Volume 81 // Issue 5

IN THIS ISSUE

Escape rooms

Sapphires dance team

Fire exhibit

The popular phenomenom of escape rooms stumps students on PAGE 8.

The Sonoma State dance team returns with a brand new squad on PAGE 10.

Discover the different artistic creations of those who were impacted by the fires on PAGE 4.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 81 // ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2018

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

College mental health bill vetoed Governor Brown vetoed the bill Sunday, which would have required one counselor per 1,500 students LAURIE KELSO STAFF WRITER

O

n September 6, the CSU Board of Trustees made revisions on the existing bill regarding mental health and CSU campuses. The new revision of the bill including all the CSU campuses to have a full-time mental health counselor for every 1,500 students on campus. On September 23, Governor Brown decided to veto the bill. “Investing greater resources in student mental health is an understandable goal. Such investments, however, should be actively considered and made within the budget process.”

Professor Erma Jean Sims, the president of the California Faculty association at Sonoma State, believes that the “CFA’s commitment to getting at least one full time licensed mental

health counselor per 1,500 students in the CSU remains strong,” despite the governor’s veto.

Sims feels that this bill is extremely important in helping students. “College can be very stressful for many students who are first generation, students of color, young and away from home for the first time, or going back to school with the responsibilities of a family and wanting to start a new career,” she said. “It’s important for colleges in the CSU to provide Counseling and Mental Health support to help ensure that our students can succeed in our classrooms, and enjoy their college experiences at Sonoma State University.”

The California Legislative Information Bill Text provided more insight to the additions of the bill. “Mental

health counselors hired should be fulltime staff, and efforts should be made so that mental health counselors ref lect the diversity of the student body.”

The California legislature acknowledges that many students across CSU campuses deal with anxiety, depression, and stress on and off campus. In this bill, they acknowledge that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students claiming, “more than 1,100 lives every year nationally.”

The bill also acknowledges struggles may be harder for students of color: “They face additional stressors, such as discrimination, immigration status, financial hardship, and being the first of their families to attend college.”

Along with hiring more full time

counselors, each campus will be required to survey the students on their “mental health, emotional well-being, sense of belonging on campus and academic success,” at least every three years. All information will remain anonymous.

The bill states that mental health counseling helps to lower college dropout rates and a positive change in academic success among students across campus. It also reduces legal liability.

Maddie Roach, a senior human development major, supports this change to the bill. see COUNSELORS on pg. 5

FBI agent speaks to criminal justice majors EMILIANA MARTINEZ STAFF WRITER

C

raig Fair, Assistant Deputy Special Agent in Charge addressed Sonoma State criminal justice major students on Sept. 8 to talk about community outreach to spread the mission statement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as to urge outstanding students to apply to be agents. The talk was interesting and extremely eye opening not only for students, but also for criminal justice professor Michael Hooper, who said, “I wanted the students to get a sense for the mission and priorities of the FBI as well as the importance of community outreach in duty performance.”

Deputy Fair explained at the beginning of his talk, “I was 19, in college in the East Coast when an FBI recruiter came in to talk to us. He explained what the FBI did and that was it for me, I was hooked.” He aspired to be in the FBI since he was in college and recognized that he had to make many sacrifices that other college students perhaps did not have to make but he explained his job to be, “the best job in the world.”

His passion for domestic tranquility and overall safety within the United States aspired criminal justice majors in the room to become part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“That was a really eye-opening experience because not many people get to meet a real FBI agent.”

Jake Bassette, a senior criminal justice major at Sonoma State, said.

Fair has worked in the FBI for 22 years, and he explained to students that being in the FBI required a lot of discipline and sacrifice. He urged those who may be interested in applying to become agents to make careful choices during their lives.

He said, “I had to disassociate from a softball team once because the guys were a little too rowdy, and I could not be associated with such behavior.”

This highlighted the rigorous application process that the FBI puts applicants through before handing them a badge and a gun.

Hearing Fair talk about his job being extremely important and rewarding; he made people in the room understand why he made so many sacrifices to be in

STAR // Emiliana Martinez FBI agent Mark Fair spoke to students about what it’s like to work for the FBI. the FBI. Professor Michael Hooper said, “What I found most impressive was the degree to which he was enthusiastic about the intrinsic value in the work he and his colleagues perform.”

Both students and the professor found that the talk was extremely informational and relevant to the

work that criminal justice majors were studying.

Professor Michael Hooper explained the process of getting Fair to come to Sonoma State “I had heard Deputy Special Agent in Charge Fair on a KCBS radio program discussing community outreach and thought having him address the students in my CCCS 407 class on the subject would be highly informative,” he said.

Fair was initially hired as a surveillance specialist for the FBI and his main task was to follow wannabe Jihadis in New York. He described his job as hard, exciting and truly rewarding. “I wake up with one thing in mind everyday and that is domestic safety,” he said. Shortly after that job he attended the FBI academy in Quantico where he trained to be an agent for 22 weeks.

After his time in Quantico he was transferred to the San Francisco Counterterrorism division where he was in charge of operations all the way from Carmel to the California-Oregon border.

“San Francisco is one of the busiest division in counter terrorism,” Fair said. “Silicon Valley is a hotbed for economic espionage.” He further explained that the Chinese, and many others, are after American technological advancements. That could be anything from actual coding for programs, to genetically modified rice that could help the Chinese rice market.

Fair also address how the FBI is portrayed. “The media in today’s age sometimes shows footage of the action sho,t but it fails to show what led up to the action or the thought process that many officers and agents go through,” Fair said. But, “you’ve got to embrace the media, they want to get the story right... policing issues are extremely difficult.”

He explained that many media outlets are willing to put a story out without contacting them first and that can make the public misinterpret the situation.

“Perceptions and misperceptions all get mashed into a cloud of optics,” Fair said. His community outreach efforts are attempting to counter the idea that lives amongst many U.S. citizens that the FBI is bad stuff.

“I’m going to keep my effort to counter the narrative,” Fair said.

Police urge students to lock up, be aware LUKAS BROWN STAFF WRITER

W

ith the recent vehicle break-ins, thefts and vandalism happening on Sonoma State’s campus, the University Police Department is introducing new strategic initiatives to keep students safe.

Sonoma State University has regular small crimes that have stayed consistent over the years. A report pulled by the University Police Department showed that there has been no significant increase in crime on the campus.

Some of the strategies implemented by Sonoma State’s new Chief of Police David Dougherty include educating students and staff about being proactive by locking up their belongings, never leaving personal items unattended, and call-

ing university police if there is ever a problem.

Letters to the Sonoma State STAR complained about the lack of cameras in parking lots after experiencing multiple minor hit and runs. Crime logs show that a large percentage of campus crime happens in the parking lots.

“Installing security cameras throughout the campus and hiring people to watch, maintain and archive all of the film would cost millions of dollars,” Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications Paul Gullixson said. see CRIME on pg. 5

STAR // Braden Cartwright Emergency phones, like this one near the upperclassmen dorms are located in some places on campus.

2 Editorial

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

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 , 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, Luis Madrigal, Mariah Maldonado, Emiliana Mar tinez, Carly Olsen, Kathleen Perry, Joseph Piombo, Michelle Ponce, Kailey Priest, Renee Rodgers, Alison Snider, Jennifer Spence, Natalya Swensen, Emily Twisselmann

Photographers Analy Bravo, Michelle Tadlock Natalie Dolan, Jessica Bennett

Nichols Hall 323, 1801 East Cotati Ave Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Telephone: 707-664-2776 Business & General Inquiries: sonomastatestar@gmail.com Corrections and News Tips: star@sonoma.edu

Editor’s Pick This week’s can’t miss article: “Black student union hosts day of engagement” Staff Writer Emily Twisselmann talks to the Black Student Union about their first time hosting a day of engagement.

Read the story on page 5

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

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

Opinions

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

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

COURTESY // Alexander Long

Kavanaugh’s past provokes scrutiny W hen curses come home to roost, often they do so long after the one who cast them has left the farm.

Such as when an investigation knocks and retrospect answers.

No one is learning this firsthand better than Brett Kavanaugh, former White House Staff Secretary and Supreme Court nominee swimming in hot water after the revelation of sexual assault allegations more than 36 years old.

The alleged victim—professor Christine Blasey Ford, claims Kavanaugh attempted to rape her at a party back in high school.

In wake of the Senate Judiciary Committee agreeing to some of her conditions to testify, much of Kavanaugh’s past has been dug up as the center of scrutiny.

Exhibit A is the revelation of his high school yearbook and many eyebrow-raising photos and captions found inside. One of which reads “100 Kegs or bust,” beneath of clear photo of kegs that imply an unapologetic party culture at Georgetown Prep, where Kavanaugh attended. Another example, “Prep parties raise question legality.” Or even a quote posted on Kavanaugh’s classmate’s senior page, who was allegedly present during the assault, that read: “Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs,” according to CNN. It is developments like these that have shed new meaning to the saying “watch your back,” because

after all, that is where the past lives, and no one’s is a clean slate.

Generations Y and Z are the next two generations scheduled to join the workforce and with this comes a risk not often considered.

