Volume 80 // Issue 12

IN THIS ISSUE

Peace to the Peninsula

Spring dance show

Waterpolo

North Korea leaders suddenly want peace? Read the opinion article. Pg. 3

The Dance Department host its spring dance production. Pg. 6

SSU’s waterpolo team places third in championship tournament. Pg. 11.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 80 // ISSUE 12 MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

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Sonoma State accused of violating health and safety procedures SAMMY SINATRA STAFF WRITER

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n 87-page audit by state Auditor Elaine M. Howle has found Sonoma State University and three other California State University colleges to blame for extensive shortcomings in their health and safety procedures, particularly in handling hazardous materials on campus.

In a letter sent to Gov. Jerry Brown, Howle said the four campuses “did not completely comply with requirements related to the oversight of health and safety policies, training and the inspection of laboratory safety equipment.”

Each campus purchases hazardous materials that are used for instruction and research within the laboratories, classrooms and stockrooms.

The audit faulted the Chancellor’s

“We take these recommendations seriously and are working expeditiously to respond to each one.”

Office for failing to properly oversee safety at the four colleges on a variety of issues, ranging from failing to submit annual health and safety reports to not having an updated laboratory plan for hazardous chemicals. In addition to Sonoma State, the other colleges that were audited were San Diego State, California State University Channel Islands and Sacramento State.

“Considering that Sonoma has not

updated its plan for six years…the lack of documented reviews of their plans’ effectiveness is especially troubling,” the audit said regarding the university’s chemical safety plan.

The audit also pointed out that Sonoma State failed to show it had inspected any of the 17 fume hoods on campus for the nearly three years that the audit covered from 2014 to mid2017. Showers and eyewash stations in areas where hazardous materials are used also had not been properly inspected for nearly two years.

“Some of the findings confirm what we already know and are validation of the changes that are underway, while other recommendations point out important work that still needs to be done,” stated Sonoma State President Judy K. Sakaki in a prepared statement.

“We take these recommendations seriously and are working expeditiously to respond to each one.”

The audit also found that some of the universities did not comply with state law on other issues such as providing notice to employees about the presence of asbestos and posting required notification signs at the entrances to certain mechanical rooms on campus.

But auditors did note that Sonoma State had provided proper signage after the university was originally cited for not having proper notification.

Sonoma State officials say they are in the process of addressing the issues presented.

“We are already doing a better job of maintaining records of who has been trained and when,” said Joyce Lopes, vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer. “We have already updated our chemical plan and have adopted procedures to ensure all safety equipment is inspected on a

Time Lapsed Between Inspections or Flushes of Campus Equipment

Data from the California State Auditor Report 2017-119

Sonoma State STAR The California State Auditor found three of the CSU campuses neglected to adequately monitor the proper working conditions of key safety equipment. regular basis and those records are kept as required by law.”

Lopes said that Sakaki and the university leadership take campus safety seriously and have plans to address all recommendations of the issues presented in the audit, and that Sonoma State is looking forward to giving the public updates on the progress of the changes entailed within the audit.

Chancellor Timothy White has also asked the four inspected campuses to report back on what they are doing in

response to the recommendations.

In addition to the campus safety committees that already meet at each university, as law requires, the auditor claims that the universities are additionally required, under the labor contract with unions, to have a second committee to meet, record minutes and respond to the public.

However, the Chancellor and the universities dispute this finding. They concur with the others.

Pro-life protest forces campus security into action JENNIFER DE LA TORRE STAFF WRITER

L Sonoma State STAR // Justin Santos Senior Lily Carlon looks to pass the ball Seawolves double back to defend against Azusa Pacific on March 8.

Women’s water polo places third in WWPA Championship Tournament

Check out the story on Pg. 11

ast week, anti-abortion protestors made a statement on campus with large graphic visuals of aborted fetuses. The pro-life activists who protested on campus were from the Sanctity of Human Life Network, an organization that visits college campuses and high schools, spreading their message. The protest, named by the pro-life activists as the Project Truth Sanctity of Life, was held in the pathway from Stevenson Hall to the Student Center. The group gathered enough attention to also have campus security nearby.

The pro-life activists stood in the pathway handing out pamphlets with their anti-abortion message. They also had large graphic posters that were hard to miss, which were countered

by pro-choice activists nearby who were holding signs that read “donate to Planned Parenthood.”

The pro-life activists preached their beliefs, which some students had mixed emotions about.

“Yes, the protesters have the right to free speech,” said Poojan Lumbu, a senior majoring in sociology, “But I don’t think it was the right time to hand out anti-abortion papers, especially on Sexual Assault Awareness month.”

The pro-life organization filled out a free speech notification form, which can be found on Sonoma State University’s website. The form said it “is designed to facilitate free speech activities by notifying appropriate members of the campus community about the event.” see PROTEST on pg. 5

SSU ranked one of the top value schools by Forbes ASHLEY GIESKE STAFF WRITER

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very year Forbes magazine releases a list of the top value schools in America, and this year Sonoma State University came in at No. 188.

There are 300 campuses on the list that are ranked according to student return on investments. Sonoma State was also put on the list of Forbes’ Top Public Colleges in the nation last year.

Provost Lisa Vollendorf said this is a recognition the whole campus community can get behind. “I am very proud that Sonoma State made the Best Values list. This is truly something we can all celebrate.”

Vollendorf praised the university’s commitment to quality and affordability as reasons for being on the Forbes’ list. see FORBES on pg. 4

Sonoma State STAR // Christine von Raesfeld SSU students protest against the anti-abortion organization Sanctity of Human Life Network that came to campus Tuesday with powerful signs, Planned Parenthood flyers and a violinist.

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Shannon Brown, Editor-in-Chief Ethan Helms, Executive Editor Nate Galvan, News Editor Olivia Hunt, Opinion Editor Brigitte Maina, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Andrea Mendoza, Student Life Editor Bianca Sanborn, Spor ts Editor Alyssa Archerda, Photo Editor Alex Randolph, Copy Editor Alex Daniels, Adver tising Manager Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Kaytlin Abad, Stefanie Bautista, Jessica Bennett, Kathryn Catanzarite, Blake Davena, Jennifer De La Torre, Danielle Estrada, Danielle Factor, Ashley Gieske, Jacob Gonzales, Kendall Grove, Tanner Gunning, Casey Herrmann, Lindsey Huffman, Emily Jenkel, Heba Madi, Luis Mejia, Brooklynn Miller, Manny Ojeda, Kathleen Perry, Kailey Priest, Renee Rodgers, Roland Schmidt, Tatiana Serrano, Samantha Sinatra, Sierra Sorrentino, Jeno Veltri, Madison Villalobos, Aaron Waskowiak

Photographers Gabby Novello, Christine Von Raesfeld, Justin Santos, Holle Depina, Carly Wade

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Regardless of the message, free speech is vital to societal progression

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t the very least, three things can be taken away from the White House Correspondents’ Dinners on Friday night: President Donald Trump skipped the journalistic integrity-praising gala for the second year in row. He’s the only president to miss the event in 36 years. The last, according to npr. org, was Ronald Reagan, who managed to call in and apologize for his absence and joke about the assassination attempt he was recovering from.

This year, the dinner proved far more controversial as Michelle Wolf, comedienne and writer for The Daily Show, recreated the boundary line for what can be used as material.

And the need to protect, celebrate and reinforce?our First Amendment rights only grew stronger as a result.

Such controversies about free speech are not new. Last Tuesday, the east side of the Recreational Center here at Sonoma State University became the most recent site of campus activism. Spewing rhetoric about the most argued topic of the modern age, according to procon.org, students went back and forth with so-called pro-life activists about their opposition to any form of abortion. Displaying graphic, crimson-dripping images of fetuses, the path to north side of campus became impossible to pass without a seemingly

sweet elderly woman using decades old, patriarchal-enriched ideology trying to give you a flyer filled with the same ideas.

This group is not new to campus; although its location was. The Mario Savio Speakers’ Corner, the scene of antiLGBTQ supporters each year, remained as empty as the jeans laid out across the Darwin-Stevenson lawn to symbolize the unified protest against destructive attitudes about sexual assault. If the statistic-plastered posters across campus have not rung any bells, April is sexual assault awareness month. Since the fourth, ASP, partnered with passionate students, have been holding events to generate and continue conversations about attitudes and laws surrounding sexual assault.

