Volume 82 // Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE

Violin concert

Men’s basketball

Read about the uphill battle the men’s basketball team faces to make the playoffs on PAGE 11.

Get ready for a Grammy award-winning violinist’s upcoming concert on PAGE 7.

Black Student Union

Check out the club spotlight on the 25-member Black Student Union on PAGE 9.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 82 // ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 5 - FEBRUARY 11, 2019

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

TKE banned for hazing BRADEN CARTWRIGHT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

S

onoma State announced that they are banning the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity for five years because of hazing.

An investigation affirmed that hazing occurred in the form of paddling and intimidation, according to a press release from the university released on Friday.

Sonoma State was notified of alleged hazing activities on Nov. 20, by a witness to the incident.

Nine TKE pledges were paddled by an alumni member of the fraternity who had recently graduated, according to university spokesperson Paul Gullixson.

The hazing occurred during an unofficial party at an off-campus apartment.

Twelve active members and 15 pledge class members, nine of whom were paddled, were present at the time of the hazing incident, Gullixson said.

“It was a traditional fraternity paddling of young pledge members,” he said.

Besides the paddling, hazing occured in the form of,“Taunting, heckling, and forcing [the pledges] to take part in calisthenics,” by, “a significant number of active members”, Gullixson said.

The suspension, effective from

now until Jan. 31, 2024, is being administered in partnership with the TKE International Office, who assisted in the investigation. It is the first time that a fraternity has been banned from Sonoma State.

“We are all heart broken.

It’s sad that everyone will only focus on the negatives, despite 17 years of having a positive impact on this community,” TKE President Grant Peters said. “Those that truly know us, know that this situation doesn’t define the type of human beings that we are.”

Peters said the members of the fraternity are determined for this not to be the end of their chapter, despite the five year suspension.

“Sonoma State is not going to be the same without us,” he said. TKE had about 60 active members.

The university didn’t investigate the fraternity beyond the incident they were alerted to, though this wasn’t the first time the chapter has been in trouble with the university. The investigation, carried out by the Office of Student Conduct, consisted of interviewing members who were present for the incident.

Police weren’t involved.

COURTESY // SSU TKE Members of Sonoma State’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Big Nite in 2018.

“There were not sustained injuries. None of the pledge class sought to make a formal complaint about the treatment,” Gullixson said.

The five year suspension was announced in a press release to local media members on Feb. 1. Greek Life advisor Leonard Serrato sent out a similar announcement to fraternity

and sorority leaders.

“The actions of one chapter greatly impacts the positive work of the other 1,500plus members on Sonoma State’s campus” Dean of Students Ryan Jasen Henne said in the press release. “We simply will not tolerate blatant violations of our student code.”

Police issue timely warning over reported campus rape MANDELA LINDER STAFF WRITER

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n Monday, Jan. 28, Sonoma State University issued a timely warning crime bulletin, via email, to inform students that a reported rape was being investigated. According to the bulletin, the alleged rape occurred the previous Saturday in the campus Residential Community.

“The female victim and suspect were acquaintances,” the bulletin stated. “A beverage she was served at some point during the evening may have included a controlled substance.”

Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Paul Gullixson said that the investigation is ongoing and that no arrests have been made at this point.

The crime bulletin is issued in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, a federal statute which requires schools whose students receive federal financial aid to report certain types of crimes and crime statistics to students. It was the first timely warning about a rape issued

by the university in more than two years.

The report included suggestions for students to improve personal safety. These suggestions included avoiding accepting beverages with unknown origins, walking on well-lit pathways after dark, and reporting suspicious activities to campus police. It concluded with a list of resources for students to report crime on campus.

“There are many opportunities that exist for people to confide information,” Gullixson said. “The University police department, our Title IX department, and if they respond to a physician -- that’s an opportunity. There are many mandated reporters out there that can be a vehicle for people to share information about attacks. We want our students, as well as faculty and staff, to know that safety is a top priority here on campus. We want them to know that if something like this happens to them we want them to feel comfortable going to someone in an authority position.”

In December, the STAR reported that, despite a 100 percent increase in reported rapes in 2017, the last timely warning crime bulletin sent out to students was in September 2016. The Jan. 28 warning was the first to be re-

leased since that time, even though there were ten rapes reported in 2017, according to the 2018 Annual Security Report.

Gullixson said that the reason those alleged rapes were not reported to students was because they fell outside the parameters of the Clery Act. “The Clery Act is very specific about when you issue timely warnings,” he said. “It’s called for in situations where there’s a serious and continuing threat to students and employees.”

According to Gullixson, there are some types of reported rapes that do not call for a bulletin to be sent out. “We have issued 11 timely warnings over the last 18 months. None of these have concerned alleged sexual assaults, until now,” he said. “That’s primarily because those cases that were reported to us, September 2016 until now, have not been of the type that called for the timely warning as required by the Clery Act.,” he said.

Most of the recent cases involved individuals who knew each other in advance. In these cases, more often than not, there’s state and federal laws which are meant to protect the privacy rights of involved parties. They limit the information that we can release as a campus.”

SSU recognized as a top transfer school

JULIANNA FERRARA STAFF WRITER

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ast month, Sonoma State University was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation for transfer students based on enrollment and completion rates.

Money Magazine took a closer look at federal data from 727 different colleges and universities and came up with their top 50 schools based on graduation rates, finances and “early career earnings,” specifically for transfer students. Sonoma State ranked number 12 on this list.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges reports that 51 percent of California State University graduates and 29 percent of graduates from the University of California systems are students who had transferred from a California community college.

“Within the center for transfer and transition programs, our transfer student programs provide leadership opportunities, involvement and support for incoming and current transfer students,” said Erika Black, a transfer admissions counselor at Sonoma State. “Currently we have transfer mentors/ambassadors who are the foundation of promoting transfer success.”

Sonoma State emphasizes transfer students by providing them with easily accessible guidance, resources and job opportunities. Transfer students are encouraged to get in-

volved on campus and can apply for paid mentor and ambassador positions to ensure that other incoming transfers have a seamless changeover to Sonoma State.

“Ask me anything” social events offer free food and opportunities to speak with transfer mentors and representatives from the financial aid department. Parenting student interest groups as well as adult re-entry groups for students age 25+ are also incorporated into transfer student programs to bring together those with viable similarities. The center for transfer and transition programs utilize social media to reach out to current and potential members by providing consistent support and updates on their Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Students often decide not to go into a four year college directly after high school. For many Sonoma County locals, Santa Rosa Junior College offers a more economic approach in squaring away general education and prerequisite courses that would otherwise cost more if taken at a university. Junior colleges have an easier application process with more open admission policies. In most cases, decisions to attend a junior college are based solely on financial motives.

“They give presentations to prospective students at our local community colleges and help incoming transfer students navigate their first semester at SSU. Their dedication is the essence see TRANSFER on pg. 5

STAR // Kaitlyn Bradley Students Doreen Marandon and Marsala Enloe make their way upstairs to the bookstore.

2 Editorial THE STAR Editorial Board Braden Car twright, Editor-in-Chief Kasey Williams, News Editor Gillian Chaffer, Opinion Editor Alison Snider, Ar ts & Enter tainment Editor Haley Kara, Student Life Editor Brennan Craig, Spor ts Editor Natalie Dolan, Photo Editor Mandela Linder, Adver tising Manager Samantha Billingsly, Distribution Manager Corinne Asturias, Faculty Adviser Staff Writers Kayla Allen, Samantha Billingsly, Kaylie Boettner, Kelly Britton, Holly Chandler, Giulia Chlarson, Clark Fahrenthold, Julianna Ferrara, Alexander Funchess, Ashley Gieseke, Teresa Gulli, Will Hahn, Garrett Kitchen, Emily Kowalski, Katherine Kur tt, Madison Lam, Cole McKeith, Jack Messier, Gabriella Novello, Thomas Peterschmidt, Joseph Piombo, Devon Pique, Sunday Simon, Brandon Sparks, Jonah Trosky, Marissa Ugar te, Jackson Waldron, Aaron Waskowiak, Mattie Williams

Photographers Christine Von Raesfeld, Jessica Rivera, Kaitlyn Bradley, Jacob Loher, Ethan Prins

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: “Men’s basketball faces uphill battle to make playoffs: Close game with Dominguez Hills ends in loss”

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Activism can warp into hypocrsiy

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n the midst of governmental tensions, a president on Twitter and an array of controversial politicians coming forward, individuals are being bombarded with media showcasing the best and the worst of our American politics. From attacking tweets to offensive photos and beyond, the invisible line that separates professionalism and appropriateness for an elected leader has been trampled on, leaving people to determine who is worth supporting. However, in this chaos, some officials are given the boot while others will continue to flourish in their negativity and toxicity simply because of their political party.

Donald Trump has been mocked heavily for many of his policies and actions, however his Twitter seems to be what shocks people the most. In addition to perhaps some poorly worded tweets and late night posts, Trump is often criticized for trying to be too “relatable” or hip to appeal to the younger generation. From using slang to taking pictures with Kanye West, Trump knows how to catch everyone’s attention on social media, and keep people coming back. Whether people are amused or embarrassed by his posts, one thing is for certain; anytime a new Donald Trump tweet is released, people get talking, and according to The New York Times, Trump was voted one of the most authentic presidents, since he always speaks his mind.

Many people attack Trump and fellow republicans for what they say, tweet, post or do. Of course they have the right to.