In a world where documentation is everywhere, so are the means of accessing it.

Social media has sought and conquered the lives of most in the first world. As a result, its presence has led many to take to its platforms in order to share facets of their lives that used to not be possible on the scale it is now, including photos, videos, articles and so much more. Basically opinions, one way or another. And they will remain there only as long as it takes for a user to delete them. And sometimes it is already too late.

According to Business News Daily, it has already become common practice for employers to do their own investigating into potential candidates, starting often with their Facebook profiles. The thought process being that a person tends to reveal their true colors on social media. Therefore, if one stop provides all of the evidence an employer needs to make a decision on said person, it can be just as beneficial as it can detrimental.

The main problem involves users not prepared to think that far ahead when starting to use social media, nor others when it comes to interpreting the past. Sometimes the court of public opinion, courte-

sy of social media, can get carried away, as indicated by The Charlotte Observer and the outrage that caused NASCAR driver Conor Daly to lose his sponsorship with Lilly Diabetes after news surfaced of racist comments his father made before he was even born.

Or Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn who has since apologized for pedophilia jokes made over ten years ago, excusing them as immaturity.

Or New York Times editorial board member Sarah Jeong, berated for weeks following a string of anti-white tweets.

Similar outrage is indicative of Kavanaugh’s current standing as well. Not because the yearbook evidence speaks to him definitively assaulting Ford as alleged, but because when uncertainties like this are brought to the forefront, bad press does no favors for the accused.

Unfortunately, while no one is excluded from bad decisions one day returning for justice, young adults especially share this stereotype above others. As a result, they are more prone to being affected by this problem, more likely to have their careers stunted or ruined because of it, but also, more equipped to fix it before it is too late. Social media could be everyone’s yearbook, so take this not as a warning to prompt paranoia, but a plea for smart action.

Editorial Policy: The commentary expressed in the unsigned editorial represents a majority opinion of the STAR Editorial Board on a topic facing the campus community in keeping with journalistic precedents of other major newspapers, and may not be shared by all staff writers. The board encourages readers to write letters to the editor about all topics, including the editorial.

Opinion 3

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

#MeToo storm unearthing rounds of backlash

KASEY WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

E

arly last week while promoting his upcoming Hulu series, twotime Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn bluntly spoke about #MeToo and its ostensible agenda. As with many evaluative statements made in the wake of the sexual harrassment movement, fallout was swift.

When asked if his new show, “The First,” which features several strong female protagonists, was inspired by #MeToo, Penn disagreed. “I’d like to think that none of [“The First”] was influenced by what they call the movement of #MeToo,” he said. “The spirit of much of what has been the #MeToo movement is to divide men and women.”

Social media were ablaze with dissent. After all, this is a man that has been embroiled in past controversy over alleged domestic abuse speaking about a topic not too unsimilar. But Penn spoke

candidly, albeit clumsily, about the fallout of a movement in which the sole premise was, and remains to be, equality for all, man or woman. Despite its good intentions, #MeToo was always going to have a maelstrom aftereffect.

A December 2017 survey conducted by MTV found that 40 percent of male respondents ages 18 to 25 say that the #MeToo movement has changed the way they act in relationships, adding another layer of complication to the minefield that is modern dating. This is not without reason, though.

In a world where we are asked to believe the accuser in spite of circumstantial evidence and due process or risky demonization, we should all understand why men are treading lightly.

After all, Emily Lindin of Teen Vogue, is apparently “not at all concerned about innocent men losing their jobs over false sexual assault/harassment allegations.”

Contrarily, Bari Weiss of The New York Times wrote, “It’s condescending to think women and their claims can’t stand up to interrogation and can’t handle skepticism. I believe that facts serve feminists far better than faith.”

False allegations are statistically rare, but the “believe all women” specter not only undermines feminism, but threatens to torpedo the #MeToo movement as a whole.

Just last month, Italian actress and #MeToo leader Asia Argento was accused of sexually assaulting then 17-year-old actor Jimmy Bennett in 2013 when she was 37.

“None of us know the truth of the situation and I’m sure more will be revealed. Be gentle,” said Rose McGowan, another leader of the movement. A far cry from her November 2017 tweet, where she told us to, “Believe survivors,” and, “Grab a spine and denounce.” Hypocrisy of this level cannot be tolerated, especially when considering the reaction if the shoe was on the other foot and a 37-year-old man had slept with a 17-yearold girl.

Penn’s assertion that the movement threatens to divide men and women is not unfounded, but rather misguided.

He has likely seen some acquaintances felled in the wake of the movement’s inception, so his statements should be taken with a grain of salt, but with the general sentiment to consider. Instead of chastising Penn or anyone else for stating his or her opinions, perhaps we should be asking why they feel that way and offer them the same attentive ears that McGowan and others have asked that we lend to survivors.

If we could all get on the same page, maybe this movement thing could really work.

Culmination of censorship knows no bounds when saving face

EMILY HOFFMAN

STAFF WRITER

I

f you type, “being silenced” into Google, the results on the oppression of what is supposed to be a basic right in this country appear endless.

Silencing of blacks, LGBTQ, women, conservatives and religious groups pop up first, many having struggled since the beginning of press to gain basic rights and awareness, and while their representation is getting better, it is common knowledge that they are still navigating through the storm that keeps them trapped.

Yet if one keeps scrolling through the search results, there actually is not one group that is exempt from being silenced. Nobody in charge likes it when things start to get messy. No matter what the makeup or circumstances are of those below them.

Take for example a white het-

erosexual male turned away from working at a daycare. “I was told, point blank, ‘you’re more than qualified, but we aren’t hiring men,”’ says Michaelis Maus from Quora.

When the people that are not in charge have something to say or some way to act that might conf lict with the odds, they typically do not get too far, because they are working against powers above them.

It would not be worth it to fight against the stigma that men in a capacity dealing with children are seen as unsafe or not as capable of nurturing when they could just silence him, hire a woman, and avoid all of that.

Disrupting the status quo causes chaos. The message of mass culture is a hidden one of conformity and adjustment identifying with the status quo, thus becoming a pattern of response. Maintaining the status quo is very important for the ruling classes in capitalistic societies who want to keep control of all realms and things just the way they are.

In retrospect, slavery would still exist today if nobody dared to overthrow that societal norm.

When opression started to become apparent, black rights and awareness began to be filtered out of newspapers, speeches, schools— anywhere, really.

Even now, the amount of lives lost and tortured over multiple decades of fighting were a cost I am

not sure could have been any higher.

Though today, the girth of the uphill battle to fight suppression is no different. Today, we have media and then the select few that control it, even when least expected.

Former Miss America Cara Mund is the last person one would expect to be silenced. Though Hollywood reporter states, “She had been left out of interviews, not invited to meetings and often called the wrong name.”

When she obliquely hinted at trouble with pageant leadership in an interview earlier this month with The Press of Atlantic City, Mund said she was swiftly punished by having her televised farewell speech cut to 30 seconds.

Mund did not have an entire band of African Americans behind her to overcome the censorship above her, and she ultimately was forced out of the running. Just like a man forced out of a daycare.

Unless someone manages to sneak past the controlling power, we never get the full story. We never really get the full experience.

Instead we are filtered illusions by those above us in order to maintain the status quo.

Again, even in this country, where it was once George Carlin who said, “It’s called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.”

Model life festered with dangers

GILLIAN CHAFFER STAFF WRITER

F

or many young girls, the idea of becoming a fashion model is far-fetched, but still desired.

Many models are looked up to for their seemingly perfect bodies and beauty they possess. However, behind the camera is a very intense lifestyle that most do not see, and this lifestyle is not always positive.

To say that modeling is extremely competitive is an understatement. The entire industry is based upon who has the prettiest face, the smallest waist, the best walk, etc. Full-time models feel the stresses of maintaining a slender body so they can book more gigs.

For many companies, a brand is looking for women of a specific size—one that tends to be quite small— to represent their brand. Though all body types should be accepted and are beautiful, some of these women go to extremes.

According to The Telegraph, a former model stated, “My modelling career lasted for three years and . . .

I’ve had anorexia for eight.” Eating disorders are so prevalent in the industry that it has become almost a norm.

Stereotypes for these models include fasting, over exercising, and not treating their bodies properly. From all of these pressures, it can lead these women to push themselves too far.

According to the Washington Post, Ana Carolina Reston, former model, died aged 21 with a weight of 80 pounds. In fact one in four models in London have an eating disorder, and this is incredibly common in the industry.

Women are told to lose weight to fit into sample sizes of brands, and to appear more attractive to consumers. This takes a toll of the self esteem of these young girls and can lead them down a dark path. Modeling is a very intimate thing—it is between a model and the photographer to capture perfect images to sell a product or represent a brand. In other words, it is personal. Many models, however, are pressured into getting more personal than they would like.

Listverse touches on the controversy regarding former founder of American Apparel, Dov Charney.

Charney assaulted models during photoshoots, forcing them to be topless, nude, or semi nude. This, unfortunately, is far from uncommon as many models are told that they will make more money or become famous if they shoot nude sets, or even go as far to have sexual relations with photographers and CEOs to sleep their way to the top as has been the stigma of the modeling industry for years.

