Volume 81 // Issue 14

IN THIS ISSUE

Employee death

Athlete spotlight

Bowling night

Read a touching memorial to an employee who passed away on PAGE 4.

Read about pitcher Michael Byerline and his goals for the upcoming season on PAGE 10.

ASP hosts the last bowling night of the semester on PAGE 8.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 81 // ISSUE 14 DECEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 17, 2018

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

Art Building to undergo needed renovations

EMILY TWISSELMANN STAFF WRITER

T

he presence of asbestos–a known carcinogen–and other structural flaws, including a leaking roof, in the Art Building has been confirmed by Dana Twedell, Associate Vice-President for Administration and Finance and employee of Facilities Operations and Planning for Sonoma State.

Sonoma State will be replacing the Art Department’s leaking roof this summer for $800,000.

“During our construction phase, we’ll be working with our Contractor and our Environmental Health & Safety department to assure that all asbestos materials, as related to this project, are handled as outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards” Twedell said.

As to how long Facility Management has been aware of these issues, Twedell had no comment. The truth behind other rumors regarding the Photography studio’s defective dark room and broken equipment are still unknown.

Students and faculty alike expressed concern when questioned about the potential of classrooms having asbestos and other hazardous issues without them knowing. Some, however, didn’t seem surprised by these possibilities.

Third year art student Cassidy Phillips, in fact, has a theory of her own that explains why the Art Department seems so neglected.

“The school itself holds higher standards for every other department,” Phillips said, waving her hands and thumping her fist on the table in exasperation, “business, economics.. We get no recognition, no funds... we’re just supposed to deal with it.”

Pausing to gesture, Phillips continued, “That printer hasn’t been working for a really long time.

When we need stuff fixed it’s not fixed. Our priorities need to be in different places.”

On top of all that, according to Phillips, there’s a lot of people who don’t even know where the art building is. This is pretty understandable–considering that the Art Building’s rusty lockers, retro redwood exterior and sculpture adorned courtyard have sat largely untouched, tucked away in mossy, quiet

COURTESY // Emily Twisselman The Art Building, located at the north end of campus, was built in the 1970’s and hosts the Art and Art History departments. this be aware of what’s happening around us,” said corner behind International Hall since it’s construc- Moore. tion in the late 70s.

Pertaining to leaks in dark room that is used for “What the school cares about are areas that are photography, junior Art major Diane Fritz said, “If being toured. They show you certain parts, but they there’s a possibility that that room has an issue that’s don’t come over here,” Phillips concluded. going to keep me from that class it’s gonna be a huge Regarding asbestos specifically, senior Psycholo- impact on me and my ability to move forward in the gy major Kiara Moore, a tour guide for Sonoma State, program.” said that she only knew about the confirmed existence With regards to the rumored existence of asbesof it in Stevenson, where most of her classes are. tos in the tile f loors, Fritz said, “I’ve heard reference “As students who are paying tuition, it’s impor- to it. I haven’t heard that there’s been testing here tant that we know what’s happening with our univer- that gives me solid evidence. It’s good to be really sity. It’s super important for us to get to the bottom of upfront about it and not to pretend.”

Professor retiring after 40 years

the theatre of the absurd,” said Anthony Bish, professor in the School of Performing Arts and colleague of Navas’ for over 23 years.

Bish spoke about a play Navas put on called Bad Penny, which was performed on the pond at Sonoma State in 2012. She built docks and boats for the actors to perform on. “Judy loves to push the limits of space and technology,” Bish said. Navas recalled a memorable incident during the production. “At one point someone fell into the pond off of the boat, and we had a lifeguard there because we had no idea how deep it was,” she said. “It turned out she stood right up; it was waist deep.”

Navas grew up in Marin, where she joined a teen acting company while in high school. “I wanted to be a comedian, but at that time there weren’t a lot of female comedians as role models,” she said. However, she stumbled into theater early in life. “I knew what I wanted to do by the age of 12,” she said.

Her mother, a tap dancer who perCOURTESY // Sonoma State University formed in Chicago hotels in the 1940s, was supportive of her passions, while her Sonoma State’s PR person asked Navas to improvise for this photo. “He knew I was kind of whimsical,” she said. The father was not. She recalled a time when her father was shamed into acceptance playful pose was inspired by National Lampoon’s yearby the theatre company’s director when book parody, in which the gym teacher is sniffing a shoe. he drove 20 minutes to pick her up for rehearsal. “He MANDELA LINDER STAFF WRITER said ‘well, if your dad won’t let you use the car, I’ll hen Judy Navas began teaching at Sonoma come and get you.’ He came to the house and embarState University it was still called Sonoma rassed the devil out of my father, because here’s this State College. There were “scraggly roosters” that very prominent man coming to bring me to rehearswould peck away under the sign, and a relaxed en- al,” Navas recounted.

In her adult life, Navas has had a wide variety of vironment that allowed for more creativity, although it may have lacked a necessary structure. Navas said rich experiences. Navas attended school at the Colthat she landed the job due to a “weird f luke”. It was lege of Marin, University of California, Berkeley, and the 1970s and jobs were hard to come by due to the San Francisco State University. She has one son, Darecession. She was hired on the spot after the mime mon Navas-Howard, who was involved in her plays teacher was reportedly fired for getting into a “physi- as a child. Throughout her career she has traveled the cal tussle” with a student, in which he actually kicked world, including Myanmar, India, South America, the student in the buttocks. “Isn’t that bizarre?”, said London and the Netherlands. She has worked with prominent people such as Tennessee Williams and Navas.

That was Navas’ last change of jobs. After 40 Eric Erickson.

She said her time at Berkeley in the 1960s greatly years at Sonoma State, Navas will be retiring from her position as a professor in the Theatre Arts and Dance inf luenced who she became. “I got to Berkeley at the department. She had her retirement party Thursday spring of People’s Park. Of course that was extremely at Person Theatre, where colleagues, friends, family exciting and very involving,” she said. “The values and students gathered to celebrate. Navas’ colleagues that we fought for at that time were of equality, fair painted a picture of a brilliant, quirky woman with play for everyone, and the sharing of resources. It’s a f lair for the unusual. “I think Judy’s real love is always been part of my work and I’ve chosen a lot of

W

plays based on that experience, because that’s what informed my generation… In fact, I was there when Kent State happened, and of course that day it was tumultuous on campus. There were certain times when we weren’t even on campus; we were at professor’s houses, and that was another thing that helped me in terms of how I teach. I always try to make my classes intimate, and have that feeling that we’re at home together.”

Navas has had a great impact on the people around her. Norman Howard, her good friend and former husband, has known Navas since 1982. He remembered a time she when she scrapped a play’s script three days before the show was to start. “I took that to heart in my own life, and my own career [as a public defender],” he said. “It’s something you have to do sometimes; you have to just completely toss the script and start over.”

Natalie Myers, a senior at Sonoma State, loved working with Navas. “It’s always a fun balance of laughter, hard work, and trying new things,” said Myers. Students are the reason Navas has been at Sonoma State for so many years. “I love not only teaching, but watching people at that point in their lives begin to blossom and develop. I’ve always been interested in the whole student person, not just in theatre, but in helping them through theatre to discover their potential.”

Scott Horstein, the department chair of Theatre Arts and Dance at Sonoma State, said that Navas taught him how to be a better educator. “She’s taught me the importance of chaos and the importance of being vulnerable, specifically in the classroom as a teacher. This means not taking on too much status, and remembering that you’re just as f lawed as your students and that they’re just as beautiful as you are, if not more so,” said Horstein.

In her retirement Navas plans to relax first, then focus on her hobbies. “I want to feel what it’s like to cook a dinner, to just live.” She’s also in a musical group in Healdsburg. “One of my goals is to just get better at what I’m doing with that,” Navas said.

At her retirement party, Bish toasted Navas with Martinelli’s sparkling cider, because according to him, Navas is not a fan of wine. “Judy has always been motivated to challenge herself, her students, her collaborators, and the establishment--she did attend college in the ‘60s,” Bish said, as the group responded with laughter. “Just lately she has learned to play ukulele. Judy’s time here at Sonoma State is closing a big step in her career and life, but nobody who knows Judy believes that this is an end. It’s just another step in her evolving life.”

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Kendall Grove, Editor-in-Chief Braden Car twright, News Editor Luis Mejia, Opinion Editor Ashley Napier, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Haley Kara, Student Life Editor Brennan Craig, Spor ts Editor Alyssa Archerda, Photo Editor Lukas Brown, Adver tising Manager Christine Von Raesfeld, Social Media Manager Savannah Lizarraga, Copy Editor Gillian Chaffer, Copy Editor Mandela Linder, Copy Editor Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Morgan Arancio, Jessica Bennett, Analy Bravo, Kaylie Boettner, Kelly Britton, Lukas Brown, Madeleine Brown, Nicholas Ceschin, Gillian Chaffer, Mar tin Contreras, Christian Francisco, Alex Funchess, Ashley Gieseke, Teresa Maria Gulli, Amanda Hadley, Emily Hoffman, Laurie Kelso, Mandela Linder, Nina Lopez, Mariah Maldonado, Carly Olsen, Kathleen Perry, Joseph Piombo, Kailey Priest, Mariah Ponce, Renee Rodgers, Alison Snider, Natalya Swensen, Michelle Tadlock, Emily Twisselmann

Photographers Emiliana Mar tinez, Luis Madrigal, Natalie Dolan, Jennifer Spence

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

New Title IX rules protect institutions, not students

N

ew proposed guidelines for Title IX focus on protecting institutions, but leave students without resources.