From Take Back the Night, a march and rally to reclaim survivors’ night, to Denim Day, a wearable act of solidarity dating back to the infamous 1992 Italian court case between an 18-year-old and her 45-year-old driving instructor, the week was already a trigger for many controversies. And the pro-life supporters was the sour icing on an already fragile cake.

The right to assemble has been formally guaranteed for 227 years and counting. The right to free speech is the same.

What is not guaranteed is hate speech. With campus police

close by in case of escalation, the yelling between students and supporters turned into shaming as women were called murderers and unethical for having a say in what they do with their bodies. According to americanbar. org, words targeted to a specific person with the intention to provoke them, and with little to no social value, are not protected.

But offensive and hateful words spoken that a listener disagrees with have no lawful protection.

Shouting an outdated view on liberal arts college campus about one of the most dividing topics, is undaunting, and triggering to many, but ultimately protected by the law.

These activists aimed to provoke us. They aimed to scare us. And they sought to silence us. But because of this hate, student activism soared, and students demonstrated and exercised their rights in the name of morality. Out of this hate, students articulated their own views in a way to project and challenge the conversation.

Like Wolfe, students stood up to the oppressive mass without fear, knowing they were in their jurisdiction.

We support those who defend Wolf and her performance on Friday night, and we stand with those who went toe-to-toe with pro-life activists on campus last week. Free speech is alive and well - and needed.

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.

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Waffle House shooting hero sets example for future de-escalation

LINDSEY HUFFMAN

STAFF WRITER

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s the problem of gun violence remians unsolved, shootings have become increasingly normalized in the United States.

Reported gun violence doesn’t seem to surprise citizens anymore, but a man who singlehandedly disarmed an active shooter has gained the attention of the media.

A hero, James Shaw Jr., took action in the midst of a deadly and tragic shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee. We define heroism as one who acts with great bravery. Shaw did just that by saving four lives at the Waffle House.

Shaw tackled the shooter to the ground and managed to strip away his gun, which prevented more lives from being lost.

Authorities and the public have acknowledged and praised Shaw for his acts of bravery, but he wants people to know he’s just a regular guy.

According to ABC News, Chief Steve Anderson of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said, “It’s beyond belief that he could charge that man and take that weapon from him…

So I applaud him. It was a very brave thing to do and he saved lives.”

In an interview with CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, Shaw said, “It doesn’t take a hero to save the day. I just want to be put out there like a regular person…maybe then, if people find themselves in dangerous situations, they’ll find that same thing within them that they can project out.”

Shaw claims on his Instagram and Facebook that it was a selfish act to save his own life. He didn’t do it thinking it would save other lives in the process.

“I was completely doing it just to save myself,” he said. “ I did save other people, but I don’t want people to think that I was the Terminator or Superman or anybody like that. I figured if I was going

to die, he was gonna have to work for it.”

If it wasn’t for Shaw’s act of bravery, the potential for more lives lost would have been significant. In a time of tragedy and fearing for his life, Shaw seized the moment.

According to The Hill, a reporter named Yashar Ali started a GoFundMe page for Shaw right after the shooting occurred. Just 21 hours after the fundraiser started, it raised $105,072.

Ali wrote on the page, “The money could be used to fund Shaw’s daughter’s education, and he would be just as happy if James used some of this money to take his family on a nice vacation.”

Shaw took it upon himself to start a GoFundMe page to raise money for the families of the victims affected by the tragic shooting.

This fundraiser raised over $122,000 as of last Tuesday night.

Heroes like Shaw draw perspective on what it is truly like to fear for your own life during a shooting. Currently, you never know if your town, school or even favorite diner will be hit next.

But if more of us were willing to create agency like Shaw, we could save our own lives and others in the process.

Problematic musicians should not get free pass

MADISON VILLALOBOS

STAFF WRITER

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usic is a language in itself.

Artists make songs out of beats, and they make those beats out of chords and scales, just like you make a sentence out of words, and make those words out of letters. To the musical geniuses of the world, the ins and outs of music come to them like it is their first language.

In today’s generation the music industry is more transparent than ever before. Artists write songs alluding to social issues and controversies they have individually faced throughout their lives.

They express these experiences with honesty, whether it is detrimental to their careers or a positive push in the right direction.

Both fans and haters are quick to call artists out for their wrongdoings.

These artists typically turn to their music to give their side of the story, when their thoughts and actions make their listeners feel confused or even betrayed.

According to Noisey, people

view artists as a product of the work they create. If they appear to be decent people, viewers are more likely to listen to their music with the thought that it is appealing. On the other hand, if the public perceives an artist’s image as negative then listeners tend to become close-minded to their music.

There are some well-known artists that the public reveres for their contributions to the music industry, but have found themselves in sticky situations throughout their lives.

Elvis Presley is a music legend who shaped the history of rock and roll. There were several factors that contributed to his fame aside from his good looks, charm and voice.

Presley created music that he and the rest of the world wanted to get up and dance to. He was known for his smooth moves, timeless songs and his liking for young girls.

According to an online report by Grunge, the “appropriate” age for an Elvis girl was 14 years old, and when the 22-year-old king of rock went on tour, he took a group of his 14-yearold fans. During this time, Presley met his wife Priscilla, who was also 14 years old when he was 24.

His exes talked about the erratic and violent side of Presley in their memoirs, where they revealed how his life quickly turned upside down with drugs and violence.

Even more recent was the death of Chuck Berry, which reignited the conversation of an artist’s personal life reflecting their musical legacy.

Berry is known for putting together songs that were rich and unique, as well as making the guitar the ultimate

instrument of rock and roll music.

Critics and outsiders have defined Berry’s life by his relationships with others, which lead many to harsh judgments, and rightfully so. Berry was known for getting in some trouble with the police.

Throughout his career police charged him with having videotapes and photographs of underage girls, busted him for drug raids in his home and he violated the White Slave Traffic Act when he transported young girls over state lines to engage in sexual relations.

Meanwhile, as stated in the Riverfront Times, some fans stand by the idea that his personal flaws don’t invalidate the music he put out into the world.

Listeners create a checklist to measure all the good and bad in artists like Berry. But is the more conscientious thing to do acknowledge that the music Berry created was not a reflection of his character, even if it presented his mind and soul? It is up to the listeners to determine whether they should tie Berry’s legacy as a musician together with his personal life.

In present-day music culture, fans are at a crossroads where they want their favorite artists to be good people. But what should fans do when their favorite artist make choices that hurt others?

The decisions and intimate details of these artist’s lives are constantly exposed through social media.

After knowing what fans know, they should decide to stand by them and continue to support them or decide if it is morally correct to stop listening to their music completely.

Korean summit signals hope

AARON WASKOWIAK STAFF WRITER

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he sun was shining down over the Koreas Thursday, as North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un walked down the white concrete steps of the demilitarized zone towards President Moon Jae-in of South Korea.

As he approached his counterpart standing just over the border between the two countries, Kim’s round face lit up with a grin; an almost jovial expression as he extended his hand across in a historic moment for the two countries.

A man defined by a near annual tradition of nuclear threats against the Western world for the past seven years, Kim smiled and stepped across the border to join Moon in a summit focused on bringing peace to the peninsula.

The two leaders met in the “peace house” within the Demilitarized Zone to sign the historic Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula. Taking a private stroll together, as well as planting a symbolic tree, both leaders smiled and laughed together, much to my wonder.

According to Reuters, the North Korean leader joked he would immediately halt missile tests as to not disturb Moon’s sleep. A man criticized globally for his seeming disregard for humanitarian standards, known for brutal labor camps and harsh punishment of those attempting to leave the country, was cracking jokes?

A year ago, on June 13 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Otto Warmbier, an American student who was arrested and given a 15-year sentence during his visit to North Korea, returned home. His parents described their son as “blind, deaf and howling,” as they met him on the runway. Six days later, Warmbier died from treatment received during his time there. So forgive me for not being so overjoyed as I watched that man plant a tree.

CNN reports that the North Korean government conducted 23 missile tests last year alone.

These sparked international fear and sanctions across the world, who has watched this propaganda machine lie and deceive its 25 million citizens for decades.