Girls in the fashion world sometimes sign away the rights to their bodies through contracts. Companies will hold this over their heads while dressing them provocatively, putting them in photoshoots they do not like, and doing things that make them uncomfortable.

Women with average body types are told to either lose weight to fit into straight sizes, or gain weight to fit into plus sizes. Even in our world of body acceptance, the industry is incredibly harsh.

Models are extremely relevant in pop culture, but that does not mean that their lives consist of nothing but glamour. This speaks to the lack of respect by coworkers and day to day dangers regarding who they could potentially work with.

While self-esteem-boosting for some, the industry requires a thick skin and preparation for disappointment, still without fail in encouraging young girls to become victims of such a brutal and adult run world.

Participation trophies on track for far bigger issue

KAYLIE BOETTNER

STAFF WRITER

T

he kids of today have an apt for being handed things. An iPhone in third grade, five cookies before bed instead of two, a trophy even with nothing won.

Growing up in a time where everything is catered towards them can make parents afraid of the word “no.” A negative word, sure, but also one of firm importance. This in turn is sparking an entitled upcoming generation, or few, where what they want is what is given with no remorse for the burden to earn.

Participation trophies are just part of

this growing problem. Kids participate in sports starting at a young age whether it be soccer, tee-ball, or basketball.

So far, so good. Sports are meant to teach children teamwork, goal setting, hard work and how to win or lose with grace.

But when trophies are given out to everyone involved in the sport, whether or not they resulted victorious, they are deprived from those crucial values which may come in handy more readily in the future. As one can imagine, sports now serves a vital role in this fairly new game of tug-of-war.

USA Today reports how James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sounded off on Instagram about his two sons receiving participation trophies and shared his stance on the matter.

Harrison wrote, “... I’m sorry I’m not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I’m not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best…”

Not everyone in life is a winner or will be the top dog. Giving children participation trophies is telling them that they are all winners which is about as far from reality as you

can get in a culture that has a narrow rubric of constituting success.

Professional athletes would not get paid as much as they do if there were no winners or losers. Large firm executives would not not be part of large firms to begin with if not for certain qualifications they exercised over others. Feeding the distorted view of equality in performance amongst children is pretentious just as much as it is dangerous.

Sports should be a fun experience for children, but its obligation is multi-faceted in developing winners and improvisers who can adapt to change or stress, including failure. Of course, getting a trophy at the end can supposedly be an incentive to continue playing, which, if being honest, is the true goal of the beginners sports leagues for a higher return rate. Too bad drawing that line is up for debate as well.

Perhaps for children 6-years-old and younger it flies, because neither they nor their parents acknowledge the signifance of competition, or the two sides of its coin. Any age older is too old to keep feeding them the lie.

Unfortunately, all parents believe their child is special and that they deserve the

world because of it. While true in a collectivist fashion, parents should not shield their kids from failure. It will do them more damage than the word “no,” that’s for sure.

Jessica Lahey, author of “The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed” said: “Kids learn from seeing efforts fail, reassessing their strategy—maybe even throwing the strategy out the window altogether and coming up with an entirely new one—and trying again to see how that new strategy works.”

Learning to fail is an important skill to have once the sunshine and rainbows run out. When that time comes, often it is forgotten that failure can be extremely motivating as well, making success that much sweeter.

Children are growing up entitled and lazy because they believe they have to do the bare minimum to achieve success. They no longer understand the phrase “hard work pays off” and we have our own society to blame for that.

So when the inevitable does come and the new generations of kids grow up and join the workforce, they are in for a rude awakening. What’s worse, we will have to hear about it . . . again.

4 News

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

‘After the fire’ exhibit uses art to reflect

COURTESY // Sonoma State Christopher Woodcock’s long exposure photo of the Nuns fire, east of the city of Sonoma. “With these long exposures it seems that the sublime nature of the fire seems to come alive with an intensity of both beauty and horror,” he said on the library’s guide to the gallery.

ASHLEY GIESEKE STAFF WRITER

Almost a year ago the Sonoma community was hit with one of the worst disasters in California’s history. A firestorm raged through Sonoma county destroying everything that got in its path.

Flames blazed all around our community and many were left homeless or even worse, many lost their lives. The fires left a large impact on so many and truly changed many lives forever.

Students, staff, and residence in our area were evacuated and left wondering for hours whether they would have a safe place to return to after the nightmare was over.

With the one year anniversary of the disaster right around the corner, many took it upon themselves to create a series of art pieces to honor it.

The pieces were put into an exhibit that is currently on display in the Sonoma State Library. The exhibit opened on August 20 and will be open to the public until December 14.

21 participants documented the events of that October day in a few different beautiful ways.

The pieces range from artist paintings, photographs, videos, and anything else they believed paid tribute to the fires. The displays vary and each show how intense of a tragedy our community went through. There are paintings that are made of watercolors while others are made from acrylics. There are photographs and videos up close and personal with the firestorm. There are also objects that were burnt in the fire on display to show how easily it devored anything in its path.

There are even pieces in the collection from first responders and other community members who remember that day so realistically.

There are a variety of different reasons in which these brave artists decided to put pieces in this exhibit. It is extremely personal and everyone who went through it was a different way to dis-

play their devastation. It was also a great way for those shows our communities determination to not let the who got incredible footage of the experience to docu- fires defeat us”. ment it and share it with others. Artists also said they On Wednesday , Oct. 17 there will be a reception put pieces in to show extreme gratitude for the first held to pay tribute to the victims and show the exhibit. responders and those who risked their lives to insure This is exactly the one year anniversary of Sonoma others safety. Lastly, some used this display to show State’s reopening after its campus closed down due how truly far we have come since this disaster and to the disaster. The campus was closed for nine days. how inspirational it can be when a community works Sonoma State students and staff welcome the comtogether to get back on its feet. munity to come take part in the exhibit and have a Senior Kimberly DeCastro remembers the fires glimpse into the events that affected everyone in the like it was yesterday. “ It was truly one of the scariest area so dearly. moments of my life “ she said. “ I remember our neighbor banging on our door at 4 a.m. to tell us we had a mandatory evacuation and we had to leave immediately. DeCastro was one of the many who had a mandatory evacuation notice and had to grab anything of realistic value and leave her house behind. She said that she believes this exhibit is an incredible way to pay tribute to the events of that day. “ The STAR // Analy Bravo exhibit shows the tragedy from A watercolor painting by Filipino immigrant Ulysses Duterte takes a more abstract many different approach to depicting the fires. sides and also

CAMPUS CRIME Crime

Date

Location

Status

Weapon Possession

Sept. 15

Parking Lot R5

Arrested

Vandalism

Sept. 16

P.E. Building

Open

Oral Copulation, Sexual Penetration

Sept. 16

Sauvignon Village

Open

Bicycle Theft

Sept. 19

Rec Center Bicycle Rack

Suspended

Bycicle Theft

Sept. 20

Barbera Bicycle Rack

Suspended

Bicycle Theft

Sept. 20

Zinfandel Bicycle Rack

Suspended

Disturbing the Peace

Sept. 21

Sauvignon Village

Closed

with foreign object with force

News 5

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Black Student Union hosts day of engagement EMILY TWISSELMANN STAFF WRITER

S

leepy-eyed students toting cups of coffee, chattering bushy squirrels, and grasses blowing softly in the breeze could all be seen and heard on the cool, early morning of Saturday.

To the average passerby, the proceedings of Sonoma State appeared calm; to members of Sonoma State’s Black Student Union and prominent figures of our community, their morning was nothing short of powerful and salient.

For the first time ever, Sonoma County’s Black Forum and members of the Black Student Union hosted a day of engagement. Their annual Youth Summit was considered a success by most everyone.

“We’re trying to reach out,” said Sonoma County Black Forum member, Regina Brennan, “to people of color and all people, so we can be a better, stronger community.”

“We wanted to give the students opportunities,” Brennan continued, “not only for a career and college fair, but also opportunities to learn new skills, to connect with each other, and to figure out how to make this world – this community – better, stronger.”

Among the dancers, singers and networking crowd engaged in enthusiastic conversations, there were parents, students and community members from all over, specifically from Windsor High, Sacramento, and Oakland Tech. An 8-year-old boy was even said to have attended alongside his older sister.

Topics like leadership, education, technology and entrepreneurship were all well considered and addressed throughout the active discussions featured that day. Ultimately, the main focus was on making connections and enjoying new experiences.

Workshops also helped students to gain confidence and skills in areas such as coding, financial literacy and their transition from high school to college.

Additionally, according to volunteers and attendants, keynote speakers, panels of current and gradu-

COURTESY // Miss Sonoma County Miss Sonoma County, Avery-Tyler Louis, poses in the back for a group photo with excited students. People from all over Northern California experienced the event.

ate college students and prominent figures such as Tyler-Avery Louis, this year’s Miss Sonoma County, really served to empower and inspire the students.

On their opinion of the event, first-year psychology majors and members of Sonoma State’s BSU Gabby Bright and Jasmine Carter had a lot to share.

