Volume 80 // Issue 6

IN THIS Dick’s Sporting Goods Local Dick’s employee and STAR staff ISSUE writer shares his take on the company’s

NAK’s Miss Greek

Multicultural fraternity NAK hosted its annual Miss Greek charity Pageant.

Pg. 8.

new gun rules. Pg. 3.

SSU football

Gone and definitely forgotten: Why Sonoma State’s football team will be lost to history. Pg. 10.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 80 // ISSUE 6 MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

Counseling services still seeing people due to wildfires JENNIFER DE LA TORRE STAFF WRITER

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n top of keeping up with homework, schedules, projects and grades, there are Sonoma State students who struggle with the financial instability and mental health repercussions from the North Bay wildfires.

Due to a $150,000 grant by the North Bay Fire Relief fund awarded to SSU on February 26, the university is able to continue to help students who were affected by the wildfires. The grant will help aid students for mental health counseling, scholarships and other needs.

The North Bay Fire Relief Fund is the result of a partnership involving The Press Democrat, state Sen. Mike McGuire and the Redwood Credit Union, created to help the people and businesses affected by the North Bay fires.

According to Sonoma State University, the grant will help counseling services, establishing an emergency scholarship fund, and it will supplement the already existing Noma Gives Fund.

The wildfire erupted on October 8, 2017. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, insurers reported 4,712 that are total losses. Sonoma County suffered the most destruction with 3,963 homes destroyed.

An estimated 100,000 people were forced to f lee their homes. The death toll for these fires was 43, according to Reuters. For SSU, 50 students and staff members, including university President Judy Sakaki, lost their homes, stated in the Press Democrat. The campus was closed for 8 days as firefighters worked to contain the fires.

Counseling services will receive some of the money from the grant to help students who continue needing mental health counseling as a result of the fires. Counseling and Psychological Services helps the mental health needs of students through counseling, consultation and outreach.

According to Laura Williams, the director of counseling and psychological services, the money will augment the budget and make it possible to hire temporary counselors to provide more therapy session to students.

“Distress from the fires led to longer wait times for first appointments and longer stretches between appointments,” said Williams. “These funds will allow us to better meet student needs.”

CAPS was already stretched and at full capacity, according to Williams, before the fires because of increased demand for services and levels of staffing that didn’t allow to meet that demand.

In the fall semester, an additional 13 counselors came to SSU from other nearby California state universities.

See CAPS on Pg. 4

STAR // Casey Herrmann Community members and students at Santa Rosa Junior College participate in a walkout with hundeds of community members to protest the end of DACA on Monday.

Students protest the end of DACA

CASEY HERRMANN STAFF WRITER

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tudents, professors and community members alike gathered at Santa Rosa Junior College on Monday to protest the state of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was scheduled to expire on Monday.

Led by Rafael Vazquez, former Sonoma State student and outreach coordinator for SRJC, the crowd followed a group of Aztec dancers down the streets to Fourth St., where the grouped rallied in the hundreds, chanting “si se puede!” and “education, not deportation!”

A voting registration booth was open as a several immigrants gave their testimony on how deportation negatively affected their lives, from sending family members away too causing them great distress. “[We are here] because of the civil war in

the seventies, eighties and nineties,” said one speaker. After that respite, the march, containing around 400 people including Sonoma State students and faculty, continued to the federal building on Sonoma Ave., where the group presented their demands.

“If we are loud enough, maybe someone in [the federal building] will hear us,” Vazquez said to the crowd. The demands included amnesty for the families of all naturalized citizens and a increased cap to yearly issued visas, which were made into signs and planted in front of the building. As the Vasquez read to the crowd, a representative for Senator Dianne Feinstein injected remarks. “Are you done?” she asked, “Who’s going to make me Sonoma State STAR listen?” The crowd responded with An immigrant speaks to the the chant “Vote her out!” crowd in front of SRJC during the walkouts.

See DACA on Pg. 5

Men’s golf wins Bay Area invitational JESSICA BENNETT STAFF WRITER

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Courtesy // sonomaseawolves Junior Dextor Simonds takes a tee shot at the Fujikura Invitational.

he Sonoma State University men’s golf team traveled to the Bay Area invitational last week to collect its first tournament win since the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational in Turlock last April.

The Academy of Art and Holy Names hosted the invitational at The Course at Wente Vineyards in Livermore. Not only did the team win the invitational, three Seawolves placed within the top five.

Freshman Armand Melendez jumped from 23rd place to third on Tuesday during the invitational.

During Melendez’s final round, he scored five-underpar 67 to give him the jump SSU needed.

Melendez ended the tournament with 11 birdies.

However, he fell short to Zack Sims of Holy Names.

Juniors Dexter Simonds and Spencer Clapp ended up in a tie for fourth place at nine-over 225. Clapp led the invitational with 40 pars.

Clapp had his highest round scored at a 77, while his lowest was only three points off at a 74. Clapp is determined to finish off this year on a high. “My goal for the rest of this year is to get our team to nationals,” Clapp said. “And to rededicate myself to the game. This semester I want to be more focused on golf.”

Although Clapp led everyone in the tournament in pars, he would have to say his strongest part of his

game this past tournament was his putting.

Two other honorable Seawolf mentions are sophomore Devin Gregg and senior Ian Hofmann; Gregg tied for 26th with the scores of 83-72-80+235 (+19) while Hofmann tied 53rd at 81-85-79 (+29).

Hofmann had a rough week in this past tournament invitational with Holy Names.

“I realized after this last tournament that I am not a straight ball hitter,” he said “I do my best when I try to work every shot a little left or right. Although I struggled this past week with my game I do feel that I did a really good job with keeping even-keeled throughout each round.”

Knowing this is his last season with the Seawolves, Hofmann said he has his own personal goals, with the team’s best interest at heart.

“As for a personal goal,” he said, “for the rest of this 2018 season would be to be the best leader I can be and to believe fully into every single shot I hit.”

Sonoma State men’s golf as a whole won the tournament by 10 shots over competitor Holy Names.

The Seawolves scored a 906 (+42) during this eventful invitational.

The Sonoma State Seawolves golf team will continue their season this week on Monday and Tuesday at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout at the Club at Ruby Hill in Pleasanton.

The squad hopes to return with another victory under their belt for Sonoma State.

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, Heba Madi, Luis Mejia, Brooklynn Miller, Kathleen Perry, Kailey Priest, Renee Rodgers, Roland Schmidt, Tatiana Serrano, Samantha Sinatra, Sierra Sorrentino, Jeno Veltri, Madison Villalobos, Carly Wade, Aaron Waskowiak

Photographers Gabby Novello, Christine Von Raesfeld, Justin Santos, Emily Jenkel, Holle Depina

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

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Fate of the Dreamers left to Congress

A

fter months of uncertainty, undocumented youth under the protection of Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program have recently claimed victory after the Supreme Court declined to hear the current administration’s appeal on the DACA case. Despite the small success, the war towards a comprehensive immigration solution for the Dreamers isn’t over.

President Donald Trump originally ended DACA and allowed a six month extension period with March 5 being the expiration date for all work permits given under the program. The expiration date also marked the deadline for Congress to reach an agreement on a new replacement program.

As the March 5 deadline approached Congress remained divided. After several potential bills were proposed to Trump, all of which he rejected due to his inability to settle, the program was expected to be officially terminated this past Monday. Despite Trump’s efforts to eliminate DACA, the Supreme Court’s decision to leave the program intact came

this past week, just days before the original deadline.

Although Dreamers can let out a sigh of relief, the battle for a permanent solution to their immigration status is far from over, and many young immigrants still face the fear of deportation. The Supreme Court’s decision to not terminate DACA will allow time for political leaders to decide on a much needed solution to the uncertain immigration status of the Dreamers.

