Oak leaf Spring 2017 Issue 4

The Santa Rosa Junior College Newspaper

SGA Election Special Edition: Presidential Endorsement Inside

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April 10, 2017

Volume CXXXVII, Issue IV

Arthur Gonzales-Martin/ Oak Leaf

Hundreds of people take to the Santa Rosa streets March 18 demanding increased rights for the transgender community after Preisdent Donald Trump rolled back federal guidelines concerning bathroom usage.

J USTICE B EYOND G ENDER

Simon Isaksson

Executive Editor & Co-News Editor Santa Rosa’s transgender community is stepping into the light, demanding basic human rights. The minority group is one of the most vulnerable in the United States and many believe its

members will experience increased difficulties under the presidency of Donald Trump.

One setback for the transgender community came a month after Trump took office. Federal guidelines regarding transgender students’ right to use the bathroom of their choice were rolled back. As a response to the policy change, hundreds of people took to the streets March 18 in downtown

Santa Rosa to show support for transgender students and youth.

“We raise awareness in the Sonoma County area about transgender rights for students and I feel like it was a very powerful demonstration,” said Jasmine De La Torre, protest organizer and Santa Rosa Junior College alumnus. “We have to stand up for our rights because right now we are being attacked. They are attacking our youth, who are very vulnerable and are our future.”

Trump’s political policies cause distress in an already oppressed community. According to the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), 78 percent of transgender or gender non-conforming people reported harassment while in grades K-12. Forty percent of genderexpansive youth said they were often or frequently excluded by their peers, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The NTDS survey also

found that 90 percent of transgender people experienced harassment in the workplace and one in four said they lost their jobs because they were transgender or gender non-conforming.

Furthermore, transgender and other gender non-conforming people in the United States attempt suicide at nearly ten times the rate of the overall population, according to a 2014 survey by the Williams Institute at UCLA.

A bathroom isn’t enough

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It’s imperative that the SRJC community support transgender rights Bastian Snow Contributing Writer

Opinion Sometimes I feel like I know the whole of the transgender community of Sonoma County. This is, of course, an exaggeration. However, there’s no lack of weight to the meaning behind that exaggeration, behind that feeling. On the afternoon of March 18, as folks began to flood the streets to attend Santa Rosa’s March for Trans Youth, I

s on Instagram

couldn’t help but be struck by the number of familiar faces. The truth behind my exaggeration is this: We stick together in order to survive.

For the most part, folks I already knew planned the march, including Rex Green and Jasmine De La Torre. There were a lot of amazing people who helped plan the event, including members of local organizations aimed toward activism and allyship for the LGBTQQIAA community. The organizers of this march, including Green and De La Torre, are more affected by the issues we fight for than I could ever

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imagine in my limited, privileged experience as a transmasculine white person writing an article.

They have to be named.

Trans women of color are the most affected by the violence against trans people in our country and all over the world. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, that will only worsen. So, when Trump undid the small step forward that was Obama’s bathroom bill, De La Torre immediately saw the need to stand up and take action. At the march, De La Torre gave a moving speech, detailing her

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struggles as an openly trans teenager in high school. She suffered from a gross amount of bullying, as most trans youth do. She had to walk to her high school nurse’s office just to find a restroom she could use without harassment.

Unfortunately, campus attitudes haven’t changed much since De La Torre was a high school student.

Despite our community’s self-proclaimed liberal leanings, there is an appalling lack of effort to create safe spaces for trans youth on school campuses. A few years ago, Santa Rosa Junior College made a

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big fuss about creating gender neutral restrooms for trans students.

Unfortunately, the effort was more self-congratulatory than effective.

On paper, it looks great. The campus now has a small handful of gender-neutral restrooms explicitly for the purpose of gender inclusion. In reality, the school simply changed the signage of three or four restrooms in some of the oldest and least maintained buildings on campus. Students often need to walk way across campus to use the restroom with any hope of safety.

Continues on page 8....

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News Activists push for increased transgender awareness 2

April 10, 2017

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....Continued from cover

Editors-in-Chief

Albert Gregory and James Wyatt Executive Editor

Simon Isaksson

Section Editors Co-A&E Editor | Rachel Genthe Co-A&E Editor | Beatriz Verneaux Features Editor | Tom Rivas Co-News Editor | Chris Ludlow Co-News Editor | Simon Isaksson Opinion Editor | Grant Wetmore Sports Editor | Ali Benzerara Staff Writers Arthur Gonzales-Martin, Luke Straub, Olivia Wray, Ruby Zheng, Travis LaBrucherie, and Will Mathis.

Cartoonist Leslie Carrier Photographers Arthur Gonzalez-Martin Distribution Manager Travis LaBrucherie Layout Team Devin Schwarz, section editors and editors-in-chief LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We appreciate your feedback. Send letters to oakleafonline@gmail.com or to the Oak Leaf office. Letters should include first and last name and be limited to 300 words. Letter may be edited for style, length, clarity and taste. Libelous or obscene letters will not be printed.

Contact Newsroom: 707-527-4401 Ads Office: 707-527-4254 Advisor: Abigail Peterson: 707-527-4867 apeterson@santarosa.edu Peer Assisted Learning Specialist Devin Schwarz EMAIL oakleafstaff@gmail.com Advertising Manager/Teaching Assistant Keshia Knight oakleaf-ads@santarosa.edu

Correction In the Oak Leaf newspaper published March 13, we wrote that international students would not be able to continue to work in the campus bookstores as ownership switched to corporate. We also wrote that no international students worked for SRJC’s bookstores by the time the paper was printed.

This information came from a source with insight, but turned out to be wrong. International students were working for the SRJC bookstores and are able to continue their employment under Follett.

At least 22 fatally violent incidents against transgender people occurred 2016 in the United States. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there have been at least eight transgender victims of fatal violence so far this year.

Ariel Erskine, an SRJC public relations department staff member, spoke about her own experiences as a trans woman during the Santa Rosa rally. While she believes SRJC had a slow start in its support of transgender students, she now appreciates the school’s efforts.

“One positive of the discourse and the attack on our rights on the national level is that places like the junior college have really stepped up to try to set a more progressive and inclusive environment,” Erskine said. “They are making a lot of efforts to change bathroom signage to be all-gender, thus removing the issues of what bathroom to use, or if you happen to be non-binary trying to [choose] between two signs neither which apply for you, now there are Simon Isaksson/ Oak Leaf bathrooms with the appropriate signage Brianna McGuire, former SRJC student, one of many participants in the Santa Rosa march for transgender rights. for everybody to use.”

She added, “it can seem like a small include transgender students in the Fundamental terms to know thing to those who have not had to college community.

LGBTQQIAA “The JC making visible, vocal and think about what bathroom to use, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-attracted, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Ally active statements saying they are in but for the transgender community Gender identity it is a big deal and goes a long way to support is, on the superficial and simple An individual internal experience of being male, female, or else. A person’s gender idensense if it, a good thing,” Kramer said. normalize and make us feel safe.” tity is not visible to others and can only be defined by the individual.

SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong did “But there needs to be more action. If Gender binary not participate in the Santa Rosa rally, you want to be an ally, be an ally, don’t The classification of sex and gender as two polar forms with no grey area in between: mascubut said he cannot stress enough how just say that.” line and feminine. It’s used as a social boundary keeping people from crossing gender roles.

Kramer does not believe the genderimportant it is to him that transgender Gender non-binary/genderqueer neutral bathrooms at SRJC are enough. students feel welcomed at SRJC. People who are non-binary can define with an overlap of gender identities, having two “People who are gender non“We want to make sure transgender or more genders (bigender, trigender, pangender), having no gender (agender, neutrois), move fluidly between genders (genderfluid), being third gender. conforming, gender queer or rejection students feel safe here,” Chong said.

Cisgender of the binary people are going to “Having grown up in New York City Someone who identifies as being the gender assigned at birth, corresponding to their appreciate that [the gender-neutral and worked in San Francisco and the biological sex. bathrooms] a whole lot more, because Bay Area, the LGBTQ community Gender non-conforming is one that I’m very close to… I think these are people who necessarily are not A variance of behavior or gender expression by an individual that does not match mascomfortable with the binary bathrooms the honest truth is that the intolerance, culine and feminine gender norms. set up pretty much everywhere.

It ignorance and lack of exposure they doesn’t help me receive are often Misgender as much though, due to our lack An act of violence when a person uses a word, or a pronoun, that doesn’t directly correspond with a person’s gender identity. as a binary trans of knowledge.

Allyship woman of color. ” The transgender “If you want to be A conscious practice of unlearning oppressive behavior and operating in solidarity with Kramer explains community is marginalized groups. an ally, be an ally, how guiding coming out of the -Compiled by Beatriz Verneaux, Co-A&E-Editor transgender shadows, and we don’t just say that.” students to the issues of transgender students. have a lot to learn.” she appreciated that hundreds of use specific Chong said he “Talk about how to interact with people spoke up and showed support - Kaiya Kramer, g e n d e r- n e ut r a l trans people and what language to during the Santa Rosa rally, she said it is content with SRJC’s support SRJC student and activist bathrooms could use,” Kramer said. “Tell teachers to is important for transgender activists come with a risk. for transgender ask, at the beginning of a class, for to remember to work hard even when “The gender- everybody to go around and ask what they are not in the spotlight. students. He works neutral bathrooms the others’ preferred gender pronouns together with the “Marches have their place in terms are supposed to are. That would be a simple thing. of increasing visibility and awareness, President’s Advisory Committee with issues on how to make be for everybody to go to, but those There needs to be an understanding of but at the end of the day when people the college more welcoming to people of us who are trans and are trying to what the pronouns are, the difference have marched, they go home and that is not necessarily draw attention to our expressions and identities and how to not what makes changes,” Kramer said. within the LGBTQ community.

“One of the things we are very trans status are doing so by just going be supportive.”