Starvation is rampant, and reports like the Transnational Justice Working Group in Seoul, South Korea, which interviewed more that 300 refugees, reveal disturbing details.

“Many interviewees said that the final decision for a public execution was often inf luenced by individuals having a ‘bad’ family background in addition to the crime they were alleged to have committed,” the report said, referring to the frequent public executions that take place throughout the country.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding this historic event – and it truly is exciting. With China and Russia both making statements about denuclearization, and President Donald Trump per usual exclaiming his support via Twitter, it is a truly wonderful act of cooperation and peace the world has long been awaiting.

The Korean people deserve this peace, and the world deserves one less country waving around its nuclear weapons. However, I am apprehensive as to what Kim deserves. Will he face consequences for his actions? Or will the world forget his horrific acts in the name of peace and protecting a very unstable international situation?

I’m sure Moon sleeps easier tonight. But what about Warmbier’s family? Or the countless families of those who perished in political prisons, labor camps or in the mass famines brought on by careless leaders such as Kim? I hope they find some justice in the peace to come.

Pressure to have children declining among millennials

BROOKLYNN MILLER STAFF WRITER

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re you a mature person, able to take care of yourself? Is this a good time? What could go wrong? Do you make enough money? Are you married?

These questions are just the beginning of what women ask themselves as they decide if they want to have a baby or not. It is no longer an easy decision. Years ago, it seemed like the only important question was “are you married?” Now, that hardly matters.

Based off research by the Center for Disease Control, the New York Times said,

“births as of the year ending in September 2017, shows the total fertility rate at 1.77 lifetime births per woman, down 3.8 percent since 2015, and down 16.4 percent since its most recent peak at 2.12 in 2007.” Fertility rate is used in this context to measure how many children a women entering her reproductive years today could expect to have.

There are many reasons as to why there has been a decline in birth in the United States, the most obvious being women just don’t want to. Many women of childbearing ages cannot imagine bringing a child into a world where they can barely financially support their own lives.

How are they supposed to afford a baby as well? Aside from overbearing and extra expenses comes everyone’s favorite topic, the daunting and ever-present cloud of politics.

Jules Barrueco of Glamour said, “I lie here, taking it in, my fears growing faster than my belly… I wonder what will be left—of our democracy, our planet, our tolerance for anyone not a straight, white, Christian male—by the time this fetus becomes a complete person.”

Barrueco’s fears are not only heard by

other women, but they are felt. Yet what choice was she left with? By the time Barrueco and her Cuban immigrant husband, Al, decided to have a baby together, the clock was ticking. “For years we put it off,” Barrueco said, “Focused on our law careers, our beloved New York City, our mutual love of a stiff cocktail and an unencumbered life.”

Like thousands of women, Barrueco had used all her get-out-of-baby-jail-free cards, and the last card was on the table: have a baby now, or do not pass go; do not collect $100.

Reasoning and speculation aside, the decline in childbirth may not be a terrible thing. Planet Earth is already crawling with people, too many of whom live impoverished lives, unable to evade hunger, rancid uncleanliness or overwhelming climates.

James Hamblin of The Atlantic said it simply, “there is not enough space to house and feed everyone.”

Hamblin did not hesitate to continue when he added, “population growth has us on course for catastrophic famine and war that result from overpopulating a planet that is growing ever less habitable,” and it seems

he has a point. If the decline in childbirth is examined from a global perspective instead of a close-up view of the United States, it looks a lot less like a tragedy and more like a blessing.

Potential problems that could arise seem obsolete compared to the reality of the current global population. The New York Times said problems such as, “difficulty meeting Social Security obligations, caring for older people and maintaining economic growth could develop from lower fertility that many might not see coming.”

While these are valid points, one cannot help but wonder; is it time to adjust certain Social Security obligations? If so many of our government programs were created and continue to be in place for the people, why not reevaluate and make changes according to changing times? And as for the care of older people becoming a concern, it’s hard to doubt there will not be enough people who care and want to help.

A woman’s decision not to have a baby is very personal, and every woman has her own, specific reasons. She should not be ridiculed or questioned simply because her interests and priorities lie elsewhere in life.

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FORBES: SSU ranked 188 out of 300 top value schools continued from pg. 1

“The recognition we have received as being among the nation’s top value institutions celebrates our commitment,” said Vollendorf. “We want all qualified students in California to have access to a high-quality education, and we are proud to work at a university that helps students from all walks of life realize their dreams of a bachelor degree.”

Forbes has their own ranking system to determine which campuses make their prestigious lists.

For “value schools,” they use debt, price and earnings

when going through the requirements, along with focusing on the net price of education. This new focus takes into account the impact of a student’s financial aid along with what the campus charges for room and board. Forbes selected its list based a specific breakdown. There was 20 percent alumni earnings, 20 percent net student debt, 20 percent net price, 20 percent school quality, 10 percent timely graduation and lastly 10 percent the number of Pell Grant recipients.

On the Forbes’ website, each campus has its rank and a profile page about them, featuring facts like the school’s population, its annual cost, in-state/ outof-state tuition, percentage admitted and other vari-

ables. The site also touches on the recent Wine Business Programs and many other majors and minors that the campus offers its students.

Forbes’ list of top value schools isn’t the only list Sonoma State has recently been a part of. CollegeNet released one in 2017 that named the best schools in helping students from low-income families get degrees at affordable prices. Princeton also released a few lists in 2017 that ranked Sonoma State as some of its best. These included a rank in “Best Western College” and “Best Dorms.” This is the third year in a row that Forbes’ lists have featured Sonoma State along with Princeton’s lists.

Sonoma State STAR (left) The Jean and Charles Schulz Information center on a clear day spring day, one of the attractions on the Sonoma State University campus. (right) Two students bike near the Tuscany and Beaujolais villages.

Two social justice activists to receive honorary doctorates JACOB GONZALES

STAFF WRITER

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ot everyone can obtain the title of “doctor,” but Professor of Education H. Andrea Neves and longtime Northern California advocate for the underserved, George L. Ortiz, will receive this title for their lifetime work of helping communities both local and around the world. In May, these two will be awarded an honorary doctorate for their countless efforts over the course of their lives.

“Andréa Neves’ commitment to education and social justice, and George Ortiz’s dedication to aiding underserved, Spanish-speaking communities, embody the ideals of the California State University,” Sonoma State University President Judy Sakaki said. “Both serve as shining examples to the human capacity to elevate others through service.”

Born in the Central Valley of California in the town of Merced, Neves explored with international study, traveling worldwide. A few of her favorite countries she has visited include Tanzania, Ethiopia, Peru and Vietnam. Neves said she feels honored to recieve the award, and she will continue to travel the world and teach where she can.

Her interest in social justice through her multiple perspectives and education has resulted in a phil-

anthropic generosity that has engaged many students and has expanded campus opportunities.

Starting with Chicano Studies for 10 years and switching to Emeritus Professor of Literacy Studies and Elementary Education at Sonoma State, Neves also taught in the Stanford University School of Education.

She devoted her career to the application of her expertise in the field of global cultural anthropology and sociology, including speaking, writing and teaching of the implications of culture on the education process.

Her research has taken her all over the world, where she has built schools while working with the Full Bright Board.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City in Cultural Anthropology, a master’s degree from Sacramento State University and a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University.

Growing up East Los Angeles, Ortiz received an athletic scholarship to California State University, Fresno where he graduated with a degree in social science. After college and serving time in the U.S. Army, Ortiz’s first job was as a social worker which led him to help form multiple nonprofit and alliance organizations such as the California Human Development Corp. in Santa Rosa, Latinos Unidos of Sonoma County and GLO Consulting.

NEWS IN BRIEF Sonoma State University The year long construction and expansion project transforming the pre-existing University Commons building into the Wine Spectator Learning Center is set to be unveiled with a ribbon cutting on May 29.

The center includes three classrooms, student commons, café and garden areas and spaces for faculty and campus community alike to collaborate.

According to the School of Business and Economics, the center will become the new headquarters of the Wine Business Institute. According to the university, the project was funded by a combination of private and naming gifts totaling $11 million.