“It’s good for the high schoolers,” said Bright, “It gives them a sense of community before they get here. When I first got here... it was definitely a culture shock.”

Carter agreed that, “It was definitely a success. A lot of kids showed up, it seemed like they’re taking away a lot. I think if this continues on for years it will definitely improve how many African American students go to college and are successful when they get there.”

Both girls are currently enjoying their stay in Sonoma State’s V.I.B.E.S housing.

Created, in part, by Tramaine Austin-Dillon, a staff member of Sonoma State’s Residential Life programs, the Visionaries Inspiring Black Educated Students community was intended to accomplish a goal not unlike the 2018 Youth Summits.

COURTESY // Miss Sonoma County Austin-Dillon specified that the brandMiss Sonoma County greets an attendant. new community was, “designed to provide

leadership, community, guidance and a living space for students that identify with or are in support of the Black/Pan-African Community at SSU. Similarly, the Sonoma County Black Forum was organized and thrown into effect just last year, in the August of 2017.

“We came together because we felt that our youths are a little underrepresented,” said Claudia De La Pena, member of the Sonoma County Black Forum.

“Our mission,” added Brennan, “is to be advocates of the youths of the community, and community as a whole.”

The event, in truth, really was a community effort. Deep gratitude was expressed by the event’s organizers to the support of President Judy Sakaki, the Community Engagement Fund, the Santa Rosa City School district, and the efforts of volunteers and many others.

As for the future of the annual Youth Summit, Brennan added, “we’re hoping that this is something that BSU students will take on and make their own.”

Considering that – according to Carter, “it seemed like everyone was really close even though they were strangers when they got there,” the next annual Youth Summit should be something to get excited about.

CRIME: Cameras would cost ‘millions of dollars’ continued from pg. 1

“We believe the best system for our campus is the one we have now,” Gullixson said, “Which includes having emergency phone stations strategically located throughout the University, with blue lights and panic buttons, having safety escorts who are available 24/7 and, most of all, having live police officers on patrol throughout the campus.”

The strategic initiatives introduced

by University Police Department come at a time when the crime rates are not high, but could be lowered by educating students and staff about potential threats. “Anytime we can get five minutes to speak with the campus commu-

nity it is a way for not only us to learn about the students, but also so that the students can learn more about us,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty, who has worked on Sonoma State’s campus since 2005, says he has been contacting various departments to have officers meet with student groups to inform them on how to prevent crime. “We care about our community, and if we work together with them, we will create a much safer campus,” Dougherty said.

“This is my fourth year on campus and have seen a drastic change in university police presence in the past year.

I feel as if the cops are getting more involved with the students and it makes me feel much safer,” said Jason Roed-

COUNSELORS: No changes mandated continued from pg. 1

“I think it’s a really awesome idea. Mental health is so important, and it’s hard for students to go through tough times alone. We need someone to talk to outside of our friends and families. I think a lot of students here don’t know they have the resource of counseling available, so I hope this change will help that,” Roach says.

Sims explains where students can access mental health counseling on campus currently. “Currently enrolled students that have paid the mental health fee (part of the registration fees) are eligible for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Sonoma State students can access CAPS services during office hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are also emergency drop-in hours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

Sonoma State’s counselors are there to help our students and meet their counseling and mental health needs.”

CAPS: (707) 664-2153 For immediate response when CAPS is closed please call University Police at (707) 664-4444 or the Sonoma County Crisis Line at (707) 576-8181.

Both are available 24 hours a day.

er, a senior statistics major student at Sonoma State.

The University Police Department recently updated their police vehicle graphics to “Police” instead of the old graphic that displayed “Police Services.” Chief Dougherty said that the graphics update is a small change that will make a statement to the community that the university police are fully trained and equipped police officers.

Another initiative that UPD is bringing back, is the bicycle program.

“The bicycle program will allow officers to efficiently patrol areas where a vehicle cannot,” said Dougherty. The program existed a few years ago, but was removed due to budget cuts.

“We are very well supported by the

university, they always ensure that they give us what we need,” Dougherty said.

Danny Pollard, a business major at Sonoma State said, “I think it is unnecessary for a campus of our size to have a police department. They are probably doing a good job, but I think it is a waste of money and resources.”

The University Police Department is working to create a safer campus by introducing new ideas and strategic initiatives. Students have mixed reactions regarding the work of the University Police Department. “We can ensure the campus community that we are doing our best to get involved in the student’s lives by educating them on crime prevention techniques and being visible so that they feel safe,” Dougherty said.

NEWS IN BRIEF Washington D.C. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s has vowed to fight sexual assault allegations. His first accuser, Christine Blaisey-Ford, may testify this week as the Senate attempts to determine if her accusations are true. “The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out,” said Kavanaugh, who will testify Thursday before the committee.

Oakland

Oakland police towed at least 85 cars and made two arrests during a series of chaotic, late-night sideshows that shut down multiple roadways across East Oakland early Sunday.

One officer suffered an injury when hit by a flying object, and another officer in a patrol car was hurt when it was rammed by a vehicle participating in the sideshows. Video of the incident shows cars doing donuts on a packed freeway, surrounded by a crowd on foot.

6 Arts

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Billionaire takes money to the moon

COURTESY // Teslaratti

TERESA GULLI STAFF WRITER

I

s having money a sufficient qualification to be sent off into space? At the SpaceX press conference, Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire, will soon get ready to take off to the Moon with six to eight artists on SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket optimistically by the year 2023, if production goes smoothly.

Maezawa is one of Japan’s largest fashion entrepreneurs, who has a large interest in many art forms, especially paintings. According to NPR, he has spent over $110 million on the American artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s vintage painting making it the highest amount paid on a US produced artwork at an auction. As Maezawa is very passionate about art, he is launching a #dearMoon project to provide a once of a lifetime experience in art world.

On the dearmoon.earth, #dearEarth’s website, Maezawa explains. “…artists representing the Earth will head for the Moon. A painter, musician, film director,

fashion designer... Some of Earth’s greatest talents will board a spacecraft and be inspired in a way they have never been before.” He further explains “People are creative and have a great imagination. We all have the ability to dream dreams that have never been dreamt, to sing songs that have never been sung, to paint that which has never been seen before. I hope that this project will inspire the dreamer within each of us. I hope that this project will inspire the dreamer within each of us.”

Each of the artist’s seats have already been bought on the space craft for the lunar excursion, so we are eager to see who is going to take the expedition and his thought process as to why he is bringing them. Having a transparent perspective of space and the Moon will create extraordinary art and with the power to document it all, whether it is through paintings, photography or high quality video, will give a new and improved reality tour that has never been explored before. Livestreams

and their artist’s artwork could be shared through social media such as YouTube where consumers can relieve their experience while also making it accessible worldwide.

Big Falcon Rocket, BFR, the spacecraft for #dearmoon is currently being developed and built by SpaceX. BFR is a reusable spacecraft that Elon Musk is estimated to cost about $5 billion. Plans to go to the Moon, Mars and even beyond all start with this project, with many years ahead for planning and perfecting this rocket, might lead us into a new future.

“It’s dangerous, to be clear,” Musk said.

“This is not a walk in the park here. When you’re pushing the frontier, it’s not a sure thing. … There’s some chance that something could go wrong. … We better get that flight right.” If successful, the reality of space tourism will be soon. There is no telling how much it will cost but as time moves, frequent vacations to the moon may be as accessible as a plane trip across the world.

Nothing has been said on the qualifications and training needed for Maezawa and his chosen artists to go into space.

It is expected that more than one professional would journey with them to ensure safety and knowledge, which in turn will lead the training to be minimal. Musk has made considerations about joining the lunar expedition, there is still many years ahead to decide. Fans will patiently wait for the answer in the years to come.

NASA is currently the only space agency with approval to send humanity into space and Moon travel, although SpaceX is not the only company that is working towards space exploration for commercialization. The Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also has a space company, Blue Origin, with a rocket named The New Shepard, is planning to send people in space by 2020. There will be competition between both companies and we are eagerly waiting to see which will be sent off first, success and reusability.

“A Simple Favor” Not your average Review Houdini COURTESY // New On Netflix

COURTESY //Dread Central

Review

KATHLEEN PERRY STAFF WRITER

A

mystery movie that actually remains mysterious.

Directed by Paul Feig, A Simple Favor takes audience members along the journey as Stephanie, played by Anna Kendrick, tries to solve the disappearance of her best friend Emily, played by Blake Lively. The story follows two seemingly different women who fall into an unlikely friendship.

Stephanie is a mommy vlogger. She volunteers in the classroom, smiles more than necessary and apologizes too frequently. Emily has a very demanding job in the city with a long commute where she works for a famous fashion designer as the head of his PR. She is too busy to be involved in her son’s life, loves a strong martini and cusses like a sailor. The two are brought together through the friendship of their sons Nicky, played by Ian Ho, and Miles played by Joshua Satine, when they ask to have a playdate. Both women know only stereotypes of the other, but soon become an unlikely pair hanging out for drinks often as their kids play upstairs.

As the movie continues, the audience learns that Stephanie is not as picture perfect as she appears, and Emily’s life is not as glamorous as it seems either. Through drunken conversations and memory flashbacks, the viewers are able to get a fuller picture of who each woman is, but not quite enough to figure either of them out. This is when Emily vanishes.

