletes around the world to raise their voices.

In early 2016, Colin Kaepernick received widespread attention for a similar act of kneeling during the national anthem. His purpose was to bring attention to police brutality of young African-American males such as Keith Lamont Scott and Terrance Crutcher.

Many critics instructed Kaepernick to simply stick and football and enjoy his record-breaking seven-year $126 million contract. In other words, don’t use your extremely high profile to do anything except throw a football, win games and sell jerseys for the owners of the NFL. Owners of which have a couple things in common: they’re old white males.

A study done by the Philadelphia Tribune pointed out that of the 122 sports ownership groups in the four major sports franchises, there is one black majority owner among them.

This incredible statistic sends an eerie message to black athletes: just throw the ball, shoot hoops, hit home runs, and don’t worry about anything that has real importance in this society. Leave that to the owners, though an older white male feeling the sting of racial inequalities of young black Americans may be nearly impossible.

Tommie Smith couldn’t stand for that message.

Throughout his speech Tuesday night, he echoed the phrase “You can run, but you can’t hide” multiple times. Though he was a literal U.S. Olympian in track, the metaphor he was portraying was deeper.

Running was a sense of freedom for Smith. Any competitive athlete can relate to feeling “free” when competing in the sport that they love. But for Tommie, that feeling of freedom was short-lived because he had to return to a world that hated him for the color of his skin. For him, there was no hiding from that.

Another first place finish for men’s golf team Jeno Veltri Staff Writer

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COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com

he Sonoma State University men’s golf team came up victorious in this past week’s Hanny Stanislaus Invitational golf tournament in Turlock, California at the Turlock Golf and Country Club this week on Monday and Tuesday.

The men’s golf team proved it is willing to make the big shots when necessary, which helped lead it towards the big tournament win. The Seawolves ended their regular season this past week with a big victory that will help secure an opening spot for the conference playoffs in the coming weeks.

As a team, Sonoma State had a score of 875 (+11) that pushed it past rival Chico State, who finished in second place at 876 (+12). Concordia University placed in a tie for second place at 876 (+12) and Dominican University came in fourth with a score of 879 (+15).

Sonoma State was lead by senior Justin Shluker, who finished the tournament with the scores of 72, 73, and 73 for a total score of 218 (+2) in the overall 54-hole event.

After getting off to a fast start shooting as a team on Monday’s opening round, the men’s team got into the second round by edging out Chico State by one stroke before the start of round two. After round two, the Seawolves fell to second place after falling behind five strokes behind the Chico State wildcats after the second round of the tournament.

Lead by Colby Dean, Chico State pulled forward past the Seawolves with a score of 68 after round two, which brought Chico to a five-stroke lead going into the third round of the tournament. Dean was a sharpshooter in this week’s past tournament by staying on top at number one for individual scores for the tournament and kept Chico

alive until the third round of competition.

After falling in round two, Sonoma State was able to bounce back in round three after a pulling off a very close 1-stroke lead to top off the end of the round.

Other notable players in the spotlight were Seawolf players, junior Ian Hoffman and sophomore Spencer Clapp, who both shot a 220 (+4). Hoffman lead the tournament with 39 pars within a lineup of 84 players, Clapp was one of the co-leaders at the end of round one with a shot score of 68, which helped put the Seawolves in a good spot for the rest of the tournament.

This tournament win will be second team title for the Seawolves during the 2016-2017 season. The last tournament win this season was on Oct. 10-11 at the Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park, California.

The team, still in high spirits after finding out Sonoma was at No.7 in the West Region, realizes it needs to remain in the Top 10 so it can secure a spot in their fifth straight NCAA Tournament Appearance, as well as their 11th appearance in the last 12 years.

The Seawolves will now look forward to the upcoming CCAA Golf Championships set for April 24-26 at the Industry Hills Golf Club.

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APRIL 18 - APRIL 24, 2017 sonomastatestar.com

Phi Delta Theta hosts annual ‘Teeter Totter’ event

STAR // Megan Corcoran Phi Delta Theta holds their annual Teeter Totter philanthropy this last week. They raise money for Cystic Fibrosis in memory of their fallen brother Woody Bolin.

STAR // Konrad Schoffer Matt Stafford No. 55 pitches the ball against Cal State East Bay.

STAR // Konrad Schoffer Tate Battistini, left, and Hannah Coe, right, take in the sun at the lakes.

STAR // Alyssa Archerda Karrigan Bork gives a presentation on the Clean Water Act in the Age of Athropocene.