Volume72 issue10

‘Divergent’ art features alumni

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FAASSU welcomes all

Softball takes 5 of 6 in tournament

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Sonoma State Star

SINCE 1979

VOLUME 72 // ISSUE 10

SONOMASTATESTAR.COM

APRIL 8 - APRIL 14, 2014

Gallino, George elected to lead Associated Students

facebook.com Anthony Gallino, left, was elected as president and Christian George, right, was elected as executive vice president after the original election was postponed due to an error in the distribution of electronic ballots.

Julia Chacko Staff Writer

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he votes are in, and Associated Students has announced its new student officers for the 2014-15 year. Anthony Gallino was declared the new president and Christian George was named executive vice-president Thursday in the Student Center. Out of 8,668 students, 1,288 voted.

“I want to thank all the many individuals that supported me in my candidacy for presi-

dent,” said Gallino, who won by 61 percent of the vote. “I look forward to continuing my unyielding service to all of the students of Sonoma State in the coming year.”

George won the vice-presidency by a similar margin of 62 percent, and is not only honored to be elected but also to serve the campus community.

“So many people put in a lot of time in helping [with the campaign] and spreading the word,” said George. “It is the greatest honor to have not only just support, but peers advocating

and actively helping to get me where I am today.”

George spoke on the many tasks he needs to complete, how he can’t wait to get started and begin using his experience outside of Associated Students to better those at Sonoma State.

Gallino and George won by a significant percentage of the vote, but the race for the position of senator for sustainability was much closer. Incumbent Allison Jenks maintained her title by a 52 percent margin of the vote.

“I’m very honored to have the students vote for me two years in a row,” said Jenks. “I hope to continue with the reduction of plastic on campus, an increase in composting and much more.

If any students have ideas for what they would like to see [around campus], I would love to hear them.”

Although he ran unopposed, Adam Rosenkranz is excited to start working as vice-president of finance.

“I intend on helping make [the Associated Students] more of a visible presence on campus by engaging additional students and eliciting their feedback regarding important campus issues.”

The road to victory was not an easy one for the candidates. The election results were originally going to be announced on March 11, but after several technical issues with the electronic voting system, the election was postponed until after Spring Break to insure voting accuracy.

“The circumstances that happened this year were out of our control and something we had not dealt with in previous years,” said Elections Commissioner Angie Ulloa. “Taking [this] into consideration, we did our best to ensure a fair election as to preserve the integrity of elections

and Associated Students.”

Ulloa said this has always been the case with how Sonoma State has conducted elections and hopes the tradition continues in the years to follow.

Gallino told the STAR last week the delay could cause voter disenfranchisement and put a damper on the momentum the candidates’ had built-up over the weeks of campaigning. Regardless, both he and George are eager to leave that obstacle behind and begin fulfilling the duties of their new positions.

“For my first act, I plan on engaging the newly elected senate over the rest of this year and the summer in a conversation about what Associated Students’ main goal will be next year so we can begin to work on it as soon as possible,” said Gallino.

“My first action would be to meet with the multiple administrators and faculty members to build a working relationship with them,” said George, “so Associated Students and I can begin to take steps to lay the foundation for a more timely graduation for Sonoma State students.”

Other elected senators include Kian Khatami as senator for community affairs, Cary Yballa as senator for involvement, Luke Tesluk as senator for student services, Cynthia Figueroa as senator for diversity, Matthew Goodwin as senator for undeclared, Tyler Davis as senator for the school of business and economics, Natalie Sampo as senator for the school of social sciences, and Brandon Muela as senator for the school of science and technology.

For more information on Associated Students, visit its pages on the Sonoma State website, Facebook and Twitter.

Sociology Club hosts speaker David Cobb Megan Kleszcz Asst. Copy Editor

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avid Cobb, a national spokesperson for “Move to Amend,” will be speaking tonight at 7 p.m. in an event hosted by Sonoma State University’s Sociology Club, the Media Freedom Foundation and Project Censored. It will take place in the Student Union, Ballroom D, and the doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Students admission is free, but donations of $5 to $10 will be accepted.

“Move to Amend” is a coalition is made of hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals committed to social and economic justice, the end of corporate personhood and building a vibrant democracy that is accountable to the people, not corporate interests, according to Amy Hanks, a member of the committee. Cobb is an attorney, activist and former Green Party presidential candidate.

“He travels the country giving impassioned, informative speeches that motivate and educate citizens to fight back against the corporate influences that have eroded our social contract and corrupted the very foundation of our representative democracy,” said Hanks via an e-mail

interview.

Hanks said “Move to Amend” is calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to unequivocally state that inalienable rights belong to human beings only. The people committed to “Move to Amend” would also like to state that money is not a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment and can be regulated in political campaigns.

“Move to Amend Sonoma County is currently working to gather 25,000 signatures of Sonoma County voters to qualify the ‘Build Democracy, End Corporate Rule’ initiative for the 2014 ballot,” said Hanks. “This initiative would allow voters to voice support for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that says in short, ‘corporations are not people and money is not speech.’”

Hanks said the campaign is part of a nation-wide response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision of 2010 that allows for unlimited, anonymous spending in elections by corporations. To date, sixteen states have called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and through local ballot initiatives such as “Move to See COBB Pg. 4

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Men’s baseball won its third series against the San Bernadino Coyotes, marking its ninth straight win in the conference.

Seawolves crush San Bernadino Coyotes Kory Arnold Staff Writer This past weekend, the Sonoma State baseball team completed a four-game sweep over Cal State Bernardino as they cruised to their ninth straight conference play win and jumped into first place atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Seawolves traveled down to San Bernardino to take on the Coyotes in a four-game series with a single game taking place on Friday, followed by a double-header on Saturday and wrapping up with one game on Sunday.

For game one, the Seawolves went with their senior ace George Asmus to take the mound who continued his successful season by tossing another gem, only allowing one earned run and striking out five batters to improve his record to 4-0

on the season. Asmus was able to pick up this victory rather easily with the heavy amount of offensive produced by his fellow teammates. The Seawolves rallied a total of 11 hits on the day to defeat the Coyotes 7-3. Sophomore Steven Moen had three of the team’s hits while also driving in two RBIs. Moen was complemented by seniors Garret Schwartz, Jackson Stoegner, and Wesley Wallace. Each had two base hits apiece, one of them being a three-run home run off the bat of Wallace in the fourth inning to give the Seawolves the goahead run. The Seawolves added three more runs to the total as their relief pitching finished the job shutting down CSUSB for the final three innings.

As game two began on Saturday, the Seawolves seemed to pick up right where they had left off from the last game

Check out our crossword puzzle on page 2!

Read the clues and search through the articles to find the right word! Post a picture of your completed puzzle to Instagram and tag @SonomaStateSTAR to be mentioned in next week’s issue!

See CRUSH Pg. 10

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Editorial THE STAR

Spring 2014 Editorial Board Katie McDonagh, Editor-in-Chief Micaelyn Richmeier, News Editor Kayla Galloway, Asst. News Editor Shyanne Lopez, Opinions Editor Cameron Hatheway, A&E & Online Editor Dylan Sirdofsky, Asst. A&E Editor Amanda Levine, Features & Asst. Online Editor Kayla Webster, Sports Editor Connor Gibson, Photo Editor Chad Bianchi, Copy Editor Brandon Stachnik,Copy Editor Garett Knight, Editorial Cartoonist & Distribution Manager Amanda Saiki, Ad Manager Paul Gullixson, Faculty Adviser The Sonoma State STAR is located at 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928, Salazar Hall, room 1053.

To contact the Star office call (707) 664-2776.

For advertising information please call (707) 664-2714 or e-mail sonomastatestar@gmail.com, attn: Amanda Saiki.

For other information, e-mail the STAR at star@sonoma.edu.

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star@sonoma.edu Editor’s Pick

Beauty: in the eye of the laptop Read about a recent study about eating disorders on page 5.

Want to increase shame and anxiety about your body and decrease your selfconfidence? Look no further than that website you hate to love, yet love to hate: Facebook.

A recent study by Florida State University indicated Facebook use was directly correlated with women’s tendencies to suffer from body image and appearance anxiety (see page 5). While it isn’t the first study to suggest a connection between social media use and eating disorders, it’s the first to show that spending just 20 minutes on Facebook directly reinforces women’s concerns about their bodies, increasing anxiety and contributing to the risk of eating disorders, according to Florida State University’s website.

College women who reported a higher risk of developing an eating disorder were more likely to compare themselves with their friends, place greater importance on “likes” and comments on their own pictures, and un-tag themselves from photos they deemed unattractive.

This conclusion is unfortunate, yet admittedly unsurprising: how can we expect people to feel good about themselves in the global popularity and beauty contest we call Facebook?

With the abundance of super skinny models and celebrities in traditional media, women really don’t need another source of pressure to slim down. It’s hard enough that anybody—regardless of age or gender— can’t turn on the TV, flip through a magazine, or watch a movie without finding and internalizing someone who seems significantly more attractive than they are (Ironically, many of these images of unattainably perfect bodies are paired with advertisements for irresistibly fatty foods—case in point: Carl’s Jr.—creating an impossible tug-of-war of emotions for the average media consumer).

The worst part? They all make it look so easy.

In a truly uplifting and inspiring article, Sports Editor Kayla Webster profiles Kinesiology and Martial Arts Grandmaster Jody Perry’s dedication to teaching self-defense. His teachings are empowering, gender-equal and driven partially by the heartbreaking stories he hears from students. Sonoma State will be lucky to have him as a professor when he returns next semester.

STAR // Garett Knight Fortunately, there has been a large increase of people—both males and females—advocating for more realistic portrayals of people—again, both males and females—in all types of media. The heavy use of photo editing models isn’t a secret, thanks to hundreds of leaked photos, investigative articles, and movements such as the Dove Real Beauty campaign.

But while it’s nice to know that those incredibly hot models on magazine covers and advertisements aren’t always as flawless as they look, chances are the average college student on Facebook doesn’t put him or herself under the Photoshop gun quite as intensely as professional models (Instagram filters are a different story).

That means that, for many, the more “real” benchmarks for beauty aren’t living in Hollywood or New York—they’re in their own backyard.

When we spend hours looking at and

comparing ourselves to other people’s photos and base our self-esteem on how many “likes” we got on our “selfies” and bikini shots, we lose sight of the very important fact that looks and body type aren’t everything. And even if they were, there’s no point in fixing what isn’t broken: regardless of how many people you come across whom you perceive are more attractive than you (frankly, there will be a lot), there are so many definitions of beauty—and barely anyone will fit perfectly into any of them.

For better or worse, social media are likely here to stay for a while. So keep in mind next time you Facebook stalk that, while comparisons to your friends may be inevitable, allowing your self-esteem, body image and eating habits to be negatively affected by your friends isn’t. Try not to pay too close attention to those arbitrary “likes,” and find what makes you beautiful outside the virtual world.

