Volume 82 // Issue 7

IN THIS ISSUE

Pi Day

Jazz Orchestra

Turning Point USA

Discover what festivities Sonoma State has in store for Thursday’s Pi Day on PAGE 9.

Read about their upcoming performance, which will incorporate Caribbean music, on PAGE 6.

Find out what the conservative club is up to on PAGE 8.

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 82 // ISSUE 7 MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019

THE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER

@SONOMASTATESTAR

Pageant winner uses platform for advocacy SAMANTHA BILLINGSLY STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State University’s Rhiannon Jones, a remarkable young woman with a story to tell and a message to be heard, won the title of Miss Sonoma County on March 2. This win was not only a personal victory for her, but also a marker on the road to LGBTQ+ equality and acceptance.

In the 73-year history of the pageant, Jones is the first openly lesbian Miss Sonoma County. Jones’s win was a step in the right direction for the LGBTQ+ community, however, it is not the only thing she wants to be remembered for. Jones’s platform is the pageant and the cause she advocates for is speaking out against sexual assault.

She is using her victory in the pageant to speak out against rape and promote accessible resources for sexual assault survivors.

Part of the reason she is so passionate about her platform is because she is also a survivor of sexual assault. She was raped by a coworker on Dec. 23 of last year and has been steadily recovering since. Like many other victims, she found out how hard it is to get justice and support after the incident.

For the talent portion of the pageant, Jones painted a phoenix, which she compared to her own story.

“I like the whole story about the phoenix, about how when it burns it comes back from its ashes. You come back stronger,” she said.

Despite her transparency on the topic, she still finds it difficult to talk about. However, regardless of her panic attacks, her history with mental illness, and the emotional trauma that lingered, she is determined to try and prevent it from happening to another person.

“Taking action and being in a public atmosphere means I can prevent it from happening, especially on campuses,” Jones explained. She believes that, while there is a lot of awareness about sexual assault, there is still very little done to prevent it.

Currently, she is being interviewed by multiple media outlets and will be competing in June for Miss California. While she will not be the first openlylesbian contestant competing in the Miss California pageant, she is sure to make a splash with her winning personality and well-spoken demeanor.

The pageant supports all the competitors. The pageants help each girl spread her platform and they also can provide financial support.

Kiley Cardamone, the first runner-up, was granted $1,100 in scholarship money. The $1,000 was for being the first runner-up, and $100 for receiving the highest score on the talent portion. She danced to “Bitter Earth” by Dinah Washington and has been COURTESY // Press Democrat dancing for 16 years.

Rhiannon Jones, pictured above accepting her award Neysa Hinton, Mayor of Sebastopol and a judge for Miss Sonoma County, utilizes her platform for more during the competition, said that “it’s a scholarship than just personal accolades, advocading for LGBTQ+ individuals and sexual assault survivors. see PAGEANT on pg. 5

SSU progresses strategic plan CLARK FAHRENTHOLD STAFF WRITER

A

STAR // Mandela Linder The class, called Filipinos in Diaspora, is being run by 28-year-old Charles Mikhail Zabala, pictured standing in the back, who receives no units and no pay for the effort.

Student running Filipino history class MANDELA LINDER STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State University has a new studentrun class in the American Multicultural Studies (AMCS) department. The class, Filipinos in the Diaspora, is run by 28-year-old Anthropology senior Charles Mikhail Zabala, and focuses on different aspects of Philippine history and Filipino-American history.

“Charles is passionate about the importance of teaching the stories and literature of the Filipino diaspora and I’m thrilled he’s teaching this class,” said Hollis Robbins, dean of Arts and Humanities.

Zabala is finishing his second bachelor’s degree and starts work on his master’s in the fall. He came to Sonoma State in 2017 after immigrating from the Philippines in 2009 where he was a chef with his own cooking show. He hopes to become a professor at Sonoma State.

“I’ve already built my community here,” Zabala said. “Sonoma State is still a baby in the CSU system and there are a lot of aspects I can be helpful in. When I started, the first thing I noticed was as a minority student there aren’t classes that talk about my history. That’s why I

want to develop this program.”

Zabala began to teach Filipinos in the Diaspora after being a teaching assistant for two sections of Freshman Experience. A retiring professor helped him prepare a proposal for the class that was later approved by the department chair. “It was intensive,” Zabala said. “It was a lot of reading. I had to re-learn Filipino history, Filipino-American history, and Filipino studies.”

For Zabala, teaching Filipinos in the Diaspora is a passion project. He receives no units and no pay. “I want to share with my students what I know,” he said. “I want to pay it forward.”

“There needs to be more visibility in ethnic studies and cultural communication, and more faculty members who are willing to work with students and help them develop what they’re passionate about,” Zabala said. “That’s what I love about my department.”

Cecily Diaz, a junior in American Multicultural Studies with a minor in Queer studies, is excited to be a student in Zabala’s class. Diaz is half Filipino and prefers gender-neutral pronouns. “Growing up I did not get an education in Filipino studies,” Diaz said. see STUDENT-RUN CLASS on pg. 5

t the start of 2017-18 calendar year, Sonoma State University put in motion an in-depth process to help mold and unite the campus around a new, improved strategic plan, one that aims to help set the course for the University in the coming years.

“Having a strategic plan in place allows SSU to focus our energy and our budget on the priorities about which we care the most—student success; academic excellence and innovation; leadership cultivation; and transformative impact,” Provost Lisa Vollendorf said.

The 2025 strategic plan’s main goals are focusing on and locating areas for improvement at Sonoma State, including improving things such as class availability, as well as to continue to build upon strong points that the school has already established.

Sonoma State has developed division-based plans within the strategic plan, according to Provost Lisa Vollendorf. The divisions are Administration and Finance, Academic Affairs, Advancement, Student Affairs, and Green Music Center.

“We are asking all divisions to have measurable tactics in place by this May so we will be able to work toward our goals and measure our progress over the next 12 to 14 months,” Provost Lisa Vollendorf said. “We anticipate annual assessments starting in spring 2020.”

The plan focuses on the university’s core values, which the administration has defined as diversity and social justice; sustainability and environmental inquiry; connectivity and community engagement; and adaptability and responsiveness.

Madeline Cline, one of the students credited as one of the heads of the strategic task force board, emphasized the need to update older policies. “The 2025 plan was one that was needed,” she said. “The older 2009 plan was just too dated and was not representative of our campus’s strengths or needs. There simply needed to be a new plan.”

One key reason Cline and the rest of the task force were so adamant that the new 2025 plan will work is due to just how large and diverse the group who created the project was, with students and faculty working side by side on most matters.

In total, over 4,000 people were involved, and with just about 75 percent of them being composed of students and staff, Sonoma State felt they had the perfect mix of input to build for the future.

In the 2025 strategic plan, Sonoma State also expressed this commitment by “delivering distinctive, responsive academic programs, hiring and developing diverse faculty and staff; and embracing innovative teaching and learning,” stated on the strategic plan’s website Another key idea that was stressed in the 2025 plan was that of creating a greater sense of diversity and social justice on campus at Sonoma State. The Divison of Student Affairs (DSA) has aimed to promote inclusive support services for a more diverse student population.

Along with this, the DSA also stated, “We will provide initiatives, events, and programs that achieve outcomes for promoting diversity and inclusion.”

Aren Ammari, a member of the 2025 strategic committee, feels strongly about the initiatives and effort put forth by the committee. “My work with the administration gave me the impression that this is one of the core issues they will truly put resources towards to help our campus,” he said. Armmari felt that the university’s commitment to diversity will have the biggest impact of the 2025 strategic plan.

2 Editorial

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

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:

“Student running Filipino history class”

A student is teaching a course about Filipino heritage and history at Sonoma State, not for money or credit, but for the chance to share his passion.

Read the story on the front page.

Corrections/Clarifications

An article in last week’s issue of the STAR titled “Club fair bring together diverse groups” incorrectly identified Joanie Ly, who is the Campus Life Advisor for Clubs, and misspelled her name.

STAR // Kevin Flores

SMART fails to serve students

T

he Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is failing to serve students because fares are too high.

A rider survey last year found that the average rider is 46 years old, lives in a household of three, earns $97,300 a year and has the option to drive but instead chooses to take the train, according to the Press Democrat.

However, SMART officials said that they aren’t reconsidering the price just yet, a move they’ve been pushing back for months and months.

This is a problem, since students don’t see SMART as a viable transportation option, mainly because of the price and convenience. Most college students don’t have a lot of extra money so they pick the cheapest option, which as it stands now, is driving.

To travel from Rohnert Park, south to San Rafael or north to Sonoma County Airport, it costs $15 round trip.

For a trip to Santa Rosa, it costs $11 round trip. A ride to Petaluma and back will put you out $7. It’s no wonder SMART is virtually exclusive to upper class commuters.

Unless the prices are lowered, driving is the best option, since it gives students the freedom to come and go when they please without the stress of having to be at a train station

at a certain time.

But, if commuting students chose SMART over driving, it would alleviate crowded parking lots, mitigate traffic and reduce emissions.

Less than 40 percent of students live on campus, while the other 60 percent commute. It would be awesome if SMART provided an affordable alternative commute to local students who live in Petaluma, Santa Rosa and beyond.

An affordable SMART could allow for students to look for housing further from campus, somewhat alleviating the high demand and cost of living here.

If SMART were reasonably priced, it would allow for students without a car to travel to neighboring cities. It would help with the feeling of being stuck on-campus that some students experience.