Though the Supreme Court has provided lawmakers with more time, the ultimate solution rests in the hands of Congress. This time it needs to be our policy makers that advocate for the lives of immigrants.

The truth that should not be ignored is that completely revoking DACA without a comprehensive alternative could harm the economy and lead to political unrest. The country could lose billions of dollars from the national domestic product as well as tax contributions to social security and Medicare.

If no solution to the issue takes place nearly 800,000 people protected by DACA

would be at risk of losing their jobs to face possible unemployment and deportation. This can largely affect businesses and corporations that have employed these workers as their positions will be left vacant.

CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos recently expressed his support for Dreamers after donating $33 million to a scholarship fund to specifically aid undocumented students pursuing higher education. Other inf luential leaders like Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have expressed their support for the DACA program “I stand with the Dreamers,” said Zuckerberg in a letter written to the President shortly after the termination announcement of DACA. “These young people represent the future of our country and our economy.”

Congress has the option to send a message of support and solidarity to the American people, or they can side with Trump.

Now with thousands of immigrants standing by the question remains: how long will it take?

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.

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “Why Sonoma State football is forever sacked” Staff writer Roland Schmidt writes about an SSU blast from the past and why Sonoma State will keep it in the past.

Read the story on page 10

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.

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

E-MAIL ALL OPINIONS TO STAR@SONOMA.EDU

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

Opinions

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

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

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Opinion 3

MARCH 6- MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Society should appreciate the privilege of space travel

AARON WASKOWIAK STAFF WRITER

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uring the afternoon hours of Feb. 6, 27 Merlin engines roared to life underneath the Falcon Heavy rocket at the Kennedy Space Center. Spectators watched in awe as 5 million pounds of boost exploded downwards, smoothly lifting the 270-foot-tall spacecraft into the Florida sky.

This $90 million project headed by SpaceX, a privately owned space company founded by Tesla mastermind and Pay-

Pal co-founder Elon Musk, marks an incredibly important shift in not only space travel but the way we view it as a society.

As someone who was raised on “Star Trek,” “Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos,’” “2001: A Space Odyssey” and countless other works glorifying the “final frontier” of space travel, I have wondered for years why more people don’t care. Baby boomers were blessed with the space race, an incredible feat of scientific prowess where we as a country rallied behind what seemed to be an impossible task; putting men on the moon.

According to Time, 600 million people watched as Apollo 11 delivered its payload of lunar module “Eagle” and its three American astronauts to the surface of the moon. Launched from the very same Kennedy Space Center with the only rocket to produce more thrust than the Falcon Heavy, claims SpaceX in its press release, it truly was, in the words of astronaut Neil Armstrong “one giant leap for mankind.”

So why is this new launch so exciting? There were no men aboard the flight (apart from a mannequin dubbed “Star-

‘Google Clips’ could be new form of surveillance

man,” manning an electric sports car), it did not travel to an unexplored planet or make contact with alien life, so why should you care?

What is most exciting is the fact that people were talking about it the day it happened. It was trending on Twitter, and it was all over Facebook; people were taking an interest. There was a spark ignited that hasn’t been seen for a while, which was the profound widespread interest in a scientific endeavor into space.

Musk should be credited for doing a great, albeit goofy job at attracting this interest. Putting one of his own cars into orbit around the sun, playing David Bowie’s iconic “Space Oddity” during the livestreamed launch, he knew the way to get the internet’s attention. Not to mention seeing his revolutionary boosters come back down after detaching from Falcon Heavy, and making sonic booms before landing themselves.

According to Business Insider, NASA received a budget of $19 billion which makes up less than half of 1 percent of federal funds available for allocation. A

Local Dick’s Sporting Goods employee gives his take on the company’s decision to stop selling A-R rifles

TANNER GUNNING STAFF WRITER

LUIS MEJIA

STAFF WRITER

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hen people say the future is scary, it is an understatement. In the realm of technology, chasing the future is a formality, with being scary often serving as a small but inherent part of the process. Over the years, artificial intelligence has joined this conversation, as indicated by devices like Amazon’s ‘Echo Dot’ and Apple’s ‘Siri’ slowly entering our lives.

Each one of these devices only seems to get more and more impressive in the race toward innovation, and after Google’s recent stab at developing its first handsfree, voice-controlled gadget, we should have known it would be hopping on this bandwagon for the long haul.

Earlier this week, ‘Google Clips’ hit the market; a $250 square-shaped smart camera no larger than a GoPro that uses A.I. to detect and capture images and video at its own volition in replacement of actual user involvement, said Brian Heater of TechCrunch. In other words, it is a camera that takes pictures on its own so you do not have to. Bold, but to be fair, not a bad idea.

The selling point obviously resides in the reality that people these days snap a lot of pictures, mostly with the intention of catching the best moments of their lives.

For the longest time, taking on the trials and tribulations of seizing those moments have added to the joy of the operation. Say a person wants to snap a cute candid of their baby spilling food all over them and giggling, but they are forced to wait until the perfect moment when they look right into the camera to tap that button on the phone.

Sure it requires patience, but ultimately the result is an emotional product a person can be proud of. Well, Google claims Clips is the solution to that process, making it less of a hassle if the device does the shooting for you. The only problem is, “it doesn’t really work that well,” says Dan Seifert of The Verge.

Aside from how blatantly arrogant this glorified selfie camera claims to be in disguise of convenience, what is more disconcerting is what it may represent. The rumors have come and gone regarding products like this in the past, such as Amazon’s ‘Alexa,’ which is speculated to hear everything a user says to her and then some.

Spying.

Now while nothing has been proven regarding this concern, some like Navneet Alang of The Week still have their speculations, believing Clips is a test-bed for broader applications of smart camera technology to spy on its users, since it will be on a majority of the time.

“Even devices with seemingly innocent purposes can go on to become more sinister,” Alang said. Simply put, Google Clips could be a visual rendition of what some believe Alexa is, but silent, making it frighteningly worse.

Needless to say, most of the population is not ready for Clips. There does not seem to be a huge public demand for it, like other products of its kind, and unless the quality of the images it produces are damn near perfect, it is hard to believe people will take the product seriously when most have grown accustomed taking pictures themselves.

The surveillance rhetoric floating around does not help its welcome either. Granted, it has not even been a week since the product’s release, so we have yet to see its performance. However, this is just one of many products in the upcoming years that will continue to fiddle with the fine line companies have forced Americans to tap dance around for years in regards to privacy.

general lack of prioritization of anything science-related by the current administration means private entities like SpaceX have tasked themselves with revitalizing space travel and the populous’ interest in it. Countless environmental concerns worldwide continue to remind us that these are dire times, and we should heed that science now more than ever. Exploration into the great unknown that is space generates massive public curiosity and awareness of what can be accomplished with proper funding.

The work being done isn’t possible without the countless years of research and programs conducted by NASA, and hopefully the coming projects from Musk and the inevitable companies to follow suit will continue to demonstrate the importance of this human venture and the incredible tasks we can complete.

To end with another quote from Armstrong, “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

Let’s find that sense of wonder again, shall we?

D

ick’s Sporting Goods made a big announcement on Feb. 28 concerning their gun safety regulations after the Parkland Shooting. CEO Ed Stack announced, via the company’s Twitter page, that Dick’s and their affiliates would stop selling “assault-style rif les” and highcapacity magazines.

The company also said they never have and never will sell bump stocks, as well as not selling a gun to anyone under the age of 21. Stack and Dick’s Sporting Goods have become the first major gun retailer to put restrictions on their own gun sales, which is a bold move in 2018 consider-

ing they are the biggest sporting goods retailer in the country with over 1,000 stores. I have worked at Dick’s for over two years and in my time there has been no announcement, or event within the company, that has carried this much magnitude. When our store manager told us what happened, myself, along with a lot of the other employees, thought we would receive backlash right from the time we opened our doors.