However, the issue lies in not judging everyone for their mistakes, and only “canceling” people of certain political groups due to their beliefs.

People often call Trump unprofessional, but respect other

politicians that could be seen as just as immature. For example, representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is known for her carefree personality, and recently posted a video of her dancing on her Instagram as she gained popularity. She also is very vocal on Twitter—not shying away from responding to critics about her policies, platforms, and actions. Her tweets are bold and loud, causing uproar and hate, but mostly gain support from younger fans.

A tweet from 2018 by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated “Oh no! They discovered our vast conspiracy to take care of children and save the planet,” plus an added laughing emoji to complete the post. This tweet went alongside a list of her policies--ones that many young people are in favor of-but change the photo and the tweeter, and this innocent post would be a different story.

If, for example, a republican official tweeted the same tweet discussing pro-life ideologies, social media would be in an uproar. Trump is familiar with being attacked for his “childish” and unprofessional tweets, and for sounding too harsh with his wording or being too sarcastic. However, if a democratic woman discusses something with sarcastic tones, she is often times applauded.

A majority of this comes down to not only personal preference, but also ageism, and the political divide we see in the country today. Often times individuals feel afraid to speak out because of their political party of choice or what ideologies they agree with, especially on social media, where the majority of users are a younger generation who perhaps might be leaning more to the left.

Age is a huge factor too- Hill-

ary Clinton often tried to be hip and relatable, only to be shut down, but younger women of the same political party do so and they are applauded. It seems as if everyone is slowly becoming more and more extreme because of their political beliefs, and will simply attack the opposite side regardless of what their party is doing.

Even Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s racist high school photo from many years ago is not getting the same amount of anger and coverage as if a republican did something so wrong. In fact, even Trump, Clinton, and Biden all jumped onto the bandwagon of tweeting out their opinions of the matter, suggesting that Northam resign. Though the news has covered the issue, many political activist accounts that often speak out against Republican leaders are staying quiet. The response from the Kavanaugh case was incredibly chaotic, and was filled with people enraged that the Republican would perhaps lie about such a thing. But, in the same situation with a man possibly lying about a photo he is in—many people are hearing radio silence.

Regardless of what political party a person belongs to, what their gender is or how “woke” they are, there is nothing wrong with making a decision to support someone or not based on their actions. However, only judging a Republican older man for his side remarks whilst supporting a democratic woman for her sarcasm is hypocritical and unfair. Certain people are getting cut slack for doing the same thing as individuals that are being shamed for their choice of words. As a society, we must pick and choose who want to stand behind, without a political filter.

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.

Free throw shooting may have cost the Seawolves a key game as they look to keep their season alive

Read the article on page 11.

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.

Staff Photo

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.

STAR // Natalie Dolan The Spring 2019 STAR newspaper staff smiles for a group photo in front of the STAR lab.

Opinion 3

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

The serial killer on your screen may not be as feared as you think

AARON WASKAWIAK

STAFF WRITER

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urder is nothing new to the United States, let alone the world and its expansive, violent history. Humans and our potential for violence has been debated and studied time and time again. Mainly our innate drive for understanding, but also because of our deep seated fascination with violence and death.

While wars present us with incomprehensible numbers of human suffering, there is a different medium of human horror that has lived in America (and around the world) for a very long time, fascinating and terrifying us more than any wartime atrocity: serial killers.

The psychotic killer clown of John Wayne Gacey, the smooth charismatic charm of Ted Bundy, the crazed cult of Charles Manson, the mysterious cyphers of the Zodiac killer, these read like fiction rather than reality. Yet unfortunately, they are very real and very tragic. Since the first reported serial killer in the United States, H. H. Holmes and his murder hotel in Chicago in the 1890’s, we can easily track the immediate obsession our society has taken with the awful deeds committed. To give an idea of this obsession, H.H. Holmes has been featured in tabloids, written and graphic novels, TV shows on Discovery, NBC & CW, featured in the hit “American Horror Story” as well as a puzzle. Yes, America decided to make a jigsaw puzzle of a murder castle.

The recent uptick in serial killer related media such as the Netflix special on Ted Bundy and the much anticipated “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil & Vile” movie about Bundy featuring Zac Efron has sparked much discussion about the healthiness of this obsession.

While the curiosity we have towards these tragedies is fairly innocent, there are extremes that push the envelope. On Tumblr, a social media site geared towards microblogging, there have been

examples of groups coming together online to glorify and praise these killers on their attractiveness and sexuality. While rarely touched upon by traditional news sources, this type of behavior is heavily discussed on internet forums such as Reddit, YouTube and Tumblr.

In this new age of the internet where anyone with any interest can find others sharing said opinions, we are increasingly more wary of this kind of glorification. Anderson Cooper refusing to say the name of the Orlando nightclub shooter on live TV is just one example of the push that may news outlets are making to take the attention away from the perpetrators and prevent potential fandom such as the kind found online.An anonymous Tumblr user said, “I don’t want to slut shame, but Jeffrey Dahmer didn’t lose his virginity until he was 25 years old, and before his apprehension at age 31, he managed to sleep with over 200 dudes. Damn, Dahmer.”

It should be acknowledged that it is easy to find extremes for any situation on the internet, this being an example. It is easy to view these TV shows and movies as innocent fascination, however with an ever darkening spectrum of violence displayed in media, our society should be wary of where the line is drawn.

Anti-homelessness is nothing but a band-aid solution

SAMANTHA BILLINGSLY

STAFF WRITER

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he bitter cold, police, drugs, and disease are just some of the adversaries that vagrants, or homeless people, have to deal with on a day to day basis. Recently a new and inhumane form of abuse toward vagrants has been popping up everywhere. Hostile architecture is everywhere from outside stores, on benches, around businesses, and on sidewalks. Hostile architecture is where businesses and property owners purposefully alter certain spaces to deter vagrants from sleeping or loitering there. Often times the designs are sneaky, and many people don’t notice them. For example some benches have an armrest down the middle, such as the one at the bus stop right outside of the plaza in front of Sonoma State University. This is to prevent vagrants from laying down and falling asleep on them. There are tons of other examples ranging from laying rocks underneath bridges to discourage vagrant’s tents, sprinklers designed to keep a certain place wet,

fenced grates, floor spikes and blaring sounds over PA systems. All in efforts from keeping vagrants from loitering, because officials view them as unsightly animals rather than humans.

Vagrants have it hard enough without this added insult to their very existence. They have to deal with plunging temperatures late at night while looking for a clean, dry place to sleep. Usually they’d turn to underneath a bridge, on a bench, or underneath an awning. However with the uprising of hostile architecture that will soon be impossible. A clean, dry, and warm place to sleep could be the very difference from life and death for them. All vagrants aren’t just drug addicts as the media likes to portray, according to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report, or AHAR, around 21,500 of them have families they’re also trying to take care of. Weather and hunger are both something to worry about, but disease is also a danger. Unable to shower, and unable to access basic health products is deadly. Vagrants are three to six times more likely to suffer and/or die from the same, treatable illnesses people with homes obtain, reported the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. No doubt being unable to find a warm place to sleep is a contributor.

Instead of wasting money on cruel tactics, the state should take money and shovel it into programs to help the homeless. AHAR states that 68.2 percent of californians were either homeless or unsheltered in 2017, one of the highest

state percentages in the country, and an insane amount of people.

That many people should not be living out on the streets while very little is being done to help them.

Luckily, California has announced it will be allocating $500 million to help vagrant programs around the state. Which is definitely a step in the right direction, although not nearly enough to truly make an impact. The L.A. Homeless Services Authority reported that it would take $657 million to shelter every homeless person in L.A. alone.

Therefore, $500 million dollars for the entire state will not make a significant enough impact. The answer to this homeless crisis is not black and white.

Hostile architecture can be a death sentence, especially with the recent drop in temperatures up north. Denying vagrants the most basic humans needs just because someone doesn’t like the way they break up the aesthetic of their storefront says more about that person than a vagrant’s homelessness does. This is a modern form of inhumane manslaughter that can not go ignored for the sake for vagrants lives. Using hostile architecture is much like putting a bandaid on a broken bone, ineffective and an unusual ‘solution’. The reality of the situation is even if all hostile architecture was discarded, the issue of homelessness is astronomically high, and if actions to actually take care of the issue at hand isn’t taken soon, hundreds more will quickly follow those who have already died due to the country’s disregard of homeless Americans.

Coachella values individuality not equality

MADDIE LAM STAFF WRITER

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s spring approaches, we move into music festival season, when millennials and college students across the U.S. empty out their bank accounts for Coachella. Coachella is the most widely known music festival which takes place annually in Indio, CA, where the weather is perfect, the music is loud, and the crowds are enormous. Their lineup every year consists of a wide range of artists, bands, and DJ’s; and in 2019 Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, and Ariana Grande are the headliners. The festival is incredibly popular, however most individuals do not know what goes on behind the scenes of this well known event.

Attendees of Coachella are known to be able to freely express themselves, wearing whatever they want and dancing under the sun for three days straight. Specifically, many of the music-festival-goers are part of the LGBTQ+ community and most of the performers are publicly known to support the queer community. You can say it is a safe place for anyone to express themselves, no matter what their ethnicity, race, or sexuality is.

But the owner of the Coachella festival is a private billionaire named Philip Anschutz, who has been controversial in the past few years for his anti-gay, pro-gun, and pro-life beliefs.