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

This week’s can’t miss article:

“Faculty Spotlight: Jody Perry”

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Issue 10

What’s the word?

Find the answers inFind thethe articles! answers in the articles!

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Turn to pg. 11 for the profile

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Letters to the Editor

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A letter to the editor forum will be open to the expression of fact or opinion that will be of interest or importance to readers of the STAR. Letters which fit within the scope of First Amendment protection, and that meet other stipulations spelled out in this document will be published on a space available basis as explained below. Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available.

Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available. Letters of up to 500 words will be allowed and must be submitted no later than the Thursday before the publication date.

Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts.

The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the SSU community. The STAR reserves the right to refuse publication to any letter and to edit for length.

Letters must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. The Star will honor requests for anonymity at the editor’s discretion.

To send a letter to the editor e-mail star@sonoma.edu. Letters received in any format other than by e-mail will not be published.

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Corrections/Clarifications

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

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Publication

The STAR is published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Healdsburg Printing.

The weekly publication of the STAR is made possible by Instructionally Related Activities Funding.

Opinions

Across Across 1. The number of comic book reviews in A&E 3. Entrepreneurial Break destination The number of Spring comic 5. Cultural club hosting Pacific Culture Night 7. Fashion showin star A&E book reviews 8. Annalisa Vobis’ art piece in “Divergent Acts” Entrepreneurial Spring 9. Victims of a Seawolf sweep 10. The most expensive varietal at 630 Park Break destination Cultural club hosting

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

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Down Zero of "Grand Budapest Hotel" Keynote speaker of SCUR 2014 Greek Olympics Champions

11. What Professor Jody Perry teaches 12. Time spent here is correlated with the risk of developing eating disorders Down 1. Zero of “Grand Budapest Hotel” 2. Keynote speaker of SCURF 4. 2014 Greek Olympics Champions 6. New Associated Students President

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Opinion

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

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Football team debate is not a battle of sexes

STAR // Eddie Blake A lot of the blame is thrown onto Title IX as to why SSU doesn’t have a football team, but the truth in the matter is that there is a lot at play. Still, it’s important for students to be aware of Title IX’s role.

Gian D’Ambra Staff Writer

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ender equality through Title IX is not the only thing holding Sonoma State from bringing back a football team. Everyone knows we don’t currently have one ;but once students find out we used to have one, they become puzzled as to why we don’t now.

Our athletes here are nearly equally divided into men and women. Some might think that has everything to do with Title IX, but there is a much bigger picture at play.

Title IX guarentees gender equality to women in sports. What most people don’t know is that Title IX goes beyond the realm of sports. It gives gender equality to women in a multitude of areas including access to higher education, career education, employment, standardized testing, technology and more.

Plenty of schools across the country are not in compliance with Title IX laws, but Sonoma State is.

So, since we are an institution that has gender equality, there would need to be some equalizing if we brought back a football team.

Since a collegiate football team can hold around 80 players, there would have to be a lot of female sports added to balance that number out.

Title IX states that the percentage of male and female athletes needs to be about the same as the percentage of males and females enrolled at the school. Right now that lies at around 60 percent female and 40 percent male.

With the addition of an 80-man football team, that would mean adding sports teams to include the participation of 120 more female student-athletes. That would mean adding five to eight more National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II teams for females.

So why can’t this all happen? We have enough of a student population for it as well as enough club sport participation to make it happen. I know some athletes on our school’s club sports teams feel as though they should be sanctioned and funded as NCAA teams.

Title IX and Sonoma State would allow it, but the athletic budget would not. As a student assistant in the athletic department, I always hear complaints from coaches about not having enough funding to compete in the recruitment process with other teams in our conference and division.

It costs about $7,000 for an in-state student to go here, depending on units taken.

Even if an average of half scholarships were offered to a football team, that would add up to $280,000 needed for funding. That’s $280,000 that coaches here wish we had right now.

That $280,000 wouldn’t have to be matched in the addition of those five to eight female teams. But, plenty of athletes depend on scholarship money to at least reduce the cost of tuition in college. Many student-athletes make their choice of going to a particular school because they are offered more scholarship money as opposed to another school that offers them less. So it would only make sense that these hypothetical female studentathletes would follow suit.

With less money being thrown their way, fewer women would want to come here to play their sport. So adding a football team really has nothing to do with Title IX. Our athletic budget combined with the money from our donors doesn’t provide enough funding for our current teams to consistently compete at a high level.

Our athletic budget combined with the money from our donors doesn’t provide enough funding for our current teams to consistently compete at a high level.

So, regardless of the Title IX rules, if more teams were added they would not be able to be anything more than mediocre, at best.

There is no room for a football team here at SSU.

Documentary is less ‘Religulous,’ much more ridiculous Shyanne Lopez Opinions Editor

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ocumentaries can be some of the most controversial types of film.

They usually tell some type of story, whether it’s about a war that took place centuries ago, how unethical Seaworld is, or a man who was “catfished” into thinking the 50-year-old woman he dated on Facebook was 24.

There is also one general truth that is accepted about them: they are nonfiction and are meant to make people aware of something. They are not only meant to entertain, but to educate and provoke thought in an audience. So after being recommended by people whose judgment I trust to watch Bill Maher’s “Religulous”—yes, I’m a few years late—I found myself horrified how such a respected political TV personality could make such a bad documentary.

Now, I am Christian, but I am not saying that Maher’s opinion or point-of-view was wrong. I aknowledge that there are

plenty of things wrong with all the various institutions of religions, especially my own.

What I am saying is that his movie is simply bad quality. He makes it very clear early on in his film that his opinion on religion is quite negative and that he believes religious people are pretty much ignorant and blind. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and perhaps Maher could have made a good argument if he wasn’t such a pretentious filmmaker.

If he didn’t cut off all the people he interviewed just to crack a joke or copy and paste reaction clips from pop culture to purposely make people look ignorant, then he could have made room for actual intelligent debate.

I would have enjoyed that more. He could have let people make themselves look stupid instead of forcing the idea that they were stupid on the audience. My biggest problem with this documentary is simple: Maher throws atheism in our face the same way he claims religious groups project their beliefs on society.

My problem is not with his atheism, it is with his hypocrisy.

This is not meant to be a smear piece on Maher. He’s a funny comedian and his beliefs are completely valid. What is frustrating is the fact that a documentary as poorly orchestrated as this has such a huge following. It has an average of an eight

out of 10 star rating. People whose opinions I respect praise it and make references to it when discussing religion. The documentary was entertaining, but if the main concern is to be entertaining while making a statement about religion than perhaps he should have had the creators of South Park direct the film. At least then we might have seen a musical number or a celebrity cameo.

Maybe my criticism of this type of documentary just comes from all those communications courses I’ve taken where we’ve learned to analyze arguments and ethical decisions in the media. I’d like to think in general that the rational people in this world would like to create an open-minded and tolerant future, but with extreme bias in documentaries and any piece of media that makes an argument, it doesn’t seem likely.

Overall, I think there are negative consequences when people choose to stand by and support someone’s belief simply because it agrees with their point of view instead of realizing that the claims are completely biased and one-sided.

If that statement sounds familiar, then perhaps it’s because that’s the argument against religion in Maher’s documentary— how ironic.

Don’t put off for tomorrow what can be done today

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Tyler Drinnen Staff Writer

s I sat surrounded by the white walls of my new apartment, I pondered the term “motivation.” The white walls in front of me begin to come to life with images of accomplishments I achieved up until this point of my life.

But when the images I saw on the wall began to slow, I visualized a comparison of those “images” with the boring and more recent years of my life. Soon doubt set in and the feelings of depression began to f loat into my brain waves. I was on the verge of recognizing that my own motivation was slipping through the cracks.

It wasn’t that I was unsatisfied with who I was becoming and the new things I was doing; I was just disappointed that I had reached my peak performance and refused to go beyond what I had already come to learn and love.

I had become way too comfortable with the way things were, and clearly was lacking the decision-making skills to point my future game plan in the right direction. It was time for new and challenging goals. It was time to get my motivation back. It was time to start saying yes to my future.

For a minute, I stared into a moderately oversized glass beer mug I bought from the local 99-cent store, paired on the side with a poorly made English muffin.

I laughed hysterically for a moment catching my own college-life humor at its brilliance; not because I was currently broke, but because I was becoming extremely lazy.

Like the hungry journalist I knew I was becoming, I took another large gulp of poorly filtered water and soaked in the final moment of feeling content with life.

Believe me: I wasn’t ecstatic that I was drinking poorly filtered water, nor was I feeling unhappy about it.

Ironically, I had nothing to complain about, not even the white walls screaming “paint me” in the background. However, I was done with the concept of being content with how things are, because I had the choice: to keep pouring the same old drinking water into my mug, or to simply change the filter for optimal filtration.

It was so easy to make the decision to switch the old filter for a brand new one, especially after finding out that I stocked multiple clean filters in the cabinet. So then I wondered, “Had I reached a point in life where I could answer all my goals with simple choices and small actions with self-implementation?”

My mug was literally and metaphorically half-full, sitting in front of me with plenty of space to implement new goals and decisions for myself. If I was smack-dab in the middle of the life spectrum—the feeling content was spot on. How could I get to the ideal stage in my life were I was encouraged and motivated to learn from new occurrences? By simply doing it all over again.

I was able to ground my general goals and allow for f lexible adjustments when needed. By reminding myself that I had reached a high level of motivation many times within the last 20 years of my life, I finally felt like I was on a path towards self-success. After seeing accomplishments from my past, what could be more motivating than predicting that of my future?

Those who are willing to push forward with the internal drive of real motivation and real will power won’t settle for words like “maybe,” “sometimes” and “eventually,” nor will they settle for the feeling of being content when the option of growth is always within reach.

STAR // Danielle Cartier With so many responsibilities stacking up, it’s easy for students to just say “forget it all” and become content with cruising through the next few years. It’s important, however, to constantly maintain goals and keep motivated.

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News

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Rotaract Club, students help improve Eleuthera economy Sara Molenda Staff Writer

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leven students, nine from Sonoma State and two from Santa Rosa Junior College, flew to Eleuthera in the Bahamas for spring break to use their knowledge of business and the world economy to strategize new opportunities for the island’s economy to grow.

The students worked very closely with the One Eleuthera Foundation, a non-profit organization that invests and works on projects that will further the economic and environmental development of Eleuthera.

Along with the Rotaract Club, the two groups and students came together to discuss strategies against issues such as poverty, healthcare and unemployment. The students who traveled to the remote island specifically focused on the large number of unemployed islanders.

Preparation for this trip began in September when students began to research and study the history and economy of the island. Students had to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current economic state in Eleuthera.