Rohnert Park Police arrested Hugo Eduardo Lopez Ferreira on April 24 for suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery and other charges, including drug possession. Between April 22-24, two different encounters involved people being held up at gunpoint in Rohnert Park parking lots in which Ferreira matched the suspect’s description in both cases, police say. The most recent case occurred at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday at the Oak View of Sonoma Hills apartments on Rohnert Park Expressway and Snyder Lane. According to officials, an unknown man approached the driver’s side window of a recently parked car, proceeded to point a gun at the driver and demanded he hand over his property. After the victim locked his doors and refused to get out, according to Sgt. Jeff Justice, the armed man fled in a red or burgundy sedan crashing into two parked cars as he left.

Syria According to a conflict monitoring group and one of Iran’s regional allies, a cache of missiles hit Syria on Sunday killing at least 16 people. The explosion, which hit facilities where Iran’s military had set up camp, set buildings on fire and caused an explosion so large that it shook the ground like a minor earthquake. Due to the war in Syria, the escalation in tension between Syria and its presumed attacker Iran has been growing. According to The New York Times, the military action has raised worries that the increasing tensions could set off a new war. President Trump’s May 12 deadline of deciding whether the will pull the United States out of the international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program is also said to be a factor in the rising hostility.

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Sonoma State STAR // Christine von Raesfeld Sonoma State students hold up signs in protest of the anti-abortion organization Sanctity of Human Life Network being on campus.

PROTEST: Pro-life organization petitioned to be on campus continued from pg. 1

“I think the protest is empowering.” Christine Von Raesfeld, a sophomore majoring in communications, said. “It’s a little pointless considering that they came to a super liberal campus. I don’t really know what they expect us to do other than protest and have someone play the violin while we do it.”

Mo Phillips, director of student involvement, said they checked to make sure they were not in the exact areas of other events that were supporting Sexual Assault Awareness month. In regards to the graphic visuals that the protestors used on display, Phillips said they allowed the group on campus because they are part of the display they petitioned to have on campus.

Elizabeth Burch, a communications professor teaching media ethics and law,

thought the protest had a negative impact on students learning in class.

“I would have preferred they were not on campus, not only because I personally support a woman’s right to choose but also because they disrupted my class since multiple students became too distracted to learn,” said Burch. “That really bothers me because, after Roe vs. Wade, more women were able to pursue an education than ever before. The protestors know this, so they target places where women are going to school.”

On the importance of Sexual Assault Awareness month on campus, Phillips said it is “one time throughout not just the campus, but the country, that we focus on education revolving around issues of sexual assault, bystander behavior, support services and much more. It is a time for the campus community, students, staff and faculty alike to stand up and say ‘no more,’ ‘not here’ and that it’s everyone’s responsibility to stop this from happening.”

CAMPUS CRIME Date

Crime

Location

Status

April 22

Malicious Mischief to Vehicle

F Parking Lot

Closed

April 23

Hit and Run

Parking Lot R12

Unfounded

April 23

Petty Theft

Rec. Center

Suspended

April 24

Disturbing the Peace

Zinfandel Pool

Unfounded

April 24

Stalking

M Parking Lot

Unfounded

April 25

D.U.I

Parking Lot R5

Unfounded

April 26

Disturbing the peace

Baseball Field

Unfounded

April 27

Driving Without a License/ D.U.I

Wolf Den Plaza

Arrest

SEARCHING FOR MORE STAR COVERAGE? Visit www.sonomastatestar.com for more online content!

6 Arts

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Dance department radiates in spring production CASEY HERRMANN STAFF WRITER

T

he Dance Department hit the stage running in Person Theatre with two intensely energized performances from the dancers dealing with many COURTESY // James Wirth current political topics – some recent, and others that (Top) During “Anchored,” performers gracego back centuries, for their fully move into their next positions. annual Spring showcase.

(Left) Students perform in “White Picket The opening piece, Fences.”

“White Picket Fences,” Choreographed by Courtney J. Cook, Marjani Forté-Saunders and Love Muwwakkil in collaboration with the performers, is notable as it includes choreography by the Urban Bush Women. For seven weeks, the collective has been in residency at Sonoma State: three in the fall and four in the spring. Christine Cali, an assistant professor of dance, recalled her experience with the troupe as a “two-decade long love for the Brooklyn-based dance company’s work,” as she first saw them in 1995 when she was an undergraduate student at Ohio University.

In the piece, the performers move against a backdrop of the titular white fence. The dance moves are both flowing and energized, recognizable as a modern and hip-hop style. As the movement on stage continues, text on the backdrop begins to appear, highlighting both history and the feeling of the mythology behind the white picket fence in American consciousness – or more accurately, what was cruelly forced onto already marginalized communities in the 1950’s in order to keep the white picket fence white.

The costume choices are as always far from coincidental, as the constant red lines in the performer’s clothes helps reflect the Federal Government’s practice of Redlining: refusing people loan money to pay for a house in the suburbs because the area they

lived in, usually predominantly black neighborhoods, marked them as a financial risk.

This culminates in some very impressive dancework, while the backdrop slowly shifts to show just how artificial the construct of the white picket fence is.

After a short break, the second piece, “Anchored,” choreographed by Christine Cali and Kristen Daley in collaboration with the performers, opened with a short monologue by one the performers reciting the lyrics of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s 1992 number one radio hit, “Baby Got Back,” with a vocal performance by Danna Friedman far more inquisitive than the original recordings. “I like big butts and I cannot lie,” Friedman said in a curious tone as the audience laughed.

The dances were very well choreographed, showing an excellent motion control, especially in one particularly memorable scene where the performers ran back and forth on stage like cogs in a machine, some occasionally stopping and stuttering in place before resuming. These stutterings began to increase in frequency until finally all the performers stood in a line, moving to face the audience, probing them with questions. “Are you listening?” one performer asked. “We will not be silenced,” another added. “No,” another simply stated. “‘Anchored’ employs text, music and movement to interrogate and examine ideas around ‘resistance,’ ‘language’ and ‘power,’ while responding and reflecting on current social issues,” said Daley. “The dancers’ ideas and voices are the anchor of this dance… [they] support, stabilize and secure each other throughout this dance, not just physically but through a kinetic, embodies and energetic translation.”

The pieces were well received, as the audience loudly applauded the performances.

“It was incredibly rewarding and transformational to work with the Urban Bush Women,” Daley said.

The show’s incredible talent doesn’t stop at the performers and the choreographers, as the costumes are well-selected, the music evokes feeling where they most need it, and the light and projection work suit the pieces perfectly. Overall, the Spring Dance show moves the audience as much as it does the performers.

Post Malone’s sophomore

album follows the featuresfilled trend

Review BLAKE DAVENA STAFF WRITER

E

veryone and their mom has heard “Rockstar” and “Psycho” since they dropped in 2017 and 2018, respectively. However, Post Malone has shocked the world with the release of his new album, “beerbongs and bentleys.” In its first week, the album has already broken Spotify streaming records set by J. Cole’s “KOD.” Saying the emotions used in Malone’s album range wide would be an understatement. Malone dropped his debut album, “Stoney,” in 2016. Fans have waited to see how he would follow up his success since the release of the title of his second album back in early 2017. After releasing two tracks included in the album, we knew he was coming out swinging. “beerbongs and bentleys” has its fair share of tracks that help show off the benefits that come with the mass

success he’s found. Tracks including “Takin’ Shots” and “Zack and Codeine,” where he describes part of his party lifestyle, are some of many in the rap genre that flaunt money and fame. Even though he bases the songs in a premise we’ve seen before, Malone doesn’t billboard.com fail to put his own artistic touch on the tracks, making them easy favorites for spring and summer of 2018. Performing during both Coachella weekends, On “Same B******,” Malone teams up with G-Eazy Post Malone’s popularity only soared after and YG for what could arguably be one of the album’s “bb&b’s” release, getting streamed over 78 milhottest tracks. The three put it all on the track and give lion times worldwide. fans a team-up they’ve been waiting for.