The Department of Education is changing the rules surrounding sexual assault on college campuses to protect the accused and reduce college’s liability.

The definition of sexual assault is being changed. Now, schools will only be accountable for formal complaints filed through proper authorities and for conduct said to have occurred on their campuses.

These new Title IX guidelines are a step in the wrong direction at a time when progress needs to be made.

A vast majority of rapes aren’t filed through the proper authorities.

This is seen at Sonoma State. Ten rapes were reported to the university last year, but hundreds of people reported a history of sexual assault when they visited Counseling and Psychological Services.

For many reasons, is difficult for sexual assault survivors to come forward. Whether they know the perpetrator, are afraid of being believed or just

want to move on, there are plenty of reasons why someone might not go through the proper channels to report their sexual assault.

To compensate for the fear sexual assault victims face, colleges need to be proactive in finding the sexual assaulters and removing them from the university. The responsibility can’t fall solely on the victim.

Only holding a college responsible for sexual assaults that occur on campus allows for rapes that are reported as off-campus to be swept under the rug. Only 37 percent of Sonoma State students live on campus.

A student is still a student even when they leave Sonoma State property. Just because a student lives off campus doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to the same resources that students who live on campus do.

Universities should be held responsible for sexual assaults off campus too, especially if they involve a student perpetrator and student victim.

The culture of Sonoma State doesn’t end where its property does--it extends across Rohnert Park and Cotati, into

the neighborhoods where most of its students live.

This new set of guidelines also redefines sexal misconduct and only condems severe, pervasive and objectively offensive sexual misconduct.

This narrow definition would allow for administration to overlook Title IX violations if they do not believe it to meet this new criteria. This will impact those who work, teach and attend Sonoma State.

Another issue with the new guidelines are that they create a new rule that calls for cross-examination of sexual assault victims. Although this wasn’t previously outlawed, it’s frowned upon due to the potentially traumatic problems associated with questioning an alleged sexual assault victim by asking them to relive their assault. The new rules explains that attorneys must be allowed to submit questions on their behalf for the alleged victim or accused to answer.

These new rules let colleges off the hook for sexual assault. Laws are needed to force colleges to be proactive in preventing sexual assaults, or else they will do the bare minimum.

Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article:

“Flynn memo provides another tease before Mueller report” Staff writer Nina Lopez discusses Michael Flynn’s involvement with the FBI investigations.

Read the story on page 3

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

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

Opinions

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

Letters to the Editor Letter writers may expect prompt publication in the newspaper’s op-ed section, as space is available. Letters of up to 400 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Friday before the publication date. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length and clarity. 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.

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.

Opinion 3

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

PETA’s ‘anti-animal’ phrases push the limits of sensitivity

NICK CESCHIN STAFF WRITER

T

he cat’s out of the bag . . . PETA has just come out with a list of “animal-friendly idioms” that people can use to avoid triggering the birds and the bees and giving students the wrong idea of what the relationship between humans and animals should be.

And thank God they have because people have really been complaining about this one.

It’s so nice to know that PETA has stepped up its intensity once more, this time with efforts to constrain further what Americans can and cannot say.

But let’s be real PETA: at the end of the day humans should really just be speaking in Morse Code, that way no animal of any kind will ever have to worry about a creature-related microaggression.

PETA’s website features all kinds of fun new idioms to take the place of pre-existing animal-related idioms so as to not give young children the wrong idea about how we should treat said furry friends. Where as a “harmful” idiom might be “kill two birds with one stone,” children instead should be taught to say “feed two birds with one scone.”

A fan favorite might be to replace “put all your eggs in one basket” with “put all your berries in one bowl.”

Very creative, PETA! On a more serious note—assuming this cause can even be taken seriously,—no one is going to buy this. Parents

Flynn memo provides another tease before Mueller report

NINA LOPEZ

STAFF WIRTER

P

resident Donald Trump’s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, receives a slap on the wrist after lying to FBI investigators about his involvement with Russia and the 2016 election campaign.

Due to Flynn’s cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller, Flynn will receive no jail time due to the “substantial assistance” he has provided. Such information is now being used as evidence to solve three ongoing investigations, two of which are unknown to the public.

According to the Press Democrat, “Flynn participated in 19 interviews with prosecutors and cooperated extensively in a separate and undisclosed criminal probe.”

The sentencing recommendation memo that was released last Tuesday by Mueller’s team of prosecutors reveals little information about the scandals in question. A this point it seems more like a cliffhanger than anything.

This is because the most important bits of classified information that are currently being used in Mueller’s investigations are redacted. In fact, nearly all the information is censored from view.

What we do know is that Flynn’s cooperation has led to further knowledge about three investigations, one of them being collusion, a secret agreement between two or more parties.

Flynn has provided information regarding “links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald J. Trump,” as stated in the memo.

With what little information the public has been given within the sentencing document, there is much room for speculation.

For example, the decision to uphold Flynn from any jail time is very questionable. This is because he is the only person among four other former Trump advisors who has not been penalized for his past. However, all five men have pleaded guilty for false statements made to either the FBI or Congress.

These five men are George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Cohen and Flynn.

According to The Guardian, Papadopoulos, Trump’s former campaign foreign policy adviser, “confessed to making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the campaign.” He has received a 14-day sentence.

Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chair, is undergoing a maximum of 10 years in prison. “Charges against Manafort are related to his Ukrainian consulting work, not Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which is the central issue in the special counsel’s investigation.”

Gates, former Trump campaign supporter, was charged similarly to Manafort but he hasn’t received any jail time as of now because his sentencing has yet to be set.

Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, has been charged with excessive contribution to Trump’s campaign, related to payments made to Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actor Stormy Daniels.

Perhaps, unlike Flynn, these men were punished because of the little information they supplied to Mueller and his team. Although Flynn has been praised for aiding Mueller’s investigation, his wrong-doings shouldn’t be ignored, regardless of the amount of information he has supplied to the special council.

Hopefully, the remainder of the memo will be released soon and the rest of the country can get a better understanding as to who they should be siding with.

are not really going to worry about the supposed subliminal messaging that PETA insists is within our everyday idioms.

This is just another organization which has crossed a line in its attempts to break down freedom of speech and complicate the idea even more than it has become, and in doing so will probably lose more respect than it began with.

To advocate that saying “put all your eggs in one basket” might imply to young children with malleable minds that animals are worthless and should be treated as such is not only ludicrous, but this specific example doesn’t even make sense. A child will not associate an egg with a chicken and thus view chickens as, say, targets. A child associates eggs with food because, unless you are a farmer or an angry teenager who plans to egg their ex’s house, eggs are just food.

And even though there may be a time and place to discuss skinning cats (i.e. the phrase: “there is more than one

way to skin a cat”) that knowledge is already implied.

PETA’s endeavors to remove what they have labeled “speciesism,” should not under any circumstances be taken seriously. People should treat animals with respect and love, especially their pets, but we should not feel guilt and obligation to watch what we say in the name of a species that does not even speak English.

In fact, if you really want to talk about triggering and offending, then maybe it is the common, everyday regular-idiom user that should really be offended, because what PETA is really indicating with their demands is that we are too stupid to know how to speak correctly in the name of animals.

PETA should pray that this does not ruin its entire organization. It’s not worth beating a dead horse over, but this type of outrage may have crossed a line unable to come back from.

But hey, you’ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

Pedophiles disturbingly fight for a home on Twitter ALISON SNIDER STAFF WRITER

A

s the year draws to a close, the internet is confronted with one more social movement: the MAP, or “minor-attracted person,” movement. Yes, you read that correctly. The latest movement to dominate the internet is a pedophilia advocacy movement.

The argument coming from the pedophilia activist community is mostly that not all pedophiles are child molestors. Many MAPS also refer to themselves as NOMAPS, which are “no contact minor-attracted persons.”

MAPS believe that their attraction to minors should be considered a sexuality, and that they should be openly accepted into the LGBTQ community.

Glenn Wilson, a writer for Independent, defended pedophillia in a 2015 article saying, “It is possible to be attracted to children as a sexual orientation without acting upon those desires.” He continues on to defend the number of pedophiles that do not act upon their sexual desires by claiming that many take their special interest in children and put it towards “social good,” such as becoming teachers or social workers.

What a truly terrifying thought to have, Glenn, thank you. Even the mere idea that some people are going into social work to have close connections with the children they are sexually attracted to is enough to discredit the entire argument in favor of pedophiles.

Children should be able to go to school and interact with the adults in charge without fear of being sexually objectified, regardless of if sexual contact is made.

According to the American Academy of Experts of Traumatic Stress, children are three times more likely to be sexually abused than adults, and the Incest Survivors Resource Network also says that, “the erotic use of a child, whether physically or emotionally, is sexual exploitation in the fullest meaning of the term, even if no bodily contact is ever made.”

Furthermore, Psychology Today claims the most common effect of sexual abuse is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Children are meant to be in a safe environment at school where they can trust the faculty around them. Any person sexually attracted to children has absolutely no business thinking that they are doing “social good” by going into social work.

Frankly, pedophiles should not

have any comfortable place in society.

They have a long standing history of desperately trying to connect themselves with the LGBTQ community.

This has never served to help pedophiles, but rather hurt the queer community by association.

Let’s make this very clear. Pedophiles are not and should never be accepted as a part of the queer community.

The queer community, gay men and trans people especially, have been historically demonized as being predatory and pedophilic. One of the biggest arguments against giving trans people the right to choose which bathroom to use is that they will sexually assault other people in the bathroom. To include “pedosexual” as a part of the LGBTQ spectrum would only serve to hurt almost all progress that the queer rights movement has achieved. It almost seems as if the pedophile community is less about advocating for themselves and far more about furthering the villainization of the LGBTQ community.