Anschutz has a net worth of about $12 billion dollars, and in past years was outed for donating to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations, hate groups, and Republican politicians. In 2016, a report was released by the queer advocacy group Freedom for All Americans with proof that the billionaire donated a total of $190,000 to organizations with anti-gay beliefs, and many of those groups are Christian right-wing extremist organizations. After being called out for supporting such groups, Anschutz cut ties with the religious hate groups, but continued to donate to Republican politicians who hold the same right-wing beliefs. Anschutz donated $5,000 to Colorado senator Cory Gardner who believes that Barack Obama is not an American. Anschutz also donated to pro-life politicians Scott Tiptin, Deb Fischer, and Paul Ryan.

According to Billboard, Coachella is the first annually-held music festival to bring in over $100 million dollars in one year. Anschutz did release a statement promising “to continue to withdraw further support from any organization that exhibited problematic activities,” but contradicts himself by continuing to donate to politicians who hold the same pro-life, pro-gun, and anti-gay beliefs. In 2018 just before the first weekend of Coachella, (convenient timing, his PR team did great), Anschutz donated one million dollars to the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s LGBT Fund, in efforts to strengthen his statements of supporting all human rights, despite what their sexuality may be. However, this doesn’t erase his past offensive actions against people who belong to minorities.

The queer community are a huge chunk of consumers of the Coachella festival, and many are unaware of what their money is really going towards. If Anschutz continues to support LGBTQ+ organizations and puts actions where his words are, maybe then will the LGBTQ+ community show their full support and happily attend the desert festival.

Apple faces harsh backlash due to Facetime bug lawsuits

BRANDON SPARKS STAFF WRITER

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ith Apple rolling out their new Group Facetime, some bugs have surfaced with the recent release. Most of these bugs were easily fixable, but one specific glitch has allowed people to be able to break the privacy that Apple has promised from the very beginning. Using a glitch recently discovered by a 14 year-old, one was able to make Facetime calls to anyone in their contacts and even before the other person answers, they can listen to whatever the person is doing, without any form of permission.

Typically, this glitch allows the caller

to hear a few seconds before the call is picked up. Many people were infuriated that their privacy was being compromised before a simple Facetime call, and feared that their loved ones might hear what they say right before they answer.

Apple has recently disabled the Group Facetime feature in order to stop this bug from occurring until they fix the problem, which they outline in a statement to the Washington Post saying, “We’re aware of this issue and we have identified a fix that will be released in a software update later this week.” However, some people have not taken the break of privacy lightly. A lawsuit is being pursued by a law firm based in Montreal against Apple, which is seeking compensation from Apple for all Canadians who use Apple products, including Mac, Apple Watch, and the iPhone. Apple is also handling other lawsuits in Houston, Texas and New York. The company remains in hot water due to their lack of responses towards innocent Apple users looking for answers.

The Facetime glitch was jumped on a week after its discovery, when a fourteen

year old boy accidentally discovered the bug when calling his friend. His mother, Michele Thompson, submitted a video of the new found bug to Apple support, hoping for assistance. Thompson also reached out to Apple via social media to get in contact with them and quickly the posts went viral. Not only did Apple not listen, but they did not get back to her before it was too late.

New York Times states that “the bug, and Apple’s slow response to patching it, have renewed concerns about the company’s commitment to security, even though it regularly advertises its bug reward program and boasts about the safety of its products.” With Apple allowing these kind of security breaches and not jumping on them until they become mainstream, who knows how hackers on the internet are invading our privacy on all Apple devices?

The company still has not commented on the slow response on the problem and how the issue wasn’t looked upon immediately when Thompson submitted her video of the bug in the first place. Not only this, but the mother and son might

be entitled to compensation because of their discovery. Reported in The New York Times, “at a hacker conference that year in Las Vegas, Apple made a surprise announcement: It said it would start paying rewards as high as $200,000 to hackers who responsibly turned over crucial flaws in its products.” With this information, Thompson and her son should be given a reward for finding this discovery before anyone else, but since Apple never looked upon her video until it became mainstream and everyone was complaining about the issue, it doesn’t seem that it will be happening.

These lawsuits on Apple need to be looked into, and Thompson should submit her own lawsuit, as she has the evidence of the money she deserves. Apple is a large company with popular products, however, they are using false advertising to make privacy promises they cannot keep. Though this glitch is small, undiscovered glitches could be even more severe. Realizing that Apple is looking to make a profit and sell more of their products may impact how our society views the loved iPhone and MacBook.

4 News

FEB. 5 - FEB 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

County poverty reflects national poverty JACK MESSIER STAFF WRITER

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tudents, Sonoma County residents, government workers and employees across the nation in 2019 share one significant commonality, but not in the way you would expect—or would ever hope: many are anchored by the brink of poverty.

For thousands of people in California, with over 2,835 in Sonoma County alone, transitioning into the New Year has also meant transitioning into an ever-challenging state of homelessness.

Although The Press Democrat’s Martin Espinoza informs that the county’s 2017 wildfires, “led the reversal of a trend of improvements [the year prior],” he underscores that Sonoma County’s homeless crisis is actually among those leading the pack in predominantly suburban communities, adding, “Last February, the winter homeless count tallied 2,835 homeless people, an increase of 161 people.”

Unmatched against that of the homeless hoard in major cities within 100 miles of Sonoma County, the tally is still nearly doubled by the likes of San Jose, California, wherein San Jose Police Lieutenant Paul Messier explains, “Well, the mayor is proceeding with building about 80 tiny homes, but the problem is many communities don’t want them nearby so certain neighborhoods are threatening to sue the city.”

Nevertheless, within Sonoma County and across California’s 57 others, the recent increase is unsettling.

Frank Chong, President of SRJC, says, “I think homelessness is a public policy and human rights issue; it’s a social justice and politi-

cal issue.” Even still, by combating its complexity, Chong adds, “I think we’re doing a lot, but we could be doing more.”

Evident across the country in 2019, however, striking percentages of Americans facing the brink of poverty sheds light on the need for immediacy of economic action.

It’s no secret that financial instability has always plagued households nationwide. Now, however, 40 percent of those in the U.S., with its largest, middle-class at the forefront—quite literally—can’t afford to miss their next paycheck.

Showcased in their scorecard at the turn of the year, non-profit, Washington D.C.-based organization “Prosperity Now” reveals the depth of such financial struggle that far too many American families are up against, with many being “one emergency away” from financial chaos; approximately 52 million American households are unequipped with even a standard level of savings.

The non-profits’ data also suggests that, in any inconvenient instance of income interruption, such “liquid asset poor” households are not capable of merely surviving at the poverty level, even for just 90 days. The median savings account balance of these widespread households unfortunately hovers just under $5,000—a figure gathered by personal finance writer Maurie Backman.

The data’s relationship to American households is also unfavorable to those of color, with almost 57 percent of those households across the country pervaded by liquid asset poor status, trouncing the overall, national percentage of homes facing the same status by nearly 17 percent.

COURTESY // Press Democrat Homeless in a large encampment along the Joe Radota Trail in Roseland received a two-day reprieve to evacuate the area by local law enforcement last July.

Shehryar Nabi, content specialist for the non-profit, asks us to consider that “over one in five jobs in the United States are in a low-wage occupation.” The ratio, amounting to 22.5 percent of jobs nationwide, contextualizes the issue of savings insufficiency that members of our communities struggle with on a daily basis, particularly that of Californians.

This year poses more of the same crippling financial and staggering humanitarian challenges across the board, whether

it’s furloughed government workers’ inability to maintain housing or even food costs as the result of two missed paychecks -showcased in a CBS news report last month -- student financial struggles, or even increases in Sonoma County’s abandoned homeless youth, evident in a recent federal report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Consequently, communities large and small must show embrace, especially when one’s standard of living already does not.

Arizona shooting similar TRANSFER: SSU ranked 12th nationally to Andy Lopez incident GABRIELLA NOVELLO STAFF WRITER

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ndy Lopez, a hispanic 13-year-old from Santa Rosa, was shot and killed by a Sonoma County sheriff back in 2013, and in December, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 in favor of approving a settlement requiring Sonoma County to pay $3 million to settle the civil rights lawsuit filed

by Lopez’s family.

This settlement concludes one of the county’s most distinguished civil rights cases. According to county statistics, this settlement is the most amount of money Sonoma County has paid out in cases involving officer use of force.

On Oct. 22, 2013, Lopez was walking down the street carrying an airsoft gun, which closely resembled a rif le, when he was shot by then-deputy Erick Gelhaus. The orange tip of the airsoft gun, required by law, was missing, which would have indicated to the officer that the gun was fake.

Gelhaus parked about 35 feet behind Lopez as Michael Schemmel, the other sheriff deputy in the car, turned the po-

COURTESY // Press Democrat Andy Lopez was killed in 2013 by police officer Erick Gelhaus.

lice sirens on.

Gelhaus jumped out of the car and shouted to Lopez to drop the gun as Lopez, whose back was facing the officer, began to turn, simultaneously raising the barrel of his airsoft gun. The deputy opened fire, shooting eight times and hitting Lopez with seven of them. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer told the investigators he was left with no other choice than to open fire due to the fact Lopez was raising the airsoft gun and there was no orange tip to indicate it was not a lethal weapon.

The lawsuit was filed by the Lopez family roughly two weeks after the incident, in November 2013. The federal lawsuit claimed Gelhaus acted carelessly when he shot at Lopez and also stated that the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department was initiating policies which encouraged and condoned the sheriff’s use of deadly force.