However, there are pieces that slow it down a bit so Malone can show us the pain and struggles that he has ments and beats that make each song different from the faced in his career and life. Tracks like “Blame It On last. On top of his wide-ranging beats, Malone displays Me,” “Rich and Sad” and “Paranoid” show you that be- a unique sense for lyricism which brings to the listeners hind all the partying and fame is a man who is not im- hooks that get stuck in their heads for days on end and mune to finding pain in aspects of life. These dive into can continue to be entertaining; as in the track “Candy these aspects of his life, which many artists hide. His Paint,” where he places the line “ I love paper like I’m fans are able to connect with him on an emotional level Michael Scott.” This line is a tip of the hat to fans of the that really creates an artist-fan bond. show “The Office,” which brings a smile to the face of Along with the usual popular track-making that all almost any college-aged listener that is a fan of both the top artists have, Malone implements a variety of instru- show and Malone.

In Photos: BFA Exhibition BRIGITTE MAINA A&E EDITOR

The annual Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition displays graduate work of ranging forms and technique. With 14 graduates showing, the University Gallery is housing pieces that light their respective rooms, fill and create white space and ultimately evoke emotion. All paintings, sculptures and sketches are on display from April 26 to May 19.

STAR// Christine von Raesfeld (Top Left): ”Laptop Pallette” by Avery Caauwe. (Top Right): Sketches by Cullen Houser.

(Bottom Left): “Grounded” by Kellie Gillespie. (Bottom Right): Paintings by Tyler Rosales

MAY 1- MAY 2, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

imdb.com

Marvel merges stand-alones in ‘Infinity War’ Review EMILY JENKEL STAFF WRITER

T

he long-awaited and highly anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War” made its premiere on Friday as Marvel’s longest movie to date, clocking in at 160 minutes. With the cumulation of 18 Marvel films throughout the past decade and 76 characters, directors Joe and Anthony Russo had a huge weight on their shoulders in successfully integrating multiple storylines to create the most epic war in Marvel movie history. The film continues where earlier movies left off with Thanos, who in the comics is a member of the Eternals, a race of genetically engineered superhumans, continuing his quest for the Infinity Stones. Thanos is incredibly intelligent, extremely powerful and obsessed with the genocide of half of every living species. With the help of his evil sidekicks, The Black Order, his goal is to reach all six Stones that come

with their own powers.

The first stone, as seen in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” can open portals throughout the universe.

The next stone is the Mind Stone, that powers Loki’s staff in “The Avengers.” It has the ability to hypnotize and manipulate its victims. The Power Stone appeared in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and can waste entire planets. The Time Stone showed up in “Doctor Strange,” and it gives the ability to reverse time and create time loops. Then there is the Reality Stone, which one can use to alter the nature of reality itself. The Soul Stone can give Thanos the ability to control all living souls and resurrect the deceased – in the comics, at least.

With the Avengers splitting up after the events of “Civil War,” they must put personal differences aside to prevent Thanos from attaining these powerful stones. The Guardians of the Galaxy, who have the same goal, unite with the Avengers. Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson and War Machine join forces with Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Okoye, Mantis, Star Lord, Thor, Rocket Raccoon, Dr. Strange,

Groot, Star Lord, Vision, Spider-Man, Black Panther and Thor in their efforts to destroy the powerful Thanos.

With so many heroes in this movie, the Russo brothers separated characters into groups where they were able to maximize the humor of the interactions, giving the movie the punches of humor Marvel is known for.

The action sequences in “Infinity War” are outstanding, staying true to the panels of the comic books and creating inspiration for the filmmakers. The special effects were impressive with little to no flaws, and the Russo brothers packed every scene with action and dialogue, leaving the viewer at the edge of their seat.

Some critiques are some characters acting unexpectedly, due to so few writers and so many dynamics between characters. The movie brings together all the individual plots that previous movies built, leading up to this cinematic epic journey to save the universe. The film will shock and satisfy Marvel fans with each action-packed scene leading into the next, until the grand not-so-finale, leaving fans ready for the next part in the journey of the superheroes and villains.

Streaming availability benefits listeners more than artists Commentary SIERRA SORRENTINO STAFF WRITER

S

potify, Apple Music, YouTube and Netflix, also known as the kings of streaming, have been rapidly taking over their respective industries for years now. However, digital downloads and streaming are beginning to dominate an artists’ income while album sales, more specifically physical albums, are seeing a gradual decline each year. As of 2017, according to Statista, physical album sales and digital downloads only make up a combined total of 32 percent of music industry revenue in the United States. Oppositely, streaming is proving the top dog of the music industry by holding 65 percent of that revenue.

Now, all hope for physical album sales are not lost yet. According to Digital Music News, physical albums alloted for 53 percent of all album sales, including streaming, in 2017. This means that the impending extinction of CDs and vinyl dragging on longer than expected. Thank you, hipsters.

Since music’s birth, physical albums, varying from cassettes to digital downloads, have provided a secure form of income. However, streaming’s ever-growing presence brings up the question; does streaming really aid artists or is it a sleazy middleman that takes a huge

chunk of profit and leaves them with scraps?

Of course, album sales and streaming are not the only factors people need to consider; concerts, merchandise and music festival performances also need to be taken into account. If you are a popular artist, like Beyoncé, it is pretty much guaranteed that your tour will shower you in dollar bills. However, less mainstream artists are not guaranteed the same success and rely more heavily on album sales and digital downloads than their mainstream counterparts. Therefore, major streaming companies such as Spotify are ripping away and sometimes profiting from a rather large portion of their income.

“Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for,” Taylor Swift said in 2014 in regards to her refusal to give Spotify the permission to stream her music.

Since then, Swift has definitely changed her tune, with most of her music now available for streaming. However, she does bring up a good point; artists across all genres invest not only money but also time and heart, so isn’t it only fair that they be properly compensated for that?

Granted, streaming apps like Spotify do give artists money in exchange for their music, but it is not as much as one may think. According to CNBC, as of 2017, Spotify pays roughly 6 to 84 cents per stream to the holder of the music rights. The “holder” is not typically just one person, either; the artist, record label, producer and so on can all share the rights, and then share that small fraction of the dollar per stream. This is yet another reason artists have

learned to live by the numbers, because the higher they are, the more money they are likely to earn.

On one hand, one can see streaming as a chance to further, or enhance, an artists’ popularity because apps like Spotify and Apple Music give them “free” advertising to their millions of users worldwide. Oppositely, these companies can also be directly or indirectly patronizing the income of smaller artists by making the ratio of streams to dollars heavily skewed. According to AdWeek, one million plays on Spotify equates to about $7,000, and the same amount of plays on Pandora is even less – about $1,650. These payments are very low in comparison to the number of streams and do not accurately reflect the success the song or album has earned.

The number one most streamed song on Spotify as of April, according to Statista, was Drake’s “Nice For What,” with 41.8 million streams. The most Drake and any of the others who also share the music rights could earn for would be about $351,120. There is no denying that this is a lot of money for one track – some people don’t even earn that much in a year. However, for an artist of his caliber, and the high chance that he will divvy up those earnings even further, it appears as if Drake is being jipped. If this is what a reputable, Grammy awardwinning rapper makes, it is not a far-fetched assumption that an up-and-coming artist makes a tiny fraction of that. Streaming apps somewhat force artists into giving their music away for pennies on the dollar to not only make some profit, but to also ensure relevancy.

‘The Week Of’ retells cliche storyline with little change Review

KATHLEEN PERRY STAFF WRITER

W

e’ve all seen that movie – the one where the bride and groom are going to get married but the family messes it all up one way or another. We know all the character types; the wacky relatives, the weird relatives, the good, bad and ugly that make up every family in every movie. We’ve seen Adam Sandler being a family man and we’ve heard Chris Rock’s funny one-liners. And that’s just the problem with “The Week Of ” on Netf lix: we’ve basically already seen it.

Directed by Robert Smigel and filled with a promising cast of comedians like Sandler, Rock, Steve Buscemi and Rachel Dratch, as well as a broad storyline about marriage and merging families, the movie seemed like it could be the ultimate comedy-drama-romance film. However, this movie brought nothing new to the table and instead recycled the same cliche narrative that Hollywood has done a million times before.

The movie begins on a Monday, and very slowly progresses day-by-day leading up to Saturday – the day of the wedding. The slow progression of the film is really drawn out, as the audience literally sees each morning and night and everything in between of each day throughout the week. At some points, the movie feels like it is moving in real-time.