SMART wants to provide access to San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area. But at what price? Construction is underway on a rail line extension that will connect Rohnert Park to the Larkspur ferry terminal. This will give students access to the ferry so they can go to Giants game, or take a day trip to the city. But, as it currently stands, $15 will only get you to San Rafael and back.

SMART’s sister in the East Bay, BART, has lower fare

prices and therefore serves a more diverse population. Although BART has differences from SMART—it serves a higher-population area and has existed for decades—it can be a case study for how SMART can become less of a luxury and more of a necessity.

The average BART fare in 2018 was $3.90. A similar distance on SMART costs $6.90.

BART also gives riders direct access to San Francisco. By keeping fares low, BART is able to serve its location’s diverse population.

SMART reported that six percent of fares collected were from discounted “eco-passes” available to college students, military veterans and large employers. These passes allow students to use the train unlimited times for a month for $138.

SMART should extend this student discount to single trips. Right now, they offer a 50 percent discount to seniors, youths, and passengers with disabilities. Students should be added to this group, so SMART can better serve its purpose.

The construction of SMART was partly funded by a sales tax increase in Sonoma County and Marin County, so, in a sense, everyone who lives here is helping pay for it. They should also be able to reap the benefits, without breaking the bank.

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

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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.

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

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

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Opinion 3

MARCH 12-MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Patient cured of HIV gives hope to sufferers

JACK MESSIER STAFF WRITER

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urrently, roughly 37 million people worldwide suffer from HIV infection. The ubiquity of HIV, a virus that infiltrates and disrupts the body’s ability to fight infections, has consequently made it everapparent that the virus poses an intricate, relentless battle for doctors to overcome and eliminate permanently.

However, according to recent reports from British Doctors, emerging evidence points to the second person potentially ever cured of HIV, a man people are calling the “London patient.” HIV, of course, is the ruthless catalyst for the chronic condition AIDS, whereby over 35 million people have died as a result of the illness and symptoms alike.

While the British patient’s iden-

tity remains undisclosed, medical experts are feverishly honing in on the HIV-repellent genetic mutation passed along to him: via a bone marrow transplant by a donor nearly three years ago. Seemingly, for the “London patient,” the mutation has brought forth new, negative test results for the virus.

As the recent patient is still labeled as “functionally cured” and awaits the true length of his current status, it seems as though his crucial mistake of delaying anti-HIV drug therapy for nearly nine years will cost the disease’s current stagnation and free itself of containment.

Through absence of a protein labeled CCR5, the donor’s immunity to the disease is certainly powerful in forming a blockade against the virus and its replication. However, because HIV withholds stronger chances to mutate and employ a different receptor, dubbed CXCR4, as a result of one’s decision to impede vital treatment, the fate of the “London patient” surrenders to dominating odds that the virus will flourish and infect cells once again.

It’s important to note that the “London patient” has been off of antiretroviral medication for the last 18 months, there is still a clear case to be made that his chances for outlast-

ing the reactivation of the virus will pale in comparison to the first person (still) regarded as cured of HIV: Timothy Ray Brown.

Brown, who sought initial antiretroviral treatment with a much greater sense of urgency, remains successfully HIV-free over a decade after his own bone marrow transplant. He was the only person known to ever be cured of the virus in the world, until this current patient’s story broke.

Ultimately, it can’t be stressed enough that there is tremendous risk associated with such operations that patients endure.

In both Brown’s case and that of the recent patient, while only 1 percent of caucasians--their prospective donors-- actually carry the gene mutation, the extreme bone marrow procedures came as a result of their lethal experiences with cancer. The cancer, occurring simultaneously with their HIV infection, triggered side effects of rejection at fluctuating levels.

As it was in Brown’s case, but not-so-much that of the “London patient,” those seeking initial treatment in a timely manner are, at least, increasing their odds of being in remission, or even “cured” long-term, though to a lesser extent.

Climate change worsens with lack of action

KAYLIE BOETTNER

STAFF WRITER

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welve years is all humanity has to start making changes to keep this planet alive.

The Washington Post said, “the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climate Assessment reports late last year made it clear that the world must cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 45 percent in 12 years to preserve any hope of maintaining a livable planet.”

Climate change is alive and unfortunately, well. Day by day humans are adding to the growing problem by using one use plastic products, driving gas guzzlers, and creating masses of waste. Humans are so blind to the destruction that they are causing that little if anything has been done to change it.

There are some people who do not believe climate change and global warming are real such as the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

On January 28 2019 President Trump

tweeted, “In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Warming?

Please come back fast, we need you!”

It is incompetent people such as President Donald Trump that will ultimately cause the death of our planet.

People who do not believe in climate change are in the same category as people who believe the Earth is flat and the moon landing never happened. They could be shown hundreds of studies from hundreds of scientists and it is still not enough to convince them.

California has seen the effects of climate change up close and personal in the last few years. The devastating fires that ripped through Northern California, one of which was too close to home just in Santa Rosa. According to National Geographic “California has warmed by about three degrees Fahrenheit. That extra-warmed air sucks water out of plants and soils, leaving the trees, shrubs, and rolling grasslands of the state dry and primed to burn.”

More recently Guerneville was submerged in water due to a record breaking rainfall. The U.S. Global Change Research Program found that “increasingly, humanity is also adding to weather-related factors, as human-induced warming increases heavy downpours, causes more extensive storm surges due to sea level rise, and leads to more rapid spring snowmelt.” These two disasters are complete opposites but both extreme-

ly unfortunate. They reflect how much the planet is changing and reacting to citizen’s lack of care for the environment.

Climate change can feel extremely overwhelming and that the average person cannot do anything to help because they are just one person. Luckily this is not true. There are so many ways an individual person can make an impact on climate change. It can be as small as changing up one’s commute or morning routine.

Commuting to school and work is something everyone does and there are many ways to make it greener.

Carpooling is not only a great way to cut emissions but the use of the carpool lane is a nice perk as well. Taking public transit or riding a bike are also good options for commuting.

Everyone has heard of reduce, reuse, and recycle but it actually needs to be used to work. Recycle whenever possible, reduce the amount of waste made, and reuse as much as possible.

The most important thing someone can do to combat climate change is electing officials who actually believe in it. The more officials in office that believe in it the more likely they are to actively make changes for the better rather than ignoring the problem.

Climate change is not an individual problem or even a single country’s problem, it is a global problem. One person, as small as that might seem, can help whether or not they believe it. The solution starts with the people who started this catastrophe in the first place. Everyone from every corner of the Earth needs to join together in repairing the damage before it is really too late.

Young people face difficulty in modern generation

TERESA GULLI

STAFF WRITER

T

he pressures on Millennials are harder than past generations because of the negative stereotypes surrounding them. One pressure they face is to stay in a job at a company that seemingly doesn’t care about them. Employers want to keep employees to build loyalty and trust in the company, but quickly replace employees when they leave. Very few Milennial employees feel an attachment to their employer because their 401k retirement plan enables them to hop around from job to job in different companies when offered a raise.

Recently, Facebook has been taking note for a while about employee loyalty and will honor their employees who stay with them a paid vacation. This an incentive like so, many employees would stay with a perk like this.

NBCNews stated, “Social media giant Facebook has been offering its ‘Recharge’ program since 2015: It is a 30-day period (the days have to be continuous, but do not have to be taken right at the five-year mark) which staffers can use as an “uninterrupted break to refuel and relax,” said Tudor Havriliuc, Facebook’s vice president of compensation, benefits and global mobility.”

Financial debt is a pressure that most employees face due to student loans. Student loans and its interest can rack up on your monthly dues rather quickly. So before even getting a job, you’re already owning thousands to your university, but what many people continue to do is spend their income once they get a job and have a hard time budging and saving. Millennials are buying the latest and greatest technology, including cars, rather than saving and paying off their dues.

Although they feel pressures, they should not add to it by a lack of financial budgeting.

“At the present time, the average American household with student debt owes about $49,000,” according to Forbes. “Graduates in their twenties spend more than $350 per month, on average, on student loan payments and interest.”

Millennials must understand their finances and to disconnect from the crowd. They should not be buying the newest phones every year, staying up with the trends or the latest car and should be paying close attention to their savings and retirement funds.

Lastly, the pressure to live up to certain beauty standards stems from social media and affect the hiring process in the job market. Many millennials now are faced with the most beautiful women on our social media feeds that the average woman must make altercations to their appearances would to stand out. Lip filler and line filler are some of many procedures that millennials are getting.

According to CBSNews, “Frequently people are looking to be more competitive...they want to be able to compete with their own generation and also older people, so they are getting either minor or major procedures to give them an advantage in the workforce,” Long Island-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stephen Greenberg, who treated Mysel, said.

Millennials must focus on building on their own self-worth and positive mindset to avoid any pressures they face. Having a financial plan, remaining loyal to a company and having confidence in your appearance will take away stress and ultimately build a healthier lifestyle.

Fast food remains a guilty pleasure for humans and animals alike

ETHAN PRINS

STAFF WRITER

I

t has been declared that fast food is weirdly-delicious and mighty convenient to almost all people in the industrial world. Individuals recognize fast food or “junk food” as that which comes with triple the suet at half the cost, commonly paired with overload packaging and flimsy paper napkins. How interesting that the value meal slaps the brain’s economy and draws in just about every curious individual at one point or another.

Highly processed junk foods can affect

the brain the same way as drug abuse.