At first, nobody is too surprised; Emily’s husband Sean, played by Henry Golding, tells Stephanie that Emily frequently takes off when she knows her son is being taken care of. Before disappearing, Emily asks Stephanie for “a simple favor: pick up Nicky after school,” and then does not pick him up or respond to any calls or texts for two days. When Stephanie finally calls Sean, he insists that Emily puts work ahead of everything and everyone. They decide to file a police report to make Emily realize that she can’t just disappear without telling

KAILEY PRIEST

anyone without consequences. However, when they still do not hear back after several days, they begin to worry.

Little by little, missing pieces of the puzzle reveal themselves allowing the audience to start making assumptions of what happened and what is going to happen next. The movie continually has viewers question who is guilty, what is each character actually capable of and where the plot is going to take them.

Keeping spectators on edge, Feig makes sure nobody knows who to root for as the movie has one plot twist after the other.

While there were some cliches throughout, Feig does an impressive job at trying to combat each one by giving them a twist. He includes a new spin on shady relationships and also takes dirty and corrupt pasts in a different direction than other mystery movies have before.

However, in creating such a complex movie, Feig got tangled up in his own mess and had a hard time closing all the loose ends.

The movie kept viewers whispering their guesses about who was guilty of what and who the protagonist was as it continued to change throughout. But as the movie came to a close and things started to be a little more clear, the ending became rushed. Loose ends are chopped apart instead of being tied off nicely; the movie was captivating, until it wasn’t.

Overall, the movie kept audience members guessing. It remained interesting and funny even as it tread into deeper waters. It became more intricate than the average mystery movie, yet remained easy to follow along with as everyone tried to uncover the mystery revolving around Emily. However, as a movie with a deeper plot, it required much more than a rushed ending full of unanswered questions, which ultimately ended in disappointment.

STAFF WRITER

E

veryone loves a good magic trick, but add a little comedy and you’ve got a binge worthy show! Magician and comedian Justin Willman takes the best of both worlds to create a short one season Netflix original that is sure to boggle your mind. He performs everything from simple card tricks to unbelievable stunts that make you question how real it actually is.

As we follow Willman in the six-episode-season, he engages with the public, randomly, to perform miraculous tricks.

From stopping people on the street to getting people to participate themselves, his tactics seem authentic in his performances. In this season you will get everything from levitation, to watching tracking devices get pulled through people’s skin; the sky’s the limit with his tricks.

Not only does he perform amazing magic tricks, but throughout each episode and sometimes within the trick’s themselves there are small life lessons that can be picked up on.

In the first episode titled “Self-Control,” Willman focuses on human’s strong dependence with their iPhone and the innocent mind of a child pressured with a simple marshmallow. It is no doubt that many struggle with self-control, however, Willman brings light to it with his meticulously well thought out magic tricks.

When sending strangers iPhones into the air by tying it to a dozen balloons results in watching the stranger engaged freak out as if their life has just ended, as they watch their phone disappear. Only for Willman to turn around and pull up his shirt exposing the strangers phone that is ducked taped to his back completely sealed and unharmed, without skipping a beat.

One of the magic tricks that caught the eye of many through social media was when Willman set up a “staged” magic show in order to lure random people in

while the rest of the crowd were in on the act. Willman inevitably asked those people who weren’t involved to participate, with the master plan of making them believe that they were invisible with a little help.

With the crowd members ready to participate Willman seats the lucky guest in a chair while placing a sheet over them.

He then rips the sheet off and the crowd goes wild creating the illusion that the person had disappeared before their very eyes when it reality, they were still there sitting in the chair.

This viral video showed how he debunked his own magic while actually doing something pretty amazing by playing with a humans mind in just the right ways he actually made someone believe, even if for a moment, that they were completely invisible. While playing tricks on the mind is the so called “backbone” of magic itself, with this particular trick you get to see how it plays out on the magicians side of things.

Senior Wine Business major Sarah Elliott happened upon this specific video and is now hooked on the series.“I could not stop laughing when I first watched the clip of the people thinking they were invisible, so I ended up finding it on Netflix and am almost done with the season,” said Elliott. “Not only is it funny but his witty comments and mind-blowing magic tricks make it so entertaining. Although I have to say some of his tricks seem too crazy to be real, but then the reactions of the people involved reassure me that he is just incredibly talented.”

The magic tricks without a doubt leave you questioning just how he did that.

While sometimes Willman is gracious enough to show the viewers just how he fooled us, most of the time he leaves the viewer stumped and wanting more.

“Should I feel guilty I was able to amaze you with such a simple gag,” Willman asks. “No! But do I? Yes.”

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

Restaurant of the week: The Drawing Board

MARIAH PONCE STAFF WRITER

A

restaurant filled with creativity, excellent customer service as well as lick your plate clean type of food. The Drawing Board, located at 190 Kentucky St., Petaluma will give you a memorable experience. This local gem is a 20 minute drive down the road from Rohnert Park and is well worth it. Once entering this trendy spot, one will be impressed with the decoration on the walls of this small town restaurant.

The hours of operation are unusual and hours and days closed vary every week. That can be a turnoff for many customers due to them not wanting to have to see if The Drawing Board will be open. Many restaurants don’t follow this unusual schedule, this can lead customers to want to choose another eatery over this one. It can be a turnoff to some but it is well worth the visit.

The restaurant has two menus, one for daytime and one for dinner. Both menus offering great descriptions of how they are a different type of eatery. They create “feel good” food that will fill your stomach with homegrown cuisine. Their food is simply made and created with love, they go through great efforts to give their customers the best.

Lauren Costello, a sophomore at Sonoma State University stated, “I would eat here again in a heartbeat, the restaurant itself was gorgeous and you can tell the food is made with good products.”

Many like Costello agree, the restaurant brings in a lot customers and many of them leave with only positive reviews.

The Drawing Board has been given a four out of five star rating on Yelp.

Not only is the food exquisite, but the large drink menu that they offer is filled with creative options. The eatery appreciates medicinal history of spiritual cocktails. Striving to make their drinks different from others, many of their drinks incorporate teas, herbs, tinctures and many other fresh ingredients. The efforts behind each beverage is to give the customer a libation experience. Majority of the plates filled with color and aromas that make your mouth water. Jessica Campigli, graduate of Sonoma State University stated, “The alcoholic beverages they serve are so fresh and have so many flavors. I can’t wait to try the other drinks that they make.”

The environment that The Drawing Board exudes an upbeat and positive setting. The waiter asking positively how everyone’s day had gone and if this was our first time at the restaurant. The dinner menu giving ample amount of drink and dinner options as well as shareable plates, and snacks if one isn’t hungry enough for a full meal. When ordering you will be overwhelmed with many options and will find it hard to choose between just one meal.

The Drawing Board not only serves drinks and plates that will make you be a loyal customer but also the ambience will make the restaurant even better. It is an open setting and not too cramped, there

COURTESY // tbdpetaluma enough room where you don’t feel like you’re sitting in on the table next to yours.

Brick walls and white walls make the restaurant ‘feel open and inviting and to make it even better there is plants hanging from the ceg to catch one’s attention. Bar seating is available to customers, as well as a great view of the bar. Filled with dozens of liquors and giving off a vintage vibe.

This 100 percent locally owned restaurant is worth taking the trip to Petaluma to go dine. The Drawing Board gratefully accepts any gratitude as well as criticism towards the restaurant due to them being a relatively new business.

This apothecary style restaurant is an experience and won’t be a disappointment.

Next time you are looking for a new place to give your business give this locally owned restaurant a visit! is

Facing backlash from her own movement Commentary

NINA LOPEZ STAFF WRITER

F

ormer allies Asia Argento and Rose McGowan, who’d previously come forth to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and misconduct in 2017, are now engaged in a public feud that’s damaging their credibility as leading figures of the #MetToo movement.

In a groundbreaking story by the New York Times, Italian actress and director, Argento, had been accused of sexually assaulting her former co-star, Jimmy Bennett, back in 2013 when she was 37 and he was still a minor. This shocking news clearly showcased Argento in a negative light while simultaneously depicting her as a hypocrite.

Argento denied all accusations of ever engaging in sexual behavior with Bennett. However, since then Argento

had reportedly given Bennett $380,000 to put the discussion to rest and settle the sexual assault case, painting out the entire situation to be rather suspicious on Argentos part, something McGowan and her significant other, Rain Dove, were not about to overlook.

As Argento scrambled to clear her name, she confided in McGowan and Dove to help her prove her innocence, however, the couple quickly learned that Argento was far from that. Dove later released a statement via Twitter that alerted the public of the truth behind Argentos involvement with Bennett, her reasoning being that “all victims deserve justice.

Justice can rarely exist without honesty.”

By this time, Dove, had handed over text messages supporting Argentos sexual involvement with 17 year-old Bennett to TMZ and police authorities. The texts contradicted Argentos previous state-

ments of never having sexual relations with Bennett.