Pedophiles should not feel comfortable admitting to their sexual attraction to children. So please, if you consider yourself to be a MAP or a NOMAP, do society a favor, and never come near another child again.

Political climate breeds everything except unity

GILLIAN CHAFFER

STAFF WRITER

I

n the world of politics, individuals are bombarded with extreme views of those going against their current ethics.

As many know, news stations can typically be quite biased, and often left wing stations show us negative alt-right wing ideologies and vice versa. This pattern tends to make people believe that only hardcore views exist in politics, and can even cloud the judgement of what exactly we are being shown in the media.

Alt-right has been a term used heavily in the last two years to describe people who identify as such, or as white nationalists.

According to The New York Times, “The “alt-right” is a racist, far-right movement based on an ideology of white nationalism and anti-Semitism. Many news organizations do not use the term, preferring terms like “white nationalism” and “far right.”

It has been a controversial top-

ic however, since some believe that even discussing the word promotes the movement, therefore promoting the rise of hateful views and language. People who are part of the alt-right movement want to create “a white state” with a main goal being “the destruction of leftism.”

Social media forums like Facebook and Instagram are full of accounts that share far right memes and posts using sexist, racist, homophobic and transphobic language.

The alt-left movement, however, seems to be less discussed, and perhaps even more widely accepted.

In states like California, which are very liberal, many people that do not keep up with politics often jump to supporting anyone who isn’t conservative—regardless of what they might actually be doing or saying. There is a lot of debate if the term even exists, or applies to anyone in politics.

CNN reports that, “George Hawley, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, said the “alt-left” term has been most aggressively pushed by Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, but it’s not a label anyone or group has adopted for themselves.”

Though this is true—no group of people have coined the term like the alt-right has—it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

The term ‘neo-nazi’ has been used recently to describe people using violence and fear along with

their extreme far right views, however many would not call themselves such. These people, though, as reported by many news outlets, are considered nazis.

Meanwhile, ‘alt-left’ might be seen as too negative to identify with, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there who definitely fall under this category.

In 2017 during a white nationalist march held in Virginia, those identifying as alt-right acted out against protestors who were clearly far left.

In a public statement Trump said, “‘What about the ‘alt-left’ that came charging at, as you say, the ‘alt-right’? Let me ask you this: What about the fact they came charging—that they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do.’”

Since both sides were being very violent, loud and disruptive, the term alt-left was born, and many believe that it applies to those in this situation.

There is a difference between peaceful protest and using violence to get a point across. Everyone has freedom to believe what they wish morally and ethically, and one of our rights is being able to protest.

However, anyone hurting others or destroying property on behalf of one’s political angle is simply an extremist. By using these tactics, not only does it give one side a bad name, but it also forces us to take steps back on becoming a more accepting and loving society.

4 News

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

SSU employee passes away MICHELLE TADLOCK STAFF WRITER

J

ennifer Page-Genzoli was 35 years old when she passed on Dec. 2. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2013 from carrying a gene which her mother had, according to her husband Travis Genzoli. It was a steady battle from then on.

She immediately got a double mastectomyand had beat breast cancer. Unfortunately, in 2015 she had a stroke which revealed a brain tumor so she did radiation and everything seemed fine, Travis explained. He states, “In September of 2016 that tumor started having weird activity so she had brain surgery and things started to calm down.” But in 2017, smaller tumors in the brain appeared, different from the original one. Jennifer had to receive immunotherapy from C.H.I.P.S.A. Therapy Hospital in Mexico.

Except in November, Jennifer got a call from her doctor saying the tumor is all over her spine and they can no longer help her. One month later she passed away in the comfort of her home.

During her last month, she went through hospice care. Jennifer was constantly having friends and family visit her to enjoy these last moments with her. They described her as a kind soul, a dedicated worker, with a calm presence and a great sense of humor. Lisa Moore, a coworker, states, “I remember looking at her, thinking, you would never know she had cancer or was going through chemo. Her attitude was great.”

Travis explained how she was always keeping up with the new hit songs, stating, “It was like she was still in college the way she listened to music.” He also shared one of her hobbies

COURTESY // Travis Genzoli Jennifer Page-Genzoli on her wedding day in August 2012. “She was so beautiful. She always had been, but that day especially,” her husband Travis said. “I felt like the luckiest person in the world.”

SSU promoting financial literacy LUKAS BROWN STAFF WRITER

W

ith the rise of student debt and lack of efficient money management, individuals find themselves without the essential skills to manage their personal finances. Sonoma State University and the Redwood Credit Union is trying to combat this growing issue by offering classes about money management to students.

In early 2018, “Survey of the States” study by the Council for Economic Education found that there has been minimal to no growth in recent years in the amount of time dedicated to personal finance and economic education in K-12 education. The furthest most schools go to teach their students about money and finance is showing the students what different currency looks like.

Many school administrators and teaching staff have noticed the issue with the lack of money management education within public schools and are slowly implementing personal finance curriculum into their schools. The financial literacy project at Sonoma State has been spearheaded by Dr. Carlos Ayala, dean of the Sonoma State School of Education and Dr. Susan Campbell, a professor of education.

“I know that one of the important pieces of education that undergraduates need to get is about financial literacy for themselves. We know that there is a national student debt crisis around loans, we know credit card companies target college students and we know that students leave their college institutions with large amounts of debt.” Ayala said. “Students lack the proper money management skills that will help them the rest of their lives and the financial literacy project is designed to teach them those necessary skills.”

Ayala worked closely with executives from Redwood Credit Union to get the project up and running, while Campbell developed the money management coursework. The coursework was completed over

the summer and the classes were offered to students within the School of Education credential program.

The financial literacy classes are designed to teach college credential students money management skills to then be able to implement the curriculum into the classes they will go on to teach after college.

Credential program students go through a simulation called bites of reality. Bites of reality gives each student a programmed identity, such as a airline pilot making $100,000 per year. Then the students get to choose a house, car, daycare, groceries, etc. they want to buy or can afford. This gives the students personal finance experience and budgeting practice.

Campbell’s financial literacy curriculum for K-12 education starts off in kindergarten where young students will learn about the differences between needs and wants. In first and second grade students will complete a project that gives them experience as an entrepreneur and certain scenarios on how to make money, third and fourth grade will teach them the differences between banks and credit unions and the workings of the organizations. As the students get older the curriculum becomes more detailed to give them more knowledge about money management.

“I’ve always got my eyes in two different directions, one is the credential students and then the other one is the elementary students. My hope is that the adult students just get a little bit more aware of what is going on with their personal finances so that they can spread their knowledge about it to the elementary students,” said Campbell.

The financial literacy project is in its early stages with this being the first semester it was offered.

Sonoma State’s goal is to expand curriculum to other academic areas with the possibility of it reaching 70 percent of all Sonoma State students by Spring 2021.

Daisy Agers, a senior Childhood Studies major at Sonoma State said, “The financial literacy project is a great resource for credential students to not only get personal finance experience, but also to spread that knowledge to our youth.”

Alum gifts $100,000 to CAPS

ASHLEY GIESEKE STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State has received a charitable gift of $100,000 in honor of a professor who passed away in 1999, according to Sonoma State’s website. The large amount of money came from an alum named Paul Nussbaum, who made a connection with a professor that truly left an impact on his life.

The professor’s name was Stan Goertzen but would sometimes also be referred to as Stashu Geurtsen. He was a Psychology teacher who left his mark on many different students. The class in particular that Nussbaum took with Geurtsen was called “ Personal Awareness through Sports”. At the time of the course, Nussbaum was a tennis player at the university and this class really stuck out to him. This class really changed Nussbaum’s life, according to Sonoma State’s website. It was a topic that he realized he truly enjoyed along with him creating a friendship with a professor that he never imagined.

Nussbaum was quoted saying that he and Geurtsen grew a very close friendship and would play tennis together on regular occasions along with going on long-distance runs almost every day. The two were very similar and always had something to talk about due to their love of the same sport. Due to this friendship Nussbaum believes this is primarily why he stayed in school and wanted to be successful. He

was able to graduate with a degree in Management in 1982 and was able to go onto get his masters with Geurtsen constant support.

Tragically, Nussbaum was a victim of a drive by shooting. This left him paralyzed and not sure where to go from there. Geurtsen was by his side in the hospital and helped him in any way he could in the recovery efforts, according to Sonoma State.

This showed Nussbaum that no matter what his professor would help him and it is something he is showing gratitude for as he gave the university the donation. To honor Geurtsen, Nussbaum and his family generously donated a charitable annuity to the university that will go into funding the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

CAPS is a program at Sonoma State that focuses on the mental health needs of its students. Due to this large donations, CAPS has hung up a plaque in their office honoring Professor Geurtsen.

Senior Kimberly DeCastro thinks this donation is something that can help many. “It’s incredible to see such generosity going to such a good cause. The fact that a student and a professor can share such an amazing friendship is something that Nussbaum can cherish forever. You really never know the impact the most random person can have on your life and now many will be able to get the help they need due to this.”

was refurbishing furniture or crafting things. Carmen Diaz Misa, a coworker said, “The first day she came back from one of her medical leave, she gave everyone in the office a spider plant that she had hand painted, all the vases with different designs.”

Jennifer graduated from Sonoma State University and originally was an office aid during her studies. She was offered a position after couple years after graduating, in 2012. She worked in the Financial Aid Office for four years, according to Susan Gutierrez, the Director of Financial Aid. Gutierrez states, “Jennifer’s last work activity was giving up a Saturday to help Upward Bound high school seniors and their parents complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as they prepare for their college journey.”