As farfetched as this may seem, there is no doubt that this can lead to full-fledged food addiction for a myriad of folks that simply can’t cut back. The science of food addiction is still outstanding, but it probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that food can indeed cause dependency; in fact, it is so irresistible that Swan’s have developed a fatty fix of their own.

Swan’s are recognized for their pugnacious effort in protecting their nests from any form of intruder, however they have no issue wandering into foreign territory in order to feed away at the junk strangers have carelessly abandoned or mindlessly thrown into the streets. These giant birds have been spotted loitering outside of supermarkets, and fast food outlets in Lake District town of Bownesson-Windermere for quite some time now.

One roguish swan even trotted a mileand-a-half into Windermere town centre to try to finesse its appetite before being returned to the lake. According to Emma Snaith of the Independent. “Some swans have been seen rummaging through bins for discarded takeaway food or packets

of half-eaten fish, burgers and chips.” It seems as though they’ve lost their marbles, securing the high street while insisting on being fed.

It is important to note that fast food has an abundance of issues that can marinade in humans over time if consumed more often than not—immediate satisfaction follows but repercussions are insanely vast. Results from over consumption include, and are not limited to: obesity, gout, kidney stones, depression, hypertension, heart palpitations, myocardial infractions, mood swings, headaches, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, dental distress, blood sugar spike, acne, and insulin resistance; however, it is the best thing in the world so we keep munching away. If humans are susceptible to these various effects, then it is only plausible that Swan’s hold similar risks. Due to their body size and framework, fast food has no beneficial means to it, and will only prove to act faster in negatory ramifications.

Area ranger for the Lake District National Park Authority, Marian Jones, advised folks not to feed the birds so that they stray away from dependence on food

they are unaware has corruptive qualities. She said in an interview with Snaith, “Just like us humans, it is not good for them—the grease can get stuck to their feathers making it difficult for them to preen, which they need to do to keep their feathers waterproof. Bread can act as an empty filler, so although it isn’t harmful to birds as such, it should only be fed in small amounts as its nutritional value is relatively low.”

According to scientist John Lehrerm—from Psycholgy Today—“animals’ brains release dopamine in response to sugar water, even though they can’t taste it, but not in response to regular water or sucralose.” In the same way, our brains can tell the difference between high calorie foods and diet foods even if they taste entirely the same. Just as Pavlov was able to get a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, In-n-out spikes your senses anytime you you smell it from the freeway.

For the sake of our health and for the sake of the critters around us, it is best we cut back on fatty foods, dispose and feed responsibly, and ultimately limit our guilty pleasures as best we can.

4 News

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Sonoma County to SSU Writers’ increase minimum wage Festival returns Commentary

COURTESY // Sonoma State University KELLY BRITTON

STAFF WRITER

S STAR // Christine von Raesfeld Cotati is one of the cities within Sonoma County that hope to raise the minimum wage to $15 prior to the 2023 deadline.

MADDIE LAM STAFF WRITER

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hanges are in the works to bring minimum wage up to $15 in Sonoma County by the year 2020 and California is expected to have a statewide minimum wage of $15 by the year 2023, although Cotati and other cities around Sonoma County hope to have it achieved sooner than that.

With the cost of living in the Bay Area being so high, minimum wage is barely enough to make bills every month. In Sonoma County specifically, minimum wage for employers with 25 employees or less is $11 an hour, and minimum wage for employers with 26 employees or more is $12 an hour.

According to the City of Sonoma, studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility of such an early rise in minimum wage. “In December of 2017, the City Council considered a request by then-Mayor Pro Tem Amy Harrington to hold a study session to review the living wage ordinance,” their website states. “[Then] report on the Council’s 2014 direction regarding a minimum wage study, and discuss the feasibility and impacts of a local minimum wage.”

Later in 2018, North Bay Jobs with Justice (formerly the Living Wage Coalition of Sonoma County) reached out to the City Council to collaborate with the North Bay Central Labor Council, the Napa-Solano Central Labor Council, and the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education to create a study of the economic impacts of a higher minimum wage for the North Bay. The North Bay includes Sonoma, Marin, Napa, and Solano cities.

Marty Bennett, co-chair of North Bay Jobs with Justice, indicated that “the goal of North Bay Jobs with Justice is to introduce discussion

of a ‘$15 minimum wage by 2020’ simultaneously to the cities of Novato, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Sonoma.”

For students, it can be difficult to pay for food, gas, transportation, bills, rent, be a full time student, have an internship, work a part time job, and have a social life.

According to the Living Wage Calculation for Sonoma County, for one adult, minimum wage is $11, but the living wage is $15.39. Annual expenses for one adult include food being $3,573, housing being $14,688, medical care being $2,121, transportation being $4,206, and other expenses being $2,976. For a full time student working a part time job at $11 per hour, it’s almost impossible to meet these expenses.

Although many of us hope for higher minimum wage, it can affect us negatively as well.

Some cons of a higher minimum wage are that smaller businesses with smaller budgets may have to lay off employees to meet the higher minimum wage, causing stress on the unemployment rate.

Larger corporations and companies can increase the cost of their products to consumers to compensate with the rise of minimum wage.

This only brings up the cost of living and will require a need for another raise in minimum wage in the long run. Larger corporations can also outsource some jobs to third world countries or places where minimum wage is much lower.

If Sonoma County is expecting to see higher minimum wage, it would be extremely beneficial for students and low-income families, and even for attracting more people to move to Sonoma County. It has both its negative and positive effects, but it is necessary that the adjustment is made with inf lation rates.

onoma State is presenting its Writers’ Festival for the second year, happening on April 19 and 20, with key guests includeing authors Julia Carr, Anne Goldman, and Andrew Smith, among several various scholars.

The writers are all selected amid what they write and their style of writing. The founders ensure the guests have a range of genders, ethnicities, ages and truly invite the strongest writers formed by their research. “Some medieval scholars will be attending, so will some guests pertaining to African American literature,” says Gillian Conoley, a co-founder and Creative Writer here at Sonoma State.

The reason behind this Writers’ Festival is to bring the writing society together and expand the writers all throughout the globe. “This event brings together the literary community, both on and off campus,” Conoley said.

Writers who come to the event include poets and both non-fiction and fiction writers from Denver, Montana, and Philadelphia. The reason being is to provide a national scope, but also a regional and very local scope in terms of students.

Conoley and Stefan Kiesbye are the founders of the Sonoma State Writers’ Festival. The two of them came up with the idea to create a place for writers, both non-fiction and fiction, to be able to collaborate and share their work all in unison.

Last year, the first year this event took place, was a huge success. Therefore, they decided to continue doing it and building it up while making it different every year. The ticket sales have gone up since last year as they have noticed the same people are coming back and new people are buying tickets as well.

With the Writers’ Festival comes many activities and speakers. The festival itself, all things considered, is extremely affordable, especially for college students. The tickets range in price, $50 for students that include all meals, activities, and receptions. Tickets are $75 for the general public. In order to attend one workshop, it is $25 without anything included.

Each night will have a different variety of meals and writers. Everyone will be in panels discussing narratives. Some who write in point of view, work in film, and even a producer and director will be in attendance. The theme is supposed to change every year, and therefore it is a loose theme this year.

“The scene is narrative, so it has exploded into all sorts of different forms and it is very interesting to discuss particular narratives,” said Conoley. The narratives have contrasting types from what it is like today versus the traditional kinds of narratives.

The benefits are limitless as to why a college should hold a Writers’ Festival. “Well first, they are really fun. For our students and locals, it puts people in touch with one another,” said Conoley.

The writers are able to engage with each other since writing is a very solitary community. Writers need a place to put their work out in the world, so they are able to support each other in a countless different ways, which provides creativity as they work.

NEWS IN BRIEF Santa Rosa

A woman and a man were killed in an apparent confrontation early Monday morning in front of Crunch Fitness in northern Santa Rosa. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. in the Coddingtown Mall parking lot, where the woman was shot in her vehicle. The suspect was later found dead in his vehicle in a nearby residential neighborhood with a gun nearby. The police are currently investigating and no motive has been established.

Sonoma County

SMART was awarded $12.5 million by the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission on Monday with the hopes of developing a bicycle pathway adjacent to its corridor. This money is intended to develop approximately 4.7 miles of new pathway, which will run through Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma. Once completed, the pathway will run the entire length of the railway from Cloverdale to Larkspur, or an estimated 70 miles.

California

A new bill making its way through California legislature would seal any criminal records from public view as soon as the prison sentence is completed, including misdemeanor or “lower-level” felony records. This bill aims to help those released from incarceration obtain work, which can be difficult if they have a record that employers can access. However, this legislation would not apply to more serious offenses, like murder or rape.

Ethiopia

An Ethipian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 went down early Sunday morning shortly after takeoff, leaving all 157 on board presumed dead. Passengers from 35 different countries were on board, including 15 from Canada and eight from the United States. Those deceased include doctors, aid workers, and academics, among others. Early Monday, it was reported that the flight data recorder had been recovered and an investigation has been launched into what caused the plane to crash shortly after takeoff.

News 5

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

AS President graduating after one term Carley Chatterley will gradute in May, leaving open the Associated Students presidency

ASHLEY GIESEKE STAFF WRITER

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arley Chatterley wasn’t elected as Sonoma State’s AS President, but she’s served in the role for almost an entire year now. She started her term in June after originally receiving the position of Vice President, but when the elected president Manny Ojeda was removed from the role, she happily stepped up.

Chatterley is currently rounding out her senior year and will be graduating in May with a business management degree, leaving the AS presidency up for grabs.