“What makes change in this world is proud of is that we have been very to gender-neutral bathrooms. Drawing Kramer believes Trump is letting calling your representatives, working at proactive in terms of accommodation attention to ourselves comes with the transgender community down non-profits, doing volunteer work and in restrooms. We have been working potential danger.” by removing federal protections consistent boring activism—which is Kramer points to the coffee chain on the basis of gender identity and what I consider a lot of the work I do together with the LGBTQ community trying to support them after the attacks Starbucks and their effort to make all sexual orientation. on a daily basis.” from President Trump,” Chong said. their bathrooms gender neutral in “President Trump has definitely Kramer encourages SRJC students “I wrote an e-mail to the community order to level the playing field. taken a strong stance against the and others who question their gender “That is something I see is an option trans and larger LGBTQQIAA identity or sexual orientation to reach which basically reaffirmed our support for SRJC too,” she said. “Another community which is contrary out and get help. for anti-discrimination and the thing, perhaps easier for the JC, is to the beginning when he said right for people to choose to use the “There is plenty of help. There is a to make strong statements that trans that he was a friend. But actions crisis hotline that you can just call and bathroom of their choice.”

Chong encourages people to come people are welcome in the bathroom speak louder than words,” Kramer there are mental health professionals up with ways to make transgender that they identify with. Most of us said. “He is waging war against a trained in gender identity,” Kramer who exist along the gender-binary minority group which has no room said. “And for you allies, it’s not the students feel included on campus.

SRJC student Kaiya Kramer, want to use the bathrooms everybody to protect itself.” queer community that needs to act, host of Calistoga’s KBBF 89.1 FM else are using.”

Kramer was not able to participate it’s all of you. Our allies are the most Kramer would also like to see staff in the Santa Rosa march for important. Please be an ally, be active Radio’s show “The Queer Life,” is not members at SRJC receive training on transgender students’ rights. Although and make strong actions of support.” satisfied with the school’s efforts to

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Standing Rock at SRJC Chris Ludlow

Co-News Editor The pipeline protesters and water protectors of Standing Rock, North Dakota, continue the fight for clean water and an end to the construction of oil pipelines in Native American tribal territory six weeks after the camps were raided and evicted.

The effort, which began almost one year ago, reached Santa Rosa Junior College April 3 as an event by Standing Rock Sioux tribal member and activist Chase Iron Eyes drew a crowd to fill Bertolini Center.

Dr. Brenda Flyswithhawks, behavioral sciences department instructor, was responsible for bringing Iron Eyes to SRJC. Flyswithhawks said she wanted students, faculty and staff to hear the truth about the water stronghold at Standing Rock and the movement that continues today.

“The Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline resistance has awakened the spirit of the resistance and called attention to the injustices that continue to exist not just in Indian Country but across the world. It has reminded all of us that water is sacred and the environmental rights for one are the environmental rights for all,” Flyswithhawks said.

Iron Eyes played a key role on the front lines of the demonstration, providing legal services and hosting tribal leadership. He gave a first-hand view of the complicated dynamic that led to the raids and subsequent dissolution of the protest.

“What people faced out there was extremely serious; people faced deadly force. People faced corporate sponsored state

executed violence and brutality,” Iron Eyes said. He detailed how North Dakota law enforcement officers and national guardsmen at Standing Rock encroached on the Fourth Amendment rights of the protesters and how he believed they used psychological warfare to deter the movement.

According to the Associated Press, over the course of the protests the state of North Dakota spent $38 million on policing costs. Many peaceful demonstrations in the area turned violent despite the efforts of the Standing Rock Sioux members and their allies. However, Iron Eyes explained that the violence was perpetrated by the police rather than the protestors, who are often branded as ‘rioters.’

Iron Eyes detailed these violent acts committed by the pipeline enforcers, ranging from the use of K-9 units that reportedly injured several protesters, bean bag rounds and pepper spray, nausea-inducing high-pitched sirens to disperse the crowds, and useage of water cannons during below freezing temperatures which caused concern for widespread hypothermia among the protestors. These injustices were reported by several media outlets, such as the New York Times.

Iron Eyes described how after witnessing the inhumane treatment of the pipeline protesters, more than 4,000 U.S. military officers and veterans arrived at Standing Rock to bring aid and support. Iron Eyes believed the veterans’ involvement was perhaps the most significant turning point of the movement for the way it called into question the loyalties of the officers protecting the pipeline’s construction.

“Who in that situation is upholding law and order? Who is

Mi Casa:

News

Co-Editor-in-Chief A new workspace named MI CASA (Multicultural Innovation Center for Academic Success and Achievement) opened April 3 for all Santa Rosa Junior College students to use.

The Latino population has more than doubled since 2000, according to data from the SRJC office of Institutional Research. In 2014, it reached over 30 percent, meeting the requirement to become a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and receive federal funds.

The Department of Education, which funds MI CASA, issued a $2.65 million Title V grant to SRJC. The idea behind MI CASA is to give students a place to call their own and to form networks with other students while accessing resources that will help improve student success.

Located in Garcia Hall, room 860, the MI CASA workspace can accommodate approximately 50 students at one time.

With two large rooms, the area has space for students to receive help, socialize or have group meetings in one room and study quietly in the other. The center also offers printing resources, five desktop computers, one desktop computer for students with

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James Wyatt/ Oak Leaf

Sioux Tribal member and Standing Rock activist Chase Iron Eyes speaks to a packed crowd in the Lawrence A. Bertolini Center at Santa Rosa Junior College April 3. The event gave students insight into one of the most controversial protests in the U.S.

protecting the constitution? Who is protecting human rights, civil rights, the water? Who is right and who is wrong? Who is the traitor in that situation? Who is the patriot in that situation?” Iron Eyes said.

With media coverage of the protests and added pressure from veterans, former President Barack Obama’s administration announced Dec. 4 that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would not grant the final easement to continue construction on the pipeline. President Donald Trump reversed Obama’s ruling with an executive order Jan. 24 to advance the approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines and authorize raids to clear the camps.

“In effect they said, ‘Indian, you can protest this pipeline, that we’re going to force into your lands by gunpoint. You can protest that pipeline. We support your right to protest that pipeline as loudly as

SRJC creates home for diverse student body

James Wyatt

April 10, 2017

visual or hearing disabilities and 20 laptops which can be rented out and used within the two rooms.

“We want MI CASA to be a one-stop place for those who really need it, and a lot of students need a special family atmosphere. We don’t know students’ stories, struggles or their needs, but this gives them a place to call home,” said Juan Arias, project director for Hispanic Serving Institutions initiative at SRJC. “I want MI CASA to be similar to ‘Cheers’ [the TV show], where everybody knows your name.”

MI CASA has been unofficially open to students since late February and already students are taking advantage of the resources.

“Since they have been at this location I have been coming in every day doing work,” said Joel Anguiano. “I pop in between classes and after class because I usually do my work before I go home so I don’t have to worry about it, which is really convenient with all of the resources.”

For Anguiano, MI CASA provides the security of knowing he can use a computer, where at home he has to share a laptop with his siblings. “I’m taking 16 units so it’s quite a bit of work, so this helps a lot,” Anguiano said.

MI CASA is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

you want, because we value your right to voice your opinion,” Iron Eyes said. “‘You can beat your tongtong and sing your chants as loud as you want. We respect that. But were still going to build this pipeline.’

That’s what happened.”

As a result of the Standing Rock camp clearing raids, Iron Eyes now belongs to a list of more than 800 protesters who face criminal charges, including various counts of ‘inciting a riot.’ However, the fight is far from over. Iron Eyes noted that with the executive order of the president, the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will begin in about a year.

Cheyenne tribal territory will be encroached upon much like the Sioux Tribe’s land has been.

Financing has not been lined up for the Keystone project as of yet, and Iron Eyes expressed his belief that by being active at the local level, places like the SRJC and the city of Santa Rosa are prime grounds for divestment actions.

SRJC student Itzel Macedonio, was one of many people captivated by Iron Eyes’ call to action.

“Chase Iron Eyes’ presentation made me feel disappointed about how ‘far’ we have advanced in today’s society. That is, it’s disappointing that we have to fight for clean water, which is a basic human need and that Native Americans are continuing to struggle for their human rights,” Macedonio said. “He showed me how much work we have ahead of us.”

Iron Eyes believes that despite the result, Standing Rock was a symbol for the American people. Along with millions of others, he believes this movement has only just begun.

“We cannot let this fire go out. We’ve got to stay strong. We need to put out our media, craft our legal strategies, advocate for divestment and present a strong unified progressive front,” Iron Eyes said.

View the video of Iron Eyes’ speech on SRJC’s YouTube channel.

College calls for sexual assault awareness Ali Benzerara Sports Editor April is the month of sexual assault awareness and Santa Rosa Junior College is taking proactive steps to bring the issue of sexual assault to the attention of its students.

On April 6, SRJC students received an email from the department of human resources and the department of student services requiring them to take an online sexual assault awareness training called “Think About It,” created by the University of San Francisco and an online resource called CampusClarity to help schools comply with the Title IX and the Campus SaVE act.

Both Title IX, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972, and the Campus SaVE act, signed by President Barack Obama in 2013, require colleges to provide sexual misconduct prevention training to their students.

“Think About It” is an in-depth training course focused on all genders and their risk to sexual misconduct. The training focuses on how to prevent sexual misconduct and assault and dives into aspects of why sexual misconduct is a rising problem. It also addresses how to deal with the problem at school and in areas of personal life and provides steps on how to take appropriate action.

“It’s important that students know how to report sexual misconduct and know what

resources are available,” said Stephanie Jarrett, manager of training and compliance at SRJC. “It is trainings like ‘Think About It’ that I hope encourage victims of sexual misconduct to come forward and report. Our goal is to make sure that students feel empowered to report sexual misconduct to the title office and to our district police.”

Students are required to complete the online training by May 6. As part of the online course, students must read and electronically sign SRJC’s sexual misconduct policy.