She had a beautiful relationship with her husband Travis; they were together for 12 years. In August 2012, they got married with an outdoor wedding in Humboldt County. Travis states, “We were best friends who did everything together.

Our wedding was so beautiful. She was so beautiful, she always had been but that day especially. I felt like the luckiest person in the world.”

Travis and Jennifer went on amazing trips together. One of his favorites was when they traveled to Costa Rica after she had beaten breast cancer.

He explained the trip as a symbol for making it through the tough times. Travis described her as a great chef, who worked out regularly, and an avid learner. “She researched everything so she would already know what the doctors were going to tell her and came prepared with questions, she even did this with our trips,” he said.

But most importantly, Travis and Jennifer had two dogs, who basically did everything with them.

Luna, a black lab mix is 18-years-old and Miso, a healer is 14-years-old. They even took them on their honeymoon to Monterey Bay. “We went on as many trips with Luna and Miso as we could,” Travis said. “Anything that included driving.”

Travis emphasised how much Jennifer loved her job and all the people that worked there.

“We’re both so thankful to move down here and to have this care,” he said. “Especially the insurance from working with Sonoma State was so amazing it took care of 99 percent of her treatments.” He wants to personally thank Sonoma, her coworkers, her friends, and her family for wanting to help her through it all. “Everyone was really helpful and great. You don’t realize how much support you have until it’s there and I’m so appreciative for all the people who helped us through this.”

CSU extends application deadline LAURIE KELSO STAFF WRITER

T

he CSU system has made the decision to extend its application deadline from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15 because of the California wildfires. “The university previously announced a series of accommodations for applicants affected by recent wildfires, but the CSU has now extended the entire priority application window to ensure that all applicants have the opportunity to apply to their desired CSU campuses,” the CSU announced.

The 23 campuses across the state starting accepting applications back in Oct. 1. The CSU systems have acknowledged that students and their families have faced “hardship due to wildfires affecting the entire state.”

The news report encourages students to visit Cal State Apply, where they can learn about the different degree programs at each of the 23 campuses, as well as information about housing and student life.

The CSU system also encourages students to seek information about financial aid. “Students should visit the university’s financial aid website and apply for financial aid or learn more about financial aid options. Eighty percent of CSU students receive some type of financial aid, and more than half of all CSU undergraduates receive enough financial aid to cover the full cost of tuition.”

Natalie Kalogiannis, the Director of Admissions for SSU explains that most prospective students wait until last minute to turn their applications in. “At this point it’s hard to say whether this extension in time will increase our application number.” Kalogiannis explains that CAL state apply will not allow any late applications to go through the system. If students are past the cutoff deadline, they need to contact University’s directly and appeal for a late application.

Kalogiannis addresses the Sonoma County fires that happened last year. “Not all 23 CSU campuses extended their application deadlines, but Sonoma State definitely did.”

Kalogiannis said the application actually decreased last year from the previous year, perhaps due to the fires or due to the new application system. “It’s hard to say, it was a brand new application system, which was longer and maybe we were getting applications before that didn’t have any intention of coming to Sonoma State, It’s hard to compare because it’s two completely different systems.”

News 5

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Q&A: Author’s view of unsolved campus murder

AMANDA HADLEY STAFF WRITER

O

n Oct. 17, 2016, Kirk Kimberly, an 18-year-old Rohnert Park resident went missing, and over two weeks later, his body was found in a remote part of Sonoma State University west of the Green Music Center parking lot.

Since Kimberly’s death, no arrests have been made. True-crime author and investigator Johnny Kerns looked deeper into this investigation and wrote a book on the case called, “Inherit the Whole Earth.” He answered questions surrounding Kimberly’s murder that have not been put out to the public What made you interested in this case?

I had just finished my first book “The Coldest Case” and published it when Kirk disappeared and I was looking for my next case.

I was following along with the media coverage expecting to find that an arrest was imminent. The unusual method of disposition (the killer buried Kirk) attracted my curiosity.

Burial takes time and usually involves more than one person. In my experience, it is rare because when someone commits a murder, their physiological response is panic (fight-or-f light).

Even someone who has killed before is in a rush to get as far away from the scene as possible.

The worst thing, from their perspective, would be to be apprehended on site. So given the culprit took time to bury the body told me certain key things about where and how this happened.

It told me that it took place in a secluded area and the killer never felt that they would be discovered and thus, they could take their time to come up with a plan to hide what they did.

As the days and weeks passed and no arrests had been made, I decided to reach out to Kirk’s parents and the detectives and offer my services.

What was the process like writing this book?

This was a trial for me. I personally interviewed over 50 people, including Kirk’s ex-girlfriends, parents, close friends and the detectives who were searching for his killers. It took a year and a half and you will read in the book, some people were brutal and attacked me personally. The cooperation with Kirk’s parents was always tricky. On the one hand, they wanted to cooperate and help, but they also had competing interests and ultimately, wanted to protect Kirk’s reputation as best they could.

It is funny to look back in hindsight about the things I thought and felt about this crime when I only knew what the newspapers disclosed. When I started digging deeper and deeper into the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s life and his horrific death, the picture became clearer and clearer to me as I dug deeper and time went on.

For every person who slammed the door in my face, there were 10 who

agreed to talk, so ultimately I think people are good and want to help. Those who didn’t generally wanted to avoid getting into trouble for what they knew.

Why do you think this case is still unsolved?

Kirk’s life was not much different than most teenagers and it takes a long time to unspool all the social connections, social media history and personalities involved.

There are reams of text messages, tons of data and a judge has to authorize the platforms to release that information to police, who then must sift through it all.

Kirk was friends with everyone.

He knew everyone. In the fishbowl that is Rohnert Park, there were a lot of people Kirk had run-ins with, and those people had to be eliminated as suspects.

Certainly, because of the wide-access I was granted, the book provides the inside scoop on the police investigation.

Some shocking facts have become known in my book because of that access, namely: Kirk was not stabbed dozens of times, in my opinion he was stabbed twice.

His autopsy revealed that he had Xanax and marijuana in his system when he died.

He lied to his parents about where he was going the day he died.

The last thing he did was make a Snapchat video where he said, “F*ck it” and nothing else before he went to meet his fate and he likely knew he was going to meet with his assailants, in all probability to work things out.

He did not stumble across danger. He was on his way to meet it in the face when he died.

What issues do you think led to this murder?

I think immaturity, first of all.

Second, drugs played a big part. Kirk was on drugs, his killers were on drugs and that can be a recipe for disaster.

People think largely about the opioid epidemic when they contemplate the issue of drugs in society, but legally prescribed pharmaceuticals like Xanax, Klonipin and Valium are more likely to be abused by young people, because they can easily get access to their parents supply of these medications.

The county has just as big a problem with the abuse of legally prescribed drugs.

And it isn’t good that kids Kirk’s age are experimenting with these mood stabilizers and anti-anxiety meds. They are dangerous.

What effect do you expect your book to have?

For the community and those attending Sonoma State, I want them first to find reassurance that this was not a random act of violence and that, if we work together to clean up the areas on campus where crime has a safehaven, we can learn from this and take the lessons imparted by it, and honor Kirk.

I also know that my book will be provid-

COURTESY // Sonoma County Sherrif Kirk Kimberly’s mother, Jenn Kimberly, would like the area where her son’s body was found to be cleaned up.

COURTESY // Johnny Kerns Kerns’ book, “Inherit the Whole Earth: A True California Crime Story,” is available now. ing information to potential jurors in this case, so I have a duty to report only the truth and to do my due diligence to eliminate rumors and innuendo.

The biggest myths dispelled by my book are: 1. that this was some kind of Satanic cult murder. I knew immediately that was not the case. Those types of killings exhibit certain hallmark attributes related to the crime that would readily identify it as cult related.

2. that this was a random act of violence perpetrated against students. Kirk was not a student at Sonoma State but he lived only a few blocks away, and that is why his remains were found on campus.

There was nothing random about this. It was the end result of a dispute between two groups of people that culminated in violence.

I hope that my book gives everyone insight into what happened and also prompts the university to take an active role in cleaning up the dangerous areas on campus where people can literally get away with murder.

Noise citations increase with school in session

EMILIANA MARTINEZ STAFF WRITER

U

source of the rowdy party problem.” In addition, “‘Students have a short-term interest in the community; residents have a long-term interest. Students have to understand that,” said James Christmann, an SSU biology professor and city resident. 120 days have been keeping students from throwing unruly and loud parties since the rules of the citation increased in 2013.

First response notices have dropped dramatically since 2013, according to data provided by Rohnert Park Public Safety. The data shows that from 20112013 there were exactly 446 first response notices issued, a three year period, which is nearly as much as the number of notices issued over the past five years.

120 day notices are given out more frequently in the months of August and September, which is when school is back in session. The number of citations given out is significantly higher in the first two months of school for all years from 2011 until 2018.

Although the number of calls for service has dropped since the 2013 increase of days in the notice, the numbers remain significantly higher during the first two months of school.

Sgt. Johnson said, “Most notices are issued on the weekends.” He also said that they do not keep statistics regarding 120 day notices and Greek organizations in Rohnert Park, so he doesn’t know if this problem affects Greek Life more.

nique to Rohnert Park, 120 day notices are given out more often than not when gatherings get too loud. Changes that made the notices more strict in the past 5 years caused first response notices and calls for service to drop dramatically from 2013 to 2018.

In 2011, 120 day notices were just 60 day notices, but supposedly student parties were out of control and in 2013, city council members voted to increase the number of days of the citation to 120 days. Sgt. Aaron Johnson of Rohnert Park Public Safety shares that “Residents often feel we are “targeting” their gatherings. Actually, we respond when called by a neighbor or someone else who is bothered by the noise of the gathering.”