Along with her presidency, she is involved in Greek life and volunteers with an organization that has her foster puppies to become seeing eye dogs.

This is something she has become extremely passionate about and has helped her stay busy, which she thrives off. “I will admit I haven’t had the biggest social life this year but the more busy I am, the happier I am,” she said. “I live for being busy, with school always being the top priority.”

As president, Chatterley was able to get feminine hygiene products in the women’s and gender neutral bathrooms in the Student Center along with starting a conversation about having a winter commencement ceremony so everyone can have their big graduation moment.

After her time at here at Sonoma State she hopes to attend law school with the hope of getting into criminal law or public policy. “I was the kid who would always tell everyone that I wanted to be lawyer. My mom is a district attorney so I have that background,” she said.

Originally, Chatterley planned to get her Masters and do consulting but this changed after serving as AS president. After spending almost two weeks in Monterey at a conference, she was able to listen to over 44 speakers talk about their experiences and advice.

“It all changed when I went to a conference that all CSU presidents go to at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy,” she said. “After this I knew I wanted to go to law school because there are so many different opportunities you can get from it.”

Choosing to get involved in Associated Students was something that Chatterley said truly made her college career what it was. A sorority sister gave her a push last year to get involved, but before her time as president, she was the Business and Economics

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld Associated Students President Carley Chatterley, above, who was influenced to pursue her position by a sorority sister, will be graduting in May with a degree in Business Management.

Senator.

Seeing her sorority sister make a change on campus really inspired her to want to stay active. “She pushed me towards it and after doing that for a year I fell even more in love with it. I wanted to get involved and be able to change things.”

When asked if she could take over the presidency only a month into the semester, Chatterley jumped at the opportunity. “I’m the type of person that likes to have a say in things. I’m not just a words kind of person, I’m an actions person.” She believes that in order to make a difference, one cannot complain unless they will take a stand.

With one of the complaints on campus being geared toward Greek life, she has worked hard to make the divide non-existent. As a part of a Greek organization herself, she knows this is a challenging subject and has tried to help greek life be seen in a better light. Being the one student representing the campus in a room full of people twice her age has

STUDENT-RUN CLASS: Student wants to be SSU professor

been an obstacle she has had to face many times.

“The best thing I can take away from this is to believe in myself more. I’m a person that is always doubting myself and I’ve learned everything doesn’t have to be perfect,” she said.

Chatterly has learned that it is okay to delegate to others and that things can go wrong but you learn from it. Her first day as president was May 13, 2018, the day of the fatal dorm room stabbing. “It made me understand you can’t pick the way people act, but you can pick the way you react,” Chatterly said.

She wants to thank the university for all of the opportunities it has given her, along with thanking the students for letting her be their voice. She hopes to leave her title with a few solid changes.

“My biggest advice would be get involved,” she said. “Go to activities and show your school spirit.

Student’s voices matter and the more they say things and the louder they say it, the more they are going to be heard.”

PAGEANT: Jones named first openly-gay winner

continued from pg.1

Diaz met Zabala at a conference for indigenous wisdom and followed what he was doing. When Diaz discovered that Zabala was teaching this class, they felt it was an opportunity to pursue education on a more personal level.

The class studies the concept of “decolonization”, which refers to understanding ethnic cultures on a basis that is independent of the stories taught after colonization. “My goal is to decolonize myself on a deeper, spiritual level,” Diaz said.

Senior Shanté Markman, Anthropology major with a Paleontology minor, originally signed up for Zabala’s class because they are friends. However, she quickly found that, as a Native American, there were many aspects of the class that she identified with.

“As indigenous people we should stick together because we all have the same issues with colonizers,” she said. “We need to understand other indigenous people’s struggles.”

Markman didn’t know anything about the Philippines when she started the class, but she has come to love the mythology section the most. She said she enjoys the significance of monsters in mythology because they symbolize key issues, such as racism. She feels inspired by Zabala to think about teaching her own student-run class in Native American Studies.

“He does a really good job,” Markman said. “He’s excited about the material, and he really makes sure we understand the material before we move on.”

COURTESY // Press Democrat Jones shows off the spray-painted pheonix she made for thetalent portion of the pageant. continued from pg.1

pageant. It’s not about looks anymore as much as it’s a scholarship program.”

Cardamone, along with Jones, gained valu-

able lifelong experiences. She explained that, “The Miss Sonoma competition helped push me out of my comfort zone and helped me learn more about myself in the last two months than I knew about myself in the past 19 years.”

CAMPUS CRIME Crime

Date

Location

Status

Trespassing

March 1

Tuscany Village

Referred

Burglary

March 7

Sauvignon Village

Open

Disturbance

March 8

Cabernet Village

Referred

Disturbance

March 9

Tuscany Village

Not Located

6 Arts

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

SSU Jazz Orchestra travels the world in upcoming concert

JESSICA RIVERA STAFF WRITER

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oin students, teachers and alumni on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Weill Hall for the Sonoma State University Jazz Orchestra concert “World Premiere Jazz.”

It will be a show filled with passionate music that will want you to get up out of your seat and dance through the night.

Director of Jazz Studies Doug Leibinger has crafted an arrangement that includes four pieces of work from Cuban pianist and composer Miguel de Armas, two original pieces from past Sonoma State alumni Alison Poterack from her “We The People” project and some of one of Leibinger’s own original compositions.

This concert will focus on an in-depth study of Caribbean folklore music and how it is related to jazz. Leibinger’s intentions are to bring this Caribbean sound to the Jazz Department at Sonoma State. By integrating diverse music into the Music Department, it allows for students to broaden their musical abilities.

Every semester jazz performers are required to put on two concerts to showcase the amount of repertoire they have been practicing, as well as the skills they’re improving. Each show has a different theme to it and offers students an opportunity to perform jazz in a big band setting and, for those who are able to, perform as a soloist.

Junior Music Education major Thomas Gosnell is getting a first hand look at performing one of Leibinger’s own charts “Tango Asunción.”

“The solo section is long and contains interesting harmonic complexity, leaving plenty room for development,” said Gosnell Leibinger explains that one of the things about Jazz Orchestra is that it presents the ability to integrate instruments that normally wouldn’t be associated with big band, such as the soprano saxophone.

The orchestra works together overall creating a seamless melodic tune, leaving the audience feeling ec-

centric and wanting more. Professor Leibinger them that they are great performers but also exposes to them the perfects the sound of each section ensuring the economical side of things by allowing them to see how it can be end result sounds on beat, sharp and smooth. difficult to survive off just being a performer. This motivates stuSome of their pieces give off an almost other- dents to expand and try new styles of music and be versatile as can worldly quality—almost as if time seems to be.

Leibinger talked about how not only are you learning, perfectstand still.

“Jazz encompasses many different sub- ing your skill and learning your craft, but performers are also degenres (swing, Latin, funk),” Gosnell said. veloping relationships with those closest to them. Once these rela“Through this outlet we learn flexibility, and tionships are built they are likely to last through time and present develop our ears more than in any other ensem- new opportunities for them to get gigs and jobs. He is hopeful that even some day when alumni comes back they are able to connect ble setting.”

The smooth bass heard in the background with a current student and be able to create more pieces that work of tunes creates a longing for more. Senior bass player Austin West attributes the rhythm section and described how it plays a particularly important part in the sound of this music.

“The piano, guitars, bass and drums all work together to create a combination of rhythm and harmony to support the rest of the band,” said West. “The drums and bass specifically keep the time moving and grooving.”

Community members from surrounding areas are welcome to join the orchestra at Sonoma State. However, this is the third semester ever that the Jazz Orchestra is performed by all Sonoma State students. Leibinger feels especially proud of this group and believes it is the best orchestra yet to come.

“If you want to play music you have to be really good at it to perform at a professional level, and I strive to encourage that in all my students,” Leibinger said.

STAR // Alison Snider Leibinger’s dedication to teaching Sonoma State University Jazz Orchestra rehearsing Fall semesstudents does not end with just music. ter for “Rock, Strings & Horns - A Concert For Violet.”

He makes it a point to try to instill in

Marvel’s girl-powered ‘Captain Marvel’ hits Review WILL HAHN

STAFF WRITER

“C

aptain Marvel,” brings the audience back to phase one in the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ with a mixture of 1990s nostalgia, shape-shifting alien doppelgängers, and Brie Larson blasting light beams in space.

The film stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and Jude Law. The story follows intergalactic super soldier, Vers (Larson) from the distant planet of Kree in the midst of an ongoing conflict in the mid 1990s between the Kree race and the race of the Skrulls, a group of aliens that they have been fighting for centuries. Befriending S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Jackson), the pair hopes to settle the conflict once and for all in this humor-filled, action-packed superhero origins story.

The film shines brightly with entertaining action sequences, witty one-liners and funny banter between the main cast and well-balanced pacing; however, “Captain Marvel” falters with a weak villain and relationships that could have been more fleshed out for the audience to care about the emotional moments in the film.

It is no secret that Marvel movies over the years have been the spectacle for blockbuster entertainment and this film is no exception. The action sequences are fun, loud, colorful and thrilling, showcasing Larson’s brutal physicality throughout the film.

There is a variety of hand-to-hand combat, galactic dogfighting and fast-paced shoot-outs that both sound excellent and look visually stunning.

“The action scenes are playful and engaging to watch with Larson’s physicality and choreography really taking center stage during every fight,” said Meg Downey from ign.com.

However, even though the action sequences are fun to watch, they can often leave the viewer disoriented at times. Instead of creating tension and brutality, the audience is left puzzled as to what is actually happening in some of the scenes, especially those involving hand-to-hand combat.