Once they understood the nature of the island’s economy, they could brainstorm new business strategies to promote economic growth. The students also invited guest speakers from Eleuthera to Sonoma State in the fall semester to get a better idea of the culture they were going to experience in a few months.

Patrick Maloney, a political science major at Sonoma State, was able to learn about the Eleutheran culture and economy during his stay on the island.

“One of my favorite things about Eleuthera is how friendly people are,” said Maloney. “Everyone waves or says hello to each other as they walk down the street. It’s something I wish we did more of here.”

When the students arrived on the island, they were assigned to different projects based on their strengths and interests. Maloney spent most of his time creating a business model and feasibility assessment for a community supported agriculture program for a local farm.

“I really enjoyed working with a woman named Sherry, who had started her own farm in order to provide healthy food to cancer patients on the island,” said Maloney.

He also gave a presentation on the coffee industry and the potential to create a coffee roastery on the island that could create jobs and boost the entrepreneurial spirit on there. That spirit, Maloney said, is essential to the survival of the island.

“Entrepreneurship means very different things for different types of people,” said Maloney. “For the people in Eleuthera where there is a very high unemployment [rate], new business can literally be a lifesaver. In the U.S., entrepreneurship is less about necessity and more about innovation.”

Social Entrepreneurship professor at Sonoma State University Robert Girling accompanied the students over the break.

“This was an eye-opening opportunity for these students,” said Girling. “They stayed in a local village, met and worked with the common people and experienced a new culture.”

Other students, including Paula Bish and Merissa Rolley, worked with children at the local elementary school and staged a performance at the end of their trip. Another group visited local recycling facilities and worked together to create a business plan to improve the efficiency of recycling on the island, and others helped to empower local women by creating employment through sewing.

The island of Eleuthera, which sits in the Bahamas at 110 miles long and about a mile wide, thrived from 1960 to 1980 back when Pan

COURTESY // Patrick Maloney Students engaged in “social entrepreneurship” in the Bahamas, a country that once thrived as a popular tourist destination.

American Airlines was offering direct flights to the island every day. This made the island a very popular tourist spot.

According to an article in the Tribune 242, a daily newspaper in the Bahamas, writer Larry Smith explained the transition between the island’s successes as a tourist spot in the 1960s to the current state of the island today.

The struggles that the economy of Eleuthera has faced in recent years can be attributed to the different entrepreneurial attempts to create a resort-covered island.

“Like many other islands in the Bahamas, Eleuthera is littered with failed or stalled resorts

dating back to the 1960s that never seem to gain traction,” said Smith in the article.

Smith continued to describe the inevitable fight between a proposed development on the southern tip of the island and the efforts of the One Eleuthera Foundation and the Bahamas National Trust to conserve this untouched part of the island.

While the development of land for hotels and resorts would stimulate the economy by promoting tourism and creating jobs, the success of these plans is yet to be seen on the island. For now, unemployment continues to be the biggest problem for the island’s population.

COBB: Group seeks to overturn Citizens United Continued from Pg. 1

Amend” people across the nation are making their voices heard.

“Nationally, over 63 cities and counties have passed similar initiatives, and over 500 municipal and county governments have passed resolutions calling for reform,” said Hanks. “In 2012, Mendocino County was the first California County to pass such an initiative. [This] year ‘Move to Amend Sonoma County’ joins three other local California county chapters [Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and

Humboldt] seeking to qualify similar initiatives for the November 2014 ballot,” said Hanks.

According to their website, The Sociology Club strives to foster a spirit of community at Sonoma State University. They work closely with non-profits in Sonoma County to help keep it a wonderful place to live. The club meets on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. in Stevenson 2075.

Sociology club leaders did not return repeated requests for comment.

Cobb will be in Sonoma County today through Thursday. For more information, go to www.

MovetoAmendSonomaCounty.org and find times and where to meet for each event.

News

April 8 - April 18, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

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Study connects Facebook use with eating disorders Students present research forum A E Amanda Scrabis Staff Writer

COURTESY // The Eating Recovery Center of California According to CNN, eating-disorder related hospitalizations increased by 18 percent overall, by 37 percent among men, and by 119 percent among children under the age of 12 between 1999 and 2006.

mericans under the age of 35 spend approximately 3.8 hours on social media everyday with females in particular spending about 3.6 hours. A recent study done by Florida State University has found college-age women, who spend large amounts of time on social media websites, are more likely to develop an eating disorder and often suffer from body image and appearance anxiety.

Jennifer Lombardi, the executive director of the Eating Recovery Center of California, said they noticed similar trends with patients at their facility. Many young women tend to not only be fixated on appearance and body image, but on feedback from others on their appearance.

“Social media’s emphasis on personal appearance, as well as photo sharing inducing commentary from others, can play into the insecurities that those vulnerable to developing eating disorders tend to have,” said Lombardi.

Lombardi pointed out how many of their patients and those prone to developing eating disorders often have a yearning for feedback about their physical appearance, thus Facebook and other social media sites centered on this behavior can be potentially harmful for these individuals.

The study was conducted in two parts. In the first part of the study, about 960 college females were given course credit to participate in an eating disorder test. The women were given various statements and told to either “agree” or “disagree.” The test also asked them to provide the amount of time they spent on Facebook.

The results concluded there was a small but significant correlation between the amount of time spent on Facebook and the amount of women with eating disorders.

In the second portion of the study, 84 of the original 960 women were chosen based upon their level of Facebook use. The women were identified as individuals that used Facebook on a regular basis.

One half of the participants were asked to log into their Facebook account and surf the website as normal.

The other half of the study was asked to visit Wikipedia and research the ocelot, which is a rainforest cat. Afterward both groups were given a questionnaire about their eating and Facebook habits.

The result of this portion of the study showed college women who reported a higher risk of developing an eating disorder found the contents

of their Facebook much more important than the women who had a lower risk.

They considered receiving “likes” or comments on their photographs important, more often un-tag themselves from photos they deemed unattractive and were even more likely to compare their photos with those of their female friends.

Michele Schulman, senior, told the STAR she spends many hours a day on a variety of social media sites depending on what she has planned for that day. She found the results of the study surprising.

“Personally, I can see how Facebook could potentially lead to eating or anxiety disorders - however there are other factors too,” said Schulman.

“The root of social media is about being able to connect and see what others are up to without being near or with them.”

Schulman added that if someone is already socially anxious or has low self-esteem, seeing others succeed and being happy could lead to even more negative feelings about themselves, thus increasing the rates of these disorders.

Nadia Reinecke, freshman, said she spends around two hours a day on social media sites, but most of her time is spent on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.

A resource for those struggling in northern California is the Eating Recovery Center. The treatment center in Sacramento is a center that provides medically supervised treatment for adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders.

The center provides three levels of service. The highest level of service, day treatment, provides nine to 12 hours of treatment five times a week. The treatment includes medical and nutritional therapy. There is also an intensive outpatient treatment that provides three hours of service three days a week.

Also, there is outpatient treatment. This treatment includes individual, nutrition and group therapy.

There is also housing available for those coming from out of the Sacramento area.

“We were motivated to create a program that not only provides research-based, effective treatment from a medical, nutritional and psychological standpoint, but most importantly has the needs of the patient always in mind,” said Lombardi.

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, Counseling and Psychological Services is a resource on campus that offers confidential counseling to Sonoma State students. To schedule an appointment or speak with a representative from CAPS, call (707) 664-2153, or for more information on their services visit www.sonoma. edu/counselingctr.

Cara Fuqua Staff Writer

very year The Anthropology Club hosts the Society and Culture Undergraduate Research Forum (SCURF) in hopes of providing students the opportunity to present their research in a professional setting.

SCURF will be presenting “Imprints: Humanity’s Footprint on Time and Space.” The keynote speaker for the sixth annual forum will be Matthew Clark, associate professor and department chair of geography and global studies at Sonoma State. The forum will be held on Wednesday in Ballrooms B, C and D of the SSU Student Center from 5 to 9 p.m.

The event welcomes all students from a variety of majors and offers them the unique experience of sharing their research and being published. SCURF will feature nine podium presentations and seven poster presentations this year.

Clark is also the director of Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Analysis (CIGA). As director, Clark traveled to Tucumán Province in Argentina on sabbatical to research how projected climate change and agricultural expansion contributed to the deforestation of Latin America and the Caribbean between 2001 and 2010.

In conclusion to his research, Clark and Mitchell Aide, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, created a five-year Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH). Clark and Aide created this solution in hopes to bring light of the rehabilitation of forests, woodlands and shrublands throughout South America.

In addition to Clark, the students presenting at SCURF are looking forward to participating in the forum. Anthropology major, Lauren Russ, will be giving a podium presentation on her research titled, “Cumulativeness in Non-Human Primates Suggests Cultural Capability.” Russ explained why SCURF is such a valuable tool for students.

“I think it is an amazing opportunity to not only present research to a forum, but to also have the opportunity to have your research published as an undergraduate student,” said Russ. “At least I know one of the many research papers I have written will have been published, and to me, this is the most important one I’ve done so far.”

Paul Martinez, sociology major, will be presenting on “Fostering Multicultural Competence through InterGroup Dialogues: Process, Outcomes and Reflections.”

“Presenting research at a conference is a vital experience in order to enhance one’s academic career and looks great for graduate school,” said Martinez.

For geography major, Hannah Zucherman, SCURF was the perfect opportunity to showcase her research in preparation for her presentation in May at the California Geographical Society Conference.

SCURF welcomes all students, friends, family and faculty to attend the annual forum. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided to those in attendance.

Ballrooms B, C and D of the Student Center will showcase two simultaneous podium presentations in two separate rooms, along with a poster session in another. At the end of the evening, one podium and one poster presentation will receive a certificate of excellence deeming the best research presentations of SCURF 2014.

Chief Coordinator for SCURF Diego Rocha is ecstatic about the upcoming event, but is also looking forward to what the future of SCURF has in store.

“I am slightly saddened at the fact this is my last year working with SCURF, since I am graduating this year,” said Rocha. “I can only hope I have left an imprint on SCURF’s evolution as much as it has on me.”

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Arts

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Alumni produce ‘Divergent Acts’

STAR // Brandon Stachnik The “Divergent Acts” exhibit features art by SSU alumni. Left, “Radiolarian Ooze” by Annalisa Vobis. Right, “The Dysphoria of Virtue and Vice” by Nicholas Harris and Ben Lastufska.

Brandon Stachnik Asst. A&E Editor

T

he collaboration of eight SSU sculpture alumni has resulted in an art exhibit that mimics a high school reunion. This reunion, however, is held to display the artistic growth of the former students of professor Jan Nunn.