Jennifer Larocque, a Sonoma County spokeswoman, stated the case in itself has been estimated to have costed approximately $1.4 million in legal fees over the past five years.

In honor of Lopez’s life, the empty lot he was killed at has since been converted into a park. The space in Santa Rosa, known as “Andy’s Unity Park,” includes a skate park, playground, and landscaped gardens.

This park commemorates the life of Andy Lopez and honors him through a space that came to be through a community’s determination and dedication to getting justice, with the hope of avoiding any similar circumstance from arising.

Last month, though, a tragedy occured in Tempe, Arizona, bearing similarities to the Lopez case.

Sandra Gonzalez and Juan Antonio Arce, the parents of Antonio Arce, sat in their home on Jan, 29 and had to speak about the death of their son, who was killed on Jan. 15.

The 14-year-old teen was shot between the shoulder blades as he ran away from a Tempe police officer shortly after they observed Arce invading a truck. In the footage, the deputy orders Arce to show his hands and step outside of the truck, but instead, he attempts to escape down an alley.

Arce was pronounced dead at the

continued from pg. 1

of what makes the transfer student experience at Sonoma State unique,” Black said.

Another point of emphasis is on how well schools generate a clearly navigable pathway for incoming junior college students and the “mandate that general education courses transfer between institutions.” Social events and easy access to mentors give immediate and individual attention to every student by clearly mapping out transfer academic journeys from their first semester all the way through graduation.

“Sonoma State has a very nice and open campus and the community is kind and inviting. It’s affordable and offers a quality education,” said Kyle hospital.

The Tempe Police Department state that he was running away with an airsoft gun which was taken from the vehicle. It is noted, however, that the airsoft gun did still have the orange tip attached to it, indicating that the weapon was not lethal.

Similar to the Andy Lopez case,

Colquhoun, a Political Science major and transfer student currently in his second semester at Sonoma State. “Faculty has given me a direct path of classes needed for my major in Political Science and mapped out how long it will take to graduate.”

Sonoma State not only offers housing for transfers but continues in their efforts to make sure current transfer students have equal opportunities. At the end of the day, everyone takes home the college experience. Their continued support geared towards the success of transfers both on campus and up to graduation is notable and continues to gain recognition.

police officials claim the firing took place because the suspect was perceived as a threat.

Ultimately, the family wants the Tempe Police Department to be held accountable for what they did to their son. “Police have their jobs, but their job isn’t to kill innocent people,” Gonzales said.

COURTESY // Press Democrat Dave Bailey, left, of Healdsburg Signs, with Thomas Rogers and Miguel Reyes of Reyes Sign Erection unwrap the official Sonoma County Parks sign for Andy’s Unity Park in Santa Rosa on May 31, 2018.

News 5

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Armed MetroPCS Burglar Arrested COLE MCKEITH STAFF WRITER

A

man has been arrested in connection with a series of armed robberies of cell phone retail stores, the most recent of which occurred on Jan. 26 at a Rohnert Park Metro PCS less than two miles from the Sonoma State University campus, making off with a couple of cell phones and some cash.

According to a Rohnert Park Public Safety press release, Juan Murillo, 21, was connected by local law enforcement to a series of armed robberies in the Bay Area, including at least three and possibly four robberies of cell phone stores on the day of Saturday Jan. 26.

It took roughly four days for the authorities to get their man. In total, Murillo is believed to be connected with 12 armed robberies in four different counties.

As of Feb. 1, Murillo had not disclosed to the police his motiva-

tions for his actions or circumstances that may have prompted the robberies.

Murillo was arrested during a traffic stop in Vallejo by Vacaville and Fairfield detectives after an investigation by law enforcement helped to identify the vehicle used during the robberies -- “a late 90’s Gold Toyota Corolla with a missing hubcap.” Law enforcement were also able to determine that the suspect may have been involved in similar incidents in the cities of Fairfield, Vallejo, and Concord.

The clerk held at gunpoint contacted police following the robbery and police arrived in two minutes, according to a Rohnert Park Public Safety press release.

Rohnert Park Public Safety released an initial press release on the day of the incident, and later updated this release with a surveillance video image of the suspect.

Surveillance tapes from a similar

robbery in Vacaville aided in the investigation, according to the authorities.

Rohnert Park Public Safety regularly updates area residents with new and relevant information through the department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as through the NIXLE alert system.

In total, it took the efforts of five different police departments, and the FBI’s “Safe Streets Task Force,” to arrest Murillo.

In its press release notifying the public of Murillo’s arrest, law enforcement also encouraged individuals with information relevant to the case, such as knowledge of similar robberies perpetrated by the same suspect, to come forward.

If there is any potentially unknown information regarding these robberies or crimes of this nature, contact Detective John Kempf (707-584-2630) of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.

COURTESY // Rohnert Park Public Safety Juan Murillo, 21, was arrested in connection with armed robbery at at least 12 different locations.

CAMPUS CRIME Crime

Date

Location

Status

Resist/Obstruct Officer

Jan. 19

Parking Lot A

Closed

Weapons/Intoxication

Jan. 26

Parking Lot R4

Closed

Rape

Jan. 28

Beaujolais Village

Open

Sexual Intercourse w/ Minor

Feb. 1

Beaujolais Village

Open

Minor in Possession of Alcohol

Feb. 2

Parking Lot R3

Closed

SCOE offers alternative credential program WILL HAHN

STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) currently offers a two and a half year credential program called the “Be A Teacher” internship program, which allows students to get paid a full teacher’s salary from the district they are student teaching in while obtaining their preliminary teaching credential.

The internship program first started in 2015 by the North Coast School of Education (NCSOE), a division of SCOE, and was developed due to an increasing demand for teachers in Sonoma County and California in general.

Jason Lea, Executive Director of NCSOE, said the program has since expanded into Mendocino, Lake, and Santa Cruz Counties. He also said that NCSOE derived this idea from other counties that offer the same type of program, such as Stanislaus County’s teacher internship program.

Although the program is not con-

nected to Sonoma State University, it is a locally accredited program that offers preliminary and clear credentials in the multiple subject, single subject, and special education fields.

The incentive to the program is that each student is getting paid a legitimate teacher’s salary by the district they are working at while they are completing the program coursework and student teaching. However, Lea said that compensation is based on what district you work at and your level of education.

Students in the internship program can figure out their base pay from the district at which they will work.

“If you are looking to get into education and you want to work while you are doing it, you can actually be an intern, earn a teacher salary, and do your coursework,” Lea said. “This is an opportunity to change your lifestyle.”

Subsequently, Lea said that students can even cover the total cost of the program’s tuition through the Local Solutions Grant, which apply to interns who are pursuing a special education credential.

NEWS IN BRIEF Richmond, Virginia

Both Democrats and Republicans are calling for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, to resign after revelations that a photograph showing people in blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes was displayed on his medical school yearbook page.

He also admitted to doing blackface for a dance competition in 1984.

Washington, D.C. More candidate have announced their intention to run for president in 2020. Sen. Cory Booker from New Jersey is the latest to announce his campaign in what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary. Additionaly, Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz said he is exploring the possibilty of running as an independent.

Brendan Boylan, an intern currently enrolled in the program, is teaching at the Roseland School District in Santa Rosa as a high school math teacher. He teaches integrated math and financial algebra for seniors.

He said that the faculty in the program is great and they are slowly making changes based on student feedback. However, even though the program does allow you to be compensated a full teacher salary, it can be quite challenging and time-consuming.

“It is a lot of work. I am taking two night classes a week at the county office... It is a lot of work,” Boylan said. “The program was smaller than it started. Being a teacher is a really demanding thing.”

Although he acknowledged that traditional programs may be faster, he was satisfied with the pacing of the program, which can depend on the specific individual’s needs. Subsequently, he did say that the program can be tough in the sense of trying to balance it with his personal life and spending enough time with his family.

As far as recommending this program to Sonoma State students who are looking for other credential program options, he said, “Look at what your situation is, look at what is best for you. You have considerations. Costs and timelines are a big part of it.”

The Dean of the School of Educa-

tion at Sonoma State, Dr. Carlos Ayala, talked about his perspective on SCOE’s internship program. He said that Sonoma State’s credential program offers academic units, whereas SCOE’s program does not, even if they are both accredited programs. ww He recognizes the incentive of SCOE’s paid program, but also said that they lack the apprenticeship in student teaching that Sonoma State has, better allowing Sonoma State to fully prepare their students with more experience.

“I recognize the long-term consequences of an intern program. I acknowledge the need that intern programs fulfill,” Ayala said. However, Ayala does recognize the incentive for paying student teachers’ salaries, and he wishes he could figure out a way to pay Sonoma State credential students, but the university does not receive enough funding to do so.

Being able to find a way to pay the credential students is an ongoing process for Ayala. He is focused on making sure the credential students are fully prepared and well experienced teachers and hopes to find a solution to the university’s funding problem. Nevertheless, the outcome of either program will be substantial.

“As a teacher, we improve the human condition. That’s what we do,” said Ayala.

6 Arts

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Student Spotlight of the Week: Ryan Harvey JACOB LOHER STAFF WRITER

D

o you ever wonder how films are made? Do you ever think about how much time and effort actually goes into creating a film?

Well, Ryan Harvey does.