The humor in the film is a treat for the audience, since it makes the relationships among characters more grounded, light-hearted and realistic.

Dialogue between characters is both witty and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and of course, Vers dealing with 1990’s technology from Earth makes it all the more amusing.

COURTESY // GeekTyrant Furthermore, Jackson’s charismatic performance leads Fury’s unfamiliarity of Kree’s species Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in the latest addition to the and technology to be all the more laughable. With- Marvel Cinematic Universe “Captain Marvel.” out spoilers, let’s just say his relationship with an animal provides for some laughable and cute moments in the film that cannot go unnoticed. best in the film. “Larson and Jackson play off of each other beautiThe film’s run time is two hours and two minfully, trading snappy banter and affectionate zingers with ease,” said utes, but a balance of expositional scenes and action make for a well-balanced story that does not over- Christy Lemire from rogerebert.com.

Jackson’s character provides for some very entertaining sestay its welcome. Some exposition in the first act quences, although he is closer to an after-thought as opposed to a may drag on for a few minutes too long, it is rather legitimate supporting role. a minor flaw that does not affect the pacing of the Vers’ other relationship with her old friend Maria Rambeau film overall.

(Lashana Lynch) never really reaches its fullest potential. There are The villain of the film is unfortunately too a few emotional scenes between them that are very well acted, but two-dimensional for the audience to care about his those emotional moments feel rushed so we can feel for the humanmotivations. This ultimately weakens the climax, ity of Vers. leaving the third act to be an action-fest with not “Captain Marvel” is yet another home run when it comes to the as much of an emotional impact that the audience blockbuster genre due to its humor, great performances, 1990s noswould want. talgia and entertaining action sequences, although the substance just Vers and Fury have great rapport with each isn’t quite there yet. other and their relationship feels natural and is the

Gay comic writer Gabby Rivera comes to SSU AARON WASKOWIAK

STAFF WRITER

W

ith the recent Oscar recognition for “Black Panther,” the opening of the girl powered “Captain Marvel” and the high anticipation of “Avengers: Endgame,” Marvel Comics has been front and center of the art news circuit for months.

Sonoma State University will have its fair share of comic excitement when Marvel Comic writer Gabby Rivera comes to visit on March 26.

America Chavez, also known as Miss America, is the brainchild of comic writer Joe Casey, bringing a couple firsts to the Marvel Comics. As well as being Latina, America Chavez also brings representation to the LGBT community.

Joe Casey along with fellow writer Nick Dragotta created the character America Chavez first debuted in 2011 limited series “Vengeance”, and she quickly became adored by fans due to her prominent role in the “Young Avengers” series. Being openly gay and raised by two mothers, she is a breath of fresh air in an often stale environment of men taking charge and saving the world. With both Casey and Dragotta leaving to create their own comic series, the character has been handed off

to a young writer by the name of Gabby Rivera.

Rivera, a Latinx American and active member of the LGBTQ community, was appointed by Marvel to bring the character into a new light via ‘America’, the first work focused solely on the superhero. Equally active in the speaking circuit when it comes to her activism, Rivera will be adding Sonoma State University to her docket later this month in a talk held in Ballroom A, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 26.

Best known for her novel ‘Juliette Takes a Breath’ which focuses on a Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx and her journey across the country to Portland, Rivera doesn’t seem to be putting down the gloves anytime soon when it comes to fighting for something she believes in.

“I’ve always dreamt up wild, powerful and carefree superheroes that look like me and my family: thick, brown, goofy, beautiful,” Rivera told The Washington Post. “And now I get to see them come to life. ‘America’ is going to be all those things and it’s going to be wild.”

Casey, a comic book veteran with a long resume working with Marvel, created America Chavez along with Nick Dragotta to spice up the world of Marvel, and she quickly garnered a cult following in the teenage cen-

tric show “Young Avengers” for being unapologetically queer and one of the strongest of the superheroes. Most notably known for his work on the hit animated superhero show ‘Ben 10,’ Casey still breathes life into the waxy pages of written word as well.

Casey said in a 2011 interview with Newsarama, “I always hold this unrealistic belief in my heart that actual teenagers will be reading superhero comic books again someday and I want to try and provide characters and stories with those characters that they can recognize and maybe relate to, to some extent…”

With Rivera now in charge, creative control has certainly taken a swing from the typical white male duo to more in line with someone who can relate to the character better.

“One of the beautiful things about America is that she can punch portals,” Rivera said in an interview with BookRiot in 2018. “For a Latina to not have any restrictions on where she can travel is revolutionary. There’s no borders for America Chavez. She can go wherever she wants to go.”

As well as speaking to the influence she draws from her own life and the struggles of being brown and gay in the male dominated comic writing world.

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment 7

Student Spotlight of the Week: MARISSA UGARTE

STAFF WRITER

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Kaylee Schneider

ot many people can juggle playing second flute in both the Wind Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra, participating in the Flute Choir, being a member of NAFME National Association for Music Education (NAFME) and a member Music Education Club here on campus all while taking twenty units, but second year Music Education major Kaylee Schneider handles it all.

“She doesn’t only share an immense passion for music, as I do, but she is one of the most talented musicians I know,” fellow Music major Maddie Kaminsky said. “She always has thoughts on how we do as a group, which is how I know she’s really passionate about the music we are performing and wants everyone to do well in the performance as a whole.”

Ever since Schneider could even remember, she has loved playing music. Starting with toy instruments she played with as a young child, she now primarily plays the flute and piccolo.

“It’s a way to express myself,” Schneider said. “I can just honestly lose myself in my music so quickly.”

Along with practicing and performing music, Schneider also partakes in multiple other artistic pastimes.

“One of my favourite thing to do is paint.

I love working with acrylic paint.” Schneider said. “When music gets too stressful I use visual art as a creative outlet. I also love being in the kitchen. I love cooking and baking and creating new recipes and finding new ones too.”

Originally wanting to major in Studio

Art, Schneider realized that she wanted to become a music teacher. Along with being inspired by her past music teachers, she also understood the importance of representation in academic settings.

“Growing up, I never had any African American teachers, or teacher of color,” Schneider said. “Because of this, I felt like sometimes I couldn’t really connect with my teachers. As a teacher, I really want to help people learn, obviously, but also connect with others and form confidence in students.”

Schneider decided Sonoma State University was the school for her when Sonoma State Director of Bands Andy Collinsworth guest conducted for a day and talked a little about the program in her high school band class senior year. She stayed and talked to Collinsworth for awhile after class, after seeing the campus and doing some research, she knew Sonoma State was the place she wanted to study music.

At Sonoma State, Schneider finally got the connection she was searching for in Opera/Musical Theatre Director Lynne Morrow.

“She really inspired me, and I automatically felt a connection with someone else who was African American,” Schneider said. “Noticing I never had that makes me want to be that person for someone else.”

“She spend most of her summer preparing her audition excerpts for this years Wind Ensemble and Orchestra audition, even going as far as making the one hour commute to Sonoma State from time to time in order

‘Power Lines’ play festival returns

JULIANNA FERRARA STAFF WRITER

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or its second year, “Power Lines: A New Play Festival With Hard Hats” are hitting the stages again featuring four new plays 100 percent written, directed and designed by Sonoma State University students.

The new Ives Hall tradition returns April 4-13, as festival director Scott Horstein gives students the opportunity to experience all that goes into high level production shows. This year he adds an engaging and fun feature for audiences and students alike with an exhibit room to be seen prior to the show.

“The audience will pass through an exhibit room before the show where they can see models and renderings of what the design would look like if it was fully realized,” said Horstein. “The audience gets to imagine the full world of the play and dream along with the designers and playwright and artists about the world of play.”

The festival kicks off with Kat Anderson’s play, “Lotus Flower” where audiences explore the question – “How do you put your mind back together when it splits apart? Find out while shadowy figures watch behind the glass.”

“Cheers” a production written by Joelle Joyner-Wong featuring four friends who “journey deep into the heart of their dorm room. Beware the evil R.A.” Joyner-Wong switched to Theater Arts during her sophomore year at Sonoma State.

“I feel this experience is helping me get a sense on what a playwright is,” said Joyner-Wong, whose play went from being 13 pages to 40 before rehearsal.

“The playwrights have their script go through a full development and workshop process, much like a professional writer would do, before the scripts ever go into rehearsal,” says Horstein.

Writer Kyle Kiefer’s play, “Eat Your Heart Out” takes place in an ethereal setting where a tortured soul peers through a doorway of possibility.

“I had actually come up with the basis for my play while taking a class in Creative Writing at my community col-

lege before I transferred to Sonoma State,” Kiefer’s short story through production has since evolved but is still based around the original storyline.

Both Kiefer and Joyner-Wong express the necessity of these experiences being at the forefront of future successes in pursuing high level theatrical and production work after school.

This year’s playwrights have had to know when to step back and allow designers, directors and other artists recreate and integrate their own methodologies to each play.

The festival ends on a comedic note with Christa Rico’s play, “Order’s Up” where “two potential lovers uncover the truth behind really, really bad pickup lines.”

Rico incorporates her own experiences in how we develop connections in our lives. The show will feature a couple, a cook who embodies those closest to us, and a narrator who symbolizes the individuals in the background of our lives such as strangers and coworkers.