The training takes between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on how much students already know and provides knowledge on how to prevent and take action against sexual misconduct for all genders. Faculty and staff are also required to undergo training every year to prevent and bring awareness to sexual misconduct.

In addition, SRJC has events lined up throughout the month to spread awareness against sexual misconduct.

Sexual assault awareness events PEERS Breaking Down Rape Culture Workshop 4-6 p.m., April 13, in the Bertolini Student Center.

Feminists United, Swipe Right, Do Right Workshop April 20, at 5:30 p.m., in the Center for Student leadership.

Denim Day/Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, 2p.m., April 26, at Bailey Field.

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April 10, 2017

Short films: Grant Wetmore

A&E

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Petaluma film fest showcases visually pleasing cinematography from local aspiring film makers

for the entire 65 seconds, you’re a braver person than I am.

Opinion Editor The ninth annual Sonoma County Student Film Festival on the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma campus featured 22 short films, all made by aspiring local filmmakers including both high school students and retirees. The films took a variety of forms, from comedy to horror and everything in between. Though each film was magnificent in its own way, five films were awarded Best of Show.

The five winning films, listed below, will be showcased at the Film Fest Petaluma on May 6 at Mystic Theatre.

“Labeled” This extremely short film packs more terror into 65 seconds than most horror movies do in an hour and a half. Directed by SRJC student Ken Davis, the film has a heightened sense of tension and a shocking ending, told entirely through imagery and expression without any dialogue.

If you aren’t on the edge of your seat

“The End” If you ever wondered what it would be like to attend your own funeral, this is the film to see. Directed by SRJC student Jarrod C. Wallace, “The End” takes place from the first-person perspective of a recently deceased man. For some people, like the film’s mortician, death is just a job. For others, such as the mourners at the memorial service, it is a soulcrushing experience.

“Little Soldiers” “Little Soldiers” is symbol-laden film about lost innocence, war and the glorification of violence in entertainment. Directed by SRJC student Miles Levin, the film follows three boys as they play make-believe war in the woods, where a sudden twist of events leads to a confrontation with the ugly aftermath of killing. In real life, there is no “re-spawning.” Real bullets bring real pain and death.

Hip Hop Culture

By Ali Benzerara

Keeping America woke with “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$” The hip-hop community was disappointed when Kendrick Lamar announced he pushed back the April 7 release date for his fourth studio album to later this month.

However, Joey Bada$$ stepped in to fill the void with his latest album “ALLAMERIKKKAN BADA$$,” released April 7. With this new album and the prior release of “We Got It from Here…

Thank You 4 Your Service” by A Tribe Called Quest in November of 2016, ‘woke,’ or conscious rap has come back into the mainstream with full force.

When gangsta rap hit the hip-hop community in the early ‘80s, white America was surprised by the lyrics and raw material being produced in urban ghettos. Since then—aside from a few artist and groups through the decades—a lot of mainstream rap and hip-hop has been feel good music with bumping bass and glamorous lyrics, lacking the revolutionary impact it once had.

With the 2016 presidential election, many Americans, especially the millennial generation, became ‘woke’.

This word, derived from African American vernacular, has worked its way into the mainstream lately, used to describe political, social and racial oppression throughout the United States as well as a global aspect.

Arguably one of the most slept-on rappers in 2016 was Joey Bada$$. If you’ve seen his five fingers of death on Sway in the Morning, then you know what I mean; if not, get on YouTube and watch it. However, “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$” cannot be ignored.

The first song, “GOOD MORNING

AMERIKKKA,” sets the tone for the whole album as he talks about the definition of freedom, police brutality and the social injustices that AfricanAmericans face everyday.

One motif represented throughout the album is they way Joey Bada$$ spells and even raps America. A few of his songs as well as the album title spells America “Amerikkka”. In his song “LAND OF THE FREE” the chorus goes: “Three A’s, two K’s in Amerikkka/ Just a black spade born out the nebula.”

I’m sure we can all guess what the underrated artist might be hinting at.

And if you’re still not entirely sure, check out the music video for “LAND OF THE FREE” and you will surely be able to figure it out.

All 12 songs on the album have incorporated a ‘woke’ message, however; some really stand out in their message as the lyrics call out Donald Trump, Fox News, the U.S. government, the American Dream, white privilege and white America, just to name a few.

Five of the most revolutionary songs on this album include: “SUPER PREDATOR,” RING THE ALARM,” “LAND OF THE FREE,” “BABYLON” and “FOR MY PEOPLE.” Some notable feature artists on the album include Schoolboy Q, Style P and J. Cole, among others.

This is an album that will go down in history as a window into America during these awry and unjust times.

But the biggest message incorporated in “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$,” is to stay ‘woke’ and use your voice as a tool for revolution during these times in Amerikkka.

Arthur Gonzalez-Martin/Oak Leaf

Audience attentively watches the selection of shorts, some submitted by SRJC students, April 7 on the Petaluma campus.

“Whereabouts” Co-directed by Santa Rosa High School students Connor Macheras, Griffin Malone and Andy Huey, “Whereabouts” is a cheerful, feel-good film that chronicles a day in the life of an adventurous boy. This film brings nostalgia of younger days when the world was ours to explore and when

going outside was a grand undertaking.

From the first moments to the very end, you will be smiling and tapping along to this film’s outstanding soundtrack.

a young boy who longs to be able to fly. Compared to some of the other films, the story is somewhat basic, but the film is anything but. The technical qualities of the film were excellent, “Lift” especially in the montage sequences, Perhaps the most inspiring film and the director deserves special of the festival, “Lift,” directed by kudos for pulling off the film’s final, SRJC student Louie Poore, features magical scene.

All icing, no cake

Power Rangers should morph into a better movie Grant Wetmore Opinion Editor

The “Power Rangers” is certainly flashy. You know what else is flashy?

A golden pile of shit. If the Power Rangers hold a special place in your heart, then you might want to take a chance and see this movie. If you are looking for a good film playing now in wide release, “Power Rangers” has its moments. If you came for the action, prepare to wait awhile.

“Power Rangers” is a C-rate franchise reboot. It starts out in an uncannily similar way to “The Breakfast Club.” Three outcasts meet in detention. One is a football star who fell from grace. One is a former cheerleader, now the victim of the mean girls. And the third is autistic and constantly bullied. The three wind up in a mine outside their small town of Angel Grove. There they meet a loner who plays by his own rules and a quirky young woman the others call “Crazy Girl.” They find five coins that change them into superheroes overnight. With their new powers, they find a buried spaceship with a robot and a talking wall who reveal to them they are now Power Rangers.

The five teenagers must now train together in order to stop Rita, a painfully clichéd villain who plans to steal a life crystal or something.

First, let’s start with what the movie did right. The camerawork was surprisingly expressive for a superhero movie. In the beginning, there is a scene where Jason, the Red Ranger, is running away from the cops in a mascot prank gone horribly wrong. What transpires is a car chase not ordinary car chase. We see it not from outside, but from the backseat of Jason’s truck. As if someone was holding a camera in the back and moving it the way a person would

Courtesy of aftercredits.com

Although a rendition of Power Rangers seemed appealing, the result was mediocre.

move their head to see what was going on. Unfortunately, this is the only sequence that stood out in a good way. The sad truth is sometimes the camerawork had more action than the fighting itself.

Scenes transition suddenly and without warning. One instance of this jarring switch-up comes after the Power Rangers finish a disappointing day of training. Zack, the Black Ranger, suggests they should have a campout on the mountain. Just as the group is about to set up a cozy campfire, the scene changes to Jason back inside the ship. It’s almost like a crucial segment explaining the change in scenery was lost.

Now, let’s get down to action. If you came to the movie expecting it to be action-packed, you are going to be greatly disappointed. The first quarter of this two hour long movie is exposition. The middle half showed the group in training so they could

bond and morph into their iconic armor. It is only in the last quarter of the film they are able to morph and get into some real fighting. Maybe all the real action takes place so late in the game because the studio wanted to save money on special effects. The fighting itself is shallow and without substance. Sure, it’s a step up from a bunch of guys doing flips and tricks in an open field. But at least that was real. The action in “Power Rangers” seems manufactured, almost fake.

Zack illustrates this perfectly—every time he lets out a battle cry, it’s the most unconvincing yell ever uttered.

It’s as if they ran out of time and went with the best thing they had.

What this movie lacks is zeal.

Somewhere along the line, the moviemakers traded that special oomph that made the Power Rangers the Power Rangers. What they got in return was CGI Rangers and dinorobots just through the motions.

A&E Quick Bites

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Jack and Tony’s Restaurant and Whisky Bar 115 Fourth St., Santa Rosa Happy hour 4-6 p.m. every day.

Take a page from the Three Little Pigs and hideout from the wolves of the world. Find solace within the brick structure of Jack and Tony’s Restaurant and Whisky Bar during happy hour from 4-6 p.m. every day.

Located on fourth street in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square, Jack and Tony’s offers both a dining room and a bar with more than 400 different whiskeys. Each bottle has its own story, and the bar’s owner, Jack Mitchell will tell you all about it.

Classic rock and friendly patrons give the bar a welcoming, comfortable vibe as the bartenders possess a deep knowledge about whiskey, evident in the bar menu’s flavor combinations.

To start off your bar experience, order a mildly spiced yet deliciously refreshing Kentucky Tea. A perfect balance of ginger, mint, lemon and bourbon will invigorate your taste buds. Fresh ginger gives the drink an energized amount of spice, complemented by the bright freshness of lemon. Maker’s

Mark provides a smooth but robust, oaky finish with a slight stimulating bit of mint. It’s a perfect drink to cut into any stressful day.

If you want a more spirit-forward drink, Jack and Tony’s makes a great Old Fashioned with their own single barrel Eagle Rare bourbon, with a classic flavor profile of vanilla and spiced and a smooth finish.