Once the text messages were out for the public to see, McGowan released a statement of her own pleading for Argento to come forward and speak her truth in order to “be the person you wish Harvey could have been.” That’s when Argento took it upon herself to confront McGowan via Twitter on Sept. 17 demanding her to retract her statement of “lies” within 24 hours or face legal consequences.

McGowan did no such thing. The public is currently waiting to see what steps will be taken to settle the discrepancy.

Although McGowan is portrayed as the hero in this entire scandal, the record shows that she doesn’t necessarily have a spotless record either.

Back in 2015, McGowan was accused of transphobic hate speech against

Caitlyn Jenner on Facebook as well as on RuPaul’s podcast “What’s the Tee” where she stated about trans women: “They assume, because they felt like a woman on the inside, that’s not developing as a woman, that’s not growing as a woman, that’s not living in this world as a woman.”

Her harsh words clearly wedge a gap between her authenticity as a true feminist and equal opportunist.

McGowan has also been criticized for commodifying her victimhood, despite being against the Hollywood idea of turning women into products. Since her rise to fame over her involvement with the #MeToo movement, she has spent her time producing a skincare line, personal hashtag, an art show, speaking tour and a memoir rather then spreading awareness about other’s stories and experiences with sexual assault.

Emmy Winner: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Review ALISON SNIDER STAFF WRITER

R

ecently winning eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Amazon Studio’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a hilarious, thought provoking detour from the standard 1950s narrative.

Set in 1958, the show explores the less glorious aspects of life in the 1950s through the world of stand-up comedy. 28-year-old Miriam “Midge” Maisel, played by Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan, is a delightful upper class housewife with a mind and mouth of her own. Unlike most period pieces, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” does not shy away from nudity, profanity, drugs and alcohol. It also relies heavily on taboo topics from that time period, especially infidelity and divorce.

The show in its entirety is a brilliantly comedic take on the struggle of women in the 20th century and the transformation to self-reliance and independence.

Throughout the series, Midge begins to place less and less value on her looks and more importance on becoming a

working woman and exploring life outside the realm of domesticity. Midge goes from a woman who apologizes and takes the blame for other people’s mistakes to taking control of her life and speaking her mind. She says, “Why do we have to pretend to be sorry when we have nothing to be sorry about?”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” acts as such a strong, highly influential piece of feminist television. Without the limits of broadcast television, Amazon Studios and writer-creator Amy Sherman-Palladino are able to construct a narrative free of constraint and fully contrast the grittiness of Greenwich Village with the glamourous Upper West Side. The dynamic between Midge and her unconventional manager Susie, played by Emmy winner Alex Borstein, is probably the most groundbreaking aspect of the show. It is extremely rare to see television and films in which two drastically different women can bond together and form a deep connection without the heavy influence of a man. Their relationship is based upon talent and a drive to be anything other than insignificant.

Midge is always dressed to the nines, with frequent and multiple costume

changes an episode. While her femininity becomes the butt of many mean-spirited jokes throughout the show, at no point does Midge compromise her sense of self to fit in and make it as a comedian. Equally as important, Susie never conforms to society’s expectations of what a woman should look and act like, even when she is regularly referred to as a man. The costuming helps the feminist narrative that women can be powerful and ambitious without changing their appearance for the comfort of others.

Of course, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” would not be the same without its leading lady. Brosnahan’s acting is brilliantly executed. While it would have been nice to have a Jewish actress play such a significant Jewish character, it is understandable why Brosnahan was casted in the role due to her ability to show pain and vulnerability while cracking some of the show’s funniest jokes.

COURTESY //Television Academy

8 Student Life

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Escape rooms stump SSU students

JENNIFER SPENCE STAFF WRITER

T

he escape rooms came back to Sonoma State University for the third semester due to popular demand and stumped almost every group.

Only a few groups were able to solve the puzzle and escape the rooms safely, but the majority said they were only a few clues away from figuring out their room.

The scenarios in the ballrooms were the physical versions of the “escape the room” video games and were held in the ballrooms of the Student Center from Thursday to Friday 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The rooms are meant to make students think in a different way and use teamwork and communication to solve a puzzle.

Mo Phillips, the Director of Student Involvement, has coordinated the event for the past three semesters. The first escape rooms were held in spring 2017 and

have taken place every semester since then. “We brought it back because the students loved it,” said Phillips. “They came out of the experience and whether they beat the clock or not, they were excited.”

This year, the company Escape Rooms provided four different rooms called Patient Zero 1, Patient Zero 2, BOOM and Snow Globe.

In the ballrooms, there are five rooms that ran all night Thursday and Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Each year has been a huge success, there have been around 550 people each semester the event has been put on.

Escape rooms are not a new idea.

“My kids had actually gone to an escape room experience in Richmond and they loved it, it challenged them, had them working together and they had to use critical thinking skills,” said Phillips. She

STAR // Jennifer Spence A group of students work together to solve clues in the BOOM room.

thought it would be a great event for the students.

All types of students participate in the games. Phillips loved that friends came, campus staff signed up and clubs and organizations used the escape rooms as a team builder. “It’s an event that a diverse group of community members enjoy it each time we bring it,” said Phillips.

Amy Saduddin, a junior, participated in the “BOOM” escape room. All based on fiction, she explained that her room’s task was to figure out who killed a detective in a certain amount of time by using the clues in the rooms before a bomb went off.

She heard about the event from her sorority that used the event as a bonding event for their chapter, but unfortunately the group was not able to finish the

task. “It was really fun but it was hard to figure out the clues,” said Saduddin.

“Everytime we found a hint we couldn’t see how it related to the puzzle.”

Some of the participants this year had also attended previous years. Lexi Macario, a junior, took part in the escape rooms spring 2018. “Last year they had more things to do inside the rooms like puzzles,” said Macario. She felt that making the rooms too difficult took away the fun.

The escape rooms were a great time for all the participants despite the majority not being able to solve them.

The Director of Student Involvement explained that the goal of the escape rooms, like the other events put on by Student Involvement are to build community, increase school spirit and creating new and continuing traditions.

STAR // Michelle Tadlock Hailey Unger puts together the Scrabble clue while the rest of their teammates join in.

Video games sharpen teamwork skills

S

LUIS MADRIGAL STAFF WRITERE

STAR // Jessica Bennett A student shares his original song with the crowd at Lobo’s.

Open mic night shows variety of talents MORGAN ARANCIO STAFF WRITERE

L

obos Open Mic night is a great place to get an opportunity to perform in front of an audience, to be yourself and just have fun. Laura McLaren, transfer Senior and Business major, experienced her first Open Mic night playing the guitar and singing two of her favorite songs. “It was my first time ever playing guitar in public and it was really good,” McLaren said. “I’ve been practicing a lot since I’ve only been playing for about six months. I would love to play at every Open Mic night and even try learning another instrument,” she said. Associated Students Productions, or “ASP”, has organized this event for a few years.

All students and all talents are welcome and encouraged to have fun and preform.

They host Open Mic night all throughout the school year on every third Wednesday of the month from 8 p.m. -10 p.m at Lobos. Sign ups start at 7:30 p.m. that night and are open throughout the event.

From stand up comedy to playing an instrument, you’re given the space to showcase yourself. The night started off with some stand up comedy and was followed by singing and students playing instruments. Many students had performed in the past and a few were newcomers.

The environment in the room was amazing; seeing students enjoying themselves, listening to the performances and eating food with their friends and overall a very positive audience. One student did a stand up comedy bit and used his Mickey Mouse impressions to light up the entire room with laughter.

Noah Bisping, a Senior Marketing major, has been to a couple different Open Mic nights. “Last spring I came and there was a big turn out and a lot of freshman were there. Lobo’s was pretty packed it was hard to even find a seat.

I definitely recommend students to come out and take a look, it’s a lot of fun,” Bisping said.

There are some students that have been attending Open Mic night every year of their time at Sonoma State. Grey Todd, Sophomore Computer Science major with a Music minor, always sings and plays his ukulele or guitar. “This would be my sixth performance. Open Mic night is a very safe space and it can be scary but nothing that bad is going to happen. If you love performing than it’s the place to be,” Todd said. Todd’s involvement at Open Mic night has given him the experience to be comfortable in front of an audience and is starting to open doors for him in the music world.

Santiago Galarce, Junior and a Communications major, had never been to an Open Mic night before. He’s attended the Free Bowling Nights that ASP hosts as well and had a great time so he wanted to check it out. “I grabbed a beer and sat down and really enjoyed the different performances.” said Galacre. “Everyone did great and it was cool to see a range of different skills. There was a student that did stand up comedy that I found hilarious. I unquestionably would go again,” he said.

If you’re unsure and nervous about standing in front of an audience but you’re interested, go to an event on Oct. 17.

onoma State students filled The Hub Wednesday night as they gathered to play Overwatch and talk about leadership skills. Students at the event talked about leadership skills they can obtain through video games and also had the chance to show their skills off.

This was The Hub’s first video game event that they put on to reach gamers at Sonoma State. Overwatch was released in 2016 and is a team-based multiplayer shooter game that requires the players to have good communication as well as be able to work as a team to succeed. It is a very popular game amongst college students. According to an article from Fortune, about 40 million people play around the world, so Overwatch is well known.