“People constantly come in and out of our lives, but it’s the ones who stay who really impact our choices and where we end up,” said Rico. “The bad pickup lines were thrown in when a good friend of mine and I were bouncing off ideas on how to end my scenes, I’m actually the least comedic in my family, so writing this play was a struggle but an adventure to stretch my writing abilities.”

Come one come all, and witness a new era of student theater. Student run on all angles make for a truly authentic experience embodying new artists at Sonoma State.

“Each designer does the full production design for their short play – sets, costumes, and props – they get to design the whole world,” says Horstein.

Tickets are $6 for the public or free for Sonoma State students with ID. Students can purchase tickets through the box office phone number at 707-6644246 or online using the promo code “SSUStudent” for free tickets, faculty and staff use code, “SSUFacStaff” for discounted tickets.

STAR // Emily Kowalski Flute player and Music Education major Kaylee Schneider. to receive private instructions for her parts,” Schneider’s boyfriend and fellow flute player Adán Ortega Gonzales said. “I don’t think most students would go to those lengths to prepare for that. I believe she’ll be a great model for students one day in terms of dedication.”

Taking on fourteen classes, performances and a personal life can take a toll on anyone, especially those as hardworking as Schneider, but she persists and heads straight towards her goals.

“When she wants something, she’ll undoubtedly work hard for it, and that’s someone I would want to have at my disposal in the music industry,” Ortega Gonzales said.

For those who don’t want to miss out on her next performances, Schneider will perform in the Symphony Orchestra season finale April 27 and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble’s last concert May 10.

Della Fattoria Cafe a delightful brunch spot Review

KAITLYN BRADLEY STAFF WRITER

A

vocado Toast and Honey Lavender lattes anyone? Della Fattoria Downtown Café is the perfect restaurant for all your brunch needs.

Della Fattoria Downtown Café is located in the beautiful historic downtown district of Petaluma in an antique brick building. Being a quick 20 minutes from Sonoma State University’s campus, it’s an easy drive to make with all your friends. It’s also a great place to bring family and is very kid friendly.

The location being right in the middle of downtown, you can make a fun day out of it. From clothing stores to home decor, locally owned shops surround the restaurant to make for a day of supporting small business.

You could also go catch a movie after at Boulevard 14 Cinema in the theater district just a couple blocks away.

Locally known for their bread and pastries made fresh daily, the cafe first started out with just a small bakery. From there, the cafe took off and became a Petaluma staple. They later decided to expand their bakery and bought the building right next door to make room for a cafe.

The Della Fattoria Downtown Café serves breakfast on weekdays 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They serve brunch on Saturday and Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and now serve dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Unfortunately reservations are not accepted except for dinner, but with their quick service they get you seated in no time.

With a wide range of food options, there’s something for everyone. From toast with a variety of toppers, to different egg plates and maybe a sweet treat after, Della Fattoria menu will get anyone excited to eat. Della Fattoria is locally owned by a family who uses fresh produce from local farmers at their restaurant. It’s farm to table

eating that you can taste.

When Sonoma State student and Petaluma local Camryn Howard visited Della Fattoria for a Sunday brunch, she shared with a friend the Ham, Eggs and Cheddar Cheese Della Breakfast Bun-wich with Fried Fingerling Potatoes for $10 and the Belgian Waffles with Maple Syrup for $8.

“I went to Della Fattoria with some of my friends for brunch and loved it,” said Howard. “The atmosphere is great and the fresh bread is bomb.”

With brunch places being usually a bit pricey, Della Fattoria is somewhere that you can treat yourself without breaking the bank. Everything from their menu is usually priced under $20, with addition and the dinner menu prices may vary, and the portions are reasonable for the price.

The service at Della Fattoria is quick and reliable. The hostesses seat you or put you on a waitlist and call you when a table opens up without a long wait time. They have baristas to make lattes and speciality drinks, as well as serving alcohol. The servers are cheerful and friendly, while getting your food as quick as possible.

Gabby Sturm, a barista and Petaluma native, has been working at Della Fattoria for a year now and loves working at her job with many qualities she enjoys.

“My favorite part about working here is my coworkers and making latte art. Also I love all our regular customers and it’s a super pretty environment to work in,” said Sturm. “My favorite thing on the menu is definitely the hash and eggs for breakfast and the Tuna Melt Piadina for lunch.”

The cafe has a unique and classic spin on the average brunch spot. They have antique chandeliers, handcrafted wood benches and tables and even couches to sit on. It’s very spread out and open so each table has room to spare. There is also a large table in the front, making it a great area to seat a larger group or event.

Della Fattoria Downtown Café has so much to offer with its wonderful service, great tasting food and pretty unique environment. Next time you are looking for some good food in the area, try Della Fattoria. You will not be disappointed with this place.

8 Student Life

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

STAR// Kayla Allen Biology club poses for a group picture in International Hall room 104 during their monthly meeting.

Club spotlight: SSU Bio Club OLIVIA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Biology Club has been an incredible outlet and resource for students to increase their knowledge and obtain more experience with biological sciences. The club focuses on growing a community of students who are interested in the field of biology and want to become more involved within the department itself.

With accomplishments like volunteering at local farms and participating in the annual Russian River Cleanup, the members of the club make sure the community is benefiting from their help.

The club prioritizes making the biology department and the campus more enjoyable, inclusive and educationally enriched.

Elections are held to choose who will hold different positions in the club, making it a place where people can use their own voices to make changes. Faith Long was Vice President last year and recently switched over to President in

December 2018. Long has always had a passion for health science and knew she wanted to pursue a career in the health field.

“I love that there is always something new to discover in biology and how dynamic the field is,” Long said. “The club is an amazing way to meet people with similar interests as you, network with people in your field and interact with professors at Sonoma State.”

You don’t need to be a biology major to join the club; many members have majors such as chemistry or math. It’s a way for people in any field to use their interest in biological sciences to gain even more knowledge and experience to their academic advantage.

Members continue to serve the community and surrounding area through leadership, teamwork and participation in extracurricular activities.

“Biology Club has given me the opportunity to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t have met,” said social media of-

ficer Julia Graham. “It also gave me the opportunity to get involved in a community I was new to.”

On Thursday, Feb. 28, the club set up an interactive display at Rohnert Park’s Evergreen Elementary School’s Science Night, which they participate in every spring. Brave students had the opportunity to hold a praying mantis and a tarantula, as well as learn about science from the volunteers.

Sharing and interacting with young children is just one way that the club uses its resources to become involved with the community.

“The Biology Club is a great resource for career advising, volunteer opportunities, internship exploration and opening up many doors for future careers,” Long said. “We expose our members to every field of biology through tours of bio-related jobs, community service events and inviting professionals in the field to come speak at our meetings.”

The Sonoma State Biology Club Facebook page and Instagram page (@ ssubiologyclub) are great ways to keep up with upcoming events and club meetings, as well as sharing pictures you’ve captured or employment opportunities.

Marielle MacDonell, a junior double-majoring in Math and Chemistry, became a member of the club at the beginning of the spring semester last year because she had multiple friends who had joined. The activities that MacDonell has been able to do with the club have included movie trips, hikes and camping in the past.

“Some of my best friends at Sonoma State right now are in the Biology Club,” MacDonell said. “I’ve had some really fun experiences that have made my college experience so much better.”

The Biology Club will be holding meetings on Thursdays April 4, April 18, and May 2 at 12:15 p.m. located in International Hall Room 104 for the rest of the spring semester.

‘Save a Seawolf’ PSA TPUSA Club offers voice to campus conservatives contest aims to save lives KATHERINE KURTT

STAFF WRITER

“I

dentify, Educate, Train and Organize.”

These are the words that embody the mission statement for one of Sonoma State University’s youngest political clubs on campus called Turning Point USA, also known as TPUSA. According to their website, the organization has chapters on over 1,300 college campuses and high schools across the country and is the fastest growing youth organization in America.

Senior Melanie Raymond and former TPUSA Chapter President brought the organization on campus her sophomore year after a convention in Florida.

“It was literally life changing. I met so many cool people all around the world and I thought, wow I’m not alone being a conservative.” Raymond said.

One reason why TPUSA was established is that many of its club members often feel as though they are not welcomed to voice their opinion on campus.

“One of my professors would be lecturing on the history of Lebanon and they would start talking about how he hated Trump and I would think what does this have to do with the subject?

I wanted to change something, I just didn’t know how.” Raymond said.

Junior Samuel Smetzer, the current TPUSA club President, said that even though the club has a different opinion in general than the overall campus, they want to open the conversation.

“One of the most rewarding things about this club is that when you’re tabling you get people that aren’t interested but when you find people that are interested, they are so excited to see

what I’m doing. Some people can’t believe that I’m doing it.” Smetzer said.

Another club member and board representative, Grant Morley, said that he saw a lot of aggression going towards the right, and more than that, a social pressure to conform to leftist ideas.

“I saw several examples of people completely discounting anyone on the right as racist and I thought it was ridiculous. Forty percent of voting Americans voted for Trump.” Morely said. “To call 40 percent of Americans racist is a gross statement that only further alienates the two sides from each other, and it prevents discussion on why these Americans felt as if Trump was the right choice.”

When asked what backlash Morley has received, he said that he hasn’t received much aside from a few negative comments while tabling, but he has felt proud to give people with the same conservative thoughts a space to voice their opinion without being discounted.

“Several women in the club have already said they do not feel comfortable voicing their beliefs on campus, or even in their friend groups and every time I hear that I feel pride that I was able to help these people feel safe in expressing their beliefs.” Morely said, The club has meetings about every other Tuesday at the Sonoma State Univeristy library in room 2015B from 1212:30 p.m.