“Divergent Acts: Current Work by SSU Sculpture Alumni” was personally curated by Nunn, professor of sculpture at Sonoma State University. The exhibit, open since April 1, features the creative works of numerous SSU alumni as well as one current art student.

Six different pieces were displayed in the library art gallery, some much larger than others.

One that stood out not only for its size but also for its description was Annalisa Vobis’ “Radiolarian Ooze.” This piece, constructed primarily of plastic, was hung by fishing line to give it a floating effect. A recurring theme of environmental awareness was depicted in many of the sculptures, and Vobis’ piece was no exception.

In her artist’s statement, Vobis said that her fascination of the interaction of organisms within ecosystems and their destructive impacts is often the inspiration of her work. The transformation of dead marine planktonic protozoan into sedimentary rock was depicted in white plastic material in “Radiolarian Ooze.” While the motivation behind the piece was a reference to destructive impacts on the environment, the sculpture itself was constructed beautifully.

Artists Nicholas Harris and Ben Lastufska produced a figure

that also portrayed the balance of organisms and their environment, but their final piece was much louder than Vobis’. “The Dysphoria of Virtue and Vice” incorporated materials such as fiberglass and yogurt to construct a mold of a human figure represents the fragility of our environment. The addition of a wooden beam violently stuck in the middle of the figure’s head further adds to the awareness of the consequences we face when our environment is tampered with.

Ben Lastufska graduated SSU in 2010 with Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. Despite his painting emphasis, Lastufska has a deep interest in sculpting.

“With painting, it’s two dimensional. It’s on a wall. You can make it three-dimensional, you can do almost anything you want, but it’s still going to be on a wall somewhere,” said Lastufska. “With sculpture, you can literally do anything you want as long as you have the resources.”

Christopher Collette is another artist who is intrigued with the ability to manipulate three-dimensional materials to send a message.

Collette produced a piece for the exhibit entitled “Portraits of the Male Figure Series” that featured four separate bronze sculptures accompanied by a monitor mounted on a wall. The monitor displayed a series of black and white photos of the artist’s feet moving to and from each other.

The space and shapes the human body creates intrigues Collette, and two of the bronze pieces were designed directly after the shapes created when his feet met together.

“I’ve always been interested in how things connect or attach,

and not necessarily the objects themselves,” said Collette.

Displayed on the back wall of the gallery was a sizeable paper piece designed by artist Missy Engelhardt. In distinctive Englehardt styling, a large orange sheet of paper was cut and folded to create a unique pattern. The use of a basic material such as paper was purposeful so the artist could display her ability explore the physical properties of objects and enhance them.

The sculpture, entitled “Orange Swirl,” served as a nice compliment along side Catherine Daley’s “Aurora II,” a pretty sculpture constructed of Plexiglas and aluminum.

Daley’s piece also paid tribute to nature and was inspired by the interaction of highly charged electrons from solar winds and the elements in earth’s atmosphere that create the aurora borealis.

One sculpture, whose design was not based on the materials used, but rather the message displayed, was Andrew Sofie’s “Other People’s Conversations.” Sofie’s piece was unique in that the only three-dimensional element used was a monitor mounted on a wall. A text conversation between two people who were said to have just met appeared to be fed live to the monitor. Sofie said he had been working on this project for a few years and he knew immediately he wanted to showcase it at “Divergent Acts” after he was invited to participate.

A gallery filled with numerous styles of sculpture art was curated nicely by Nunn and “Divergent Acts” proved to be a great way for SSU alumni to come together and showcase their artistic development.

The exhibit will run until July 12 and is free to the public.

No vacant seats at ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ Finn Maloney Staff Writer

W

es Anderson’s latest opus, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” is a delightfully layered narrative accompanied by his signature directing style and whimsical aesthetics.

The film’s main story revolves around a young lobby boy, Zero (played by the fresh yet adept Tony Revolori) and his mentor, hotel concierge Monsieur Gustave H. in war-torn 1930s Europe.

Gustave, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a very professional man who sleeps with a very specific type of older wealthy women in exchange for returning business, lavish gifts and customer satisfaction.

Gustave is named the heir to the painting “Boy with Apple” which holds priceless value after one of his “guests” dies shortly after a visit. This of course caused outrage from the biological family, including the late guest’s son (Adrien Brody) and thrusts Gustave and Zero into a wild run from the police and a hit man.

While trying to rightfully claim and hide the painting, they cross paths with hardened criminals (Willem Dafoe), bookish lawyers (Jeff Goldblum), friendly police officers (Edward Norton) and a secret organization of hotel concierges (Bill Murray and Owen Wilson), all of whom have appeared in previous Anderson films.

One of the main points of joy and excitement when seeing an Anderson film is having famous faces unexpectedly cameo as characters that seem unlike anything they have done before. Fiennes, best known for being Lord Voldemort for instance, plays a beloved, mild mannered hotel concierge.

The film also includes a frequently used Anderson plot: a youthful romance between Zero and a young pastry chef Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) that puts to shame almost all mature relationships in terms of passion, loyalty and beautifully sewn together sweetness.

Yes, Anderson has used the same tropes, directing styles, whimsical color and set dressings in almost all of his films over the past decade, yet it is hard to feel like he is repeating himself when each work shines brightly in its own right.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” takes place in four separate time periods. The story of Gustave and Zero takes place in the 1930s yet it is narrated by a much older Zero, who is speaking to Jude Law, a traveling writer, in the year 1962.

This story, as well as that of Gustave, is part of a

book that was written by Law’s character many years later, which in present day is being read by a young girl in front of the author’s memorial.

This narrative choice, which does not necessarily affect the story any further than 1962, effectively ties together the piece and acts as a metaphor for the webs of human interaction and connection created by people that maintains long after they die.

This film continues Anderson’s career long streak of critical acclaim and audience adoration he has worked so hard to achieve. His writing abilities, directorial and stylistic choices have been winning over viewers for years, and his techniques have only improved with time.

Successfully balancing such whimsy with such thought-provoking dialogue, and deep, immediately empathetic characters is a skill that takes much cultivation.

Every piece of the set, outfits, dialogue, actors and beautifully recorded and cut bit of sound is all a part of the Anderson aesthetic, an aesthetic that has been evolving for 20 years and has become ingrained in the mind of his audiences to the point where any frame from one of his newer films would be almost instantly identifiable.

Anderson has truly mastered the style he wants to be known for and is apparently planning to work with for the rest of his career.

While at times the audience may want him to return to his more realistic, yet still whimsical style of his early works such as “Rushmore,” Anderson knows to stay a successful filmmaker he must continue to make each film even more stylistic and definitively Anderson than the last.

facebook.com “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is Wes Anderson’s latest film.

COURTESY // Archaia Entertainment “Beautiful Scars” by Durwin S. Talon and E. Guin Thompson features a girl named Maddie who illustrates the stories of her grandfather.

‘Beautiful Scars’ a fairytale adventure Melanie Hernandez Staff Writer

F

or many successful people, the main root of their accomplishment is the person who inspires them to keep pushing through no matter what. This idea is emphasized in the graphic novel “Beautiful Scars,” released April 2 by writers and illustrators Durwin S. Talon and E. Guin Thompson via publisher Archaia.

“Beautiful Scars” incorporates adventure and fairytale through colorful illustrations to define what it means to be inspired to tell a story. It is a narrative that covers almost every topic from adventure, love, fairytale, hope, courage and being confident in oneself.

“Beautiful Scars” starts off with the main character, Maddie, on her way to take her first published book to her grandfather, Ridley Shaw.

The story then flashes back to her childhood and begins when Maddie went to visit her grandparents when she was a child.

On her visit with her grandfather is when she falls on the ground and cuts her knee. Maddie

gets upset because of the scar it will turn into, and then Ridley tells her stories about his own scars and how he got them. The grandfather, and the comic book as a whole, expresses that scars add to the ways we hold onto memories and the stories those recollections bring make the scars worth it.

Ridley tells her how he got the scar on his knee, elbow and forehead. Through his stories, she learns to tell her own. This is shown to the reader through Maddie’s imaginative storytelling of her newly published book.

As the grandfather tells Maddie the stories about each of his scars, she uses his memories to make her own tales. She uses a woodsman, a princess and a troll to recreate her own magical stories.

The illustrations guide the reader through the stories the grandfather is explaining, and the parallel fairytale Maddie made up.

Something that made the graphic novel even more interesting was how each character in the fairytale represents someone from the stories the grandfather was telling, whether it was a person or an animate object. This made the story easier to follow and more entertaining to get interested in.

Although, while reading the tale, it may get confusing to decipher who is telling which story because it switches back and forth from the grandfather’s stories to the fantasy storyline. At first, it could seem like the grandfather is narrating both stories. However, as he narrates his real life stories, Maddie is narrating her own fairytale.

Yet the detailed drawings still made the comic even more intriguing than the story itself.

With the adventurous fairyland stories Maddie told and the historical stories the grandfather spoke, the images helped to expand the storyline and add a sense of imagination that made the story worthwhile to read.

“Beautiful Scars” gives readers a heartwarming story by combining history and fantasy to accentuate imagination is equally as important as reality is. The story teaches readers their lives tell a story that should be told because stories are important, no matter who’s expressing them.

The narrative stresses the point that everyone’s lives tell a story, and these stories should be shared to those around them.

In the opening lines of the story, Maddie says, “We are surrounded by stories, but the best stories stand out. They can be epic tales, or everyday moments. But if stories are truly memorable, we can’t help but hold onto them. Cherish them.

Share them.”

With a bittersweet ending, “Beautiful Scars” is a story that not only helps readers to want to share their stories and pursue their dreams; it is also a tribute to loved ones and those who continue to inspire.

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Entertainment

Shakira’s latest album es muy bueno

While an entertaining track, it sounds like a chopped-and-mixed regurgitation of her previous World Cup contribution in 2010, “Waka Waka.” Nevertheless, it no doubt has the ability olumbian songstress Shakira added an to pump up an already semi-rowdy crowd of eponymous English release to her colsoccer fans. lection of 10 studio albums on March “Spotlight” almost seems like a throwback 21 via RCA Records, the newest since 2010’s to mid-2000s with electric guitar and lyrics that “Sale el Sol”. weave a tale of boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy.

“Shakira” is on the lengthier side with 15 If Avril Lavigne were to attempt a modern-day songs on the deluxe edition that feature guest revival of “Sk8er Boi” after developing thicker appearances from musical giants Rihanna and vocal chords and taking some vibrato lessons, fellow judge from “The Voice,” Blake Shelton. this is what the product might be.