People recieve a 120 day notice after hosting an unruly gathering.

Doing so again will directly result in a $500 fine. The notice mandates that it is posted somewhere visible on the residence, according to Johnson.

In addition, “There is no fine on the initial posting of the notice.

If the notice is removed prior to 120 days there is a $100 reposting fine; other fines are $500 for the first response after a notice is posted, $750 the second and $1,000 for each one after that until the notice expires.”

Hosts generally have 30 days to pay the fines.

An article on the Press Democrat by Jeremy Hay when the law came about said, “The council’s unanimous 3-0 vote came in front of a roomful of city residents and COURTESY // Rohnert Park Public Safety Sonoma State University students, who former Public Safety Director Rohnert Park Public Safety has given out 910 first response notices in the past eight years. Data for 2018 only goes Brian Masterson said are the chief until October.

6 Arts

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Fresh, local ingredients at SEA Noodle Bar KAILEY PRIEST STAFF WRITER

W

ith the crisp, cold season upon us, a delicious bowl of ramen sounds like the perfect remedy to stay warm. Located at the Coddingtown Center in Santa Rosa, SEA Noodle Bar prides itself on high-quality, fresh ingredients by purchasing from local suppliers. You’ll just have to SEA it, to believe it.

Chef Tony Ounpamornchai, along with his team, are proud to bring Thai inspired comfort food to Santa Rosa. Their menu ranges greatly, serving everything from fresh market oysters to sauteed noodles and noodle bowls, to rice bowls. All produced uses local, sustainable and organic items.

The dark interior is met with mood lighting, which creates the perfect ambiance for a relaxed meal with friends, or a amourous setting for a date. The rustic and unique light fixtures that hang from the high-rise ceilings are hard to miss.

There are both tables and bar seating available.

The large bar area, located in the center of the restaurant, provides a selection of beers on tap and a variety of fun cocktails. The mexican mule ($7) is everything you love about a classic moscow mule but with a twist, because they use Los Cabos Especial, ginger beer and fresh lime. The The Spicy Thai ($9) is definitely one for the books made with Han Asian Vodka, Thai chili and fresh lime.

Once you are taken to your table or seated at the bar, you’ll be handed your menu, which is where the tricky part begins--trying to deciding what to order. The long selection of appetizers does not disappoint. Their market oysters ($2.25 each, 3 minimum) are incredibly fresh, however, if you don’t want to pay full price for them, then come on a Tuesday for their dollar oyster deal.

If oysters are not your thing, don’t worry because their free range chicken wings ($8.50) bring the best kind of spice to your life; served with cashew nut, sweet peppers, onion, red fresno chili and sesame seeds.

Whether you start with an appetizer, or dive right into their authentic menu, there is something for everyone. The popular options are the soup noodle bowls with your choices of egg noodle, mung bean noodle, rice vermicelli noodles, organic thin rice noodle, organic wide rice noodle or buckwheat noodles.

If you’re more on the adventurous side, you will have to either try the roasted duck noodle soup ($15.50) with Yu Choy, Asian celery in a five spiced duck broth, or the spicy beef noodle soup ($15.50) with Asian celery, tripe, bean sprout, roasted peanut, Yu Choy, pickled mustard greens, in a bone marrow broth. Although, if you

KATHLEEN PERRY STAFF WRITER

A

are more of classic soup kind of person then the organic chicken noodle soup ($14) or peanut noodle ($15) is always a safe and just as delicious route.

Their rice bowls are also a crowd pleaser, serving everything from chicken rice bowls ($14) with Thai chili, green beans, onion, sweet pepper and basil in a homemade panang curry sauce, and broccoli beef tri tip ($15.50) with broccoli, onion, sweet pepper, roasted garlic and asian soy glaze; to caramelized pork belly with roasted cashew nuts, tomato, onion, sweet pepper and garlic and tamarind sauce.

Ranking number three on Eater Magazine’s list “18 Essential Santa Rosa Restaurants” it’s described as “A sister to the Bistro and true to its name, this is the spot to slurp healthy clean food that satisfies and heals.”

COURTESY//SEA Noodle Bar Pictured above is one of SEA Noodle Bar’s many differen, delicious noodle bowls.

Modern Family star joins Facebook Watch

fter being caught in the middle of several privacy scandals, Facebook has been trying to redeem its reputation and continue competing with other social media platforms for users.

The social media website has made many adjustments to try to remain relevant by adding things like Facebook stories or live streaming, and most recently, a tv-show streaming application called Facebook Watch.

Facebook Watch originally debuted in August, and as described on the site, the platform is meant to connect directly with fans, engage the community, follow narratives, and bring communities together by having shows that follow a storyline as well as turn live commenting on as shows stream.

There are over 30 shows to pick from, all with several episodes already posted.

The new feature is free as it is sponsored by advertisement breaks. According to the Washington Post, Facebook keeps 45 percent of the advertisement revenue with 55 percent going to their sponsors.

Facebook has been trying to promote their newest feature, which is a combination of Facebook Live and Youtube, to continue their path to success and approval from their users.

Last week, well-known actress Sofîa Vergara announced that she will be partnering with Facebook Watch to co-produce a new show about love.

Vergara and her business partner, Luis Balaguer, will serve as executive producers, along with Noah Meisner from New Form.

Vergara is a 46-year-old Colombian-American actress and model, most popularly known for her role in the well established sitcom Modern Family.

With this new partnership, she will now be adding producer to her resume.

The newest show, called “365 Days of Love,” will premiere on January 1, 2019. The show will be daily documentaries on how everyday people show love, according the trailer on Vergara’s Instagram page.

Furthermore, each episode will range from two to 20 minutes. It will feature many different people from well known social influencers, up-and-coming filmmakers and ordinary people, with Vergara appearing in several episodes, as reported by The Star.

The show will focus on what love means to different people and how they relate to love in their daily lives.

COURTESY// Forbes The concept was created by the CEO of New Form, Kathleen Grove. New Form focuses on creating stories “out of anything and everything,” as stated in their social media bios.

Facebook Watch is unique because it is a compilation of typical social media, Youtube, and traditional television. The shows can be broadcasted live through the live streaming feature or pre-recorded, emphasizing the social media aspect of the app.

Additionally, live commenting features will be turned on during the shows, allowing for users to see and react in real time with other users.

Shows will also be screened through an application process and can be saved for later or followed COURTESY// Facebook newsroom by users, similar to some features found on You- Facebook creates their own streaming tube. Remaining true to what a show is, the shows platform, launching Facebook Watch in 2017. will all follow a weekly schedule and are meant to be told in chronological form so users can follow along.

Lastly, some features are inherently Facebook They will premiere at specific weekly times allow- traits, showing users what their friends are watching ing users to tune in or catch up on later, but not neces- and giving them lists of shows they may also enjoy sarily binge all at once. based on their current “Watchlist.”

Competition arises as Golden Globes nominees are announced

TERESA GULLI STAFF WRITER

T

he nominations are in for the 76 annual Golden Globes, announced live at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

“Vice” leads the movie category with six nominations, impressive considering the movie is not in theaters until Dec. 25. “Vice” is about how Vice President Dick Chenney, in the Bush administration, reshapes the country wanting to be the most powerful Vice President in American history. As expected it is nominated for Best Film – Musical or Comedy. The cast has has also been nominated for many awards following the movie nomination with best actor for Christian Bale, Sam Rockwell for best supporting actor and best supporting actress as Amy Adams. Lastly, Adam Mckay ready to take the cake in both best screenplay and director for “Vice.”

Coming in with 5 nominations, as expected, is “A Star is Born” nominated for best drama film. Best drama actress nomination going to Lady Gaga and best actor and director nomination for Bradley Cooper. The song “Shallow” from the feature film is also nominated for Best song, which is no surprise at it has transcended into mainstream listening.

According to the Guardian, “‘Warner Bros’ decision to enter the film in the drama category rather than ‘comedy or musical’ was controversial but signals its intention to push the title for major awards this season, rather than risk relegation on the basis it might not be sufficiently “heavyweight.”

With three nominations is Marvels, “Black Panther” with the first solo black role in the recent cinematic universe.

In competition with “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “If Beale Street Could Talk”, “BlacKkKlansman” and “A Star is Born” for Best Drama Film. Rapper Kendrick Lamar, up

for his first nomination as Best Song, All the Stars. Ludwig Goransson nominated for Best Score.

As for television series nominations, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” is topped with four nominations for Best Limited Series or T.V. Movies. The cast, Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan, is in nomination for Best Actor in a limited series or TV movie. Set to debut in Jan., the series has not been aired but it is highly rated for its first season, that debuted last Jan. This crime series FX anthology series is about the murder of the fashion designer, Gianni Versace, murdered by serial killer, Andrew Phillip Cunanan in 1997. For Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie is Penelope Cruz and Best Supporting Actor in a limited series or T.V. movie Edgar Ramiez.

Jim Carrey’s new show “Kidding” has him in for Best Actor in a TV Series -Musical or Comedy. “Atlanta’s” Donald Glover to have one nomination in competition with Carrey for best actor in a T.V. Series Musical or Comedy.

It is no surprise that the Amazon Prime Video series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is up again for the Best TV Series- Musical or Comedy. The series won this category at the 2018 Golden Globes as well as an Emmy. It is expected that this series will be a success this year.

There will also be a new addition to the Golden Globes this year. “Equivalent to its film accolade counterpart, the Cecil B DeMille Award, this new annual award will honor T.V’s biggest names and brightest talents,” said Meher Tatna, President of the HFPA. Stay tuned Jan. 6 to watch the 76 annual Golden Globes on NBC, hosted by Andy Samburg and Sandra Oh.