Anyone with any view is welcome to come and take part in their discussion. TPUSA is hoping to host an event at a gun range as a club event this semester. The club can also be found on Facebook at “Turning Point USA at SSU” and on Twitter at @TurningPointUS1.

GARRETT KITCHEN

STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State University has made a mission to inform others on distracted driving-related crashes and the effects that it has on our generation.

The Save a Seawolf PSA video contest aims to spread awareness about distracted driving and other behaviors that can compromise student safety.

The different types of topics include texting and driving, driving under the influence, marijuana use and the consumption of edibles.

The contest consisted of submitting a 20-second video discussing one of the related topics. The video could be stating any factual information about these topics, or even creating an impactful message for other students. This contest was sponsored by the Alcohol and Drug Advisory Committee (ADAC).

Statistics from collegedrinkingprevention.gov show that 1,825 college students between ages 18 and 24 have died from unintentional alcohol-related injuries each year, which also includes car crashes.

Mo Phillips, Director of Student Involvement, said that it is important to look out for other students, and intervene if that is what’s best.

Phillips was reminded of a speaker a few years ago that had written parallel books with his son about the son’s drug addiction and how the father did not create it nor can he change it.

“What we can do is we can educate about it, we can confront it, we can support students in making good choices in a variety of areas and we can keep bringing these messages to the students through events, Lobovision, etc…” Phillips said.

She also added that student involvement brings awareness to other issues be-

sides distracted driving, such as domestic violence, homelessness and sexual assault.

The deadline to submit videos for the contest ended on March 8, yet Phillips said she would love to hear new voices at tabling helping to educate others, since it always brings a new perspective to the table.

Anupe Mahil, a third year Wine Business major, said that it is important to spread awareness and inform others on the possible dangers that come with their habits. She added that it is also smart to hear these concerns coming from other fellow students.

“It is good for students to know other students care about them. They also need to know how prevalent these issues are,” said Mahil. She said that concepts like these should be apart of university education, since students may only be becoming more distracted.

Makenna Scott, a fourth year Business major, said that the bringing up these distraction-related crashes could help others rethink some of the decisions they are making.

“When you are able to see your peers discuss important topics, it makes you more comfortable to share your opinions and can help create a voice for people your age,” said Scott.

She added that she remembered the Every 15 Minutes event that was put on in high school and how students were affected by it.

Every 15 Minutes is a program specifically targeted toward high schoolers, sometimes staging fake car crashes on the school’s campus, to educate students on the real life consequences of drinking and driving.

Scott said that these contests are important since one bad decision could potentially alter your life.

MARCH. 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Student Life 9

First annual Pi day event celebrates STEM resources DEVON PIQUE STAFF WRITER

O

n Thursday March 14, the Charles Schultz Library will be hosting its first annual Pi Day event by the Lucy statue outside of the library. It will start at 3:14 p.m. and last for exactly an hour and fifty nine minutes, an homage to the first digits of pi: 3.14159.

Students will get the opportunity to learn about the library’s various science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) resources while engaging in fun activities like eating pie, writing poems and making buttons.

There will a chance for students to write “pi-kus”, an adaption of a haiku. Instead of structuring the poem five syllables on the first line, seven syllables on the second and five syllables on the third, the poem will nod at the digits of pi by having it structured with three syllables, one syllable and ending with four.

Seawolves will also get to make buttons with Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking quotes, as Pi Day also commemorates Einstein’s birthday and Hawking’s death day.

For those who are competitive, there is a pi recitation contest, where participants will be asked to list as many numbers of pi as they can. Students can also expect the chance to chow down on some of their favorite flavors of pie during the event.

“It sounds like it’s gonna be a blast! I can’t wait to get some pie, ” said business major Bella Butz.

If it rains on March 14, instead of taking place by the Lucy statue, the event will be held inside of the library. Students are encouraged to come and learn more about STEM while having some fun.

“Anything from the paper circuit, to button making, to eating pie, anyone will find something fun for them,” said Outreach and Inclusion librarian Catherine Fonseca.

STAR // Braden Cartwright Pi Day festivities will commence at the Lucy statue on Thursday at exactly 3:14 p.m.

“One event we’ll have is this fun activity called a paper circuit. That’s really to highlight our Maker’s Base.” said Fonseca, “The Maker’s Base is a place for students to create, invent and prototype. Just kind of bring their ideas to reality. We have 3-D printers, laser cutters, along with a vast array of technology.”

It’s important that the library holds events like these as students are often times unaware that the school has so many STEM resources.

The Maker’s Base isn’t the only STEM resource the library has to offer. On the library’s website, students are able to find a litany of different databases and filter them in order to find ones that give the best information for their major.

“If you go to the library’s web page and you go to the

A-Z list of article databases you can actually filter by subject,” said Fonseca.

The library also offers its enormous collection of books, from popular reading like Carl Sagan to the more nitty gritty theoretical science materials. Of course, if it doesn’t have a certain book, the library offers collection development, meaning the library can purchase different STEM materials on behalf of the students and faculty of Sonoma State.

“I’ve actually never really heard about these things. I definitely feel like I don’t hear about library sources in general,” said Sonoma State University senior Sarah Eldredge.

While the focus may be on the STEM tools, everyone is welcomed to enjoy the entertaining activities planned.

COURTESY// Sonoma State University Students participate in an InMotion class offered at the Recreation center on campus, Monday through Thrusday.

InMotion classes shake up regular gym routine GABRIELLA NOVELLA STAFF WRITER

W

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hen at the gym, people often get so stuck in a routine that their bodies become accustomed to and find themselves no longer getting sore like they used to in the beginning.

It is important to switch up workouts every four to six weeks in order to continue seeing more results. This can mean learning new workouts, adding more reps, or simply attending workout classes where you’re forced to do something new.

The Sonoma State Recreation Center offers InMotion classes in the Niagra room Monday through Thursday which are open to all students.

Students are not required to sign up, they can simply find the schedule online and walk into any class they desire to attend.

Current classes offered are Flow R&B Yoga, Buti Yoga, Yoga, Kickboxing and Self Defense. All of these different classes can help assist you in being the strongest you can possibly be through moving your body in different ways.

It is important when getting active to do something that’s fun for you and that you genuinely enjoy.

For InMotion, all of the different instructors have a passion for the classes they teach which helps make the classes even more enjoyable. With the other students in the classes attempting the same movements as you, it’s easier to get through that hour workout with the support of everyone beside you. This not only is a good way to switch up your routine, but it’s also a fun way to get moving and remain healthy.

Megan Backs, an Sonoma

State Univeristy yoga instructor, always had a love for for the workout she teaches.

“During my training I learned that yoga truly represents, ‘A mindset done on and off the mat.’

Overall what made me want to be a teacher was because I wanted to increase my knowledge for this practice and I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and help people.” said Backs.

In her yoga class, Backs’ likes to go slower, which is suited for beginners. “Sometimes I use essential oils too.” Backs said.

The Recreation Center also offers a Self Defense class from 5 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“The instructor, Antonio Castro, has a lifetime of martial arts experience that involves learning, training, teaching and learning again. His martial arts background includes black belts in traditional Karate and Kung-fu systems.” Clarence Jones, a university police officer, said.

Jones hopes classes like SelfDefense will become more formal as time goes on.

“I would like to see it become a progressive program where students can build their self-defense skills over the course of a semester rather than on a drop in basis.”

Jones said.

This self defense class is another way to get exercise while preparing yourself for future situations where you may need to protect yourself. This is a class open to all students, whether male or female.

“I will go into a class thinking I’ll be fine and how easy it’ll be for me and I walk away impressed every time.” said senior Daniela Zarich. “People should take advantage of more of these

10 Sports Women’s water polo optimistic about playoffs, despite loss

MARCH. 12 - MARCH. 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

COURTESY // Christina Ferrante Sophomore Hailey Gellert gets up out of the water to shoot the ball.

ALEX FUNCHESS STAFF WRITER

A

lthough the Seawolves fell short against Cal State Monterey Bay last Sunday, Sonoma State’s water polo team is poised to bounce back and qualify for the Western Water Polo Quarterfinals this spring. The team ended their 2018 season on a strong note, finishing third in their division. Now with a 5-8 record, the Seawolves hope to better execute in their next contest while continuing to develop their team chemistry. Senior team captain, Taylor Brooks, is confident her team will have another shot at the WWPA championship if the team continues to focus on their strengths and weaknesses.

“We definitely want to have a winning record and are set on making it to the championship game of the WWPAs,” explained Brooks. “We also want to grow as a team and create good team chemistry. We have a lot of young girls on the team so building is going to be huge in a couple of years.”

The water polo team has undergone many lineup adjustments as a result of graduating players. Losing seniors can always cause setbacks in any college sport, however, Brooks and her team have faith in their younger players. While each teammate brings something different to the table, everyone is capable of overcoming their obstacles.

“We did well last season, but not as good as we had hoped,” the team captain Brooks said. “We went through a lot of changes last year and it become tough to manage everything. This team is very close and I think this year is by far the best we’ve had dynamic wise.”

While the team has a surge of incoming freshman and transfer players this season, it will be crucial for the team to identify their weaknesses early on. In addition to facing injuries and other health complications throughout the season,

the water polo players also set team goals.

“We are focussing a lot on protecting the ball to prevent turnovers and continuing to execute plays during offensive possessions,” Brooks said. “We played in a tournament down in LA and won 3 out of 4 games. We set goals for ourselves and made sure we accomplished them in the most efficient way possible.”