Along the way, the audience sees few appearances from the highly bated Rock and Buscemi. Instead, viewers follow Sandler as he scrambles to accommodate all the strange family members that Smigel picked from every other movie made before this one. Trying to add humor to the dry plot, Smigel makes Sandler balance all the wackiness and stress that comes with wedding planning on a very small budget. In fact, the plot revolves around Sandler not having a lot of money to give his daughter a big, lavish wedding.

Furthermore, Smigel filled the film with scenes that often try too hard and as a result, end up coming off as awkward and distasteful, including some jokes on mental health and racism. Between the two families—the Jewish American girl marrying the African-American guy—there was a lot of room to embrace different cultures and the difficulties that come up when trying to merge two of them together. Unfortunately, Smigel just missed his opportunity to do so and instead covered it up with bad humor.

Sandler, known for his big roles in “50 First Dates,” “Click” and “Happy

imdb.com

With a run time of 116 minutes, “The Week Of” reunites the comedic pair that’s brought us “The Longest Yard,” “Grown Ups” and “Top Five.”

Gilmore,” has recently been getting a lot of mediocre reviews for his recent roles, especially in his other Netf lix originals. This is just another movie to add to that same list as Sandler’s career slows.

“The Week Of ” is Sandler’s first widely promoted film of 2018, as well as Rock’s first movie of the year. Sandler has several credits in other films such as “Hotel Transylvania” in 2017. However, this is Rock’s first film appearance since his last movie, “Sandy Wexler,” another poorly reviewed film with Sandler.

Overall, this movie was incredibly disappointing. Sandler and Rock have both starred in many staple movies – the kind of movie that audiences will watch and then watch again and probably again too. Unfortunately, “The Week Of ” is not one of those movies; the plot was slow, the movie was long and the jokes were unoriginal.

8 Student Life

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Courtesy // UndocuScholars Coalition Last year’s Undocu5k participants during the first ever event that aims to raise $5,000 going towards scholarships for undocumented students.

Annual Undocu5k aims to raise money for undocumented students’ education STEPHANIE BAUTISTA

STAFF WRITER

“A

s a citizen it is my role and responsibility to use my privilege to advocate for our undocumented communities, especially during the social and political climate we are in right now,” Aracely Durón said. “I won’t face any repercussions out of talking for them and being an advocate for them.”

Students for Quality Education hosted its second Undocu5k in hopes of raising $5,000 dollars to provide scholarships for undocumented students at Sonoma State.

There were awards for different age categories from first to third place. The group encouraged students and community members to come out and support the event.

It has become a priority to many faculty and students who belong to the club to work together and provide support for the immigrant and undocumented community.

Briana Rodriguez, the lead of the Undocu5k, has worked for months to

put this event together. Rodriguez started this event for the first time last year when she came up with the idea after meeting people from CSU Long Beach who had put the same event on at their campus.

“Overall, I hope it brings advocacy towards this event, because we need to support our immigrant and our undocumented community,” Rodriguez said. “I think that starting this event will start a domino effect with other schools and organizations that want to do the same.”

This year’s keynote speaker at the Undocu5k was Ariana Aparicio, a Sonoma State alumni and DACA recipient, who is now headed to further her education at Harvard University to finish her master’s degree.

“She is a great example of what collective and student-led initiatives can accomplish,” said Mariana Martinez, the McNair Scholars research coordinator.

Aparicio worked closely with undocumented students for over two years to turn the UndocuResource Center from proposal to a reality. Various orga-

nizations such as URGE Sonoma State, MECHA de SSU, Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social de SSU and UndocuScholars Coalition Club came together to spread the word of the Undocu5k and to give their support with the event.

Aracely Durón, Rodriguez’s assistant, has gone out to the community to post flyers and has presented in classrooms to spread the word of the event to show the importance of supporting the immigrant and undocumented students on campus.

The event is by students for students, and their goal is to emphasize the lack of attention the minority community still receives from the campus. Students are advocating for more support with the financial hardships that come with their education and for more on campus resources.

“For most undocumented students they are still short on being able to cover the cost of attendance at Sonoma State or any of the universities they are attending,” Martinez said.

It’s an issue that most undocument-

ed students on campus feel the school overlooks. Mariana hopes that community members and students who attend this event will show undocumented students there are other students on campus here to support and be an ally to them.

“I feel like it’s not only going to provide them with scholarships, but it is going to help them have a mindset where they know that there are people on campus that care about them, want to help and advocate for them,” Durón said.

All the money raised at the Undocu5k will be going towards the Educación Sin Fronteras scholarship, where Rodriguez will work with Monica Cornejo, former chair of the UndocuScholars Coalition, to select the recipients of the scholarship.

Rodriguez hopes to see the Undocu5k continue to grow and for it to become an annual event that students can always count on.

“It is exciting to see how things are being done differently from last year and how we are improving as we go,” Durón said.

LinkedIn helps facilitate job and internship opportunities for students KAILEY PRIEST

STAFF WRITER

T

he rise of LinkedIn has embedded itself as essential in the occupational search industry. Especially for college students in search of internships and possible jobs for the end of their college career.

A specific workshop designed to understand and develop oneself through LinkedIn made its way to Sonoma State University on Thursday.

Samantha Long, a senior sociology major who is also the campus relations coordinator at Sonoma State, believes college students develop a strong skill set while in college through work, courses and on campus involvement, making it ideal to market those skills for future jobs.

According to Long, 85 percent of recruiters will go to LinkedIn before any other job search tool.

“We host LinkedIn workshops at least once a semester, if not more,” Long said. “The goal of the LinkedIn workshop was to improve our student’s marketability when they begin searching for jobs.”

“Our world is so driven by social media and technology and the use of the internet, we wanted to make sure our students have the proper tools to succeed,” Long said.

Huascar Pereira, a junior business major, heard about LinkedIn through his teachers. This enabled him to give it a shot and see what it could do for him.

“What led me to create an account was my curiosity to try new things out,” Pereira said. “Therefore I created my

LinkedIn profile, to not only have it for future applications but also to build up my profile and resume.

“When finishing my LinkedIn pro-

“Our world is so driven by social media and technology and the use of the internet, we wanted to make sure our students have the proper tools to succeed.” file, my hopes were to potentially land an internship near graduation or land a fulltime job with an established firm or a start up,” Pereira said. “Providing a workshop on campus is a very smart move, because you know students are using it so might as well help them use it to the best of their ability.”

Senior and sociology major Sophia Plotkin heard about LinkedIn from her father, who is the vice president of academic affairs at Clackamas Community College.

“I have found several cool jobs to apply to through LinkedIn,” Plotkin said.

“Also, I have been able to contact people I used to work with easily, so I think it’s a good way to keep track of professional life and also make new connections with companies and recruiters.

“LinkedIn is a great idea because it’s really similar to other social networks but used for a totally different purpose,” Plotkin said. “I think young people are familiar with social media, so using it for

work feels very natural, making LinkedIn a popular choice.”

With everything being digital nowadays it is necessary to bring the search for a job to the same standard. Although not everyone possesses a tech savvy quality, another plus of the workshop was to build that skill set.

For many it is still a search, while others have found their career choice.

Shelby Olivas, a senior business marketing major, found a job she really wanted with Blackstone Technology Group as a business development manager.

One of her professors exposed Olivas to LinkedIn in freshman year when they

LinkedIn.com assigned it as homework to create an account.

“I like LinkedIn because it allows me to keep my profile updated, learn about potential new clients, candidates, or coworkers,” Olivas said. “I stay up to date on business and things I am interested in.”

“I think it is so popular right now because so many processes are moving to technology and a lot of the hiring process takes place via LinkedIn,” Olivas said.

“By keeping you profile up to date and producing activity on the platform it increased the chances of someone important finding your profile.”

Student Life 9

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves SPEAK!

What are your favorite things to do when the weather is warm?

KATY CATANZARITE STAFF WRITER

W

ith Summer practically around the corner and recent temperatures rising, students are taking advantage of the warm days to enjoy spending time outdoors.

The STAR had the chance to ask students what their favorite warm weather activities are.

“I love to go to amusement parks. I also enjoy sitting outside my house during golden hour when there’s a slight breeze.”

-Jackie Garcia, third year early childhood studies major

“When the weather is warm I enjoy going hiking, boating, working out, playing sports and adventuring.”

-Dante Fernandez, third year criminal justice major

“My favorite warm weather activities include swimming and tanning or reading a good book under the warm sun.”