The warbly vibrato qualities typically associ“Chasing Shadows” dips a toe into a 80s ated with her hit single, “Hips Don’t Lie,” is as dance club with reverberating synth beats and prominent as ever on electronically uplifttracks like “You Don’t ing runs in conjuncCare About Me” and tion with passionate, “Loca por Ti.” vibrato-heavy voReggae inspiracals. (We’ll chase our tion joins traditional shadows / And when Spanish instruments the night comes / We in “Cut Me Deep,” will run from nothwhich features a paining, my love). fully poignant mesOne of the more sage accompanied by readily accessible electric guitars, maritracks, it’s easy to picachi horns and an easture a windows-down ily recognizable guest summer day with this appearance of regas the soundtrack. gae-pop band Magic!

An unexpected (Why do you say piano ballad softens things / If you do not the album in “That mean them / Why do facebook.com Way.” Echoes of you fill up my wounds Shakira’s new self-titled album has fans stripped-down, flow/ With your dirt). rejoicing the resurgence of her Latin pop ing vocals fit perfect“23” slows the al- roots. ly into the melodies, bum down with homaccented by violin age to the singer’s romantic interest, soccer accompaniment (Oh, baby, can you hear the player Gerard Pique. Simple acoustic stylings sound? / My broken heart’s beating faster now accompany sweet, honest vocals that coo feel/ In your arms / But I know that I’m safe here ings of absolute adoration (I used to think that in your arms). there was no God / But then you looked at me The four-and-a-half star iTunes rating inwith your blue eyes / And my agnosticism dicates the general consensus ranks this as a turned into dust). positive addition to Shakira’s repertoire; howAlthough the album was predominantly ever, of the 2,535 voters, one must wonder if written in English, “Nunca Me Acuerdo de only pre-established Shakira fans took the time Olvidarte” takes a step back to remind the auto click their opinions. dience of Shakira’s roots. The same song as the Compared to Shakira’s previous releases, first track, it parlays the message of longing the passion is still present, but with an underand passion, but with the addition of Spanish lying feeling the recording label squeezed the lyrics and a lack of Rihanna (which incidensongstress for filler tracks that lack the depth tally may be an improvement). associated with her earlier career.

“Dare (La La La),” appropriately the offiThroughout Shakira’s fruitful career, she cial song of the upcoming World Cup hosted has explored a decently wide range of genres

by Brazil, comes alive with upbeat drums and to dabble in, all while remaining true to her dance-inducing overtones that are expected of soulful roots. While this album may not be Shakira. An electronic segue (The whole world the easiest for new fans to get into, a few bad is watching / It’s truth or dare can you feel it) is apples don’t necessarily ruin the track listing punctuated by a chorus of inexplicably catchy as a whole. la-la-la’s.

Kathleen Collins Staff Writer

C

facebook.com Captain America (Chris Evans) and the Black Widow battle a secret organization and a mysterious assassin in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Captain America vs. ‘Winter Soldier’ Cameron Hatheway A&E Editor

W

hen aliens invaded New York back in 2012, Captain America led the Avengers into battle to save the

world.

With the threat eliminated, now Captain America must submerge himself into the dangerous world of espionage in present day while taking on a new powerful threat: the Winter Soldier.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is the sequel to 2011’s “Captain America” movie and helps further expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Chris Evans returns as Captain America, the super solider who was frozen in ice since World War II, to not only battle another mysterious super soldier known as the Winter Soldier, but to also differentiate friend from foe within the law-enforcement and espionage agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. While there is no lack of stunningly choreographed fights, car chases and shootouts, the storyline is really more of a spy-thriller

Page 7

than it is a typical superhero movie.

With the preeminent launch of three new Helicarriers (flying aircraft carriers of the Marvel Universe) whose sole mission is to preemptively eliminate enemy targets, spymaster Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) becomes suspicious of his own organization when he doesn’t have access to secret files relating to the project known as Project Insight.

One of the themes throughout the film involves sacrificing privacy for security, much like the argument we as a society are currently having regarding the NSA, but it’s something Fury sees as a necessity but Captain America strongly disagrees with.

Fury learns he was wading into treacherous waters after surviving a well-planned attempt on his life out in public, forcing him to go into hiding. He makes his way into Captain America’s apartment to inform him that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised, only to be silenced soon after by the Winter Soldier, a super soldier with a dangerous metal arm.

It’s then up to Captain America and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to investigate the hidden menace that has successfully infiltrated and taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. while simultaneously remaining on the run and off the grid.

“The Winter Soldier” successfully ties-in with events from “The Avengers” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” movies while also remaining easy to follow to new viewers who aren’t up to date with every Marvel movie.

The film also supplies several Easter eggs for diehard comic book fans, hinting at possible future Marvel movies as well as things to come in the eventual “Avengers” sequel due out next summer.

While the identity of the Winter Soldier is nothing new to regular Marvel comic book readers, the reveal on screen was definitely shocking to many, for Captain America is very familiar with who’s behind the mask.

Black Widow isn’t the only ally Captain America has in his arsenal: Sam Wison (Anthony Mackie), aka the Falcon, makes his big screen debut with metal wings and guns ablazing.

The Falcon has been around in comics since 1969, making his first appearance in “Captain America” No. 117. There weren’t many African-American superheroes back then, making Falcon one of the first mainstream African-American superheroes in comics.

A plethora of other minor Marvel characters make an appearance in the film, making “The Winter Soldier” jam-packed with action, suspense and stunning visuals throughout.

Although Captain America will return in “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” next summer, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” in August to continue with the Marvel Cinematic Universe expansion goodness.

Zombie animals threaten humanity in ‘Other Dead’ Amanda Levine Features Editor

I

n the world of monsters and mayhem, 2013 was definitely the year of the zombies and 2014 is no different. The living dead have dominated all aspects of the media world, film, television, video games and, of course, graphic novels.

Comic book enthusiasts already know of the widely popular “The Walking Dead” series; however, there is a new and different type of zombie infestation taking place, distributed

by IDW Publishing and written by co-creators Joshua Ortega and Digger T. Mesch entitled “The Other Dead.”

“The Other Dead” is a graphically gory interpretation of what happens when the animal kingdom becomes the species affected with the zombie virus, rather than the human race.

With the use of realistic and detailed artwork by Qing Ping Mui and a captivating storyline, “The Other Dead” is quickly becoming successful by keeping the reader on edge issue after issue.

The first issue starts off right away with an adrenaline pumping scene involving hunters in the woods who have just shot a wild buck. As the hunters go in to inspect their kill, they are suddenly facing a whole different kind of fear as the once dead animal has come back to life as a violently ferocious and bloody new kind of animal being.

Flashing back two days prior, the reader finds out how the infection started, which is an unusual bit of information for a zombie story.

In most stories involving zombies throughout the decades, the cause of the infection is rarely ever revealed. In “The Other Dead,” the infection has come about due to a group of young men participating in an act of some sort of voodoo-like sacrifice.

Quite fitting for the story’s setting in Louisiana, which involves a bloody and nauseating scene. The teens slaughter a farm of ducks in order to use their blood as a sacrifice; however, their spell goes horribly wrong, causing the dead ducks to come back as rabid, f lying zombies.

Going into the second issue, another main character is introduced to the story, one whom readers might know very well: President Barack Obama. The president plays a large role throughout the issues and it creates a very realistic feel to the comics having such a notable person as a main character.

As the growing threat of undead animals becomes more widely known throughout the nation, Obama makes his way to the heart of the problem in Louisiana, where it all started.

Once Obama arrives, he is greeted in a not-so-nice way by a horde of dogs that are infested with the rabies-like infection.

COURTESY // IDW Publishing “The Other Dead” is a different take on the zombie genre, featuring undead animals, voodoo, rednecks and President Barack Obama.

Issue three is perhaps the most brutal of all. Several casualties take place in the most satisfyingly gory ways. For instance, one character is pulled through a car window by a bloodthirsty, zombie-crocodile, never to be seen again, while another character’s skin is ripped from their face by a dog.

Besides hordes of zombie animals taking over the South, a brutal hurricane is brewing in Louisiana which proves to be another problem for the remaining survivors. The two threats create an extremely adrenaline inducing situation for characters and readers.

Moving into issue four, the teens and Obama end up in a search to find shelter from the storm when they run into a very suspiciously neo-confederate, backwoods man who ends up taking them into his home. Awkwardness and suspicion ensue as the reader cannot be too sure of the stranger who takes them in, as his house is literally coated with weapons.

Some political drama takes place as well in the interaction between Obama and the stranger. The cliff hanger for this issue isn’t whether the threat of the animal zombies will attack the group but rather if the human being will be the next big threat.

In issue five, the survivors are all locked inside the stranger’s house when hordes upon hordes of zombie creatures start to move in. Putting all political and social differences aside, everyone pulls out a weapon in preparation for the inevitable attack by the zombies.

First a hungry pack of disgusting looking wolf-zombies begin to smash through the windows, only to meet their demise by the survivors’ bullets and axes. Then some terrifying stags attempt to infiltrate the house.

A rescue team on helicopter arrives with army men trying to rescue the president, but their plan quickly falters when a pack of menacing undead bears attacks them and they all die violently. The survivors manage somehow to get to the helicopters, get away and then decide to head to a nearby Air Force base.

Issue six, the last installment of “The Other Dead,” was short yet exciting. Instead of landing at an Air Force base, the survivors end up landing in an animal preserve where safari animals are the terrifying monsters in this issue.

After the helicopter crashes into the preserve, the survivors fight their way through stampedes of rhinos and zebras that are infected by the zombie disease. The group hops in a jeep and makes its way to shelter (very reminiscent to a scene right out of a “Jurassic Park” movie), and waits for rescue.

Right before the issue ends, one last battle between the rescue team and the wild animals takes place, which includes bloody yet artistic images of gunshots, blow torches and decapitations. It’s definitely survival of the fittest.

The issue overall has a happier ending than one would think as most of the survivors make it in the end. The best part is the epilogue at the end, where the writers and creators hint at a new series coming soon, which was very satisfying to see.

Overall, “The Other Dead” is an original piece of work that takes the themes of violence and survival and turns it into page turning, action-packed adventure for the reader.

With incredible artwork by Mui and coloring by Blond, the issues are great for more than just their storyline. Be on the lookout for “The Other Dead 2: Epidemic,” coming this fall, when Ortega and Mesch deliver yet another great read.

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Features

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

FAASSU celebrates diversity on campus

facebook.com FAASSU went camping at Spring Lake this past semester, called the ‘Kai-mping’ trip.

Claudia Jambor Staff Writer

P

resident of Filipino American Association at Sonoma State University (FAASSU) Paolo Ochoa doesn’t define his club as an organization. In his eyes, FAASSU is a second family.

“When I’m talking to students on campus, I refer to FAASSU as my family. If you are looking for a close knit family bond instead of just pure organization, then [FAASSU] is what you want,” said Ochoa.

Established in 1995, the initial intentions of FAASSU’s founders were to create an organization that catered specifically to students of Filipino decent and to discuss issues affecting Filipino people nationally and internationally. The intentions of its founders evolved over time to encourage students of various cultural backgrounds to discover the uniqueness of Filipino culture, heritage and history.