Harvey is a third year student at Sonoma State University and he is also the general manager of the campus video production outlet Studio Blue “Ryan has some very serious goals to professionalize Studio Blue,” Professor Talena Sanders said.

Harvey is also in the process of becoming the founder of the on campus film club which will be active next semester as well as creating everything that is portrayed on LoboVision.

Harvey got really into video in the third grade when his dad got a small digital camera that he made stop motion movies with. He began his expertise by using Lego figures in his stop action films.

He decided after doing that for some time that he was ready for his next big step of diving head first into live action film.

When Harvey got into high school, he immersed himself in a mass of media classes in which he familiarized himself with the Adobe Suite. Once he was able to gain this experience in high school he continued to pursue his passion for film production. “[Adobe] Premiere has always been my favorite program to work in, except recently with Seawolf Living I

had to self teach myself Photoshop and After Effects,” Harvey said.

Harvey won Campus Movie Fest his freshman year at Sonoma State.

The following year he and his team created two films that both won locally and both got invited to the Cannes Film Festival.

His first film is titled “The UnDocumentary,” which captures the stories of undocumented students.

The second film is titled “Fist Full of Cache,” which portrays the story of friends geocaching together. He has just recently received a third invite to this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but he will not be attending. The only students that had the opportunity of attending Cannes were students from Campus Movie Fest.

Harvey’s most recent film, “Hotline Apocalypse,” which he worked on with his partner Jason Gorelick, has received an invite to Cannes. He received two Silver Tripod nominations, the Audience Choice award, the Film of the Week award, and the Jury award which only four films can win at every school. His team ended up walking away with two Jury awards, and the team planned for six months on how to capture this film and then in two days executed their plan. Harvey edited this film for 30 straight hours because the rule of Campus Movie Fest is you cannot produce content leading up to the week of the event.

Harvey and Gorelick met in Georgia at Campus Movie Fest while viewing a screening of a film. After meet-

STAR // Jessica Rivera Junior Communications major and filmmaker Ryan Harvey.

ing they agreed to make movies together from then on out.

“We work well together because I’m a big picture kind of guy and Ryan is very detail oriented and has an incredible work ethic,” Gorelick said.

Harvey has his goal for graduation set for Spring of 2020 in which he hopes to pursue digital effect compositing or editing professionally further.

“My favorite part of the whole process is editing,” said Harvey. He has no preference on where he starts after graduation just as long as he is happy.

He knows that editing is his calling and that it is where he is meant to be.

‘Sweeney Todd’ hits the stage this week

DEVON PIQUE STAFF WRITER

S

tarting Feb. 7, the school’s production of Sondheim’s chilling musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is coming to Sonoma State University’s Person Theater.

The story follows Sweeney Todd, a man who was banished to Botany Bay before escaping and making it to London where he seeks revenge on those who have wronged him.

“It’s a story about oppression and what happens to a person when they’re oppressed. How far will they go to get revenge and try to retrieve their lost life?” musical director Lynne Morrow said.

The show portrays a wide range of genres including, “An old British music hall number which is comic. There are other moments that are high romance and other moments that are horror.” stage director Doyle Ott said.

Auditions began the first week of last semester and rehearsals started shortly afterwards. The cast and crew have been practicing diligently and put in plenty of effort to ensure that this production will be astounding, according to junior cast member Vivian Knee.

“A lot of work has gone into this. We started just learning the rhythms of the songs, then moved to the actual notes, and then we started adding blocking and lines, and everything is coming together so nicely now,” Knee said.

Not only have the actors had a tremendous amount of work to do, but so have the members working behind the scenes. “Sweeney Todd” is a musical with a plethora of different components and set pieces so it took some creative thinking to work around this.

“Not just the amount of different scenic elements that go into it but the dangers of the scenic elements,” stage manager Sammy Summerfield said when asked about the tricky components of the musical, “Like the chair that shoots people down into another level. That’s dangerous for just students! It’s been a lot of brainthought, a lot of talking to the cast about everything, make sure everyone is comfortable and able to act to their fullest.”

Many of the students working on the production are theatre or music majors so this is a chance for them to show off what they can do.

“This is developmental. This production is happening for them because they are ready to do this work,” Morrow said.

The transformation from when they first started to where they are now is noticeable to those who have been working on the production. Assistant director Lindsey Abbott worked on the show for the first two weeks but then worked on the school’s production of Mr. Burns for some time.

“Once I got out of Burns, I returned to these rehearsals in November and it was amazing how far they had gotten,” Abbott said. “I was able to be there for one of the first run-throughs of the first act and it was amazing what they could do.”

After watching the musical, if you’re interested in being part of next year’s production as an actor Ott mentioned, “The main thing is to prepare an audition for the

STAR // Kaitlyn Bradley Actors Noah Evans (left) as Sweeney Todd and Jack Adkins (right) as Anthony rehearse for the musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

STAR // Kaitlyn Bradley Rachel Levin as Mrs. Lovett and Noah Evans as Sweeney Todd rehearsing last Thursday evening. first week of classes in the fall.”

If you would rather work in a more “behind the scenes” position, Summerfield mentioned talking to Anthony Bish in the theatre department for backstage work or Juliet Pokorny if you have interest in working as a stage manager.

The show will run for two weeks from Feb. 7 to Feb 17 in Person Theater. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. for most performances, with the exceptions of Feb. 10 at 5 p.m.,

Feb. 12 at 10 a.m., and Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are free for all students and only cost $10-$17 for other members of the community.

The cast is excited to show the community what they’ve worked on and encourage students to go see it.

“You should definitely go see it because it’s a great story and a lot of great people putting it together,” cast member Avery Wilson said.

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

Grammy award winning violinist comes to SSU GARRETT KITCHEN

STAFF WRITER

M

any students around Sonoma State University are talking after the upcoming Grammy award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will be performing at the Green Music Center on February 8, 2019.

Bell, a violinist and conductor, has made an impact on the classical music genre over the past 30 years.

He has received much recognition for his accomplishments such as performing in Carnegie Hall at 17-years old and featuring in different award-winning movies and soundtracks. These movies and soundtrack albums include The Red Violin, Iris, Music of the Heart, and also Ladies in Lavender.

Students and faculty at Sonoma State were very intrigued to hear that Bell will be performing at the school later this month.

Hunter Merritt, a fourth year Psychology major, was taken aback when he saw the announcement of this performance.

“I was excited to hear that Joshua Bell was performing at the Green Music Center, since I have been familiar with his music since I was younger,” Merritt said. “It is nice to see the university bring more classical acts to perform.”

He said that there has not been much variety in past performances at the Green Music Center, so it is nice to see other genres being recognized. Merritt hopes that this performance will lead to other well

known acts performing at the university in the future as well.

Bell’s performance has also caught the attention of the faculty in the Music Department. Alexander Kahn, the director of orchestral activities in the Music Department, was excited to hear the news about Bell performing at the university.

He says that he has never come away from a past performance not touched by his music.

“Although Bell is a violinist, he offers an example of perfection and passion that can be emulated by all performers,” said Kahn. He adds that it is also important to enjoy the art of live music, since it is an entirely different experience being present in the room.

Kahn explains that the artistry of Bell needs to be experienced in person, rather than listening to him through headphones or watching him on a screen. “He is one of the world’s finest violinists and it is truly an incredible opportunity for our students to experience him live in concert.”

The artistry of Joshua Bell has inspired many students involved in music as well. Caleb Forschen, a fourth year Music Education major and violinist, said that Joshua Bell was one of the first violinists that he had ever listened to.

“I remember he was one of the first violinists to show me the depth of emotional response that classical music could evoke in listeners,” said Forschen.

“That definitely helped to shape my perspective of how important and powerful music is.”

He adds that he has always been fascinated with Bell’s unique style and tone, and also how distinct he sounds from other violinists.

While he still performs different recitals, he is also the music director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Over the years, he has made his mark on the classical genre of music and continues to do so through his own unique performances.

Bell will be performing in Weill Hall on February 8th at 7:30 pm. Tickets for this performance will start at $55 for the public, with discounted tickets available for SSU students, faculty, and staff starting at $10.

The university is very excited to be welcoming such a well known violinist to perform at our Green Music Center.

COURTESY // NPR Violinist Joshua Bell performing.

Mass murder the new media craze TERESA GULLI STAFF WRITER

T

he notorious serial killer Ted Bundy has his name circling through in the media with the new Netf lix Original four-part docuseries, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”.

The series contains footage and tape recordings of Ted Bundy, his victim that escaped, friends and officers involved in the case over the years.

It goes into to great lengths to provide the audience with news broadcastings from the time of the murders, real interviews, displaying his responses, and providing the whole perspective of his life.

To the public and his close colleagues his was perceived as a good looking, charming, smart, clean cut and boy next door man which brought difficulty when believing in his actions as he did not fit the stereotype of a typical serial killer.

What makes Ted Bundy distinct from most cases is that he was educated in psychology and a history in politics and involved in his community, making him more advanced with manipulation.

Viewers of the case when this was on television were even in denial through his persuasive tactics in court.

This docuseries is the first of many psycho-thriller and crime genre films to appear in the media focusing on the violence and serial killers this year.

The upcoming film, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” featuring Zac Efron to play Ted Bundy, has brought conversation to media with how the portrayal of the film will be to the viewers.

Commentary

As seen in “Conversations with a Killer” there is an understanding of his personality and the importance of accuracy when recreating it. This is not a typical serial killer story and that this, in fact, can be anyone and happen to anyone.