The event began with Rob Smith and Kristen Reynolds program cordinator at The Hub talking about the skills and traits that gamers obtain when playing video games that they might not even know they have. Since video games require a lot of skill and concentration, it can help players gain certain skills you can use in everyday life like having good communication skills or knowing how to be a good leader.

During the event, Smith and Reynolds also discussed stereotypes of gamers that people have and how those are not always true. It was a good and welcoming environment for people that enjoy gaming to be in as well as a great opportunity for them to meet other people with the same interests.

Smith and Reynolds wanted to create an environment for like-minded people to hang out and show their skills playing

Overwatch, but also learn about skills and traits that are useful. “I thought it was a good turnout, we had people come since it started and they all stayed until the end,” Reynolds said.

The goal of this event was to highlight skills and traits that you can pull from being a gamer such as communication, understanding team roles and critical thinking and show how people can use them in the real world.

When asked why they chose Overwatch, Smith replied, “You can’t win these types of games by yourself, you have to have a group around you that understands their role and you really have to work together so I believe this game highlights leadership skills I talked about.”

Daniel Downey, a freshman, who was amongst many students present at the event, enjoyed the event and was excited for future events like these. Downey was informed about the event through advertisements and posters on campus and felt like it was something that interested him, so he decided to come out. “It was pretty entertaining, I enjoyed my time here and would recommend others to come out because it was really fun,” Downey said.

The Hub will have another video game night Oct. 31 where the theme will be horror games.

While this was the first event like this that the HUB has put on, they plan to have more events throughout the year. For information about events like these on campus, look up The Hub and Seawolf Living to stay up to date on the latest events.

STAR // Analay Bravo SSU students gather at The Hub to discuss what Overwatch can teach about diversity and leadership.

Student Life 9

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Seawolves SPEAK!

“What would you like to see change on campus this year?”

CARLY OLSEN

STAFF WRITER

W

ith a new school year in full swing, there is room for improvement at Sonoma State University. While we attend an amazing school with many good qualities, there are always some things that could change

for the better. The STAR asked a handful of students what they wanted to see change on campus this year and they had some thoughtful answers.

We gathered students from different years and majors to see what they had to say. The answers ranged from issues like more available classes to better parking, then got more complex with the concern for our lack of diversity. It’s important that Sonoma State listens to student recommendations in order to make our school a better place for everyone.

“I think it’s really important that we have more programs for people of color.”

-Mishelle Navarrette, Hutchins major, sophomore

“I’d like to see more classes available, maybe different sections, so students have a better chance of getting into the classes they need, whether it be GE or for their major.”

-Uriel Ruiz, Spanish major, sophomore

“I’m only a freshman so I haven’t been here long, but more student activities would be fun. I would love to see games in the plaza.”

“I’d like to see more available parking. It’s usually really difficult for me to find a spot when I have class, so it would be nice to have more spaces.”

-Amish Patel, Undeclared, freshman

-Michaela Delcurto, Undeclared, junior

“What I really want to see is more diversity, both in students and staff. There should also be more counseling available to students to ensure that they have resources for mental health.”

“I’d like to see people clean up better after themselves in the library so I can have a cleaner place to work.”

-Blanca Fajardo-Cardenas, Early Childhood Development major, senior

-Jose Navarrete, Biochemistry major, senior

SSU becomes home to transfer students NICK CESCHIN

STAFF WRITER

E

veryone knows that coming to school for any first-time freshman is difficult, but what we don’t really give a lot of thought to is the stress that transfer students also have to endure. They leave their homes and families as well, but they also leave the friends that they’ve established in community college, for example, or perhaps jobs that they’ve chosen to work right out of high school.

The transfer student must also undertake the task of joining friend groups or cliques of people that have already been established perhaps even years ago. A few transfer students were interviewed this week to discuss the challenges that they have had to face this first semester Sonoma State University.

Megan Kelly is a third year transfer student with a double major in psychology and English. Kelly transferred here from Pierce Community College in her hometown Los Angeles. Kelly says that the hardest thing for her about coming to Sonoma State was “getting acclimated” and figuring out how she herself fit into things. “Everyone else is already established here.”

After living at home for an extra couple of years, Kelly now lives in transfer-student housing. Kelly acknowledges the different living environment with a positive attitude. When asked how the transition to living in the dorms is, Kelly says, “I thought it would be harder than it was, but I will say that my RA is really good at getting our whole building involved in group activities.”

Kelly did not plan on coming to Sonoma State originally. “I was really opposed to moving so far away from home, but I fell in love with the friendly vibe here and how its so immersed into nature. The people are really nice too.”

Kelly only has three days of class per week. She is looking for a part-time job currently, and plans to join a writing club. She also plans to go hiking and explore the Russian River.

On the other side of campus lives Riley McCauley, a fourth year transfer student with a Hutchins Liberal Studies major. McCauley transferred from Orange Coast College in her hometown, Orange County.

For McCauley, meeting people was something challenging.

“Before I was in Alpha Gamma Delta, I didn’t know a lot of people.

Now that I’m in a sorority, whenever I’m walking around campus I always know someone,” says McCauley. When asked if she had always planned on joining Greek life, McCauley says, “It’s something I never thought I’d do because I’m an introvert. It’s good to get out of my comfort zone and meet different types of people.

Transitioning into the dorms for McCauley, like Kelly, seemed

to be easier than expected. “It’s been a transition living with brand new people. I didn’t expect to be as comfortable as I am here,” says McCauley. “I’ve made close friendships with my suitemates.”

When it came to deciding where to go from community college, McCauley had many options. “From community college, I applied to six different CSUs. I looked at all my options and I realized that I wanted to be away from home and have new experiences,

so I chose here because both my brothers go here already, as well as the amazing Hutchins program because I want to be an elementary school teacher.”

There are two community service providers here on campus. Aside from village activities hosted by the specially trained CSAs, there are also several programs for student involvement offered by the U-Engage Living and Learning community for transfer students who want to get involved.

10 Sports

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Sapphires prepare for nationals

MADELEINE BROWN STAFF WRITER

W

ith a brand new team this year, the Sapphires are ambitious to win this upcoming competition season.

The Sonoma State Sapphires is a dance team ranging in different styles of dance, from jazz to pom to hip hop. They participate in on-campus rallies at the Sports Activities Fair and the Involvement Fair, perform at basketball halftimes and occasionally fraternity and sorority events.

They compete in two competitions every year.

This year’s auditioned team is 14 women with seven of them new to the team. Their diverse range of backgrounds and dance styles has led their Coach Megan Bowcott to focus on them “learning how to dance together and dance the same”.

Auditions are held in spring usually sending out Youtube videos of the audition routine for girls to learn at home and then perform to the coaches along with across-the-floor technique combinations.

Three standouts this year are Haley Leffin, Colette Uf holtz and Haley Mattos. Leffin is the team captain and a senior at Sonoma State. Ufholtz, a sophomore, is the co-captain and treasurer. Mattos is a senior and their coach, Megan Bowcott, has been a part of the Sonoma State Sapphires for ten years now including the four she did as a team member.

The Sapphires practice at 6 a.m. twice a week. Leffin jokingly said “what a better way to wake up and get to do something that you love with people that you love,” but in reality they all admitted the hardest part is getting out of bed.

“It’s hard, but by the time I get here I’m fine,” said Coach Bowcott.

This is the second year they are doing morning practice and Uf holtz mentioned they “definitely keep each other accountable for getting to practice.”

All four women started dancing by the age of four and continued through college. However, all of them came from different dance styles and backgrounds such as ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and pretty much everything in between.

When asked why she chose to stick to dance, Mattos laughingly said, “because I was bad at everything else.” Similarly, Coach Bowcott admitted that during the first five minutes of her first soccer practice she was hit in the face by the ball playing goalkeeper and decided that would be the last of it with soccer.

In 2016, the Sapphires got first place and second in 2017. Last semester they were fourth and all four of the women I spoke to admitted that this semester they were very eager to better themselves and get back up to first this year.

COURTESY// Saphires Dance Team “Getting back up there is a huge driving force for us this year,” said Coach Bowcott.

Although they do not need to focus much on team bonding as they are very much a family already, technique and uniformity is something Coach Bowcott intends to improve within the team. This will be a fun challenge with such a range of backgrounds on the team and so many new girls to mold together.

The girls I spoke with were all very excited for the basketball game performances and especially their competitions. They have two national competitions this year, one in Anaheim and one in Las Vegas. They are “nervous-excited,” said Coach Bowcott, for the Las Vegas nationals because it is the first time the Sapphires will be competing in that competition.

Competitions are self-funded and can tend to be pricey with travelling costs.

They have created a gofundme page titled “Help the Sapphires Go To Nationals” for anyone willing to donate to a team that is “honored to represent Sonoma,” said Leffin.

For more information on the team visit sonomastatesapphires.weebly.com.

Women’s rowing looking to continue success in the water

JOEY PIOMBO STAFF WRITER

R

owing is a sport that requires strength and intelligence. Women’s Rowing found its way onto campus in 2003 and has been flourishing ever since.