Once you’ve enjoyed a drink, the bar menu is relatively cheap during happy hour, offering a diverse, flavorful menu beyond just standard pub food. Oysters on the half shell and bacon-wrapped scallops are an easy road to flavor town.

Yea, flavor town, it’s a real place.

The asparagus salad showcases the depth of flavors available at the bar, with its tasty balance of greens, cheese and vinaigrette. The blanched and chilled asparagus has just the right amount of bite. Nutty, salty Parmesan cheese balances out the greens, while the basil vinaigrette keeps the dish energized.

While there are wineries and tequila bars throughout the North Bay area, for those all about whiskey Jack and Tony’s is a great addition to the scene.

-James Wyatt

Himalayan Cafe & Grill

Carlos’ Country Kitchen

The Himalayan Cafe & Grill is a special treat. Sometimes you need to be whisked away from the stress of school— even if only for 30 minutes.

The menu features traditional Indian curries, tandoori grilled meats with a variety of naan breads, fried noodles and Asian-style dumplings called Himalayan momos.

The mid-day lunch specials are a money saver. Start off with wonderfully spicy vegetarian samosas for $5.99. Try them chaat style, with tangy apples and onions and a yogurt sauce instead of the traditional mint-cilantro sauce and tamarind chutney. The pakoras, vegan-friendly and gluten-free fritters of mixed vegetables in besan or gram flour, are also a nice starter for $4.99.

Curries make a great entrée. Get the chicken tikka masala curry, yogurt marinated tandoori roasted chicken breast in a mild creamy sauce, or the matar paneer masala curry, fresh homemade cheese cubes with peas cooked in a mild cream sauce.

Lamb aloo curry and tandoori grilled marinated pork ribs are also great choices. Lunch specials range from $9-10, which include rice and a cup of yellow lentil soup called dal.

Finish the meal with a hot or iced chai and it’s a done deal.

-Rachel Genthe

If you love breakfast food but lack motivation to cook before class, you need to try Carlos’ Country Kitchen.

Conveniently located one mile away from the Santa Rosa campus on the corner of West College and North Dutton avenues, Carlos’ Country Kitchen opens at 4:30 a.m. every day; so there’s no reason not to grab a bite before that 7:30 a.m. class.

As you enter the restaurant, there is an immediate smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Cheerful red-checkered curtains line the windows. In addition, Carlos greets, waits on and cooks for long-time regulars, creating a home-style feel perfectly matching the amazing breakfast aroma.

I went at about 9:30 a.m. before a 10:30 a.m. Tuesday class. I sat down and within two minutes was asked if I was ready to order. The menu is fairly large with primarily breakfast items and a small lunch section.

I decided to go with the classic bacon and eggs country breakfast.

They come with cottage fries or hash browns, eggs and toast, and you can add biscuits and gravy for only $2.75.

The breakfast was everything I expected and more. Not only did it take just seven minutes to receive my food, but I couldn’t believe how much

1880 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

Revolutionary Latino musical opens at SRJC Olivia Wray Staff Writer Many young adults search for their place in the world and struggle to decide what to do with their lives. Turns out, young adult characters in Broadway musicals do too.

The characters of “In the Heights,” the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical winner, find their tight-knit community is the most important part of their lives and the source of their strength.

The musical opens April 21 in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Auditorium.

Taking place in the immigrant neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City, the musical dramatizes the many pressures immigrants face as they start businesses, build homes and families and yearn for relatives living far away. Latin dance numbers and vibrant characters tell the unique story.

The show features creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s unique, modern, hip-hop beats intertwined with classic Broadway show tunes and beautiful Latin rhythms. Many know Miranda as the writer and star of “Hamilton,” a recent Broadway phenomenon and 2016 Tony winner now playing in San Francisco. Recently, Miranda’s musical talent has taken new paths with songwriting credits on Disney’s animated feature “Moana” and a role in the new Mary Poppins sequel, now filming in London.

SRJC students could not have been more excited to participate in this semester’s musical production. While some schools have struggled to cast non-white actors for “In the Heights,” many of those who auditioned for the show at

April 10, 2017

Courtesy of SRJC Theater Department

The cast consists of a diverse range of actors of all races , remaining true to the creator’s vision.

SRJC were people of color. The show’s director, John Shillington, was pleased to find how many students of color wanted to be involved in the production. He believes the production becomes more powerful the more the actors are intertwined with their roles, and that it helps make Miranda’s message of unity more clear to the audience.

“In the Heights” makes an important point about diversity in theater. It gives voice not only to Latino Americans, but African Americans, Asian Americans and other immigrant communities.

Shillington chose to include the production this semester because of its timeliness, dramatizing the current issue of immigration in our country.

As a past resident of Guatemala and father of two Guatemalan children, Shillington holds Latino culture dear. “We need to spread awareness about humanizing the immigrant community,” he said.

SRJC actors are part of a production that has a lot to say to its audience about our current culture and state of mind. It’s a show not to be missed.

“In the Heights” runs April 21 through May 7, with both matinee and evening performances.

Tickets are $12-22.

90 College Ave., Santa Rosa Open daily at 4:30 a.m.

5

food was included: two large eggs cooked to order, four pieces of bacon, four pieces of buttery toast and a more than healthy serving of hash browns.

Bacon, the staple of the American breakfast, can make or break a restaurant. At Carlos’ Country Kitchen it definitely made it. The bacon was thick cut and crispy, and you could tell by the taste that this bacon was fresh, never frozen.

The biscuits and gravy were by far the best biscuits and gravy I have tasted in Santa Rosa, and that’s saying a lot. The gravy was thick and creamy with pepper and ham chunks throughout. The biscuits were homemade, which in this day and age is a big plus, considering you can buy already made versions from restaurant supplier Sysco for a fraction of the cost. The biscuits were fairly doughy and perhaps could have been a little fluffier, but they were the perfect size to curb your appetite. I could have eaten just the biscuits and gravy and still left full.

I paid $15, including tip. The amount of food that came easily could have been $35 at a place like Hank’s Creekside or Omelet Express.

So if you’re looking for a quick bite before class with enough food to last through a long day of lectures and learning, hit up Carlos’ Country Kitchen. It’s a meal that won’t disappoint.

-Ali Benzerara

Associated Students President Eduardo Osorio Juarez, Mexico Evelyn Navarro Shinderls, Santa Rosa

Robert Martinez, Santa Rosa

As president, there are many things that I want to do. A small list would be to hold the SGA and the SRJC administration accountable; help those who are new to student government get their bearings; create a new student lounge for students to meet, do homework and just have fun, and most importantly advocate for those who can not do so themselves—even those I disagree with.

Desired profession: History instructor at SRJC Political figure you admire: Elizabeth Warren

If elected, I will do the following: Allow more students to run events that educate other students and bring in folks to speak about topics that YOU care about, create a widened voucher system where disadvantaged students have access to food on campus, and do widespread marketing so ALL students may have access to events happening on our campus.

Most importantly, if elected president I want every student to know they have someone they can always ask for help on the Students for Students slate!

Desired profession: Union organizer, then professor Political figure you admire: Rigoberta Menchú Túm

My experience as a first generation undocumented college student has been filled with many challenges that vary from picking up study habits and learning about how our bureaucratic institution works to protecting students from the social problems affecting our country as a whole. I can help facilitate those efforts as a student. I recognize the many resources and opportunities given to me at the SRJC, and if elected I want to continue my efforts to help students feel comfortable on our campuses regardless of status, gender, identity or religious belief.

Desired profession: College professor Political figure you admire: [none stated]

Vice President of Finance

N’Godjigui ‘Junior’ Diarrassouba, Ivory Coast

I strongly believe our capacity to help others resides in our ability to understand others. My slate, Cub Collective, and I are working towards having an inclusive, diverse, knowledgeable and sustainable student body. Therefore, briefly, I want to finance more social events on campus to celebrate our different, yet amazing cultures. I want to reach out to more students on campus to have their voices heard and make them knowledgeable about where to get resources for their success. I want also to continue the work of the current SGA by allocating funds to have one or two student ambassadors get paid to maintain the Food Bank.

Desired profession: Research Professor in Computer Science/Math Political figure you admire: Mahatma Gandhi

William Stephenson, Santa Rosa

During my term, I would like to continue balancing the budget to match the current enrollment, and ensure that every area receives the money it deserves. I would also work with Santa Rosa Junior College to implement means by which students can receive free city transit, as we have done with county transit in the past. In addition, I would continue to work on increasing the amount of benefits that are provided by the CubCard Plus membership.

Desired profession: Financial Analyst Political figure you admire: Angela Merkel

Vice President of Advocacy

Candy Bridgers, Windsor

There are many issues that I would like to tackle if elected. The pricing in the cafeteria is outrageous; we are students on budgets. The products offered in the bathroom are horrible, and why are feminine products not sold in the bookstore? The products offered in the bathroom are horrible. We need better support programs for student athletes—these students literally give their blood, sweat and tears for the college. Our Dream Center needs a safer location for our undocumented students. Anyone who knows about politics knows that I cannot honestly promise change. However, what I can promise is that I will fight, and possibly fail, regroup, create a new plan and fight again for student rights.

Desired profession: Vice President of Advocacy Political figure you admire: Michelle Obama

Demo

Under Th

Forward by S

It is time for the annual student government assembly elections. All currently enrolled Santa Rosa Junior College students are able to cast their votes from Monday April 17 through Friday April 21.

“This year we have three students running for president,” said Zack Miranda, coordinator for student government programs and this year’s election.

“It’s not normal that we get this many options for the presidency, so I’m excited to see what that means.”

In addition to choosing representatives for the various government positions, students will also vote on whether to impose an extra fee on unit costs in order to make local bus traffic more affordable.

“It’s a question about a potential $1 per unit up to a maximum of $10 per semester per student to generate money to allow us to offer free bus transit from here on out in Sonoma County, Santa Rosa city and possibly Petaluma city as well,” Miranda said. “And with any remaining money, we’re also looking at going into negotiations with the SMART train.”