Entertainment 7

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

STAR//Chris Francisco DJ Tyler Chase performs at The Boiler Room to a crowd of techno-loving students.

Boiler Crew Brings New Excitement to Campus

CHRIS FRANCISCO

STAFF WRITER

A

s the semester slowly comes to an end, many organizations are having their formals this time around. On Saturday, December 8 the rowing club collaborated with a student run event-planning organization called “Hog House.” The collaboration between these two organizations lead up to an event called “The Boiler Room” hosted at the Student Ballrooms.

According to Jacob Gonzalez, the inspiration behind the event was to have “a fun night of dancing and hanging out with loud music.” Being in charge of this event, Jacob discussed how this collaboration came about. This relationship between Hog House and the rowing club came about four years ago during summer orientation. Gonzalez said he met the current president of the rowing club, Chase Werry, during his summer orientation group. “He was my first friend here at Sonoma State and he also taught me how to DJ,” said Gonzalez.

This relationship between Gonzales and Werry would lead up to this new event called “The Boiler Room.” The goal of this event was not only to make money but to create an experience for those who at-

tended. It’s something new for Sonoma State, and although this event is technically a formal for the rowing club, that did not stop them from creating an entirely new event. The Boiler Room could be seen as a hybrid event, one that mixes a formal with an actual live concert. Tickets were being sold at $15 and were in limited quantities as there were only 150 tickets available.

The Boiler Room event was hosted by two live performers named DJ Tyler Chase and DJ Sahn Sim Eon which is Jacob Gonzalez’s stage name. For over three house, DJ Tyler Chase and Sahn Sim Eon rocked the ears of rowing clubs formal and those who bought tickets to enjoy the festivities. Fanatics of house and techno music would have enjoyed this event, as both DJs put emphasis on that type of music. The environment was amazing with all the different types of people. You had people who were dressed formally, those who were dressed up casually and those who were dressed like they were at a festival. There were many different demographics of people and all seemed to have fun as the Boiler Room brought a certain excitement to those who attended.

“It’s underrated having events at the ballroom, it’s safe, it’s easy and accessible” said Gonzales. He adds, “it’s not like going to San Francisco where you have to worry about parking and the stress of getting there.”

After this event, Gonzales is hopeful for the future as he would like to endeavor in creating a club for all DJs and music lovers alike. He wants to create an organization that utilizes the accessibility of the student ballroom on a regular basis, creating events where people can just focus on the music and the funds created can be used for new equipment for the organization.

The collaboration between the rowing club and Hog House to create this event was a success for rowing club as they enjoyed a great formal with live music and was also a success for Hog House as they have another event under their belt for experience. This event shows how two organizations are able to connect to create something new and experimental. Utilizing the student ballroom for this hybrid event that would mix a formal and a concert turned out to be a success. Expect to see more of these events next semester as bigger plans will be pursued by Gonzales and company.

‘The Jungle book’ The 1975 succeed resurrected in new with ‘internet’ Netflix original inspired album Review

MARTIN CONTRERAS STAFF WRITER

T

he 1975’s new album entitled “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” was released on Nov. 30 and has had incredible success in the short period that it’s been on the air.

The release of “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” marks not only the bands third full album release, but it also marks their third studio album that has hit number one on Billboard’s charts in the United Kingdom.

To release an album that is able to sit atop Billboard’s chart is no easy feat, so to do it three consecutive times is a testament to the band’s hard work and dedication.

Matt Healy, the band frontman and lyricist, has led the charge in helping to make The 1975 the band that it is today. The other band members include Adam Hann on guitar, Ross MacDonald on bass guitar, and George Daniel on the drums. The group released their first full album in 2013 which was a self-titled work, this album was a huge hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Not only was this album a chart-topper, but it also helped get the relatively unknown band’s name out into mainstream pop culture and it has only f lourished from there.

After that incredibly successful album they followed it up three years later with their album entitled “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.” This album rocked the airwaves and streaming platforms, again topping Billboard’s chart immediately after it’s release, staying on top for weeks. That album was their best and most popular album for about two years, until this past weekend when the band released their newest album that has took the industry by storm and has already climbed to where it’s successor was.

In an interview with Billboard, Healy had this to say about the band and the work they are doing at the moment. “There are no big bands who are doing anything as interesting as us right now...tell me dudes with guitars who are more relevant to do that slot.”

Their album “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” is a lot to take in, but so is The 1975 and lead singer Matt Healy.

The album is 58 minutes in length and contains 15 songs. Packed within those 58 minutes there lies a rollercoaster of a musical experience just as confusing and enthralling as “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.” The album “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” does a great job of having a solid balance between catchy, upbeat songs and slower, more pensive tracks.

Regardless of the tempo Healy is a brilliant lyricist and uses each song to help advance the specific topic he’s tackling in each album. In this case he’s talking about the common problems in our modern culture, and the fact that a lot of them stem from the internet. Beyond just pointing out a problem Healy often delves further into the issue by incorporating his personal experience or struggles with that problem, making his music not only passionate but powerful and relatable as well.

The lead song “Give Yourself a Try” is fun, upbeat and will surely be stuck in your head after a listen or two.

Other songs similar to this lead song include “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME” and “Love If We Made It and It’s Not Living If It Not with You.” Some of the more interesting and thought provoking songs on the album are “Sincerity is Scary”, Inside Your Mind”, “Surrounded by Heads and Bodies” and “I Always Wanna Die Sometimes.”

The most abstract song on the album has to be “The Man Who Married a Robot/Love Theme,” it’s more of a monologue than a song but it definitely puts things into perspective.

The 1975 has done another incredible job with their newest album.

Their music as a whole isn’t for everyone.

You either love it or you hate it but their newest album “A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships” is definitely worth checking out if you have not given a listen to it yet.

The album is more than just a bunch of songs compiled together, it’s a carefully created and curated selection of tracks that not only entertains but also shares a story that’s worth taking note of.

COURTESY// NDTV Gadgets

Review MADELEINE BROWN STAFF WRITER

R

aised by wolves in the jungles of India, Mowgli faces many hardships trying to fit in and keep up with the wolf pack. With the help and support from his bear teacher Baloo and his panther friend Bagheera, Mowgli is taught the laws of the jungle and important life lessons.

As Mowgli gets older and the tiger Shere Kan continues to hunt Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera and the rest of the wolf pack agree that it is best that he join the human village in order to keep him safe. Mowgli, however, considers the wolf pack his family and does not see himself fitting in with the humans.

After being shunned by the wolves to protect him and the pack, Mowgli is forced to integrate into the village and learn a new way of life living among men and not among animals in the jungle.

Throughout the movie there are many political messages. In the very beginning we are introduced to the problem of devastated forests and jungles due to man.

“It is I, Kaa, who witnessed the coming of man… and the jungle… trying to survive.” Said the mystical giant python, Kaa. There is also a message about the responsibility of hunting. Bagheera explains to Mowgli that hunting is necessary to survive and should be sacred, but should never be done as a sport.

After hunting down deer for food, Bagheera tells the young boy to look the deer “in the eye so that the soul doesn’t depart alone.” This is a clear rejection of hunting as a sport and an attack of those that do it.

This film also includes a focus on sustainability and laws of the land to ensure a better wellbeing in the future.

One of the three laws of the jungle is to

never kill man’s cattle as it would tarnish the village’s ecosystem. No matter how the animals try to protect man, man is still taking over the jungle little by little, destroying the forests. An elephant with a broken husk saves Mowgli from a human trap, but we later realize his husk was broken by a hunter and used in the trap to kill the tiger.

“Mowgli” presents man as shameful and poisonous, destroying the jungle using “dark magic.”

Although “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” is a children’s movie, this film is entertaining for adults as well, especially those that grew up watching the original “The Jungle Book” created

by Walt Disney in 1967. It teaches life lessons to all ages about courage and self worth. The wolves cast out Mowgli after he becomes a danger to the pack because of the tiger, but when they need his help, he refuses and sticks up for himself. However, in the end he decides to save the jungle and kill the tiger, teaching kindness and loyalty.

“Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” was directed by Andy Serkis who is known for the Planet Apes films, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” The cast includes big names such as Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett as Bagheera and Kaa, respectively. The screenplay was done

by Callie Kloves based off of the stories of Rudyard Kipling.

The film has incredible visuals that are not too realistic, but cartoonish enough to fit in with the rest of the movie. The story is so sweet and captivating that you forget all of the animals are digitally created. “Mowgli” is the perfect movie for the child in your life, or the child inside you.

8 Student Life

MARIAH PONCE

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Free and anonymous HIV testing protects students

STAFF WRITER

T

he Student Health Center located on the west side of campus directly across the Zinfandel Residence Halls recently held a free and anonymous HIV testing for all students encompassing Sonoma State campus. The event was on Dec. 4 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. with the hopes and intentions to bring a large number of students to come and get tested.

With being located on a college campus, the Student Health Center knew with the year wrapping up it would be smart for Seawolves to come in and make sure they are healthy going into the holiday season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Youth aged 13 to 24 made up 21% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States.” With many students attending Sonoma State within the age range, HIV is a disease that can happen to anyone, especially on a college campus.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If the virus is not treated properly, it can lead to AIDS. When pertaining to HIV, it is unlike any other virus. When one is diagnosed with HIV, they will carry that virus for the rest of their lives. One can receive treatment, which will help avoid developing other viruses as well as helping one stay as healthy as possible while having HIV. According to HIV.org, “The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. If taken the right way, every day, ths medicine can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly lower their chance of infecting others.” If the infection is caught immediately and treated properly, it can help keep more people healthier and live longer lives.