One of my fellow associates said, “I think we are going to lose so much business. Even though we are, for the most part, a ‘blue county,’ we are going to have a lot of angry customers who are no longer going to do business with us.” Little did we know, it would be the exact opposite.

All day long we had customers coming up to us, thanking us and our company for taking a stance in the right direction.

People came into the store, having never been in there before, saying they were going to start shopping from us just because of our announcement. This was baff ling to all of us, because we were expecting much of the opposite reaction from our customers and the community.

All day long, we were getting

phone calls thanking us. One person came up to me and said “It is so nice to finally see someone, let alone a large company like yourselves, taking a stand and doing something to try and change the culture that is going on in 2018.”

They also said they will now be regular customers thanks to our announcement.

In my opinion, I think this will pay off in the long run for the company. Stack and company are always hands-on when it comes to doing things that make changes to improve the store.

They have always made initiatives and advocated for youth sports and the communities that surround us.

When thinking about it, I project some backlash and loss of sales for stores that are in predominantly Republican communities, but in the grand scheme of things, Stack will profit more because of the free positive press that was created from the announcement than he would have lost because of the A-R sales.

The company has and will keep gaining new, loyal customers who will then reciprocate their feelings within their community, which have already been present in Sonoma County.

Lawmakers need quick compromise on gun reform

BROOKLYNN MILLER STAFF WRITER

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n wake of the tragic Parkland shooting on Feb. 14, society has rekindled gun violence as a heated debate throughout the United States. This has resulted in a multitude of suggested legislature changes and policy adjustments.

Let’s start at the beginning; why are people allowed to purchase firearms at the age of 18? These people can join the military and handle guns, but are forbidden to purchase alcohol or tobacco. According to Giffords Law Center, licensed firearm dealers “may not sell or deliver a long gun, or ammunition for a long gun, to any person the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 18,” leaving anyone ages 18 and up free to purchase rifles and shotguns as they please.

In response to the idea of raising the gun purchasing age, opponents to the plan have voiced concerns of a rise in college campus shootings. Realistically, this is ex-

tremely unlikely to happen because most college students are already old enough to purchase guns.

The removal of all guns from citizens’ hands and homes would be a massive culture shift for many Americans. To combat the potential backlash, it is reasonable to propose the removal of assault rifles from citizens, but allow citizens access in controlled environments such as shooting ranges. This situation would offer more control over an extremely controversial topic, and would still allow gun owners to own smaller, less automatic weapons, while still having access to the “big guns.”

While so many are fighting to have less access to guns, President Trump has recently proposed to give “concealed guns to gun adept teachers.” This would create a perfect situation of fighting fire with fire, possibly creating crossfire. Teachers, parents, students and many others have voiced their views on this topic, and it doesn’t look good for Trump.

Teachers, the ones who would be carrying guns, disagree with the idea so firmly they have created a campaign against it. The #AreMeWith campaign is a massively growing social media campaign sparked in response to lawmakers’ “tonedeaf suggestions...as a solution to America’s gun problem,” USA Today reported. Through the movement, teachers are using the hashtag to suggest things they believe would actually benefit their students, careers and schools.

Finally, and most promising, Delta Air Lines announced the end of a promotional discount deal with the National Rifle Association.

Delta Air Lines tweeted, “Delta is reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel program. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website.” This massive business move sparked plenty of controversy, but could have been just the right thing for Delta to do.

In response to Delta’s disengagement with the NRA, Georgia lawmakers approved a bill that “stripped out a tax break proposal highly coveted by Delta Air Lines,” according to the New York Times; making sure to note this move as “the most stinging punishment that America’s pro-gun forces have leveled so far.” The amount of positive media exposure Delta is receiving should overshadow the backlash from legislatures and government officials who seem to only be concerned about tax breaks.

Overall, the debates surrounding gun control are expansive and seem never-ending. And while both sides prove valid and true points, neither the opposing or supporting sides have leaned toward one promising result: compromise. Legislature changes and policy adjustments call for massive social shifting, but by starting small and compromising on a decision, both sides may feel as if they have finally achieved steps toward a greater end goal.

4 News

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma State STAR (Top) Protesters perform a ceremonial dance in the middle of the crowd. (left) Protesters hold up signs representing the Virgin Mary as they get ready to speak to the crowd about DACA. (right) Students at SRJC await the beginning of the walkouts.

DACA: UndocuWeek brings awareness to campus Continued from Pg.1

This coincided with Sonoma State and the Sociology Social Justice and Activism Club’s hosting of a series of events this week to spread awareness of what it means to be undocumented. The first event of UndocuWeek, as the group has named it, began Monday at Santa Rosa Junior College.

This activism is a response to President Donald J. Trump’s proposed DACA repeal, which the U.S. Supreme Court partially blocked on Feb. 26. Professor Mariana Garcia Martinez, advisor of the UndocuScholars coalition, said that this means that the roughly 800,000 people enrolled in the DACA program will be able to stay for now, but no new undocumented people will be able to apply. A further complication is a $495 fee required to renew DACA enrollments, money that can be hard to come by especially on a student’s budget. “The Supreme Court decision was a relief,” Martinez said. “But it’s just a Band-aid, and we need solutions.”

The CSU system says it will continue to support its undocumented students.

CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White issued a statement following the Supreme Court decision, expressing his hope for a more permanent solution. He also encouraged all CSU students and employees enrolled in DACA to apply for renewal as soon as they could, if possible. His statement also linked to free legal services for DACA related cases, California Human Development being the most local. He also pointed to the Mission Asset Fund, which can provide interest free loans for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services fees, including the DACA fee.

UndocuWeek will continue on throughout this week. Tuesday, there will be an event held in the Cooperage discussing immigrant rights from 7-9 p.m. On Wednesday, a film screening of Sin Nombre will be held in Stevenson Hall 3008, starting at 6 p.m..

On Thursday, their will be a faculty panel on the topic of “social justice without borders” from 7 - 9 p.m. in the Cooperage. On Friday, “know your rights” training and a potluck will be held in Ballroom D of the the student center from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

NEWS IN BRIEF Rohnert Park Rohnert Park Public Safety said a mobile home in Rohnert Park was destroyed by fire on Sunday. According to officials, three residents left about 25 minutes before neighbors noticed smoke coming from the home.

Firefighters had the flames under control in about 20 minutes, but the three residents have been displaced.

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Gain photography experience shooting events and people all over campus

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Sonoma According to Sonoma County police, two men made off with an undetermined amount of jewelry after handcuffing an employee at gunpoint. On Thursday at around 4 p.m. an armed robbery occurred at Studio Collections, a boutique jewelry shop on the 100 block of East Napa Street. According to Sonoma Police Sgt. Jason Craver, the employee was not injured and they must take a full inventory to determine the value of the heist.

Menlo Park A Facebook survey asked some users if they thought the company should allow posts from child sexual predators and violent extremists.According to screen shots of the survey published by The Guardian, one of the survey questions read “In thinking about an ideal world where you could set Facebook’s policies, how would you handle the following: a private message in which an adult man asks a 14 year old girl for sexual pictures.”

The company released a statement on Monday saying they have “no intention” of allowing “offensive content” so they have stopped the survey.

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MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma County cannabis growers still find trouble in legalization ASHLEY GIESKE STAFF WRITER

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ccording to the California Department of tax and fee Administration, the state brings in more than $65 million a year from legal cannabis. To begin the year, California’s recreational marketplace gave 173 dispensaries statewide permits and since then 1,307 temporary licenses have been granted to cannabis businesses.