This year’s elections come after a turbulent 2016 SRJC student government election process. Last year, initial election results were disregarded due to election process violations, and special elections had to be held.

“Miscommunication was one of the biggest [issues] last year… I don’t blame anyone for what happened.

It was unfortunate that we had to go through that special election,” Miranda said. “But we were able to fill the seats, and we’ve had a full student government being able to work through the year now, so I think we got to a positive place after all.”

More than 25,000 students are registered at SRJC.

SRJC Stud

Tiffany Rose Karowski, Arizona

Alexia Carrillo, Sonoma

As a first generation college student and a woman of color, I have faced obstacles throughout my education. I’m passionate about student outreach and I want to be able to inform students of the resources on campus for the importance of their education. I want to focus on the marginalized population like learning communities, ESL, LGBTQ and undocumented students. This is why I’ve decided to combine efforts with Shae, Junior, and Eduardo for the purpose of contributing positive perspectives to our student government and work for students with students carrying different views of the world.

Desired profession: Counseling Political figure you admire: Bernie Sanders

I am a humble and persistent student, passionate about broadening my horizons to educate myself about what would better the world every day. I am committed to student empowerment and health with experience as my compass. As a mother, I understand the full responsibility and power that the Student Trustee position entails and am eager to evolve communications directly from the students who need a voice. By representing the struggling, the passionate, the athletes, the intellectuals and those who are still finding themselves, I vow to make fair and just decisions on behalf of the student body at large.

“Disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

Desired profession: Lawyer Political figure you admire: Bernie Sanders

Vice President of Diversity Affairs

Stephannie Starr, Flint, Mich.

ocracy

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Simon Isaksson

Last year, 567 voted in the first student elections and just 146 students voted in the special elections, according to Miranda.

“Last year had less competitive races and the special election had only a couple of contested positions, and those numbers reflect that,” Miranda said. “We absolutely want to see a greater turnout [this year], as it gives more power to those candidates who win and the organization itself.”

Miranda said he believes increased political tensions on the national level will raise the interest in SRJC elections.

“I’ve seen a pretty big outcry of activism on campus,” Miranda said. “I think a lot of people are inspired by the national narrative and everything that went on during the presidential election cycle and I think that will directly affect voter turnout here on campus.”

HOW TO VOTE

1. Log on to your student portal 2. Click on the link on top of your page which takes you to the student ballot 3. Vote on the transportation referendum 4. Vote for your preferred candidate under each category. Candidates and categories will be randomized.

Vote anytime from 12 a.m. Monday April 17 through 11:59 p.m. Friday April 21. Cast your vote from any computer or mobile device. Extra computers will be set up for voting on the SRJC campuses during business hours. Write-in votes are allowed, but at least 50 writein votes–or five percent of total votes cast–are necessary for a write-in candidate to be considered.

dent Trustee

Sabrina Rawson, San Francisco

As student trustee, my goal is to cultivate awareness of student success in relation to the deficit of student basic needs insecurity. Expand awareness of certificate programs and the need for women in the workforce. Continue to serve on campus and within the community coordinating support to the SRJC student body, faculty and administrators. I am honored for the opportunity to participate on a board that governs an institution of excellence here in Sonoma County.

Desired profession: Post-secondary educator Political figure you admire: Jeff Bezos, CEO of the Washington Post

Mercedes Diaz, Sonoma

As VP of Diversity, I will work to improve SRJC in the following ways: – Increase visibility and funding for our diverse learning communities.

– Work to promote a diverse, representative staff – Cultivate cooperative relationships with campus police – Collaborate with community agencies to insure our students have food and safe shelter – Deconstruct stigmas surrounding mental health – Strive to dismantle the normalization of rape culture – Facilitate outreach to incoming students, fostering welcoming transitions into higher education.

SRJC must empower its students to dream without limits. Diversity is critical to fulfilling that mission. Join me!

Desired profession: Medical social worker/patient advocate Political figure you admire: Nelson Mandela and Franklin D. Roosevelt

Executive VP – Petaluma

If elected, I want to bring in community leaders and experts to speak, educate and motivate the students. I want to start workshops to help students earn scholarships transfer and graduate! Diversity is a great thing; we’re lucky to have such a great melting pot of unique groups of different backgrounds. Unfortunately, sometimes certain groups have more challenges to face, and I want to help make sure that those who need help can get it. Those who don’t need it can aid those who do.

Desired profession: Evolutionary Medicine Doctor Political figure you admire: Jello Biafra

VP of Student life

VP of Marketing

Omar Gutierrez, Washington

Dori Elder, Rhode Island

Rodrigo Alarcon, Windsor

As a student at the Petaluma campus, I have noticed the lack of representation that the Petaluma campus gets. Petaluma students need a more present voice that focuses on the needs of the campus. The creation of a second student government body that focuses on the needs of the Petaluma campus is necessary. The end goal of the Executive Vice President of Petaluma should be that the needs of Petaluma students are met.

Desired profession: Non-profit organization, CEO Political figure you admire: Dalai Lama

If elected I would like to bring back Mad Wednesdays to the quad, institutionalize PTK’s Food Distribution and plan some campus-wide activities for all students to enjoy. I am running on a slate with nine other members who have a passion for the students of the JC. We are Students for Students, and we want to let our differences make a difference!

Desired profession: Deaf studies and sign language Political figure you admire: John F. Kennedy

I believe that this school has the resources and the potential to offer satisfactory services to ALL of its students. The problem is connecting the school and the students. I would like to help SRJC and its diverse community by communicating to each one what the other has to offer. As VP of Marketing, I would do my best to improve SGA outreach and to improve what the CubCard Plus has to offer. Within student government, I would work with other student officials to pass policies that help increase student access to resources and services.

Desired profession: Music instructor Political figure you admire: Julie Combs, Santa Rosa city council member

Inter-Club Council Chair

Joshua Pinaula, Guam

Quick things that define me: I’m Chomorro (the indigenous people of Guam). I’m a cancer survivor – my experience with a life-threatening disease taught me that life is too short to get caught up in bureaucracy. I work well with adults, who do work, and who put the well-being of the college and the students first – that’s why I’m happy to run with STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS! I don’t work well with people who just sit and talk, are not active problem solvers or who care more about themselves than others.

Desired profession: Work at SRJC Political figure you admire: Santa Rosa City Council Member Julie Combs; SRJC Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Services Doug Roberts

VP of Sustainability

Shaelin Koberle-Satt, Fairfax

I want to continue my role as the VP of Sustainability to make the campus a viable, eco-friendly community for students as well as future generations to enjoy. I pledge to serve and listen to all students, participate in community outreach and raise awareness about sustainability efforts on campus. I have a glowing interest to see composting on campus, the construction of an edible garden and the decrease of the SRJC footprint. I believe that the best form of government is diverse, passionate and driven. This is why I chose to run with Eduardo Juarez, Alexia Carrillo and Junior Diarrassouba.

Desired profession: Congresswoman Political figure you admire: Nelson Mandela

VP of Student Health

Ryan Sansome, Rohnert Park

If elected as VP of Student Health, I will create innovative programs that improve students’ physical, emotional, social, financial, spiritual and intellectual health. I commit to advocating on your behalf for affordable student housing, inexpensive healthy meals, a dedicated student center, mental health training for student leaders and solutions to the parking crisis. I have a strong record of working to improve students’ health. I founded Students for Recovery – a community for students recovering from addiction, mental illness and disabilities. Recently, I drafted a proposal and am applying for a grant that serves vulnerable students and provides internship opportunities on campus.

Desired profession: Social worker Political figure you admire: Barack Obama

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April 10, 2017

Opinion

www.theoakleafnews.com

EDITORIAL

Oak Leaf endorses Martinez for SGA president

Down to earth. Practical. Experienced.

Robert Martinez is the best choice for SGA President of Santa Rosa Junior College.

In order to pick the best candidate to endorse, the Oak Leaf asked for the three Student Government Assembly presidential candidates to come in and meet with us for a Q&A. We gave them 20 minutes each and asked each candidate the same questions with a few exceptions for each. Videos of each

candidate’s interview is available online at theoakleafnews.com.

Martinez’s humble demeanor and openness to ideas allows him to effectively communicate with others—a skill he has proven during his tenure as an SRJC assembly member of Disability Affairs.

His focus is on the well-being of the student population as a whole, including homeless, undocumented and disabled students.

Beatriz Vernaux

with the purpose of defining duties according to physical characteristics.

It soon became a way of limiting folks to these narrow roles, creating and perpetuating disparities that are still dealt with today.

As much as there are external biological differences between humans, there is a wide unspoken grey area which involves hormones and genetic factors. To limit people’s gender to their genitalia shape is a complete overlook on the depth of complexity on how the human body works.

Transgender folks have always existed. In the United States, we have documented proof that indigenous communities have widely celebrated the existence of multiple genders prior to European colonization. Even within Europe, from outwardly trans members of Queen Elizabeth’s court such as Chavalier D’Elon to Joan of Arc who might have never renegaded her pronouns, but certainly didn’t comply with gender binary.

To create gender-neutral bathrooms and to say, “I don’t care what a person looks like.”

May seem like a huge step towards being an ally. However, taking a stand on allowing trans women and men to use the bathroom they feel comfortable with, and stepping away from focusing on someone’s genitalia, physical structure and

He has taken the time to educate himself thoroughly on parliamentary procedure, which will expedite SGA meetings and the bureaucratic nature of our school government.

As a history major, he appreciates the details of how the past became the present and looks to that for reference.

Martinez highly regards teaching and wants to use education as a tool of informing students on the issues.

As a news publication, the

Oak Leaf appreciates Martinez’s knowledge of the dynamics between each department. He believes the SGA’s role is to keep the Administration honest and understands that the role of the Oak Leaf is to keep the SGA honest.