With the Student Health Center being knowledgeable of all that can occur while having HIV, they wanted to make it easier and more comfortable for students to come in and get tested. All information and testing that is done at the Student Health Center is confidential and only discussed with the patient that comes in to get tested.

According to Baylie Sheroski, a Junior Kinesiology Major, “The Student Health Center has been a good resource for me to use, they are so helpful there as well as being really nice, and everytime I go there they make sure to get me in or find a date that I can come in and meet with someone.” With students having positive experiences like Sheroski, it brings hope that more students will share the same experience and go to the center when they need to have check-ups or get tested.

HIV testing is usually not free, but with the help of Face to Face of Sonoma County, the Student Health Center held this event and made every test free for students on this day.

Face to Face wants to make sure that Seawolves are getting the testing they need. According to F2F.org, “13 percent of people living with HIV do not know they have it, and are responsible for most new infections.” Through this statistic, the Student Health Center and Face to Face teamed up to try and lower the 13 percent of people that are continuing HIV. Seawolves were able to walk in and get tested with results available within 20 minutes. The tests were given with no needles.

The free and anonymous HIV testing was implemented by the Student Health Center and Face to Face with the hopes to lower the number of those unknowingly affected. The motive being to assure that Seawolves are getting the help and testing they need to make sure their health is watched and taken care of if need be.

COURTESY// Face to Face Sonoma County Network

STAR// Luis Madrigal The waiting room in the Student Health Center on the west side of campus.

ASP hosts festive bowling night MORGAN ARANCIO

STAFF WRITER

T

aking a break from the stress and anxieties of finals is important for students and their mental health.

Fortunately, Associate Student Productions (ASP) held their last free bowling night of the semester at Double Decker Lanes, on Thursday, December 6th from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

The theme of the night was “Ugly Sweater,” which celebrated the holiday season and gave students the chance to look their best while wearing their worst.

ASP hosts free bowling on the first Thursday of every month. The only thing students need to participate is their SSU

Student ID. Alexis Martinez, sophomore Pre-Nursing major, took a break from studying and came with her roommates.

“I hadn’t been to a bowling night since probably the beginning of my freshman year. I forgot how fun they were. My roommates and I played a few games and then finished the night with some air hockey,” Martinez said.

For many students, whether first year or graduating, each free bowling night is a chance to do something off campus that’s different. Smaller groups of students get matched up with other small groups, as well as singles, to share lanes.

Andrew Abrahamian, sophomore Business major,

complimented ASP for a great and successful event. “This is such a good idea … it’s important for students to feel like they have alternative options for activities to do off campus since many freshman students don’t always have the opportunity or access to leave campus,” said Abrahamian.

ASP created groups ranging in size anywhere from four to eight. This allowed students the chance to meet and hang out with people they might not have encountered otherwise.

Within the first 20 minutes, there were already roughly 200 students bowling.

Double Decker Lanes has hosted this event for Sonoma State students for many years now and the popularity has re-

STAR// Luis Madrigal An SSU student bowling during the ASP “Ugly Sweater” Bowling night.

mained steady. Over the years students have raved about the arcade games and snack bar The bowling alley shuts down all outside business for the students around 9:30 p.m., allowing time for ASP to clean and get everything prepared for the students.

Once they open the doors, students are greeted with music videos playing on large projectors that are on display above the pins located on every other lane.

Videos and songs include anything from Britney Spears to Migos, covering all the bases for favorite genres of students.

One downside about these bowling nights is how long the lines get, and how cold it is while standing out there.

Helen Campbell, senior ma-

joring in Applied Statistics and American Multi-Cultural Studies, gave insight as to her experiences and what she’s learned.

“Over the years I’ve noticed that you either need to get there an hour before bowling starts or half an hour late. Even if you aren’t the best bowler or would rather prefer to hang out and watch, it’s fun seeing everybody cut loose. But let’s be honest, it feels pretty nice to get a strike!” Campbell said.

Depending on the time of year, people wait in sub-40 degree weather for more than an hour, just to get a guaranteed lane for them and their friends.

If you’re able to get to the bowling alley early or on time, you’ll get first dibs on the 50 lanes.

STAR// Luis Madrigal SSU Students bowling and having a good time at Double Decker Lanes.

Student Life 9

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves Speak!

What are you doing to help with the stress of finals?

CARLY OLSEN STAFF WRITER

F

inals can be extremely stressful for college students everywhere. Whether you have to write papers, take exams, or prepare and deliver presentations in your classes, this can be a lot of work all at once. Finals can be the final straw for many, only adding to the regular stress of college life. According to an article by the American Psychology Association, “About one-third of U.S. college students had difficulty functioning in the last 12 months due to depression, and almost half said they felt overwhelming anxiety in the last year, according to the 2013 National College Health Assessment.”

The addition of even more stress makes the end of the semester a college student’s worst nightmare.

Jehiel Delgado

Sorena Phonesy Senior Hutchins

“I like to drink a lot of tea and have snacks while studying. Taking breaks in between assignments helps too!”

Joaquin Angelo

Lena Weingand

Senior Criminal Justice

“I like to listen to music or anything that calms my mind down, it helps me relax.”

Many students are enrolled in multiple classes, so having multiple assignments or exams at the same time can be extremely difficult to navigate. That is why it’s important to remind yourself to take some time to de-stress in whatever way works best for you.

Mental Health America states the best way to get through this stressful time is to make a timeline of all of your tests and assignments so you can plan accordingly, drink caffeine in moderation, maintain a healthy sleep pattern, make sure to take breaks while studying and limit your time on social media. These are good suggestions, but they may not work for everyone.

Students deal with stress in healthy ways, while some have trouble with it.

The STAR went to the library to talk to students who are already preparing for finals week. They gave some helpful tips on what they do to de-stress during the end of the semester.

Junior Business

Freshman Communications

“I like to exercise and play volleyball in between assignments, it helps take my mind off things!”

Leonardo Gutierrez Junior Business

“I make sure to study earlier so I can get a lot of sleep.”

“I like to take breaks and hangout with my friends, play some FIFA!”

Riley Powers

Freshman Political Science “I’ll probably call my mom a lot, she gives me great advice and really helps me!”

Student Life Calendar Sunday, Dec. 19 - Thursday, Dec. 13 8 p.m. - 7 a.m. every day Free Drip Coffee at SIP SIP, Student Center

Tuesday, Dec. 11 8:30 p.m. - 11:59 p.m.

Stress Free Zone: DIY Snowflakes and Bingo W & B, Student Center

Sunday, Dec. 9 - Friday, Dec. 14 Ends at 5 p.m.

Library Open 24 Hours for finals

Wednesday, Dec. 12 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Winter Wonderland Special Dinner The Kitchens

Sunday, Dec. 9 - Friday, Dec. 14 Ends at 9 p.m.

Student Center Open 24 Hours

Wednesday, Dec. 12 8:30 p.m. - 11:59 p.m.

Stress Free Zone: DIY Stress Balls and Jenga Tournament W & B, Student Center

Monday, Dec. 10 - Saturday, Dec. 15 Ends 3 p.m.

Book Buyback and Rental Returns University Bookstore, Student Center

Saturday, Dec. 15 11 a.m.

Halls Close

10 Sports

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

STAR// Jennifer Spence Seawolves on defense against Cal State East Bay

Too many turnovers costs Seawolves the win

KASEY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Seawolves (3-3) opened up a three-game homestand against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers (4-4) on Thursday, looking to improve off of their 10-point loss last week to the Stanislaus State Warriors.

Coming out fast and looking early and often to get the ball down low to their star center, Ugochi Anudokem, the Seawolves looked poised to implement an effective post game, going at the Pioneer’s relatively short centers.

Although competitive early, Sonoma State would fall short of the win, losing to East Bay 38-55. Their record now stands at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

The Seawolves’ effort was never in question, as they ran a tight 2-3 zone defense, and at times a full-court press, but Sonoma State was unable to keep up with the Pioneer’s depth, getting outscored 3-25 in points off the bench and shooting only 24 percent from the field in the first half.

The offense looked lost at times when Anudokem was benched, looking down low for their leading scorer but having to settle elsewhere, often hoisting jump shots from all over the f loor. Over half of the Seawolves’ points came from the paint.

Going into the half down 17-26, Sonoma State looked to start the second half out on the right foot, but a couple early buckets by the Pioneers forced head coach Rich Shayewitz to burn an early timeout to gather his squad’s composure.

Shooting guard Sophie Northern attempted to rally the team late in the third quarter, drilling a corner three and following up the next possession with a right-handed layup through traffic.

They entered the final frame down 30-41, the game still within reach. But we all have off-days, and Thursday night was just that.

An inability to convert free throws -- they made 10 of 18 from the line -and close, seemingly-routine layups proved too much for the Seawolves to overcome.

Going into Saturday on a two-game losing streak, the team looked to improve upon their poor field goal percentage and capitalize on points off turnovers, although they would have to do so against a Cal Poly Pomona team with an undefeated conference record and only one loss overall.

Despite five lead changes and a competitive first three quarters, the Seawolves would lose 69-78.

The lack of offensive production off the bench and third consecutive game with 18 or more turnovers led to only seven points off the bench and 25 Broncos’ points off turnovers to Sonoma State’s 2.

With a record that now stands at 1-4 in conference play and 3-5 overall, the Seawolves will need to dig deep to keep their season alive, although it may still be too early to rule out a strong postseason push.