Santa Rosa, Sonoma’s largest county started to sell recreational marijuana in January of this year and is selling to those who are 21 and older without the need for a medical referral. However, many existing California cannabis growers are having trouble becoming legalized.

Only a fraction of growers in the area are legal and this is due to it being seen as difficult to smaller businesses. Around 60% of the world’s cannabis is grown here in Northern California and many are worried that even with the legalization, they aren’t going to be profiting much. Many smaller growers in the region believe that this is only going to benefit the corporate cannabis growers. They say that big companies are the target of the legalization and that those who have been doing this for years just aren’t able to keep up.

“If the goal was to create a workable regulatory pathway for existing cultivators to become legal, I think we failed,” said Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar. Loud cheers and applause were given after this statement by the audience of the hearing which included many small business owners.

On Thursday March 1, a state Senate hearing focusing on the first 60 days since the passing of Proposition 64 was held in Ukiah. Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, is the initiative passed in November 2016 which legalized cannabis in California at the start of 2018. Leading the hearing was Senator and Sonoma State alum, Mike McGuire who was co hosted by Assemblymember Jim Wood. McGuire and Wood have been working together on the issue of legalized cannabis since 2015.

Nick Maduros, the director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, said the states sales and use program accumulates the most revenue bringing in around $50 billion every year.

With California being the only state to issue the cultivation and cannabis excise taxes, Maduros said there’s an office in Santa Rosa for those who wish to get an unselective permit to market cannabis.

Wood began the hearing speaking on how the tragic October wildfires shook North Bay communities and thus the proposition in those counties. “What we didn’t know was that we would have devastating wildfires that would descend upon two of the three counties represented here tonight,” said Wood. “People, including cannabis farmers, lost their homes and businesses and more than 40 people lost their lives.”

Kevin Doble, mayor of Ukiah alongside Mendocino County Supervisor, Dan Hamburg explained their region’s success and problems regarding proposition 64. Hamburg, who is a proponent of legalizing marijuana, stated that Mendocino County was ahead of many others in implementing marijuana regulations. “That really shows how far and really how difficult things are for the state because we are struggling and I don’t want to sugar coat that,” said Hamburg, “I don’t want to make it seem like this has been an easy thing.”

CAPS: funding will provide financial resource to students Continued from Pg.1

Students who went to CAPS for help after being impacted by the fires continue to require counseling services, Williams says. While few new students are presenting for therapy with fire related concerns, CAPS continues to be stretched by the increased impact of students needing counseling. The funding going to CAPS, according to Anna Reynolds-Smith, director of administrative and financial planning, is part of a larger grant received to support the community.

The grant will help students that were affected by the fires by establishing an emergency scholarship fund. The scholarship fund is made to help students that are thinking of dropping out of school because of financial difficulties, according to Sonoma State. The emergency scholarships will help students stay on track towards graduation.

The $150,000 grant will be a way for CAPS to provide better help to students because the money will help the current strain of its resources. It will provide a financial resource for students who have either lost wages or employment, and provide other resources necessary that will help students in continuing their education at SSU. According to Hiramoto, the university scholarship office will put out an announcement this spring regarding when and how qualifying students can apply for the scholarship. There will be a form that needs to be completed and a statement detailing their need. A little more than half of the funds will go towards mental health counselors and one-third will go towards emergency scholarship funds and the rest towards immediate needs for other immediate needs.

Patricia Hiramoto said, “we are extremely grateful for this wonderful grant from the Redwood Credit Union Community Fund. Our students, faculty and staff who were affected by the wildfires will benefit greatly from this generous community support.”

Lori Ajax, of the California Department of Consumer Affairs, said the programs implemented due to Prop 64 have been working with the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

“We have transitioned from program development to implantation, our emergency regulations are in effect, our online system is accepting applications and we’re issuing licenses daily,” said Ajax. “We have begun enforcement activities and our cannabis advisory committee has been hard at work.”

McGuire said in his opening remarks that the legalization of cannabis in our area is “rapidly transforming our region”. He then explained how in the coming years we will start to focus on taxes and fees around the prop.

This will cause another issue due to the fact that the upfront costs and high taxes are already a main reason may have chose not to get their permit to grow.

Although some of the people who spoke during the hearing believed their regions are benefitting from the prop, the issues for smaller businesses is still on the rise and they seem to keep falling short.

Courtesy // unionverde.com Senator Mike McGuire discusses the challages of the first 60 days of cannabis legalization in California.

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6 Arts

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

STAR// Christine von Raesfeld (Above): Daisy Rojas of Phi Sigma Sigma introduces herself to the crowd.

(Right): Winner and Sigma Omega Nu representative Kathryn Griffith happily accepts the crown.

Contestants shine in NAK’s sixth annual Miss Greek KATHRYN CATANZARITE STAFF WRITER

N

u Alpha Kappa brought Ballroom A to life Thursday night during their sixth annual Miss Greek pageant. Proud sorority sisters, friends and family cheered on the 10 contestants competing in the philanthropic event. The pageant-style competition between the 10 of 12 represented sororities drew a near full house. The title of Miss Greek 2018 was on the line, including first pick of booths at NAKland and a certificate to Treasury Wine Estates.

Three rounds were given to showcase each contestant’s abilities: an introduction, where contestants introduced themselves and gave facts about themselves and interests, their sorority and philanthropy and why they joined their organization. The second featured talent; contestants received five minutes to show off their skills. An upside down portrait of Marilyn Monroe, makeup tutorials, and different styles of Latin dance, bachata, cumbia, and zapateado, were just some of the displayed talents.

The third was the question and answer portion, where contestants gave answers on three random questions; ranging from what it means to them to be in Greek life and advice for new college students, to favorite superheroes.

“I’m really proud of myself. I never thought I could do anything like this,” said winner and junior Kathy Griffith of Sigma Omega Nu Latina Interest Sorority Inc. Griffith, a third year

business major and childhood studies minor, was “..super excited to be a part of it this year.”

The general entrance fee for Miss Greek was a new toy, book or donation to their philanthropy that they will donate to the children in attendance at NAKland. NAKland is a free annual children’s carnival held on the Sonoma State campus that promotes higher education to the children in the community. “Getting to participate in Miss Greek was a great experience because you know you’re doing it for a great cause, and it promotes Greek unity,” junior Alizia Zajaczkowski said.

NAKland gives children and parents the opportunity to be on a college campus and helps to promote the idea that receiving higher education is possible. This year a portion of the proceeds will be going to Raza Grad, which is a culturally inclusive graduation celebration for Chicanx and Latinx students. Every Greek organization has the option of running their own booth at NAKland each year.

The brothers of Nu Alpha Kappa spent weeks planning the event to ensure the best possible results for the children attending NAKland. According to Antonio Hoyos, a second year computer science major with a minor in Spanish and a brother of Nu Alpha Kappa, the preparation process for Miss Greek is “very hectic, but worth it.”

This year’s NAKland will take place on March 17 and is open to the public.

Art department continues artist lecture series

RENNE RODGERS STAFF WRITER

Notable recipients from the 90th Annual Academy Awards

N

ine talented artists will be lecturing and showcasing their artwork throughout the Spring semester at Sonoma State University.

Completely free and located in the Green Music Center, the Instructionally Related Activities Fund of Sonoma State supports this program. With three artists completed and six more to go, there are plenty of opportunities for students and the public to attend these lectures.

Robert Miniervini kicked off the lecture series, followed by Syed Hosain and Katherine Sherwood. This week on Thursday, body cartography will be the main attraction at Sonoma State. Body cartography is a project solely focused on “engaging with the vital materiality of our bodies to create live performance that facilitates a re-enchantment of embodiment, relationship, and presence,” according to bodycartography.org. A version of public art that includes contemporary dance, body cartography has expanded to not only the U.S. but New Zealand, Norway, Russia, France, South America and the UK over the past 20 years.