“I would like to help students to feel safe, to feel like they’re not alone,” Martinez said in an interview with the Oak Leaf April 4. “I hate feeling like I’m alone, so

if I can help one student or a group of students who feel alone, feel oppressed then I will walk away feeling like I did something.”

The Oak Leaf editorial board believes he is the strongest candidate to provide the best understanding of SRJC’s diverse population.

His leadership can bring the college community to new levels of success.

Vote for Robert Martinez in the student elections next week.

Step up in It’s on us to take a stand actions, not Co-A&E-Editor The Oak Leaf decided to change its cover for this issue, adding the colors of the transgender flag to our design. This decision comes from the belief that representation matters, and in the case of the transgender community, representation means saving lives and giving voice to a large population of Americans who get little to no positive media representation.

Whether it is through stereotyping trans women in comedy bits, or reading about killings of trans women of color, there’s very little room to speak up on trans existence as a valid and real experience.

The Oak Leaf aims to be an ally.

However, trans allyship comes with responsibility. There is absolutely no value in claiming to support the experience of marginalized folks, in this case, transgender people, if you don’t take the time to educate yourself.

As a cisperson, that is, someone who was assigned a specific gender at birth, and identifies with said gender, it is your duty to remove yourself from your comfort zone and initiate the work of unpacking gender structures and binaries.

Gender is a social construct based on biological features put in place

Frankly speaking

just words

Continued from cover

All flags deserve to be flown traits, voice and fashion choices seem more relevant.

But this is still not enough. As I type this, black trans women are getting murdered, raped, chased down the street and harassed. Trans women are hiding in fear of being outed, and the trans community remains at a high risk of suicide.

From family members rejecting and punishing people, to a lifetime of homelessness, and in certain cases, forceful sex work, the likelihood of a trans person to survive within a system that has a narrow defined vision on gender is absurdly low.

Not long ago, hearing “Oh, he’s gay. That’s fine, as long as he’s not effeminate or doesn’t hit on me” was

as common. However, saying that would be considered homophobic.

Yet saying “I don’t care if they think they’re a woman, but they shouldn’t be allowed in women spaces,” is considered just fine.

Asking people’s preferred pronouns should be a basic polite thing to do at this point in time, the same way you’d ask people’s names. Respecting such pronouns is mandatory. And speaking up when people misgender or disrespect a trans person is your duty as an ally. Fighting for better bathroom policies is your duty, too. Learning from who, and learning on your own should be the basis of this entire allyship.

Time to dismantle college basketball as we know it Frank Sumrall

Contributing Editor After North Carolina head coach Roy Williams made the final cut that separated the basketball net from the rim-an event synonymous with college athletic glory-a thunderous applause broke out. The Tar Heels won their seventh national collegiate basketball title. But the uphill battle for athletes is far from over as they still have to hustle to their Monday 8 a.m.’s.

Student athletes face an abusive schedule balancing sports with a shoddy education system that wants the amateurs to pass instead of to learn. Masked by a billion-dollar factory of free labor, this is not the environment for amateur athletes.

After a 10-year hiatus, the NBA has made it a requirement for at least one year of college play before the ability to

enter the draft. Now that hiatus needs to come back, permanently.

College athletics’ focus is no longer on the students. The NCAA rewards schools for playoff performances, making athletics a priority. Education takes a backseat and is only a focus for athletes when their grades fall below NCAA requirements. University of North Carolina, the newly crowned champions, was found guilty of 18 years of academic fraud with paper classes and tutors taking tests for players.

While the school helps kids cheat, the kids help the school make money with their terrific play.

It’s a corrupt yet incomplete cycle as the circulation of money stops with the school, never touching an athlete’s hand. This debate rages on and always hits a boiling point during every tournament run. But with the NCAA not budging on any exceptions, it’s time for Plan B; the removal of

college requirement before declaring for the NBA draft.

The one-and-done rule benefits both college and professional leagues commercially. Collegiate sports have never been more popular as more than nine billion dollars were spent on March Madness brackets in 2016.

The NBA loves their future stars getting national television time before ever stepping foot onto a professional hardwood floor because it makes them more marketable.

But the college experience for athletes is hell. Superstars play in fear hoping they won’t suffer a career ending injury while they stomach a balancing act of academics and athletics. And a lot of athletes grow up in poverty and want to cash in for their families as soon as possible.

There will always be NBA busts and it is not fair to blame inexperience and lack of college as a reason. Critics of

the high school era blamed the failures of Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry on lacking experience before the NBA. But exceptional Hall of Fame players came out of the high school era like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. With the expansion of D-league teams for rookies to practice before their professional debut, college is becoming less ideal.

Basketball athletes can choose to go to college and tune their craft, but making it mandatory is only supporting the corrupt cycle. If the requirement is eliminated, March Madness will still thrive with amateur basketball players who want to be there while ending the one-and-done industry so many universities have become.

It is best to support athletes who go into the NBA, whether to their D-league affiliate or straight to the glamour that is the National Basketball Association.

This lack of community support, even from supposed allies, is why the trans community sticks together in order to survive. Despite the vocal position liberal Sonoma County takes against Trump and transphobia, it is still the trans community doing most of the work to protect one another. Trans people created the March for Trans Youth because we don’t want to have future generations of gender non-conforming children to suffer as we have. But in order for our efforts to work, cisgender people need to step up, not just in words but in action.

Despite the efforts of the Trump administration, I do believe things are getting better.

We are making things better by defending one another. Each speaker at the rally was moving, and it was empowering to hear so many trans people share their experiences.

The one speaker who moved me to tears was the daughter of SRJC public relations department staff member Ariel Erskine—a little girl, the trans daughter of a trans mother. She couldn’t have been much older than ten, but she felt enough support from her mother and the community to speak in front of a large crowd.

I cried tears of sorrow and joy.

Sorrow because I saw myself in her and didn’t want her to have to face a world that would judge and harm her. Joy because her voice was being heard. Joy because she was being seen for who she was, without judgment, at least in that moment. And no matter what cruelty the world might deal to her in years to follow, at least she will always have this moment to look back on. At least our community could give her that.

Maybe it isn’t an exaggeration to say we all know one another, because even if we don’t personally know each trans person in the community, we carry a bit of their experiences with us always.

www.theoakleafnews.com

Features

April 10, 2017

Redemption: You deserve a second chance

9

On Cue Calendar of Events

Plant Sale: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on April 11, 2017 at Lark Hall Greenhouse. Monthly sale offering spring greens and flowers for reasonable prices. Check out the SRJC Horticulture program and the wonderful plants they have nurtured.

PEERS presents “It’s on Us” Breaking Down Rape Culture Workshop: 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. on April 13, 2017 at Lawrence A. Bertolini Student Center.

What is rape culture? What is Consent? How can we help prevent sexual assault? Join in on this interactive workshop to be informed.

Beatriz Verneaux/ Oak Leaf

United in the goal of self improvement, Alicia Sealund (left) and Elizabeth Quiroz (right) aim for recovery, while empowering fellow students and community members.

Beatriz Verneaux Co-A&E Editor The path that led Elizabeth Quiroz, 32, to prison was paved with abuse and pain. But through her work with the Santa Rosa Junior College Second Chance club, story has provides others with inspiration to overcome similar adversities.

“Growing up, my mom and grandmother were physically abusive to me from ages five to 14, and my dad wasn’t around,” Quiroz said. “My grandmother hated girls and loved boys, so she loved my brothers and treated me like crap.”

Constantly bruised and hurt by members of her family, Quiroz says her school life was challenging. Her appearance was an ongoing joke to her peers who teased and bullied her for wearing handme-down clothes. She had a single best friend and no one else to confide in.

The lack of community and a nurturing home environment made Quiroz severely depressed.

She began to self-mutilate while still a young child, which led to more confrontation with her mother. She attempted suicide several times, and as much as her mother tried to help, the family didn’t have the resources to seek counseling.

“I was looking for love in all the wrong places, and I was in a foster home when I was 14,” Quiroz said.

“I got involved with a man who was 27 when I was 15. My life went downhill from there.”

Her mother’s side of the family gave her and her partner drugs and allowed the partner to keep her trapped in a dope house for months before he put her into human trafficking.

She was forced into sex work and sought help from her partner, who convinced her to con-

tinue the lifestyle to support his own drug use.

“I’d try to leave, and he’d track me down,” Quiroz said, describing a horrifying cycle of experiences.

But without any tools to remove herself from the situation or a support system in her family, she stayed trapped.

“He told me if I loved him, I would do it for him to make money,” Quiroz said.

Her partner hurt and abused her. When a night of sex work ended, she would go to his house, where he would bathe her. “I only felt love when he would bathe me,” Quiroz said.

Unlike Quiroz, SRJC radiology student Alicia Sealund, 27, never had problems with school.

“I was always an honor roll student, straight A’s and B’s,” she said. “Which is why people were confused about what I chose to do for a living.”

The oldest of seven children, Sealund helped parent her younger siblings while still a child herself. She says she didn’t receive much emotional support from her mother, who worked long hours to provide the family with a better financial situation.

When she moved to Las Vegas, she experienced true isolation and a lack of a support system. Suffering constant physical, verbal and sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather, Sealund began abusing drugs as a way to cope. She started selling drugs and realized she had a talent for it. Selling drugs appealed to her practical side and soon dominated her life, offering Sealund a sense of purpose.

“Even if my mom supported me financially, I thought the best path was to keep selling and move out of there,” Sealund said. She points out her mother didn’t know about the abuse she went through.

Ryan Sansome, founder of SRJC’s Students for Recovery club,

also echoes Quiroz and Sealund’s experiences of isolation and family struggle. Sansome grew up with mentally ill family members and believes he’s experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from experiences as a very young child. He was abused physically, sexually and emotionally and was first intoxicated at the age of eight.