A young team often presents a few obstacles, but the Seawolves proved they can win once they recognize their weaknesses and overcome their challenges in the pool. Players of the water polo team also have their own individual goals as they ultimately look to improve their game. Kelly Failner, also a senior captain on the team, expressed her personal goals in a post-game interview on Sunday.

“I had a decent game and I had a lot of fun,” said Failner. “This is my last season so I’m really looking to enjoy it and make sure my teammates are having a memorable time as well.”

As Failner finishes her final year on the team, she hopes the team can successfully transition their freshman into key role players. While the team looks to train harder, everyone must continue to contribute offensively.

“As a captain my goal is to make sure the team is continuously growing together and building on each other,” Failner said. “Being a threat on offense has always been a challenge for me. I will really push myself this season and help out my team in that area.”

The team is struggling with substitutions as a result of graduating seniors and injuries. While water polo is a very physically demanding sport, Failner and her teammates must continue executing and communicating on defense while continuing to focus on their offensive game. Once in an offensive groove, the Seawolves should expect to qualify for the postseason.

Women’s tennis team wins two games in Oakland

THOMAS PETERSCHMIDT STAFF WRITER

S

onoma State women’s tennis team got a great win as they finally returned to play after weeks of rained out matches. The women's tennis team got to test their skills as they traveled to Oakland to play against two schools, Mills College and Holy Names University.

With the lack of play the Seawolves had to bite the bullet and jump in these matches with little preparation. As the skies clear, it seems that the Seawolves put their best foot forward and delivered flawless matches.

A dominating start against Mills College prepared them for the more challenging Holy Names University. Senior Clarisa Colling said, “Mills isn’t very challenging but their team is sweet and we love how they just enjoy tennis.”

Even with an easier team, the Seawolves lack of practice was noticeable. Junior Jenna DeTurk was well aware of the Seawolves condition. “I think all of us felt a little bit rusty today because we haven’t been able to practice or play enough matches because of the rain,” said DeTurk.

In the first game against Mills College the Seawolves commanded the court, not losing a match to finish off the Cyclones 7-0.

The matches against Mills College prepared them for Holly Names. “Holy Names is a tough team this year and we didn’t lose any matches to them,” said Deturk. DeTurk got to play both doubles and singles matches against the Hawks. She won doubles with her partner Hannah Highsmith by an astounding five sets. DeTurk also finished strong in the singles match battling it out to get the win. The Seawolves were able to pull off all of the matches for the second win of that day.

Freshman Carolyn Brooner was quite pleased with the result of her team. “Everyone gave their all in their matches and we ended up beating the Hawks 7-0,” Brooner said.

As the Seawolves take on a double victory they still need to be aware that there are improvements needed to be made. “We can improve as a team is [by] staying fresh and active since we haven’t had a lot of match play this year. Its hard to get conditioning in.” Brooner said With unfavorable tennis weather, the Seawolves have had trouble finding time to practice for upcoming matches. Restricting the amount of court time without a doubt will have an impact on their play. This will be most evident when the Seawolves face off against teams that have been able to train throughout the season on a dry court.

According to DeTurk, a team goal is,“continuing to find ways to improve our game through conditioning and mental work, while weren't able to play on the court.”

With clearer skies in the forecast, the Seawolves will be able to get out to practice on the court more. “Personal goals for upcoming matches are to stay loose and play my game under pressure,” DeTurk stated.

As a senior Collings understands that this is the time to reach her goals and push her team. “I want to enjoy the time I have left being a student-athlete and spending time with my teammates,” Collings said. “As a team, I think our overall goal is to make it to nationals.

Sonoma State Women’s tennis has never been this strong as a team and we are really close to beating the toughest team in the nation.” Collings said.

With eyes on the future, the Seawolves next games will be on Sonoma State campus against Rollins College on Tuesday, March 12.

COURTESY // sonomaseawolves.com Junior Jenna DeTurk helped the Seawolves sweep Mills College and Holy Names University this past week.

Sports 11

MARCH. 12 - MARCH. 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Men’s baseball wins series versus San Marcos

HOLLY CHANDLER STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Seawolves baseball team won their last game 4-2 making them 3-1 in their season series against the San Marcos Cougars.

The Seawolves played their home series against San Marcos on the Santa Rosa Junior College turf fields due to poor field conditions at the Seawolf Diamond. The rain has been relentless and a big obstacle for the Seawolves to overcome this season.

Sonoma State baseball is now 6-7 in conference games this season. Winning this series was important for the Seawolves after getting swept the previous weekend by the UC San Diego King Tritons.

The Seawolves baseball team came out with fresh attitudes, an unstoppable desire to win and something to prove.

The final game against San Marcos was suspended and only 7 of the 9 innings were played; making the game low scoring and quite suspenseful for the fans.

In the last game against San Marcos’ Sir Gomez was the starting pitcher for the Seawolves and only gave up one run in his four innings against the Cougars.

Matt Remmel was awarded the win after facing one batter and Tyson Canfield was awarded with the save after going one inning.

Remmel said, “Winning this series was huge for us after a bad series against UC San Diego and it gives us momentum going into next weekend” Remmel continued his statement when he said, “We have made some good strides as a team.”

The Seawolves defense did an excellent job at holding the Cougars to only two runs the entire game, allowing the Seawolves to piece together enough runs for a win.

Number 27 Matt Hill came out swinging in the last game and hit a bomb for his first home run of the season over the right field fence.

When Hill was asked about his focus at the plate he said, “In my at-bats in our last game I felt like I was seeing the ball really well and was trying to get a pitch I can handle and put a good swing on” Senior on the team Joshua Lenney was a stand-out player offensively for the Seawolves. Lenney went 3-5 in his at bats against the Cougars, resulting in three game defining RBIs. It is safe to say that without Lenney’s consistent swings the game could have gone quite differently for the Seawolves in their final game against San Marcos.

The Seawolves next series will be away games against the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros in Carson, CA on March 15-17.

“For preparation I think we mainly just need to take care of the little details, especially since it has been raining so much we haven’t had much time on the field,” Joshua Lenney said The Sonoma State Seawolves baseball team will have their next home series on the weekend of March 22-24 against the Cal Poly Pomona Mustangs. For further dates and scores go to sonomaseawolves.com.

COURTESY // Bailey Stone Senior Bryce Vitt up to bat against San Marcos.

Men’s golf places 1st overall at SoCal Intercollegiate

JOEY PIOMBO STAFF WRITER

T

he Sonoma State Men's Golf team traveled to Santee, California last weekend to compete in a tournament at the Carlton Oaks Golf Club. This tournament was hosted by the Academy of Arts. Here, 16 teams showcased their skills meaning the Seawolves were forced to compete with some great competition. Some teams that made the trip as well were Western New Mexico University, California State University, East Bay, and the University of California, San Diego.

The team travelled down on Sunday.

The Seawolves brought five of their seven team members to travel and compete. Throughout the two day tournament the competition was non-stop. The team played 54 overall holes throughout the tournament which equated to two rounds on Monday and one on Tuesday. This means that each member of the Seawolves would be testing themselves against at least 18 challenging holes a day. The team travelled to San Diego and spent the night in a hotel.

When talking to senior golfer Dexter Simonds, he helped explain how the tournament was scored when saying, “Each team brings five players and for each round you take the best four scores from your team… The lowest team score after three rounds wins.” With these rules, each team must focus on playing every hole with passion. Each of the five team members contributes to the teams overall score which means teamwork is essential when placing high in the standings.

The group achieved first place out of fifteen teams. A phenomenal team win will surely help their national rankings in the future. Another team member, junior Blake Bourelle shot third lowest of the tournament. This accomplishment meant that the Seawolves took care of business individually and as a team.

With every successful placing there are always lessons to be learned and improvements to be made. The team was satisfied with their first place placement. When talking to Junior Devin Gregg he described their time in San Diego saying, “We went out to dinner one night but besides that it was mainly just business. The team clearly took care of business and earned themselves the number one spot which will surely help them on the national rankings.”

The teams season is far from over. After a win it is easy to be complacent but the Seawolves are going to continue to work

hard and focus on growing as a team. When asked about what the team could possibly improve on senior golfer Spencer Clapp said, “We learned that we need to stay mentally tough out there.”

The teams next tournament is on March 18 and 19. The team will be competing in East Bay’s Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout. To help support the team or follow their future tournaments visit sonomaseawolves.com.

12 Photo

MARCH 12 - MARCH 18, 2019 sonomastatestar.com

Miss Greek brings all sororities together for some friendly competition

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld Daisy Agers from Alpha Gamma Delta introduces herself to the crowd during Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity Inc. Miss Greek pageant on Wednesday night.

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld Ella Gomez (right) from Lambda Kappa Pi shows off her painting skills in under a few minutes during the talent portion.

STAR // Christine von Raesfeld For her talent, Reilly Milton (middle) from Phi Sigma Sigma dances to a routine with her sisters, which lead to her taking home the win.

STAR // Jacob Loher Logan Gossett (left) and Korey Smith (right) smile as they hold their bowling balls in preperation to play.

STAR // Jacob Loher Juan Maggi crouches as he waits to see if he bowled a strike at Double Decker Lanes Thursday night during free bowling night.

STAR // Jacob Loher Sonoma State students play against each other during the first round of the Glitched: Smash Brothers video game Tournament on Friday.

STAR // Brandon Sparks Ricardo Pulido focuses on his homework in the Wine Spectator Learning Center.