Jeffrey Braverman, from San Francisco, will focus on photography, art direction and digital photography on March 29. Braverman has spent over a decade managing, producing and directing visual content for certain brand campaigns shown on his website.

He graduated with a major in photography from Pratt Institute and has an extreme range of experience on his resume. Multiple magazines have exhibited Braverman’s artwork such as Make magazine, San Francisco magazine, Forbes and more. Not only is it displayed in magazines, but through major companies like Equinox, AT&T, Levis etc.

Lily Simonson, whose artwork consists of painted organisms in the newly discovered environment, will be hosting the lecture on April 12 in Schroeder Hall. On top of being a very talented artist, she explores and ad-

ventures through nature to get inspiration for her art. She even spent three months SCUBA diving and camping in Antarctica. Simonson graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor’s degree and continued on to receive her master’s degree in fine art from University of California, Los Angeles. Her art can be seen in exhibits throughout California, mostly in Los Angeles with a few in the Bay Area, including Berkeley.

Born and raised in New York City, artist Damali Abrams will be leading the lecture on April 19. Her concentrate is on building experiences and spaces on fantasy, using expressions such as video installation, performances and collage. Abrams graduated from the prestigious New York University with a BA, followed by an MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has been in the industry since college, with most of her work housed in New York.

Ambivalently Yours is an anonymous online user whose purpose is to “facilitate the exploration of feminist convictions by embracing ambivalent emotions,” according to their website.

Since 2011, Ambivalently Yours has expressed ambivalence through videos, sound sketches and illustrations leaving the public with a smile on their faces. On April 26, you can discover more information about the inspiring project.

On May 3, Valentina Barcelloni will be the guest lecturer of the evening. Barcelloni graduated from Ecole d’Architecture de Paris-Val-de-Seine and is originally from Paris, France.

She has been a research designer for Loewe, creative talent scouting intern for LVMH fashion division and more.

Barcelloni not only has an extensive background of fashion, but said she also loves applied arts and cultural developments.

Beginning at noon in Schroeder Hall on their respective days, widen your artistic horizons with these free and creative showcases.

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

‘Everything Sucks!’ refelcts on high school antics Review

KATHLEEN PERRY STAFF WRITER

E

veryone remembers what it was like to be in high school, navigating their way into the world; a juggling act of self-discovery, friendship and family drama, and falling in and out of love for the first time. Going through it first hand was mortifying, but Netflix reminds its audience humorously about coming-of-age with its newest binge-worthy show, “Everything Sucks!”

Released on Feb. 16, a group of Boring High School students in Boring, Oregon reveal the embarrassing phases that accompany their age. Set in 1996, Luke O’Neil (Jahi Winston) and his two best friends, McQuaid (Rio Mangini) and Tyler, (Quinn Liebling), decide to join the school’s Audio and Visual Club. As misfit freshman, they do their best to find a place where they fit in.

After a false fire alarm pits the A/V Club and Drama Club together, Kate Messner (Peyton Kennedy) and the boys have to work alongside the drama students. This includes the obnoxious Emaline (Sydney Sweeney) and Oliver (Elijah Stevenson).

These characters make their audience laugh and squirm with the memories of going through the peril that was high school. From Emaline bullying her younger peer Kate, to everyone falling in love with the wrong person, “Everything Sucks!” does not miss a beat of growing up.

The show does not just replay the superficial memories of high school, but chooses to tackle bigger, underlying topics as the plot thickens. Self discovery was a challenge for everyone, but “Everything Sucks!” shows the especially difficult path for Kate as she tries to figure out, and desperately hide, her sexuality. The show does not shy away from dysfunctional families, either, as it includes one student’s beer-can-filled home, and frequently discussed “deadbeat dad.” Lastly, this show briefly talks about mental health, and the need some feel to hide it.

It doesn’t just relate to its audience by letting them watch and relive familiar growing pains, but tries to really connect to its audience that would have been the same age

netflix.com Created by Ben Jones and Michael Mohan, Netflix is on the fence reguarding another season for this coming-of-age tale. as these students in 1996. While the show mainly follows its younger cast awkwardly moving through high school, it also follows Kate’s dad, Principal Ken Messner, (Patch Darragh), and Luke’s mom, Sherry O’Neil( Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako).

Ken and Sherry are older but still relatable characters, working their nine-to-fives, raising children, and still trying to navigate their lives. They’re in their mid-30s, but that does not stop them from having awkward flings that don’t work out, or getting into other adult troubles. These characters offer relatability in different ways by representing two polar opposites; Ken remembering his high school days as calm while Sherry was wild. From dial-up internet and cords on phones to mood rings and colorful patternfilled clothes, “Everything Sucks!” screams 1996. The wardrobes, teenage jargon and soundtracks are nostalgic, with everybody’s once favorite colorful windbreakers, words like “coolio,” and bands like Oasis coming back into play.

Whether it’s the soundtrack, style, slang or identifying with these characters that draws you in, this 90s nostalgic coming-of-age dramedy will not disappoint. Hopefully, there will be a season two coming to life soon, but there has been no word on such plans yet.

Recent app ‘Vero’ looks to be the next social media front-runner

MADISON VILLALOBOS

STAFF WRITER

A

re you tired of the pointless and challenging updates our social media applications are incorporating? From Instagram changing the photo order to most popular than chronological and Snapchat switching up its format, some updates have forced users to stop interacting entirely.

This week, a new contender is on the block: Vero. Originally released in 2015 with a 2.2 out of 5 rating on the App Store, it has recently resurfaced due to the combination of network effects and Instagram’s frustrating algorithmically-sorted feed.

An image-exchanging app where users can share pictures, texts, videos and pretty much any content that they want is an idea companies have been racing to perfect. , According to New York Media, the most recent contender shares characteristics of Instagram, without the algorithm, Youtube without the Paul Brothers, and twitter without the trolls. Unlike feeds that are displayed in chronological order, Vero offers the option to categorizes contacts as ‘close friends,’ ‘friends,’ or acquaintances;” this allows full control of who hears what about you.

As for it’s name, the word “Vero” means truth in Esperanto, which is why they promote themselves to be an “authentic” social media platform.

As Vero’s popularity has grown, it’s held onto the number one download in the Apple Store for a few days. Earlier this week, the Vero Labs Inc. gave the first one million users free access for life. After a million users, the plan to charge annually would substitute ad revenue. However, after a large wave of new users, surpassing one million people, they are encountering technical issues which are leaving a lot of customers with service interruptions. This has lead to their decision to make the Vero app free to all users.

What users can post on Vero is a lot more flexible than what Instagram permits on their site. Along with the photo, users can attach a link to books, movies, TV shows or places.

With the high demand of the app came a load of backlash for Vero. Yahoo Finance wrote about its 48-hour success which quickly came crashing down. Overwhelming traffic by firstadopting consumers caused network errors and unreachable servers.

Ayman Hariri, Vero’s CEO, and his tech-team are working to put the pieces together to allow the app’s high demand. After solving the issues, a subscription-based interface should be expected.

Time magazine put out an article talking about the controversy surrounding Vero and Hariri. He was the deputy chairman of Saudi Oger, a construction company founded by his father. After workers accused Hariri of not paying them and leaving them stranded with little food, money, water or medical attention, the government shut down the company for “mismanagement.”

Putting aside his troubled past, Time Magazine and several others have pointed some conspiracy theories around Vero: the authenticity of Russian based developers With Russia’s attempts to use social media to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, people are questioning whether it is wise to trust this app.

Vero is known for its authenticity, but is there any part of the truth that its developers are hiding from their users?