Now, FAASSU is one of the largest cultural clubs on campus.

“A majority of the people in FAASSU are not Filipino; there are a lot of different Asians, Caucasians and African Americans,” said Ochoa.

FAASSU Vice President Kristen Laforga perceives the cul-

tural diversity of FAASSU and its family-like environment as creating a place of belonging for Asian students on campus.

“It was different for me coming from an all-Asian school to a predominantly white campus, so I did seek out people who were Asian who I was able to connect with. It is what we identify as a home on campus; it is where we can go to belong,” Laforga said.

FAASSU’s numbers have doubled in the last four years with more than 60 active members. A statistic that emphasizes the club can be a home to all people of different races and backgrounds.

“People think [to be part of] an Asian club you have to be Asian. You don’t have to be Asian to join; we are welcoming to everyone,” Laforga said.

“We don’t make it hard for people to join and we offer a lot of ways for people to become involved with us,” Ochoa said.

April marks the celebration of Asian Heritage Month, an exciting time for FAASSU and a fantastic opportunity to get involved with the club.

Pacific Culture Night is a highlight event in FAASSU’s calendar this month, running for two nights on April 24 and 26 at 7 p.m., a first in the event’s history. Ochoa said the free event is “not like any other event on campus,” encouraging students to come along to one of the two nights.

Pearson Theatre will transform into a cultural hive of diverse dance and music performances from Asian and other cultures.

“Our Pacific Culture Night is one of the most popular events on campus during April for FAASSU. Pacific Culture night is a night of singing and dancing from many different cultures. It’s always a full house, everybody loves it. It’s our way of bringing out our culture here on campus,” Ochoa said.

Pacific Culture Night is just one of FAASSU’s many events that strive to advocate and promote Filipino, Asian and other culture within the SSU community.

“I’m just so proud to be Filipino. I’m proud that I am one of many here at SSU that are Filipino. I don’t want to be another brick in the wall, I want to strut that I am different,” Ochoa said.

Filipino culture is engrained in both Ochoa’s and Laforga’s lifestyles and family life. Laforga’s sisters can speak fluent Tagalog, whereas she is more familiar with the Ilocano dialect. She grew up with her grandma who spoke to her in Ilocano, which naturally resulted in very little Tagalog being spoken.

“When I’m at work and Filipinos come in and speak in Tagalog, I wish I could show my respect and be able to converse with them,” Laforga said.

Ochoa’s family in Southern California speak their native tongue, Tagalog, frequently in their household.

“Sometimes I can understand what [my parents] are saying.

They refer to me as ‘the boy’ in Tagalog so I always know when they are talking about me behind my back because I know what ‘the boy’ means [in Tagalog],” said Ochoa.

While Ochoa says “SSU is definitely working on diversity slowly but surely,” both Laforga and Ochoa acknowledge a lack of support on campus for FAASSU in comparison to other clubs.

As Ochoa explains, FAASSU is working on fostering a stronger relationship with Associated Students to rally more support for the club.

“If we improve our relationship with [Associated Students], the word about FAASSU gets out more. We want to get just as many benefits as Greeks do, making bigger and better things for us,” Ochoa said.

FAASSU is a greatly valued facet in Ochoa’s life, crediting his Sonoma State experience predominantly to the club.

“My experience here at SSU has only been made because of FAASSU and that’s why I prioritize it so much in my life. It’s why I aspired to become president the moment I walked into the meeting during my freshman year because I knew this would be my new home and this would be a place where I could feel like myself completely eight hours from home,” Ochoa said.

facebook.com FAASSU holds various fundraisers, like an open-mic night at Extreme Pizza, pictured above, to raise money for Typhoon Hiyan relief.

Phi Delta Theta triumphs in Greek Olympics

facebook.com Phi Delta Theta came out on top as the 2014 Greek Olympics champion.

Alexis Garcia-Mills Asst. Features Editor

F

raternities competed to determine who has the ultimate sport technique through an annual weekend tournament called the Greek Olympics.

Support and dedication to the Greek community was shown not only through the fraternities but also the students and sororities who bombarded

each event with cheers and support.

The games started with basketball where the chaotic, fun event took over the Recreation Center.

Most of all the games were not close and the winner was apparent within the first ten minutes.

That is, except for the game between Tau Kappa Epsilon and Phi Delta Theta; Tau Kappa Epsilon showed perseverance that paid off. Phi Delta Theta started off with the lead, with a score of 18-10 at halftime, still a pretty close game. After half time Tau Kappa Epsilon came back with adrenaline and

STAR // Evan Croker Supportive Greek members cheer on the competing fraternities at Friday’s basketball games.

its mind in the game to come in with an exciting to guarantee a spot in the championship game.

Phi Delta Theta still had a chance, now playing Alpha Sigma Phi, to determine who would play Tau Kappa Epsilon in the championship for basketball.

The game was close and filled with intensity.

Both fraternities gave in all their effort, but ended with Phi Delta Theta defeating Alpha Sigma Phi 4638. Really redeeming itself, Phi Delta Theta came with the win in the championship game against Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Before the weekend games started the fraternities announced some bad news about soccer, which was supposed to be held Saturday morning on the Beaujolais Fields.

Since the amount of rain and weather issues caused flooding on the fields, Adam Rosenkranz, Interfraternity Council president, announced that soccer would have to be cancelled.

This created much disappointment amongst the players who trained together and planned on playing.

The fraternities’ brothers who organized Greek Olympics put in much effort to find an alternative route for the flooded Beaujolais fields, but ran into a brick wall at each other option.

They looked to go indoor or to go to another park but they were not able to show up and guarantee that it would be vacant and they did not buy insurance to reserve another field.

Their budget also did not allow because the weekend already cost them $5,000.

Jose McManus from Alpha Sigma Phi said, “When I first heard of the news I was devastated because I was looking forward to that particular sport so much. I know every fraternity put in hard work to get ready and to see it all go to waste was tough to take.”

With the gap between basketball and volley-

ball, because of the last minute cancellation of soccer, the players had a chance to rest for the rest of the games to come.

Volleyball started Saturday night and a similar pattern was shown as basketball.

In the championship game Phi Delta Theta and Alpha Sigma Phi went head-to-head and Phi Delta Theta came in with another win.

Before the final day of softball and football the standings were Phi Delta Theta (eight points), Alpha Psi (five points), Tau Kappa Epsilon (four points), Alpha Sigma Phi (three points), Alpha Epsilon Pi (zero points) and Nu Alpha Kappa (zero points).

The similar patterns continued into softball where Phi Delta and Alpha Psi went to the semifinals to figure out who would play against Alpha Sigma Phi in the championship.

Alpha Sigma Phi worked its way up from fourth the day before by gaining its focus with its hand-eye coordination.

Alpha Psi beat Phi Delta Theta then continued to beat Alpha Sigma Psi for the championship for softball.

For the final games, football and the knowledge bowl, the new standings were Phi Delta Theta (nine points), Alpha Psi (nine points), Tau Kappa Epsilon (six points), Alpha Sigma Phi (six points), Alpha Epsilon Pi (zero points), and Nu Alpha Kappa (zero points).

Coming in with a win Alpha Epsilon Pi went in for redemption to win the knowledge bowl.

At football the competition came down to Phi Delta Theta and Alpha Sigma Phi who competed for first and Alpha Psi and Tau Kappa Epsilon fought for third.

Phi Delta Theta ended strong and came in with the hard-earned win for this year’s Greek Olympics.

STAR // Evan Croker Although many fraternities competed tirelessly in basketball, Phi Delta Theta came out on top and won.

Features

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 9

Eccentric one-man fashion show raises money for math club Ree, Thai classical music).

Approximately 75 guests attended the fundraiser and enjoyed a variety of homegrown entertainment during Luttmann’s wardrobe changes. hen the top fashion models retire from “This exceeded my expectations,” said math their trade, they often become talk show professor Martha Shott. “It is way more fun than I hosts, cosmetic spokespersons or entrecould have anticipated.” preneurs. In the case of math professor and fashion Interstitial entertainment included humorous model Rick Luttmann, retirement will entail travelpoetry readings, skits poking fun at other students ing abroad as well as writing mathematical papers such as COMS majors and “The Mathematic Famand textbooks. ily Feud,” a game show between math and nonTo be fair, Luttmann is not a professional math majors. model, but the opinionated instructor has been Staudt read quotes from math professor Jerry the exclusive stage Morris, the co-winner of model for each fashthe SSU Excellence in ion show presented Teaching Award for the by the Sonoma State 2013-2014 academic year, Math and Stats Club that brought cheers during since the late 1990s. two wardrobe changes: Now in his 44th “That’s what made the year and final sedinosaurs extinct; me talkmester of teaching ing math to them.” at Sonoma State, “Beautiful proof of Luttmann recalls something, but not what being featured in a we’re trying to prove.” half-dozen earlier “We’ve done what fashion shows. This mathematicians like to show was approprido — we’ve shown it has ately titled, “The Fia solution — but we have nal Luttmann Fashno idea what that actually ion Show!” means.”

“I have an Jennifer Ganeles, a jueclectic wardrobe nior majoring in math and wear suits evwith a secondary educaeryday … some tion concentration, sang conventional, some an A cappella version of not,” said Luttmann.

“My Funny Valentine” “Students came up while Math and Stats Club with the idea of a President Jacob Holman fashion show as a performed a solo baritone COURTESY // Elizabeth Schleth fundraiser for the horn rendition of “Part of Math Club, and they Professor Rick Luttmann shows off his overYour World” from “The coordinate all of the the-top suits and outfits in the ‘Final LuttLittle Mermaid.” arrangements.” mann Fashion Show.’

“Fundraising supports The two-hour the food and beverages fashion show conserved at Math Club functions and allows us to sisted of 10 outfits from Luttmann’s extensive purchase promotional tools such as T-shirts,” said collection of suits, jackets, slacks, shoes and acHolman, a senior with a dual major in statistics cessories. In a word, Luttmann’s fashion sense is and pure math. “outrageous.”

He also said the club provides community for Master of ceremonies Rachael Staudt, a gradmath majors and produced the Pi Mu Epsilon uating senior with an applied mathematics major Mathematics Conference at Sonoma State in Ocand art minor, recalled her first impression of Lutober 2013 that was attended by students and facttmann. ulty from other colleges.