Bringing awareness can be blurred with the glorification of the killer and at times acceptingly allows violence to appear in the media.

According to Kleiner Rubin, one of Ted Bundy’s victims who escaped, “I believe that in order to show him exactly the way he was, it’s not really glorifying him, but it’s showing him, and when they do say positive and wonderful things about him … that’s what they saw, that’s what Bundy wanted you to see.”

On the other hand, several followers of the case and recent viewers of docuseries and trailer are not happy with Efron’s portrayal and believe that glorifying the violence and murders will attract other to follow Bundy’s shadow.

Singer Lauren Jauregui expressed her dissatisfaction, tweeting, “The romanticization of a serial killer is exactly why these sick f**** continue to do things like this to women. Notoriety. This is appalling.”

The concern with casting former teen heartthrobs, such as Efron, as serial murderers is that it can cause impressionable audiences to idolize the actual killings and put people at risk.

It does not stop with Ted Bundy films and series either.

Ryan Murphy’s “American Crime Story” detailed the case of “The People vs O.J. Simpson,” starring

“Friends” actor David Schwimmer and “The Assasination of Gianni Versace,” which followed the murders committed by Andrew Cunanan, starring “Glee” actor Darren Criss.

Similarly, “My Friend Dahmer,” based on a graphic novel by one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s high school friends, portrays the life of serial killer and cannibal Dahmer before committing 17 murders.

Soon, Quentin Tarantino’s newest film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” focuses on the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers.

Charles Manson was a cult leader who in his two-day killing spree, killed seven people, including actress Sharon Tate. Manson is also known for his unsuccessful assination attempt on former President Gerald Ford.

This however, is not the only film that is set out to discuss the Mason Family.

According to Bustle, “The Haunting of Sharon Tate is just one of three projects about the late actor scheduled to come out this year. Additionally, there’s Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ starring Margot Robbie, and ‘Tate’, starring Kate Bosworth. The latter film has Debra’s full support… and will be about her sister’s life instead of her death.”

These upcoming films are bound to bring discussion among the followers of these cases.

Creating films from the same scenario will make for some different reactions and what will be deemed as appropriate to presented to the public.

Ronnie’s Bar & Grill recommended Review

EMILY KOWALSKI STAFF WRITER

T

ucked away on the corner of Snyder Lane and E. Cotati Avenue, a family owned bar and convenience store named Ronnie’s Bar & Grill stands strong.

Owner Ronnie Rao opened the shop in 2015 and now runs the place with help from his family.

With his brother in charge of the kitchen and his daughter helping as well, this is a wholesome family business.

Ronnie’s prides itself with being a Seawolf friendly business,offering a 10 percent discount to Sonoma State University students.

While the front of the restaurant may trick you into thinking it is simply a liquor store, look a little closer and you will find the wonderful food toward the back.

When walking into Ronnie’s, you are first greeted by the smell of homemade French fries. First looking at the menu, you may be conf licted by the many good choices there are.

From traditional deli sandwiches to decked out burgers, wine and beer, Ronnie’s has it all.

One of the customer favorites is the delicious loaded fries. The loaded fries ($8.99), are smothered in cheese, bacon, onions, jalapenos, “secret sauce”, and sour cream never disappoint. Fresh and made to order, the fries have the perfect crisp on the outside while remaining soft inside.

“The loaded fries are heavenly and I love the chicken wings,” said Sonoma State junior Brooke Motl.

Whether your meal is enjoyed with a drink from the front shop or a pint of beer, you can always expect the best quality food.

Senior Rachel Shirhall said her order of sliders was “perfectly tender and made exactly to my order.”

The food at Ronnie’s is made with love and it seems very clear that the kitchen staff is proud of the food they produce.

If you are looking for more than just a meal or maybe just a drink at the end of the day, Ronnie’s also serves wine and beer.

Ronnie’s offers $3 beers on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The bar, located in the back of the convenience store has televisions that show basketball, football, and other big sports games.

There are 24 beers on tap that are served by Rao himself, who offers discounts and great conversation.

He always finds time to go around the restaurant and visit with each and every customer.

For people on the run, Ronnie’s also offers everything to go. Deli sandwiches and fries are a popular option for people in a rush and they are always made to order.

In the past, Ronnie’s used to serve premade meals and grab-and-go options, but their front refrigerator recently shut down.

A new refrigerator would really help the business, but money is a bit tight. Despite this, Rao addresses the situation with optimism and determination.

“It’s been difficult, but we’re getting by,” he said.

He seems to try and see the best in dull situations and no matter what, he stays positive.

Hoping for the best in the future, Rao hopes to get the word out about his little dive. “Students don’t tend to see us or come in often,” With an amazing atmosphere and family feel,

COURTESY // Yelp Ronnie’s Bar and Grill, located at 1460 E. Cotati Ave. in unit B. Ronnie’s is a great place to relax and get some drinks.

Thanks to the $3 pints of beer and Seawolf discount, students are always welcome.

Whether you stop in to grab something from the convenience store, or you sit at the bar and chat with the locals, your time at Ronnie’s promises to be enjoyable and well spent.

8 Student Life

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Naturalist program is a DJ Spooky lectures on hidden gem on campus the promise of apps KAYLA ALLEN

THOMAS PETERSCHMIDT

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

A

student who has ever taken a biology class at Sonoma State University most likely will have seen Suzanne DeCoursey, the Education and Reservations manager of Sonoma State’s Center for Environmental Inquiry, give her speil promoting a hidden gem on campus.

At the beginning of every semester, DeCoursey promotes the Naturalist Program, where students can volunteer at one of Sonoma State’s preserves. The program teaches students how to become naturalists, which is a person that shares their wealth of knowledge of the natural world with others. Once trained, naturalists are able to work with several preserves Sonoma State has access to and owns.

“Preserves are apart of campus as much as the library or any other part of SSU.” DeCoursey said. These preserves, like Copeland Creek Gardens, Fairfield Osborn Preserve and the impressive 4,000 acre Galbreath Wildlands Preserve, are just another extension of learning available for students.

The naturalists at the preserves help facilitate academic activities, such as field trips for 3-5 graders, research projects, art projects, land management and also data collection.

By getting students to volunteer, it is a great way of learn how nature works.

The preserves have encountered over 1,500 students in the past year, according to the Sonoma States Environmental Inquiry Brochure.

With this many active student participants, some of them have been able to turn this passion of learning about the nature into a job.

As Makayla Freed goes from a volunteer student to Student Stewardship Assistant and Naturalist, she said the rea-

son she kept coming back was “the great sense of community and the ability to be in the natural world.”

Many volunteer naturalists can get internship credits for a number of majors and it is a great experience to put on your resume.

Joining the Center for Environmental Inquiry (CEI) to become a naturalist requires a certain amount of excitement for nature and teaching skills. As a naturalist, you will have to have patience since there will be many younger students under your guidance.

Megan Cassidy, a current volunteer student naturalist, said she was “excited to be able to spread the knowledge to others.”

As Cassidy became more comfortable with this, she “was met with a constantly growing group of likeminded, intelligent people and a space that feels like a home away from home.” With the strong connection she has had, it appears that the preserves has been an area of growth in knowledge and community.

The preserves are a tool for learning and the CEI is always looking for new naturalist to train.

“The preserves are fantastic resources that are there for students and anybody from any discipline can and should be a part of the great opportunities being offered by the preserves.” said Freed.

The programs welcomes all majors and naturalist expereince levels. Along with learning about the nature that is at our doorstep, working with the CEI as a volunteer naturalist is a fantastic way of stepping out of your comfort zone.

“Once you leave your comfort zone and start to branch out and find a rhythm, you begin to surprise yourself with what you are capable of.” Said Freed.

STAR // Ethan Prins Education and Reservations Manager, Suzanne DeCoursey, informs students who are interested in an opportunity to intern for the preserve.

O

n Thursday, Jan. 31, Paul D. Miller, also known as DJ Spooky, visited Sonoma State University. Miller is a multimedia artist, composer, author, philosopher and writer who composes music of different genres.

When Miller came to Sonoma State, he had three events that anyone could attend. The first event held was in Schroeder Hall at the Green Music Center from 12-1 p.m. After, there was a optional luncheon with SSU composer collaborators 1– 2 p.m. where the public could have lunch with him. The third event was a workshop held in Ives 101 from 3-4 p.m. where people could go and ask questions.

At the first event in Schroeder, every seat was filled with students and professors excited to see Miller.

Miller talked about his books and his app, “DJ Spooky”. The app allows users to create their own tunes, beats and any song remixes they wish to.

The first book Miller talked about was “The Imaginary App”, which mentions how apps have changed the world and takes an analytical look at them in many various descriptions.

The book also explores how mobile apps are being used in everyday activities.

Miller said that this book has “all the shortcuts that guarantee direct and immediate access,” Apps are now accessible on many of our devices.

The second topic of the lecture series was “The Book Of Ice”, which talks about an ongoing project Miller has been working on. With climate change still drastically increasing,

Miller uses Antarctica as a point of entry for observing humanity and thei relationship with the natural world. For his project and to bring awareness on how global warming is changing drastically, he uses his skills to create music that ties in with nature.

While he was talking about the book, Miller showed the audience the app “DJ Spooky”.

Miller showed the audience a close up picture of a snowf lake and the pattern of it and said he recorded someone singing the pattern of the snowf lake.