Movie theatre frustration heightens for those with impairments SIERRA SORRENTINO STAFF WRITER

S

ince the birth of movie theatres in 1905 with the Nickelodeon in Pittsburgh, going to the movies has morphed into a classic American pastime. Where and the way we watch movies has dramatically evolved over the years. In the 1930s, it started with installation of the first drive-in theatre. Fast forward decades later and movie theatres now have state-of-the-art sound systems, high-definition wide screens and, at some locations, waiters who serve you gourmet food. Time has shown that the movie theater experience has and continues to thrive, despite the ever-growing popularity of streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu.

Despite all these superficial advancements, there is one question that seems to go unanswered; what about evolving the movie experience for those that have sight or hearing impairments?

Nyle DiMarco, deaf activist and model, voiced his complaints with his viewing experience for the recently released film “Black Panther,” tweeting, “It was awful. Kept skipping lines. The difference of focus while switching gave me a headache and I kept missing important scenes. AMC Theatres made me feel SO disabled.”

According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 37.5 million people ages 18 and over across the United States report varying levels of

hearing troubles. Do these millions of people face similar difficulties like DiMarco and would prefer the comfort of their own home than a theater?

This tweet fueled a much-needed discussion about acknowledging the difficulties of those with varying hearing impairments face when simply trying to enjoy a movie.

In order to make their experience as comfortable as possible, mainstream movie theatres typically offer caption options; either open or closed.

Generally, the viewer can willingly turn closed captions on or off; as seen on Netflix’s viewing settings. For movie viewing purposes, this normally comes with a closed caption machine, the same one DiMarco complains about in his tweet. AMC Theatres calls these machines CaptiView and, despite what DiMarco and others have said about its difficulties, claims the device is overall easy to adjust to one’s viewing comfort.

Yes, theater chains designed those closed captioned machines to aid the viewer and are better than not having anything at all. But they indirectly make those that are deaf or have other hearing impairments feel different or as burdens, when they shouldn’t.

Open captions are always visible on screen, making a separate caption machine unnecessary. Ideally, this option would be the best choice for movie-goers with hearing impairments. Unfortunately, not many theaters offer this.

Popular movie theatre chains such as Regal Cinemas and Reading Theatres offer their guests assistive listening devices. According to the National Association of the Deaf, they have designed these devices to amplify and transmit sounds directly to the ear while also improving “the speech to noise ratio” for those with mild to severe deafness.

In order to depict how blind people enjoy the movies, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences launched a mini documentary series in 2014. Melissa Hudson, one of the interviewees, said, “The way I watch movies is just like everybody else,” but she tries to find theatres that offer a descriptive video service.

Being able to watch and go to the movies is a huge cultural component in our society, so let’s not push any group of people out of the conversation just because they’re different than us.

8 Student Life

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

STAR // CARLY WADE The women of Lambda Theta Nu stomp in beat to the song with machetes in hand this past Thursday at the Cooperage building.

MGC talent showcase delivers an array of multicultural performances

KAYTLIN ABAD STAFF WRITER

O

n Thursday, the Multicultural Greek Council held its fifth annual talent showcase, offering an opportunity to any Seawolf interested in showcasing their talents.

Senior Spanish and early childhood studies major Jennifer Bolanos and senior women and gender studies major Analesia Campos were the MCs for the night. Prior to introducing the first act, Campos shed some background information on her organization, Lambda Theta Nu, and the significance of the stepping and strolling act that took place later in the show.

“We want to honor the organizations that started the tradition of stepping and strolling,” Campos said. “The Divine Nine took the time to invite us to learn and adapt their culture.”

According to campos, The Divine Nine are the first nine historical AfricanAmerican organizations.

“We respect everything they have done for us; they paved the road for all of the multicultural organizations today,” Campos said. “Tonight, when one of the MGC organizations is performing, just know that it is in honor of the Divine Nine.”

In addition to stepping and strolling, there were a variety of acts showcased throughout the night from different Greek organizations including Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Omega Nu and Kappa Alpha Psi, as well as individual non-Greek students like Tyler Perez and the Blue Baronz.

“It was a wonderful first experience, especially since we used machetes during our performance,” said senior criminal justice major Elena Chavez. “As a first time experience, being in front of so many people, we are able to show everyone that there

are multicultural Greek organizations, and being able to showcase our sororities’ culture here was really special to me.”

The MGC Talent Showcase gave the opportunity for individuals to showcase their talents, as well as the ability for MGC organizations to spread knowledge of the culture of the organizations through their passionate performances onstage.

“I think our organization is very special in that way, especially since in our culture only men dance with machetes, but our founding mothers wanted to break those barriers and promote women empowerment,” Chavez said. “So for us to use the machetes during our performance was a very special thing for me and it was really exciting to be up there and show our strength.”

“As a first time experience, being in front of so many people, we are able to show everyone that there are multicultural Greek organizations...”

Anyone interested in participating in the show had to sign up on Orgsync prior to the event. However, MGC allowed any last-minute audience members to step up on the stage the night of the show.

There are seven MGC organizations at Sonoma State, including Epsilon Sigma Rho, Kappa Alpha Psi, Lambda Sigma Gamma, Lambda Theta Nu, Sigma Pi Alpha, Sigma Lambda Beta and Sigma Omega Nu, and everyone from any of these organizations all come from different backgrounds and ethnicities.

MGC President Jennifer Bolanos explained one of the reasons MGC hosts this yearly talent show is to promote the MGC more, so the community knows there are

STAR // CARLY WADE The Dancers of the Blue Baronz Dance Group are all in sync with their moves as they pop with flare across the stage. multicultural Greek organizations that they can potentially join.

About 20 percent of the campus population at Sonoma State University is involved with Greek Life, and despite the various amounts of fraternities and sororities that welcome students with open arms, many members within the Greek com-

munity agree that Sonoma State highly promotes and prides themselves on the strength of the Greek community.

“This is just another way to build Greek unity and unity among all Sonoma State students.” Bolanos said. “We advertise it out for all the students to showcase their talents.”

Afrofuturism: the HUB provides space for discussion KAILEY PRIEST STAFF WRITER

W

hat is Afrofuturism? That was the question and topic of discussion at last week’s Treats and Trending series after a recent popularity increase of the term brought on by the Marvel superhero movie “Black Panther.”

The Hub hosts Treats and Trending every week, providing a safe space where the community can come together to discuss popular trending topics. This past Thursday the topic of discussion was Afrofuturism, a recurring theme in “Black Panther.”

Andrea Hernandez, a senior geography major, is a student programmer for the HUB and was excited to further discuss the topic.

According to Hernandez, Afrofuturism takes the idea of futurism and projects it into a future with a twist of afrocentricity. It’s also not just African, like in Africa the continent or African-American; it encompasses both.

“I think it’s cool that it’s like a different way of viewing what is predominantly in the American society been projected as negative and bad,” Hernandez said. “So it’s really cool to see the different representations and perceptions that it gives African-Americans and Africans, and just blacks in general, it’s like

my favorite part.”

Hernandez felt that with “Black Panther” being such a massive hit, it would be fun to bring something new and relevant from our culture today to Treats and Trending at the HUB. According to Hernandez, she had not heard very much herself about Afrofuturism before researching, and she thought she would be the one to bring her newfound knowledge to anyone willing to listen, and what better place to do that then on campus to inspire young people.

“For Treats and Trending we want to get current issues happening and social media popular culture that we think students will respond to,” Hernandez said. “That’s why I think Afrofuturism is something not a lot of people have heard of, and personally I haven’t heard a lot about it before I did the presentation or even researched it. I knew it was something that was up and coming, so I figured why not talk about it.”

In “Black Panther’s” Wakanda, their highly advanced country created with the assistance of the vibranium metal, the characters embraced the culture of their African descendants while incorporating mass amounts of advanced technology.

This sort of tone set for a perfect portrayal of Af-

rofuturism.