“When the weather gets warm, I enjoy going up to Lake Don Pedro with my family to spend the day boating and relaxing.”

-Lesly Carillo, second year prenursing major

-Izzy Lopez, second year early childhood studies major

“My favorite thing to do when the weather is warm is to have a picnic at Crane Creek Park or Taylor Mountain Regional Park. I also love to spend the warm days at the beach with friends, listening to music and having fun.”

“Sit outside with my roommates, chill and watch the sun go down.”

-Molly Butler, third year early childhood studies major

-Mara Patino, second year Hutchins major

Wednesday, May 2

Friday,

Movie Extravaganza

May 4

4:30 p.m.

ASP Presents: Arts Walk

Laura Gayle Fields

11 a.m.

Darwin & Stevenson

It’s A Guy Thing

Quad

6 p.m.

The HUB

Guitar Ensemble 7:30 p.m.

Thursday,

Looking for more STAR coverage?

Schroeder Hall

May 3 Career Advising Hours

Saturday,

10 a.m.

May 5

Salazar 1070

Natural History Hikes 10 a.m.

Treats and Trending

Fairfield Osborn

5 p.m.

Preserve

The HUB

Visit www.sonomastatestar.com to read online!

10 Sports

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Men’s golf team places third at CCAA Championship, Tournament earning NCAA Division II regional berth ROLAND SCHMIDT STAFF WRITER

F

ollowing its third-place finish at the CCAA Championship Tournament held at Butte Creek Country Club in Chico, the Sonoma State University men’s golf team earned its twelfth NCAA Regional Championship berth in 13 years and will compete against top West and South-Central Region programs for a chance to play in the Division II Finals in Alabama.

Prior to its selection, Sonoma State teed off against Cal State Monterey Bay with the knowledge that one strong, final effort in the conference semi-finals would give it control of its own destiny. Those hopes sliced right off the course and into the committee’s hands.

In the 18-hole finale, the Otters blitzed the Seawolves, earning themselves a 3-2 matchplay victory and a shot at Chico State in the championship match, one they’d eventually lose 3-2.

Notable performances from Devin Gregg and Dexter Simonds put Sonoma State one match win away from advancing to the medal match, but losses from Ian Hofmann, Armand Melendez and Spencer Clapp kept it one shy, leaving its future tourney hopes in the hands of the NCAA selection committee.

“We knew we had played well in the spring season

and done all that we could to get where we were,” Clapp said. “We knew there was a good chance we were getting into regionals being ranked third in our region, so I think that really helped us out.”

With the CCAA tournament in the rearview mirror, Sonoma State has the arduous task of competing in a deep regional field, one that includes top-seeded Chico State, Dixie State, CSU Monterey Bay, Colorado-Colorado Springs, St. Mary’s (Texas) and Texas A&M Commerce.

By no means is this impossible, but to move on to the next round in Alabama the team will need to place in the top three within the region and fire collective scores in the high-60s and low-70s.At the links-style course (La Paloma Course) at Tascosa Golf Club, the venue for the regional tournament, players will need to prepare for the difficulties of links golf, but continue with the same urgent approach that they have taken all season.

“I think the most important thing we can do to prepare for Texas is to just keep doing the same routine we have been doing,” Clapp said. “We’ll be working out with the team every Thursday and on our own during the rest of the week, practicing every Tuesday and Thursday, and just continue to feel like we’re accomplishing something every day both on and off the golf course.”

Golf can be an inconsistent sport. One day you can play great, and the next could be the worst round of your

life; it’s the nature of the activity. In order for this year’s squad to move on, each player will need to remain positive in the face of impending adversity, a thought not lost on Clapp.

“My biggest takeaway is that we can be as good as anyone in our conference, but it just depends on the day,” he said. “That’s the great thing about golf: one day you can be at an all-time high, and the next you can play at an all-time low. The way I battle my lows is to just stay positive and realize it’s one round of golf and it doesn’t reflect who I am as a person or how my golf game is. If I just stick to my routine and grind out the best round I can for myself and my team, everything will be fine.”

As the annual tourney draws near, the six-man team will need to rely on one another to craft the best possible results against top-tier schools like Chico State, Dixie State, and Cal State Monterey Bay during the three-day tournament beginning May 7 through May 9. Sticking together will be essential.

“We have a really close family,” Clapp said. “It’s easy to connect with all of our teammates being that there’s only six of us. It’s even easier to connect because we all get along really well, and if one of us is having issues dilemmas, we’ll each be right there ready to help in any way possible.”

Softball more than just a sport for senior infielder Karly Macadangdang KAYTLIN ABAD STAFF WRITER

S

ports do more than teach athletes how to perfect their game. For some, it serves as an escape; a form of meditation. This is the case with Sonoma State University softball player and senior Karly Macadangdang.

Growing up on the island of Oahu, Macadangdang has played the game for as long as she can remember.

Wrapping up her last season as No. 11, she reflects on her time as a Sonoma State softball player.

“Being on the SSU softball team has taught me an immense number of life lessons,” she said. “Always be confident in myself, always persevere, take care of the little things and have fun. This softball program is the hardest-working program I have ever been a part of.

The coaches and teammates push you past your limits to become a stronger player and person.”

With 141 at bats and 48 hits throughout the season,

Macadangdang has the highest batting average at .340, second-highest slugging percentage at .518 and an on-base percentage of .440.

Macadangdang’s stellar performance did not just take place at the plate, but out on the field as well.

“My favorite position to play is first base, because of the challenging reaction time. I’m constantly in each play, and having the ability to react to line drives or grounders and diving for foul balls are always my favorite,” she said.

Macadangdang proves her golden glove skills with the highest amount of double plays throughout the season and a .980 fielding percentage.

Despite typical playing time competition between athletes, softball has taught

Macadangdang that competition is not the most important thing when playing on a team.

“When you spend so much time with a group of people, they become family,” she said. “And I can tell you now that my family is one of the strongest and hardworking group of people I know.”

After graduation, Macadangdang plans to return to Hawai’i for graduate school to pursue her career as a nurse.

“My most remarkable memory as a player on the SSU softball team has to be my freshman year, when we made history by making it to super regionals which contains the best 16 teams,” Macadangdang said.

“This sport has taught me more about life than anything else could. Without softball I don’t know where I would be as a person, and I am forever thankful for what this sport has done for me.”

Seawolves take one of four in East Bay JESSICA BENNETT STAFF WRITER

“B

aseball is a game of adversity and failure, so the position we are in is just an opportunity to show our true character in the face of adversity,” Grant St. Martin said.

Although Sonoma State University’s starting pitcher, Michael Warning, and Cal State East Bay’s Alex Vesia both had outstanding performances, the series swung in favor of the Pioneers. Warning pitched a total of five innings, giving up four hits and two walks but had four K’s during Friday’s performance.

“I just focused on throwing strikes and executing pitches like every outing,” he said. “I didn’t feel any pressure, I know we are a good team and I was expecting us to win the series. We will definitely be playing with some fire this next series.”

Relieving for Warning was junior right-handed pitcher Tyson Canfield. It didn’t take long for East Bay to score a run in both the sixth and seventh innings.

The Seawolves attempted to keep up, and in the top of the ninth Bryce Nagata smashed a homer which set the Seawolves only one run behind. Sadly, the Seawolves couldn’t recover with the final score 2-1 in favor of East Bay. Dominic Garihan went seven innings in game two, giving up four runs and striking out two batters. Sonoma State had the hot start early, with six earned runs in the second inning. Matthew Richards’ triple allowed Joshua Montelongo and Joshua Lenney to score, putting Sonoma State at a 6-2 advantage.

Sonoma State pressed even harder late in the game, scoring two runs in the seventh, four in the eighth, and one in the ninth. The Pioneers couldn’t stop

the Seawolves’ offensive fury and Sonoma State took the nine-point lead and victory, 13-4.

Unfortunately, Sonoma State couldn’t hold its momentum from game two, losing game three 5-2.

Starting off, East Bay gained an early lead against the Seawolves in the first two innings. Coming up top of the third, Nagata scored again, but Sonoma State remained scoreless for the rest of the game while East Bay pushed forward, earning two more runs in the sixth and the final 5-2 victory.