“I didn’t know Elton John had given up his Holman believes Luttmann, a longstanding singing career and was teaching mathematics at and outspoken critic of SSU administrators, is Sonoma State,” said Staudt. popular among math students for two distinct reaA few of Luttmann’s fashion ensembles were sons. riveting: “Dr. Luttmann will spend a long time working Outfit No. 6: purple suit with purple shirt, on difficult math problems for his own edificapurple cuff links, purple necktie (Māori design, tion and for sharing with his students,” said HolNew Zealand), amethyst tie tack, charoite pin, man. “He also thinks of math as an art form, and Hopi dancers on a silver-inlay belt buckle, amebelieves that some really profound things can be thyst and ruby ring, lavender jade ring and purpleachieved through working with math.” gold shoes (background music: “I’m Sexy and I Most notable among these math and stats stuknow It” by LMFAO). dents and faculty is their friendship and sense of Outfit No. 8: red and black jacket, white satin community that warmed Ballroom D of the Stuslacks, red-and-white candy cane striped shirt, dent Center. red-white-gray-maroon tie, coral tie tack, fossil This group also has an exponential fun quoivory rose pin, coral petite point conch belt, coral tient. Perhaps the festive occasion was the source petite point ring, rose tourmaline ring and red of their humor, or the seriousness of their studies shoes (background music: “Foxy Lady” by The unleashes equal and opposite reactions.

Jimi Hendrix Experience).

Luttmann said the math department is throwOutfit No. 10: white formal jacket, black ing a huge retirement party for him and two other slacks, black shirt, white jacquard tie, piano keyretiring professors, Barnier and Mendez, at the board tie bar, Aleut fossilized ivory rose lapel end of the spring semester. pin, black and white oxford shoes, hematite ring, Looking for a great time on campus? Then Kachina ring, belt buckle with Zuni gemstone infind out where the math and stats people are hanglays and a black fedora (background music: Ma Ho ing out and party down with them.

Stuart Courtney Staff Writer

W facebook.com The Graton Casino’s 630 Park Steakhouse features high-end steaks, seafoods and wines.

Best of surf, turf in Rohnert Park Vasilios Loufas Staff Writer

W

hen the words “fine dining” and “Rohnert Park” are put in the same sentence, some locals may think that is a crazy thing to say.

The usual chain restaurants such as “Olive Garden” and “Applebee’s” seem to flood California suburbias, whereas city folks get to eat at independently owned restaurants every day.

As of this past fall, problem solved.

Graton Resort and Casino offers dining at its finest for the Rohnert Park community and casino visitors.

The most deluxe establishment in the building stands as 630 Park Steakhouse, named after the casino’s address.

630 Park is the modern version of your classic American Steakhouse.

As you walk in, you are greeted by a lovely lady. Looking to the right, you see a well-designed bar with a classy ambiance.

Once walking through toward the back, you are seated in a large, spacey room with a relaxed feel. The waiter takes a napkin and lays it on your lap for you.

The wine list offers wines of the greater Napa and Sonoma counties, many of which are located right by the casino.

The wine is as local as it gets while dining in the mecca of wine for the Western World.

The wines (per bottle) can be pricey such as 2006 Verité red Bordeaux blend from the Chalk Hill appellation of Sonoma County which costs a nice $1,200 to order, but can go as low as a 2011 Louis Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon for $38.

The menu offers aged steaks and fresh seafood, along with delicious appetizers and sides, providing an array of options for a hungry customer with some cash in their pocket.

The prime steaks are wet aged for a minimum of 28 days, while the Chicagobased Niman Ranch steaks are wet aged for a minimum of 21 days.

These processes call for maximum flavor from the steak and produce the

best results in preparation for the chef’s job.

Appetizers include a Cioppino Cocktail for $17 and oysters for $18, both of which are delicious and worth the price.

The soups and salads sections offersgreat, tasty soups such as the Traditional French Onion for a reasonable $9.

“The Wedge” salad is a great pick consisting of tomato, Hobbs’ Bacon, Point Reyes Blue and ranch or Peppercorn Ranch dressing.

Entrees besides steak consist of seafoods such as the $72 Lobster Tail and the Atlantic salmon for $28.

630 Park also offers a Prime burger for $18, consisting of USDA prime-aged beef, half sour pickle and crisp french fries.

The restaurant also offers sides that can be ordered along with the meal.

The options are five different sides in the categories of vegetables, potatoes and specialties.

Some standouts are the asparagus, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese and braised mushrooms.

This review wouldn’t count if I didn’t even mention the happy hour menu.

Going for only $6.30, 630 Park offers great dishes such as Prime French Dip Sliders and Tuna Tacos.

The sweet potato fries are delicious and come with a side of spicy, Thousand Island dipping sauce. The drink menu gets even better.

There are five different wines that go from $4.50 to $6 per glass. Lagunitas IPA, Stella Artois and Bud Light go for only $2.50 while cocktail selections come between $5 to $7.

630 Park Steakhouse is a great place to go. If you have some money, go check it out.

If you don’t have much money, check it out during happy hour. Either way, this place is a must-go in the Rohnert Park area.

It is a place you can eat well and be treated well. The service was good; I never felt rushed or uncomfortable.

The food was delicious overall, and the look of the place was breathtaking.

So much for not having fine-dining restaurants in Rohnert Park.

Parents, families, friends & alumni of SSU:

facebook.com Each of the steaks at 630 Park are wet-aged for weeks, allowing each steak to be mouth-watering and juicy.

Subscribe to the STAR next semester!

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Receive 14 issues of the STAR for the spring semester to stay updated on current events, Seawolf sports, campus arts and performances, student spotlights, clubs, student government and more.

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Page 10

Sports

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Water polo drops two in series

Lady ‘Wolves shy of winning Tournament of Champions

COURTESY // SSU Athletics Brittny Hummel scored four goals against CSU Monterey Bay. Angelica Viera Staff Writer

T

he Sonoma State women’s water polo team went 1-2 in their home games this weekend at Dr. G. Edward Rudloff Pool. On Saturday, the Lady Seawolves lost to 13th-ranked UC San Diego 15-6, but pulled it together to finish the day with a win against fellow WWPA competitors CSU Monterey Bay 11-7. The next day the Lady Seawolves came out strong and tried to keep their winning momentum going, but fell short in the fourth quarter losing 13-6 to 17th-ranked Wolverines of Michigan. Sonoma State holds its record at 7-18 overall this season.

Both teams were off to a slow start offensively in game one against the UC San Diego Tritons.

After the Triton’s first goal, Nicole Browning brought the Seawolves back in the game tying the score 1-1 at the end of the first quarter. Sonoma’s Carliegh Robinson scored a goal in the second quarter to put Sonoma in the lead 3-2, but UCSD came out hungry for points and went on a 7-0 run in the third quarter.

Jessica Becker helped the Lady Seawolves with a goal at the end of the third quarter to stop the run cutting the lead to 9-4 but with one quarter left, it seemed too late. San Diego ruthlessly netted six goals to shut Sonoma down in the fourth and final quarter and squash any hopes for a miraculous comeback. Browning tried to ignite some energy into her team putting away her second goal of the game. Caitlin Risden caught the spark and added one of her own but it wasn’t enough to save Sonoma as time quickly ran out and the Lady Seawolves took a tough loss 15-6.

Game two against CSU Monterey Bay started similarly to the first and saw very little offense

from both teams early on. Brittny Hummel scored to tie the game 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Seawolves seemed to find their groove as a team as Robinson, Lexii Morabito, Noelle Herrere and Shannon Baer all chipped in goals to end the second quarter 5-3; but it didn’t stop there.

Sonoma’s offense was on fire in the third quarter extending their lead over the Otters. Herrera and Hummel both scored twice and Risden netted the final goal of the third to put the Lady Seawolves at a comfortable 10-5 lead going into the fourth. Risden would seal Sonoma’s victory with her second goal making the final score 11-7.

Sonoma State faced 17th-ranked Michigan on Sunday for their third game of the weekend.

Morabito scored the Lady Seawolves’ first goal to tie the game 1-1 with 4:19 left in the first quarter. As time dwindled down to two minutes, the Wolverines pulled ahead and retook the lead 2-1 and wouldn’t give it up the rest of the game. Both teams evenly netted one goal each in the second quarter which left the score 4-2 at halftime, giving the Lady Seawolves hope of comeback victory in the second half.

Michigan extended their lead to 5-2 early in the third quarter with Sonoma right behind them quickly answering with back-to-back goals by Ellen Peterson and Risden with 2:55 left in the quarter. The Wolverines stunned the Lady Seawolves with strong defense and started a run of their own that would continue through the rest of the game.

Robinson netted the final Seawolf goal of the third quarter ending in the Wolverines’ favor at 8-5. Browning scored a goal of her own in the fourth but this would be the Lady Seawolves’ last goal of the game, losing 13-6.

Sonoma State’s women’s water polo team will face off Friday against Cal State East Bay at home; first sprint is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

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COURTESY // SSU Athletics Softball won five out of six games in the tournament.

Jake Tucker Staff Writer

T

he Sonoma State softball team traveled to Turlock this weekend to partake in the Tournament of Champions. Despite collecting an overall record of 7-1 in the weekend’s games, they fall short of the TOC title in the championship game.

The first game took place Thursday evening at 4 p.m. at the Pedretti Sports Complex and resulted in a 6-5 Seawolf victory. Amanda Lierena started on the mound for Sonoma, and had a comfortable cushion after the first inning after she set Western Washington down in order, and the Seawolves pushed across five runs in the bottom half of the inning. However, Western Washington would score one in the third courtesy of a solo home run over the center field fence, and then four more runs in the third to tie things up at 5-5.

The game remained knotted up until the seventh inning when Megan Konieczka trotted home on a double over the left fielder’s head from Hayley Condon. Ashley Long and Amanda Rossetta each picked up a pair of hits for the Seawolves, and the Vikings got three hits out of their leadoff hitter Autumn Isaacson.

The Seawolves played two games on Friday, collecting two wins: a 4-1 victory over Notre Dame de Namur and a 12-0 victory over Hawaii Pacific. The leaders from the day for the Seawolves included Kelsi Chinen who finished the day with four hits, two home runs, and four runs batted in. Holli Brown also collected four hits and four runs batted in.

Sonoma State collected three wins on Saturday, including a 9-7 victory over the Academy

of Art, a 4-3 victory over number two ranked Cal Baptist, and an 8-4 victory over Dominican University. Amanda Lierena earned the win in two of the ‘Wolves’ three games while collecting twenty-two batters on the day.

Leading the way offensively for Sonoma on the day was Konieczka, who went six for 12 with a home run, three runs batted in, and scored three runs herself. Ashley Long collected five hits on the day also with a double, four runs batted in, and three runs scored.

The Seawolves were now in the Gold Bracket of the tournament, playing in the semifinal against Western Washington entering the final day of the tournament. They started out the day with a 6-0 victory, but sadly ended the day and the tournament with their first loss in the championship against number eighth ranked Humboldt State.