Rebecca Murillo, a senior math major, first heard about Afrofuturism in reference to “Black Panther” as well. She had once heard the term about a year ago from reading an article, but had not explored the theme any further.

“Black Panther” has not only broken records in the box offices but opened up conversation about inf luential genres. Afrofuturism is not only studied here in the U.S.A. but worldwide; however, depending on where you live and what you are exposed to, it can be different and very expansive.

“I don’t feel it’s that important to know the term but to know the movement,” Murillo said. “It definitely gives a different perspective not only for black kids growing up and seeing different options they could be or different ways they can live their lives basically,” Murillo said.

“They don’t have to be restricted to listening to rap music or keeping up with popular culture that black people keep up with,” he said. “They can be into science and technology and sci-fi films and things that are considered weird for people of color specifically to be into, that it’s okay.”

Student Life 9

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Students find grieving place after Florida school shooting SAMMY SINATRA STAFF WRITER

D

ue to the most recent school shooting that occurred at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students at Sonoma State University have all reacted to this tragedy differently.

Everyone grieves in their own way. Some community members and students have found comfort in connecting with others. On Wednesday, the oncampus event “School Shootings, Student Lives, and Well-Being” took place in the HUB to focus on healing and processing about the recent Florida shooting.

The HUB provided a safe and confidential place for students to come together to grieve or express their frustration regarding the massacre. A representative from SSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services was present at the social gathering to provide professional support to those that needed it.

Due to the shooting being a sensitive topic, some students that attended the event asked that their names be left anonymous.

According to a senior student in attendance, many students are ready to show the CSU system and each other solidarity, and they are not just going to let this

go by.

“I definitely just felt completely numb,” the senior said. “Sandy Hook, Las Vegas; those things were so incredibly personal to me, and with this I just didn’t have the reservoir to do that and a lot of other people felt that way and that’s scary that literally no emotion happens whatsoever.”

In events like this, some students begin to question the safety of themselves and others on campus.

Many feel this has triggered a reaction to do something about this problem.

A sophomore student said she thinks a lot of people are done with feeling unsafe and feeling uncomfortable; that the reaction from the students at Sonoma State has really skyrocketed a movement.

“I think that the discussion is happening on a lot of college campuses, a lot of high school campuses, a lot of policy makers are really starting to get to the root of it and discovering why it’s happening and how we can prevent this from happening,” the sophomore said. “I think we’re going to hear a lot more about it at Sonoma State too.”

President Sakaki sent out an email on Feb. 22, which said students’ safety and security was a top priority. She discussed how the shootings bring aware-

ness and urgency to address mental health needs and gun control policies. At the bottom was an attached link to emergency procedures and emergency preparedness programs.

Sonoma State’s Counseling and Psychological Services encourages students to take advantage of the counseling and psychological services offered to them if they feel affected by recent events.

“I think people’s sense of safety has been adversely impacted by recent acts of violence, traumatic events like the Sonoma County fires, as well as by the general sociopolitical climate,” said Laura Williams, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Sonoma State. “We are seeing an increase in levels of distress for folks coming into the CAPS office for services.”

In response to campus safety in the event of a shooting, Emily Ledford, a freshman, said, “I think that CSAs should discuss a plan of action for residential community members and that professors should be discussing a plan of action for in-classroom emergencies.”

For students needing counseling regarding the recent shooting or any other crisis, CAPS has open walk-in hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Seawolves SPEAK! Do you feel safe on campus after the Parkland mass shooting?

DANIELLE FACTOR STAFF WRITER

I

t feels like almost every week we learn about a new mass shooting happening around our country. The Parkland shooting took place at a school that had armed security guards. Making campuses safe from the dangers of firearms is a topic for discussion right now, but it is also an extremely difficult subject to tackle.

Students all over the country have to reassess their safety when going to school.

“I feel a bit uneasy after the shootings. Things like this need to stop happening in our country. Overall, I think campus is pretty safe but I won’t feel totally safe until something is done.”

-Natalie Arnhiem

“I still feel safe at Sonoma State because of the police service station we have on campus. With that being said, however, in light of recent mass shooting such as the one that occured in Parkland Florida, I have found myself for the first time in my life asking myself if I still feel safe on campus as well.”

-Shane Sylvester

“I am not sure about my safety on campus, being that I am aware that anything can happen at any given time. I do, however, feel supported by the faculty and staff I interact with on a daily basis and know that God forbid something did happen, we would all be of service to one another in any way we can.”

-Maddie Mackey

“I still feel safe on campus but I think there needs to be more gun control, because this is the only country where things like this happen.”

-Joe Bartolick

“I still feel like this campus is pretty safe.”

-Katie Clark

“No, I don’t feel safe. There is nothing that has been done about it. The fact that this is the question is being asked is kind of ridiculous because nothing has been done. This needs to stop being normalized.”

-Madison Hughes

10 Sports

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves split series with Coyotes

The remaining doubleheader was rained out, leaving the matchup undetermined.

TATIANA SERRANO STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State University softball team traveled down to Southern California expecting a sunny weekend with two doubleheaders, but ended up only playing one Friday afternoon.

The team finished the weekend one for one against the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes.

Despite the weather ruining the excitement for the rest of the weekend, the team managed to keep the hype within the Friday games. Alyssa Cuffia hitting her first two career home runs is just one highlight of the Seawolves’ weekend. They hold a current season standing of 14-6 overall, 10-4 in CCAA. The Seawolves had its ups and downs as they were able to defeat the Coyotes 9-5.

Their offense is what helped them take the win, scoring in every inning besides the second, third, and seventh.

The first inning consisted of three runs from the Seawolves. Karly Macadangdang smacked a double into the field which got Alee Balanon home, then Macadangdang was able to score off of Sarah Langley’s pop fly to the centerfield.

“I think we are doing a better job of coming up with clutch hits and hitting better through our lineup as our team,” Balanon said.

Then Cuffia launched her first home run into the center field.

After a couple dry innings, the Seawolves were able to score twice within the fourth inning. Cameron Kirtlan and Ashley Long scored from Julie Davis’ single to the left field.

After those runs it continued for three more in the fifth inning. Cuffia hit her second home run, which allowed Langley and Flores to score.

Then in the sixth inning, Macadangdang hit a double to the center field, which allowed Holly Chandler to score. In addition, Brigid Ruiz wrapped up the game from the third inning to balance out all the runs.

“As a team we all hit constantly through the lineup no matter what pitcher they put in, which led to us successfully

winning the first game,” junior utility Lindsey Calcany Blair said.

“The rain made it difficult for sure for our pitchers and made it even more important to pitch well and play solid defense,” Balanon said.

However, the team could not sweep San Bernardino on Friday afternoon. The team fell short to San Bernardino with a score of 7-4. Sonoma State seemed to lose its offensive strength, and San Bernardino took advantage. The San Bernardino Coyotes had a total of 11 hits within the game.

Both teams kept a strong battle between each other with their offensive and defensive tactics. They both scored three times in the first inning, but none in the second or third inning.

Unfortunately for the Seawolves, the Coyotes came on top with three runs in the fourth inning, while the Seawolves only managed one in the fourth inning.

The game began with the first inning consisting of Sonoma State receiving runs from San Bernardino from their errors.

Kirtlan was able to score from San Bernardino’s defensive errors.

Then Langley shot a single to center field in hopes to add another run to the scoreboard, but she only made it to second base.

Little did the Seawolves realize the fourth inning would be the last time they got to score in the game. Davis singled to centerfield and with Calcany Blair on third, she was the last run the Seawolves would receive in the second game. Besides the lack of runs, Gabby Dupree lost a two run homerun and a solo homerun.

“We didn’t expect the big bats from San Bernardino, and their great hitting ultimately led to our loss in our second game,” Calcany Blair said. “They are a team full of good hitters.”