Going into game four, right off the bat East Bay took the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the second. However, coming back in the fifth was Nagata and Rayson Romero, placing Sonoma State in the lead, until three outs later when East Bay was up to the plate. East Bay took the lead yet again during the bottom of the fifth so the score was 4-2. With a lot of ball game left, Sonoma State felt hopeful.

Coming in with his seventh homer of the year was St. Martin.

“I believe that we as a team do a good job of bouncing back and staying calm when our backs are against the wall,” he said.

Sadly, Sonoma State gave up two runs in the eighth, causing another final loss 6-3.

Michael Byerline started this game and went five innings, giving up three runs and taking the loss on his pitching record.

“The odds are not in our favor, but that won’t change the fact that we will do everything we can to make it to playoffs,” Byerline said.

With regular season coming to an end, the Seawolves will come back home to play against San Francisco State at 11 a.m. on Friday.

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld The team watches from the sidelines (left). Senior outfielder Mitch West connects with the ball (right).

Sports 11

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

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STAR // Holle Depina Junior driver Taylor Brooks maneuvers around her defender.

Sonoma State water polo team places third in WWPA Championship Tournament JENO VELTRI

STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State University women’s water polo team traveled down to La Jolla last weekend to take part in the WWPA Championship Tournament.

The Seawolves entered the tournament as the fifth seed, with an overall 6-18 regular season record and 2-5 in conference play.

The WWPA quarterfinal round took place on Friday afternoon; the Seawolves faced the fourth seed Fresno Pacific Sunbirds at the Canyonview Aquatic Center.

The first period of play between the two teams was very contested, and the score was 2-1 in favor of the Seawolves after the first period of play. Taylor Brown and Amanda Weddle led the Seawolves, along

with an assist from Lily Carlon who put the Seawolves ahead of the Sunbirds. The Sunbirds were able to get on the board with the help from a goal from Hannah Holly and an assist from Emma McBride.

The Seawolves came back out strong in the second period by holding the Sunbirds from scoring throughout the second period of play. The Seawolves went on to score two goals of their own with one by Cassidy Mundt at four minutes of play, along with a goal scored by Weddle with a second left before halftime.

The Seawolves played a strong first half and lead the Sunbirds by a score of 4-1 going into the second half of regulation.

The Seawolves came out scoring first in the third period thanks to the efforts of Taylor Brooks, Mundt, and Jordan Williams, whom brought in three important goals that set the tone for the rest of the game.

The Sunbirds were able to come up with one but were trailing 7-2 going into the fourth period. The Seawolves had a very slow fourth period by not picking up any goals in the later course of the game. The Sunbirds hoped to catch a late comeback in the final period by picking up three goals in the last period, but ultimately fell short to the Seawolves.

The Seawolves came out with a 7-5 upset win over the Sunbirds, moved to 7-18 and would face off against the No. 1 seed UC San Diego in a semifinals match on Saturday afternoon.

The Seawolves’ matchup on Saturday did not turn out the way the Seawolves hoped, getting beat by the Tritons by a score of 11-1 in the semifinals matchup.

Brown accomplished the only goal on the scoreboard by the Seawolves, which was also the first score of the game between the two teams. With the loss, the Seawolves’ record moved to 7-19, and they faced off against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters in the third place game on Sunday afternoon.

The first period of the Sunday matchup was a very contested back and forth as the Seawolves lead 3-2 going into the second period of play. Weddle, Carlon and Mundt lead the Seawolves, all scoring goals in the first period of gameplay. The opposing Otters came away with two goals by the efforts of Nicole Lyckfors and Olivia Woolery.

The second period of play resulted in both teams firing back with a goal of their own done by the efforts of the Seawolves’ Brooks and the Otters’ Woolery. Both picked up their second goal of the matchup.

The Seawolves led the Otters by a score of 4-3 going into the second half of play. Going into the third period, the Seawolves started out strong, picking up two goals in the third period from the efforts of Weddle and Mundt, which was also their second individual goals as well for both players.

The Seawolves entered the final period with a score of 6-4 and hoped to keep pushing the momentum until the end. The Seawolves were only able to come away with one goal in the final period, but the opposing Otters came out with three decisive goals, which would result in a 7-7-overtime matchup. The Otters went on to pick up the first goal in the first half of overtime, thanks to the efforts of Megan Dahlson. As the second period of overtime was nearing, Brown was able to score a tying-deciding goal which brought these two teams to sudden death overtime.

In the opening possession of sudden death, the Seawolves were able to gain first possession of the ball and secured the victory with a game-winning goal by Williams with two-and-a-half minutes left.

As a result, the Seawolves concluded their season on a strong note, by placing third in their division of eight teams in the WWPA Championship tournament.

The Seawolves will finish the season with an overall record of 8-19.

Sports Schedule Thursday May 3 Women’s Track @ CCAA Championships STAR // Holle Depina Sonoma State softball teammates watch the game from the dugout.

Sonoma State softball team splits final series against Humboldt TATIANA SERRANO STAFF WRITER

A

s the semester comes to a close, the Sonoma State University softball team wrapped up its season as well.

The last opponent the Seawolves played was the Humboldt State University Lumberjacks on Friday.

Sonoma State split the doubleheader, winning its morning game 3-1, but losing 12-4 at the end of the day. This was the last game of the regular CCAA season, as the second set of scheduled doubleheaders were rained out.

The first game the Seawolves came out strong. Sophomore Teresa Danenberg was the starting pitcher for the Seawolves. She sacrificed one run but managed to pull two strikeouts against Humboldt State.

Danenberg was solid at the mound, especially in the seventh inning as the team fought to hold the score in Sonoma State’s favor. She managed a foul out against the Lumberjacks’ hitters, but with the help of her defensive team prevented any more runs after a pop fly and double from Humboldt State.

The Seawolves were the first to lay out their bats as Jenn Amaral, senior, woke everyone up with a homer in the third inning, her second home run of the season.

Three innings later, Sonoma State increased its lead 3-0. Alee Balanon, hitting for Aubrey Blankenburg, launched a double to left field, bringing home two runners from second and third.

The Lumberjacks attempted to catch up, but Sonoma State took game one 3-1.

The day ended with a tough eight-point loss. The Seawolves took the initiative and scored first in the third inning.

Balanon followed with a double, which brought two more runs. At the bottom of the third inning, the Lumberjacks scored three runs, cutting Sonoma State’s lead down to just one run over Humboldt State.

The Lumberjacks took advantage of the momentum swing, scoring again in the fourth inning before adding two more unearned runs.

With the score at 5-4 in favor of Humboldt State, it continued its offensive run, tacking on an another seven runs in the sixth inning.

Humboldt’s Amber Orchard smashed a three-run homer, and Kelly Sonnemann’s single brought two more runs. The ‘Jacks pulled through with the 12-4 victory.

With a conference record of 19-17, the Seawolves now hold the No. 4 spot in CCAA standings behind Chico State, UC San Diego, and Stanislaus State.

Baseball @ San Francisco State 3 p.m.

Friday May 4 Women’s Track @ CCAA Championships Baseball vs San Francisco State 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Saturday May 5 Women’s Track @ CCAA Championships Baseball @ San Francisco State Noon Monday May 7 Men’s Golf NCAA West/South Central Super Regional Women’s Golf NCAA Super Region 4

12 Photo Fraternities face off at ‘Greek Os’

MAY 1 - MAY 7, 2018

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STAR // Gabriella Novello Nate Moneda spikes the ball over the net in ‘Greek Os.’

STAR // Gabriella Novello Tyee Strokman, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, hits the ball over the hands of his opponents from Alpha Psi.

STAR // Gabriella Novello A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon beating a member of Alpha Sigma Phi to the ball in ‘Greek Os.’

STAR // Carly Wade Members of Sigma Lambda Beta perform at the MGC Stroll Showcase.

STAR // Carly Wade Lambda Theta Nu perform at the MCG Stroll Showcase.

STAR // Gabriella Novello Brian Fritsche, Alpha Sigma Phi member, prepares to spike the ball as Tau Kappa Epsilon member Tyee Strokman prepares to block it.

STAR // Gabriella Novello Alpha Sigma Phi member Ben Coit attempts to steal the ball from Gabe Russo, a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.