Although they were unable to capture their second title of the tournament, they did have three players awarded ‘All-Tourney’ honors; Konieczka, who went 12 for 25 with three home runs, seven runs batted in, and seven runs scored; Kelsi Chinen, who went eight for 15 with two home runs, four runs batted in, and three runs scored; and Lierena, who left the tournament with a 3-0 record with 27 strikeouts in 21 innings, while only allowing 18 hits, four earned runs, and five walks.

The Seawolves improved their record over the weekend to 30-12 overall. Even though they broke their 14-game winning streak, they have still won 20 out of their last 23 games, and will resume CCAA play April 11 as they take on Humboldt State again in their last four home games of the season over Friday and Saturday’s doubleheaders.

CRUSH: Baseball sweeps series Continued from Pg. 1

putting up a 4-0 lead in the first five innings. The early lead came off the opportune hits by freshman Daniel Caresio, junior Jourdan Weiks, and Garret Schwartz putting the first runs on the board. The Coyotes responded with two runs of their own in the fifth inning to make the score 4-2, but the Seawolves responded with two more RBIs in the eighth inning coasting to a 6-2 victory. Pitching continued to be key in the win for the Seawolves with senior Jon Richards throwing six innings, only allowing two runs and racking up six strikeouts.

The second half of the double header started off with a bang for the Seawolves as Jackson Stoegner drove in the first four runs of the game by the third inning. The first run was put up in the first inning by a sacrifice fly to center-field allowing Jourdan Weiks to score from third but the following three runs came off a thundering home run from Stoegner in the third as the Seawolves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. CSUSB responded quickly to the long ball by putting up three runs the same inning putting the score at 4-3.

The Coyotes would no longer score in this game due to the lights out pitching coming in relief from junior Anthony Pezzola who finished up the last four innings for the Seawolves. Offense continued in this game for the Seawolves as three more runs were drove in to make the

final score 7-3. Stoegner finished the game with a career high of five RBIs while also smacking out his first homer of the season.

The Seawolves red-hot offense continued to sear on into Sunday’s finale as the team racked up a season high of 17 hits in midst of a 16-6 route and the essential sweep of the CSUSB Coyotes. The Coyotes came out very strong in the early stages of the game and at one point led 5-1 going into the fourth inning.

It was then in the fourth inning where the Seawolves struck for four runs coming off RBIs of the already hot bat of Jackson Stoegner, as well as junior Alex Crosby and Wesley Wallace.

Despite the one run being put up by the Coyotes in the following inning, it was all Seawolves’ bats from then on out. The Seawolves went on to score 12 more runs throughout the game. Two came from the fifth inning and the other 10 were put up in the seventh and eighth innings coming off the bats of several Seawolf batters. Stoegner continued his tear by going 4-5 and driving in three more runs throughout the game to give himself of weekend total of nine RBIs. Alex Crosby also finished the game strong for the Seawolves driving in three RBIs. The Seawolves now improve to a California Colliegiate Athletic Association best of 16-4 (18-10 overall) and hope to stretch the division lead after their scheduled bye-week this coming weekend, as they face off against Cal State Monterey Bay on the following Thursday, April 17.

Sports

April 8 - April 14, 2014

sonomastatestar.com

Page 11

Faculty Spotlight: Jody Perry N

Kayla Webster Sports Editor

ot too many professors require students to beat them up for their final exam; however, there is one exception. Professor Jody Perry teaches self-defense for the Kinesiology Department using a self-invented brand of mixed martial arts called Perry’s Full Circle Iron Wing.

Perry began studying mixed martial arts to help him achieve an advantage while he was competing in Greco-Roman wrestling for the 1980, ‘84, and ‘88 Olympics. Since then he has earned black belts in Judo, Panjitsu, and Sambo, as well as a Ph.D. in martial arts from the World Martial Arts Association. He currently holds 12 Hall of Fame awards from 10 separate martial arts associations, in addition to obtaining the 1995 Sambo World Champion record and being awarded the prestigious title of Grandmaster from the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society.

Although he holds many more impressive records, Perry considers applying his brand of martial arts to the Model Mugging program to be one of his greatest achievements. Model Mugging is a program designed to help women who have been victims of sexual assault by teaching them how to defend themselves. A key part of the program involves reenacting the circumstances of the assault so that the victim can utilize what they’ve learned in the program and apply it to their past situation.

After teaching these participants, Perry puts on a suit of armor and takes on the role of the attacker and lets these women “kick the crap” out of him. Perry believes this program helps empower women to move past these horrible situations so that they can continue on with their lives.

“There’ve been days when I’ve decided that I couldn’t do this program anymore because I couldn’t stand to hear another story,” said Perry. “When I heard what men do to women, I was ashamed to be a man. And when I heard what men do to other men, I was ashamed to be a human being. But that’s why I have to do this program; I feel like it’s my life purpose to teach self-defense.”

Perry encourages his female students to watch out for each other and to be aware of their surroundings. He believes that because women are the majority at Sonoma State, with roughly a 6-1 ratio, that collectively they should be able to overpower anyone looking to do them harm

if they stick together. However, he also believes that the men on this campus have a responsibility to act if they suspect a woman may be in trouble.

“Guys, you need to treat these girls as if they were your sisters,” said Perry. “You need to watch the actions of other guys with bad intentions and protect these girls from them.”

Although the majority of his participants are women, Perry recognizes that assault is not a crime that is exclusive to women and welcomes having men enroll in his class. He knows it’s equally important for men to learn to defend themselves because he had a male friend who was drugged and beaten at a party.

“Grandmaster Perry’s class is a great example of education and empowerment for both women and men,” said former teaching assistant Mack Blacksmith. “It gives students the opportunity to protect themselves and others, as well as learn more about the martial arts behind the techniques.”

Perry’s goal is to push SSU towards a no-tolerance policy for sexual assault and to develop a strong self-defense program; which he hopes will set a standard for other colleges across the nation to follow. At some point a member of the Kinesiology Department encouraged him to create a proposal to instate a new Martial Arts Bachelor of Arts program, but due to budget cuts the project has been put on hold. Even though a degree program does not yet exist, students can still take Perry’s class through the Kinesiology Department.

“I feel like I benefited from Professor Perry’s self-defense class in the sense that I feel more confident and safe walking anywhere by myself now,” said junior Cindy Fursh. “I’m no ninja, but the attitude that there is something I can do to help protect myself and not just be a victim makes all the difference.”

He is not currently teaching any classes this academic year because he found it difficult to make the commute from Sacramento to Rohnert Park; especially since he also worked for AT&T, which required him to do even more commuting around the state. However, he now has a stable job working at the Sacramento headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, and is ready to start teaching classes at SSU again.

He’s confident that he will be back teaching sections next academic year, and is looking forward to making a positive difference in the lives of students.

Fishing club kicks bass Halia Daugherty Staff Writer

O

ut of the 23 sport clubs available on campus, one that may not so familiar is the Fishing club. The Fishing Club is treated just like any other sports club, and has been around since 2007. They go to tournaments, they act as a team, and they fish anywhere that they fancy. The club has 12 members right now and Adrien Briens, president of Fishing Club, would like to make the club more well-known. Generally the club was meant to be small, but now they are seeking to expand it and become a larger presence on campus.

“We are open to everyone from beginner fishermen or fisherwomen, to students that have fished their whole life,” said Briens.

The club fishes for all species of fish, but their main focus is freshwater bass.

They fish at a variety of places all over the West Coast, but their “home” lakes are Clear Lake, Lake Sonoma and Spring Lake.

The main purpose of the club is to allow students that love to fish to be able to fish all the time and develop further knowledge, skills and sportsmanship by competing with other colleges in fishing tournaments.

“We fish all the time and we all have different specialties so we don’t really plan fishing trips, except for our tournaments,” said Briens. “We just go to fish and always have a great time whether we are catching them or not.”

The club has about 10 sponsors that hook them up with free fishing gear. They also represent and advertise the club with their newly made custom jerseys. They compete against every major school such as Chico State, Oregon, Arizona State and Boise State in the FLW College tournaments. FLW College fishing is the world’s largest tournament circuit for collegiate anglers. There are more than 600 clubs nationwide that compete against each other for prize money between $500 to $5,000. The experience students receive by fishing in the FLW College tournaments can be worth more than the

money, because students are competing against the world’s top anglers. Briens and his partner Ernie Gorham qualified for and competed in the FLW College National Championship in South Carolina this past March that will be televised on NBC News on May 31.

With the prize money that the club receives from tournaments, they plan to get a bass fishing boat for the club that will be used for tournaments and for fishing in general. Although the members of the club are serious about their fishing tournaments, they are generally laid back and just like to have a fun and relaxed time around nature.

“Fishing is something that I love to do and would be interested in joining the club at school because I have been trying to go the past couple of weekends,” said student Zach Steinkopf.

Dedicated fishers or students looking to go fishing with a group of people who are interested in the Fishing club are able to find more information at http://sonoma.edu/campusrec/sports/clubs/fishing.html.

COURTESY // Jody Perry More information about Perry’s Full Circle can be found at perrysfullcircle.com.

Score Box Women’s Tennis Wednesday April 2 28 SSU - 0 BYU Hawaii - 9 Friday April 5 SSU - 9 Dominican - 0

Softball Friday April 4 SSU - 4 Notre Dame de Namur -1 Saturday April 5 SSU - 9 Academy of Art - 7

Baseball Friday April 4 SSU - 7 Cal State San Bernardino - 3

SSU - 8 Dominican - 4

Saturday April 5 SSU - 6 CSSB - 2

Sunday April 6 SSU - 6 Western Washington - 0

SSU - 7 CSSB - 3

SSU - 0 Humboldt - 4

Sunday April 6 SSU - 16 CSSB - 6

Men’s Tennis Friday April 4 SSU - 2 Fresno Pacific - 7

Women’s Water Polo Saturday April 5 SSU - 6 UC San Diego - 15 SSU - 11 Monterey Bay - 7

SSU - 4 Cal Baptist - 3

Saturday April 5 SSU - 0 Fresno State - 4 Sunday April 6 SSU - 0 UC San Diego - 9

Sunday April 6 SSU - 6 Michigan - 13

Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com

April 8 Women’s Golf vs. Sonoma State Spring Invitational All Day Men’s Golf at WNMU Invitational All Day

April 11 Softball vs. Humboldt State 1 and 3 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo vs. Cal State East Bay 2:30 p.m.

Seawolf Sports

April 12 Women’s Tennis vs. Holy Names 11 a.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Holy Names 2 p.m.

Softball vs. Humboldt State Senior Day 11 a.m.

1 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo vs. Santa Clara 1 p.m.

Men’s Golf at Hanny Stanislaus Invitational All Day

April 14 Women’s Tennis vs. Notre Dame de Namur Courtesy of sonomaseawolves.com 1 p.m.

Page 12

Photo

April 8 - April 14, 2014

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