“About 10 years ago, I experimented with heroin,” said Sansome. “I got addicted to injecting it, and I lost control of my life. It lead me to selling drugs, and I got arrested for it.” He was finally incarcerated due to a history of violence.

Wake up call and a new start: With what resources?

Re-socialization wasn’t an easy process. Sansome never had a job before. All he knew was crime and abuse.

“On my first semester back [at SRJC], I would have anxiety attacks just sitting there, being around these normal people. I had never been around people who weren’t drug addicts.” Sansome worked with Quiroz to create more events in which both ot their clubs benefit from resources.

Sealund moved back to Sonoma County in an attempt to start over. She began working at a Motel 6. But still surrounded by an unhealthy crowd, she quickly began selling again. By the time she was 18, she had been arrested several times.

Her life turned around when she was stopped by a police officer in San Francisco. She had two warrants for her arrest and was considered a runaway from the law. She learned from a judge that she could face up to eight years in prison.

“Having a judge call me a criminal made me scared.” Sealund said.

“I looked around to see who he was talking to. It was me. I didn’t see myself in that light. I saw my-

self doing what I could to get by.”

At 26, Quiroz gave birth. She continued to sell drugs, now with her child in her arms. Her child was placed in foster care when Quiroz was arrested for the last time.

“I did 18 months straight between two different counties,” Quiroz said. “I got transferred out here, where I got my GED, and completed the Starting Point program.”

In 2013, Quiroz became involved with Women Recovery Services (WRS), found sober living enviroments, and enrolled at SRJC in the Bear Scholar Program.

Through the program, Quiroz became a successful student, but it came with strenuous effort.

“I was a wreck,” Quiroz explained. “I rode my bike everywhere. I didn’t have food, so I had to go to food banks. I have ADHD, so I had a lot of anxiety to be in a school environment,” she explained. “I had to work manual labor on the street, working on trees and cleaning the jail area just to get a hundred and something dollars to get by.”

Aside from shelters, she was able to get housing support through programs that offer post-release community supervision.

People who have faced incarceration are often called harsh names by a society that is not structured for rehabilitation. Regardless of the path that led people to commit a felony, the outcome is a lifetime of hardship and reputation repair that often feels endless and overwhelming. When asked what leads people to become involved with criminal activities, the answers received from Quiroz, Sansome and Sealund were similar each time: social disparities, mental illnesses, broken homes and a history of abuse.

Continues on page 10. . .

World Languages Fair and World Heritage Day: Noon- 4 p.m. on April 18 in Emeritus Plaza, noon- 1 p.m. on April 20 in Lawrence A. Bertolini Student Center.

Come immerse yourself in the many wonders of the world. Hosted

by SRJC Modern & Classical Languages and American Sign Language department, this free event includes music, dances, children’s games and free food at the “International Cafe.”

Mariano Zaro, an acclaimed Los Angeles- based poet will be doing a poetry reading as well. Lalo Alcaraz, cartoonist and satirist, will conduct an interactive lecture at the World Heritage Day. Stories of the Undocumented and Queer: Poetry Reading, 1:30 p.m.- 3 p.m. on April 19, 2017 at Lawrence A. Bertolini Student Center and Word!

Open Mic! at 5 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. on April 19, 2017 at SRJC Petaluma Intercultural Center.

Yosimar Reyes is a nationally acclaimed poet, educator, performance artist and public speaker who explores the themes of migration and sexuality in his work. His first collection, “For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly…” was selfpublished after a collaboration with Carlos Santana. He is also the co-founder of performance ensemble, La Maricolectiva, a community- based group of queer undocumented poets and featured in the documentary “2nd Verse: the Rebirth of Poetry.” Later in the evening at Word! Open Mic! SRJC welcomes all to come share or listen to aspiring poets.

Feminists United “Swipe Right, Do Right” Workshop: 5:30 p.m. on April 20, 2017 at Bertolini Student Leadership Center.

10

April 10, 2017

Features

On the offensive: Frank Sumrall Staff Writer The debate team does not perform highlight dunks on a hardwood floor. They do not smack home runs in front of fans blinded by the screaming sun.

Nor do they watch blood bounce on the ice in a rink after a strong crash against the glass wall. But the Santa Rosa Junior College forensics team has mastered its craft and are the country’s best debate ‘athletes’ thanks to a strong work ethic and a great coaching staff pacing the border of the stage.

Hal Sanford is one of the coaches pacing the border. After becoming head coach in 2012, Sanford has guided the team to success season after season, never falling below No. 6 in national rankings.

Currently standing as the second best debate unit in the nation,

their continued dominance breaks boundaries for the humble community college program. It all comes down to great coaching and a team-first mentality.

“We almost have a network it seems,” Sanford said. “We have really good coaches and alumni that makes a circle-of-life type, ‘Lion King’ thing for future generations.” Sanford’s hands-on approach can be seen both on the debate team and in the classroom in his amateur speech classes.

In contrast to the raucous crowds and trash talk of athletic competitions, college debates take a different tone. “Everyone wishes you the best and it isn’t a hostile environment like one might think at a competition,” said first-year debate athlete Chelsea McCarty. “People from the other schools were very supportive and comforting to perform in front of.”

www.theoakleafnews.com

SRJC debate team refutes the competition en route to nationals

Mental grit and perseverance is important in debate. Team members conduct painstaking research into current events in addition to their focused study of debate theory and time management. It’s similar to the way athletes find studying game tape is important for their success.

But not all aspects of debate and athletics are the same. Debaters have little advance information about the topic and scope of their events. “If you go into a track and field competition you know you’re going to have hurdles, you know you’re going to have long distance and javelin and all that, so the athletes can focus on those events,” Sanford said. “But when we go to the state tournament we only know that there are three types of debate…and we know the resolutions and [we know] the topics are usually contemporary but there is so much room there.”

Empowered through education

Courtesy of Hal Sanford

The Santa Rosa Junior College forensics team gathers for a group picture.

SRJC’s debate dynasty is impressive, and a testament to the team’s dedication, skill and talent.

The forensic students have finetuned their skills to become some of the best in their field in the United States.

“We have high expectations and we will deliver in nationals,” said speech athlete Lilli Anderson. “It’s definitely a

challenge, but you learn a lot and it’s a lot of fun. Despite being [ranked] second, we know we can come away with first.”

The SRJC debate team departs April 10 for the National Intercollegiate Speech and Debate Tournament in Washington D.C. to prove their worth as the best debate team in the U.S.

SRJC students lay down the path to a second chance in life Continued from page 9. . .

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, the incarceration rate in the U.S. is higher than ever before. The number of incarcerated individuals has increased 500 percent in the last four years. 2.2 million people are currently facing jail or prison time and 60 percent of them are people of color. In a country historically divided by race, many still face structural challenges in day-to-day life, such as less access to resources and racial discrimination.

Sealund firmly believes that there’s a reason people fall into criminal activities.

“Either they’re people of color, they’re impoverished, don’t have a family that can or want to support them, and have faced abuse to a degree,” Sealund explains.

“And that’s regardless of gender, although men will be less willing to come forward.”

Rebirth and Resources: The Second Chance club was created by SRJC’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) counselor Rhonda Findling. The club works hand in hand with a team of instructors who help with English, math, counseling support, disability resources and other forms of assistance.

As a leader of Second Chance, Quiroz believes stigma and shame keep some community members from joining or participating. Findling suggested Quiroz become president.

Quiroz says she is honored to be a leader and hopes she can give back to the community, a mantra she repeats to members at every meeting.

Elizabeth Quiroz currently has a 4.0 GPA, and balances her work at the Women Recovery Services with coursework in human services, social advocacy and behavioral science. She plans to earn three different associate’s degrees and says her ultimate goal is to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

“I’m fighting for my kids to have a chance of a better life.

When I get worn out, I keep my eye on the prize to remind myself why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Quiroz said. “I want to give back to my community and make amends for stuff I’ve done in my past.”

Quiroz says she wants the Second Chance club to be better known and perform more outreach to the SRJC community by tabling and participating in campus events.

Retired parole officer Richard Ortiz supports students in getting the resources necessary to help club members clean up their criminal histories. The process is called expungement, a courtmediated process by which the legal record of an arrest or criminal conviction is erased in the eyes of the law. Ortiz persuaded Quiroz to get an expungement, and worked closely with Sealund during her parole period. Because of his support, Quiroz got a rehabilitation certificate.

“I’ve been working with [students] and talking about getting their records expunged,” Ortiz said. “It’s informal, nice to hear the things they’ve been doing, and they’re sharing their experiences here.”

Coming from a family of undocumented immigrants, Ortiz

Beatriz Verneaux/ Oak Leaf

Elizabeth Quiroz is the leader of the Second Chance Club. Despite all her hardships Quiroz is close to three AA’s degrees.

has seen family members incarcerated or deported. His own upbringing was traumatic, but sports helped him turn his life around. Ortiz says he became a parole officer to to teach formerly incarcerated folks that they have a future.

It’s support like this that makes all the difference for students like Quiroz and Sealund.

The SRJC Bear Scholar program helped Quiroz with supplies, and they became her family.

Now Quiroz advises her peers to start volunteering, build a support network, and work hard in school.

Sealund also found success by returning to SRJC to earn a certificate in nutrition.

“I don’t tell my story to everyone like Liz [Quiroz] does because I don’t want everyone to know about my past. But now that I have my own club and I realize how much effort is put on creating one, I realized I should

share too, so we can end the stigma. I’m sure there are more people who could benefit from knowing about this club.”

Sealund flourished as a student, and is on the honor roll.

After graduation, she began working in a facility to support people with developmental challenges, and later advanced to a salaried position. But when her mother passed away, Alicia took custody of her younger sister and had to quit her position. With that, she decided to go back to school for a second degree in radiology, a field that will allow her a good salary and the ability to care for her sister. But she still struggles. As a full-time student, she earns much less than before, and certain job opportunities are still not open to her.