The group competes with two different teams in tournaments. The first team is called the novice rowers, which are generally made up of first-year rowers. The second group is known as the varsity group, which consists of more experienced rowers. During competition, the two groups compete against different opponents.

The Rowing Club consists of both men and women teams. They often compete at the same tournaments and even practice together most days.

The women's novice team competed in Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship (WIRA) last year. WIRA takes place every year at Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, California. This event is filled with many competitive clubs from California and beyond.

The Sonoma team is actually a club sport, but they do compete against a variety of NCAA teams. The novice team competed well last year and brought home the silver during the competition. This was the novice teams biggest accomplishment of last year.

On the other hand, the women's varsity team com-

peted in the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championships in Georgia this past May. The varsity squad ended up placing sixth overall which rapped up a great year of competition.

Second-year Rower Faye O’Meara, a member of the women's novice team last year, plans to compete for the varsity squad this year.

When asked about the important skills that makes a great rower, O’Meara replied saying, “I would say the basic skill is determination because you have to be able to perform for a long time.”

A great amount of stamina is required to be a competitive rower. When rowing, you tend to push off with your legs while dragging the blade through the water.

A boat often consists of eight teammates and a coxswain. The coxsain’s job is to make sure the boat is steered correctly and helps make sure everything is under control.

The Seawolves fall season is a season spent improving in preparation for the spring competitions.

The two seasons consist of different length races. The fall competitions take place with longer races, five kilometers. These races are important because they help build up a teams stamina while embarking on the long race.

The spring season is different. The spring season for the Seawolfs is seen as more competitive than the fall competitions because of the nature of the spring races.

These races are only two kilometers, meaning that each team has to race to the finish line much faster than the fall competitions.

The team practices from 5-7 a.m. six days a week. For most, this seems like a very crazy time to be working out but the team has embraced this schedule through hard work.

The men and womens team practices together in Petaluma. The practices consist of many skill building exercises, “We usually have three days on water, one day on the rowing machine...then we have workout days where we do weights and running.” O’Meara said.

The first competition of the year will take place this October.

With the season right around the corner, the team has there sights set on one goal, ”Being able to have a nicely flowing boat that is fast,” O’Meara said.

This goal is definitely in range. The two teams that competed last year won some races but still have high hopes of more success this year.

The women's club plan on achieving this by, “Getting very good technique and becoming strong,” O’Meara explained.

For fans or interested players, visit ssurowing.org for more information on the upcoming seasons.

COURTESY// @ssu_womens_rowing From left to right: Mikela Mangiaracina, Marielle MacDonell, Emily Milesi, Kayla Hontz at ACRA last May.

Sports 11

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY// Sonoma State Men’s Club Soccer Team

Right: The team huddles together before the match Left: The team poses for a group shot.

Men’s club soccer dominates Chico

CHRISTIAN FRANCISCO STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Men's Club Soccer Team starts the season right by getting a win against their rivals, Chico State. With the final score of the game being 3-1, the Seawolves won the game comfortably.

The team was getting contributions all around from everyone on the team and simply dominated Chico's club soccer team.

Catching up with the soccer club President Garrett Kustin, he recalls that the last time the club team beat Chico state was during his freshman year. Garrett is now a senior and is extremely happy about the results of this weekend. Kustin talked about their rivalry between Chico and how that competition pushes them to play even harder.

Kustin goes on to say, "There’s been a lot of beef between Chico and us since I’ve played for the team and the last time we beat them was my freshman year, so we were really eager to take it to them.”

The Sonoma State club soccer team played against Chico on Saturday at the Petaluma fields and were able to send the Wildcats back to Chico as they got a complete beatdown by the Seawolves.

The Seawolves won decisively, but it wasn't as easy as represented on the scoreboar. The Seawolves were a little shaky in the beginning but were able to get a score right out of the gate. In the 10th minute, the Seawolves would get a goal by Anthony Peri that gave their team the margin to play more comfortably.

The Seawolves would take this lead and would never look back the

whole game. Sophomore, Connor Holmes, would comment about the first few goals of the game and how they weren't the most beautiful plays.

Holmes went on to say, "The first two goals on Chico weren't anything too special, we're just lucky to get those opportunities and to gain the lead.” He continued to say, "the lead made us play more comfortable and within our own game, once we got the lead it was clear waters from then on.”

The Seawolves would not let up in the second half and would continue on pressuring Chico's defense, they would set themselves up nicely for a goal by Jake McMahon who was set up

by Sophomore Gabe Russo.

Russo explained what he saw during that play, "basically we trapped the defender and won the ball and immediately played it to the center, we then were able to slide it across the face of the goal and Jake was able to put a nice finish on it.” Russo added that "it honestly capped the game for us because at that point we were winning 3-0, their heads were down and at that point, it was basically game over for them."

President Garrett Kustin, enjoyed the environment and the intensity of their game against Chico.

Extremely happy about the results of that game, Kustin explains that, "It was a physical game both ways but I felt like we controlled the ball better and played the game how we wanted to.”

Talking to Kustin about their game against Chico this year, he went on to say, "Chico always brings out a quality team and it showed as they had several chances to score and they made us work to keep possession of

the ball. In the past, they have had some lights out guys that have been difference makers for them and this year they didn’t have those guys so they’re a young team."

Although Chico's team may have been younger than what they've seen in the past, this win against them is meaningful for the Seawolves. As they haven't beat Chico in a little over three years, this win shows their improvement as a team and shows that this club program is going towards the right direction.

Kustin is excited about the rest of the season as they look solid with a

deep roster. The Sonoma State club soccer team is looking to make winning moves this season.

Kustin states, "I feel really excited about the upcoming season. We have a a lot of really young and talented guys on the team who proved to me why they got a spot on the A team. We have a tough conference ahead of us but with this win I’m confident we will do good in our league."

This season is looking to be an exciting one for the club soccer team.

Next weekend the team will be traveling to San Diego for a collegiate club soccer tournament.

COURTESY// Sonoma State Men’s Club Soccer Team From left to right-Armando Betanzos, Matt Matias, Anthony Bellefronte, Franky Sandoval

Men’s basketball ready to bounce back JESSICA BENNETT STAFF WRITER

S

STAR// Emily Jenkel Armani Nicolis #1 works his way across the court.

onoma State Men’s basketball team is getting ready to start the 2018-2019 season. The team is eager to get back on the court and get some wins for Sonoma State.

Last year’s season the Seawolves went 15-5 for conference and 5-4 during non-conference with an overall record of 20-9. Sonoma State performed substantially better at the home games with an 11-2 record. The most people they had in attendance for last year was 9,134 supporters.

Coming back for his senior year is Armani Nicolis, number one, and one of Sonoma State’s guards. During his past seasons with the Seawolves, Nicolis started in all 29 games with an average of 25.2 minutes per game. Nicolis has an average of earning 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. His sophomore year, he had a season-high of 18 points against California State East Bay. With this upcoming season, Nicolis said concerning the team’s future, “I believe we are going to have a really good year. With the addition of our new guys and returners, we think we can do something special.” Nicolis continued to say, “We are getting along well and it is early so I think that will transition even better once season begins and we practice more.”

Going into this new season the team feels confident and ready to perform to the best of their abilities. Player Lewayne Grant, number five for the Seawolves, agreed with Nicolis and said, “I

can predict that this year will be a lot better than last year, not only record wise but also support wise. I feel as if this year the guys and I are a lot more present around campus and the community, so we are getting the word out more about the games and inviting more people to come out and support us.” Grant is huge on school support as well as community support and believes this team can blend the two worlds together. Grant said, “As a player, I feel this year is going to be special, I had an amazing summer and the coaching staff did a wonderful job with recruiting new guys to fill in for our seniors from last year.”

Both Nicolis and Grant have high hopes for this team’s chemistry. Grant said, “When it comes to the team chemistry I think we’ve gotten off to a great start thus far. We’ve done a few team bonding events and we all just simply enjoy hanging out with one another. We have many different personalities within our squad so there is never a dull moment. All that is left is for us to hit the court and for everyone to start learning the game plan that our coaches have out together, so we are fully prepared for when game day comes around.”

Our Sonoma State Men’s team takes the court for the first time this season Friday Nov. 11 against the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. But Seawolves, don’t forget to go to midnight madness taking place on Oct. 14 to kick off the basketball as well as the other sports on this campus.

For more information regarding the team, go to Sonoma State Athletics online for the full season roster and schedule.

12 Photo

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 1, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Rock climbing in the Rec Center

STAR // Natalie Dolan Anthony Reynolds supervising student climbers on the rock wall in the Rec.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Ben Galper reaching for his next rock as he climbs the rock wall.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Nick Rice (right) and Ben Galper (left) gearing up to scale the rock climbing wall in the Rec.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Maryanna Olivares reading through her textbook as she studies for midterms in the Library over the weekend.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Tania PeĂąa and Chase Taniyama studying for midterms this weekend in the Library.

STAR // Michelle Tadlock Brenden Gallardo watching Helen Campbell serve the ball to the opposing team at their intramural volleyball game.

STAR // Natalie Dolan Student Assistant for the library, Amber Enos, working on homework.