While Sonoma State boasts a strong starting five and a couple offensive stars in Anudokem and Kylie Kiech, they will need significantly more production from their bench if they hope to compete for a spot in the postseason.

The team will rest this week and play the final game of the three-game homestand next Saturday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. against the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes.

Athlete Spotlight: Michael Byerline JESSICA BENNETT STAFF WRITER

C

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com

oming back for his final season with the Sonoma State Baseball Team is senior right-handed pitcher Michael Byerline. Last season Byerline had a total of seven wins to his six losses with an overall era of 5.46. Byerline feels as if his numbers did not define him as a player.

“I felt like I was finally contributing to the success of the team and that was a very accomplishing feeling,” said Byerline.

Byerline picked up a ball and bat at the age of five and his love for America's favorite pastime has never died. Throughout the years his mother has been and always will be his constant support and motivation on and off the field, she has pushed Byerline to make it this far in his baseball career.

With this being his final season as a Sonoma State Seawolf Byerline says that overall the team is preparing really well for this upcoming season. “Everyone is putting in extra work either after practice or on their own.”

Byerline also says that the team this year has great chemistry compared to teams in the past.

“Everyone gets along with everyone and I finally feel like we have a team that is pulling in the same direction.”

Byerline went on further to state, “I feel like my collegiate baseball career has been very typical of someone who did not go to a JC. I started off with only six innings my freshman year and then 19 my sophomore year to 59 my junior year. I even moved to a starting role on the team.”

As for his personal feelings about this being his last year Byerline is mainly shocked at how fast time f lew by. “It is hard to believe that this is possibly my last season of competitive baseball.”

However, he is optimistic about his future with any direction it may go.

“There’s a lot I am going to miss about this program. The players, coaches, athletic training staff, and the opportunities I’ve had with being here. I’ve met a lot of great people who have really helped me improve not only my game but for me as a person.”

Aside from the team his main focus for himself would be starting off the game strong. “I tend to give up the majority of my hits and runs in the first inning before I settle down and start cursing for the rest of my outing,” said Byerline. “That just comes with being mentally and physically prepared before the game even starts, and being properly warmed up.”

Finishing up this year it is in every baseball athlete to have the dream of being drafted in the Major League Baseball draft. Byerline is already a draft prospect for some American League Teams.

With a constant speed ranging between 87 and 88 miles per hour and hitting the 90’s every once in a while. He is a draft prospect, however, if that does not work out he hopes to continue with schooling and get his masters through the University of San Diego in nano-engineering.

Byerlines teammates admire him on and off the field.

Kyle Stevenson stated, “I’ve known Byerline for three years and I met him when I was a freshman, and coming onto a team as a freshman isn't easy and Byerline knew that because he was a freshman the year before. He was always nice and helpful sharing the do’s and don’ts and giving me advice, which for me at the time was huge. And now, he's a four-year senior, he's one of the leaders of the team and takes care of and supports his teammate on and off the field.”

Sports 11

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Redskins signing of Reuben Foster highlights the NFL’s priorities

KASEY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

In professional sports, the phrase “character matters” is often used in defense of a player following negative press.

Here are just a few examples of negative press.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed quarterback Michael Vick to a one-year, $1.6 million contract in 2009 following his suspension and incarceration for his involvement in a dogfighting operation.

Some 70 dogs, mostly pit bulls with varying degrees of injury, were seized from Vick’s property, where the quarterback admitted to hanging and drowning up to eight dogs that “did not perform well.”

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted running back Joe Mixon in 2017 despite a highly-publicized misdemeanor assault against a young woman at a restaurant in 2014. She suffered a broken jaw after Mixon viscously punched her, causing her face to collide with a nearby table. He currently starts for the Bengals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hardly so much as commented on the two rape allegations levied against their star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, in 2008 and 2010, with the former being settled in 2012 and the latter being dropped a month after its filing. No suspensions were delegated at any point.

Just the other week, majority owner Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins signed former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster three days after the 49ers released him following his second domestic abuse arrest since April.

Therefore, character does not matter, not to NFL front offices.

While San Francisco gave their 2017 first round pick another chance after his girlfriend recanted her initial charges seven months ago, two instances appeared to be too many for head coach Kyle Shanahan and CEO Jed York. They released him over Thanksgiving weekend.

But one team’s trash is another team’s treasure.

Redskins VP of player personnel, Doug Williams, had this to say about the signing: “The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben. If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone.”

And while that may be all well and good, it is nothing short of falsely sanctimonious. After all, this is the same Redskins team that “strongly endorsed” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s indefinite suspension of Ray Rice after TMZ released a video of Rice assaulting his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, only after video of the assault was released to the public.

Initially, Rice was only given a two-game suspension.

If this were an anomaly amongst the NFL offices, the furor over Washington’s signing of Foster would be welcomed discussion, but the frequency in which teams turn a blind eye to misconduct of all kinds is becoming hard to keep up with and, frankly, nauseating to those of us that think change has finally arrived within the realm of professional sports.

The media storm continued throughout last week, with Williams going on to further justify the decision of the team to acquire Foster by comparing his assault to the crimes of other players that

COURTESY// Sporting News Reuben Foster before he was cut by the San Francisco 49ers are apparently still employed within the league, although he would not go on to name any of them.

“This is small potatoes [compared to] a lot of things out there,” Williams said. “I could sit here, and I won’t, name a bunch of teams that took on players that got a lot of baggage that nobody’s saying anything about.”

Then the Kansas City Chiefs broke news on Friday that they would be releasing their star running back, Kareem Hunt, following online dissemination of surveillance video which shows Hunt assaulting a young woman in a hotel in February.

It felt like 2014 all over again. One step forward, two steps back.

It was only a matter of days before another team signed Reuben Foster and it will be only a matter of days before another team signs Kareem Hunt, because in a league where teams like to say that “character matters,” it really does not. Talent matters.

Women’s volleyball club trying to repeat last years results NATALYA SWENSEN STAFF WRITER

T

When asked about their weaknesses this year Wallace responded, “we are younger, so we only have 5 returners from last year and we have a lot of freshmen this year whereas last year we didn’t have any freshmen on the team.”

It is not the issue of a younger team being less skilled, but that this team runs a different defense. The difficulties they face as a team this year is being such a big group of girls who have different personalities, luckily they all have the same passion for the sport.

Since there are a lot of new girls on the team it takes time to get to know every person. Last year was Wallace’s first year on the team and a difficulty for her was “feeling confident to be a part of the team,” but otherwise she did not face a lot of difficulties and loved the experience.

The highlights of last season were the team making it to league champs, beating UC Davis, and winning Nationals in St. Louis. Wallace raved about how great the teams’ unity was.

“As a team we were really close and it was just fun, I had the time of my life with all those people,” says Wallace.

Natalia Neumann is a junior at Sonoma State and is new to the team. “I’m really excited to start my first year playing club at Sonoma State. There’s a lot of good talent on the team which makes me hopeful it’s going to be a successful season, especially with out great presidents and coaches.”

Wallace hopes that this year the team will win nationals again. Since they are in a new league this year and will be playing D1 teams it is much more competitive. The hope is to put up a fight, compete and win.

Since Sonoma State is smaller than other schools that have D1 teams, Wallace wants them to be taken as a serious competitor.

Wallace, since she is in a leadership position and a senior, wants everyone on the team to feel comfortable talking to her. Her, along with Armstrong and the rest of the returners, want to create a drama free and close-knit team, similar to last years’ team.

Wallace says that the best part of being on the team is that she “loves being competitive and having an outlet for that. Working towards something, being goal oriented, and having other people who have the same mind set; I know that I am with the right people.

They are just my best friends and it’s fun.”

The Women’s Club Volleyball team only has two home games this season on February COURTESY // Sonoma State Women’s Volleyball Facebook Page 23 and March 9, so come support them at the Last year’s Nationals-winning team Recreation Center.

he women’s club volleyball team won nationals last year and are aiming to do the same in their upcoming season.

Samantha Wallace, a senior at Sonoma State, is the co-president and it is her second year on the team. As co-president, Wallace, along with other co-president Molly Armstrong, has a lot of responsibility. They work with dues, schedule games and tournaments, find referees for games, and basically coordinate everything. Wallace is the setter for the team, meaning that she takes the second ball every time and plays both front and back row.

Their practices and home games are held in the recreation center on campus. This year the team has grown to 18 players in comparison to 13 that were on the team last year. Their practices involve a thirty-minute exercise before a two-hour practice with the coaches.

While with the coaches the team works on defense and offensive drills along with the basic skills you need to play the sport well.

According to Wallace the drills “are pretty hard and I’m usually really tired, but it’s a good kind of tired.” She elaborated that the practices are also difficult, especially when practicing defense because you are constantly holding the squat position and the game itself is very fast paced.

The team’s strengths this year, according to Wallace, are that everyone is going to the practices and are very motivated to do well this season.

12 Photo

DEC. 11 - DEC. 17, 2018 sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves take on Cal Poly Pomona

STAR // Luis Madrigal Armani Nicolis, No. 1, shooting a free throw.

STAR // Luis Madrigal Armani Nicolis, No. 1, going for a layup.

STAR // Luis Madrigal Lewayne Grant, No. 5, dribbling towards the basket.

STAR // Luis Madrigal Nick Klarman, No. 24, fighting for possession against the opposing team.

STAR // Jennifer Spence Taylor Todd, No. 33, reaching for the ball to get a rebound.

STAR // Jennifer Spence Serena Santa, No. 25, shooting the ball.

STAR // Luis Madrigal Student bowling at the ASP Bowling Night last Thursday.

STAR // Luis Madrigal Students filling up Double Decker Lanes for a night of free bowling.