“I got offered a position as a PAL, a teacher assistant, but because of my past that happened ten years ago, I can’t take the opportunity,” Sealund said.

With comprehensive resources and a hands-on support system, students like Quiroz and Sealund and others in the SRJC Second Chance club are proving it’s possible to break the cycle. But Quiroz says more support is always needed. “People are still embarrassed to come [to meetings], and we need more resources and supplies to encourage people to show up, like books and backpacks,” Quiroz said.

Quiroz feels proud of what she’s achieved, but still sometimes feels baffled by her success. “When I went to court to get my certification, the judge congratulated me in my achievements. I was honored to be in a court room and instead of getting sentenced, I was congratulated. How does that happen?”

The SRJC Second Chance club meets 2:30-3:30 pm on Thursdays in the EOPS office in Bertolini, and the group has an active Facebook community.`

www.theoakleafnews.com

Sports

April 10, 2017

During an NBA season dominated by the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, the most exciting race still undecided is who MVP is. There are a lot of ways to approach it. You can give it to the best player; You can give it to the player whose team would take a huge drop off without him; you can give it to the player who is having an insane statistical season. Maybe you give it to the face of the league, or the up-and-comer. No matter how you look at it, the best part is arguing your pick.

T

he list of players worthy of consideration for MVP is long and the competition is fierce. But it’s clear to me there is only one correct choice: Warriors forward Kevin Durant.

Durant averages 25.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the 63-14 first place Warriors. With him on the court, the team is 51-9 with a net rating of 12.5 points per 100 possessions.

He is unmatched in terms of combining volume and efficiency from every part of the floor. Hitting 61 percent of his two-point shots this season while shooting 37 percent from downtown and 88 percent from the free throw line. Durant averages just 2.1 turnovers a game, which is in stark contrast with other MVP candidates such as Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who average 5.5 and 5.7 turnovers per game, respectively.

Taking into account everything Durant does on the offensive side of the ball, you get the most dangerous scorer

A

nyway you slice it Russell Westbrook is MVP. He recorded his 42nd triple-double, breaking Oscar Robertson’s single season record set during the 196162 season. Westbrook’s season ends with a triple-double average, a feat not accomplished in 55 years.

Some people try to dissuade the triple-double argument by discrediting rebounds. Really? The last step in stopping a team on defense is with a rebound. Sometimes Westbrook will fly through the lane and steal a rebound that’s going to one of his teammates, but he’ll do the same thing to 7-feet-tall opponents. That’s Russ being Russ.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is 33-9 when Westbrook records a tripledouble and 13-25 when he doesn’t. The team needs Westbrook to put up tripledoubles to be competitive.

People point to Westbrook’s turnover numbers, averaging 5.4 per game. But

H

e’s 5 feet 9 inches tall, leads the NBA in 4th quarter scoring, averages 29.1 points per game and his team has a +15.3 percent net offensive rating when he’s on the floor.

So tell me, why doesn’t Isaiah Thomas deserves to be MVP? As a point guard, size doesn’t matter compared to being a center or forward, but it definitely helps. However, Thomas continues to thrive despite his height disadvantage.

One of the most efficient point guards in the NBA, Thomas averages the third most points per game with 5.9 assists and a 91 percent free throw average. His effective field goal percentage of 54.8 percent this season is fifth amongst point guards.

On top of that, Thomas knows how to play against bigs and is

D

MVP Pick: Kevin Durant

By Parker Dangers Oncken, Contributing writer

this side of Steph Curry, who does incredible damage with far fewer shot attempts than the prospective MVP frontrunners and who doesn’t cough up the ball at a record-setting pace.

Durant is so good offensively it overshadows his defensive contributions, where he averages 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as a part of the NBA’s most resistant defense. His unmatched combination of offensive production and efficiency, as well as his contributions on the less glamorous side of the court makes Durant the obvious choice for the 2016-17 NBA MVP.

MVP Pick: Russell Westbrook

eemed as the frontrunner for the prestigious MVP award, Houston Rockets point guard James Harden looks to claim what was rightfully his two years ago.

While Harden’s play lacks the statistical onslaught of Westbrook’s game, his performance holds a much stronger and substantial impact. He’s leading a championship contender, not a squad of guys just happy to play an extra six games in May. With a jump of nearly 20 percent in win percentage and a five seed ascension from last year, Harden accomplished all of this with a less talented team. Dwight Howard left in free agency and in came a flurry of journeyman sharpshooters with fast triggers. Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza and Lou Williams all flourished this year thanks to Harden’s position change from shooting guard to floor general.

Any player who successfully

L

By Will Mathis Staff writer

leading the league in player efficiency while committing the second-most turnovers in NBA history is crazy. His 30.6 PER ranks 16th all time.

No player adds more value to a team than Westbrook. It lost Kevin Durant last season and faired just fine in the Western Conference. Why? Westbrook.

Don’t tell me about Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo. They’re role players, and a dime a dozen in the NBA. With Westbrook, OKC locked up the sixth seed with close to 50 wins.

Without him, they’d be a lock to have a top six pick in the draft.

eBron James is the NBA’s MVP every single year he steps onto the court. I don’t care if he rests too much or if he doesn’t average a tripledouble. LeBron is the NBA’s most impressive athlete. He has played in six straight finals and will most likely make seven by this season’s end.

Go ahead and tell me what area LeBron doesn’t match up with against the other candidates. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double this season but who cares. That’s an arbitrary stat. King James could average a triple-double in his sleep and he wouldn’t need everyone to box-out for him like Westbrook.

LeBron could put up whatever numbers he wants, but instead he chooses to help improve the players around him. LeBron’s presence on the court is the equivalent of a masterful +16-point differential per game.

Instead of putting up pointless stats,

J

MVP Pick: Isaiah Thomas

By Ali Benzerara, Sports Editor

known for his craftiness down low, while being able to finish on both sides of the basket. Thomas is one of the league’s most consistent point guards. This season Thomas has a plus point differential of 266 when he is on the court.

Some may say his defense is subpar, but for a small guy he does all he can. His level of defensive effort is ten fold compared to Russell Westbrook and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be in the front running for the NBA MVP title.

ohn Wall continues to transform what was a simple yet explosive, breakneck-style of play into masterful dominance of the hardwood.

Optimus Dime has reached his full potential and is soaring for the illusive MVP award.

The Usain Bolt of basketball continues to mature his game, reaching career highs in every statistical category. With Chris Paul injured and aging, Wall has taken the mantle as the best pure point guard in the league.

His defensive presence is still felt while his offensive game is climbing astonishing heights after barely scratching the surface during his previous AllStar campaigns.

With a new coach establishing a foreign system and little talent

MVP Pick: James Harden

By Frank Sumrall, Contributing editor

dominates a position change the way Harden did should be celebrated. Turning himself from a Kobe Bryant volume shooter into a Steve Nash assist king is nothing short of spectacular.

Playing 13 games better than their preseason expectations, Harden acts not as a simple cog, but as the entire machine that keeps the Rockets going.

This three-point blitzing team needs a revolutionary point guard to keep the gears ticking, a role he mastered immediately. His work on the floor makes this team deadly and his value on the Rockets is second to none.

MVP Pick: LeBron James

By Albert Gregoy Co-Editor-in-Chief

LeBron chooses to do the one thing Westbrook and James Harden avoid at all costs. LeBron actually plays DEFENSE. It might not show on every stat sheet but every night LeBron plays hard on BOTH ends of the floor.

LeBron is also MVP off the court.

He is the only “true leader” in the NBA. He runs the Cavaliers, and whenever his players step out of line LeBron is there to call them out.

If aliens attack tomorrow and challenge us to a basketball game, everybody’s first choice would be LeBron.

MVP Pick: John Wall

11

Bear Cubs

Athletics

Scoreboard TENNIS Men’s

March 27 at Solano: L 0-9 March 28 at Shasta: W 7-2

Women’s

March 28 at Folsom Lake: W 7-2 March 31 vs. Solano: L 4-5

TRACK & FIELD Men’s

March 25, American River Invite (Non-scoring): First place: 4, Second place: 1, Third place: 4 March 31- Apr. 1, Stanford Invite: First place: 5, Second place: 1, Third place: 4

Women’s

March 25, American River Invite (Non-scoring): Second place: 3, Third place: 1 March 31-Apr. 1: Stanford Invite: First place: 3, Second place: 3

SWIM & DIVE Men’s

March 24, American River Sprint Pentathlon: (NonScoring) 1st place finish: 2, 2nd place finish: 3; 3rd place finish: 1 March 25, Las Positas/ Sierra double meet: L 40-64, L 39-68 March 31, Hawk Invite: 3rd place April 8, Chabot Invite: (Non Scoring) Finished 1st: 9, finished 2nd: 4; finished 3rd: 3

Women’s

March 24, American River Pentathlon (Non-Scoring): First place: 3, Second place: 3, Third place: 5 March 25, Las Positas/ Sierra double meet: L 46-65, W 54-53 March 31, Hawk Invite: 2nd place April 8, Chabot Invite (Non- scoring): First place: 11, Second place: 1, Third place: 3

SOFTBALL

By James Wyatt, Co-Editor-In-Chief

surrounding him, Wall’s value is unparalleled. The Kentucky alumni hoists his team to new elevations as teammates like Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat are all having career years in terms of efficiency The ability to not only boost his own stats but to improve the play of an entire team as it continues to threaten the once untouchable Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown is the definition of MVP.

March 23 vs. Modesto: L 5-4 March 25 Double Header vs.

Modesto: L 14-6, W 3-2 March 28 vs. Diablo Valley: W 14-2 April 1, Double Header at

American River: W 5-1, L 2-3

BASEBALL

March 28- April 1, against Diablo Valley: W 10-5, W 14-1, W 19-4 March 22- 25, against Cosumnes River: L 1-3, W 13-6, W 3-2 April 4- 8, 3 game series against American River: W 9-1, W 7-1, W 5-2

For individual scores visit www. theoakleafnews.com

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