Ending the second game was rough for the Sonoma State Seawolves, especially since they could not redeem themselves the rest of the weekend. The second doubleheader was cancelled due to the weather in Southern California.

The next scheduled game for the Sonoma State Seawolves will be at noon on Friday against Cal State San Marcos at Senior infielder Ashley Long watches the pitch. home.

STAR // Justin Santos

Why Sonoma State football is forever sacked ROLAND SCHMIDT STAFF WRITER

Commentary

I

n 1996, much took place in the realm of sports. Major League Baseball crowned the New York Yankees as World Series champions for the first time in nearly two decades; the Dallas Cowboys secured what would be their last championship until further notice, and Sonoma State University played its final game as a collegiate football program.

Initially added as a junior varsity team in 1969 and brief ly discontinued from 1972 to 1979, Sonoma State played 20 seasons of competitive football, compiling a grand total of 77 wins, 120 losses and two ties. Not much to write home about.

Notably, the Cossacks earned their only NCAC championship in 1991, the first title in 14 seasons under the NCAC label. That season, head coach Tim Walsh led the squad to a 9-2 record after seven years of subpar football.

But five years removed from its conference title, Sonoma State decided to sack the program, citing budget constraints amid concerns that compliance with Title IX would pose more difficulty than anticipated if the team remained intact. Among other rea-

sons, the NCAC also disbanded its football division in 1996, then fully shut down in 1998, streamlining the process for the administration to eradicate the program.

At the time, the university claimed it would save nearly $300,000 by eliminating the football team and, in the process, create financial stability within the athletic department in doing so.

Now, as 22 years have passed since the football program met its demise, the school still remains without a team and has no plans in the future to resurrect it.

In reality, it’s too costly to support a football team and profit from it in the process – especially at a small division II school like Sonoma State. Hampered by factors like travel, equipment, scholarships, coaching, employees, a stadium to build or rent and Title IX requirements, Sonoma State wouldn’t be able to sustain a healthy football program without hefty amounts of money purged from other resources in the school and a mass amount of funding from the community.

After all, Sonoma State’s a tiny warrior in a large battlefield of gladiators. With top football schools such as the University of Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State raking in millions of dollars annually thanks to fans, boosters and sponsorships, it’s not hard to understand why a small school north of the Golden Gate Bridge is unable to call home to a

football program.

Those schools generate millions of dollars in revenue each year because boosters are willing to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to make sure the product on the field is a perennial national title contender. At the same time, students and fans contribute to the cycle by spending money on season tickets, merchandise, food and drinks and parking. At those schools, it’s the perfect formula for success.

Unlike other universities that are swimming in cash, at this school it’s hard enough to provide student-athletes with enough scholarship money to keep them here, let alone build a football program with costs upward of a few million dollars just to revive something that has a high risk of f lopping.

Unfortunately, this is a truth that we as students must face. Football is dead at Sonoma State, and not even a last-second hail mary could resuscitate our formerly beloved team.

And for a school that once helped Larry Allen pave his way to the NFL Hall of Fame, all that remains of the sport is a deserted track that once housed a football field, some shirts that say “undefeated since 1996,” and a massive banner of Allen in the gym that taunts our every desire to bring a football team back to Sonoma State.

Alas, these tokens will forever exist as the ghost of Sonoma State football.

Dallasnews.com Former Sonoma State Cossack Larry Allen went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL after being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.

Sports 11

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

No. 25 UC San Diego pushes Seawolves out of CCAA Championship Tournament JENO VELTRI

STAFF WRITER

C

oming off a close and tough loss last week against Chico State, 75-68, the Sonoma State University women’s basketball team hoped to bring confidence and energy into its matchup this past week.

The Seawolves took their talents to face No.25 UC San Diego in an evening matchup for the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament at RIMAC arena in La Jolla.

The Seawolves, however, did not leave with the outcome they hoped for, coming up with a devastating loss to end their season, 69-52.

Sophomore forward Ugochi Anudokem led the Seawolves in the end, bringing in 14 points and a team-high for rebounds with 12 boards. Anudokem led the team in points for the 14th time this season as well as picking up her eighth double-double performance of the overall season.

“I think the game went okay, we reached our goal of making playoffs which was great,” Anudokem said. “We limited them to only scoring 69. It was a sad loss but I think it makes the ones who are returning even hungrier to get farther

into playoffs next year.“ The other shooting heroics from this matchup came from seniors Jessica Mitz and guard Madison Burroughs. The two seniors concluded their collegiate careers with double digits, Mitz coming out with 11 points and Burroughs coming out with 10.

The Seawolves showed a decent shooting display in their last game of the season, while shooting 31.3 percent from the f loor, 10 percent from the threepoint range, and 75 percent from the free-throw line.

This game was not only the last game of the season but also the last game for graduating seniors such as Carly Gill, Jerrica Crosby, McKaiela Tyler, Molly Donovan, Mitz, and Burroughs. The last game of any season is always bittersweet but especially more for those graduating seniors who won’t be able to step on the court anymore as a proud Seawolf.

“It feels surreal, but I have appreciated every aspect of it, for it’s been such a growing experience. I’m going to miss the thrill of game days because I know nothing will be able to replicate those feelings,“ Burroughs said.

The Seawolves overall entered the conference tournament as the No. 8 seed but came out with an overall 12-15 record to end the 2017-2018 season.

STAR // MIKKI TAYLOR (Left) No. 42 Ugochi Anudokem steps around her defender. Anudokem added another double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to end the season with eight double-doubles. (Right) No. 22 Jessica Mitz pulls up for a jumper. Mitz dropped 11 points in her last collegiate game.

Sports Schedule Tuesday, March 6

Wednesday, March 7

Softball vs Cal State San Marcos Noon & 2 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo vs Bucknell (in San Diego) 8 a.m. vs Hawaii (in San Diego) 11 a.m. @ San Diego State 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Hawaii Pacific 11 a.m.

Baseball vs UC San Diego 2 p.m.

Softball vs Cal State San Marcos 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Thursday, March 8

Women’s Water Polo @ UC San Diego 6 p.m.

Sunday, March 11

Saturday, March 10

Baseball vs UC San Diego 11 a.m.

Men’s Golf Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout Women’s Golf Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout

Women’s Water Polo vs Azusa Pacific 3 p.m.

Friday, March 9 Men’s Tennis vs Concordia 10 a.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Concordia 10 a.m. vs Mills 3 p.m.

Women’s Track @ Wildcat Invitational Baseball vs UC San Diego 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Nevada 11 a.m.

12 Photo Seawolves showcase their talent

MARCH 6 - MARCH 12, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

STAR // Carly Wade The dancers of Ballet Folkorico show off their dresses as they dance on stage.

STAR // Carly Wade Kayla Moceri (right) and Allana Peerce (left) performing a duet at the MGC Talent Showcase on Wednesday, February 28 in the cooperage.

STAR // Carly Wade Malik-Charles Wade showing off his moves while chanting his fraternity’s, Kappa Alpha Psi, signature chant.

STAR // Carly Wade The women of Sigma Omega Nu showing off their dance moves at the MGC Talent Showcase.

STAR // Holle Depina Nick Mayorga, Minerva Alvarez, Ryan Contreras and Michael Dayton (left to right) waiting to start their game on Thursday night at Double Decker Lanes.

STAR // Carly Wade SNBRN performing for students in the Student Center ballrooms on Friday night.

STAR // Holle Depina Miriam Salazar attempts to get a strike at the free bowling event at Double Decker Lanes on Thursday night.

STAR // Carly Wade The crowd cheering as SNBRN comes out to perform.

STAR // Holle Depina Black History Month Closing Ceremony on Friday, Feb. 23.