He took the person’s voice and recorded her humming up and down to match the shape of the image. With every dip and rise of the snowf lake’s shape, so went the singer’s voice.

There’s two versions of the app. The regular one is free and the advanced premium version requires a payment every month.

The app “DJ Spooky” caught the attention of Michaella Peake, a communications major. Peake said “I like how you can take any song or beat and make your own cover and remix of any song you wish.”

Although Miller’s app is not currently available on the app store, he said it will be back on the app store later this year.

Events like the Visual Lecture Series, have been gaining attention around campus.

“I am very excited to attend more lecture series on campus this spring.” said Katherine Kurtt, a communications major.

There will be more lectures throughout the spring semester. Most events will be held at the Green Music Center, including The 36th Annual Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series.

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld DJ Spooky takes the opportunity to discuss electronic devices during his lecture on Thurs. 31, 2019

Meal prepping saves students time and money OLIVIA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

M

eal prepping has been used in households for years, but it has recently become a popular way for people to control their portions and plan out their week of lunches and dinners. It’s a great alternative for cooking individual meals three times a day, seven days a week. Most people are hesitant to start this process because it can be intimidating for beginners, but once you get the hang of it, you can make yourself healthier and happier.

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, all Sonoma State University students are invited to a Meal Prep Workshop, hosted by Sonoma State’s TRiO-SSS program. The “SSS” preceding TRiO stands for Student Support Services, which has a goal of increasing the college retention and graduation rates of its participants.

TRiO programs are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to “identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds,” according to the Pre-Collegiate Programs page on the Sonoma State website.

TRiO consists of eight different programs “targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.”

said the U.S Department of Education TRiO web page.

Those involved with putting on this event include Brianna Bjarnson and Erica Arambula, both being in the TRiO-SSS program here at Sonoma State.

“As a president in TRiO, students have shared their struggles similar to mine and to be able to have a voice and share my story is rewarding because I know many people will benefit from it,” Arambula said.

“TRiO is for low income and first generation students and many of them are still discovering college life.”

If meal prepping sparks your interest, the benefits of the activity will draw you in even further.

First of all, you will most likely spend less time throughout the week preparing individual meals, which means you can use that extra time for things you enjoy. By making all of your lunches and dinners for the upcoming week on Sunday, for example, all you need to do is take them out of the fridge and heat them up when it’s time to eat.

You’ll know exactly what you’re going to be eating for lunch instead of taking that tempting trip to the nearest drive-thru. Also, wasting food won’t even be an option since you’ll be using all of the ingredients you buy for the meals you eat during the week.

Preparing your meals will also bring some variety

to your dinners, and you can try different recipes to find what you like the best.

“I’ve only been officially meal prepping for two or three years, but I absolutely love it,” said Bjarnson.

“During periods where I’m really consistent with it, I feel the best and I have less stress because I don’t have to scramble to figure out lunch or breakfast at the last minute, which wastes money and ends up being less nutritious and satisfying.”

Sophomore Jordyn Vehmeyer has recently had her eye on meal prepping and said her mother actually participates in it.

“I would definitely be interested in it simply because it saves additional trips to the grocery store and unnecessary eating out, as well as a good way to manage what you eat on a regular basis,” says Vehmeyer.

Bjarnson said beyond providing a cost-effective way for students to feed themselves, the goal is to promote a healthy life-style, “but bringing everyone together to support that goal is the best part.”

This workshop is free and an opportunity for you to get ideas for meals and even taste-test some delicious food as well. From 6 – 7 p.m., all are welcome to attend the event, located in Salazar Hall Room 1040.

STUDENT LIFE CALENDAR Native Student Meet and Greet

Meal Prep Workshop

LOBOFEST: The Big Cat Night

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Wednesday, Feb. 6 5:00 P.M. The Hub, Student Center 2nd Floor

Wednesday, February 6 6:00 P.M. Salazar 1040

Wednesday, Feb. 6 7:00 P.M. Student Center Ballroom

Thursday, Feb. 7 7:30 P.M. Evert B. Person Theater

Student Life 9

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Club Spotlight: Black Student Union MARISSA UNGARTE

STAFF WRITER

H

ere at Sonoma State University, clubs like The Black Student Union (BSU) serve a huge role in representing the black community on a notoriously diversity-starved campus.

BSU is a club at Sonoma State University and was founded on campus in 1987.

Today, the Black Student Union has a consistent number of about 25 members, but is always accepting anyone who wants to come to their meetings.

The BSU is a student club that provides a community and supports black students with their experience on Sonoma State’s campus. The club also plans events and activities surrounding the culture.

“We’re here to provide a safe space for black students, encourage retention of black students on our campus and discuss the the socio-political issues that affect our community.” said Gregory Thomas, the financial director of the BSU. This past Friday, Feb. 1, the BSU held their opening ceremony for Black History Month in the Seawolf Plaza.

They have held other events in the past such as Fro-ology: An Ethnic and Hair Natural Hair Seminar and Trap Karaoke at Lobo’s.

Thomas mentioned the biggest event the BSU gets to attend is the Afrikan Black Coalition Conference (ABC) conference, where they take their delegation to a statewide conference of other Black Student Unions.

Weekly meetings are held, where members get to discuss upcoming events, current events on and off campus, media and all topics surrounding the black community.

“We talk about how we navigate life as members of the Pan-African culture and our intersectionalities. More specifically, we discuss our experiences at Sonoma State, how to navigate it and what we can do to improve the experience for Black students,” said BSU co-advisor Cookie Garrett. Garrett’s goal as co-advisor of BSU is to help students who share her culture find a community and navigate their experiences as a marginalized population.

Kiana Clerkley is the President of the Black Student Union. As president, her role in the club carries many responsibilities including sending and responding to emails on behalf of the club and facilitating board and general body meetings.

“BSU to me is my personal little black community on campus here at SSU. Many of us black identified students aren’t from here and come from very different backgrounds.” said Clerkley. Clerkley shared that moving from a “highly diverse environment to one that has very few people that look like you is difficult.” The BSU helps to create a space where students can feel comfortable.

New members are always welcomed.

The best way to join is sitting through a meeting which people are always encouraged to attend.

STAR // Jessica Rivera Sonoma State’s Black Student Union members sing the Black National Anthem during the Black History Month opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019

COURTESY // Sonoma State Black Student Union The BSU tabels in Seawolf Plaza during spirit week in February of last year.

Members pay dues and attend weekly meetings which are held Mondays at 6 p.m. in the Dry Creek Valley Room.

Check out their Instagram or Facebook for Black Student Union events and updates.

Seawolves SPEAK! “How do you stay healthy during school?”

SUNDAY SIMON STAFF WRITER

S

chool can be hard all by itself. With the heavy books in one hand, hot coffee in the other and the mind constantly rotating with endless thoughts and reminders, it can be exhausting trying to even fit physical activity into a school schedule. Adding exercise into a daily schedule may not be hard, but challenging to do, especially for a student taking over 16 units of classes.

Freshman 15 is known throughout colleges across the nation and overseas.

However, the expected source of the added weight, increased access to unhealthy food, may not be the cause after all. According to Live Science, the culprit may in fact be a decrease in activity due to a more sedentary lifestyle because of studying and stress.

The results of a study done at Indiana University, according to Live Science, showed that freshmen spend about “16 and a half hours a week doing some kind of physical activity while seniors spent about 12.” Professor Jeanne Johnston at Indiana University, Bloomington said in an article by live Science, that keeping

“I walk to class. I don’t really do anything. I’m very nonphysical” -Julia Healy, Early Childhood Development major

“Taking kin classes really likes makes you get into the gym and stay physically active.

Going rock climbing ‘cause all that stuff is free in the rec, so why not use it?”

-Kenny Jones, Kinesiology major

“I try to to go the the gym and that’s about it.”

-Brienne Barahona, Sociology major

up activity now is important because “If [students] don’t master this during their early college years, they might have a hard time fitting physical activity later on.”

The workload of school can make staying active difficult, especially for juniors and seniors whose time spent walking decreased from more than 8 hours to less than 6 hours between their early and later college years according to an Indiana University Study.

Staying physically healthy isn’t the only challenge students are facing. According to Live Science, college students may face challenges in their physical and mental health well after graduation. Some causes include binge drinking, depression, and social anxiety.

From stressing over homework, projects to finish and keeping up with work, lack of physical fitness can become the last thing on a student’s To-Do list. It’s important to balance the priorities of your health and education as much as you can.

“I fell in love with cooking recently. It really feeds me physically and emotionally preparing and eating something that I know exactly what ingredients go in.”

-Alexis Lammawin, Hutchins major

“It’s good to just walk and stretch your limbs. It actually helps if you have music on too, so you can just jam out.”

-Gregory Thomas, History major

“Sometimes I’ll go to the gym or I walk to my class, and sometimes I’ll take random walks.”

-Olivia Chilton, Kinesiology major

10 Sports

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2018

sonomastatestar.com

Women’s basketball battles for key win

ALEX FUNCHESS STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Women’s Basketball team is optimistic about the remaining season. The Seawolves defeated Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday with a final score of 66-63.

As Seawolves settle back from winter break, the athletes are gearing up to continue their success on the court. Sophie Northern, a junior guard, has a lot of confidence in her teammates following Saturday night’s win.

“Saturday was a great game because we came out strong in the first half and hit them hard,” Northern said. “That allowed us to weather their storm in the second half and come away with a much needed win.”

With a 12-15 record last season, the team lost in the playoffs against the UC San Diego Titans during the first round of the CCAA Championship Tournament. Now with an 8-10 record, the Seawolves are attempting to bounce back from last season.

The team will surely have to overcome a few challenges this spring but are confident they can qualify again for playoffs.

“We had a tough time running some of our offense in the second half,” explained Northern. “We needed to make sure all five players on the court were in sync. A couple of times, STAR // Ethan Prins that was not the case.”

The team hopes to improve their record in Head coach Rich Shayewitz discusses tactics with the team during Pack The Den on Saturday, Feb. 2 San Francisco this Saturday.

“We play San Francisco State next, who we lost to at home a couple weeks ago,” said North- make sure we are pushing ourselves and striving to be and fell short early, but we are looking to improve this ern. “We need to come out with intensity and the best version of our team and try to set ourselves up year,” claimed Northern. “We have nine new players this make sure we follow a game plan to a tee. They to be successful,” the junior guard said. “Right now we season so we have had to adjust and learn to play with have some talented players that we’ll need to are taking it game by game, focussing on the opponent each other. We are at a point in the season where we are stop. Mostly it is making sure we don’t beat right in front of us so we can eventually put ourselves in beginning to roll and really mesh together.” a position to win in the postseason.”

The Sonoma State Women’s Basketball Team is preourselves.”

Our Seawolves will surely have to overcome a few pared for a successful season while looking to improve The team has proved time and time again challenges this spring but are confident they can qualon their weaknesses from last season. The team will that they can win together if they execute as ify again for playoffs.

With several new additions to continue to adjust to the addition of several new players a team. Hoping to qualify for the postseason, the team, many players will continue to adjust to new as they learn to play with one another. Returning playnew and returning players must motivate each changes in play style. ers including Sophie Northern will also help ensure the other on and off the basketball court.

“Last season, the team made it into the postseason team’s appearance in the postseason.

“Our team goals consistently evolve to

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Sports 11 Men’s basketball faces uphill battle to make playoffs

FEB. 5 - FEB. 11, 2019

sonomastatestar.com

Close game with Dominguez Hills ends in loss

JONAH TROSKY

Davidson’s standout play not enough to secure win

HOLLY CHANDLER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

T

he men’s basketball team faced a tough challenge on Thursday Jan. 31. After an up and down game that had the Seawolves gripping onto a 69-68 lead, the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills finished the game on an eight to zero run to win 76-68.

The Seawolves record stands at 7-12 overall and 5-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).

The Seawolves left some points at the line and “I stepped over and had a free throw violation and we missed a good number of free throws as a team,” said senior Jordan Hickman.

Even with a poor record the Seawolves believe they can finish strong, “Throughout the year we’ve been faced with a lot of adversity whether on the court or off of it, so staying locked in and trusting the process will help us finish out the season strong,” said Hickman.

In an eight-point loss mental mistakes can come back to haunt you. The Seawolves had too many of those on this night.

“We can cut down on turnovers and keep our defensive intensity up for the whole game,” said junior Deshawnte Collins.

Turnovers often are more mental than physical and the Seawolves had more turnovers along with a 63 percent free throw percentage. Their counterpart shot a very respectable 86 percent at the line.

Every player still has one goal in mind: find a way into the playoffs. “Our team goal for the rest of the season is [making] the CCAA playoff. The top 8 teams make it and we can crack that top 8 if we take care of business. Once we make playoffs anything can happen so the goal is to make playoffs.” says Hickman. The Seawolves are currently sitting in eighth place, but rival Chico and Stanislaus State are both only one win behind.

Closing games out are not easy, but starting better is an issue the Seawolves had against Cal State Dominquez Hills, “I feel like we have to have better starts to games. Other than that I think we’re fine.” says Lewayne Grant.

In the first half, the Seawolves totaled 31 points, but they upped that total in the second half to 38. Being down five at half was not bad, but with a better offensive first half, they could have had the lead.

“It’s the game within the game and little things that are fixable which is promising,” says Hickman. The Seawolves have been in a lot of close games this year and can make the adjustments possible to make this a successful season.

Leaving points out there on the free throw line has been an issue throughout the year, “We just have to make our free throws.” says Collins. He added that getting rebounds is essential, “And crash the boards much better.” Simple basketball is the best basketball emphasized the players. Once every little fundamental is cleaned up the rest will just be playing the game all these student-athletes love.

With over a month left in the season, the Seawolves have work to do but are ready to make one final push.

T

he Sonoma State Seawolves men’s basketball team gave Cal State Los Angeles a run for their money on Saturday Feb. 2, but unfortunately came up just short of walking away with the win. Saturday’s game ended with the final score of 65-61, Los Angeles. With the loss the Seawolves overall record now sits at 7-13 for the season.

The game started off with a lot of energy from Cal State Los Angeles when they scored the first 8 points of the game. Their scoring streak was brought to an end with a smooth layup by number 5, Lewayne Grant. This was followed by a successful free throw after Grant was fouled by Los Angeles’ Ford Miles.

Shortly after Grant dropped another layup bringing the score 8-5.

When Lewayne Grant was asked how he prepares himself before games he said, “I usually just relax before the game just to keep my legs fresh as possible.”

The Seawolves leveled the score with Los Angeles thanks to a short jumper in the paint by Armani Nicolis and a solid 3 pointer by freshman Aaron Porcil. Forward Jordan Hickman did a fantastic job defensively with four crucial blocks, two of which came back to back, and grabbed a total of six rebounds during the game.

Sonoma State managed to take the lead for a portion of the first half. However, Los Angeles stayed on their heels the entire time and eventually took back the lead prior to going into the locker room at the end of the first half.

During the second half of the game Los Angeles’ player Cyprian Kenneth took the crowd by surprise when he made three, 3 pointers in a matter of two minutes.

Despite his hot shooting, the Seawolves showed great determination and continued to keep the game close. Number 10 Isaac Davidson scored a total of 15 points and was instrumental in the success the Seawolves were having on the court.

Davidson’s standout play had everyone in the stands enthusiastic and cheering for a Seawolves win.

The bleachers were filled with rumbling feet as the anticipation grew stronger. However, with three seconds left on the clock and a score of 63-61 the Seawolves saw their chances of winning slipping away. The game ended when Cyprian Kenneth of Cal State Los Angeles stepped to the line and made two good free throws.

Senior Jordan Hickman said, “To prepare for San Francisco State we need a good week of practice heading into it. Getting the game plan down and executing it during the game. When we do that we can compete with anyone.”

The game against San Francisco State is an away game on Feb. 9 at 3:00 pm.

The next home game will be against UC San Diego Feb. 23 at 7:30 pm.

STAR // Ethan Prins

STAR // Ethan Prins Lewayne Grant seeking options as he takes the ball up court during the game on Thurs. Jan. 31, 2018.

Armani Nicolis leaping high to sink a promising shot during Pack The Den on Sat. Feb. 2, 2018.

Athlete Spotlight: Jensyn Warren JACKSON WALDRON STAFF WRITER

S

enior Jensyn Warren eyes the top spot in the country as the women’s tennis team opens their 2019 campaign.

Warren comes into the season as the number 15 ranked singles player in the country. She is entering her final season at Sonoma State and wants to make it one to remember.

Her background in tennis started when she was 7 years old. She said, “My dad introduced me to the sport and I grew up playing with him for the most part ever since. I obviously fell in love with the sport and played all four years through high school.”

After a very successful high school career, Warren came to Sonoma State to continue her development. While here at she has compiled over 75 wins in singles play.

She gives a lot of credit to her current and past coaches for her success. “Coming in as a freshman I had Jose who is now the men’s head coach. So I think those two years having Joaquin [Lopez] and Jose as coaches was amazing, those are probably the two best coaches I have ever had,” said Warren.

The humble Warren also praised the coaching staff for their guidance on and off the court. She said they have, “helped me so much with all aspects of tennis. Not just winning and losing but off the court as a person. They have helped me grow and mature into who I am today and I think my tennis is where it is at now because of them.”

Warren and the rest of the team have now completed their preseason play and are excited to get into regular season play. They have lost some players but the core of the team is as close as ever.

As this is her final season as a Seawolf she said, “It is a little different this year because we only have seven players but I’m really excited. I’m getting bittersweet feelings going into the season since it is my last one. It is going to be crazy leaving this whole atmosphere and leaving the coaches but I’m definitely excited.”

Coming in as a top-ranked player nationally is familiar territory for Warren and she looks to improve on her already strong ranking. She has been ranked in the top five in previous season’s and is hungry for the top spot. She said, “I definitely want to get to #1 in the nation by the end of the year. I think that it is a possibility and within arms reach.”

Warren is equally committed to moving the entire team forward as they hope to become ranked. She has clearly been able to lead on the court and as an established senior she is comfortable being the leader for the team. She said, “I have had to take the role of being the leader and trying to progress our team as much as I can. That has been hard at times but for the most part I really like it. I think the girls seem to like it so it has been good so far.”

She will be graduating with a degree in marketing and hopes to pursue a career professionally after her time at Sonoma State. While she has big plans for her future, Warren is more focused than ever on making her final season the best one yet.

The team will open the season against Mills on Friday, Feb. 8th. Their home opener will take place the next day on Saturday, Feb. 9th against Stanislaus State.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Senior Jensyn Warren eyeing number one spot in the country

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